Spring 2013 Deerfield Magazine by Deerfield Academy

m a g a z i n e

along albany road

Critical Elements 12 Beneath the surface of Deerfieldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new capstone

Body of Knowledge 24 Janie Merkel â&#x20AC;&#x2122;91: Bridging the gap between discovery and development

He(art) 36 An arts center transformation

Winter 2012

Comments 3 / Along Albany Road 4 / The Common Room 44 / In Memoriam 99 / First Person: John Chittick â&#x20AC;&#x2122;66

102 / Word Search 104

cover photograph: David Miller / inside spread photograph: Brent M. Hale / Behind the scenes at Martin Luther King Day observances, 2013

deerfield.edu

Sometimes you know when you’re a part of something special. In the spring of my senior year, I took AP Biology with Mr. Harcourt. There were seven of us. The work was brisk (an understatement) and the material dense. We studied more than mitosis. We discussed the “emergent properties” that organisms gained through mutation and natural selection. We spent an hour contemplating this line in the text: “We are but transient custodians of the human germ plasm.” We dissected worms (a gloppy wiggly mess) and huge bullfrogs—neat and tidy—whose veins and arteries had been filled with colored latex rubber. We worked our way up to “Mexican road cats” (a colorful Harcourtism), and my lab partner and I named ours Sparky. To this day I can identify nearly all the bones in the body (skipping the details of hands and feet) and all the major parts of the mammalian pulmonary system. And I still bear an affection for the “pulmocutaneous artery” (in frogs) that allows them to breathe through both their lungs AND their skin. Come spring, we had enough knowledge of biology that we could really crank up the pace. We did one chapter per day in what was the heaviest and thickest textbook I ever had at

Deerfield—or anywhere for that matter. Harcourt applied steady pressure, and in response, we excelled. Just when we were at the breaking point, Mr. Harcourt would give us a break of some type—including a memorable challenge from us bio-nerds to the PG-stacked “rocks for jocks” class in softball. (Fear not: We had a ringer.) Today, most (possibly all) of my AP bio classmates are doctors—including “Sparky’s Mom,” whom you can read about on page 24. Mr. Harcourt—Andy, as I know him now— is featured in many places throughout this issue of Deerfield Magazine, and he remains an animated and steady guide to students. He still teaches AP biology—using the latest edition of the same textbook I used in 1991—but he also shepherds our new Global H2O capstone. (See page 12.) Andy has confided in me that my AP biology class was “special.” I’m sure he says this to all his former students. The thing is, I still believe him.

—David Thiel ’91, Director of Communications

Director of Communications

Managing Editor

Support Specialist and Contributing Writer

eCommunications Specialist

Art Director

Production Coordinator and Contributing Writer

David Thiel

Jessica Day

JR Delaney

Danäe DiNicola

Brent M. Hale

Anna Newman

Editorial Office: Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, MA 01342. Telephone: 413-774-1860, communications@deerfield.edu Publication Office: The Lane Press, Burlington, VT 05402. Third class postage paid at Deerfield, Massachusetts, and additional mailing office. Deerfield Magazine is published in the fall, winter, and spring. Deerfield Academy admits students of any race, color, creed, handicap, sexual orientation or national origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or available to students at the academy. The academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, handicap, sexual orientation or national origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship, or any other programs administered by the academy. Copyright © The Trustees of Deerfield Academy (all rights reserved)

Spring 2013 : Volume 70, No. 3

Cat illustration by Thomas McCracken

Sparky’s Mom

DA is now making memories on Instagram!

Comments I have very much enjoyed Deerfield Magazine over the years, but, until now, never felt the urge to comment. As a lifelong skier, I was happy to see the beautiful cover of the winter issue, and I jumped right to the “Rocker Evangelist” article about alumnus Stephan Drake and his revolutionary ski design. I was excited to learn that, like me, Stephan went to Colorado College after Deerfield, and then, when I read that he likes to ski in Haines, AK, I wondered if he knew my friend pilot Drake Olson. Turning the page, I was surprised to see a picture of Drake’s hanger and the caption “Famous bush pilot.” As the series producer for the National Geographic Channel’s “Alaska Wing Men,” I had featured Drake Olson in several of our episodes. Pilot Drake is an awesome guy, and it sounds like Stephan Drake is too. I have yet to try Stephan’s DPS skis, but my new dream is to head to Haines and tackle the backcountry slopes with Drake & Drake, and a pair of those radical skis. Thanks to Nathaniel Reade for writing such a great article, and to the editor of Deerfield for printing it!

Be social. When you can’t be on campus, go social. Visit Deerfield anytime through social media.

deerfield.edu/go/social

see page 90

Chuck Smith ’80 New York, New York deerfield.edu

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>>> Photographs by Brent M. Hale

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PAUL YAGER / THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN

If anyone knows the nuts and bolts of what it takes to build a set for one of Deerfield’s theater productions, it’s Technical Director Paul Yager. From concept to set demolition after the final curtain falls, Mr. Yager and his students do it all.

deerfield.edu

Courtesy of Virginia Morsman

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Continuity of Character 50-plus Years of Service to a Beloved Institution by Jessica Day “I’m just Jay Morsman. I haven’t done anything,” probably qualifies as the understatement of the year—the year in which Jay and Mimi Morsman will retire from Deerfield. For Jay, it has been a 53-year tenure. Mimi’s time on campus is less by only seven years; she and Jay were married in 1967, and on their wedding day, Mr. Boyden sent a telegram: “We’ll welcome you to Scaife Dormitory!” And so began the work of a couple who, with the exception of the Boydens themselves, has served Deerfield longer and with more loyalty than anyone else. After Yale, Jay was in the National Guard for a year, and then he went looking for a job. “I looked at banks,” he recalls, “Five major banks in New York, and I didn’t think that business was going to be any good for me.” So as many a graduate in need of guidance before him, Jay decided to pay Mr. Boyden a visit. Mr. Boyden, ever solicitous, first inquired about Jay’s uncle, and then thought about what Jay might do at Deerfield; he ticked off a list and told Jay he’d let him know in a week if there was an opening. The rest, as they say, is history.

Spring 2013

At first Jay shared dorm duty with Bob Merriam, taught, coached, and gave prospective families tours on Sundays. After he and Mimi married, things were a little different, but not too much. Recalling coming to Deerfield as a young bride, Mimi laughs and says that parents would come to Scaife and ask her if they could meet the dorm mother, “And I would say, ‘How do you do?’” While Mimi raised their three children, Laura, Jenry, and Virginia, in addition to mothering the boys on their corridor, Jay was busy in the classroom teaching American History, “The Power of the Presidency,” and a spring term class about the Supreme Court. He also coached soccer, hockey, and tennis. The memories of those years suggest constant busyness, but as Mimi points out: “It was great raising a family here—it was so safe. Our kids grew up with other faculty kids . . . we did everything together.” “Everything” often included attending games, and as the years passed and the Morsman children grew, so did some now-famous traditions . . . such as the appearance of Jay’s raccoon skin coat every fall when the hills became tinted

with varying shades of red and gold, and the crack of helmets colliding on the Lower Level was carried to spectators’ ears on sharp autumn air. “My father had that coat when he was at the Hill School, so it’s been around since about 1928 . . . I just started wearing it to football games, and the kids loved it!” The celebrated coat might be a tangible symbol of Jay’s school spirit, but the true testament to his 53 years is found elsewhere; “I’ve always tried to do two things,” Jay says. “To generate spirit and good will in the students, and to emulate Mr. Boyden. Everything that he did, I tried to do. He was a hero.” Mimi, who has become famous in her own right as Deerfield’s director of alumni relations, agrees: “What Jay has brought to this school is spirit—and the kids love him for it.” Her sentiments have been echoed many times over the past few months, as members of the Academy community have reminisced about the Morsmans and the simple courtesy and kindness that have become their hallmarks. “We were traveling up to Deerfield for a school tour with our son,” wrote Margaret Siderides P’10,’13. “It was an afterthought as we were certain that Andrew would remain at home and attend a day school with his brother. We strolled aimlessly up to the Main School Building and were surprised at being summoned by an older gentleman standing on the steps, dressed in a bright green blazer, wearing a warm smile. “Are you Andrew?” he inquired. “That meeting on that day would change Andrew’s and our lives. Sensing our skepticism about sending our child away, Jay Morsman would initiate countless conversations with us over the ensuing months in an effort to allay our fears. Jay repeatedly assured us that if we sent Andrew to Deerfield, he would undoubtedly be happy. Four years later, Andrew wrote in his yearbook a thank you to Deerfield Academy for “the best four years of my life,” and to Jay: “the main reason why I came to Deerfield and one of the people I will miss most.” This spring, the Siderides family is looking forward to Andrew’s younger sister’s Commencement. Jay points out that if he has been a source of “spirit” for current students, for nearly two decades Mimi has fulfilled that duty for alumni. She has arranged hundreds of alumni events over the years, but three in particular stand out in Jay’s mind: the Bicentennial campaign’s opening event at Sotheby’s in New York City, the Bicentennial Grand Celebration at Deerfield, and the 2011 Imagine Deerfield campaign kickoff at the American Museum of Natural History, also in New York. It is thanks to Mimi that Reunion Weekend has become something more than a big party under the Great Tent; yes, there’s still plenty of fun to be had but for those who appreciate their revelry with a side of intellectualism, Mimi has introduced many opportunities. She was also the driving force behind Look to the Hills, Deerfield’s version of summer school for adults, which has become a favorite of alumni and current and past parents alike.

Mimi, who got her feet wet in alumni relations by working with legendary Alumni Secretary Bob Crow before she and Jay had children, was originally hired to direct the Academy’s Bicentennial events. She knew it was a finite job, and that was ok. “I’m a type A person,” she says. “I like a challenge—give me a challenge, and once it’s done, I like to move on. But as the Bicentennial wound down, the director of alumni relations position happened to open up . . . and for some reason I felt compelled to apply.” All these years later Mimi admits, “I never had any idea when I did the Bicentennial that I would be sitting here now. I really thought I was working for three years and that was it.” If you stay at an institution for over five decades, you’re bound to notice some changes, but even so, when it comes to Deerfield Jay says, “The more things change, the more they stay the same. We still have sit-down meals; we have School Meeting; we have a dress code. In place of the Sunday night sings, we have the Evensong being sung every Sunday after dinner.” More importantly, he and Mimi have noticed a continuity of character at Deerfield: “Students still greet people on the street if they’re wondering ‘Where the heck do I go?’ I would say that the friendliness and the spirit of the school that Mr. Boyden generated still exists today,” says Jay. That being said, there’s no denying some things at Deerfield are much different than when the Morsmans’ life on campus began—“The kids have more things to do. More choices, whether it’s academics or co-curriculars . . . back in the 50s and 60s it was pretty simple,” Jay recalls. The most significant changes, of course, have been in the school’s leadership and the student body itself. “It’s been fun to see the different heads of school,” says Mimi, and Jay chimes in: “They’ve all added something . . . Pynchon brought Dan Hodermarsky on board, and he created an arts department; Bob Kaufmann very diplomatically brought in coeducation; Eric Widmer introduced a sense of globalism . . . and now Margarita is having the kids focus on not just doing well but doing good.” Mimi nods in agreement and adds, “I like her emphasis on character; it’s something that Mr. Boyden stressed.” Without a doubt, Mimi and Jay “added something” to Deerfield, too. Past parent Mary Matthews recently commented, “Mimi and Jay went out of their way to teach by example, to care for and advocate for Deerfield students . . . The students knew that the Morsmans loved them, got a kick out of them, and would pick them up when they were down or counsel them when they messed up . . . Everyone who crossed their path, heard their laughter, and experienced their commitment to leadership, character, humor, and kindness were, by example, encouraged to be their best.” Jay adds this: “I don’t think many people can say they’ve had fun for 53 years. It has been fun. It wasn’t work at all.” •• deerfield.edu

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The Higher Education Generation

For as long as I can remember, highly selective colleges have been sensitive to social issues and inequities in college admissions. Their focus has fallen on the early exclusion of Jewish students, on the plight of black South Africans in the apartheid era, and on domestic students of color. These colleges and universities believe that delivering the best education to their students depends on making certain that access to that education is as inclusive as possible. Recently, colleges have turned their attention to expanding their population of “first gen” kids—students whose parents did not have an opportunity to attend college. While we don’t have as many of those students at Deerfield as we would like, we college advisors find them some of the most rewarding students with whom we work. I thought this year you might be interested in reading about three first gen members of the Class of ’13, and how they found their way to Deerfield. Each year we invite Maru a Pula school in Botswana to nominate one of their top scholars to attend Deerfield for a post graduate year. This year that student is Katlo Gasewagae. Katlo was raised by her grandmother in the village of Kanye near her grandfather’s cattle post. When she was ten she moved to the city to live with her mother, but by the time she was 14, her mother had succumbed to AIDS and her grandparents were turning to her for financial support. Katlo knew then that education was the best path to a more stable future for herself and her family. Fortunately, she had always been an outstanding student; on the basis of her primary school results she earned a scholarship to Maru a Pula. Taking full advantage of that opportunity, Katlo continued to excel. On the basis of her O level results she was named a Botswana scholar, one of 40 students in the country to win a fully funded education (including her year at Deerfield) in exchange for a promise to return to Botswana. Where does she find her inspiration? Katlo puts it this way: “The land around the cattle post transforms each year, if the rains fall, from the barren and dry winter to a summer when the crop fields are green with maize, sorghum, sweet reed, and watermelon. I try to find ways of emulating the vegetation; I see no reason it should be able to rise above bad circumstances and not me. I try to outgrow my obstacles much like the water lily I see floating on the riverbed when I accompany my grandfather to the watering hole.”

