Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin | Winter '20

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WINTER ’20

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WEEKEND 2020

MAY 15-17

Calling all alumni in classes ending in 0s and 5s!

Don’t miss this opportunity to make new memories with old friends and classmates.

Join us in Wallingford for what promises to be a fun and exciting weekend of events. Highlights include: dinner and dancing, tours of our newest campus facilities, alumni-led panel discussions, athletic and musical performances, and much more!

See you there!

The Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is printed using vegetable-based inks on 100% post consumer recycled paper. This issue saved 101 trees, 42,000 gallons of wastewater, 291 lbs of waterborne waste, and 9,300 lbs of greenhouse gases from being emitted.

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In this issue:

ARTS AMPLIFIED The impact of Colony Hall on our daily lives

KIDLIT Alumni authors light up the brains of youngest readers

HILL HOUSE REIMAGINED with Dr. Alex Curtis

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CONTENTS | Winter 2020

INGREDIENTS

 tudents  aculty embers + ourses  ignature rograms  nterscholastic eams departments

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Letters

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

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Remarks from the Head of School On Christian & Elm News about the School Alumni Association News

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Classnotes Profiles of Elizabeth Pathy Salett ’55, Founder, National Multicultural Institute and Human Trafficking Search; Rohan Weerasinghe ’68, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, CitiGroup; Tim Fleiszer ’94, Founder and Director Concussion Legacy Foundation, Canada; and Olivia Landau ’09, Founder, The Clear Cut In Memoriam Remembering Those We Have Lost

At Choate Rosemary Hall, a little goes a long way. Your donation, with a hint of love, is the secret ingredient that will help our students thrive.

Give a pinch or give a pint— any amount is appreciated.

WWW.CHOATE.EDU/DONATE

Thank you for your generosity.

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features

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Bookshelf Reviews of works John Burnham Schwartz ’83, Alyson Richman ’90, Abdi Nazemian ’94, and David Silkenat ’95 End Note Allowing Our Values to Lead Our Growth

by Michael C. Velez ’00

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Hill House Reimagined with Dr. Alex Curtis

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The Arts Amplified Students and faculty reveal how Colony Hall has impacted their daily lives and amplified program

KidLit Reading powerful literature lights up far more of the brain

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WINTER ’20

Letters

Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is published fall, winter, and spring for alumni, students and their parents, and friends of the School. Please send change of address to Alumni Records and all other correspondence to the Communications Office, 333 Christian Street, Wallingford, CT 06492-3800.

Choate Rosemary Hall does not discriminate in the administration of its educational policies, athletics, other school-administered programs, or in the administration of its hiring and employment practices on the basis of age, gender, race, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic predisposition, ancestry, or other categories protected by Connecticut and federal law. Printed in U.S.A. CRH191201/18.5M

Editorial Offices T: (203) 697-2252 F: (203) 697-2380 Email: alumline@choate.edu Website: www.choate.edu Director of Strategic Planning & Communications Alison J. Cady Editor Lorraine S. Connelly Design and Production David C. Nesdale Classnotes Editor Henry McNulty ’65 Communications Assistant Brianna St. John Contributors Cheryl Bardoe Frank Cohen Mb Duckett-Ireland Rhea Hirshman Richard C. Stewart Brianna St. John Andrea Thompson Michael Velez ‘00 David McKay Wilson Photography Peter Aaron/RAMSA Danielle Capri Julia Discenza ’10 Al Ferreria John Giammatteo ’77 Bob Handelman Brett Simison Illustration Noah Woods

Choate Rosemary Hall Board of Trustees 2019-2020 Alexandra B. Airth P ’18 Danya E. Alsaady P ’17, ’19, ’23 Kenneth G. Bartels ’69, P ’04 Samuel P. Bartlett ’91 Caroline T. Brown ’86, P ’19 Marc E. Brown ’82 George F. Colony ’72 Alex D. Curtis P ’17, ’20 Borje E. Ekholm P ’17, ’20 David A. Fraze ’84 Gunther S. Hamm ’98 David R. Hang ’94 Linda J. Hodge ’73, P ’12 Jungwook ”Ryan” Hong ’89, P ’19, ’22 Daniel G. Kelly, Jr. ’69, P ’03 Vanessa Kong Kerzner P ’16, ’19 Cecelia M. Kurzman ’87 James A. Lebovitz ’75, P ’06, ’10 Takashi Murata ’93 Peter B. Orthwein ’64, P ’94, ’06, ’11 M. Anne Sa’adah Life Trustees Bruce S. Gelb ’45, P ’72, ’74, ’76, ’78 Edwin A. Goodman ’58 Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. ’57, P ’84 Cary L. Neiman ’64 Stephen J. Schulte ’56, P ’86 William G. Spears ’56, P ’81, ’90 Editorial Advisory Board Judy Donald ’66 Howard R. Greene P ’82, ’05 Dorothy Heyl ’71, P ’08 Seth Hoyt ’61 Henry McNulty ’65 Michelle Judd Rittler ’98 John Steinbreder ’74 Monica St. James P ’06 Francesca Vietor ’82 Heather Zavod P ’88, ’90

ARDENT SUFFRAGISTS My mother Virginia Fain Williams (earlier Carolyn Virginia Fain) was an alumna of Rosemary Hall (I would guess c. 1924) and her mother, Elizabeth Fain, was a good friend of Ms. Ruutz-Rees. I was trying to respond to some questions from friends who are working on a pamphlet on Annette Finnigan (Elizabeth Fain’s sister), and it occurred to me that the Choate Rosemary Hall website might have something useful. To my delight I discovered that you devoted an article in the Fall Bulletin to Ms. Ruutz-Rees and her suffragist activity. As my grandmother (and her sister) were also ardent suffragists, it occurred to me that the Choate Rosemary Hall archives might have material about suffragist (or other) activities in which they participated jointly.

Incidentally, apart from the suffragist movement, my grandmother and her sisters were extremely well-educated reflecting their father’s dedication to education (though I think his formal education was on the rudimentary side), and in my childhood memories I associate my grandmother’s friendship with Ms. Ruutz-Rees with her general intellectuality and braininess.

Stephen F. Williams Washington, D.C.

REDISCOVERING ROOMMATES I am always pleased to get the latest Bulletin and browse through it. There are usually some interesting items to read. In the most recent Bulletin it was fun to read about Mickey Suarez who was my freshman roommate in Choate House in 1948 (could it really have been 71 years ago?). I envy his recent travels in Spain, which I believe he has done before. I also have frequent email exchanges with Peter Decker ’52 who has written a number of interesting books, mostly about the West where he lives.

Phil Goodwin ’52 Orleans, Massachusetts

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Remarks from the Head of School

Dear Alumni and Friends of Choate Rosemary Hall, In this issue we have much to celebrate – a premiere solo performance by Emmy- GrammyOscar- and Tony-winning singer-songwriter John Legend and the official dedication of Ann and George Colony Hall this past October. After the celebrations, we’ve had time to reflect on the everyday use of the new building and the impact it has had on our community. In The Arts Amplified, we see how the built space has changed our students’ lives and amplified both the music and dance programs. The aphorism “If you build it, they will come” certainly holds true for the members of the orchestra and students enrolled in dance, who have made Colony Hall a part of their daily lived experience at Choate Rosemary Hall. One student dancer writes, “I feel much more inspired to work in Colony Hall. I’m definitely more motivated to work hard in the new dance studio. The design of a space really affects how I work creatively. The building ties together the dance community with the music community in such a beautiful way.” Another student remarks, “The connective flow of the building gives musicians and dancers their separate identities, yet still maintains an interconnectedness.” Creating community and celebrating the arts was a realization of one of the signature objectives of the 2013 Strategic Plan: to “allocate appropriate resources so that the entire school can gather to share, celebrate, and reflect.”

Few things impact the culture of a school or an institution more than built space. This is why it is so important that we get the restoration of Hill House, which will be closed until 2021, right. In this issue of the Bulletin, I hopefully provide a glimpse into our unique restoration process.

Part of the redesign will be to restore the symmetry of the original building concept that former Headmaster George St. John had in mind, as well as opening up the entrance to a more welcoming common room, also an intent of the original design. Because buildings in current use tend to evolve, we are also aware of the need to make practical improvements along the way as we restore.

As creativity and imagination are key elements to the design process, so are they key to the written word, as proven by our Choate alumni featured in this issue who are among the bestselling and critically acclaimed authors of children’s and young adult literature. Their literary art helps young readers reflect on the challenges of their times to better understand themselves and their world.

I am ever grateful to our students, faculty and staff, and parents and alumni, who continue to value and take pride in the dynamic experiences we offer to our students. The core of what we do at Choate Rosemary Hall, both in and out of the classroom, is to prepare our students especially well for success in a world filled with challenges and opportunities.

With all best wishes from campus,

Alex D. Curtis Head of School

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ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | NEWSWORTHY

2019 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Eleven sixth formers have been named Semifinalists in the 2020 National Merit Competition: William Greve of Mount Kisco, N.Y.; Hyunseo (Ariel) Kim of Seoul, South Korea; Anjali Mangla of Cheshire, Conn.; Andre Mi of Shanghai, China; Siri Palreddy of Avon, Conn.; Matthew Rendon of Saddle Brook, N.J.; William Robertson of Lynchburg, Va.; Sonali Singh of Farmington, Conn.; Kate Spencer of San Clemente, Calif.; Nathaniel White of Cheshire, Conn.; and William Zhu of Cheshire, Conn. In addition, there were 25 Commended Scholars in this year’s competition. Three sixth formers were named finalists in the National Hispanic Scholar Program: Matthew Rendon of Saddle Brook, N.J.; Laura Solano-Florez, of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; and Kate Spencer of San Clemente, Calif.

Tara Westover greets students at a book signing after her talk.

Author Tara Westover Visits Choate On October 29, author Tara Westover visited Choate Rosemary Hall as the Summer Reading Series speaker. Her compelling memoir, Educated, was a finalist for several national awards, winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Autobiography, and named one of the New York Times’ 10 Best Books of 2018. In Educated, Westover shares her transformation of being raised, in a survivalist family in Idaho, without a formal education, to graduating magna cum laude from Brigham Young University, and earning a Ph.D. in history at Cambridge. Westover made the Time 100 list as one of the most influential people of 2019.

Introduced by Caroline Rispoli ’20, Westover joined the Choate community at School Meeting, where she was interviewed by English faculty member Brooke Fichera. Westover offered some instruction on storytelling, such as crafting descriptions by highlighting details in seemingly generic moments. She also emphasized how education is about discovery, ultimately meant to change the way you live your life. Westover reminded her audience, “The world you have experienced is not the only world available.”

CHOATE WINS 2019 BRILLIANCE AWARDS Congratulations to Choate Rosemary Hall’s Communications and Development teams for earning four top design awards – a gold for their prospective student social media campaign #choosechoate; a silver for their out-of-the box design concept for annual fund postcard appeals; and bronze awards for both printed fundraising appeals and printed magazine. InspirEd is an online professional development resource and community for PK–12 private school marketing and communications administrators in the U.S. and abroad.

KEC Earns Net Zero Energy Building Certification In December 2019, the Kohler Environmental Center earned the International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI) Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) certification.

The KEC is the first NZEB-certified project in Connecticut; the largest certified project in New England; and the 2nd largest certified project (at any level) in the Northeast.

According to the ILFI’s website, zero energy is recognized worldwide as one of the highest aspirations in energy performance in the built environment. The ILFI’s Zero Energy Building (ZE) Certification™ was created to allow projects

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to demonstrate zero energy performance, building an advanced cohort of projects with the integrity of third-party performance certification. The ILFI Zero Energy Standard is as follows: One hundred percent of the building’s energy needs on a net annual basis must be supplied by on-site renewable energy.

No combustion is allowed.

This certification goes beyond the scope of Zero Energy Building Certification™ by also meeting the project location constraints in the ILFI’s Limits to Growth imperative and by incorporating elements of beauty and education throughout the building.

Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the KEC is home to Choate’s signature Environmental Immersion Program, a year-long residential and interdisciplinary program open to fifth and sixth form students who have a passion for understanding and preserving our natural environment. This certification is a testament to the design of the building as well as to the choices that the resident students make in order to minimize energy use.

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Journalist Bill Weir Delivers 2019 Krause Lecture On November 12, the Language department hosted journalist and CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir for the 2019 Krause Lecture. Weir was the executive producer of the original series “The Wonder List with Bill Weir.” Before joining CNN, he spent a decade with ABC News reporting from points around the globe, covering breaking news and uncovering global trends.

Weir was introduced by Georges Chahwan, Chair of the Language department and Arabic

Choate

WALLINGFORD

teacher. Weir’s presentation, “We Are Made of Stories,” was accompanied by slides from his CNN series. He stressed the importance of building trust and relying on “fixers” and translators, contract workers who arrange transportation and other support for visiting correspondents. These people fluent in the native language have provided Weir with valuable context and connection and through them he has been able to report authentic stories.

Coding with Girl Tech

CNN correspondent Bill Weir at a luncheon with students in the dining hall.

Yale Celebrates 50 Years of Coeducation In September 1969, Yale enrolled its first female undergraduates. Among them were five graduates of Rosemary Hall – Margaret Brim, Laura Dobson, Adele Edgerton, Alison Fletcher, and Nancy Zerbey – according to Anne Gardiner Perkins, author of Yale Needs Women: How the First Group of Girls Rewrote the Rules at an Ivy League Giant.

Margaret Brim and Nancy Zerbey began at Yale in 1969 as two of the 230 freshmen women Yale enrolled that first year. Alison Fletcher spent her freshman year at Sarah Lawrence College and then transferred to Yale in 1969 as one of the first 151 women sophomores. Laura Dobson and Adele

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Edgerton transferred to Yale in 1969 as two of the first 194 women juniors. Dobson spent her first two years of college at Smith, while Edgerton attended Vassar before enrolling at Yale.

“These first female students, most of them just teenagers, did not have it easy,” said Perkins. “They were outnumbered seven-to-one because of the gender quota Yale put in place and barred from many of the privileges their male classmates took for granted.”

Yale’s announcement that it was going coed and Princeton’s two months later finally broke the coeducation taboo in America’s top colleges. By 1973, the vast majority of elite all-male campuses had admitted women students too.

In December, Choate Rosemary Hall’s Girl Tech Club was featured in the Record-Journal newspaper for their work with local middle schoolers.

Local girls and boys are learning skills in coding, computer science, and engineering from Choate students through a program, “Coding with Girl Tech,” sponsored by the Wallingford Public Library and the Library’s Head of Teen Services, Jennifer Nash. The program is geared for students in grades 5–8 who want to explore computing, coding, engineering, and programming.

The program began last winter when Choate club presidents Anjali Mangla ’20, of Cheshire, Conn., and Serena Sandweiss ’20 of Hamden, Conn., reached out to Nash to create a mentorship program to help introduce younger girls to concepts in STEM and to provide volunteer community service hours for Choate students.

Last year, the group learned to code, but this year the focus includes engineering as well.

The group is currently learning programs like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Makey Makey, and will also utilize the Library’s in-house resources.

“It’s been a really rewarding experience. I love seeing girls interested in computer science and STEM and to have positive role models in high school,” Mangla said.

The curriculum is meant to inspire girls to continue learning. The collaboration is “really exciting and special,” said Mangla, “because women are underrepresented in STEM in the workforce. Even though it’s small scale in a small town, it really feels like we’re making a difference.”

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ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | Q & A

Hill House Reimagined with Dr. Alex Curtis What happens when an iconic campus structure is damaged? Architectural historian and Head of School Alex Curtis takes us through the redesign process and future plans for Hill House.

Hill House Common Room, circa 1925.

BULLETIN: Take us back to late July when lightning struck the roof

of Hill House and started a fire in the roof line of the 108-year-old Georgian Revival building. You and many others stood in the pouring rain watching firefighters work diligently to save the building. Did you think that we might lose the building that, in former headmaster George St. John’s words, “gave Choate a center, [and] made Choate, for the first time, look like a school”?

Additionally, it was easy to see how the fire might spread to the new St. John Hall, which is directly attached to Hill House and was only a year-and-a-half old. When we put our fate in the hands of the courageous fire crew, my initial fears were alleviated; we weren’t going to lose the building from fire after all, but there would be significant water damage.

BULLETIN: Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, an engineering and

DR. CURTIS: When I first arrived, the fire was quite significant

and seemed to be growing. I had a real concern that we would lose the building and potentially the whole complex. Remembering last spring’s fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, and how quickly a fire can spread through old timbers, I must admit it was a scary moment; especially because Hill House has such historic significance for our campus.

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design feat, was completed in the 1160s, and underwent several alterations in the 13th, 19th and 20th centuries. Hill House, designed

by Francis Waterman and built in 1911, has also undergone several alterations, one of which was to extend to the west with the construction of the Dining Hall in 1913-1914. When it comes to restoration, how do architectural historians choose what to restore and what to rebuild?

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DR. CURTIS: There’s an interesting parallel here to Notre Dame.

The cathedral had been worked on over a long period of time including much of it being rebuilt by Viollet-le-Duc, a prominent French architect who “restored” many medieval landmarks, during the middle of the 19th century. Critics have accused him of taking a great many liberties since he did not view his primary mission as a faithful restoration of the cathedral to its original design. His defenders would say that he saved many buildings and restored their original aesthetic by removing late additions, even if he replaced them with his own neo-Gothic creations. So, I am sure that everyone who faces the design challenge of an existing building must decide where on the spectrum of completely new design to total restoration they fall.

For Hill House, we felt this question acutely given the history and importance of the building to our school. It is a building that is more than 100 years old and that has undergone many previous alterations – most obviously, the addition of West Wing (including the dining hall), but also early on, two bays were added to the left side of the building, to the south.

Hill House is designed in a neo-Palladian style, which, among its most important characteristics is symmetry, typically created by a classical temple front that is flanked by an equal number of windows or other openings on each side. George St. John and his architect, Francis Waterman, deliberately chose to base Hill House on the grandeur and grace of the 18th century English country house style, and based on the rules of that architecture, it should be symmetrical – but it no longer is because of that two bay extension.

As I mentioned, it is interesting that within George St. John’s lifetime the building was extended to the left. There’s an aerial view from the 1920s that shows that the addition was only to one floor at that time. We’re trying to ascertain at what point the addition was extended to two floors and a full staircase included, which is what we have now.

As George St. John showed in that decision, all school buildings tend to evolve. So, going into this project, we knew that we would not be restoring Hill House exactly to what it was. There is precedent here as the old Winter Exercise Building was restored in a completely different way after the 1976 fire with a further addition in 2001 for the fitness center. Another example is the old gym that has changed its interiors (and exteriors to some extent) many times over the years, culminating in its most recent use as a student center.

BULLETIN: Your research into the original Hill House took you to the

School Archives. What did you learn?

DR. CURTIS: School Archivist Judy Donald has been a wonderful teacher since my arrival at Choate and I have learned from her how George St. John conceived of the Choate campus from the very beginning. Given that understanding, we are fairly certain that he would have very much wanted to restore the symmetry of the original building if he had had that opportunity.

We have decided to add two bays to the northern end of the building, and while I would have loved to do that just for purely architectural reasons and aesthetics, the major reason that’s driving the design is the need to have the second and third floor dormitories

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be equal on both sides. This will enable us to maintain the size of the dorm as it used to have 34 beds. New code requirements mean that we would have a much smaller dorm if we do not add the extension. This will enable us to have 32 beds, 16 on each side, over two floors. Similarly, the faculty apartments will be of roughly equal size. We’re happy that we are in the position of being able to meet the goals of our residental program while also being able to do something important for the architecture of the School.

BULLETIN: New plans include expanded student and faculty residences,

a new entrance, and a bi-level lounge space for faculty and staff. Can you tell us more about the design process?

DR. CURTIS: Except for the outside walls, we lost everything in Hill House due to the water damage, so the design had to start from the beginning with the various iterations of the building as a guide.

Typically, a design process for a building of this size might be about a year. However, everyone committed to a much faster process so we can get the building back for our students and faculty as soon as possible. I’m grateful to Bowie Gridley and the whole design team who didn’t cut any corners but committed the time and effort to get the design done in two months. The plan is to reopen the building in August 2021.

Hill House will be totally renovated. Preliminary plans include opening up the entrance so that it flows into a welcoming common room, much like the feeling of the original building. We’re going to add a corridor on the west side of the building – the back of the building – that will allow us to make more efficient use of space by moving the corridor out of the center of the building.

On the south end, the lower levels will also have a restored College Counseling Office and we will finally be able to address the truly long-term need for a space for staff and faculty to call their own by building a new lounge in the north wing.

BULLETIN: Stewart Brand, author of “How Buildings Learn” suggests

that buildings are supposed to grow, change, and learn from their users. What can we hope to learn from Hill House?

DR. CURTIS: (laughing) Well, that’s a fascinating question: do buildings learn from its users or is it the other way around? From our experience at Choate, it’s clearly both. We have watched and listened to our students, faculty, and staff as they have interacted with both old and new buildings so that we can adjust them when necessary or possible. For this building, we are in the unusual position of being able to make small alterations to the College Counseling Office, a space that was only designed and built in the previous two years. As wonderfully as it turned out, there’s always things that you wished you had done differently once you see people actually using the space. As carefully as you can imagine and plan in a design process, no one can fully predict how things will work when people actually use it. So, now, we have the chance to reflect on what worked really well and keep that but also find a few small tweaks that will make a big difference.

Similarly, this venerable building that has served Choate so well for so long will adapt itself to the needs of today’s users and I’m betting that within the next 100 years, it will do so a few more times!

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ON CHRISTIAN & ELM | On Campus

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ON OCTOBER 3, singer-songwriter John Legend

performed in concert at Ann and George Colony Hall before a full house of students, faculty, staff, and invited guests. He began the concert with a Beatles cover of “Here Comes the Sun,” ushering in a new era for the arts at Choate. The following week, on October 10, Choate Rosemary Hall’s Board of Trustees formally dedicated the new facility named in honor of George F. Colony ’72 and his wife, Ann. Designed by Robert A.M. Stern Architects, the 51,761-square-foot auditorium and classroom building is an architectural and programmatic complement to the Paul Mellon Arts Center. Colony Hall’s 1,070-seat auditorium serves as the venue for weekly all-school meetings. It also houses the School’s music and dance programs with state-of-the art dance and percussion studios, practice rooms, faculty offices, and Green Room.

The facility hosts guest artists and student musical performances that are open to the public.

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Caroline Ruutz-Rees, 2nd from left, next to Mrs. Katharine Hepburn in white. Connecticut Woman’s Suffrage Association, 1912.

Courtesy of the Connecticut State Library & State Archives. Purple, white, and gold were the colors of the American suffrage movement.

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Feature

KidLit Reading powerful literature lights up far more of the brain by cheryl bardoe

Whether nestled in a lap to hear a book read aloud or sprawled across the couch lost in a novel, young readers explore many of life’s possibilities with children’s literature. Research shows that reading powerful literature lights up far more of the brain than just the centers that interpret the written word. Sensory details, powerful characters, and vivid metaphors also stimulate cortexes responsible for perceiving smell, texture, and motion. Choate alumni are among the bestselling and critically acclaimed authors whose literary art helps young readers reflect on the challenges of their times to better understand themselves and their world.

Here are half a dozen alumni who have chosen to light up the brains of our youngest readers. | i l l u s t r a t i o n b y n o a h w o o d s

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R

RESPECTING CHILDHOOD’S EARLIEST EMOTIONS

Reeve Lindbergh ’63 first began writing for children when she was a second-grade teacher. Noticing how rhyme and rhythm helped struggling readers, she penned short stories and poems to support her students. Publication came later, after Lindbergh had left teaching to raise her own family. Lindbergh’s work underscores how children experience a full range of emotions, from silly to serious. “It’s important for children to be treated with respect,” she says. “They can handle a lot.”

As the youngest child of Charles and Anne Lindbergh, Reeve herself grew up in one of the most recognized families of the 20th century. Her father’s transatlantic flight and the tragic kidnapping and death of her oldest brother transpired more than a decade before she was born – yet are both topics on which Lindbergh has fielded questions throughout her life. Lindbergh’s mother, who was an internationally bestselling author, often suggested that she write down her ideas. Lindbergh also recalls being encouraged by her teachers at Rosemary Hall. In addition to 19 books for children, she has now published 10 works for adult readers.

Her first book, The Midnight Farm, published in 1987, depicts a mother and child counting the animals who are tucked in for the evening. After observing the family dog, horses, sheep, chickens, and deer, the text concludes: “Here is the dark in the midnight farm, Safe and still and full and warm Deep in the dark and free from harm In the dark of the midnight farm.”

Lindbergh wrote these words as she sought solace after her two-year-old son died: “I myself was looking for things that would light up the dark.” Lindbergh explains her dedication to lilting lines and plots that address children’s fears in the context of home and community: “When children first learn to read, it is a time of great adventure. To balance that, children also appreciate a sense of coziness.” The key to addressing real-life issues, Lindbergh says, is to be direct and ground the concern in the child’s frame of reference.

“Children are very perceptive and don’t need to be protected from what is natural.”

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The key to addressing real-life issues is to be direct and ground the concern in the child’s frame of reference. “Children are very perceptive and don’t need to be protected from what is natural.”

–REEVE LINDBERGH ’63

Lindbergh’s picture book My Little Grandmother Often Forgets, published in 2007, portrays a child who helps his grandmother find her glasses, her ring, her teacup, and a host of other items. The story was inspired by Reeve’s watching her own mother experience dementia in her 90s.

“I wrote this story to show that affection and connection are still present,” she says, “even when grandparents aren’t who they have been in the past.”

EXTENDING CHILDREN’S SENSE OF THEMSELVES IN THE WORLD When Jamie Lee Curtis ’76 published her

first book in 1993, she had already won multiple Golden Globe awards and was famous for her roles in Halloween, Trading Places, A Fish Called Wanda, and dozens of other film and television credits. More than two decades later, she has added to her résumé more awards and more starring roles, plus contributions as a humanitarian and activist relating to education and health. She also has become a bestselling children’s book author, with 13 titles and a reputation for exuberant text that engages young readers in complex topics that permeate modern society. “I’ve always believed that children have a much greater sense of the difficulties of life and basic human issues than adults give them credit for,” Curtis says.

Curtis’s first book, When I Was Little: A Four-Year-Old’s Memoir of Her Youth, began when her own four-year-old commented with an air of maturity about her distant past in diapers. That inspired Curtis to brainstorm a list of child-centered milestones – simultaneously simple and momentous – that separate being a baby or toddler from being a kid. “I realized that what I had written was a book for children about self-knowledge and self-hood,” Curtis says.

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Ever since, each of her books has highlighted something essential to growing up, with titles like, Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods that Make My Day; I’m Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem; and It’s Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel. Curtis’s work also encourages children to contemplate their connections to a broader society. This Is Me: A Story of Who We Are and Where We Came From invites readers to consider their own family histories and ponder what they would pack into a single suitcase to emigrate to a new home. Me, My Selfie and I: A Cautionary Tale, published in 2018, shows that the best things happen when cell phones are turned off. “Children need to hear all kinds of stories,” Curtis says. “They need stories of great courage and tenacity and fortitude as well as stories of imagination and that make us laugh.”

The daughter of one of Hollywood’s most famous couples, Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, Jamie came to Choate for her senior year of high school to be closer to her mother, who had been cast for a Broadway show in New York City.

Curtis describes herself as an underachieving student throughout her school career and says, “I am grateful to those teachers who were kind to me at a time that was very difficult.”

Amidst her many accomplishments, writing books for children is one of Curtis’s greatest delights. “I believe that art is a great healer and unifier, a great comfort and way to communicate,” she says. Combining her belief in the power of art and her commitment to respecting and investing in children, Curtis describes the final lines of The Human Race as among “the best contributions to the universe that I will ever get to make.” She challenges young readers to: “… make friends and love well, bring art to this place.

And make the world better for the whole human race.”

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CONNECTING MIDDLE GRADE READERS TO STEM

Tonya (Chen) Mezrich ’91 credits Choate with shaping her as a writer. “It was inspirational to be in a community where writing was important,” she says. “I was surrounded by teachers and students who were amazing writers.”

Mezrich recalls being impressed that the Choate library had a whole section of books written by alumni. She felt honored when former English teacher Trevor Peard recommended an essay of hers for a contest. “That made me think, maybe I could do this writing thing,” Mezrich says.

Before following a literary path, however, Mezrich became a dentist. Then she became a jewelry designer.

Then she launched a fashion collection of women’s clothing.

Along the way, she married Ben Mezrich, who has built a career writing narrative nonfiction such as the bestselling Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. From the beginning, Ben appreciated Tonya’s writing abilities. She became a resource for discussing his works in progress and he encouraged her to submit her own writing for magazines. As the couple’s children grew, the Mezrichs were inspired to create the Charlie Numbers Adventures, a series for middle-grade readers.

In this series, brainy kids apply their skills to overcome obstacles to beat carnival games, recover stolen moon rocks, and uncover the truth about mysterious fossil finds.

The Charlie Numbers Adventures tap into the nationwide celebration of “maker” culture in recent years, which follows trends to blend STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) topics in education.

Since the first Charlie Numbers book was released, the Mezrichs have become official co-writers. They collaborate together on an outline, then Tonya drafts the manuscript, which they take turns editing. She estimates that she folded more than 50 paper airplanes to understand the nuances of that activity before writing about a paper airplane contest in the book. “We want readers to feel like they are right there in the story,” Mezrich explains. “I was living an experience in order to write about it.”

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RECOGNIZING AND REMEDYING BIAS IN KIDLIT

”Children’s books are the most important books because we read them when we are in the process of figuring out who we are and who we want to become.”

–PHILIP NEL ’88

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Although not himself a children’s book author, Philip Nel ’88 has devoted his career to the study of children’s literature as an English professor at Kansas State University. “Children’s books are the most important books,” he explains, “because we read them when we are in the process of figuring out who we are and who we want to become.”

A firm believer that children’s books offer wisdom, beauty, hope, and insight for readers of all ages, Nel fondly recalls becoming fascinated with Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon books as a teen. At Choate, Nel gained an intrinsic appreciation for knowledge that has served him well as a college professor. “Choate made me into a better student,” he says, “because I discovered that all learning is worth your time.”

Nel’s most recent book, Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature and the Need for Diverse Books, was published in 2017 amidst a longtime movement that has recently gained momentum. The conversation had been ongoing for decades when, in 2002, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin began tracking representation of characters of color in children’s literature by annually reviewing more than 3,000 books, the vast majority of which were published in the United States. For years the numbers barely changed. Then in 2014 Walter Dean Myers, author of more than 80 books for children and young adults, heightened visibility for the issue with a New York Times essay titled, “Where Are the People of Color in Children’s Books?” That same year, authors Ellen Oh and Melinda Lo launched the We Need Diverse Books campaign. Since then the number of significant characters who are people of color has more than tripled, going from 8 percent in 2013 to 28 percent in 2018. In recent years, children’s books are also presenting a wider spectrum of gender experiences, such as Jessica Love’s debut 2018 picture book Julián Is a Mermaid, which depicts a young boy dressing up as his favorite magical creature.

With at least 50 percent of U.S. school children nonwhite, children’s literature still remains far from a balanced representation. Nel believes the most powerful impact will come as more people of color become creators of children’s literature. According to the CCBC, the number of books written by authors from diverse backgrounds went from 7 percent in 2013 to 21 percent in 2018 – although African American and Latino authors remain underrepresented in this growth. “It’s vital for the authors of a lived experience to tell their own stories,” he says.

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Kid TV

BY LO RRA IN E S . CON N EL LY

Bringing all the subtleties and nuances of life to our youngest audiences with Peter Hirsch ’86 Peter Hirsch ’86 knew he wanted to be a writer ever since he was in eighth grade. When he came to Choate Rosemary Hall, he says, that passion “was encouraged and shepherded along the way.” A strong English and drama student, Peter and classmate Mark Leydorf collaborated on a one-act play that was selected for the first Connecticut Students Playwrights Competition. President of his sixth form class, and art editor for The Lit, he earned the School Excellence in English Award. His English teacher remarked: “Simply put, [Peter] is a fresh and independent thinker. Moreover, his imagination is a formidable resource as well.” Since 2001, Hirsch has used that formidable imagination as head writer of the PBS Kids’ program Arthur, which recently wrapped up its 25th and final season, and now of Molly of Denali, a new PBS children’s series, one of the first to have a Native American lead.

After majoring in Buddhist Studies at Harvard, Peter returned to his native New York City to work on his playwriting while working part-time as a security guard at a children’s-wear building in the garment district managed by his realtor father. When he was offered the opportunity to write children’s scripts for PBS, he thought it “was a good gig and I could make a living and continue with my playwriting passion.” Soon, though, Hirsch became enmeshed in the life of Arthur, the anthropomorphic aardvark, and realized he could explore in his children’s scripts all of the great themes of the plays he most admired. He says, “All of the subtleties and nuances of life – the jealousies and insecurities that are at the heart of all great literature – could be explored and boiled down to 11-minute scripts that even a child could understand.” Hirsch and his writers explored King Lear’s test of love in one episode in which DW, Arthur’s younger sister, has a moment where she is willing to give up all of her toys to the friend who loves her best.

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Says Hirsch, “All children are natural storytellers and story vessels. The gold standard in children’s programming is to create stories that are entertaining as well as challenging.” And Hirsch has been active in raising the bar. With more kids spending time with screen media, selectivity is key. In an effort to help families curb kids’ use, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has released numerical screen limit guidelines – “no more than an hour a day of high-quality programming for kids under 6,” – suggesting that parents “co-view” these shows to help their children “understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them.”

With the Arthur series wrapping up, Hirsch has a new opportunity to help children understand the world around them through an exploration of indigenous cultures in the Molly of Denali series.

(Coincidentally, alumna Liz Walbridge ’07 is a digital associate producer of the Molly of Denali series at WGBH in Boston.) Molly, the series lead, is a 10-year-old Athabascan girl who hopes to maintain her culture’s old ways while leading a thoroughly modern life. Having just returned from a recent visit to Alaska, Hirsch says the series will not shy away from the “undeniable effects of climate change.” Hirsch acknowledges that TV is a powerful medium and has a growing responsibility, one that he does not shoulder lightly.

The dramatic weight of Hirsch’s role as head writer is somewhat Shakespearean in itself.

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TEEN READERS VALUE COMPLEXITY AND HOPE

After years of writing and producing for film and television, Abdi Nazemian ’94 published his debut novel, The Authentics, for young adults in 2017. Highlighted by People Magazine, Bustle, and Booklist, the work is also scheduled to be adapted for a television series. The story follows 15-year-old Daria, who is proud of her Iranian-American heritage. While the specifics are distinct, the core themes reflect a common experience for contemporary teens, particularly living under the constant glare of social media.

“Our society places a lot of emphasis on façade and perfection, rather than letting people see our vulnerabilities,” Nazemian explains. “Making your way through those emotions is part of figuring out your identity.”

Nazemian is grateful to Choate for the opportunity to spread his creative wings. He fondly recalls studentdirecting a scene from No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre, and an entire production of Christopher Durang’s Baby with the Bathwater. “I was amidst a group of students who were pushing to be more creative,” he says. “It turned into what was likely the best experience of my early life and set me on the course for my career today.”

Compared with the highly collaborative process of screenwriting, Nazemian finds writing books to be a more solitary venture – but still very gratifying. “Writing for young adults is exciting because your audience engages with art in a different way,” he explains. Nazemian is also eager to help more readers find themselves reflected in literature – an experience that he didn’t have himself, growing up as a gay Iranian-American. He is proud that a student recently wrote an article for her school magazine saying that reading The Authentics made her feel “seen.” In building the world for this novel, he strove to show many

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“Our society places a lot of emphasis on façade and perfection, rather than letting people see our vulnerabilities.

Making your way through those emotions is part of figuring out your identity.”

–ABDI NAZEMIAN ’94

different lenses for Iranian-Americans. He also encourages readers to seek out more stories and perspectives. “I lean into telling the most specific story possible, so that no one thinks I’m trying to represent a whole community,” he says.

Abdi’s most recent book, Like a Love Story, was named one of the New York Public Library’s 2019 best 100 books for kids (see review on p. 60). Set in the early 1990s, it highlights the grassroots response to the AIDS crisis. He observes that contemporary teens are on the forefront of activism relating to gun violence, climate change, and other issues. “This book explores the question of how do we face the world when it seems like it is crumbling around us?”

Nazemian says, “Historically conditions have improved when people came together through love and demanded better. It’s exciting to consider how the era I grew up in is relevant to teens today.”

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STORIES THAT RESONATE AROUND THE GLOBE openness, combined with a historical sense of being Katherine Marsh ’92 began writing Nowhere Boy, about a enemies. “I was thrilled to have that experience,” she says.

14-year-old Syrian refugee, in 2015 when her family spent “That time cultivated in me a sense of being able to look a year living in Brussels. She arrived just as a downtown past many things to see people as individuals.” park became an impromptu refugee camp less than Marsh’s time at Choate set her on the path to being a two miles from where European Union leaders from 28 political reporter, and she applied her journalistic skills nations gathered in their parliamentary chamber. “The to writing Nowhere Boy. The novel required “an immense refugee crisis was happening all around us,” Marsh recalls. amount of research,” she says, ranging from reading stacks “People were on the streets with signs, neighbors went to of policy reports to interviewing Syrian families, and an the park to help, and they set up a tent city.” By the time unaccompanied minor who had arrived in Brussels.

Nowhere Boy was published in 2018, the United Nations Marsh is currently working on a new project that comwas reporting that refugee numbers had reached unprecbines a sense of adventure with a storyline that examines edented levels worldwide. Marsh’s writing has received how girls and women use their voices. For her, writing critical praise for its thoughtful exploration of this topic, each book is a unique experience, with characters and and her book has already been translated into 16 languages, plots that spring from a place of utter passion. “The best including French, Dutch, Portuguese, Norwegian, Spanish, stories come from questions that I want to explore,” she Polish, Greek, Korean, Chinese, and Farsi. says. “I want to create books that have a lasting quality; “Kids are the future, so it’s important for them to be books that entertain and also have nuggets of truth that part of this conversation,” Marsh says. “Books that present kids find on their own.” Marsh also gives a shout-out to real life to kids are an invitation for them to become their other children’s book author alumni from her class, Ian best selves.” Nowhere Boy interweaves the story of Ahmed Lendler and Kristen Kittscher. ■ with that of 13-year-old Max, whose family has relocated from the United States for his father’s work. Both boys Cheryl Bardoe teaches writing in Choate Summer Programs. She is an are lonely, homesick, and struggling to find their footing. award-winning children’s book author. Her most recent book, China: When they become friends, they learn from each other A History, (Abrams) has been praised by reviewers at School Library about different ways of being brave. “Every kid is an outJournal, Booklist, and The Washington Post. sider somewhere,” Marsh says.

Marsh applied to Choate because she wanted to study Russian, a language spoken by two of her three immigrant grandparents. She feels fortunate to have completed a Choate term abroad in Moscow in 1991, during the last few months of the Soviet Union, with the Cold War almost over. Marsh describes the atmosphere as one of increasing

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Cover story

T H E

ART S

On October 10, 2019, Choate Rosemary Hall’s Board of Trustees dedicated Ann and George Colony Hall.

The new space, named in honor of George F. Colony ’72 and his wife, Ann, is an architectural and programmatic complement to the Paul Mellon Arts Center, built in 1972. Besides serving as the venue for weekly all-school meetings, the auditorium is the mainstay for spoken word and musical performances; the facility houses the School’s instrumental music and dance programs. Here students and faculty reveal how the space has changed their daily lives and amplified the arts. | b y l o r r a i n e s . c o n n e l l y

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“I LOVE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE BUILDING. ALTHOUGH COLONY HALL HAS A LARGE INTERIOR, THE SITTING AREA AT THE BOTTOM OF THE STAIRCASE REALLY PULLS EVERYTHING BACK TOGETHER.”

A

–ORE TEJUOSO ’21

school that values the arts Ore Tejuoso ’21, an Arts Concentration student from Lagos, Nigeria, spends a good amount of time in Colony Hall every day. She is either in a classroom learning music theory, in a practice room training her voice, or working with the jazz combo in the recital hall.

“Colony Hall is a beautiful and very resourceful building,” she says. “I really love the great amount of sunlight that comes into the practice rooms, and the Bluetooth speakers installed in each room. As a songwriter, the aesthetic of my environment is very important to me. I find that in the practice rooms I am able to compose an entire song. This is because the large windows give the room a very peaceful and serene feel.”

Ore’s favorite space in the building is definitely the recital hall. “I love the acoustics in there and the microphones are impeccable,” she says. “I also love the organization of the building. Although Colony Hall has a large interior, the sitting area at the bottom of the staircase really pulls everything back together.

The attraction of this sitting area is especially shown when you have many students spread throughout the building at the same time.”

Once she takes a break from practice, Ore can be found in the sitting area ready to connect with others also taking a breather. “I am very grateful to be receiving my education at a school that values the arts as much as Choate does,” Ore says. “Music and the arts are very important to me, and it gladdens my heart to know my school feels the same way.”

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music composition Music faculty member Matt McLean is in his second year at Choate. He is the lead instructor of Choate’s jazz and wind ensembles and teaches a yearlong Honors Music Theory class. McLean came to Choate after nearly two decades teaching music in New York City at the Little Red School House and Elisabeth Irwin High School. McLean is also the founding director of Young Composers & Improvisors Workshop, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing composition to the music classroom.

In his Music Theory class, students learn ear training and melodic dictation using iPads to transcribe melodies they are hearing.