Spring 2013

Brent M. Hale

by Director of College Advising Martha Lyman

$140 million along albany road

Daniel Rivera took a different route to Deerfield. Although he describes his extended family in Houston, Texas, as one that “makes the same mistakes over and over,” he credits his single mother with loving him enough to let him go. She’s the one who enrolled him in the KIPP program in the sixth grade. His teachers at KIPP then selected Daniel to attend Deerfield’s three-week summer KIPP program. When he approached his mother the following fall with the idea of attending boarding school, she encouraged him, in spite of pressure from family and friends to keep her child closer to home. Daniel admits that he often feels pulled between two entirely different worlds, and yet, as he explained to one of his neighbors who wondered why he left home for school: “My school is the closest thing to a stable family I have ever felt. I have met people there who have helped me and given me hope.” For each of the last two summers Daniel has gone back to his KIPP school and helped out wherever needed. He’s mopped floors, filed papers, and organized the library. Last summer he circled back to the beginning of his Deerfield career by working as a proctor in the KIPP program that first brought him here. Daniel has already begun to pay his good fortune forward. Gabby Gauthier’s parents knew when they graduated from Billerica (MA) High School that family circumstances precluded their going to college. Her father joined the Navy and eventually founded his own construction company, and her mother perfected her office skills so that she could work as a medical record keeper. However, they were committed to securing college educations for their children. As a child, Gabby spent her Saturdays in a salty-sweet sweaty gym as her brothers wrestled their way to college. While they were grappling, she blocked her ears and read, dreaming of adventures with her friends, Jack and Annie, of the Magic Tree House series. In her sophomore year at York (ME) High School, Gabby realized that she was running out of opportunities and persuaded her parents to let their youngest, and only girl, apply to boarding schools. She came to Deerfield as a new junior. By July she found herself in India on a servicetrip designed by one of her classmates. Gabby writes, “My parents’ humble beginning has always spoken to me. It is the spark that ignites my dedication to learning. For me, the ultimate pursuit in life is scholarship, and that’s what I’ve found at Deerfield. It is my own little microcosm of the American Dream.” Highly selective colleges recognize that these students, and others like them, add texture to the fabric of their communities. They value the sense of gratitude and wisdom of experience each of these students brings, as do we. Daniel and Gabby made early applications, which were accepted; next year he’ll head to Pomona and she to Williams. Katlo is still waiting to hear which doors will open next for her. ••

$ 200 million

With $140 million raised, and three years still to go, Imagine Deerfield is on track toward its goal of $200 million. Those are impressive numbers. But as Margarita Curtis recently reminded us, even more impressive are the tremendous opportunities they’re creating for Deerfield students and teachers. “We have recently piloted online summer tutorials in math and writing, expanded our science research offerings, created a new interdisciplinary capstone course in collaboration with the College Board and Cambridge International Examinations, launched an innovative Teaching Fellows program with six other independent schools and the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School, and increased the number of global opportunities for students and faculty alike, with new programs in Costa Rica, Brazil, and Tanzania.” Dr. Curtis added that “as the campaign progresses, Deerfield is not only strengthening those values and traditions that foster character, civility, and community —our three foundational C’s—but also enhancing the development of critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication—the so-called 21st century skills. With more campaign resources, we are getting further, faster.” A top objective of Imagine Deerfield is to implement programs and initiatives as they are funded, and so in a large campaign with many moving parts, “further, faster” is an indicator of real success. It means that the generosity of our supporters and the hard work of those on campus are already paying dividends; they are advancing the Deerfield experience for our students and teachers. We are making headway and should be proud of our efforts, but we have some ground to cover yet. Achieving our $200 million goal—and everything it will do for Deerfield—will take all of us pulling together. Participation is a hallmark of our school, and we hope you’ll join us by making a gift (of any size), attending a campaign event, or returning to campus to experience for yourself the opportunities created by Imagine Deerfield.

deerfield.edu

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Reflections from Admission’s Corner Office “Deerfield Changed Their Lives” The summer before Pat Gimbel’s son began his freshman year at Deerfield, Headmaster Bob Kaufmann called. He was wondering if Pat and her husband Paul would chair the Academy’s Parents’ Committee . . . Pat said, “Of course!” Little did she know that it was the beginning of a 28-year tenure—this year, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Patricia L. Gimbel will retire in June. A two-year commitment to the Parents’ Committee evolved into a position as development officer for The Campaign for Deerfield. Pat helped to raise 36.5 million dollars and played a key role in the successful campaign, which concluded ahead of schedule and about two million dollars over goal. When it was time to put the funds to work, Bob Kaufmann called upon Pat again, this time to be in charge of organizing major construction projects on campus: the Reed Center for the Arts, Rosenwald-Shumway Dormitory, and DeNunzio Dormitory. And when those jobs were complete, Mr. Kaufmann had one final question: Would Pat consider working in the Admission Office? “At the time, Bill Tyler was the director,” Pat says. “And Michael Carey was dean of admission; they were both great mentors to me.” That was in 1990, and for four years Pat settled into the “business” of admissions . . . until planning for the Academy’s Bicentennial became a priority. But it seems that Pat had found her calling in the Admission Office no matter what, because after two years of planning for “the biggest celebration Deerfield had ever seen,” then Headmaster Eric Widmer appointed Pat dean of admission and financial aid on July 1, 1996.

Spring 2013

“Mimi (Morsman) finished up the Bicentennial,” Pat says with a smile, “And she did it in her usual Mimi style—which was a great thing.” Pat, meanwhile, refocused her attention on the Admission Office—rising to the occasion as both physical spaces and her people shifted—and she assumed her duties as dean. That first year Pat and her team hosted 1301 prospective families, recognized the fact that Second Visit Days were becoming increasingly important in accepted students’ final decisions, and noticed that technology was beginning to have a definite impact on applications. Fast forward 17 years and Pat says there’s still nothing so vital to her work as her team. “We have built great teams through the years . . . It has always been a democratic process that has involved our teaching faculty—I believe it’s important to keep them engaged in the process—what’s needed is a team made up of people who clearly understand which kids thrive and flourish here.” She adds that some of her fellow directors at peer schools approach decision-making differently . . . in a more, ahem, “dictatorial” manner. “For our office, it has always been the art of negotiation and compromise and trust.” If you do the math, Pat and her crew have admitted over 5000 students since ’96, and to get to that number, Pat personally interviews between 150 and 200 applicants every year—never mistake the faith she holds in her team for a lack of involvement or interest—but has there been one stellar, stands-above-the-rest-in-her-mind “kid” in all that time? “I can’t pick one, I really can’t,” Pat says with a laugh, “and I’ve even been thinking about it recently because I’ve been

Gabriel Amadeus Cooney

by Jessica Day

hearing from an unusual group of people—they’ve been calling and emailing to tell me how transformative the decision to come to Deerfield was in their lives or their children’s lives. I think, Oh my gosh—wow!” If it’s a delight for Pat to hear from alumni who believe Deerfield changed their lives, she readily admits that the most difficult part of her job has always been having to say no—to deny or waitlist a student. “I know how many hundreds of kids we’ve had to leave behind,” she says. “They’re too young to hear ‘no’ and they haven’t done anything that isn’t great but we can’t take everyone, and tough, tough decisions have to be made. I’ve always said that the length of our waitlist indicates the strength of our applicant pool.” Pat’s lengthy waitlist is a far cry from Mr. Boyden’s forays into the fields surrounding Deerfield, when he gleaned students from among the farm boys; in fact, since she became dean of admission, the number of applicants to Deerfield has nearly doubled. Pat calls this an “explosion of interest,” and notes that a quarter of applications now come from international students— something that was unheard of 17 years ago. “Thanks to the Internet, I think this trend started with the ease of being able to find out exactly what a boarding school is . . . It’s also the result of thoughtful travel on Deerfield’s part, and opening up new areas to draw applicants from, such as the West Coast.” Last year there were almost as many applications from prospective students in California as from Connecticut—again, something that was unheard of 17 years ago. “We made some thoughtful, strategic moves along the way, and they have paid off,” Pat says. But why Deerfield? “There is a magic that happens here,” Pat says confidently. “Part of it is our sit-down meals, and part of it is the way we house our students, and part of it is the number of connections between students and faculty, every day.” That makes sense, and it’s nothing that hasn’t been said before, but Pat continues: “What I’ve found is that the kids who come to Deerfield embrace the idea of living in a community—they don’t want to fly under the adult radar— and in most cases it’s a pretty self-selected group—they’ve bought into the Deerfield way of life before they even set foot on campus.” A decade or so ago, applying to boarding school was primarily a parent-driven phenomenon; today, Pat notes,

the opposite is usually true. “Kids are doing the research; kids are making the decision. I think sometimes when they tell their parents for the first time that they want to go to boarding school, it’s like a knife in the heart to mom and dad! They think, ‘Why do you want to leave me?’ But then they take a look, and visit, and understand the appeal.” And, Pat and her team make it perfectly clear that a new student won’t get lost in the crowd. “The process needs to be personal,” she says. “I have really insisted on this—a person always answers the phone; I’m available to talk to. If you’re sending your 14or 15-year-old away to school, you want know where you’re sending them.” This is particularly true for families with no boarding school experience—for whom the whole process is often a gigantic leap of faith. Pat readily admits that for many international students or those who arrive at Deerfield via Prep for Prep or a similar programs, simply “landing” on campus can lead to a bad case of culture shock. “What’s helped a bit is a preponderance of summer schools,” she says. “New students have the opportunity to be immersed in boarding school life before school actually starts.” Pat also credits members of the Deerfield faculty, such as International Student Advisor Lynne Robbins, with helping students adjust to life on campus. So other than offering more than 5000 young men and women the opportunity of a lifetime, managing a financial aid budget that has reached $7.3 million, and building an impressive institutional memory, what has been the most rewarding part of being dean of admission? Pat doesn’t hesitate: “Talking to the kids. The reason my job stayed so gratifying and fresh day after day, interview after interview was because every single time I went down to the Caswell and said hello, it was new—every kid is an individual. It’s fascinating. It was hearing new stories every hour of the day; every time I opened an application it was like opening a new story.” Pat’s new chapter will include a summer and early fall in Maine, followed by a move to Baltimore, MD, where she and Paul will be close to their daughter, son-in-law, and two of their four grandchildren. Some people, however, are struggling with the notion of an Admission Office minus Mrs. Gimbel: “People don’t believe that I’m actually going to retire, and I keep assuring them that yes—I will. I’m going to find lots of things to do; I expect retirement will be very fulfilling.” ••

“ We have built great teams through the years . . . It has always been a democratic process that has involved our teaching faculty— I believe it’s important to keep them engaged in the process— what’s needed is a team made up of people who clearly understand which kids thrive and flourish here.”

deerfield.edu

Critical Elements It’s a tense geopolitical scene at the United Nations, as international experts from around the world address ambassadors from the United States, Bolivia, and New Zealand. They’re considering a deceptively simple question: Is water a basic human right? Passionate representatives of both public and private interests are debating who should control access to water. The human rights side makes a compelling ethical case: Private companies tend to set their products at expensive price points, caring more about their stockholders than those below the poverty line. But the privatization side is coming back with a strong economic argument: Corporations working to make a profit will work efficiently, while governments simply tax the populace and waste the money. The conversation is rhetorically heated. When the Bolivian ambassador questions whether privatized water would limit accessibility to those below the poverty line, a corporate lobbyist leans across the table and shuts him down. “Would your government really deprive its poorest citizens of water?” she says acidly, leaving the Bolivian ambassador stumbling for a response.

Spring 2013

PHOTOGRAPHY by BRENT M. HALE

water: istockphoto

BY NAOMI SHULMAN

deerfield.edu

“The real push is about skills, yet our thinking is you can’t really do the same kind of high level skill development if you don’t have a body of knowledge to work with,” says Harcourt. And anyway, in the midst of all rhetorical training, Harcourt is still teaching hard science.

“Secretery General” Andy Harcourt

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Soon the Secretary General closes the debate. Only it’s not the Secretary General. It’s science teacher Andy Harcourt, one of a triad of teachers running Deerfield’s new, two-year, two-section Advanced Placement capstone course. Harcourt, along with his colleagues Mike Schloat and Dave Miller, is shepherding his students— who today were world leaders on the national stage—through a new kind of course, one that depends less on a body of knowledge than it does a cadre of skills in research, rhetoric, and presentation. The title in the course catalog is Global H20/ American Currents, and as the name suggests, it’s a multidimensional, multiyear deep-dive into the challenges we face as water becomes an ever-diminishing resource. It’s also an experiment —a pilot of the AP College Board, which selected just fifteen schools to help them shape a new kind of research-heavy advanced placement course, one intended to train students to navigate the rough terrain that faces them in college and beyond. While traditional AP courses have tested students on their retention of knowledge, this one gauges how they approach a problem, gather data, and then make their case. And it’s attracted students right out of the gate. “I’m getting a solid understanding of a prevalent issue,” says Tripp Kaelin ’14 , one of the students in Deerfield’s pilot, “while improving a set of critical analysis skills that could be applied in any situation involving an argument or a debate.” Global H2O is technically a science course, but those critical analysis skills are the real key here. “Our higher education advisory board recommended we create a program to reinforce transferable skills that students need for success in college,” explains John Williamson, executive director of curriculum and content development at the College Board. “They said students were coming from AP to college well grounded in content, with deep knowledge and good skills, but for lack of a better word, they needed more

‘generic’ skills such as presenting and creating arguments.” It’s material that matters just as much outside the classroom as in, because it’s really about teaching kids how to think—and then how to convince others to think the same way. So if you think it sounds like the title of the course is somewhat beside the point, you’re right. In fact, none of the other fourteen schools in the AP pilot are using issues of water as a unifying theme. In fact, they’re not focusing their courses around a single theme at all; that was Deerfield’s idea. “The real push is about skills, yet our thinking is you can’t really do the same kind of high-level skill development if you don’t have a body of knowledge to work with,” says Harcourt. And anyway, in the midst of all rhetorical training, Harcourt is still teaching hard science. “We started the course with a whole unit on fracking. There’s a lot of science up front—about how the rock layers are built, how you pry apart the layers, how you get these gasses out.” How do they get from the geophysical to the geopolitical? “We took all that and looked at why are people doing this, and why is there a debate over it,” Harcourt continues. “And we looked at the effect of fracking fluids and the possibility of them getting into drinking water, and suddenly the kids are saying, wow, there’s more to this than just extracting for natural gas.” The layered quality of the conversation is what most excites Dave Miller, whose job is by nature interdisciplinary; his business card reads Director of Global Studies, and yet he says, “I go to History Department meetings. As an undergrad I studied anthropology and environmental studies,” he explains. Here at Deerfield his role is to help students knit together their various courses of study as they learn to synthesize knowledge, keeping the proverbial big picture in view. “It’s not just interdisciplinary, it’s transdisciplinary,” he emphasizes. “If I’m doing my job well, everyone in the school is part of my department. We’re not trying to create something

HOT TOPICS IN H2O: HYDRAULIC FRACTURING (FRACKING) in New York State, South Africa, and throughout the world. WATER RIGHTS and the COLORADO RIVER Students prepared an oral presentation based on a variety of topics and perspectives related to the river and its use—farming, tourism, ecology of the Delta, US/Mexico relations, the Hoover Dam, the role of the federal government, and the role of native peoples. NGOs (NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS) Working in teams of three, students identified local issues of global significance; each student prepared an individual report, and then groups worked together to produce a final report that shared a variety of perspectives and evaluated different potential solutions. Topics included: Is Wind Power a Superior Energy Source for Schools and Institutions? Is the Bottled Water Industry Here to Stay? Is the Constant Use of Pesticides in Agriculture Necessary? Is Organic Farming a Viable Alternative to Convention Foods?