His classroom has a piano so Matt can play examples he wants students to hear. Tables are movable and can be arranged differently depending on the day’s project, or can be moved into an oval for discussion.

McLean uses a software app, Pear Deck, for project presentation. It allows students to interact with a presentation on their iPads.

Each trimester, students put into practice the theory they are learning in composition projects. In the fall, they composed a vocal arrangement that they performed for classmates; this winter they’ll arrange a chamber composition; and in the spring their culminating project will be to create a chamber music piece for the Young Composers concert.

Every Monday afternoon, music Arts Con students gather informally in the Colony Hall lobby. Says McLean, “The meeting sets the students for the week and is a check-in on various projects they are working on. These meetings create a sense of community for them.”

“Our previous space,” he notes, “which was shared with theater arts, was not really suited for this kind of collaboration. The building and practice rooms are open all day until 9:00 p.m.; you can hear sound wafting throughout the building.”

LEFT Ore Tejuoso ’21

and Choral Director Charles Evans share a passing conversation as music instructor Matt McLean (seated) catches up with a student.

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RIGHT In music faculty Matt McLean’s Music Theory class, students learn ear training and melodic dictation using iPads.

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inspired to create On a fall afternoon, Ethan Luk ’20, from Hong Kong, and Naomi Koo ’20, from Seoul, Korea, improvise in Colony Hall’s courtyard. Says Ethan, “It was mostly a feeling of calm and serenity. We were just taking in the architecture of Colony Hall and playing whatever the space inspired us to create.”

Ethan is a member of the Symphony Orchestra, took Dance Composition in the fall, and participated in the Student Choreographers’ Showcase, the first performance in the Colony Hall dance studio this fall. He is also a president of Dance Company and is choreographing for the student production A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Says Ethan: “The PMAC and the old dance studio were both pretty limited in terms of rehearsal space, but now there are a lot of great sources of natural light. I feel much more inspired to work in Colony Hall. I’m definitely more motivated to work hard in the new space. I think that the design of a space really affects how I work creatively. We also experimented with a lot of new collaborations such as the Arts Con music ensemble working with the Dance Composition class in the Student Choreographers’ Showcase.

“My favorite space is definitely the dance studio. I find a lot of my choreographic inspiration in real life and nature, so I take advantage of the many windows and sources of natural light that create patterns of shadows – much like the patterns of formations in choreography or movement phrases. The building ties together the dance community with the music community in such a beautiful way. Dance used to be on the other side of campus in the basement of the WJAC. Now I finally feel like dance is part of the arts community at Choate.”

“I FEEL MUCH MORE INSPIRED TO WORK IN COLONY HALL… I THINK THAT THE DESIGN OF A SPACE REALLY AFFECTS HOW I WORK CREATIVELY.” –ETHAN LUK ’20

Pamela Newell teaches dance composition and history and modern/ contemporary dance technique. In her dance technique classes, she begins with floor exercises.

Newell’s husband, Robert Bergner, provides drumming for the exercises.

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a maestro settles in For the past five decades, the Choate Rosemary Hall Orchestra has had the distinction of performing under the baton of a single music director, Philip Ventre. In 1970, then-Headmaster Seymour St. John wanted a music program that was “second to none.” Maestro Ventre has provided that and much more. In recognition of his more than four decades of distinguished teaching, the Board of Trustees awarded him the Karl J. and Augusta O. Monrad Faculty Chair.

For Ventre, who has conducted in venues around the world, Colony Hall is a dream come true. The orchestra, now with 75 members, rehearses three times a week in its auditorium.

The orchestra has performed in China four times and in 12 European countries. The orchestra also performed at the White House in 2009; at Carnegie Hall twice, at Lincoln Center, and at Yale’s Woolsey Hall. This February the orchestra will perform at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C., one of four orchestras selected to perform as part of the nation’s President’s Day celebration.

Says Ventre, “During practice I can now hear students play and, more importantly, they can hear each other. The sound gets better and better each time they play.” The recital hall is a great collaboration space for practice, and space for sectionals to break out and practice repertoires. “The performing experience has been enhanced,” Ventre says. “The PMAC main stage was designed for theater, and the old recital hall for chamber and solo recitals.

Colony Hall has upped the musicians’ game.”

In many ways the building has also enhanced the equity goal. The four main families of instruments – strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion – now have equal weight and voice. Colony Hall is a more inclusive space where players of all instruments can hear one another. “Students,” says Ventre, “can play duets and trios comfortably.”

Ventre also cites the ample locker space as another draw, as is the vast music library that is shared with the jazz and wind ensembles and the Wallingford Symphony Orchestra.

Notes Ventre, “We are truly blessed to have such an outstanding and truly unique performance venue for our musicians and for the entire community to enjoy! I shall be eternally grateful to Mr. Colony and Head of School Alex Curtis for their vision in the creation of Colony Hall.”

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TOP Phil Ventre conducts the fall music

BOTTOM Matt McLean holds a wind ensemble

ensemble concert with Arts Concentration soloist Eliana Kim ’20.

rehearsal in the recital hall.

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ABOVE Ryan Kim ’23 in a

lesson with cello teacher Tom Hudson. Piano teacher Tom Martin works with Hong Kong native Ryan Xu ’22, on a movement from a classical sonata by Beethoven.

RIGHT New locker spaces and one of several practice rooms that work well for duets.

a window on practice and performance Piano instructor Tom Martin is working with Hong Kong native Ryan Xu ’22, on a movement from a classical sonata by Beethoven. Ryan is preparing for the 2020 Renee B. Fisher Competition for Young Pianists, one of the most prestigious high school competitions in the Northeast. The practice session occurs in synchronous time to that of cellist Ryan Kim ’23, a freshman from Seoul. Martin has been teaching piano and music theory at Choate since 1986. The recital hall, with a rebuilt 9-foot Steinway, has definitely inspired kids. “For more than four decades, the PMAC was considered the gateway to upper campus. Colony Hall has carved out a whole new vista for the campus and the arts,” says Martin.

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Above the first floor music practice rooms is the dance studio. Kalya Yannatos, Director of the Arts and head of the dance program, reports more than 40 students are enrolled in dance this winter term alone – with about 150 students engaged in dance overall between the four dance clubs and the many classes and rehearsals. Says Yannatos, “Colony Hall has given dance a place at the table in the arts complex. It has elevated the entire spirit of the program.” Until 2019, dance classes were taught in the Johnson Athletic Center. Adds Yannatos, “While we loved having that connection to athletics, since dance is a perfect bridge between arts and athletics, it is wonderful to be under the same roof as the music program, allowing for greater collaboration between the two disciplines.”

This fall, nine students in the dance composition class previewed their original work in the inaugural Student Choreographers’ Showcase. Says Yannatos, “We had to turn people away.” The dance program has also expanded and now boasts five dance instructors. There are six Arts Concentration dance students in the program and more in the pipeline.

The dance studio is Yannatos’ favorite spot.

Having a dedicated space for music and dance has also teased out the tension for shared space between the music and theater arts programs, she says. “Every program now has more space. It gives us a chance to spread our wings a little. A dedicated venue for school meetings now allows our stage process to continue uninterrupted.”

Choreographer and educator Pamela Newell joined the Choate faculty in 2018. For nearly 20 years, she was a vital member of the Montreal dance community and a dancer and rehearsal director for Compagnie Marie Chouinard, touring five continents. Newell teaches dance composition and history and modern/contemporary dance technique. In her dance technique classes, she begins with floor exercises. Says Newell, “We’re teaching universal movement principles – anatomical principles strengthening core developmental sequences and connectivity patterns.” Newell’s husband, Robert Bergner, provides drumming integral to the class.

Newell says she and her students were struck this fall by the beauty and light of the new space. One of the first composition projects she assigned was site-specific, asking her student choreographers to create a dance piece in a setting outside of a dance studio or stage, engaging with the architecture and objects in the work. Laura Jiang ’21, from Shanghai says, “The unit on site-specific dancing was exciting. The artistic and sophisticated interior spaces of Colony Hall allowed me and my peers to utilize our creativity and create innovative site-specific pieces.”

Jenny Guo ’21, from Hong Kong, created a short piece that was performed on the couches on the first floor of the building. Says, Jenny, “The piece involved movements playing with negative space and the structure of the architecture that would not have been possible if it weren’t for the building’s designs.”

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BELOW Director of the Arts

Kalya Yannatos and Arts Concentration dance student Di ’Anna Bonomolo ’20 in the new dance studio

“WITH ITS SOARING CEILINGS AND WINDOWS TO THE WORLD THE DANCE STUDIO GIVES OUR DANCERS THE INSPIRATION TO REACH BEYOND THEMSELVES … NATURE, SKYLIGHT, AND TREES INSPIRE MOVEMENT, AS DO THE MUSICIANS PRACTICING BELOW.” – DI R ECTO R OF THE ARTS KALYA YANNATOS

Like Jenny, Laura is in Colony Hall Monday through Friday taking various dance classes in the afternoon, followed by evening dance rehearsal for the annual dance concert.

Additionally, she’s in the studio on Saturdays to work on her individual pieces and Sundays with the rest of the student-led dance company. Says Laura, “The new dance studio makes all my dance-related activities more enjoyable. The new studio is a great size, it has beautiful windows, bright lights, which are all crucial enhancements. Whenever I’m in the studio taking class, I’m incredibly grateful for the amount of natural light we get. Also, I’m more motivated to come to the studio to work.

The connective flow of the building gives musicians and dancers their separate identities, yet still maintains an interconnectedness.”

Sophia Yang ’22, of Bedford, N.Y., finds the new space has not only enhanced her dancing ability, it has also impacted the overall experience of dancing at Choate. “This new space has reminded me of the art form I love. I have spent many weekends at the dance studio either practicing or exploring new dances.

Because of the close proximity of the dance studio to my dorm in Archbold I have been motivated to dance more. The grand windows in the front of Colony Hall have allowed the outside aspects of campus life to influence our creativity.” ■

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | The Choate Rosemary Hall Alumni Association’s mission is to create, perpetuate, and enhance relationships among Choate Rosemary Hall alumni, current and prospective students, faculty, staff, and friends in order to foster loyalty, interest, and support for the School and for one another, and to build pride, spirit, and community.

OFFICERS President David Hang ’94

London Ed Harney ’82, P ’15, ’17 Elitsa Nacheva ’08

Vice President John Smyth ’83, P ’20

Los Angeles Alexa Platt ’95 Wesley Hansen ’98

Past Presidents Susan Barclay ’85 Chris Hodgson ’78, P ’12, ’14, ’17 Woody Laikind ’53 Patrick McCurdy ’98 Parisa Jaffer ’89

Rosemary Hall Anne Marshall Henry ’62 San Francisco Samantha Vaccaro ’98 Ian Chan ’10

REGIONAL CLUB LEADERSHIP

Seoul Ryan Hong ’89

Boston Lovey Oliff ’97 Sarah Strang ’07 Kristine Yamartino ’10

Shanghai Michael ’88 and Peggy Moh P ’18, ’23 T.C. Chau ’97

Chicago Samantha Carney ’00 Maria Del Favero ’83

Thailand Pat Sethbhakdi ’85, P ’18, ’18, ’20 Isa Chirathivat ’96

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SEATTLE TECH PANEL In October, Seattle alumni and parents gathered to hear secrets and stories of the tech world. Pictured here are Head of School Alex Curtis and panelists Spencer Penhart ’95, Karin Kidder ’93, Justin Graham ’98, Jan Miksovsky ’86, Alec Peterson ’95, and Marc Brown ’82.

New York Sheila Adams James ’01 Jason Kasper ’05

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Susan St. John Amorello ’84, P ’15 Melissa Barrett ’88, P ’21, ’23 T.C. Chau ’97 Jaques Clariond ’01 John Glanville ’73 Elizabeth Alford Hogan ’82 Dewey Kang ’03 Jack Kingsley ’87 Lambert Lau ’97 Shanti Mathew ’05 David Sack ’75 Alexandra G. Smith ’09 Jessy Trejo ’02

Connecticut David Aversa ’91 Katie Vitali Childs ’95

Alumni Gatherings and Celebrations

Washington, D.C. Dan Carucci ’76 Tillie Fowler ’92 Olivia Bee ’10 Beijing Gunther Hamm ’98 Hong Kong Sandy Wan ’90 Lambert Lau ’97 Jennifer Yu ’99

Tokyo Robert Morimoto ’89 Miki Yoshida ’07

SONY STUDIO TOUR Members of the Alumni Club of Los Angeles enjoyed a private tour of Sony Picture Studios.

OUR VOLUNTEER ADMISSION NETWORK

comprises more than 300 alumni around the globe who dedicate their time and efforts to help shape our incoming classes. With interest in our School at an all-time high, and record numbers of applications received each year, our Admission officers cannot personally connect with all applicants. That’s where the alumni volunteers come in!

They staff school fairs, conduct in-person and video interviews, and help to staff Admission Saturdays on campus. These alumni are true ambassadors for our School. Pictured here: Assistant Director of Admission Dana Brown and VAN volunteers: Lauren Branchini ’04, Shanti Mathew ’05, Jillian Backus Sullivan ’90, Paula Ho ’11, and Interim Director of Admission Jeff Beaton.

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KATHERINE FORREST On October 22, Katherine Forrest ’82 shared insights on the intersection of artificial intelligence and the law with students in the JFK Program in Government & Public Service. A former U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York, Katherine is currently a partner at the firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore.

1

2

3

4

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NYC HOLIDAY PARTY

1 Corey Mirman ’06, Alex Klaris ’09, Rebecca Marber ’09, Kelly Walsh

’09, Alec Barnett ’09, Benjamin Loveman ’09

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6

2 Gardenia Cucci ’86, P ’20, ’22, Margot Waldman ’81 3 Stephen Haskins ’00, Gerard McGeary ’00, Manu Nathan ’00 4 Ray Javdan ’89, Matthew Cercone ’89, Geoffrey Fletcher ’88

5 Sean Thomas ’99, Michael Mitchell ’99, Sheila Adams James ’01,

Karume James 6 Marcia Saunders ’81 and Claudia Bourke ’84

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28

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION | Hall of Fame Inductees

C H O AT E R O S E M A R Y H A L L

AT H L E T I C S H A L L FA M E OF

2020

Each year on Reunion Weekend, the Alumni Association recognizes outstanding athletes whose contributions and achievements left an indelible mark on the School. This year, four alumni will be inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame during Reunion Weekend on Saturday, May 16.

WILLIAM “BILL” MCCONNEL ’55 found a passion at Choate in running cross country and track. Bill lettered in both sports in his 5th and 6th form years, and led the track team to an undefeated season in 1954 and 1955. Bill co-captained the track team with his twin brother John, and also shared with him the Coaches Trophy for Outstanding Contribution.

Bill ran cross country for Bucknell College and shortly thereafter began a renowned coaching career at Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh. Under his leadership, the Shady Side boys track team joined the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League in 1994 and won four WPIAL Class AA Championships between 1997 and 1999.

Retired from coaching but not from running, Bill continues to run road races and spend time with his wife Anne and two daughters.

HEIDI HOWARD ALLEN ’95 seemed born with a stick in her hand and a goal in her sights. Between field hockey, ice hockey, and lacrosse at Choate, Heidi earned nine varsity letters, captained three sports, and earned the Excellence in Field Hockey and Lacrosse awards. In 1995, her teams posted a remarkable 42 wins and 4 losses.

Upon graduation, Heidi took her talents to Middlebury College, where she was named AllAmerican Student-Athlete each of her four years. In both field hockey and lacrosse, Heidi took her teams

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to five Division III NCAA Final Four tournaments and won the NCAA Championship in each sport. In her senior year, she was named NESCAC Player of the Year in both sports.

Following her college graduation, Heidi coached at Choate from 2005 to 2007, Middlebury from 2007 to 2009, and Bates College from 2009 to 2011. She is currently the co-founder of the Maine Athletic Complex in Portland where she lives with her husband Brett and three young sons.

HEATHER LINDMAN WOOLBERT ’95 was the dominant New England swimmer of her era. She swam three years at Choate, holding two national records, four New England records, and 11 Choate records. Heather co-captained the Choate swim team in 1995 and earned MVP at the New England Championships that same year.

In each of her three years at the New England Championships, Heather won the 200 Individual Medley. She broke the New England Record in the IM set by Choate legend Dede Trimble ‘88. Heather was the go-to swimmer for relays when a meet was on the line, often outsprinting the fastest in the league.

Upon graduation, Heather earned letter honors in swimming at Harvard University in 1996 and 1997.

Heather now lives in Trumbull, Conn., with her husband Stephen and three young sons.

KHARI STEPHENSON ’00 played center midfield for Choate’s soccer team for two years, helping the team win all three post-season championships – Founders League, Western New Englands, and New Englands.

Following graduation, Khari played four years of varsity soccer at Williams College, where he was named NESCAC Player of the Year in 2002, All-NESCAC in 2002 and 2003, NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches of America) All American in 2002 and 2003, and NSCAA All-New England in 2002 and 2003. He earned lasting recognition at Williams for having scored 40 goals and 96 combined points in his career.

Not ready to hang up his cleats, Khari played for the Jamaican national team after college. He then turned to a professional career with the Chicago Fire, followed by the Kansas City Wizards, two Scandinavian teams, Real Salt Lake, and the San Jose Earthquakes.

Khari retired from the pitch in 2015 and now serves as Corporate Account Executive at CrowdStrike.

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 29

Join us

FEBRUARY 5, 12, & 19 2nd a nnu a l

Career Development Webinar

Marietta Lee ’87, Executive Vice President, The Lee Company

Series, Choate Nexus This February we will host three consecutive weeks of webinars focused on helping you land the job you’ve Jill Santopietro Panall ’93, Chief Consultant/Owner, 21Oak HR Consulting

always wanted. We will kick off the series with Maximizing Your LinkedIn Presence. The following weeks we will share interview tips and keys to successful salary negotiation. Each webinar will be led by alumni experts in the field. Mark your calendars and look for formal invitations in your email.

Ben Pascale ’08, Enterprise Relationship Manager, Search and Staffing at LinkedIn

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30

CLASSNOTES | News from our Alumni

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Send Us Your Notes!

We welcome your electronic submission of classnotes or photos in a .jpg format to alumline@choate. edu. When submitting photos, please make sure the resolution is high enough for print publication – 300 dpi preferred. If your note or photograph does not appear in this issue, it may appear in a subsequent issue, or be posted online to Alumni News on www. choate.edu. To update your alumni records contact Christine Bennett at alumnirelations@choate.edu or (203) 697-2228.

Winter, 1980s.

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32 CLASSNOTES

1940s ’48 RH Edie Thurlow Keasbey writes, “Time rolls too fast; I will soon be 90, and am well and busy with Friends of the Great Swamp, a wonderful organization of likeminded friends protecting the watershed of The Great Swamp of 62,343 acres in Putnam and Dutchess counties in New York. With a large wetland area, it provides drinking water for the City and our local area as well. We have canoeing, kayaking, birding, hiking (yes, hiking in a swamp), research, education, and conservation. My love of the outdoors has never slackened!”

1950s ’52 C Miguel A. Suarez writes, “I found a photo taken in 1951 in front of East Cottage. On the left, Jorge Herrera Uslar Jr. (Venezuela) and on the right, Roberto E. Betancourt (Cuba). Great friends. Jorge passed away. I last saw Robertico about 20+ years ago in my law office in Miami. He was heading to South America to work in a cattle ranch. I am almost retired. Moved to a lovely smaller house. Next December, I am going back to Andalucía, España.” ’55 RH Pam Bisbee-Simonds writes, “At 81, I find I revel in long lazy early mornings with my coffee and the newspaper on the porch overlooking the cove more than ever. Bruce and I both do local exercise classes to keep limber, and still bike pleasurably. I tried an e-bike on our Smith College bike/barge trip to the Netherlands last May and am definitely going to upgrade! Keep learning through SSILL, excellent local senior lecture program, and out of necessity, becoming more active politically, with Indivisible, an advocacy group tackling social issues and supporting Congressional campaigns.”

Cinda Paddock Day writes, “We had an interesting vacation in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, which is no longer the quaint fishing village I remembered from late 1950s. (It was where Picnic was filmed, remember?) However, the fabulous Coastal Maine Botanical Garden is well worth a trip down east. Henry turned a joyous and healthy 91 this year and I still have trouble keeping him off the ladder. I’m getting ready to start a new one pill a day treatment for my chronic leukemia which will eliminate periodic chemo treatments. Wow and Yippee!

Modern medicine is incredible. Hope all is well with you other ’55ers.”

Maude Dorr writes, “Headed to Australia in October. Not much other news, just trucking along.

Hope everyone is doing well.”

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Debbie Day Leeming writes, “Still taking care of two homes, north and south, and being as active as our bones will allow; very grateful for this full life.”

Lyn Foster McNaught writes, “Last March, Michael joined me on the wrong side of 80, but that was about it for springtime excitement! We had a wonderful week in California last May visiting Maggie (almost two), who is quite enchanting and has a big personality. Unfortunately, in late June I fell on our porch steps and fractured my left kneecap. We had to cancel our planned Alaska trip, and I have spent the past two months in a series of ‘knee immobilizers’ and braces, all to avoid surgery. I am getting back into circulation again! I am still involved in my two non-profits, Horizons National and the Falmouth Education Foundation. The grandkids from Connecticut visited for a week, and we enjoyed having East and West Coast families together here last Christmas.

Best wishes to all ’55ers, and hope to see everyone at next May’s reunion!”

Francie Abbott Miller writes, “I survived the move to the West Coast last January and am happy with the house, the community and the proximity to my family – two daughters in LA and San Diego and son in Seattle where I spent much of last summer.

(Reverse snowbirding.) Have been ruthlessly examining and tossing the files and mementos I’ve been storing up for the past 60 years and rediscovering all sorts of things about my history that I’d forgotten. Having kept every appointment calendar since 1958, I was amazed to discover so many opera nights (once a week for 14 years! You would think I could sing them all), Food Pantry egg runs (every Tuesday for eight years – an estimated 120,000 eggs!). As sister Martha said, ’I’m just glad we didn’t have to lay them.’ Fun looking back, but I’m still keeping my eyes on the road ahead.”

Barbara Mitchell Murray writes, “We had an excellent summer in Fairbanks living on the Chena River. We returned to our inherited family place on St. John in December. Along with repairing hurricane damage from 2017 storms Maria and Irma, we are fighting against the captivity and exploitation of dolphins. There is a lot of information online about dolphins (and other cetaceans) in captivity and what the for-profit shows do with these intelligent and wide-ranging marine mammals. Any help objecting to their exploitation at Coral World or anywhere is most welcome.”

Verena Topke Rasch writes, “You know how much I love seeing you all and how I enjoy the reunions, but this time it is going to be impossible for me to attend. As it is, I am having difficulty in figuring out how to make it to two graduations. Katia is graduating in business and art from American University in Washington, and Esteban, who has had a 4-year academic scholarship, graduates in engineering from Boston University. Maybe we can have a mini class reunion in-between.”

Liz Pathy Salett writes, “We finally closed on our DC house where we had lived for over 30 years.

Sorting, packing, giving away, putting things in storage is where I have been focused for the past few weeks. It is mostly done but of course I now have what feels like a million boxes in Chestertown, Md., where we are spending more than half of our time.

My website, humantraffickingsearch.org is still active and I’m in the process of recruiting a young person to keep it going.” (See profile p. 34.)

Sally Soper writes, “Not sure where the time goes. Still painting, acrylics and watercolor. Saw Hamilton, been listening to a lot of live music in and around the Adirondacks, planning on going to Pow Wow just over the border in Canada. Work on house taking time and money from big travel plans.”

Alibel Wood Thompson writes, “Since I retired out of the Kona Group which does competition, I did not go to Kona but I have learned the dance and go to practices and fill in for someone who is missing. And I danced in the Christmas show with the Kona Group. No stress. I have added two more men to my Plunkers band. One plays the guitar and the other plays the ’Gut Bucket.’ So, my band is up to 12 now with six dancers and six band players…. but all dancers have to sing and play ukuleles.”

Betsy Angle Webster writes, “We had a lovely summer in Kennebunk and thoroughly enjoyed a brief visit with Anne Warner Whiting and her charming husband! Our children were in the area for a family week and most of the grandchildren came as well. It’s always a special time for Peter and me.

We continue to be busy which keeps us ’young’ if not frantic with comings and goings.”

Anne Warner Whiting writes, “Finally, no major changes for us! We’re busy and both doing well - one or the other still happily involved in the same activities - golf, skiing, bridge, our lake committees, Friends of the Library, Olli classes, etc. We took a fantastic week-long Elderhostel/Road Scholar trip to Bermuda last April, then to Tim’s fun 60th Bowdoin reunion in May. Usual busy summer, and a two-week EH/RS trip by small ship ”The Best of all 5 Great Lakes” – also spending time in the Toronto area.

Our boys and their families are fine – 8 grandkids scattered from Florida to Boston – only one still in school, no one married yet! Love seeing them spread their wings to find their way in the world. I plan to make it to our 65th (WOW!) and really look forward to seeing everyone again.”

’56 RH Susan Breig writes, “I’m not sure if I’m enjoying my ’80s, but I can’t do anything about it but accept it. Went to a musical performance by the Wallingford Symphony in the new Colony Hall auditorium and it is fabulous.”

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 33

Robert Gordon ’52, along with his brother and sister traveled on a Road Scholar tour of southern Spain last October. They’re pictured here with portraits of the former King and Queen of Spain, Juan Carlos and Sophia.

Author Geoffrey Wolff ’55 donated his books to the Mellon Library’s Alumni Authors Collection on September 20. Geoffrey’s granddaughter Rosemary is a member of the Class of 2023.

’57 C

Luis Armando Roche Dugand and his wife, Marie, are still living in Caracas, Venezuela. He writes, “It is a rather dangerous time in our country, but we manage and we also work here and can still live here, for anywhere else we don´t have the money....

Still writing novels and essays that you can buy on Amazon if you are interested. I have written 40 books. I have also sent them all to the Mellon Library at Choate.”

Luis Sanchez, Carlos Hellmund ’55, and Luis Roche were recently able to have lunch together.

Peter Sipple and his wife, Margaret, have moved back to Connecticut after 20 years. They found an 18th century house in Guilford, a half-mile from the large town green. Still singing together after 56 years, the Sipples rejoined the Yale Camerata, an 80-voice by-audition chorus that performs in and around New Haven. Though retired, Peter, an Episcopal priest, acts as supply-clergy in nearby churches on Sundays and occasionally presides at weddings and funerals. He still makes small pieces of furniture and was pleased to find a small studio in the back yard that turned readily into a wood shop.

Peter and Margaret enjoyed a jolly visit from Art and Kate Trotman not long ago.

Miguel A. Suarez ’52 took this picture in 1951 in front of the East Cottage (Choate). On the left, Jorge Herrera Uslar Jr. (Venezuela) and on the right, Roberto E. Betancourt ’51 (Cuba).

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CLASSNOTES | Profile

’55

A Life Across Cultures Elizabeth Pathy Salett One of the earliest memories of Elizabeth Pathy Salett ’55 involved her family’s flight from Alexandria to Cairo, Egypt, in 1942.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Liz grew up in Alexandria, where her father, Laszlo Pathy, was a Hungarian diplomat. Alerted by British intelligence that he was on a list of those to be captured and killed if the Germans won the impending Battle of El-Alamein, her father loaded the family into a car. They traveled along the Nile in the dark with no headlights, hoping to avoid notice and, Liz says, “wondering what the future would hold.”

The hit list that included her father’s name was found in a briefcase belonging to Count Laszlo de Almasy – a right-hand man to Germany’s Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Almasy was portrayed in the acclaimed novel and film The English Patient as a romantic hero – but, Liz notes, he was anything but that. He was a Nazi collaborator.

“Men like Almasy were crucial to the Nazis; his actions could have changed history for all of us,” Liz says. “As our collective consciousness of World War II fades, we must not forget that the war was not simply a territorial dispute, but a life-and-death battle to defeat racist and totalitarian regimes.”

That profound sense of social justice and the need for cultural understanding have been driving forces in Liz’s life.

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After escaping to Cairo, the family moved back and forth between Egypt and England, and also began spending time in the U.S. During those years, Liz spent part of each year in schools in three different countries. While her parents continued to commute until the late 1950s, when they finally settled in Connecticut Liz persuaded them to let her finish her education at Rosemary Hall.

As a clinical social worker in Maryland in the 1970s, Liz saw something important missing. “When we reviewed each other’s cases,” she says, “I was struck not only by language barriers, but also by how often we were not asking where people came from, where their families were, what was going on in their communities.”

So in 1983, Liz founded the International Counseling Center (ICC) in Washington, D.C. – a mental health referral service with a roster of clinicians fluent in 25 different languages. (Liz herself speaks French, Hungarian, and Spanish.) Two years later, the organization began offering professional trainings in counseling across cultures. “Cross-cultural counseling is not just about removing language barriers,” Liz says. “Different cultures have distinctly different ideas about mental health and mental illness, and about the roles of families and communities in treatment.”

Within a few more years, the ICC morphed into the National Multicultural Institute. While it continued work on cultural issues in mental health, the organization also provided training on diversity in the workplace, multicultural education, and cross-cultural conflict resolution to schools, corporations, police departments, social service providers, government agencies, and international organizations.

In 2003, a search for a conference speaker alerted Liz to the insidious problem of human trafficking. “I came across the name of a young Sudanese man who had been enslaved from the age of 7 to 14 in a rural village in South Sudan, working around the clock, and living with the animals,” Liz remembers. “He finally was able to escape, and found his way eventually to the U.S. I invited him to speak and started making contact with the few organizations that were focused on the issue of slavery.”

Stunned by this man’s story, Liz developed Human Trafficking Search (HTS) humantraffickingsearch.org, a web portal that contains a multi-language search engine, creates a weekly blog, and hosts a global resource data base with information about labor and sex trafficking and modern forms of slavery. HTS also publishes research on the intersections of human trafficking with other social justice issues such as foster care, forced marriage, penal labor, and the opioid epidemic.

Now splitting her time between Chestertown, Md., and Brooklyn, N.Y., where she and her husband, Stanley, have family, and while in the process of recruiting a new staff person to run HTS, Liz remains deeply engaged with social justice. Among other activities, she is involved with Hope House, a project that facilitates connections between incarcerated men and their children, and with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, which focuses on trauma relief in some of the world’s most troubled areas.

Liz has also donated to the Andrew Mellon Library a large number of books on diversity and multiculturalism, along with an endowment to keep the collection up-to-date.

“Multiculturalism is not a recent invention,” Liz say. “We are a diverse nation and always have been. Understanding that fact and responding thoughtfully and compassionately is a central moral challenge for our time.” rhea hirshman Rhea Hirshman is a freelance writer based in New Haven. She also teaches women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Connecticut in Stamford, and is a former member of the Choate Rosemary Hall English Department.

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 35

Classmates of John Fergusson ’58 gathered with John’s son Bryon to spread his ashes on a nearby lake in Andover, N.H. From left: Dick Murdock, Jim Dwinell, Chris Norris, Bryon Fergusson, Rich Stetson, Bruce Nelson, Dave Rawle, and Bob Harrison. Not pictured, Jim Whitters.

Heather Ellison Browning ’60 and her husband Hill, went to Russia last summer on a Russian river cruise. They are pictured with the Kremlin’s famous St. Basil in the background.

’58 C Ian Bennett writes, “Jim Whitters and I played football together at Choate followed by four more years at Trinity College. On October 28, Trinity played Middlebury and Jim and I were joined by our 1958 classmates, Chris Norris and Jim Dwinell. Chris is the retired assistant Headmaster at Proctor Academy where another Choate graduate, David Fowler ’53, was the Headmaster. A note about Jim Whitters: Jim is the founder of a mentoring program that brings Trinity graduates together with graduating seniors to help them find jobs and to answer questions about our business experiences. In addition, Jim is a retired attorney and works directly with Trinity students interested in pursuing a law career. I’m not exaggerating when I write that Jim is already a legend at Trinity.”

Classmates of John Fergusson gathered with John’s son, Bryon, to spread his ashes on a lake.

It was an emotional and moving gathering as they said their “alohas” to one of the toughest and most warm-hearted characters that many of them had ever known. They also had a wonderful time catching up on old times and sharing their gratitude for being 80-year-old ’kids.

were also together for Thanksgiving. I still have my real estate license and dabble in increasing our net worth during the summer. My husband keeps track of his real estate holdings and is an avid gardener. We do a lot of trying to keep in shape and boating in both locations.”

Jim Kasson has an exhibition opening at the Monterey Museum of Art on January 9 and running through April. There will be about 40 photographs that comprise a retrospective of the work that he has done in the past 30 years.

’59 C

’60 RH Heather Ellison Browning writes, “My

’58 RH Dorothy (Doreen) Mahoney Hare writes, “The best news from members of the class of 1958 is that we are able to still give you news! As a happy healthy senior my husband, Pete, and I still do the snowbird routine – New Hampshire in summer, winter in Florida. We are the proud grandparents of three. The oldest, Davis, 21, will graduate from USC this year. Connor, the middle boy, 19, is a freshman at UNCC and our one and only granddaughter, Sydney 17, is a junior in high school. Our son, Jeff, and his family live in Cornelius N.C. and love the area. Our daughter, Jennifer and her husband Glenn, also have a place in North Carolina (Mocksville). We all had a great get-together for my almost 80th birthday and

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Ivan Light and Leo-Paul Dana have collaborated on a new book, Entrepreneurs and Capitalism since Luther (Lexington Books, 2020). The book tracks capitalism, business ownership, and entrepreneurship since Martin Luther.

Frank Pagliaro writes, “I continue to practice law (mostly in California) and to spend time with four grandchildren. My wife and I spent three weeks in China in October and were amazed by the infrastructure that they have built, including the 118-story Shanghai Tower and surrounding high rise buildings where 30 years ago there were rice paddies. The security measures were also an eye-opener with mobile police robots on the pedestrian malls and face recognition technology that recognized me in a provincial airport and immediately typed out my name, flight number and flight status on a television screen.”

1960s ’60 C

Chip Brennan writes, “I recently had lunch with Rick Heyke and am pleased to report that the two of us are well. Tom White and I both have homes in Hobe Sound, Fla., and see each other during the winter season. Mary and I spend six to eight weeks a year at our flat in London. My three-year stint there in the late 1970s made us both Anglophiles. I’m still reasonably active playing golf, skiing albeit with considerably more care, upland game shooting and fly fishing. I also love bridge, although I’m not very good.”

husband, Hill, and I went to Russia last summer on a Russian river cruise. An interesting trip I recommend! We are now enjoying life in Florida full-time.

I have been making Nantucket baskets; once a year I run a class for the weavers. I try to keep in touch with Tisha Lincoln Pratt, and Martha Stewart Stobbs.

Also I went to see Linda Braun Shields, who lives in Lake Placid, Fla. Hard to believe we have gotten so old with our 60th reunion coming up! My children all live in Massachusetts and are well! Just had my granddaughter Heather Ellison Clark visiting me to celebrate her first birthday! Needless to say, I am totally bewitched by her! I would love to have a drop by if you are in the Naples area.”

Sassy Saylor Watters writes, “Instead of Vero Beach this winter I am going to just take one month and go to Antigua, as I have a Chinese student that goes to Westover living with me. I’m going to have a knee replacement, all that hockey at Rosemary! Hope we hear from more of our classmates.”

’61 C Richard E. Burney, MD, writes, “After 50 years in practice, 44 of those at University of Michigan/ Michigan Medicine, I retired from clinical work as a general surgeon on October 31, 2019. As Professor Emeritus of Surgery, I plan to continue teaching and research activities. Mary and I celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary on November 8, 2019.”

Seth Hoyt reports that his wife Nancy (Sam) passed away in November after suffering from COPD. The family is planning a memorial service.

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36 CLASSNOTES

“Having decided to return to teaching French this year, I decorated my classroom with a picture of Jean-Pierre Cosnard. How could I not?

Despite my terrible grades in French, he was the best teacher I have ever had.” –F. JOHN WILKES JR.

’62 ’62 C James P. Lenfestey published his seventh collection of poetry, East Bluff, this past summer.

Retiring early from the StarTribune editorial board in 1998, where he won several Page One awards for excellence, since 2000 he has published a collection of personal essays, six earlier collections of poems, and edited two poetry anthologies. His memoir, Seeking the Cave: A Pilgrimage to Cold Mountain, was a finalist for the 2014 Minnesota Book Award. His sixth poetry collection, A Marriage Book: 50 Years of Poems from a Marriage, was a finalist for two 2017 Midwest book awards. As a journalist he has covered climate science since 1988. He lives in Minneapolis and Mackinac Island with his wife, the political activist Susan Lenfestey. They have four children and eight grandchildren.

F. John Wilkes Jr. writes, “I’ve become a fulltime French teacher in a local school with students ranging from Pre-K to high school. Having decided to return to teaching French this year, I decorated my classroom with a picture of Jean-Pierre Cosnard. How could I not? Despite my terrible grades in French, he was the best teacher I have ever had. This year has brought a bounty of blessings for both Gini and me. We just became grandparents for the first time with the birth of Jack Wilkes to my older son Johnny and his wife, Sarah. Younger brother Nathaniel is a Californian and is accomplishing amazing things with his wife Kit in the tech advertising and marketing field. Last spring we cruised from Rome to Stockholm aboard the Oceania Marina with stops in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, England, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland and Sweden, visiting dear friends. This holiday season, we’re sailing for the fourth time on Queen Mary 2 to the Caribbean to soak up some sun.”

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’63 RH Donna Dickenson writes, “I traveled to the Netherlands to give a keynote lecture at Erasmus University, Rotterdam. I had a good chance to meet up with old Dutch friends and to see the Mauritshuis Museum in the Hague, which I’d never visited. It contains many masterpieces, including Vermeer’s ’Girl with a Pearl Earring’, which is even more luminous in the flesh.”

Mary McGee Graf writes, “Jack and I traveled across Russia from Moscow to Vladivostok on the Golden Eagle Private Luxury Train on the Siberian railroad. I have a new love and respect for that country; I’m currently on a Himalayan Traverse with Peter Hillary, the son of Sir Edmund Hillary! Guess you’d say we have the travel bug! We will move to our farm in Amenia, N.Y., in June, after we return from Kenya and Tanzania.”

Margo Melton Nutt writes that she attended her late husband’s 70th Dartmouth reunion in September. It included an all-expenses paid weekend at the Hanover Inn, which she took advantage of in spite of living only four miles away. She notes, “It was fun hanging out with all those 92-year-olds.”

Betsy O’Hara writes, “Clive and I are both healthy and enjoying our life in southern Portugal to the hilt. I have met more Americans living here than I did living in Germany for 43 years. I was recently in Brooklyn helping my daughter Penelope-Jane with her kids for weeks while her husband was traveling, and I had the pleasure of meeting up with Carey Hochberg, a.k.a. Suzi Samuels, Class of ’64. What fun!

We hadn’t seen each other for 54 years and we took up where we left off!!! Isn’t it always the way? Such incredible friendships were forged at Rosemary Hall.”

’64 C

Curt Tobey joined the board of the Goddard House in Brookline, Mass., the third oldest assisted living facility in the country. He helps with their substantial investments and is learning a tremendous amount about senior medical and aging issues like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Goddard House works closely with the City of Boston to initiate programs in music and the arts for isolated seniors in underserved areas like Jamaica Plain and Roxbury.

’64 RH Barbie Symmers Bancroft writes, “Sad news: My husband of 42 years died unexpectedly on October 7. Glad news: my youngest son is getting married in June. Circle of life.” ’65 RH Lane Freeman Asbill writes she is busy with her 6 children and 17 grandchildren. Both she and her husband are retired now. “I will always treasure my RH sisters.”

Glenn Close writes she has been busy with work. A summer in Atlanta on a Ron Howard project Hillbilly Elegy. Then to LA for an indie movie Four Good Days. Her next project is to move from Westchester to Montana to be closer to family.

Polly MacDougall Oliver writes from Abu Dhabi as she travels ”Round the World ” to Singapore.

Winter is in Palm Springs, Calif.

Jan Scott Perrault writes from San Antonio, having stayed there after college at Trinity University.

She enjoys her travels.

Ann Mason Sears writes she is finding time in New England, with boating and skiing with the warmth of Florida, very enjoyable.

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 37 Vickie Spang ’69 is Chief Marketing Officer at a 900-attorney law firm based in LA. She still keeps an apartment in the SF Bay area.

Lesley Starbuck writes, “Who knew I’d ever go back to school? A few years ago I entered grad school and obtained my master’s of science in psychology in order to get a certificate in Psychodrama.

This past February I passed my tests and now I am a Certified Practitioner. Presently, I am on the Faculty of the Psychodrama Training Institute, a division of the Sociometric Institute, New York. I am also a Certified Professional Life Coach. I see Wesley Cullen Davidson and Kathy Ketcham Wikowitz and we often talk about our time at Rosemary. My best to all my classmates.”

Kathy Ketcham Wikowitz writes she loves New York City and her favorite pastimes of Broadway plays and movies.

’66 C

Lawrence S. DeVan writes, “I am still working, most recently with a boutique investment advisory firm here in Greenwich. I am also active in our church and serve on the boards of a small museum and a small foundation. Ann and I will celebrate our 42nd anniversary this year. We have a son (Stuart ’99) and a daughter (Lizzy) in their thirties and were blessed with two grandchildren (one from each) in late 2018. I keep in touch loosely with Rod Walker. It would be great to see or hear from any classmates living in or passing through the area.”