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new; we’re overlaying on what’s already here.” This makes Miller a natural fit for the AP capstone course, which is also attempting to transcend content. “We want a program that complements the deep understanding of content,” Williamson explains, “but that focuses more on critical thinking and collaboration.” Underscoring that emphasis on collaboration, Deerfield’s globalism course moves beyond the sciences into the humanities. Immediately after Harcourt finishes his science section, Mike Schloat moves in to reframe the discussion in a literary context with English 349, aka American Currents, which is rife with tension between empowering the individual and working on

swamplands of Florida. But other texts may seem like a stretch—like the 19th-century stalwart The Scarlet Letter. How does one fit Hester Prynne into the context of global water debates? “Well, in essence, The Scarlet Letter is about the individual fighting against the community in the pursuit of happiness, in a very American way,” Schloat points out. “We see that same thing happening when we talk about, say, a large corporation trying to buy water rights in Deerfield, and how the community rallied to fight that.” Or whether something intrinsic to human existence, like access to water, can be privatized, as in the mock UN debate? “Right,” he acknowledges. “A lot of what happens in Andy and Dave’s

A science course that is also a literature course, an economics course, and a philosophy course is in keeping with a plethora of facts and data that Tally, Tripp, and their peers are sailing into; in order to navigate, they have to learn how to figure out whose data to trust, integrate it with other data, and gain confidence in their resulting opinions. behalf of the common good. “I try to use literature as a lens through which students can better understand the American story,” he says, “and then apply those sorts of questions and philosophies and principles to the work that they’re doing in the water course.” This is just one of many ways to approach the subject. Students are encouraged to make connections between the concepts they encounter in Global H2O with just about any other discipline you can think of. “They’re not looking at science differently, but looking at problems differently,” adds Miller. Philosophy, religion, ethics, economics: “Sure,” agrees Harcourt. “They’ve even had a crash course on the World Bank and the IMF.” Keeping the breadth of the subject in mind, Schloat has assigned some texts that are obvious fits, like Karen Russell’s Pulitzer-nominated Swamplandia, a dense family drama set in the

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section makes its way into this one.” In fact, despite the fact that Schloat isn’t a science teacher, he sits in on every section Harcourt and Miller teach. “I’m listening and thinking about what they’re doing. If I know they’re going to do a unit on human rights, that may guide my approach to the novel we’re reading. You can always approach books from so many different angles, whether it’s human rights or justice or the changes from the 18th century to now.” It is that last part—the changes from century to century—that most defines the work taking place in this somewhat experimental class. An observer of the mock UN debate would notice that as the students assembled around the table, each one had an iPad on the table in front of them, and as the discussion heated up, students were busily searching the Internet for statistics and facts to bolster their arguments.

PRESENTING THE CASE / (above) Explaining drought patterns across the United States. MOCK DEBATE / (below) Students research their personas and debate the facts based on those personasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;often pulling and sifting through information in real time on their tablets and laptops.

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Michael Schloat

WORK FLOW IN AMERICAN CURRENTS: 18

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A SAMPLE OF TEXTS and WRITERS A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers by Henry David Thoreau; The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain; “Self Reliance” and “Nature” by Ralph Waldo Emerson; “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King Jr; Selected poems by Emily Dickinson; Walden by Henry David Thoreau; “Three Days on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers” by John McPhee ‘49

“Oh yes. It’s a 21st century phenomenon. I feel like I’m in the classroom of the future,” agrees Harcourt. The model is different; students aren’t simply reading a text and then taking tests on the material. “The Internet—the world library— is basically their main textbook. The texts we assign are points of departure, and the kids have to develop the skills to critically analyze the texts.” Miller points out that in a sense, they are harnessing a power the students already have, to varying degrees. It’s a rare teenager who doesn’t spend ample time surfing the Internet these days, after all. “Spending time online—that’s what they’re doing anyway,” Miller explains. “We’re forcing them to think critically while they do that, so when they’re pulling up different pages they know what to look for.” Making a practiced judgment about the information they access is an essential component of thinking critically in the digital age. “They’re learning how to rapidly assess the validity of an argument,” Miller says, “and the validity of an author, too.” According to the AP College Board, it’s working. “When I visited Deerfield, students told me the skills they were learning in the seminar course are transferring into their other studies,” Williamson says. “They’re learning argumentation and research and presentation, and using them in other courses.” Tally Behringer ’14 wholeheartedly agrees. A self-described future scientist, Tally was drawn to Global H2O because of the subject matter, but realizes she’s learning more than chemistry and physics. She’s becoming a savvier consumer of information. “We’re gaining the ability to trust— or not trust—our sources,” she says. “You need to focus on where you get your information from, and whether it’s valuable or not.” True to the mission of the course, Tally is also stretching her ability to make an argument. “I’m not a great debater,” she insists. But it was she, as a faux corporate lobbyist, who shut down the Bolivian ambassador during the mock UN debate. “I thought, maybe I’ll attack the moral aspect of the issue. Personally, emotionally, as a human being, you don’t want to be responsible for peoples’ deaths,” she says reasonably. And so Tally came up with a zinger that any real-life corporate lobbyist would be happy to employ. It wasn’t necessarily her personal opinion—but

that’s a big part of the point, for her. “What really struck me was the ability to see more perspectives and to understand how someone in a developing country is being affected by unavailable water sources, versus someone like me, who turns on the faucet whenever I want,” she says. “I wanted to learn to see through other people’s eyes.” Her classmate Tripp echoes Tally’s experience; he too was drawn to the course for the subject matter, but realizes he’s gaining more than an understanding of water and current issues. While Tally was speaking for corporate interests, he was arguing for the country of India—both positions that had been assigned by Harcourt and Miller. “Whichever side you were on, you had to go fully for that side. You weren’t allowed to take a happy medium. It put us out of our comfort zone a little bit,” reflects Tripp. “There have been times where I’ve had to argue against what I actually believe. It’s made me think about how to deconstruct the other side—I know where they’re coming from.” A science course that is also a literature course, an economics course, and a philosophy course is in keeping with a plethora of facts and data that Tally, Tripp, and their peers are sailing into; in order to navigate, they have to learn how to figure out whose data to trust, integrate it with other data, and gain confidence in their resulting opinions. Harcourt sums it up simply, “It’s the bigger picture.” Which brings us back to the name of the course. It’s not just H2O; it’s Global H2O, a comprehensive look at a subject that has different challenges for someone from Africa versus someone from the US, or even someone from Nevada versus Massachusetts. Tally and Tripp are just two members of the generation who will have to face those challenges, but they are already readying themselves to take them on. While Deerfield sits on the same plot of farmland it has occupied for two centuries, its students have always had to learn to think expansively . . . now more than ever. ••

Naomi Shulman has written for The New York Times, Real Simple, Ladies’ Home Journal, Whole Living, FamilyFun and other publications. She is a frequent contributor to Deerfield Magazine.

CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE: Featuring student design, direction, and dance

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>>> Photographs by Brent M. Hale

RIVERSIDE DRIVE:

Photographs by Brent M. Hale

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An independent student production >>> Photographs by Sophie Taylor â&#x20AC;&#x2122;13 and Brent M. Hale

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SHOW YOUR WORK

Read Katherine Boo’s National Book Award-winning Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. Use the blank pages at the back of the book for your own analyses, creative understanding, and

India and China: 2.5 Billion and Change

Kristy Hong ’13 (bottom)

Anna Pettee ’13 (top)

THE STUDENTS:

THE ASSIGNMENT:

THE CLASS: synthesis of the book’s themes, characaters, setting, or vision. Note to students: by the time you finish reading the book, the text in your hand will not only reflect the work and vision of a Pulitzer Prize-winning author; it will also showcase who you are as a creative, intellectual young adult.

SHOW YOUR WORK

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BOK by Stephanie Moeckel-Cole A couple of years ago three Yale undergrads and their classmates abandoned chilly New Haven in favor of a more tropical climate for spring break. Their destination had it all: lots of lush foliage, sandy beaches, warm waters, and at least 40,000 plant species . . . not your typical hot spot, but then again, these students werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t typical spring breakers, and neither was their destination.

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Photographs by Brent M. Hale

The trio was part of Dr. Scott Strobel’s “Rain Forest Expedition and Laboratory” course, and their mission was to collect indigenous branches, twigs, and microbes in the Amazon. Summer break would then be spent classifying their finds and identifying new bioactive compounds—exciting enough work for any bio prospector—but what the team of Anand, Huang, and Russell found was the equivalent of an old-time prospector’s gold nugget . . . they just needed Dr. Janie Merkel ’91 to help them make it pan out. Not too many years ago Janie was a student herself, and part of what she fondly refers to as “Varsity Biology” at Deerfield, led by Andy Harcourt. In fact, the class was “Advanced Placement Biology,” and it was not for the faint

of heart. “We had a particularly amazing class,” Janie says. “The rapport we built was so different than in other classes I’d had, in part because of the hands-on work we did together, but it was also just the dynamic of the group.” And perhaps the fact that Mr. Harcourt’s students bonded over the amount of work involved in covering a chapter a day in their textbook—no small feat, even for bio enthusiasts. Although Janie credits both Mr. Harcourt and her AP classmates for inspiring her, she does admit to wanting to be a scientist even before she came to Deerfield. “I once told my dad that I liked how science ‘told you all about the future,’ which made him chuckle because he never felt that kind of connection at all.” After Deerfield Janie majored in Biophysical deerfield.edu

After Deerfield Janie majored in Biophysical Chemistry with a minor in biology at Dartmouth, then headed directly to Yale for graduate school, followed by post-doctoral work at a non-profit research organization that focused on whole genome sequencing. “That was where I made my segue into technology and large datasets,” Janie says, “which prepared me to come back to New Haven for a Yale ‘spinoff’ that had developed a technology to figure out which genes were being expressed in organisms whose genomes were being sequenced, kind of before the fact. Then I moved to another Yale spinoff that had been acquired by a large biotech, founded on a technology that looked at interactions between proteins en masse.”

Reference Materials The net worth of all this was that Janie became adept at navigating new technology, large collections of data, and a broad customer base— a perfect background for the director of the Biological Division of Yale’s Center for

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Molecular Discovery. Today Janie manages a team of five scientists who bring their varied skills in research and their experience in the pharmaceutical industry to the projects they work on. As for the Center itself, well, “it’s unique” is a bit of an understatement: While many facilities offer researchers access to state-of-the-art equipment and technology, Janie and her staff are a team of scientists who are willing to help through all stages of a research project . . . from initial design, to implementing the testing, to helping to interpret the results, to suggesting next steps. The process does not end with the development of experimental design, but continues to evolve as the discussion progresses from how to best evaluate the data being generated to how to best leverage the results. The Center also provides support to Yale researchers during their grant submission process, and to date has helped faculty members secure more than $13,600,000 in funding.

It’s material that matters just as much outside the classroom as in, because it’s really about teaching kids how to think— and then how to convince others to think the same way. “It’s a bit like I imagine sending my children off into the world will be,” Janie laughs. “We help researchers with the part they can’t do, and then the project moves on without us.” All joking aside, Janie, her colleagues, and the Center provide incredibly valuable services—such as sterile liquid handling and robotic testing; this allows for larger scale experiments than are possible in most academic research labs, and a reduction in contamination and human error, leading to high reproducibility and results. In the world of science, these are worth more than gold. The Center can also provide researchers with access to a wide variety of different types of screening options—from analysis on the level of molecules to more complex cell—and organism— based assays, using techniques such as Small Interfering RNA (siRNA), sometimes referred to as ‘silencing RNA’ for its ability to turn specific genes on and off. There’s also a division that specializes in medicinal, computational, and synthetic chemistry, with experience applying their methods to multiple areas such as oncology, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. If it sounds impressive, that’s because it is . . . and there’s more: In addition to assistance with managing technology and designing experiments, it wouldn’t be a stretch for Janie to add “science librarian” to her title; she and her crew offer researchers access to libraries that contain collections of tens of thousands of chemicals, siRNAs, and natural products. Just as a traditional library can hold thousands of books on many different subjects, genomics or chemical libraries contain copies of thousands of different genes or compounds—it’s quite a body of knowledge (BoK). By screening against this many genes or chemicals simultaneously, a researcher might identify several that are worth exploring further. There are several libraries available; some contain chemicals originally discovered by pharmaceutical companies, including known drugs that have been shown many times over to be useful for multiple diseases, and some are collections of chemical compounds made by Yale researchers. Others may contain arrays of natural products that were isolated from various rainforest organisms by Yale undergraduates—undergraduates who spent their spring break in the Amazon.

Research Strategy After her trip to South America, Pria Anand decided to see if the endophytes (fungi) she collected could be used in bioremediation— simply put, if they could break down garbage. Anand was able to show that a chemical reaction did take place when one of her endophytes was introduced to plastic. Fellow student Jeffrey Huang furthered the research by analyzing additional endophytes that were gathered on the same trip to find those that broke down chemical bonds most efficiently, and finally, Jon Russell isolated one family in particular that showed the most promise for bioremediation. He then went on to identify the enzyme that worked the best on polyurethane—that polymer that is used in everything from skateboard wheels to spandex bike shorts. Polyurethane is extraordinarily tough, which is great when a manufacturer wants to make a durable product. The downside is that polyurethane doesn’t readily decompose, and literally tons and tons of products made with it can be found in landfills throughout the world. If the Yale students’ discovery could efficiently degrade this plastic, that would be significant. Well developed research abilities aside, it was a classic “no brainer” for Jon Russell to bring his work to the Center’s Biological Division; even his professor, Dr. Strobel, referred to it as “one-stop

Glossary Assay: examination and determination as to characteristics of a substance; analysis to determine the presence, absence, or quantity of one or more components; a test used in this analysis. Bioactive: of or relating to a substance that has an effect on living tissue. Bioprospecting: searching for plant or animal species for use as a source of commercially viable products, such as medicinal drugs.

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One of the great parts of our work is that not only is it creative, it is testable and quantifiable; those who come to us can put their innovative ideas in the crucible, so to speak.