Dr. Arthur Garson, Director of the Health Policy Institute at the Texas Medical Center, along with former journalist Ryan Holeywell, published a new book this fall, Exposing the 20 Medical Myths: Why Everything You Know about Health Care Is Wrong and How to Make It Right. The book addresses hotbutton health care topics affecting everyone – consumers, providers and physicians – providing an honest, unbiased view of the state of health care policy in America.

Noel Hynd writes that his collection of non-fiction baseball stories centering on the Brooklyn Dodgers, The Final Game at Ebbets Field, was nominated for the 2020 Ron Gabriel Award of the Society for American Baseball Research. The award is given annually for the best new work on the Brooklyn Dodgers. You can read more about the award at sabr.org/about/ron-gabriel-award.

’67 C Al Potter writes, “After 30 years in Rhode Island, I have relocated to Castle Rock, Colo. The move comes five years after my retirement from Gilbane Building Co., and allows me and my wife, Linda, to downsize into a new home close to our daughter, Elizabeth Olson ’98, and her family, including son-in-law Kalen, as well as our two grandchildren, 7-year-old grandson, Uli, and 1-year-old granddaughter, Alana. Looking forward to exciting new life chapters.”

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’68 RH Joan Hewson completed her 28th Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, as the head of the Venue Management Committee. Her team is and has been responsible for everything that takes place on land during this year’s 55th and world’s largest rowing event.

’69 C

John Day writes, “I built and moved into a new home in Vermont on Lake Champlain (Shelburne Bay) where we plan to spend the rest of our days. The time not working on the property we spend sailing on the lake, enjoying our community, and reflecting on the seasons of the year and our lives.”

Nicole Fuller writes on behalf of her father Peter Fuller, “On October 10, 2011, Peter and his wife, Joan, were in a devastating car accident while on vacation in California. Joan died at the scene, and Peter survived with a severe traumatic brain injury.

When he was able to return home from the hospital, six months later, he moved into his childhood home at Willow Brook Farms, with his recently widowed mother. Since that time, he has regained many abilities and much more use of his body and speech. This fall, Peter was able to get back to horsemanship at an adaptive riding facility. He has created a special connection with a rescue horse named Jackie. The horse can sense that Peter has been through a great ordeal. Jackie and Peter got first place in a recent horse show, an exciting milestone in Peter’s recovery journey.”

Wesley Cullen Davidson ’65 reunited with classmates at her daughter’s wedding on October 5. From left, Carey Hochberg ’64, Leslie Blake Kotiza ’65, Wesley, Annie Harris Milliken ’66, Lesley Starbuck Hencken ’65.

Rob Snyder ’69 and Phil Snyder ’68 won Best Sci-medy (Science Fiction Comedy) Award for The Bag, an apocalyptic satire about the environmental danger of plastic bags, and Rob took the Best Drama Screenplay award for Shakespeare’s Pen at the Cutting Room International Short Film Festival NYC, on October 20, 2019.

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38

CLASSNOTES | Profile

’68

Rohan Weerasinghe

The Art of Building a Strong Team As general counsel of Citi, one of the world’s largest banks, Rohan Weerasinghe ’68 oversees a legal office with lawyers located in nearly 70 countries. That keeps Rohan and his staff on the alert in the ever-changing international financial arena.

“Every day, you look at the newspaper – whether it’s Brexit or Hong Kong, there’s always something that could impact Citi,” he says. “That’s the challenge.

And that’s what makes the job really interesting, working with really good people, who are knowledgeable and work collegially.”

For Rohan, the leadership post at Citi caps a legal career that began in 1977 at Shearman & Sterling, the Manhattan firm where he worked in corporate law for 35 years. During his last seven years there, he served as its senior partner, overseeing about 900 lawyers in 20 offices.

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Citi Chief Executive Officer Michael Corbat ’79 says that Rohan has made huge contributions to Citi since he joined the company in 2012.

“Rohan has strengthened our global legal team and his leadership has helped us to navigate a period of tremendous change in our industry,” says Corbat.

“He’s a great partner and our firm has benefited from his deep expertise and unique perspective.”

His work in the legal field brought him back to New York where his family lived in the 1960s during his father’s posting from Sri Lanka as an urban planner for the United Nations Secretariat. Rohan arrived at Choate in 1964 as one of the school’s few international students and one of its handful of students of color.

He says it took some adjustment to accommodate himself to Choate, after attending the United Nations School in Manhattan with the children of other UN staff.

“It took some time to get used to the different environment,” says Rohan, who lives in Manhattan with his wife, Abby. “The education was tremendous.”

At his 50th reunion in 2018, Weerasinghe says he was heartened to see flags from around the world flying at the Paul Mellon Arts Center; they represented the home countries of more recent Choate students.

At Choate, he played squash, rowed single scull on the crew team, and was enthralled by the sciences. He was so bent on learning more about the physical sciences that when he matriculated at Harvard he figured he’d major in physics.

But he switched to history and science. He then earned his MBA and JD from Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.

That education proved beneficial through his 42 years working on legal issues for clients at the highest levels of the business world.

At Citi, he heads up the Legal Department and Citi Security & Investigative Services, which have about 2,000 employees. He’s also corporate secretary to Citi’s Board of Directors, so he helps run their meetings, including the bank’s annual shareholder meeting, which in 2019 took place at its Greenwich Street headquarters in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood.

Rohan says his management style depends on building a strong team through focused recruitment, good communication, and support for the individual goals of his staff.

“It’s important to support the development of people by being honest in communicating constructive feedback,” he says. “You also need to be fair and have people feel that you are focusing on their career development.”

As general counsel, Rohan oversees litigation that can have huge consequences for the publicly traded company. Citi was involved in selling securitized mortgage obligations in the lead-up to the financial meltdown in 2008.

Like many other financial institutions, Citi’s role in selling the questionable mortgage products caught the eye of federal regulators. In 2014, Citi settled with the federal government, paying a substantial fine.

“The toughest part of negotiating is to evaluate what the exposure is for your company,” he says. “If it’s government charges or civil litigation, we have to develop a consensus on the approach and the risk,” he says. “Sometimes we fight. And sometimes we settle.”

In November, Google announced it would provide checking accounts through the online app Google Pay in partnership with Citigroup. It’s a new realm for the tech giant, and Rohan’s staff is involved to work out the issues that can emerge with such partnerships.

“There are issues such as protecting your customers’ data,” says Rohan. “We want to make sure our customers are treated appropriately, with their personal information protected.” david mckay wilson David McKay Wilson is a freelance writer based in New York.

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Basil Hero’s new book, The Mission of a Lifetime: Lessons from the Men Who Went to the Moon, was selected by The Financial Times as one of its Top 10 reads of last summer.

’73

1970s ’70 C Hank Randall writes, “The times they are a-changin’ ... planning on retiring on my birthday next February after 42 years as a photographer, first 10 a photojournalist then 30-plus years as a freelancer.

Seemed a good time, plus knee(s) replacement surgery coming up next spring so need to cut my clients loose. Besides that, just welcomed my granddaughter Louie into the world in September so plenty of play time ahead with her, plus a trip to the Shetland Islands and environs after the knees heal; lots to do, lots to do.” ’72 C Bill Henderson writes, “It is with sadness that I inform the class of the death from cancer of Bill Hilton on November 4, 2019. We remember Bill as the President of the Choate News, whose insouciant motto, “No News is Good News” perfectly captured our collective relationship with the changing times.

With Geoff Houser, Bill was the co-captain of the varsity lacrosse team for its glorious 1972 campaign. I will also always remember him as my roommate. Bill was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in the fall of 2013.

Since a cure was not an option he chose to enroll in an experimental program that sought to manage the disease for as long as possible. In early 2014, John Gelb, Bill and I spent a couple of weeks together on a warm weather vacation. That overbearing uncertainty changed him little; neither did the struggle over the ensuing six years. In all of Bill’s 65 years he was the same person we all knew at school. John and I recently observed to each other that we knew of no one else who could at the same time be so ornery and yet so well loved. He will be greatly missed.” ’72 RH Clare Swanger, owner of the Comfortable Canine®, LLC, and Senior Practitioner of the Tellington TTouch® Method, taught a one-day workshop and spoke about the Tellington TTouch Method at the annual conference of the Association of Professional Dogs Trainers (APDT) in Portland, Oregon, October 2019. Clare earned her TTouch

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Certification in 2007 and was promoted to Senior Practitioner in 2015. She offers solutions for dog behavioral issues, works with pets and their people, travels-to-train, teaches workshops, and consults with shelters. Clare hiked in Switzerland this past summer, a favorite place. She is based in Sun Valley, Idaho.

’73 C

Basil Hero’s new book, The Mission of a Lifetime: Lessons From The Men Who Went to the Moon, was selected by The Financial Times as one of its Top 10 reads of last summer. Basil has appeared on “CBS Sunday Morning” with Jane Pauley, MSNBC, and Fox Business News with Neil Cavuto to talk about how the lives of the lunar explorers changed them and the world. Basil’s been on the lecture circuit, most notably at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. Learn more at basilhero.com Stanley K. Ross writes, “Our younger daughter graduated from an international school in the UK in May and is now studying psychology at the University of Portsmouth in Hampshire. Our older daughter now pursues a course in English literature in her second year at Plymouth University, located in the Devon seaport from which the Mayflower sailed.

After nearly three years renting a house in London’s ‘stockbroker belt’ at fairly exorbitant prices (Brexit and the decline of expats has had but a modest impact on rent in this area), am renting a terrace house in Portsmouth. Much cheaper in total and no longer paying for a self-storage locker. Portsmouth has sailing, history and the cries of seagulls (and is but a 90-minute train ride to London), some recompense for the sound of the empty nest with the benefit of having a good university to provide night life. And child number 2 is in the city as well. I am back and forth to the U.S. several times a year to deal with the family estate and visit classmates. Will be more than happy to host /see/catch up with any classmates visiting the UK or other Choate graduates 1970–1975.”

TOP Clare Swanger ’72, owner of the

Comfortable Canine®, LLC, and Senior Practitioner of the Tellington TTouch® Method, is based in Sun Valley, Idaho. She offers solutions for dog behavioral issues.

BOTTOM Stephen Davis ’73 and Clo Davis

welcomed their first grandchild, Alice, born October 23, 2019.

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“My experience at Rosemary – the close

friendships, the small classes, the intimate

discussions – became part of my fabric, my

integrity, my belief in myself.”

1890 SOCIETY

Connie T. Ferguson ’69 1890

SOCIETY MEMBER PROFILE

It might be said that for Connie Ferguson ’69 giving back, in time and in resources, has become part of her fabric. As an alumna, former Trustee (from 1988 to 1996, and for a second term, from 1999 to 2007), parent, class agent, and most recently, co-chair of her class’s 50th Reunion, Connie’s support of the School is as unwavering as her belief in the value of this education.

Connie arrived at Rosemary Hall from Bay Shore, Long Island, uncertain about what life would look like at a boarding school in Greenwich, Conn. She quickly realized that she was receiving the finest of academic opportunities and equally important, a sense of responsibility over herself and her future. This fueled

her belief in the holistic value of a Rosemary education, her decision to send her daughter, Abigal Ferguson Walsh ’98, to Choate Rosemary Hall, and her ultimate commitment to the School, year after year.

In reflecting on her own time at Rosemary Hall and Abby’s experience almost 30 years later, these themes run strong: “The friends that are made, the diversity, the quality of the education – it is a life-changing experience.

This was as true for me as it was for Abby.”

“I believe in what Choate Rosemary Hall is and does.

It has done a lot for my family, and I hope my family is doing a lot for future generations of students.”

Inspired by our School’s founding and traditions, the 1890 Society recognizes our most generous and dedicated alumni, parents, and friends. Gifts from 1890 Society members provide critical resources to sustain and expand academic programs, enhance student life, recruit accomplished faculty, and increase financial aid. Join the 1890 Society today with a gift of $2,500 or more. For more information, visit www.choate.edu/giving or call us at (203) 697–2353.

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’76 C Hans Kaiser writes, “This past summer a group of us from the Class of ’76 held a mini-reunion with Ed and Susan Maddox at their home in Cotuit on Cape Cod. We enjoyed the charming Maddox hospitality at a dinner in their home followed by a wonderful evening the next night aboard the restored motor yacht Freedom, a floating classic that goes back even farther than we do. Ed threatened to get up on the dining room table and recite something from King Lear (or was it Julius Caesar?) but Susan would have none of it and cooler heads prevailed.

Life in Annapolis goes on as does my work on the political side of the survey research business. It’s been an interesting three years, to say the least. I’ve managed to keep my sanity by continuing to play lacrosse with my college alumni team and we had a successful year in tournaments around the country, starting with winning the ‘old guy’ national championship in Florida in January and following that up with victories at Vail and Lake Placid, earning the mythical Triple Crown of club lacrosse.”

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’78 Richard Turits has co-authored a book, with Laurent Dubois, that the University of North Carolina Press is publishing. It is available for pre-order from Amazon. The book is Freedom Roots: Histories from the Caribbean. Richard is Associate Professor of History, Africana Studies, and Latin American Studies at William & Mary. ’79 Gabriela Cleveland writes, “From July through October of this year, the Norton Museum of Palm Beach had an exhibition of my husband’s movie poster collection: “Coming Soon: Film Posters from the Dwight M. Cleveland Collection.” Assouline just published his book, Cinema on Paper: The Graphic Genius of Movie Posters. It has been an extraordinary year for our family to celebrate his 43 years of collecting.”

TOP Duby McDowell ’78 and Josh Wall ’77 married in Bermuda in

November 2019.

BOTTOM A group from the Class of ’76 held a mini-reunion with

Ed and Susan Maddox at their home in Cotuit on Cape Cod. In attendance were: Hans Kaiser, Whitney George, Fritz Mitchell, Nick Campbell, Jim Smith, Nick Lefferts, Dave Parry, Herb Oven, Tom Wall, Pat Fallon, Jim Baker (’77), Dave Beecher, Mike Lerner, Phil Stimpson, Benjy Burditt, George Penniman, Duby McDowell ’78, and Josh Wall ’77.

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42 CLASSNOTES

TOP Jim Reardon ’83 recently

set off to explore his roots in London’s East End. The 1967 movie To Sir, with Love was filmed on location on Reardon Street.

BOTTOM David Kotz’ 82 on

sabbatical from Dartmouth College in the Bernese Alps from near the peak of Faulhorn, central Switzerland.

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 43

Mini NYC Reunion, from left, Ross Armstrong ’81, Rob Coakley ’82, Doug Pearl ’81, Maura Riccobene ’81 and John Conway ’81.

David W. Callander, M.D. ’84 continues to perform while running his private practice in psychiatry in Los Angeles. Last summer, he appeared as Daddy Warbucks in the Glendale Centre Theatre production of ANNIE. His dog Fitz, however, stole the show as Sandy.

Pasquale Rosato ’80 and Steve Walker ’80 have picked up their friendship from their Choate days. Steve moved to Palm Harbor. They are pictured at Captain Jacks, a local tiki bar in Tarpon Springs, Fla.

was headmaster at a nearby school. In the 1930s and 1940s, the English government wanted to turn East London into an industrial park. Father Reardon prevented that from happening.

to Seven Hills and to share the school’s educational resources with the local community. Rebecca also sits on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce, a partnership among the school’s Board of Trustees, faculty and staff, that is implementing the DEI initiatives of the school’s new strategic plan.

1980s ’80

Mark Routhier just finished directing a run of three plays, including the world premiere of Rob Keefe’s Turn It into Smoke (July) at Mt. Olivet Episcopal Church, and two of Shakespeare’s plays, Measure for Measure (September), and an all-female Romeo and Juliet (November).

Kenny Tung, contributed an article, “AI, the Internet of Legal Things, and Lawyers” to the Journal of Management Analytics. Tung, a lawyer contends, instead of focusing on the challenges and threats of AI, “This article calls out the opportunity of AI, specifically machine learning, and its impact on decision making as an opportunity for business leaders to elevate lawyers to contribute further to corporate strategies and operations.”

’81

Tom Colt writes, “I am in my third year working as a college counselor at Shanghai American School. My wife, Megan, and I recently traveled to New Zealand, Fiji, Japan, and Sri Lanka. We will visit Vietnam, England and Malta next spring and plan to attend the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Life in China and at an international school is always interesting!”

’82

David Kotz is spending this academic year at ETH Zurich while on sabbatical from Dartmouth.

He writes, “My family is enjoying the opportunity to explore the many sights (and tastes!) of Switzerland.

If there are other ’82s in the area, we’d love to connect!” David, a professor of computer science holds the Champion International Professorship.

’83 Jim Reardon recently set off to explore his roots in London’s East End. The 1967 movie To Sir, with Love was filmed on location on Reardon Street, which is named after Father Joseph Reardon, who

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’84 Patrick Clendenen, an attorney at Clendenen & Shea LLC in New Haven, Conn., has been elected to a one-year term as chair of the American Bar Association Business Law Section. Patrick will serve until September 2020. He focuses on business and fiduciary disputes, including contracts, consumer financial services, products liability and so forth, as well as intellectual property litigation. He is a member of the Connecticut and Massachusetts bars.

George Stein writes, “I’m living in Denver, Colo. One son is a freshman at University of Colorado, and the other son heads to Tufts in the fall of 2020. I’m very passionate about my work which involves helping all types of organizations save money on their credit card fees – clients include Delta Airlines, Boston Red Sox, New York Jets, the Orange Bowl, NYU Hospital, Emory University Hospital, Miami Children’s Hospital and many more. I stay connected with Todd Ackerman, Tom Towers, Noel Williams, Greg Williams, Bill Ryan, Joe Madden and Lou Young.” ’85

Will Polese writes, ”My daughter Elaina enrolled in Nursing School at Creighton University in Omaha this past fall.”

’86

Rebecca Severance Cushing recently accepted the position of Director of Middle School Admissions & Outreach at the Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek, Calif. In this role, she works closely with students and their families on admission. As Director of Outreach, she works to bring more diverse families

’87 Jeff MacDonald has a new book coming out in April. In Part-Time Is Plenty: Thriving Without Full-Time Clergy, he reports on the instructive and inspiring experiences of more than 20 vital mainline Protestant congregations that no longer rely on a full-time pastor to lead them. As a freelance journalist with a research grant, Jeff visited 10 states where churches are making lemonade from the lemons of diminished budgets. He found laypeople learning to be less clergy-dependent, embracing new roles and savoring a more playful, creative approach to being church. Jeff’s first book, Thieves in the Temple: The Christian Church and the Selling of the American Soul, won third place for religion nonfiction book of the year from the Religion News Association. He works as a correspondent for news outlets including The Christian Science Monitor and The Boston Globe.

He serves part-time as pastor of First Parish Church of Newbury (Mass.) and lives in Swampscott, Mass. ’88 Amy Talkington is a writer and Co-Executive Producer on Little Fires Everywhere, which will appear on Hulu in March 2020. The eight-hour limited series, which stars and is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, is an adaptation of the book by Celeste Ng.

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44 CLASSNOTES

’91

Tonya Chen Mezrich writes, “We are gearing up for the publication of our third book in the Charlie Numbers series: Charlie Numbers and the Woolly Mammoth. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers). I co-write this series with my husband, Ben Mezrich. It’s about a team of whiz kids from Boston who use math and science to solve mysteries. It’s like a modern-day Encyclopedia Brown and has been a joy to write and create. It takes me back to my middle school days and is inspirational to activate kids and excite them about science and math. The series is being turned into a feature film with Ellen Pompeo from Grey’s Anatomy as producer.”

’92 Ian Lendler has just published a book with Simon & Schuster, The First Dinosaur. His ninth book, it’s a non-fiction history of how humans discovered dinosaurs (for grades 6 and up). Kirkus describes it as, “an outstanding case study in how science is actually done: funny, nuanced, and perceptive.”

Kevin Murphy writes, “I’m pleased to report that I was appointed as a Municipal Court Judge for the City of Warwick, R.I., in September 2019. It’s an honor to serve my community and my home state in this new capacity.”

TOP LEFT Four Choate and

Penn alumni, gathered at the last University of Pennsylvania football game of the year vs.

Princeton on November 23, 2019 in Philadelphia at Franklin Field.

From left, Ali Weiss Brady ’89, Otto McGowan, Michael Gerber ’91, and Keith Meslin ’91.

TOP RIGHT Trip Todd ’95 and

his wife, Julia, welcomed John Ferguson Todd “Jack” on August 11, 2019.

BOTTOM LEFT Tonya Chen Mezrich ’91 and husband Ben are co-writers on a book tour for the Charlie Numbers series: published by Simon & Schuster.

The series is about a team of whiz kids from Boston who use math and science to solve mysteries.

BOTTOM RIGHT Ansel, age 2, and

Elena, a first grader, children of Kate Trafton Hudson ’95. Kate is teaching 7th grade science in Olympia, Wash., where she lives with her wife and their children.

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1990s ’90

Ann Bertini has a new job in donor relations at Wesleyan University.