Glossary

Bioremediation: that branch of biotechnology that uses biological processes to overcome environmental problems. Endophyte: a plant, especially a fungus, that lives inside another plant. Enzyme: a substance produced by a living organism that acts as a catalyst to bring about a specific biochemical reaction. Genome: the complete set of genetic material of an organism. Genomics: the branch of molecular biology concerned with the structure, function, evolution, and mapping of genomes. Polymer: a substance that has a molecular structure built up chiefly or completely from a large number of similar units bonded together.

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shopping for scientists who are looking to take the next step in advancing their research.” The Center is also known for bridging the gap between discovery and the involvement of those who have the funds to take initial results to the next level—be it pharmaceutical companies or other investors. It doesn’t hurt that the Center has the ability to move a laboratory investigation along rapidly—something unique in an academic setting—processing tens of thousands of samples a day, thanks in part to those libraries of information Janie helps to curate. The Center’s collaborative method is another unique feature; once a project such as Jon’s is selected, the researcher is paired with a member of the Center’s staff, and they take up the investigation together. While high tech tends to be modus operandi, every now and then low tech gets the job done—or at least the Center’s version of “low tech.” Janie suggested a trial to Jon that was almost reminiscent of an art project she might do at home with her young daughters— it involved plastic beads and brightly colored dye, and a deceptively simple process: “I suggested to Jon that he use polystyrene beads impregnated with dye that would release if the beads started to decompose.” Keeping in mind that we’re talking about miniscule amounts of matter breaking down, Janie also advised Jon to filter the media that housed his experiment in order to separate liquids from solids. “There are other ways to test for plastic degradation but the dye-based method relies on fluorescence— the emission of light—which allows us to detect even small levels of degradation,” she said.

But how exactly does a tiny fungus have the strength to break apart something as substantial as polyurethane? For starters, “fungus” does not equal “green slime” as one might imagine, and in the world of fungi, “tiny” does not equal “feeble.” “Basically,” says Janie, “the fungus produces an enzyme. Think of a tiny, specific machine, like a drill, that takes one kind of input and makes one kind of hole. In this case, the enzyme breaks a bond in polyurethane to produce smaller pieces, that can then be broken down by another enzyme for another bond type, and so on.” To put it mundanely, Russell and his classmates had discovered an all-natural demolition crew. “If you want to have any chance of discovering something new, flexibility and creativity are key!” says Janie. “We are doing science in a faculty/student-centric way simply because of the wide variety of projects faculty researchers and students bring to us; we really need to be flexible to adapt and help them all. My team members have different professional experiences, and that fuels our collective creativity. One of the great parts of our work is that not only is it creative, it is testable and quantifiable; those who come to us can put their innovative ideas in the crucible, so to speak.” Then she adds, “Personally, I would love to do more work with ecological or environmental benefits, so it was a real treat to work with Jon.” While the Center primarily serves the needs of researchers within the university, it is also open to outside researchers from other academic institutions or industry, and the nature and scope of those projects is just as extensive as

Yale’s own: One project involved the investigation of potential synergistic effects when combining two drugs to fight multiple cancers, and found encouraging results for the treatment of resistant melanomas. Another recent project found a molecule that has the potential to be used to diagnose a form of kidney tumors, which happen to be easily treatable, but currently difficult to detect until they are highly advanced. A third group made some great progress in developing a molecule that can be used to treat clotting disorders. Altogether in 2012, the Center was involved in a total of 87 different research projects—an impressive variety to be flourishing in one single facility—and Janie considers herself fortunate to be in the middle of this hotspot of scientific discovery. “Part of what makes my work so enjoyable is the fact it’s always fresh and exciting—new ideas and new discoveries,” she says. She is also realistic about her work: “It is a long path between finding a molecule and treatment for a disease,” she acknowledges. Or discovering an enzyme that can reduce the mass in our landfills? “Exactly. In the case of working on a new drug, there’s typically a high level of involvement and commitment with pharmaceutical companies eventually; this is where testing drugs already available for ‘repurposing,’ such as those in our libraries, can really kick start a project, because a wealth of data regarding safety, side effects, and so on already exists; a faculty member can take a project further quickly, with higher likelihood and success in engaging a pharmaceutical partner. I’m glad we can build upon existing knowledge.”

Endnotes Since working with Janie, Jon Russell, his classmates, and their fungus have received some good press: Popular Science held it up as another argument for protecting rainforest biodiversity, and Russell et al had a paper about their discovery accepted by the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology . . . but you won’t find Dr. Janie Merkel’s name in the credits. “The continued research has moved elsewhere,” Janie says. “The way we work with the researchers taps into so much valuable knowledge, promotes engagement, and serves a critical role in the education of our fellows and students—we are often the starting point and we provide the opportunity to gain hands-on experience. Then our researchers move on.” Janie pauses and then says: “It strikes me, as the mother of two young girls, that there is an ever increasing pressure to specialize and master skills early. But how do you know that what you are specializing in is something you like or are good at unless you have some decent comparators? I see this frequently in lab research; breakthroughs occur when people think more broadly, jump in, learn from what others are doing, and then improve it. It will be truly exciting when a chemical we found and modified or found and out-licensed really impacts the Earth or human health. I don’t know how close we are to that time, but it will happen.” And when it does, you can be sure Dr. Merkel was there to lend a hand. ••

Dr. Stephanie Moeckel-Cole is a scientific researcher studying the effects of chemotherapy on the bone density of breast cancer patients. In addition to her research, Dr. Moeckel-Cole teaches Introductory Biology at Holyoke (MA) Community College and anatomy and physiology at UMass-Amherst. She lives in Deerfield with her husband and two children.

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LIT TLE SHOP OF HORRORS /// Photographs by David Thiel

“ Little shop, little shop of horrors . . .” Hundreds of people had that tune stuck in their heads for days after three sold-out performances of the comedy/ horror rock musical—the first of its kind performed on the stage in the Large Auditorium in over a decade, and the last production in that venue before renovations begin this summer (see page 36). It was truly a performing arts team effort that included actors, dancers, and musicians. Faculty and staff had cameo roles, and even a campus pooch or two joined in the fun.

COMING MAY 21, 2013

ALL MY SONS deerfield.edu 31

Jeff Brown; Brent M. Hale

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Renaissance Scientist Andrew B. Harcourt—Robert B. Crow Schoolmaster’s Chair by Rob Morgan On the surface, it’s about water. But Global H20/American Currents, Deerfield’s new capstone course, is also teaching students the so-called 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Which is just what science teacher Andy Harcourt had envisioned. Last year, a call went out for proposals to create a course that would foster collaboration between departments. After 35 years on the Deerfield faculty, it would have been easy for Andy to sit this one out. After all, writing and submitting a proposal was voluntary. And his plate, you could say, was already full: four sections of AP Bio, boys soccer and girls hockey, table and dorm duty. Oh, and throw in a couple of committee assignments: Deerfield’s Environmental Stewardship and Water and Grounds, which he chairs. Andy wrote the proposal anyway—in his “free time.” (That’s Deerfield code for after sunset and before sunrise.) “The subject could have been anything, but I thought about the global water crisis, which affects all of us, and realized that it would be a great vehicle to develop essential skills. Facts can be found anywhere,” Andy explains. “Students now have to learn what to do with the wealth of information currently available. How do they think carefully and critically about a subject, how do they make an argument, or deconstruct one?” Essential to the design of the course are the interdisciplinary opportunities it affords. Andy is working alongside faculty members Michael Schloat and David Miller to teach this innovative class. The veteran of the group, Andy has co-taught before and recognizes the value of collaboration. He once offered an elective that bridged natural history and writing with the late Tedman Littwin, a Deerfield English teacher. “It was a great experience. Collaborating with peers is the most natural form of professional development you can have. I hope to see a lot more of it at Deerfield.”

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Andy is, as they say, a Deerfield Master. In this, he’s not unlike august teachers of old, including one in whose name he holds a chair. The Robert B. Crow Schoolmaster’s Chair was established in 1996 by H. Stanley Mansfield ’53 in memory of Mr. Crow “whose interest in history, current events, and politics added significantly to the Deerfield experience.” Andy’s own interests and contributions to the Academy have been eclectic. He’s led geology field trips, coached tennis and sailing, and served as chair of the Science Department. He’s also the lead guitarist in the faculty band, an assemblage once known as the “Punkadelics,” who entertain at School Meetings and other campus events. What drew Andy to Deerfield back in 1978—when he was a graduate student down the road at UMass—is what’s kept him fresh ever since: “opportunities.” When he was chair of the Science Department, a position he held for seven years, Andy and his colleagues modified the curriculum as Deerfield returned to coeducation. “We intentionally used the moment as a stimulus to redesign what we had,” he recalls, “creating a powerful department that offers solid core courses, but also allows students the chance to pursue excellence.” Today, the department is an “open, free flowing place, where there is always a chance to create and communicate with other teachers and talk about what we’re doing in the classroom.” To stay sharp, Andy keeps moving. He rotates between biology, chemistry, and geology, rarely teaching the same class more than a few years in a row. He is flexible and open to new paths, the most recent of which has led to his new course about water. For Andy, after 35 years at Deerfield, it’s still about opportunities. Not only those surfacing naturally in the course of a career, but those that are pursued, and serve as a passage to the wider world. ••

Read more about Global H2O/American Currents in the feature Critical Elements, on page 12.

Brent M. Hale

2013 Declamations

During winter term Deerfield students were in the midst of one of the Academy’s treasured, yet nerve-inducing, traditions—declamations. Members of the freshmen class read from the text of their choice; some choose a passage from the Odyssey, or a selection from a Seagull Reader, or an excerpt from one of their summer reading books. Sophomores memorize and speak their text, and juniors write a text about an aspect of American culture, which they then memorize and speak. Students may not move excessively, act, or wear a costume—their voices are their medium. English teacher Frank Henry explains, “We want students to be comfortable reading aloud, reading aloud accurately, and investing a text with some emotional or dramatic interpretation.” All students participate every year, and contests within classrooms determine finalists who then present to the entire school. ••

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Stand Up and Speak

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David Thiel

along albany road

POOL PARTY / by Bob York It appears as though the Deerfield Academy boys swim team may need to brush up a bit on the proper etiquette of throwing a pool party. The primary requirement: Be a gracious host. The last time the Big Green entertained the New England Prep School Athletic Conference Swimming and Diving Championships was in 2008, and things didn’t work out too well; the Big Green exhibited an inability to play well with others, and inhospitably swam off with the gold medal. So, did our lads learn anything about being courteous to their guests? Evidenty not. The Division I New England championships returned to Deerfield this winter after a five year lapse, and there was the Big Green once again kicking water in everyone’s face. This time, however, the guys in green didn’t just win the gold—they cruelly snatched it away at the very last second. They said “that’s mine and you can’t have it,” as they captured the final race of the night. Remember the names Quinn Smith ’14, Matt Hrabchak ’15, Miles Smachlo ’16, and Oscar Miao ’13. They captured the curtain call—the boys 400-yard freestyle relay—to put the Big Green’s final 40 points on the scoreboard, and they needed every one of them as they nudged past Suffield Academy by a single point, 389-388, to win the title. Exeter placed second in the relay to earn 34 points and give it the bronze medal, while Suffield, which garnered 32 points from the fray, had to settle for silver.

Spring 2013

“It was sheer pandemonium,” said an elated Coach John Burke of his team’s last-second heroics that transformed this pool party into a rock concert. Deerfield swim fans know how to celebrate. They’ve now seen their pool pals capture 20 New England titles, but this one brought new meaning to the term “close call.” The Deerfield girls made their way to the medal ceremonies as well, earning a bronze. Suffield finished first with 385 points, while Exeter was second at 355, and Deerfield third at 316. The Big Green also swept the individual honors for the first time in memory, as Taylor Clough ’13 received the Babcock Award and Jenner McLeod ’13 earned the Robertson Award as the most valuable swimmers/divers in the boys and girls meets respectively. In fact, the presentation to McLeod, who won the 50- and 100-freestyle as well as a pair of relay races, marked the third time in the past four years a Deerfield girl has won the award. Liza Bragg ’13 captured it last year, while Julia Pielock ’10 was the 2010 recipient. Clough, meanwhile, proved to be the chairman of the board once again, capturing the one-meter diving competition for the fourth consecutive year . . . a New England meet feat accomplished just once previously. “Entering that final event, we needed a perfect storm to finish on top,” explained Burke, whose team trailed Suffield at that point, 356-349, and he got exactly what he wished for.

Jeff Brown

Deerfield swimmers captured 15 out of a possible 24 events of the evening, with the boys ringing up nine gold medals, while the girls collected six

“We not only needed to win the relay, we needed Exeter to finish second . . . to take away some crucial points from Suffield. If we had won the relay and Suffield had finished second, they still would have had enough points to finish first overall.” Deerfield swimmers captured 15 out of a possible 24 events of the evening, with the boys ringing up nine gold medals, while the girls collected six. Miao and Smith were the big winners for the Deerfield boys as both collected four gold medals. Miao won the 50 and 100 freestyle races, as well as the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay. In addition to the two relay victories, Smith also paved the way in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke. Hrabchak won the 200 and 500 freestyle races as well as chipping in on the 400 relay to post three victories. Smachlo helped both relays to wins, as Ben Wood ’13 participated in the 200 relay. As Sonja O’Donnell, the Deerfield girls swim mentor put it, the New England Championships brought to a close the careers of “New England swimming legends Liza Bragg and Jenner McLeod.” And both turned their final meet into a victory lap. Before collecting the Robertson Award, McLeod

It was sheer pandemonium —Coach John Burke ran her four-year gold-medal count to 11 as she won both the 50 and 100 freestyle races, as well as assisting in the 200 and 400 freestyle relay wins. Juliette Lee ’14 and Nahla Achi ’15 also chipped in on the 200 win, while Lee and Claire Collins ’15 were part of the 400 victory. Bragg, meanwhile, made it an incredible 15 gold medals in 16 tries during her four-year career by capturing the 200 individual medley and the 100 backstroke as well as the two relays. “I doubt there are many who can match that,” said O’Donnell of Bragg’s gold-medal legacy, “especially when eight of those are relays.” ••

Clough, meanwhile, proved to be the chairman of the board once again, capturing the one-meter diving competition for the fourth consecutive year

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HE(ART) By David Thiel

Spring 2013

Illustrations by DONGIK Lee

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Look around you. Every artificial object you see has been created—often by a team. And in nearly every case, whether you’re examining an item of fashion or of engineering or of hard science, there was an artist on the team that developed it. The final product of most material endeavors—and most virtual ones—bears the clear marks of artistic involvement. Your car, your phone, your desk, the morning paper, and even your coffee cup, is a product of artists collaborating with engineers, manufacturers, authors, editors, and baristas.