Joanna Hershon writes, “My fifth novel, St. Ivo, will be published by FSG next April and is available for pre-order on Amazon, Indiebound, etc.

I hope to see some Choate friends on book tour!” www.joannahershon.com Dr. Matthew Zavod has published a children’s book in verse, Dr. Ridiculopickulopot and the Shot. It’s about a child who needs to be vaccinated and who is afraid of the shot. In the meantime, the bumbling doctor who is supposed to take care of the child has a complicated day on his way to the office.

In addition to his ENT and reconstructive facial plastic surgery practice, Matthew is the CFO of his multispecialty medical group. He continues to sing, mostly classical, and he has sung the National Anthem several times this past summer for the Oakland Athletics.

’93 Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, was named to the 2019 Root 100 Team, the most influential African Americans of 2019.

A champion of expanding voting rights, Clarke successfully led the effort to prevent the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census that could have prevented immigrant communities from being counted. ’95 Mary Hueston Collie writes, “I was invited to be the head coach of USA Water Polo’s Cadet Futures National Team this past summer. The team spent a few days training in Stamford, Conn., before heading to Barcelona for games against the Barcelona Allstars and the Spanish Youth National Team. My husband, Jamie, was the goalie coach for both the girls’ and the boys’ teams, and it was an awesome experience for us both. Not only did we get to work with some of the best high school-aged water polo players in the country, but we also got to play in some amazing pools and see a great city.”

Kate Trafton Hudson writes, “I earned recertification as a National Board-Certified Teacher for another 10 years. I’m teaching 7th grade science in Olympia, Wash., where I live with my wife and children. Daughter, Elena loves 1st grade, son Ansel just turned two.”

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CLASSNOTES | Profile

’94 Tim Fleiszer

Portrait of the Athlete as a Young Man The diversity of paths leading students to enroll at Choate Rosemary Hall might only be exceeded by the profusion of paths taken after graduation.

Tim Fleiszer ’94 epitomizes that. His parents were both Montreal physicians and his sister, Andrea Fleiszer ’96, also attended Choate and got her PhD in health services administration from McGill University in Montreal, where she consults on academic health care projects. “My family’s all doctors, except me,” muses Tim. Yet Tim’s own path would eventually circle back, at least tangentially, to medicine.

In 1992, Tim was attending Selwyn House School in Montreal, where he was a star athlete on championship teams in hockey, rugby and football and named Athlete of the Year. While there, Tim received letters from several New England preparatory schools and visited a couple. But, he says, “20 minutes after walking onto the Choate campus, it felt like home.”

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Tim brought a rare combination of size and athleticism to Choate’s athletic program earning six varsity letters in football, hockey, and track during his two years at Choate. In his chosen sport, he helped the Wild Boars win back-toback varsity football New England Championships in 1992 and 1993.

Tim says Choate was much more than an athletic opportunity: “It was a very special two years for a 17- and 18-year-old. Choate was a place I found myself.

The teachers and coaches are wonderful, but the best part is the people you meet and the friendships you form that end up shaping you in some way.”

After Choate Tim attended Harvard where he was a 4-year varsity football star and an All-Ivy selection and academic All-Ivy honoree. After graduation from Harvard, Tim was featured on a number of NFL draft boards, but he wound up the first player taken in the Canadian Football League draft, signing as a defensive lineman with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. During a career that spanned 10 years, he played on 5 teams in the Canadian Football League, including the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Montreal Alouettes, Edmonton Eskimos, and Saskatchewan Roughriders. Tim earned the unique distinction of being the only player to have won four Grey Cups with four teams.

After a brief stint as a sports agent, Tim joined Gil Scott Sports Management as a partner in 2008, which represents mostly CFL and NFL players and NHL management. On the professional side, he has engaged in business consulting with helmet, health care and financial services companies, “all sports-related, of course, because that’s where my contacts are.”

He and his psychotherapist wife, Lori, have two young sons, Douglas and Solomon.

Being a parent also affects one’s perspective on athletics, and this is where Tim’s path would circle back to the family specialty – medicine. In December 2012, Tim founded, and remains the director of, the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada. His father, Dr. David Fleiszer, who for years was the team physician for the Montreal Alouettes, is on the board of directors.

The organization grew out of the Concussion Legacy Foundation started in the U.S., in June 2007. “There’s a hidden epidemic of head injuries,” says Tim, who himself had three football-related concussions. “Dealing with the associated symptoms is an important issue, not just for athletes but for all people who experience brain injuries, whether it be through accidents, domestic violence, military service or other means. So far, I haven’t developed any symptoms of post-concussion syndrome. We’re trying to figure out why some people develop problems and others seem okay.”

He outlines some of the things that can be done. “Parents need to be careful what their children are exposed to. The age at which body checking in hockey is allowed should be raised a couple of years. The same goes for headers in soccer.

“Football is a unique sport and culture, but at the same time we want to see athletes stay safe and not risk their long-term health. Helmets won’t be the solution. They’re designed to prevent skull fractures – they’re not a silver bullet.

Flag football should be encouraged before the age of 14.”

Musing on how his years at Choate led to where he finds himself personally, professionally and charitably, Tim says, “I’m incredibly thankful to my teachers, coaches and classmates for having taught me so much. It was at Choate that the possibilities of life became very real.” frank cohen Frank Cohen is a freelance journalist based in New Haven County.

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46 CLASSNOTES

’96 Trillium Sellers Rose is based in Washington, D.C. with her husband, Ben, and two-year-old daughter. She was recently recognized by Golf Digest as a Top 50 Teacher in the country and is chair of the Coaching and Player Development Committee for the PGA of America, the largest working sports association in the world. They are looking for interesting speakers for the PGA National Teaching & Coaching Summit in 2021, so contact her if you might be interested or know someone interested in presenting.

Adam Uris writes, “I’m living on Long Island with my wife and three kids, and I’m proud to announce the opening of my new boutique criminal defense law firm, Mottola Uris Law. I opened the firm after 10 years in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, and we represent clients charged with all level of criminal offenses in state and federal court, primarily in the 5 boroughs of New York City. I look forward to catching up with folks at the winter event in the city.” ’97

Ryuichiro “Drew” Iwanami writes, “In August 2019, I was appointed by the Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture of Japan as Special Assistant to the Governor for education policy and international relations.“

’96

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’98

Alexia Orphanides writes, “I live in New Bedford, Mass., with my husband, Brett Pacheco, our daughter, Callista, who turned three at the end of October, and our son, Lucas, who was born in January 2019. Unbeknownst to us, Lucas was born with dilated cardiomyopathy, and at 3.5 months old, he caught a cold. However, his heart could not recover. We are so grateful to live within driving distance of Boston and Boston Children’s Hospital where he was treated by the most amazing teams of nurses and doctors.

We are lucky he only waited 1.5 months to receive a new heart from his angel donor. We’ve been home since mid-July and have been settling in to our life as a family of four once again with a new definition of ’normal.’ Callista loves being a big sister and helping whenever she can! We have been blessed with amazing support from our family, friends, and complete strangers. Thank you to everyone who has reached out.”

2000s ’00

R. Gerard McGeary writes, “I recently joined a social good organization called Catchafire that seeks to strengthen all nonprofits by providing them with free access to pro bono consultants. I’m excited to work with foundations across the country to make this happen.”

Andrea Miller, founder of Gallim Dance, writes, “My dance company had its debut at the main stage of Jacob’s Pillow last summer with a review from The Globe: ’Gallim offers dances of hope and humanity.’ This season I have the honor to create dances for companies Ballet Hispanico, Alvin Ailey 2, Ramber 2 in London, my alma mater – The Juilliard School, and Martha Graham for their City Center Season. Gallim is launching new programming at our home studio in Brooklyn with creative residencies, rehearsals and classes. I very lucky to share this all with my partner, Juan, and our two children Mateo (6) and Noa (4).”

Mike Velez writes, “It’s been a busy start to the school year for me. I assumed the role of Dean of Students at Choate and, with my wife, Catherine, welcomed our fourth daughter in early September. Hope many of you will be able to make it to campus for our 20th Reunion in May!”

’02 Bo Leland was promoted to Sergeant at the Hollister Police Department in California on October 4, after rotating out of his assignment as a detective.

His 7-year-old daughter, Emeline, got to pin his new badge on him.

Trillium Sellers Rose was recently recognized by Golf Digest as a Top 50 Teacher in the country and is Chair of the Coaching and Player Development Committee for the PGA of America.

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 47

1

2

4

3

5

1 Alexia Orphanides ’98,

daughter Callista Pacheco, and son Lucas Pacheco enjoying a warm fall day.

2 Michael Bonassar ’06 and his

wife, Caitlin Wolfe, welcomed their first child, Maron John Wolfe Bonassar, into the world.

3 Nick DeChello ’08 and his wife

welcomed a daughter, Bianca Marie DeChello, on October 1, 2019.

4 Jessica Goldstein Malzman ’02

and husband, Ari, welcomed their third child, son Wesley Hayes, on September 30, 2019.

Wes joins big sisters Quinn (4) and Remi (3).

5 Mike Velez ’00 and his wife,

Catherine, welcomed their fourth daughter, Winslow, on September 2, 2019.

Classmates gathered on the occasion of Shell Smith’s son’s 3rd birthday. From left, Kyle McDonnell ’05, Aaron Roberts ’02, Shell Roberts Smith ’01, and Samir Gautam ’02 with Kyle’s son, Oliver, as Spider-Man.

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 47

Bo Leland ’02 was promoted to Sergeant at the Hollister Police Department in California on October 4, after rotating out of his assignment as a detective. His 7-year-old daughter, Emeline, got to pin his new badge on him.

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48 CLASSNOTES

’11

TOP Frank Hamilton ’06 married Diana Willkie in Aspen, Colo., in September 2019.

Alumni in attendance: Rence Coassin, Eliza Robie ’07, Emily Ackerman Anderson, Geoff Anderson, Case Carpenter, Sophie Nitkin, Eliot Jia, Diana and Frank, Alec Murphy, Tyler Jorgensen, Whitney Rice Childs ’97, Graham Murphy, Grant Hamilton ’14, Andrew Rice ’02, and Aaron Smith ’02.

Missing from photo: Kelsey Vanderlip ’07.

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 48

Weddings

’06

LEFT Gaby Whitehouse ’10

and Kyle Criscuolo ’11 were married July 14 on Cape Cod. Many classmates, as well as family, including Brian Mascia ’04, Christian Whitehouse ’07, Geoffrey Whitehouse ’04, Jeff Mascia ’01, and Meredith Whitehouse ’01, were in attendance.

RIGHT Stephanie Stock ’06

married Kevin Cunningham on October 26, 2019 at the Bristol in Chicago, Ill.

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CLASSNOTES | Profile

Diamonds for the Google Generation Olivia Landau

’09

When Olivia Landau ’09 started talking diamonds online, she thought she was just going to help young jewelry buyers become educated about gemstones.

After all, as a trained gemologist with an enthusiasm for engagement jewelry, she was already dishing out advice to friends who were on their way to marriage.

Then people started asking to buy the jewels she demonstrated. Soon, she was selling diamonds worth tens of thousands of dollars to buyers she’d never met, all through social media.

With that, The Clear Cut – a direct-to-consumer fine-jewelry business – was born. Olivia and her husband and business partner, Kyle Simon, aren’t exactly disrupting the diamond business – as she points out, it’s an industry too fragmented to lend itself to disruption – but they are pioneering a new model to get bespoke jewelry to buyers who want to know their stone’s story and make it their own. They’re providing diamonds for the Google generation, who can learn everything (too much!) about diamonds with a swipe of a screen but crave something that reflects their individual style.

Olivia and Kyle also quickly tapped into the ways buying an engagement ring have changed. Both partners are often involved in choosing all the elements of the piece, from the diamond to the band to the setting. And younger consumers are more comfortable making considerable purchases online, sight unseen (much of The Clear Cut’s jewelry is sold through their Instagram account, @theclearcut).

Despite being a fourth-generation gemologist, Olivia didn’t expect to run her own fine-jewelry business. Her parents, themselves jewelry and diamond experts, told her the industry was dying, and urged her to get the best education she could and pursue another career. Landau grew up in Miami Beach, where boarding school was an unconventional choice, but a family friend who attended a boarding school encouraged Landau to consider applying.

When she landed at Choate as a fourth former, the culture shock was extreme. (“I thought Martha’s Vineyard was Martha Stewart’s vineyard,” she jokes.) But Olivia approached it with an energetic enthusiasm for new experiences. Despite years of dance and acting, she decided to try out crew, becoming a coxswain.

In particular, she recalls a challenging English class her first year. “I had always coasted through school,” she remembers. “But when you have discussions around a circular table, you can’t just sink back. That has helped me to always be present and come prepared.”

She headed to New York University next, with an eye to fashion journalism.

She interned at Teen Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily but realized that she wasn’t as passionate about the day-to-day reality of publishing. That’s when she enrolled at the Gemological Institute of America, where she met Kyle. “Once I was there I fell in love with it,” she recalls. “It was in my blood all along.”

After school, she worked at Tiffany’s, and then worked for a diamond wholesaler before working as a gemologist for another start-up. That’s when she began posting educational tips about diamond buying and started fielding demand for the items she posted on Instagram. After watching Olivia selling tens of thousands of dollars of diamonds on her lunch break, Kyle urged her to make The Clear Cut full-time.

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 49

In January 2018 the couple was accepted to Techstars, an influential start-up accelerator, and quit their jobs. “We had put everything into doing it,” Olivia says. “Whatever mistakes we made, we had to make the best out of it. If you don’t make a back-up plan, you have to do it.”

The risk has paid off: the company has grown 500 percent, hired five additional employees, launched a fine-jewelry line, and started a podcast, Cozying Up with The Clear Cut. Olivia and Kyle were also recently selected for the Forbes “30 Under 30” list for 2020, with company sales expected to reach $11 million next year. Meanwhile, The Clear Cut’s educational bent continues, with video tutorials that explain aspects of choosing a diamond, such as the difference between carat weight and diamond dimensions, or how to pack your jewelry.

Olivia gives credit to Choate not only for supporting her new venture in the early days (friends from Choate followed the Instagram account, and a class note in the Bulletin when the company launched brought a bump for requests for rings from fellow alums), but for pushing her out of her comfort zone early on.

“Choate really was so instrumental in how I view everything I do, because I came there alone into a very different type of world,” she explains. “It allowed me to become more independent and hard-working than I ever had before, and I’ve taken that with me.” andrea thompson Andrea Thompson is a freelance editor and writer who has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and other publications.

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50 CLASSNOTES

’06

John Sanders III writes, “After leaving Choate Rosemary Hall, I attended the University of Arizona, where I played quarterback on the football team and studied pre-law and business. I currently work in the commercial real estate development and construction industry for a company called the top education builder in the nation, and was recently promoted to Vice President and have relocated to Boise, Idaho to open a new office for our company. In addition, I work as an actor/model on the side.”

Lis Hulin Wheeler will publish her debut novel, No Parking, in February 2020 from Ninestar Press. Find her under her pen name of Valentine Wheeler at www.valentinewheeler.com

’07 Zach Remsen writes, “I started working for a management consulting company, Activate, in New York this past August after earning my MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. I stay in touch regularly with many of my classmates and recently saw Daniel Marquardt as the officiant at a wedding of a mutual friend.”

Condolences to Sam Sabky, whose threeyear-old son, Purnell, died following a courageous battle with a rare, neurodegenerative disease Niemann-Pick Type A, which some call “Baby Alzheimer’s.” Sam, and his wife, Taylor, began a massive fundraising effort when Sam was one-yearold raising more than $750,000 for research of this rare disease. ’08 Victoria Steffes writes, “I graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Bioengineering from UC Santa Barbara in August of 2019. I am excited to start my new position at UC Berkeley as the College of Engineering’s grant specialist, in charge of proposal development for large research centers. I look forward to moving up to the Bay Area and reconnecting with friends.”

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 50

’09

Madeleine Broder has partnered with Maggie Chang P ’21, ’22 to distribute writing curriculums and tools for students through Maggie’s Shanghai-based company, the Reading Tree.

2010s ’10 Jonathan Maddalone graduated with honors from Syracuse Law where he also earned a master’s in public administration. He is currently clerking for Glenn T. Suddaby, Chief Judge of the Northern District of New York.

Marco Antonio Walton has been appointed Director of Business Development for MiT National Land Services. In this role, he will spearhead the expansion of the brand into the Las Vegas market, the company’s first venture on the West Coast. Before joining MiT, Marco was one of the youngest national account managers for First American Title’s National Commercial Services. ’13

Sharel SJ Liu writes that last August she contributed an article, “Community on Tap: The Commodification of Identity,” to an architectural journal at www.anycorp.com/store/log46

’19

Sarah Koljaka, a freshman at University of Chicago, was the winner of the Branford, Conn.

Rotary’s top “Service Above Self” scholarship for 2019. A member of Choate’s Science Research Program, Sarah was also a researcher at Yale’s Department of Neurosurgery and guest ambassador at Yale-New Haven Hospital. The award stated: “Her accomplishments are extensive, but her willingness to give back, by mentoring, teaching, leading, and volunteering, show Sarah to be an amazing young person with unlimited potential.”

TOP Willem Delventhal ’11

CENTER CJ Bernstein ’11,

(third from left) founder of Mew and Me, a collection of automatic video games for cats played on tablets.

The company recently won the Veterinary Innovation Summit Pitch Contest out in Denver, Colo., and took home the grand prize of $5000. mewandme.com

Thatcher Mweu ’11, and Jackie Bernstein ’13 at dinner in Nairobi in August. Thatcher picked a scenic restaurant overlooking Nairobi’s National Park at sunset!

BOTTOM Cordelia Blanchard

’08, Eloise True ’08, and Victoria Steffes ’08 celebrated friendship during a long weekend in Santa Barbara wine country in April 2019.

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 51

Choate ROSEMARY HALL

What a place to be this Summer!

JUNE 28-JULY 31 Students choose from

HIGH SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

• Introduction to Arabic, Online

• Arabic for Beginners

• Forensics

• Introduction to Computer

among 50 High School

• Introduction to Game Theory

offerings and 30 Middle

• Immersion Geometry

• Introduction to Robotics

• John F. Kennedy ’35 Institute in Government

• A Biologist’s World

• Service and Society

• Invention and Design Lab

School offerings; 2-, 4and 5-week programs.

• Summer Study Abroad, France , Jordan or Spain

Programming

• Theater Arts Institute • Writing Workshop

A P P LY N O W ! W W W . C H O A T E . E D U / S U M M E R

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 51

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52

IN MEMORIAM | Remembering Those We Have Lost Alumni and Alumnae

’42 RH Jermain Johnson Anderson, 95, a retired teacher, died September 11, 2019 in Princeton, N.J. Born in Boston, Jermain came to Rosemary Hall in 1940; she was captain of the basketball team and won a School prize for sportsmanship and athletic excellence. She graduated from the Bouvé-Boston School of Physical Education, and later taught in elementary schools in New Jersey. She was a volunteer at Princeton Hospital and on the board of the American Boy Choir School. Jermain enjoyed sailing, fishing, skiing, golf, and world travel.

She leaves her husband, Ellis Anderson, 2411 Windrow Dr., Princeton NJ 08540; two children; two stepdaughters; six grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; four stepgreat-grandchildren; and a sister. ’43 C

Vernon H. Brown Jr., 96, a retired stockbroker, died July 28, 2019. Born in New York City, Vernon came to Choate in 1940; he was on the track team and in the Glee Club.

He then served with the Army in Europe, earning battle stars and the Bronze Star medal. After World War II, he graduated from Yale and took a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, where he was a floor partner and vice president. Vernon enjoyed boating, model trains, and animals. He leaves his wife, Annette Brown, 28 Delwood Ln., Greenwich, CT 06830; three children; and a grandson. He was predeceased by brother, Willard Brown ’44, who also attended Choate.

Robert A. Fillmore, 94, a retired banker, died September 15, 2019 in Newtown Square, Pa. Born in Scranton, Pa., Bob came to Choate in 1941; he rowed crew and was in the Glee Club and on the Library Committee. After Choate, he served in the Navy in the Pacific, and after the war graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. Bob worked for many years as an officer of the Philadelphia National Bank, retiring in 1987. In retirement he drove an ambulance for the Springfield Ambulance Corps. He leaves three children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 52

’45 C

David H. Fields, 92, a research chemist and teacher, died July 19, 2019.

Born in New Britain, Conn., David was at Choate for one year; he was in the Cum Laude Society and played double bass in the Orchestra. After graduating from Yale, he was a dye application chemist with the American Thread Co. in Willimantic, Conn., and later was a chemistry instructor at Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, Va., and at Morrison Academy in Taiwan.

In retirement, he taught English to foreign-born graduate students at the University of Connecticut. He leaves four children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

’45 RH Grace Jamison Van Epps Welliver, 91, a retired nurse, died June 23, 2019 in Slidell, La. Born in Mount Vernon, N.Y., Grace came to Rosemary Hall in 1943; she was in the Kindly Club and the Music Club, and won a School piano prize. After attending Skidmore, she was a nurse for Columbia Montour Home Health in Bloomsburg, Pa. Grace was also a church pianist, and enjoyed gardening. She leaves six children, including Pamela Van Epps Polit, 549 Driftwood Circle, Slidell, LA 70458; 14 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. ’46 C Charles S. Walsh Jr., 91, a professional baseball player and later a sales manager for a razor company, died September 20, 2019 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Born in Reading, Pa., Charlie was at Choate for one year; he lettered in football and baseball. He served in the Army in Japan, then graduated from Harvard, where he was Captain of the 1952 baseball team. Charlie played in the minor leagues with the Chicago White Sox organization for several years, then joined the Gillette razor company. He later worked for Taylor Instruments. He enjoyed golf, and was a President of the Cabrito Foundation.

He leaves his wife, Deborah Walsh, 23715 Tiara St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367; four children; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

’48 C

Peter A. Sturtevant, 89, a former school headmaster, died from complications of a hip fracture October 9, 2019 in Brooklin, Maine. Born in Washington, D.C., Peter came to Choate in 1945; he was on the boards of the Choate News and the Literary Magazine, lettered in baseball, and was a Campus Cop. After two years at Harvard, he graduated from Rollins College in Florida, then ran an auto dealership in Baltimore. After earning a law degree at George Washington University, Peter taught and coached at the Landon School in Bethesda, Md., from 1958 to 1966. He then joined the staff of the Maret School in Washington, D.C., as Development Director, and rose to be its headmaster; he is credited with saving the troubled school from collapse, and retired from Maret in 1994. He enjoyed fly fishing, hunting birds, and sailing. He leaves his wife, Linda Sturtevant, 670 E. Rocks Dr., Sanibel, FL 33957; four children; two stepchildren; and 17 grandchildren. A brother, the late William N. Sturtevant ’42, also attended Choate.

’48 RH Julianna McClinton Mortensen, 90, a retired bookkeeper, died September 4, 2019, in Gainesville, Fla. Born in San Diego, Calif., Julie came to Rosemary Hall in 1944; she was a Marshal and in the Spanish, Dramatic, Music, and Kindly clubs.

She then attended Oberlin University.

Julie worked at Darien, Conn., High School and was a bookkeeper for an accounting firm in Stamford, Conn. She leaves two children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. ’49 C F. William Hawley III, 88, a retired CIA officer, died September 15, 2019 in Sarasota, Fla. Born in Evanston, Ill., Bill came to Choate in 1947; he was in the Cum Laude Society and the Radio, Dramatic, Western, and Glee clubs. After Choate, he studied for a year in England before graduating from Princeton. He served in the Army for three years and was with the Central Intelligence Agency and the State Department for many years, in Germany, Holland, and Austria. He then spent three years as Assistant Director to the Council of International Economic Policy, and later was with

Citibank. He enjoyed playing the piano and photography. He leaves his wife, Valeska Hawley, 8400 Vamo Rd., Unit 914, Sarasota, FL 34231; four children; nine grandchildren; and two brothers, David Hawley ’51 and Jon Hawley ’56. A cousin, the late Garrett Alton ’49, also attended Choate.

R. Gordon Reynolds, 88, a boat builder, died August 31, 2019.

Born in Auburndale, Fla., Gordon came to Choate in 1945; he rowed crew and was in the Southern Club. After service in the Navy, he graduated from Florida Southern University. Gordon’s firm, Hurricane Harbor, produced mainly airboats, many of which were used by the Army in Vietnam and elsewhere.

He also developed pontoon boats and other specialized watercraft.

He enjoyed art and was an amateur sculptor. He leaves his wife, Marilyn Reynolds, 305 Green Dolphin Dr., Placida, FL 33946; five children; 11 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and a sister.

’51 C Nicholas W. Fenney Jr., 87, an executive of a manufacturing firm, died July 29, 2019. Born in New Haven, Nick came to Choate in 1948. He lettered in soccer, hockey, and tennis, was Captain of the hockey team and won a School prize for excellence in hockey; and was on the Student Council and the Dance Committee. After serving in the Air Force, he graduated from Dartmouth and founded Conntech Products Corp., a manufacturer of precision parts, now in Cheshire, Conn. Nick enjoyed flying planes, sailing, golf, and tennis.

He leaves his wife, Judy Fenney, 2701 South Ocean Blvd., Apt. 47, Highland Beach, FL 33487; two children, including Mark Fenney ’74; and several grandchildren, including Jonathan Fenney ’09. A granddaughter, the late Maggie Fenney ’11, also attended Choate Rosemary Hall.

Daniel A. Moriarty, 86, a retired insurance company and community development executive, died September 17, 2019 in Carlsbad, Calif. Born in Middletown, Conn., Dan came to Choate in 1949; he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. After graduating from Colgate, he served with the Air Force for three years, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant.

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BULLETIN | WINTER 2020 53

Laurie W. McLeod began Victory Girl Productions, a center for choreography, filmmaking, and writing. One of her notable movies was an underwater film with the Chinese actor Luo Yong Wang, which was featured in The New York Times in 2004.

’73 He worked in the life insurance industry for Massachusetts Mutual in Detroit before moving to San Diego, Calif., where he co-founded a firm that developed properties in the senior housing and assisted living areas. Dan enjoyed tennis and golf. He leaves his wife, Lorraine Moriarty, 2013 Mesquite Court, Carlsbad, CA 92009; three children; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Samuel J. Rogers Jr., 86, a retired real estate developer, died August 20, 2019. Born in Newton, Mass., Sam came to Choate in 1947; he was a Campus Cop and was in the Automobile and Rifle clubs. After graduating from Tufts, he served three years in the Army. With a friend, Sam bought and developed Sleepers Island in Lake Winnipesaukee and a 300-acre blueberry farm in Gilmanton, N.H., where they built year-round log cabins.

He later delivered horses to various parts of the United States. He leaves a son.

’52 Maurice C. Davitt, 84, the retired president of a tuition payment service, died June 20, 2019. Born in Holyoke, Mass., Maury came to Choate in 1950. He lettered in football and basketball and was in the Choral and Press clubs. After graduating from Brown, he served in the Air Force, then worked for a time with IBM. He became President and CEO of Academic Management Services in Rhode Island and later founded Student Resources, a consulting firm. An avid golfer, Maury was named to the Rhode Island Golf Hall of Fame. He leaves three daughters and six grandchildren.

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 53

’53 C

Bradbury P. Foss Jr., 84, an IBM executive, died July 4, 2019 in Washington, D.C. Born in New York City, Brad came to Choate in 1951. He lettered in football and wrestling, twice winning a School wrestling award. He was President of the Southern Club, was on the Honor Committee, and was in the Camera and Chess clubs.

After earning degrees from Princeton and the University of Georgia, he was with IBM for 38 years. In retirement, Brad was on the boards of several Washington-area groups, including the English Speaking Union and the Camelia Society. He leaves his wife, Barbara Foss, 4417 Westover Place NW, Washington DC 20016; and a sister. His father, Bradbury Foss ’21, also attended Choate.

’54 C Dermod Ives Jr., 84, a retired IBM executive, died October 17, 2019 in Vero Beach, Fla. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y. Derry came to Choate in 1950. He lettered in soccer and lacrosse, was President of the Glee Club, and was in the Maiyeros, the Choral Club, and St. Andrew’s Cabinet. After graduating from Colgate, he served with the Army and then joined IBM. He was active in Greenwich, Conn., volunteering with the Special Police and acting as a Coast Guard Licensed Master. He leaves his wife, Jane Ives, 1776 Mooringline Dr., Unit 203, Vero Beach, FL 32963; two sons, including Dermod Ives III ’85; two stepsons; and twin grandsons.

’61 C

Robert J. Dodds III, 75, a lawyer, died September 10, 2019 in Santa Fe, N.M. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Bob came to Choate in 1958; he was Editorial Chairman of the Choate News, on the Sixth Form Tutoring Committee, and in the Current History and Rod and Gun clubs. After earning degrees from Yale and the University of Pennsylvania, he practiced trust and estate law in Pittsburgh, San Antonio, and Santa Fe. He was a director or trustee of several entities, including the Carnegie Mellon University, Carnegie Museum of Art, the Western Pennsylvania Hospital, and the Westmoreland Museum of Art. He leaves his wife, D. J. Dodds, 3101 Old Pecos Trail, No. 687, Santa Fe, NM 87505; two sons; and four grandchildren.

Stimson R. Kennedy, 76, a real estate developer, died June 20, 2019. Born in Lima, Ohio, Stim came to Choate in 1958; he was in the Ski Club and was Secretary-Treasurer of the Model Railroad Club. After pursuing further studies in Switzerland, he served in the Coast Guard, then earned a degree from Hiram College in Ohio.

Before becoming a developer in Colorado, Stim worked for Heinz Foods, sold sailboats, and taught skiing. A car enthusiast, he belonged to the Porsche and Ferrari Clubs of America and founded the Exotic Sports Car Show, which benefits United Cerebral Palsy.

He leaves a daughter. An uncle, the late James Kennedy Jr. ’45, also attended Choate.

’62 RH Melissa Teele Woodbury, 74, a retired librarian, died July 29, 2019. Born in Boston, Melissa came to Rosemary Hall in 1959. She was a Marshal, in Gold Key, Dramu, Philomel, and the Choir; and was on the Grounds Committee. After graduating from New York University, she was a librarian.

Melissa and her late husband enjoyed world travel. She leaves two daughters, six grandchildren, and a brother.

’72 C

William M. Hilton Jr., 65, a retired magazine executive, died of cancer November 4, 2019 in Sheffield, Mass. Born in Bronxville, N.Y., Bill came to Choate in 1968. He was President of the Choate News, co-captain of varsity lacrosse, head cheerleader, and in the Gold Key Society; he also won a School lacrosse trophy. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he had a long career in publishing with Forbes, Rolling Stone, and ESPN magazines.

Bill was a collector of first-edition modern American books, and donated his collection to the University of California, Santa Cruz. He also collected modern and contemporary art. He leaves his wife, Elena Delgado, 403 So. Undermountain Rd., Sheffield, MA 02157; two children; his stepmother; and three brothers.

’73 RH Laurie W. McLeod, 63, a choreographer and filmmaker, died August 7, 2019 in Lenox, Mass. Born in Cleveland, Laurie came to Rosemary Hall in 1971; she lettered in soccer, was on the School Service Committee, and was Vice President of her fifth form class. After graduating from

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54 IN MEMORIAM

Middlebury, she earned a degree in movement and dance from the Laban Center in London, where she lived for several years. She then moved to the Massachusetts Berkshires, where she began Victory Girl Productions, a center for choreography, filmmaking, and writing. One of her notable movies was an underwater film with the Chinese actor Luo Yong Wang, which was featured in The New York Times in 2004. Laurie also taught water fitness, and visited local schools to promote reading, math, and dance. She leaves a son; her father, Ian McLeod, 1742 Beacon St. Apt. 4, Brookline, MA 02445; and a sister.

’74 C Peter I. Sheft, 63, a financial adviser, died August 28, 2019. Born in New York City, Peter came to Choate in 1971. He was on the staffs of the Choate News and the Literary Magazine and was in the Ecology Club. After earning degrees from Duke and Georgetown, he practiced law for several years, then was a Senior Financial Adviser and Vice President at Merrill Lynch. Peter was also a co-founder of the Nesser Sheft financial firm. He was a trustee of 70 Faces Media and was active with the UJA Federation of New York, the Jewish Community House in Bensonhurst, N.Y., the Partnership for Jewish Life, and My Jewish Learning. He leaves his wife, Nancy Sheft, 1185 Park Ave., Apt. 1E, New York, NY 10128; two daughters; his parents; and a sister. ’78

Reid H. Howe, 59, a chef and restaurateur, died May 24, 2019. Born in Freeport, N.Y., Hob, as he was known, came to Choate in 1976. He lettered in crew and was in the Spanish Club and the Gold Key Society. After attending Syracuse University, he was a geologist with Amoco Corp. in Colorado. He then graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and became a chef, eventually opening his own restaurant, Caliente, in Annapolis, Md. Hob enjoyed bicycling, skiing, rowing, and motorcycle racing. He leaves five siblings.

207359_Winter 20_Bulletin_T.indd 54

’81 Christopher B. Jones, 57, died of cancer October 13, 2019 in Boston. Born in Beverly, Mass., Chris was at Choate one year; he lettered in cross country and won a trophy in that sport. He then graduated from Hobart College. Chris enjoyed painting in oils, writing, photography, windsurfing, hiking, and foreign travel. He ran in nine Boston marathons and one New York marathon. He leaves three siblings. His father, the late Vincent W. Jones Jr. ’41, attended Choate.

Patrick G. Xavier, 56, a computer scientist, died July 16, 2019 in Austin, Texas. Born in Euclid, Ohio, Pat came to Choate Rosemary Hall in 1977. He was captain of the archery team and won a School prize in archery; won prizes in historical scholarship and mathematics; was editor of The Spectrum, a School scientific journal; played trombone and trumpet in the Concert Band, and was in the Cum Laude Society. After earning degrees from Harvard and Cornell, he worked at Sandia National Labs in Albuquerque, N.M. Pat was a member of Toastmasters International and the Church of the Good Shepherd in Albuquerque. He leaves his wife, Lynne Hsu Xavier, 9917 Fostoria Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111; two children; and his father. ’87

Brian K. Harrington, 50, a scientific recruiter, died September 30, 2019. Born in Bronxville, N.Y., Brian came to Choate Rosemary Hall in 1985.

He was co-captain of varsity tennis and also lettered in basketball, played guitar in the Jazz Ensemble, and was in the Student Association for Political Awareness. After Choate, he graduated from the New England Conservatory and earned a Master’s degree from Yale Divinity School. He was a co-founder and managing partner of Global Search Solutions, an executive search firm in Danbury, Conn. A jazz enthusiast, Brian frequently played guitar; he also enjoyed reading and discussing his Christian faith. He leaves his former wife, four children, and his parents.

Faculty, Trustees, Staff Patricia Conroy, a retired nurse and former Choate Rosemary Hall Trustee, died September 23, 2019 in Cheshire, Conn. She was 84. Born in Southington, Conn., Tish, as she was known, graduated from Mount St. Joseph School in West Hartford, Conn., and Lasell Junior College in Newton, Mass. She was a registered nurse at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and later at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. In addition to serving as a Trustee from 1982 to 1984, she was head of the School’s Parents Association for four years. Tish enjoyed knitting, cooking, gardening, and tennis. She leaves her husband, Dr. Michael M. Conroy, 455 Squire Hill Rd., Cheshire, CT 06410; four sons, Michael Conroy ’78, Thomas Conroy ’80, James Conroy ’83, and Kevin Conroy ’85; four granddaughters; and two brothers. Another son, the late Rev. Peter Conroy ’79, also attended Choate Rosemary Hall.

Donald “Skip” Murray, a rink worker and Zamboni driver at School in the 1980s and 1990s, died July 4, 2019 in Chester, Conn. Born in New Haven, Skip enjoyed glassblowing and sculpting.

He leaves his wife, Sally Murray; two children; and a brother.

Our sympathy to the friends and families of the following alumni, whose deaths are reported with sorrow: Hugh G. Soest ’41 October 12, 2019 Stuart M. Lamb Jr. ’60 August 5, 2019 Patricia Laing Stone ’68 July 22, 2019 Anne R. Hyra ’84 June 26, 2019

Edward P. Loughlin ’54, a former Choate Rosemary Hall Trustee, died August 8, 2019 in Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Conn. He was 83. Born in Wallingford, Ed came to Choate in 1950. He lettered in baseball and was President of the Band, playing saxophone in the Band and the Golden Blues. After earning degrees from Yale and the University of Connecticut Law School, he practiced law in Wallingford for many years. Active in local politics, Ed ran unsuccessfully for the State Senate in 1976. He was a Trustee from 1979 to 1982 and Chair of the Parents Association in 1979 and 1980. He enjoyed boating and reading. He leaves his wife, Kristine Loughlin, 158 So. Main St., Wallingford, CT 06492; four children, including Cary Walker ’80 and E. James Loughlin ’82; a granddaughter, Paige Loughlin ’22; a niece, Kate Rizzo ’78; and a grandnephew, Jacob Didden ’08.

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Elke with Michelle Judd Rittler ’98

Former Faculty Elke Hoppenbrouwers, a member of the Choate community for more than 40 years, died in September 2019. She was 72. Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Elke Koch spent her first 11 years in Hoechst, a suburb of Frankfurt. In 1960, when her parents moved to India, she remained in Germany to finish the school year, spent some time in India, then returned to Germany, Elke became an avid and expert skier, often staying at alpine huts with her friends and classmates. In 1963 her father, a chemist, moved to Tokyo; there, Elke joined her family and attended the Deutsche Schule TokyoYokohama. In the summer of 1966, she flew back to Germany to attend the Bachschule in Kronberg. There she fell in love with Jos Hoppenbrouwers; they were engaged by Christmas. After earning her translator’s degree, Elke moved to Paris to work as an interpreter. She and Jos were married in July 1967, and they moved to Lenox, Mass., where Jos had a job at the Cranwell School.

After moving to Wallingford in June 1968, Elke flew to Frankfurt in August to give birth to their first child, Peter, and Jos began teaching modern languages at Choate in September. They soon moved into Atwater House. Elke gave birth to their daughter, Karin, in September 1972 in Frankfurt. Before joining the Choate faculty in September 1976, she taught French at the Independent Day School in Middlefield, Conn., and German at Wallingford’s Lyman Hall High School. At Choate, she taught both languages. In Atwater, weekly “mug nights” were a welcome routine for students, during which they enjoyed Elke’s homemade banana bread and down time with their house advisers. She was known to one and all as “Frau Hopps.”

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In August 1987 Elke lost her beloved Jos but maintained a warm and supportive environment at home, in the dorm, and in the classroom. There, she continued to be a lively and uncompromising teacher – demanding more of her students than they believed possible, while always giving them the support they needed to succeed.

“Elke bowled me over with her ability to make sparkling conversation in German with a group of nervous students,” wrote former Vice Principal of Academic Affairs Joanne C. Sullivan in 2006. “Like a lively modern-day Plato, she made it seem that her students had untapped pools of German inside that she was merely drawing out.”

Michelle Judd Rittler ’98, now Associate Director of Advancement and Parent & Alumni Relations at Rumsey Hall in Washington, Conn., wrote in 2006 that “while she encouraged me to push myself academically, Frau Hopps also encouraged me to push myself on a personal level, to continue to strive for something higher.”

For many years, Elke was the chapter president of the American Association of Teachers of German.

She retired in 2006 but stayed on at Choate Rosemary Hall as a driver until 2012. Trips to Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa, and Botswana, as well as regular visits to see family in Germany, and drives to see Karin in Maine, provided a pleasing rhythm to Elke’s life. She leaves her children, Karin Hoppenbrouwers ’90; 33 Columbia Ave., Brunswick, ME 04011 or khopps@gmail.com, and H. Peter Hoppenbrouwers ’87. Elke will be remembered at the Celebration of Life service during Reunion Weekend this May.

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SCOREBOARD | Fall Sports Wrap-up Girls varsity soccer qualified for the NEPSAC Class A tournament but fell to Thayer Academy in the quarterfinals. Boys varsity soccer had a solid season, tied Brunswick and Buckingham Browne & Nichols, and recorded wins against Trinity-Pawling, Hopkins, Westminster, and Lawrenceville.

Football had a tough start to the season but bounced back with three consecutive wins, including a win against Brunswick whom they faced last year in the 2018 Bowl Championship. Girls cross country finished 3rd, and boys cross country finished 5th at Founders League Championships. Varsity field hockey and boys varsity water polo both had big overtime wins this season.

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Girls varsity soccer beats Deerfield 6-1! Lexi Taylor ’23 (#27), arm raised and running back up the field, scores on a corner kick. Teammates Paley Adelson Grodberg ’22 (#33) and Isabella Mandell ’21 (#13) cheer her on.

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SCOREBOARD | Fall Sports Wrap-up BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Varsity Season Record: 1–7 Captains: Alex Coletti ’20, Brennan Connell ’20, Nick Surfas ’20 Highlights: Eighteen members of the team recorded personal record times on the Choate home course against Andover on October 5.

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Varsity Season Record: 3–4 Captains: Sarah McAndrew ’20, Aisha Pasha ’20 Highlights: Finished 3rd at Founders League Championships and 13th out of 15 teams at New Englands.

FIELD HOCKEY Varsity Season Record: 3–14 Captains: Gina Driscoll ’20, Brooke Wise ’20 Highlight: Win against Hamden Hall at home in overtime.

FOOTBALL Varsity Season Record: 5–3 Captains: Beau Luther ’20, Cameron Polemeni–Hegarty ’20 Highlights: After suffering their first loss in 5 seasons, the team came back strong, beating Exeter, Lawrenceville, and Brunswick.