Art is everywhere. Look around again. The space you’re in was likely designed with a purpose in mind. Whether you’re sitting in a comfy chair or at a conference table, there’s little debate that environments have a significant influence on the work done within— why else would we spend so much time and money on architecture and design? Spaces have the ability to transport us into a mode of work, a moment in memory—or even a state of mind. The art of space is in what it creates within us. The unique blend of artistic endeavor and purpose-built environment sometimes finds its locus in museums, but even more often is employed in classrooms, studios, and workshops. Deerfield is investing in just that sort of thing.

64,800 square feet to be renovated; 8530 square feet of new construction

Spring 2013

MEMORIAL Originally opened in 1952 to honor the boys who risked—and gave— their lives in World War II, the Memorial Building remains the place of introduction to Deerfield. Here students awkwardly introduce themselves in the first days of school and express their love and sorrow on the night before graduation. Here students find their footing making announcements, shouting one-liners from the balcony, or putting a speaker on notice with a particularly astute question. This place of tradition offers opportunities like no other on campus: It is a safe place to take risks. On stage and in the studio, students expand their talents and knowledge in ways that are sometimes a bit scary—but they gain confidence when our community gathers in support. This vital rhythm—of risk and reward, of private effort and public performance— is established in Deerfield’s arts program, and no more appropriate place could be designated for its incubation than the Memorial Building, which literally and figuratively sits at the heart of campus.

Large Auditorium to be completely renovated; afterward, the entire student body and all faculty will be able to be seated –

800 seats.

deerfield.edu

CONCERT HALL

This vital rhythm—of risk and reward, of private effort and public performance— is established in Deerfield’s arts program, and no more appropriate place could be designated for its incubation than the Memorial Building, which literally and figuratively sits at the heart of campus.

Spring 2013

New additions: MODERNITY

Beginning on June 3 and wrapping up in August of 2014, the Memorial Building will undergo a transformation. The renovated building will reinvigorate old spaces, translating some to new purposes while simply reinforcing others against the throes of modern use. It will also address some practical issues. Music practice rooms are loud, and work well in the basement, whereas the visual arts need quiet light and might benefit from excavation. The Large Auditorium doesn’t quite fit everyone, so more seats are needed. Currently, the theater program has improvised a classroom in what is actually a gallery, but after the renovation they’ll have a dedicated space. A larger gallery and a new concert hall are explicit additions to the building. Under the guidance of Senior Manager of Construction Projects and Planning Jeffrey Galli, preparing for the renovation has been a collaborative process. Design was handled by Architectural Resources Cambridge (ARC), with significant input from faculty and staff members who will teach and work in the building. From storage spaces to acoustics, no aspect of the arts center was left unexplored. Recognizing the wisdom of direct experience, custodians were asked to weigh in on practical matters such as the most efficient way to remove trash and recycling, while arts faculty contributed to the details in studios and gallery spaces.

Concert Hall and Art Gallery with Acting Lab Replacement of all windows and entrances with

high efficiency glazing FSC certified wood products All new energy

efficient lighting, including LED

fixtures, vacancy sensors, and efficient control systems

Mechanically, new systems will bring greater efficiency and creative opportunity. A modern recording studio will see updated equipment and booths wired for sound. Classrooms will gain projection equipment and speedy Internet access—all the better for accessing digital art collections. Communications systems (vital when coordinating a theater production) and things like lighting and staging controls will be upgraded for greater speed and reliability; they will also provide students with direct experience in working with professional quality accouterments. Details like combinations of fixed lights and adjustable track lighting in art studios will allow for greater flexibility and creativity. Distinct spaces, such as a digital print room, will be created for new media that wasn’t even a consideration when the arts facilities were last renovated. The building’s mechanicals will be upgraded, gaining a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating in the process, and providing cost savings as well as greater comfort.

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New brick masonry walls

high R-value

New insulated exterior walls and roof assemblies

Restoration of brick walls and slate roofs

Use of interior materials with

high recycled content and low VOC content Existing materials to be salvaged and reused whenever possible

ART GALLERY

All new

energy efficient HVAC

systems, including energy recovery ventilation units; integration of room ventilation with room vacancy sensors; ventilation demand control in high occupancy spaces; radiant heating in the new art gallery; floor displacement ventilation in concert hall

Low flow

plumbing fixtures for water conservation

Combination â&#x20AC;&#x153;hydration stationsâ&#x20AC;? and water fountains

LEED Certified

Spring 2013

The world has gained perspective on art’s extrinsic, quantifiable value—and not just that it can be a hook for college. Art teaches essential “21st century skills” in communication, collaboration, abstract thinking, and aesthetics.

One major improvement is hard to describe: circulation. In the same way that blood vessels deliver vital nutrients and oxygen, circulation space in a building helps it breathe and bring in new life. From a practical standpoint, circulation aids artistic endeavors—making the movement of materials, instruments, scenery, and other essential components easier—but philosophically, it is essential in welcoming people. The Memorial Building (today) is labyrinthine and fragmented, and only the steadfast explore its inner areas; those who do are rewarded stunning troves of unappreciated excellence. Circulation means that Academy art collections of both student work and major pieces, will soon see dedicated and accessible space—out in the light. Temporarily relocating aspiring artists, dancers, and thespians for the 2013-2014 academic year has been a challenge, but one that students, faculty, and the administration have met with aplomb. Some classes, such as music, will relocate to modular buildings on the east side of campus. Visual artists just might find their temporary housing inspirational—particularly if their focus happens to be on the local area— since the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association has graciously agreed to share its space. Theater Director Catriona Hynds will hold classes and performances in Historic Deerfield’s White Church; she says the venue has amazing potential when it comes to innovative staging. Dancers will spread out across campus—from the third floor of the Main School Building (which already contains a dance studio) to the Kravis and Stoltzfus rooms. All agree that these inconveniences are a fair admission price to the new and improved arts center.

MEANING Ask a group of eight-year-olds “How many of you can draw?” and you’ll face a sea of raised hands. Yet the same question asked of 18-year-olds is often greeted with stunned silence and grudging excuses of “no talent” or “no time.” Society has long believed that the presence of art demonstrates a community’s sense of well-being, and yet has historically de-prioritized the arts in education. The 18-year-olds in question don’t lack talent, they lack training. While they were drilled on reading, writing, and arithmetic, schools have often treated art as “extra.” But that’s changing. The world has gained perspective on art’s extrinsic, quantifiable value—and not just that it can be a hook for college. Art teaches essential “21st century skills” in communication, collaboration, abstract thinking, and aesthetics. Through art, students learn some of the most important aspects of character: curiosity, confidence, empathy, and risk taking. Even the fundamentals of “practice makes perfect” is a core skill for artists that is often lacking in other disciplines. Inviting feedback on your work, delivering a monologue, or collaborating with an ensemble can be a potent learning experience. Engagement with the arts—both as a producer and an observer—is an essential skill that everyone can learn. The arts are not something that require innate talent, but instead are a product of training, practice, and feedback. By investing in arts spaces, the Academy is not only signaling its dedication to this view, but addressing the practical aspects of teaching and learning in the 21st century. ••

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THE COMMON ROOM

centenarian

’28

When John G. Talcott, Jr. ’28 reached his 100th birthday, the event made the local news, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick issued a proclamation, and there was quite a celebration. This year, when the gentleman who also happens to be Deerfield’s most senior alumni donor marked his 105th birthday, it was a relatively quiet affair but jubilant nevertheless. Born in 1908, Mr. Talcott can recall such things as when horses and carriages still held sway over automobiles, and when people began using the telephone in earnest. He has lived through two World Wars and numerous political administrations, and when he arrived on Albany Road in the fall of 1924, Mr. Boyden was just marking a little over two decades as Headmaster; when Mr. Talcott graduated in 1928, his class produced the first edition of The Pocumtuck as we know it today, and another staple of Deerfield life— The Scroll—was only in its second year of publication. After Deerfield, Mr. Talcott returned to Talcottville, CT, where his family owned the woolen mills that were the village’s livelihood. He learned the business from the ground up—starting as a weaver, and eventually joining management. When the mills moved south just before World War II, Mr. Talcott left the family business and joined the Army, where he served in the Transportation Corps.

Spring 2013

Books

Upcoming Events Class Notes

JOHN G. TALCOTT, JR.

Happy (105th) Birthday!

Spotlights

But perhaps the biggest turning point in Mr. Talcott’s life came in 1958, when he purchased a hotel and motel overlooking Warren Cove and Long Beach in Plymouth, MA. Mr. Talcott planned on building a large resort on the property, but after his partners dropped out of the deal, he was forced to give up on the idea. Instead, he turned his attention to farming—cranberries, of all things— which in the 1960s were not a particularly popular item. Regardless, Mr. Talcott and his family preserved and expanded what became one of the largest cranberry farms in the Ocean Spray cooperative. Mr. Talcott eventually became one of the directors of Ocean Spray, and to this day, the Talcott family’s bogs are a part of Ocean Spray. Over the years, Mr. Talcott has become one of the pillars of the Plymouth community—from chairing the committee that planned the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims to serving as the military marshal in the town’s annual Fourth of July parade well into his mid-90s. As he has for almost 25 years, Mr. Talcott enjoyed this past winter in Boca Raton, FL. His family was on hand to help him celebrate his 105th, and his son, John G. Talcott III ’59 said, “A small group of people gathered for the occasion. We took my dad to a local park and later went out to dinner. He ate well and enjoyed his meal—including two desserts!” Later in the evening Mr. Talcott opened gifts and cards from well wishers. Now that spring has returned to New England, Mr. Talcott has returned to Plymouth. Also this spring, a plaque was installed outside of the Academy’s Memorial Building, which reads: In Honor of the Sons of Deerfield Who Bravely Served in World War II; Gift of John G. Talcott Jr. ’28. The fund that goes along with the plaque will maintain the flagpole and landscaping around the Memorial Building—a fitting gift from First Lieutenant John G. Talcott, Jr., age 105. ••

1934 James Paulsen Krogh died on November 4, 2012, in Ardsley, NY, at the age of 96. Until Paul and his wife of almost 69 years, Claudia Whitney Krogh, moved to an assisted living residence in Ardsley in October 2011, they had lived for 61 years in Hartsdale, NY. Paul was born in West Hartford, CT, in 1916, the son of a Danish immigrant and the grandson of Deacon John J. Greenough, who was a longtime chairman of Deerfield’s Board of Trustees and a good friend of Frank Boyden. At Deerfield, Paul was a member of the Glee Club and the track team. After Deerfield, he attended Brown University and graduated from the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance in 1938. From 1939 until the beginning of WWII, he served as a ship’s purser on American President Lines vessels carrying military families and other civilians back to the US. After being rejected by the Navy for colorblindness, he rejoined the American President Lines and served in the US Merchant Marine, carrying military personnel, supplies, and prisoners of war on Liberty ships for the duration of the conflict. After the war, Paul was a payroll auditor for the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company for 15 years. For the next 18 years, until his retirement in 1980, he served as assistant manager of Christ Cella, one of the premier New York City steakhouses. He flourished

in retirement, starting a successful bed and breakfast business with his wife in their Victorian home in Hartsdale in the mid-1980s, dubbed the “Krogh’s Nest,” which they ran for almost 25 years before their move to Ardsley. A gregarious host, Paul noted in a 1995 interview that he enjoyed making the beds, cleaning, and preparing breakfast for his guests, “and I whistle while I’m doing it.” He and his wife also enjoyed travel, often staying at other bed and breakfast homes to compare services and rates. Paul is survived by his wife and three children, Frank W. Krogh ’63, of Arlington, VA; Claudia Krogh Wald of Bronxville, NY; and James P. Krogh Jr., of White Plains, NY, as well as four grandsons and one great-granddaughter. His twin brother, Johnstone Greenough Krogh ’34, died in 2010, and younger brother, Carl Cushing Krogh ’37, died on November 30, 2012.

1936 Thomas George has set up the Thomas George Artists Fund through the Princeton Area Community Foundation. This award helps to nurture young artists at the outset of their careers. Tom, an internationally recognized artist, has donated most of his drawings and paintings to the Community Foundation. For more information: pacf. org/connect/funds/thomasgeorge-artists-fund.

1939 W. Martin Kaiser ’69 and Anne Kaiser write: “Our father, William M. Kaiser, Jr. died on October 14, 2012, in Sarasota, FL, after a brief illness. He was active up until about a month before his death. In fact, he played tennis until January of this past year, when he fell on the tennis court and broke a rib. His doctor told him it was time to find a new sport. Apparently our father’s reply to that was, ‘Learn a new sport? I am 90.’ His obituary ran in the Sarasota Herald Tribune.” (legacy.com/obituaries/heraldtribune)

1942 Class Captain William W. Dunn Leonard Rich reports, “I bought a great house in Las Vegas and moved there with my daughter Donna and sonin-law Nathan Lubchansky. I am retired (of course) at age 87.”

1943 Class Captain Walter L. Fisher Boyden Society Captain Erskine B. van Houten Roberto Cuniberti writes: “I have little to say about any current events. I live in greater LA’s very genial climate with a year-round pool at the front door of our condo. I am married to the same dear one I corresponded with from Wells House at the Academy. (Her photo

was on my bureau—the same photo hangs in my study. She agreed to marry me about 60 years later.) We neither of us drive any more, but I lead an active life and fully enjoy my circumstances. I think of my Deerfield experience back in the early ’40s with unmixed pleasure. I remember a stellar student body, an impressive faculty including Helen Boyden, Conklin, Cook, Suitor, Miller, and on and on. It has all been a great blessing through the years.”