BOYS SOCCER Varsity Season Record: 5–8–6 Captains: Stephen Antogiovanni ’20, Samuel Curtis ’20, Allen Zhang ’21 Highlights: Wins against Trinity-Pawling, Hopkins, Westminster and Lawrenceville.

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GIRLS SOCCER Varsity Season Record: 11–2–5 Captain: Cecilia (CiCi) Curran ’20 Highlights: Only one loss in regular season; 9th consecutive year of making the Class A NEPSAC tournament.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Varsity Season Record: 7–11 Captains: Ally Chadha ’20, Charis “Kiki” Kim ’20, Highlights: Wins against Cheshire, Kent, and Miss Porter’s.

BOYS WATER POLO Varsity Season Record: 4–12 Captains: George McCabe ’20, Derek Son ’20, Hilal Zoberi ’20 Highlights: Defeated Deerfield twice this season, the first win in overtime. Also beat Hopkins in double overtime!

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1 Temi Agunloye ’21 dribbles past the Hotchkiss defender on

2 Shane Baldwin ’21 (#12) carries the ball, eluding Cheshire Academy

Parents’ Weekend.

defenders.

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Jim Stout / CBS MaxPreps

2

5 3 Girls cross country runner Livia Fingerson ’22.

4 Boys varsity cross country at home meet on Parents’ Weekend.

3

4 5 Defender Hadley Rogers ’21 makes a clear for the Wild Boars

during the Parents’ Weekend game against Hotchkiss.

6 Maddy Erlandson ’21 delivers a spike.

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BOOKSHELF

In this issue, a young adult novelist explores an Iranian teen’s journey and acclimation to the U.S. after living through the Cultural Revolution; another novelist reimagines the deeply complex inner life of Josef Stalin’s only daughter after she defects to the U.S.; a historian offers a substantial scholarly contribution to the historical literature on the Civil War in his thoughtful examination of the practice of surrender. Finally a third novelist explores the vulnerabilities of her protagonist, a sixth-grade teacher who is asked to tutor a young boy from Kiev whose congenital heart condition has rendered him housebound.

Like a Love Story

By Abdi Nazemian ’94 | Reviewed by Mb Duckett Ireland

LIKE A LOVE STORY

By Abdi Nazemian ’94 Publisher: Balzer + Bray About the Reviewer: Mb Duckett Ireland is an English teacher and Dean of the Class of 2021.

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Like a Love Story follows the teen trio of Reza, Art, and Judy through a turbulent adolescent year in the New York City of the late 80s. Reza, who was born in Tehran and stayed there through much of the Cultural Revolution, has just relocated to the city from Toronto because his mother married a wealthy IranianAmerican who lives on the Upper East Side. Reza nervously joins his new stepbrother, Saadi, who first appears as a walking jock stereotype, at their private school. The book opens with a humorous glimpse into Reza’s complicated psyche as he attempts to rip his braces off and anxiously combs through the yearbook for potential friends.

Reza knows that, being Iranian-Canadian and a bit awkward, he’s not likely to be like the other students. Nazemian builds a character with an obviously formal speech pattern, a trait that endears Reza to readers while it isolates him from his peers.

Even before he sets foot on campus, he pinpoints Judy and Art as the two nonconformists he needs to meet; their yearbook photos stand out even in a school with a uniform. The story takes off from there, as Reza inserts himself between the two best friends.

He quickly pushes aside his feelings for Art (are they romantic feelings or is he just confused?) to make Judy his first girlfriend.

Art, an avid photographer, and Judy, a fashion designer hopeful, are ensconced in the gay New York of Judy’s Uncle Stephen, and this backdrop propels Nazemian’s story from a typical coming-of-age tale to one that’s been waiting to be told for 30 years. The book swirls through the opening years of the AIDS crisis with a pounding Madonna soundtrack. Through Uncle Stephen, the teens join ACTUP protests and meet an array of gay adults. Nazemian humanizes

the diversity of New York’s gay community and AIDS victims while providing much-needed mentors for the young trio. The community introduces Judy to vibrant fashion and classic films, gives Art subjects for his photography, and shows Reza that AIDS is not something to fear. Like a Love Story gives power to a stigmatized group of people united in common purpose and love for one another.

So many loves permeate the novel: love of family, of friends, of partners, and of community. To find all of these loves, Nazemian jumps among the three teenagers as the narrators of his story, a pattern that gives the narrative an intriguing voice and an engaging structure. The book’s shifting first-person narration provides a lesson in perspective as well: it reminds us that people live their lives on their own terms, that we can never guess another person’s motivation, and that gay culture doesn’t mean the same thing to every person associated with it.

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The Red Daughter

By John Burnham Schwartz ’83 | Reviewed by Andrea Thompson In 1967, the only daughter of Josef Stalin disembarked from an airplane onto American soil, to become one of the most famous Soviet defectors in history. She descended to the tarmac accompanied by a lawyer, Alan U. Schwartz. The pair maintained a relationship, first close, then more distant, over the years that followed, which saw Svetlana Alliluyeva become an American, marry and take the name Lana Peters, redefect back to the Soviet Union, and then once more return to the United States – along the way achieving fame and wealth with her writing, and then losing it all.

Now that lawyer’s son, novelist John Burnham Schwartz ’83, has reimagined this inherently dramatic tale from the inside out. Schwartz had forgotten about the Russian émigré celebrity of his childhood until he read Alliluyeva’s obituary in The New York Times (she died in 2011). Drawing on the recollections and documents of his father and Alliluyeva’s memoirs, Schwartz set out to construct a story that faithfully follows the tumultuous lines of Alliluyeva’s biography while inventing her deeply complex inner life.

Schwartz has previously written well-received novels that grapple with cultural displacement, grief, and epic love affairs: among them, Bicycle Days, Reservation Road, and Claire Marvel. Here he inhabits the passionate, mercurial, angry, perceptive voice of a woman who feels utterly deprived of her own identity.

Her memories of childhood bring little warmth, other than a beloved nanny who comforts and protects her. Her mother commits suicide when Svetlana is 6; any affection she receives from her father seems to her memory calculated and contrived, tinged with cruelty or indifference (their home together, she observes, had “walls so thick that small voices attempting to reach from one room to the next often died before arriving”). She observes with disgust the hypocrisy of her father and his henchman gorging on oysters while discussing famine statistics – ”A starving man is no threat,” the henchman tells Stalin, “the oysters already decomposing in their stomachs.”

As she grows older, she chafes more and more at the apparatus of control her father has built up around her, even after his death. She falls in love with a Jewish filmmaker, who is promptly shipped off to a work camp; later, her marriages fail. A love affair with an Indian man in Moscow ends with his death,

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and she determines to take his ashes home to his family, though she must leave her son and daughter behind. Once in India, she has a sudden realization – she must leave the Soviet state, both to save herself and to save her children from her father’s murderous legacy. (The logic of this plan is less clear than the certainty with which she feels it.)

The story alternates between the diary entries that track Svetlana’s journey as it happens with the present-day “Editor’s Note” chapters written from the perspective of Peter Horvath, the lawyer modeled after Schwartz’s own father. In this way, Schwartz captures the galvanizing effect Svetlana had on the people around her, while casting a less than flattering light on the complacency and hypocrisy of the America that takes her in.

Svetlana and Peter are drawn to each other from the beginning, and after years of simmering tension, finally embark on a brief affair. (Schwartz is at pains to note that this aspect of the story is entirely fiction.)

Yet Svetlana cannot disrupt a cycle of control and escape. In the United States, the demands of capitalism exhaust her: “Apparently what one does in America, as soon as one can, is buy as many of everything as possible.” She flees the status-obsessed world of the East Coast for Arizona and the communal life of the Fellowship, a collective run by the widow of architect Frank Lloyd Wright to maintain the work and influence of her late husband. Svetlana falls in love yet again, but soon becomes disenchanted with the tyrannical demands of the Widow, with their Stalinist echoes: “Work must be done correctly. Standards upheld. Or the point of the labor is lost and there is no surrender and no enlightenment, the Widow says.

I am sure Svetlana knows what I’m talking about.”

Schwartz ably captures the way that paranoia, ingrained in her from birth, relentlessly estranges Svetlana from her friends, her children, and her lovers.

She barely understands her own impulses, and she is ruled by her fears and emotions. Still, given the magnitude of suffering that Stalin inflicted on his nation, the trials of Svetlana may feel small bore. But Schwartz ably shows the lingering trauma of totalitarianism, and the difficulty even the most privileged members of a repressive society endure to extricate themselves from its grasp.

THE RED DAUGHTER

By John Burnham Schwartz ’83 Publisher: Random House About the Reviewer: Andrea Thompson is a freelance writer and editor and the co-author, with Jacob Lief, of I Am Because You Are.

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Raising the White Flag

By David Silkenat ’95 | Reviewed by Richard S. Stewart

RAISING THE WHITE FLAG

By David Silkenat ’95 Publisher: UNC Press About the Reviewer: Former faculty member Richard S. Stewart was a chairholder of the Lawrence M. Gelb Centennial Chair in American History.

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David Silkenat’s new book, Raising the White Flag: How Surrender Defined the American Civil War, is a substantial scholarly contribution to the historical literature on the Civil War. A professor of history at St Andrews University, Silkenat has immersed himself in the literature on the Civil War from great scholars of the past and present. In addition, he has utilized a daunting array of archival evidence available on the practice of surrender in that war.

Surrender may seem like an unusual choice of topic. In his history of the Civil War, Shelby Foote was constantly struck by the “valor” shown by each side in the conflict. Americans do not like to think of surrender as an honorable or acceptable behavior in wartime. To some it may even be viewed as “unmanly,” or “un-American.”

But it was a well-accepted practice in the Civil War. It was accomplished by individuals who found themselves in a tight spot, and by entire units facing defeat. One Union soldier, having surrendered at Gettysburg, said, “Better a prisoner than a corpse.”

Union generals, including Ulysses Grant, believed it was honorable to seek the surrender of the enemy rather than risk “further effusion of blood.” (This is exactly the language used by George Washington when he sought the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781.) It was also honorable for the opposing commander to save the lives of his men rather than risk their lives in an encounter that couldn’t be won. This was Robert E. Lee’s reasoning when he surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House in 1865. The code of conduct in such matters required that prisoners of war be treated with respect, that they not be bullied, beaten, or killed.

Silkenat’s work is, then, not a conventional military history, but what might be called a socio-cultural history of an important aspect of the war. It seems to belong to a type of history that includes Drew Gilpin Faust’s This Republic of Suffering on the country’s reaction to the incredibly high casualty rate in the war. In doing his research and writing he is also willing to challenge prior scholars of this period such as Bruce Catton, and the conventional wisdom that has grown up around the war. General Grant is famous for demanding “unconditional surrender” when he thought he had fairly won an engagement. These words became famous when winning the battle for Fort Donelson in 1862.

Professor Silkenat believes that this demand was intended to be used for its shock value. After the enemy agreed to surrender, Grant would negotiate the details of the surrender with them. In the case of Vicksburg, it seems that Grant got Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton’s undivided attention with this demand.

They met. Grant insisted on his terms. When Pemberton started to walk away, Grant then agreed that each side could appoint two men to negotiate the details of the surrender. After Pemberton’s men evacuated the fortress at Vicksburg, Grant allowed the defeated, exhausted and famished Southern soldiers to take their personal horses and side arms home with them; and he ordered his men to share their rations with the Confederates. Those men left with their honor intact, an important part of the ritual of surrender.

Grant hoped that this approach would contribute to national reconciliation.

But that hope proved elusive. After Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, the Union Army welcomed African-American recruits. Their presence in a Union fort in Paducah, Kentucky in April, 1864 thoroughly enraged Confederate soldiers and their commander Nathan Bedford Forrest. They were humiliated by the defeat at Fort Anderson in Paducah, and were enraged at seeing black soldiers.

Seventeen days later at Fort Pillow, north of Memphis, a Union garrison under siege refused to surrender to Nathan Forrest’s raiders. The Confederates knew the garrison of nearly 600 was manned by about 300 African-Americans. The Confederates stormed the fort and the white and black Union soldiers inside the fort all cried, “Surrender.” Even though military men regarded the right to surrender as a “sacred” one, their cries went unheeded. The men inside the fort were slaughtered. Two-thirds of the casualties were African-American.

The armed blacks’ presence in the fort brought out the blood-lust of the rebels. According to a Confederate survivor, “The sight of Negro troops stirred the bosoms of our soldiers with courageous madness.” They lost all self-control, ignoring pleas of surrender. Black men who had dropped their rifle and put their hands up were shot on the spot. Now, the “black flag” had replaced the “white flag” of surrender.

In a most compelling work of history, Professor Silkenat has shed new light on an important but long neglected topic in our great national tragedy.

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The Secret of Clouds

By Alyson Richman ’90 | Reviewed by Brianna St. John How do you open yourself to love in the face of inevitable disaster? How do you balance something as delicate as hope against the crushing pain of heartbreak?

Worse, once the disaster has come and gone, how do you continue to love in its aftermath?

In her eighth novel, The Secret of Clouds, Alyson Richman ’90 explores these themes and more. A fear of the inevitable has already been instilled in sixth-grade teacher Maggie Topper when we meet her in the novel’s opening pages. Maggie holds a piece of herself back from her students, a piece that was deeply wounded by the death of a childhood friend. When she is asked to tutor Yuri Krasny, a boy with a congenital heart condition that renders him housebound for his own safety, Maggie doesn’t know whether she can help him – doesn’t know how much she will come to love this student who reminds her so much of the friend she lost.

Alongside Maggie’s story, we learn more about Yuri’s parents, Katya and Sasha. Emigrés from Kiev, they try to give Yuri a happy life, even while he is kept indoors and away from other children. Katya is as fierce as she is fragile, a former ballerina who suffered a devastating, career-ending injury. Sasha looks out for them both as best he can, trying to give his wife and son a good life despite their isolation and the trips to the hospital.

Their stories intertwine around Yuri himself, bright and curious and full of the life that has been kept from him. He blossoms under Maggie’s tutelage, discovering a love of learning that Maggie encourages and shares, becoming as much a student herself alongside Yuri’s spirit through the soaring highs and gut-wrenching lows of his illness.

THE SECRET OF CLOUDS

By Alyson Richman ’90 Publisher: Penguin Random House About the Reviewer: Brianna St. John is a Communications Assistant and frequent contributor to the Bulletin.

CRIBSHEET: A DATA-DRIVEN GUIDE TO BETTER, MORE RELAXED PARENTING, FROM BIRTH TO PRESCHOOL Author: Emily Oster ’98 Publisher: Penguin Press

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JFK’S SECRET DOCTOR Author: Susan E.B. Schwartz ’74 Publisher: Skyhorse

Richman’s novel examines the notion of love in the face of unavoidable heartache and asks not why it happens, but why it matters. As we gain more insight into Katya and Sasha’s story, we learn just how severe Yuri’s condition is, and while the novel’s tragic moments are not shocking, they are no less impactful. Just the opposite: Richman rends so much emotion from her story because the tragedy is a blow we cannot dodge. And we don’t want to: as the care between her characters only grows, their lives becoming richer from the shared love between them, every moment of happiness and joy, every bit of hopefulness, shines all the brighter.

This pairing of joy and pain captures the very human heart behind growth and grief: how we hang on to the beauty in life, celebrate it and cherish it, even when we know it cannot last forever. Because, as Richman reminds us, this beauty will not be our last. When one love ends, as devastating as it may be, there are new moments to cherish, new beauty to appreciate. We carry our pain, are changed by it, but we continue to grow through it. Richman understands that we must not allow loss to isolate us; we must carry our memories with us and allow them to shine their light on new experiences.

CHARLIE NUMBERS AND THE WOOLLY MAMMOTH Author: Tonya Chen Mezrich ’91 Publisher: Simon & Schuster

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END NOTE |

Allowing Our Values to Lead Our Growth Last year, for the first time in 15 years as a Choate teacher and as an alumnus, I felt unable to honestly compare my Choate experience to that of our current students. In the past, I knew I could always fall back on the shared experience of student life at Choate while talking to pupils, parents, and prospective families. But Choate has changed.

The student experience has changed. I have changed.

A month before I reported for new faculty orientation, fresh off a four-year, liberal arts educational experience, a family friend and parent of prep school graduates told me to remember four key points: have a positive attitude, take the time to know what you are doing, understand the value of teamwork, and believe in and do what’s right. He reminded me that integrity and quality people carry the day, and that the key is to always fall back on what’s right. Given Choate’s motto of Fidelitas et Integritas and knowing the fine caliber of people associated with the school, I approached my early years with confidence, a sayyes attitude, and the four keys that had been bestowed upon me.

Yet as the mid-2000s passed, I fell into a professional routine that felt stale. I was still willing to accept new responsibilities such as adviser to the Student Council and representative on the Athletic Advisory Committee, but my approach to many of my duties at Choate felt half-baked. That changed on January 20, 2009. As a group of my U.S. History students and I watched President Barack Obama deliver his first inaugural address, I listened intently as Obama stated, “Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends – honest and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism – these things are old. These things are true.

They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.”

This significant moment in our nation’s history also prompted a mental readjustment in me as an educator. It allowed me to reestablish the four key points presented to me nearly half a decade earlier.

It was time to seek out the positive, be attentive to mastering my disciplines and crafts, inspire and be inspired through collaboration with my colleagues and students, and allow the values of Choate Rosemary Hall to lead my growth.

Choate routinely provides opportunities for faculty members to reinforce their areas of strength while also encouraging them to explore the depths of the unknown in order to brace for times of difficulty and expand their professional capacities. But faculty members must be eager and willing to leave the known routine and familiar comforts during quests for self-improvement.

In accepting the role of form dean in 2012, I spoke with my former Choate adviser. After offering some guidance on managing the various constituencies that I would be responsible for answering to and some areas of requisite professional growth, he closed by telling me to always be genuine. Trust your instincts. Enjoy the interactions with students, be loyal and empathetic to their various goals and needs, stay even-keeled and fair in how you treat them, and offer perspective on how their experiences at Choate will have a lasting impact on their lives after high school.

The past six years in the Dean of Students’ Office initiated more personal and professional growth than any other stretch in my career.

Through interactions with students, parents, and colleagues in this role, I have enjoyed development and increased understanding in areas of emotional intelligence, cognitive flexibility, and cultural competency, subjects that I was not comfortable engaging in during the early years of my career.

The past 15 years have shown me that Choate provides opportunities for its students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents to become more knowledgeable, compassionate, and educated. But these occasions are only afforded to those who embrace and fully immerse themselves in those moments. While there are many positive and constructive initiatives being led by groups on campus like the Equity and Inclusion team, Spiritual Life, and Health and Wellness, there are still areas that I believe the collective faculty must address, such as finding better ways to instill a sense of moral courage in our students.

As Choate continues to evolve, the importance of a willingness on the part of all faculty members to embrace opportunities to better our community will be crucial to Choate’s growth and continued leadership in secondary education.

michael c. velez ’00 Mike Velez ’00, a history teacher, coach, and form dean, was appointed Dean of Students in July 2019.

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CONTENTS | Winter 2020

INGREDIENTS

 tudents  aculty embers + ourses  ignature rograms  nterscholastic eams departments

2 3 4 26

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Letters

RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

30

Remarks from the Head of School On Christian & Elm News about the School Alumni Association News

52

Classnotes Profiles of Elizabeth Pathy Salett ’55, Founder, National Multicultural Institute and Human Trafficking Search; Rohan Weerasinghe ’68, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, CitiGroup; Tim Fleiszer ’94, Founder and Director Concussion Legacy Foundation, Canada; and Olivia Landau ’09, Founder, The Clear Cut In Memoriam Remembering Those We Have Lost

At Choate Rosemary Hall, a little goes a long way. Your donation, with a hint of love, is the secret ingredient that will help our students thrive.

Give a pinch or give a pint— any amount is appreciated.

WWW.CHOATE.EDU/DONATE

Thank you for your generosity.

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REUNION

WEEKEND 2020

MAY 15-17

Calling all alumni in classes ending in 0s and 5s!

Don’t miss this opportunity to make new memories with old friends and classmates.

Join us in Wallingford for what promises to be a fun and exciting weekend of events. Highlights include: dinner and dancing, tours of our newest campus facilities, alumni-led panel discussions, athletic and musical performances, and much more!

See you there!

The Choate Rosemary Hall Bulletin is printed using vegetable-based inks on 100% post consumer recycled paper. This issue saved 101 trees, 42,000 gallons of wastewater, 291 lbs of waterborne waste, and 9,300 lbs of greenhouse gases from being emitted.

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In this issue:

ARTS AMPLIFIED The impact of Colony Hall on our daily lives

KIDLIT Alumni authors light up the brains of youngest readers

HILL HOUSE REIMAGINED with Dr. Alex Curtis

1/29/20 9:12 AM