1946 Class Captains Gerald Lauderdale William M. Riegel Boyden Society Captain James McB. Garvey “As I enter my 85th year and 60th year of marriage, I often think of Deerfield and what a great experience it was,” says Harry Winston. “I think back to the year 1943–44 when I lived in Dean Hall (which I understand no longer stands), and the nights we raised cain, and poor Mr. Hubbard (who was recently married) would stagger out and admonish us. Our punishment was to get up at 4:00 am and walk up the mountain behind the Academy. I remember picking potatoes on the flats to help the farmers during those wartime years. But most of all I remember a varsity basketball game when some of the students started to boo and catcall over a decision against our team. Mr. Boyden stood up, clapped

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Seventy years separate their Deerfield days, but for a grandfather and his granddaughter, inspiring teachers set them both on the track for successful careers in science. For Dr. Theodore Van Itallie ’37, a leading researcher in the field of human nutrition and obesity for over 60 years, it was Helen Boyden. Dr. Van Itallie, who took Mrs. Boyden’s introductory chemistry class his senior year, remembers her as a teacher who tried to help her students understand chemistry’s importance as a foundation for further learning in the field of science. “It’s fair to say that the rewarding experience I had of being taught chemistry by Mrs. Boyden encouraged me to firm up my (until then) rather vague plans to study medicine,” says Dr. Van Itallie. “Thanks to the valuable ‘lift-off’ I received at Deerfield, I still maintain a strong interest in, and love of, physiological chemistry, one of the basic sciences of medicine.” That initial introduction to science has sustained a career that now spans over six decades. Educated at Harvard College and Columbia University, Dr. Van Itallie became Director of Medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in New York in 1957. In 1974, the National Institutes of Health awarded St. Luke’s a grant to start the first Center for Obesity Research in the US, of which Dr. Van Itallie became the director. Over the course of the Center’s research, scientists learned that diet, exercise, and medication were not in themselves solutions to curbing the obesity epidemic. “For significant changes to occur in obesity’s national prevalence, large-scale changes in the lifestyles of Americans will be required,” said Dr. Van Itallie. “If such changes are to occur in any degree, an all-out effort to alter our food culture— an effort in which all the relevant sectors of our society must participate—will be essential.” Despite “retiring” in 1988, Dr. Van Itallie has turned his focus to the early diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. In 2004, he and a group of scientists founded Cognate Nutritionals, a science-based company that develops functional foods to raise blood ketone levels and help prevent or arrest these diseases. “Cognate Nutritionals is, in all ways, a science-based company that is currently collaborating in the conduct of several important academic research programs on the physiological,

Spring 2013

ELIZABETH VAN ITALLIE

scientist

’37 illustration: istockphoto

the common room 46

Strong Bonds

THEODORE VAN ITALLIE

scientist

’07

behavioral, and cognitive effects of new foods that raise blood ketone levels,” said Dr. Van Itallie. “This is an exciting new field of investigation that can be expected to generate important scientific data during the coming years.” Dr. Van Itallie’s lifelong passion for his career has inspired his granddaughter Elizabeth Van Itallie ’07, a graduate student in the Systems Biology PhD program at Harvard University. “More than his specific accomplishments as a physician scientist, my grandfather’s passion for excellence and expression of the satisfaction he derived from his work were inspiring,” said Ms. Van Itallie. She continued, “Once I was able to converse with him about his life’s work as an adult rather than a child it became clear that he had chosen and lived a career he loved, and I decided that that was something to which I wanted to aspire.” Like her grandfather, Ms. Van Itallie was influenced by the science classes she took at Deerfield, particularly Advanced Placement Chemistry with Steve Anderson. “My science classes at Deerfield gave me the confidence and preparation to take many advanced courses in college,” she said. She, in turn, plans to become a teacher in the hopes of mentoring the next generation of scientists. ••

Theodore at St. Luke’s Hospital Elizabeth in her AP Chemistry class junior year at Deerfield Academy

Leonard Rich ’42 and his Las Vegas family, including great-grandchildren.

’47

This past winter, Nate Tufts ’47 and his wife Ros enjoyed a Downton Abbey Ball in support of WGBY, their local PBS affiliate. This past fall, George Bass ’49 stopped by his alma mater one afternoon.

the common room

’42

Bob ’49 and Liz Rosenman with Barbara Toole and Rick Littlefield ’49, following their Haydn concert with the Dalton Chorale in New York City, December 12, 2012.

’49

his hands, and that was that. No more noise. My best to all my classmates and continued success at Deerfield.” The scientific world lost one of its greatest modernday luminaries on December 30, 2012, with the passing of Carl Woese, who in 1977 amazed the scientific community by announcing the discovery of “archaea,” a category of single-celled microbes genetically distinct from the two groups previously believed to comprise living organisms. According to an obituary in The New

York Times and Norman R. Pace, a microbiologist and biochemist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Carl “put on the table a metric for determining evolutionary relatedness. His results were the first to prove that all life on Earth was related.” Born in Syracuse, NY, in 1928, after Deerfield Carl attended Amherst College and then went on to earn his PhD in biophysics from Yale. He studied medicine at the University of Rochester, spent five years as a researcher in biophysics at

Yale, and also worked as a biophysicist at the General Electric Research Laboratory before joining the faculty at the University of Illinois in 1964. Carl received many awards and honors over the years, including a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant in 1984, the National Medal of Science in 2000, and the Crafoord Prize in Biosciences from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 2003. He is survived by his wife, a sister, a daughter, and a son. Gerry Lauderdale writes: “Our classmate Carl Woese

died December 30. He was a giant in his scientific field. Indeed, many of his peers thought he should have received the Nobel Prize for his work in microbiology in which he defined a whole new class of life forms now called archaea. If you google ‘Carl Woese’ you will find an amazing wealth of information about him and his work. I think it is safe to say that in the big picture Carl’s life work will be the most outstanding legacy of any member of our class. Carl did not keep up much contact

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ambassador

’55 Tête-à-Tête with

JOSEPH VERNER REED Currently Dean of United Nations Under-Secretaries-General, Ambassador Reed has had a long, illustrious career, both at the United Nations and in service to the United States—first as ambassador to Morocco and later as chief of protocol to President George H.W. Bush. He recently shared some reflections on his work at the UN, his Deerfield experience, and his thoughts on the current value of a Deerfield education in a conversation with Julia Elliott, a contributor to Deerfield Magazine.

Spring 2013

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JONATHAN BECKER

JVR It’s a pleasure to do this interview. I have such wonderful memories of Deerfield. DM Thank you! Will you start by telling us how you came to attend Deerfield? JVR It really is quite a story. There were four Reed boys, Adrian, Nathaniel, Samuel, and yours truly, Joseph, the youngest. After the war (WWII), it was time for my older brother, Adrian, to go to prep school. So my mother and father went around to the usual: St. Paul’s, Groton, Andover. At each one, they met with the headmaster, and my mother, a rather formidable lady, would ask: ‘What do you expel boys for?’ Each headmaster had a laundry list of reasons that they expelled boys. My father interjected and said, ‘That’s fine, we’re going to go to another school.’ So off they went to Deerfield and met with the famous Frank Boyden. And my mother asked the same question. Dr. Boyden answered, ‘There’s no such thing as a bad boy. We never expel boys.’ My father interjected again and said, ‘I have four sons. I’m signing them up right now.’ And so all four of us went happily to Deerfield with great affection, admiration, and appreciation for Dr. Boyden—and the whole school. DM What a great introduction to the school! What effect did it have on you? JVR Well, it was just an enormous personal attachment. Dr. Boyden reiterated there were no rules, but everything was, everything was . . . unwritten rules. He was just . . . he was a superstar. He had slate gray hair and always wore dark blue suits. And his office was completely out in the open in the hallway of the Main School Building, where he could watch every student go by several times a day with a crackling fire nearby. He also personally gave each one of us our grades in that open office. I remember distinctly one very, very important Boyden-ism: ‘Finish up strong.’ He usually used that at the opening of spring term. He also said, ‘Always keep on the high level.’ I always remember that. And then he said, ‘Here we are in the beautiful Pocumtuck Valley, look up to the hills.” And there was one I’m not sure you would want to use, but I certainly always remember it . . . He said, ‘Those who cause all the trouble, those are cheap two percenters.’ I remember the Sunday night sings, which were in the (Brick) Church, and I remember always singing ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.’ I also remember noticing that Mrs. Calvin Coolidge, Grace Coolidge, sat in the rear, in the balcony. DM Is there a particular teacher who was your favorite and who you consider to be the most important in your Deerfield education? JVR Ah, well, I was in the John Williams House under Red Sullivan. He was an extraordinarily important figure who helped the headmaster run the school. He was formidable. He certainly was not ‘Red,’ or anything other than ‘Mr. Sullivan.’ I can’t remember how many we were in John Williams, but he had a big influence on us. And if any of us got into something called trouble, he would dispatch us to run rounds on the Lower Level . . . around and around. Around and around. And I certainly remember Art Williams, who was my soccer

coach. I enjoyed soccer very, very much. There were other faculty members. There was John Suitor, and Bart Boyden, and Russ Miller, oh my goodness, he was terrific! But Robert McGlynn and Bob Crow, both of those two were very special to all of us; they were just wonderful, wonderful people, and they took to my brothers and me, and became our friends. DM Was there a class that was your favorite? JVR I think Robert McGlynn’s English class was my favorite. He was just wonderful. He made the language become magic. DM That’s beautiful. JVR It really was. Well, the school had a tremendous influence on each of us. DM In what way? JVR Integrity first. That was number one. And those Boyden-isms . . . ‘Finish up strong,’ I’ll never forget that. DM Is there something that you learned at Deerfield that has been a guiding principle throughout your life and career? JVR Yes. Courtesy and consideration of others. DM I can imagine that those are important qualities to have when you are a diplomat; why do you think that courtesy, consideration, and integrity are so important for a diplomat? JVR I think they’re important for everybody. DM One of the things I read about you that made me think of Deerfield is how everywhere you went, you were known for being just as kind to chauffeurs and baggage handlers as you were to visiting dignitaries, and that was one of the reasons people respected you so much in your work. JVR Absolutely. Exactly. I also learned, which was important in my life and throughout my career, that when things are going down for somebody, don’t jump on them. Stay with them, support them, because they are surely going to come back. And that has proven so true throughout my career. DM Deerfield began teaching a new class this year called H20/ American Currents . . . I’d love your thoughts on it. Among other things, the course looks at the tenuous balance between empowering the individual and sacrificing for the community. The students are also reading literature and comparing it to life in the 21st century, and how certain themes play out on a global scale . . . Using water as a focus, they’re looking at the struggle to find this resource and the local, national, and global issues in finding clean water. JVR I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful challenge that they have created this class, because we have a world that is going to be increasingly global-IZED and interconnected, and with the instant communications that we have now, we are becoming more and more interdependent. I wish I was taking the course! I think it’s extremely important to focus on the fact that in this increasingly small world you have to think about how you can help, and interface with the challenges of the interconnected world; it’s so important, so important. One of THE key issues facing the world is the challenge to find clean water. For instance, I think this should be the number one priority today for the People’s Republic of China; they have >>>

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hundreds of millions of people who are faced with either having no water or using contaminated water. There are other examples all over the world—it’s a problem all over the world. DM In your experience as a diplomat, and working globally, how important is it to have this interdisciplinary approach, in order to be a leader? JVR Very, very, very important. We didn’t have that opportunity (of interdisciplinary study). I think it’s a tremendous challenge and a tremendous opportunity, and will be met with great enthusiasm, I’m sure, by today’s students. As I said earlier, our globe is shrinking, and we’re becoming increasingly interdependent. My goodness . . . Going back to the Founding Conference (of the United Nations), which always impresses me, there were 51 countries—51 countries. Of which Poland was not allowed to participate by the Soviet Union, so there were only 50 countries that signed the Charter of the United Nations in 1945, of which there were only FOUR countries from the continent of Africa: South Africa, Liberia, Ethiopia, and Egypt. The rest were under colonial rule. Today, there are 193 independent states that belong to the United Nations, of which 53 are from Africa. Isn’t that amazing? Until recently, the last ten years, Africa used to vote as a bloc. They were a tremendous power. It always took so long to pass a resolution because you can imagine with 53 countries, the difference in desires and scope. In any case, today they vote independently. DM So is it correct to say that the fact there are that many more countries means students need to know so much more? JVR Absolutely. Well, you know the United Nations, for all it is criticized by so many people, is not a luxury of international life. The United Nations, which I call ‘Your United Nations’ or ‘Our United Nations,’ is the only, only universal intergovernmental organization. The United Nations is the ONLY machinery we have for collective cooperation among all nations. The UN is the only global tool for promoting peace and security. DM And how effective do you think the UN is today? JVR Ah, well, it very much depends on region and individual countries. For instance, in Japan, 93 percent of the people enthusiastically support the United Nations. In the United States I think there is an increasing attack on the United Nations from the right wing. I think it is sad, because the UN is the only worldwide institution for furthering development. UNDC, UNICEF, etc. And, the UN is the only universal mechanism for protecting human rights and the only shared framework for strengthening international law.

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I have to say this: the work, every day, is of vital and critical importance for saving children from starvation, disease, and the ravages of civil war. Providing food, clothing, and shelter for refugees. Delivering humanitarian relief to areas devastated by ethnic and civil strife, and of course for maintaining cease fires and preventing conflicts from erupting, as well as peace-making between adversaries and peace building in devastated countries. If I could just have one sidebar, let me talk about what I call the global village: If we could shrink the Earth’s population to a village of precisely 100 people with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like the following: There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 14 from the Americas and Australia, and eight Africans. Seventy would be non-white, 30 would be white, 70 would be non-Christian, and 30 would be Christian. Now get this: six people would possess 59 percent of the entire village’s wealth, and all six would be from the United States. Seventy would be unable to read. Only one, only one, would have a college education, and only one would own a computer. Isn’t that something? DM Given those statistics, why is it so important for Deerfield to provide its students with integrated courses with a global focus? JVR Well, it comes back to one word: interdependent. The globe is becoming increasingly, rapidly, interdependent. And there’s no going back from that. It’s only going to keep moving forward. DM If Deerfield is going to be offering these interdisciplinary, globally focused classes, how important is it that the Academy’s faculty has a global perspective? JVR Very much so. Very much so. I think that they should emphasize internationalization and international affairs. When I was at Deerfield that was not part of the curriculum nor part of the vision. Today’s faculty need to be aware; they need to take as much as they can from the international stage. DM What advice do you have for current Deerfield students? JVR Certainly number one, learn a second language. Number two, become increasingly aware of your world. Number three, taking that into effect, concentrate on a region, whether it be Central or Latin America, whether it be Asia, whether it be Eastern Europe or Europe. Concentrate and become familiar with a region, its peoples, its cultures. That’s very important, very important. But number one, learn a second language. DM I wonder if you have anything else you would like to share with our readers about your international experience? JVR Well, when I look back at my 30 years at the UN, I see it has been a privilege to work there. It was also a great privilege to have been deputy to General Vernon Walters, who was Permanent Representative to the United Nations. I think it’s a fair statement that I’m the only American who has been Ambassador to the United Nations and Under-SecretaryGeneral. So I think that’s a nice asterisk for my obituary. (laughs) Each one, each one, of the posts I have held has been challenging and rewarding. And I have to say this, even after the privilege of working at the Parliament of Mankind for 30 years, I can hardly wait to get to the office every day. ••

with Deerfield, but we were aware that he was doing outstanding work in his field. We can be sure that classes with Mrs. Boyden must have helped steer him towards his brilliant scientific career.”

1947 “Ros and I are staying put on our Northfield Tree Farm until spring, when we will venture forth to see daughters and friends with ‘JP,’ our French Pointer, who loves to drive almost as much as pointing woodcock,” reported Nate Tufts when we last heard from him. “At 82, passing the annual physical with flying colors is welcome news. We may be able to forward a picture of us dressed for the Downton Abbey Ball in support of WGBY, our local PBS affiliate. (See page 47.) We have enjoyed the paddle tennis courts, and highly recommend the game in any season except summer.”

1948 Peter Bien published a new book of poetic translations from Greek; the author is Stylianos Harkianakis, Greek-Orthodox Archbishop of Australia, and the title is Of Children and Adolescents. The edition is bilingual, with Greek and English on facing pages. Gordon Hall says, “It’s time I checked in and accounted for myself. I am retired from developing commercial real estate, now managed by two of my three sons. The

other son teaches at Concord Academy. I am in pretty good health, allowing for a bypass in ’87, an ’00 stent, two hip replacements, and a knee replacement. Medicare is amazing, and it’s easy to see why it will sink us if we don’t limit/modify it pretty seriously. I live in Marblehead, MA, of which it’s said “is a drinking town with a sailing problem.” I have an IMX40 that we race (tactical racing around the buoys—not blue water) with a wonderful crew of guys who are 40-50 years younger than me. They’re good for me. We’ve won the Nationals and do pretty well in MA Bay and Newport. I fly fish, mostly from our camp in Northern Maine, next to the Allagash River, but occasionally in distant locations. Mostly, I’m very involved in and dedicated to three nonprofits whose mission is conservation, the environment, and teaching kids about both. Deerfield was very good for me. Mr. Boyden’s entreaty to ‘finish up strong’ is something of a paradox at this age. I’m doing my best, but some days I don’t exactly feel the energy Mr. Boyden imparted when he said it to us.”

1949 Boyden Society Captain Gilbert M. Grosvenor David (Day) Allen writes, “Eighty-two years ago I was born in Chicago. Having attained the age of eighteen in June 1949, I heard Henry Poor ’35 shout to me across the Deerfield campus ‘Don’t

forget to register for the draft,’ which I did, hoping it would be lost between Deerfield and Buffalo, my hometown. It was not. Five years later, after a gap year in Europe to meet many relatives, I earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Buffalo, I was inducted into the US Army, US 51337197. During my tour of duty I met and married Brigitte, who has stayed with me for 57 years (still counting). We moved to Buffalo along with her son from a previous marriage. From Buffalo, I entered the University of Chicago Program in Hospital Administration and remained in line health administration about ten years, then moved to the federal government to a unit that checks quality of state surveys of health facilities funded by Medicare or Medicaid. Retirement at age 69 in 2000 has been pleasant, as are my periodic visits to Deerfield for Reunions. My health remains good, and I am looking forward to participating in our 65th Reunion one year hence in 2014. In June 2012, I joined my brother John Robin Allen ’52 for his 60th Reunion. Celebrating their 65th Reunion were just three souls from the class of 1947. In 2014, we hope that a larger contingent from 1949 will have escaped the final rites and may join Brigitte and me for our 65th!”

1952 Class Captain Richard F. Boyden Boyden Society Captain John B. Horton Class Secretary John Robin Allen ’52 Class Notes compiled by JR Allen: Armand Cincotta retired on December 20, 2012, so he now has more time to “do things.” His daughters bought him a Samsung tablet and set everything up for him, so he now has his own computer to fiddle with in his retirement. He plays tennis two or three times a week and takes a one-on-one exercise class weekly. Armand and Joan celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010, and on November 16, 2012, Le Moyne College (Syracuse) awarded them its highest honor, the Simon Le Moyne Award at a beautiful dinner dance; nearly 750 people attended. Conrad Fischer was delighted to get back to campus for the Reunion. “Many of the returnees were with me in my first year in Davenport. The more we change, the more we are the same. The Reunion reminded me of the wonderful years we had at Deerfield.” The Grummans and the Palmedos had a mini-reunion in Chicago a year and a half ago, inspired by a radio talk show. Dave describes what happened: “Car Talk is a humorous radio program about cars, car repair, and related subjects hosted by

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The Aberration Kevin Sheehan ’55 | North Country Press, 2012

A Maine Love Story | Marriage, emotional trauma, and

psychiatry become entangled in the first novel by Kevin Sheehan ’55, The Aberration, recently published by North Country Press. Set in Maine, The Aberration is a complex love story that examines the intricacies of the human mind and relationships. Emotionally crippled by a troubled upbringing, and haunted by his deceased mother, Karcher is about to start married life with his wife Witte. Yet their new marriage is threatened by an unethical female psychiatrist, who seduces Karcher through hypnotherapy. As the weeks pass, Karcher becomes more and more confused, believing that his wife is the one controlling him. Ultimately, it is Witte and her parents who give Karcher the support he needs to reconcile himself with his mother and his past, and move forward with his life. This is Mr. Sheehan’s first novel after retiring from a career in engineering, testing, and reporting on automobiles for Consumer’s Union. He lives in a pine log cabin in Maine with his wife Lindy, a Dutch street organ, a Wurlitzer calliope, a Danish seine boat, and five ancient one-cylinder engines. ••

Sebago Lake crested three feet above the high water mark in Raymond, Maine, on June 20, 1959, persistent spring rains having swelled Portland’s reservoir faster than the city and the S.D. Warren paper company in Westbrook could draw it down. Loonwater, the ten acres I had inherited from my mother, Henrietta “Nettie” Pineo, looked like an island for once instead of part of the north shore of Jordan Bay. This year the boulder breakwater connecting it to Burnside Island was submerged, and the channel separating it from the mainland wasn’t choked with eel grass and pine stumps. I no longer had to apologize for it. 52

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two Boston-area mechanic brothers who called themselves ‘Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers.’ An NPR show, it used to be on in the Chicago area on Saturday mornings from nine to ten. It was always a nice accompaniment to a leisurely breakfast and the morning paper. The program took calls from folks with car issues from all over, with the brothers dispensing light-hearted and often irreverent advice in their thick Boston accents—and there would usually be a puzzler, with the answer given the following week. Toward the end of one show in the late spring of 2011, the last caller was a woman from St. James, NY, and her voice had a familiar ring. Her car issue was that she and her husband were planning to drive an old but venerable car of theirs to the West Coast to give to their son. Was that a good idea? I followed up on my suspicions and called classmate Phil Palmedo. Sure enough, the caller was Betsy, and they indeed were going to make that coast to coast trip. Moreover, one of their stopover points was Chicago. I suggested that Mary Ann and I get together with them, and so we did for a memorable dinner at a restaurant near their hotel. So even though the Palmedos did not make our 60th (and they were missed), the four of us had our own mini-reunion a year earlier!” Bill Hinshaw, Judy (McAllister, Bill’s lifelong partner), and their large poodle/ Maltese named Spirit spent

a weekend in Carmel with 450 other poodles of varying degrees of poodledom. Spirit entered the “Poodle Parade,” open to all types of poodles and poodle mixes. Afterward, they had a mass romp on the beach, a free dog wash, and a sunset cocktail party for entrants and their owners. There, a raucous pack of dogs body slammed Bill and gave him a sprung left foot and knee. Apparently, the owner was more interested in his phone than his dogs. When Bill Hubbell was last heard from he said, “I have been unusually busy these past three or four weeks. A historical society in New Hampshire contacted me to give a similar talk to the one I had given there some five years ago on New England stone walls. ‘No sweat,’ I thought. It is in the slide trays just where I left it, but I forgot that I had removed some pictures and altered sequencing over the passage of time. Within a bit over a week, I had to rescript and organize the more than a hundred slides so that they would synchronize in sequence between two projectors in proper order. Jeannie was in the audience and says she counted at least 90 people. I finally got it done, and others said that it was a big success.” From Dave Johnston: “I recently returned from six days in Montreal and Quebec City with my Heritage Chorale (I sing first tenor), where we did four concerts in one church and three concert halls. The audiences were enthusiastic.” Bob McCabe’s book of color

photographs, The Ramble in Central Park (Abbeville Press, 2011) won the ForeWord Magazine First Prize (Gold) 2012 Book of the Year Award in the Nature category. Ry Smith has now become an artist in addition to his many other talents, but he adds, “I’m glad I have other retirement sources.”

1953 Class Captain Renwick D. Dimond Reunion Chair Hugh R. Smith Boyden Society Captains Craig W. Fanning H. Stanley Mansfield

’55 ’55

’55 Jay Morsman ’55 drives one of his many contributions to Deerfield. | Tom L’Esperance ’55 and Tom Crawford ’55 enjoyed a visit with each other in Koloa, HI. | Tim Day ’55 officially retired on January 1, 2013. | Members of the Class of ’55 gathered at Deerfield last November to pay tribute to their late classmate, Mark Ewing; some stayed for the Avon–Deerfield football game, which Deerfield won: l to r: Mickie Ewing, John Gleason, Wheldie Jenkins, Jan Gleason, Bill Morton, and Don Jenkins.

“I continue to work fulltime at Johns Hopkins but in a somewhat unorthodox fashion,” Charles Cummings writes. “I stepped down as chair of the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery ten years ago. I continued to see patients and became the medical director for Johns Hopkins International where I remained until June 2011. In 2008 I became acting chair of Dermatology, and held that position for one and a half years while still doing the other pursuits. In the summer of 2011, as I was planning an exit from the active staff, I was asked to serve as acting chairman of Orthopaedics, which is where I remain until a new permanent chair is found . . . One could say that I have a venturesome spirit or lost my mind. Both are probably correct.”

1954 Class Captain Philip R. Chase Boyden Society Captains Joseph D. Lawrence Harold R. Talbot Gordon “Zeke” Knight writes: “The Committee of Nine (Chase, Kaldis, Keltie, Knight, Lawrence, McMurray, Sillman, Talbot, and Travers) is starting to crank up its energy to think about our 60th Reunion in 2014. We understand from Deerfield that the dates will be June 5–8, 2014. For now, please put that on your calendar, think BIG GREEN, and we’ll keep you posted as news develops.”

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’55

1955 Class Captain Michael D. Grant Boyden Society Captain Edison W. Dick Class Secretary Tom L’Esperance With thanks to Tom L’Esperance for his class’ notes! Michael Godfrey writes: “It has been a while since I reported any news, but quite a lot has happened. Until last spring we had lived in Northern California for a very long time: longer by far than we have ever lived anywhere else. But, during the past few years we made a search for a new somewhere else. This succeeded when we moved to Cold Spring in the Hudson River Valley. This means that we are (according to Google) about two and a

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half hours from Deerfield, unlike many of my classmates who seem to have fled to Florida. We love the snow and have already made a ski trip to Mad River Glen. Other advantages here are proximity to NYC and relatively easy flights to Europe. I continue my scientific work which, of course, always takes much longer than planned or hoped. Ilse has a new studio and continues her painting, which seems to develop quicker and in any case provides much pleasure.” Tom L’Esperance reports: “Jay Morsman’s 53 years of service from 1960–2013 as a teacher and coach with over 1000 wins at Deerfield is surpassed in tenure only by Mr. Boyden’s 66 years as Headmaster! Jay has always taught and exemplified ‘the importance of building relationships . . . on a personal basis.’ He is a keeper of tradition and was indeed fortunate to be blessed with the Deerfield spirit during his formative years as a student at Deerfield. Jay and Mimi have indeed finished up strong and their ‘day is done with striving.’ May we all ‘hold memory bright’ and let us ‘Raise we song before the night.” While in Kauai in December, Merry and Tom L’Esperance visited with Tom Crawford at his beautiful new home in Koloa. Tom’s wife of 48 years, Nancy, was in Michigan visiting relatives at the time. Tom has remained in great shape over the years and

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likes to stay active. He recently added Kauai Half Marathons to his daily jogging, and he placed first in his division last year! Some “falling coconut snippets” from Pete Clapp, our resident seer in Hawi, Hawaii: “Frustration is trying to find your glasses without your glasses. The irony of life is that, by the time you’re old enough to know your way around, you’re not going anywhere. I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.” A discussion with Peter Tacy, author of The Appleby Century: Defining Innovation and Excellence is found here: bluetoad.com/display_article. php?id=1257641. A few ’55-ers and their wives got together at Deerfield on the first weekend in November in a tribute to our late classmate, Mark Ewing, yachtsman extraordinaire, whose adventures can best be expressed in his own words, “Life is good.” Mike Grant writes that the gathering “was organized by Meg and Moose Morton, and was a sort of memorial remembrance for the late Mark Ewing. Attendees besides Betsy and myself were Wheldie and Don Jenkins, Jan and John (Marty) Gleason, and, of course, Mimi and Jay Morsman. John Spurdle was supposed to come but ended up in a NY hospital with some weird ailment probably attributed to Hurricane Sandy. (Also unable to attend were Rita and Bob (Smitty)

Smith due to the ‘Perfect Storm’ of 2012 that devastated their beautiful home at Long Beach, NY. Otherwise, the ‘Iron 5’ were well represented. Mikie Ewing, Mark’s widow, was the GOH, and she was delightful. We had dinner in a private room at Chandler’s, the excellent restaurant in South Deerfield at the Yankee Candle complex, told stories, and generally had a relaxed, fun time. We even finished the night by singing ‘The Sons of Deerfield’ and ‘The Evensong’. . . A bit off key, but with enthusiasm. The next day we had a sumptuous brunch in the Dining Hall, toured the Koch Center, and (some of us) stayed for the Avon football game, which Deerfield won.” Our Renaissance man, Kevin Sheehan, who “enjoys the company of antique engines, carousel organs, cordwood saws, classical music, literature, and almost everything that moves over land or water,” has written his first novel, The Aberration: A Maine Love Story. The 265-page novel can be ordered via northcountrypress. com. According to the North Country Press, “Kevin quite naturally retired to a pine log cabin on the northwest shore of Sebago Lake accompanied by his wife, Lindy, a Dutch street organ, a Wurlitzer calliope, a Danish seine boat, and five ancient one-cylinder engines.” See page 52 for a review of The Aberration. Congratulations to Tim Day! He officially retired on

January 1, 2013, after founding and serving as CEO of Bar-S Foods for 31 years. Tim “(is) somewhat saddened to step back from my life’s work—which has provided me with an enormous sense of fulfillment, numerous close friendships, great personal satisfaction, significant financial rewards, and priceless memories.” Bar-S Foods, founded in 1981, has become the nation’s largest branded purveyor of hot dogs in the US. Let’s replace the mundane red lobsters menu at our 60th Reunion Clambake with Tim’s classic corn dogs. Art Atkinson (is) ‘happy to report that the third edition of Principles of Clinical Pharmacology was recently published. It has been a twoyear project that has kept me busy as lead editor and contributing author and I am relieved to finally cross it off my ‘to-do’ list. This June, I spent a marvelous two weeks as a visiting professor at the Gaslini Hospital and Institute in Genoa, Italy, the largest children’s hospital in Europe.’ At the time he added, ‘Later this week, I head to Bethesda, MD, to help put on a two-day workshop on ‘Principles of Pharmacokinetic Data Analysis, Modeling and Simulation’ at the National Institutes of Health. All this keeps me quite busy but I feel blessed to be able to still be professionally active.’ Along the way, our outstanding classmate was appointed corporate vice president for Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at the Upjohn

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The Sacramento – A Transcendent River Bob Madgic ’56 | River Bend Books, 2013

From Headwaters to Estuary | From his advantageous

perch alongside the Sacramento River, Bob Madgic ’56 has written both an homage and history of the mighty waterway. The result, The Sacramento – A Transcendent River, is the first comprehensive publication on one of the “most important rivers in the world.” With crisp writing and extensive photography, Mr. Madgic follows the river’s path from its headwaters, along its rolling, 400-mile trek to the Suisun Bay, and ultimately, to the Pacific Ocean. Mr. Madgic also incorporates the river’s human history into the tale—from before the arrival of Euro-Americans to present day. “Few rivers possess the richness and complexity of the Sacramento River,” says Mr. Madgic. “And few are subject to such overwhelming and contentious demands.” The central theme of The Sacramento is the power and beauty of the natural river. While acknowledging that the Sacramento’s dammed and diverted waters are what made California what it is today, Mr. Madgic nevertheless argues that a river functions best and contributes the most when it is allowed to proceed as nature intended. As Mr. Madgic adroitly illustrates, as the Sacramento goes, so goes California; as rivers go, so goes the planet. He argues, “Once people see what is to be preserved and gained from keeping intact the river flowing through their midst, or lost if it is stripped of its essential character, they should choose to be river stewards rather than river exploiters. The health of humankind hangs in the balance.” Mr. Madgic is a former public school educator who has turned to writing in retirement. His last book was Shattered Air: A True Account of Catastrophe and Courage on Yosemite’s Half Dome. Mr. Madgic’s passions in life are conservation and fly fishing, and his family. He holds degrees from Amherst College and Stanford University. The Sacramento is available in hardcover and paperback; go to bobmadgic.com or contact Mr. Madgic at bmadgic@charter.net to place an order. ••

Rivers are indeed special. Beyond personal appreciation, few parts of the planet are as crucial to its health and that of all its creatures as free-flowing rivers. They create and sustain complex networks of living organisms. They make the earth function… The Sacramento’s overall importance to California and the nation is undeniable. Many look to its water to irrigate crops and quench the thirst of a massive, growing population. Others desperately seek to protect and restore parts of the river’s natural character. Hanging in the balance is the Sacramento’s delicate ecology, severely impacted by more than a century of human intrusions. With water being one of the most critical and contentious resources, it’s crucial that citizens know and understand the river…

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artist

’57

Southwestern Perspective

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Courtesy of Peter Holbrook

PETER HOLBROOK

At first glance, Peter Holbrook’s southwestern landscapes could be photographs. In his highly detailed, photorealistic paintings, he portrays the rock formations, canyons, and deserts of the Southwest, while capturing the stunning variety, power, and emotion of the landscape with his impressionistic strokes. “This complex effect indicates the artist’s deep comprehension of light and shadow, flatness, and texture, as well as how detailed components relate to one another,” said Southwest Art in 2010. Mr. Holbrook was a landscape painter for many years before he began focusing on southwestern landscapes in the late 1970s. Also an accomplished photographer, he in fact works from his photographs to create his paintings. In searching for his subjects, he looks for certain formal qualities in the landscape: patterns of light on rocks, a full spectrum of color, and interesting angles. “I always try to find a fresh point of view,” Mr. Holbrook said.

It is this unique perspective that has made Mr. Holbrook one of the foremost painters of Southwestern landscapes. He has had over 50 solo exhibitions, and his work is in many major museum collections, including the Oakland Museum of Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Brooklyn Museum, and the Smithsonian National Collection of Fine Art. This year, Mr. Holbrook will have a solo show in August at the Sewell Gallery in Eureka, CA, and his paintings of the Grand Canyon will be featured in a book, Art of the National Parks, to be published this June by Fresco Fine Art Publications. All the paintings in the Grand Canyon section of the book will be exhibited in Arizona this fall. More of Mr. Holbrook’s work is available for viewing at the Scottsdale Fine Arts Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, and The Sewell Gallery in Eureka, CA. ••

Below Yavapai,

O’Neill Butte, Winter,

2012

2009

Oza Butte, Winter, 2009

Marble Canyon from Moran Point, 2010

peterholbrook.com

1956 Class Captain Joseph B. Twichell Dick Millar is still actively practicing law in Newport Beach, and says, “I am serving as president of the Peter Elliott Inn of Court this year. I also write what is hopefully a funny monthly column for the Orange County Lawyer Magazine.”

1959 Class Captain George Andrews Fonda Boyden Society Captain John F. Kikoski The following ’59 notes were compiled by George Fonda:

Dave Brauner writes: “My daughter has become the third generation lawyer in our family, practicing and living in NY; my son is in graduate school and also doing well. I continue to be active in and enjoy my practice and have no anticipation of retirement, although I may at some point slow down a bit. I love being in the city, bike riding by the Hudson, great meals, theater, and rock concerts (for which I have not lost the taste acquired in the ’60s) and indulging in inexpert carpentry and gardening at our place upstate. My squash game has, alas, fallen victim to aging knees.” “Home is a quiet village in Maine,” John Cole reports. “I’m just at the end of a long and happy academic career at Bates, where I have held a chair in history established in honor of a past college president, Thomas Hedley Reynolds, who, quite coincidentally, was also a Deerfield graduate.” George Fonda notes: “After a great deal of soul-searching, I agreed to attempt to follow in the footsteps of class captains before me and give some of my time to fundraising for Deerfield. I must say, I was a little reluctant to give back after my granddaughter was not accepted into the Class of 2016. Deerfield was her first choice, and she would have been a third generation legacy. She did get accepted to Lawrenceville and is on the water polo team as a freshman. I’m not sure if Deerfield has a water polo

team, but I expect it does . . . so, I’m hoping the ‘Big Red’ sinks the ‘Big Green.’ Anyway, I have enjoyed my start as the class captain and managed to communicate with each classmate on a personal level. I can’t say that I’ve managed to raise the contribution level (either dollars or percentage), but I have received some wonderful responses from many classmates.” “I teach an adult education class on Africa or India or poetry, two hours once a week for ten weeks,” Brooks Goddard reports. “I also supervise practice teachers for Boston University, so I have opportunities to see schools and teachers in action. I sleep later than I used to. I have returned to the tennis courts after a two-year hiatus owing to rotator cuff problems, spinal stenosis, general aging problems, and late life inertia. I love to garden and to putter. Indeed, one of the pleasures of my life is to putter my way through the basement, my stamp collection, the local hardware store, or my Africana books. I always have a project going. I am also a part-time model for Jos. A. Bank and Fabindia. Recently, I have also been editing my 50th Reunion classbook. I am my grandchildren’s favorite grandfather. My two reading finds for 2012 were The Hare with Amber Eyes and The One-Hundred Foot Journey. I’ll read anything written by Tahir Shah, currently Timbucktoo. I realize that my

reading is largely esoteric, but I keep at it, especially at our summer retreat in New Hampshire. I feel in good fettle and am blessed with a helpmate beyond compare, a son and daughter-in-law who also love teaching, grandchildren who are spunky, and friends who are loyal. Something new and wonderful always seems to come into view. Why, just yesterday I had a letter from Joe DiClerico suggesting that we meet for tea at the Concord courthouse. I’m looking forward to it.” Bob Hetherington writes: “Not much to report. My mother died recently, just after 37 members of her immediate family celebrated her 95th birthday. Our eighth grandchild arrived on September 27, Mary Davitt Hetherington. Every day I learn more about being a caregiver as my wife Lolly continues her journey with MS.”

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Company, has been president of the American Board of Clinical Pharmacology, president of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and is a master of the American College of Physicians. In their spare time, Art and Mary Jo, both avid sailors, have logged in over 10,000 nautical miles on his seafaring yacht, The Paradigm, which was featured in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Deerfield Magazine. Happily, Art reports that The Paradigm survived Hurricane Sandy. Richard Smith is still retired on Cape Cod (Dennis) for eight months of the year and in Wilbraham, MA, for three to four months, or traveling to visit children and grandchildren.

1960 Pete Noonan was named an honorary alumnus of Wittenberg University during the institution’s 2012 Homecoming festivities. Along with his late parents, Pete has strong ties to Wittenberg, and served for several years as a member of Wittenberg’s Board of Directors. Wellknown for his philanthropic activties in his hometown of Springfield, OH, Pete is also known as the leader and co-founder of Midland Properties. He commented, “To be a part of the Spring-

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Three generations of Gilsons were on hand for Commencement 2012, l to r: Trustee Emeritus Peter Gilson ’57, his grandson Peter Gilson ’12, and son Geoffrey Gilson ’84 P’12. In a grand ceremony in Èsìe, Nigeria, last December, Phillips Stevens Jr. ’59 was named an honorary chief (Erewumi of Èsìe) for his many years of work cataloguing, photographing, and preserving the collection of the community’s famous (yet mysterious) stone sculptures. At the ceremony, Dr. Stevens, who is an anthropology professor at the University of Buffalo, also learned that a research center will be built and named for him. “It was a double honor, and a total surprise,” Dr. Stevens said. The Phillips Stevens Jr. Center for Èsìe Studies will study the Stone Images of Èsìe, as well as other areas of interest, such as economic development and sociology. To read more about Dr. Stevens’ honor, go to buffalonews.com and search for “Phillips Stevens.”

’57 ’61

Tom Poor ’61 and his doubles partner Lenny Bernheimer were inducted into the US Squash Hall of Fame early in January 2013. Thomas Kelly ’62 shared a “proud grandpa picture” of his family, which was taken this past Christmas.

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1961 Class Captains Jon W. Barker Thomas M. Poor In March, Louisiana State University Press released Jim Marshall’s book—Student Activism and Civil Rights in Mississippi: Protest Politics and the Struggle for Racial Justice, 1960–1965. “This book has been on the back burner for many years,” Jim said, “and since my retirement at the end of 2008, I was able to redevote myself to updating my previous research during my three-year fellowship at the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Now my devotion to the subject I was deeply involved with will finally be available to share with all of those who have known me over the years and others who wish to understand what happened during the civil rights movement in Mississippi.” “We are currently back in Ocala, FL, our winter home,” wrote Ernest Oare when we last heard from him. “I am particularly bemoaning ND’s loss (which we attended) to Alabama, since while growing up in South Bend Notre

Dame NEVER lost. I guess I should be happy that we are back in the hunt. Our third grandchild arrived on October 1. Reynolds (our youngest son) and Val produced our first boy. Looks like a Deerfield student to me. All the best to the whole Deerfield Family—particularly the ‘older set.’” Tom Poor writes: “I was honored to be inducted, along with my friend and doubles partner Lenny Bernheimer, into the US Squash Hall of Fame at a ceremony on January 10 at the University Club of Boston. It was a memorable evening for us as we were presented plaques with family, friends, and many members of the squash community in attendance. However, the honor cut no ice at home, as I was soon back to washing pots and pans, driving car pools, and taking out the trash.”

1962 Class Captains Peter W. Gonzalez Dwight E. Zeller Boyden Society Captain Howard Coonley Thomas Kelly reports: “Shortly after our fabulous reunion, my daughter gave birth to my third grandchild, a beautiful girl named Elle. She joins Kevin and Colleen, her cousins from my son, Tom’s family, and here is a proud grandpa picture from Christmas of all of us!” (See page 58.)

1963 Reunion Chairs Richard W. Ackerly Peter A. Acly Timothy J. Balch David D. Sicher Boyden Society Captain Edward R. McPherson Tim Balch says, “2012–2013 was quite a transition. I have long known that if I lived long enough, I would need an aortic valve replaced. And so, on November 6 it was done. I was discharged on November 11 (our wedding anniversary), and readmitted on November 13, due to an unusual allergy to heparin (used as an anticoagulant during surgery). The second hospitalization was six weeks, while the physicians waited for blood platelets to restore (generated by bone marrow, there is no alternative) so, at that point, though I had a less than ideal platelet count, the EP study was completed on the heart to determine if I needed a defibrillator, etc., and the study was negative, so no implant of devices, etc., and I’m almost back to normal.” At the time he added, “I will be off the Coumadin in two weeks (preventive therapy for platelet restoration). With a bit of help from the Creator, I will look forward to the climb to the Rock in June. Looking forward to seeing classmates and the Morsmans at Reunion.” “After six years as a high school classroom history teacher, I joined the Academic Support Team at Lawrence Academy in Groton as a his-

tory and expository writing tutor,” says Bob Kniffin. “Five years later, I find myself as a fulltime writing tutor at both Lawrence and the Groton School. Apparently someone believes I know something about writing and all glory goes to Deerfield and Strunk and White. My wife, Leta, and I will be at our Reunion in June.” The following is excerpted from an obituary the Houston Country Club posted: James Graham “Jimmy” Moses passed away on January 12, 2013, in Houston, TX. He was the devoted husband of Jeanne Wehmeyer Moses, the adoring father of Jennifer Hart and Jill Holstead, and the proud grandfather of Tommy and Jean Holstead. Jimmy loved life; he loved the world and everyone in it, and the world loved him back. When you met Jimmy, you became his friend. He had time for everyone, and each person he met was delighted to be the focus of his attention. He was beloved by those from all walks of life, and he shared generously his robust personality. During much of his life, Jimmy was faced with serious health challenges; he fought these with persistence and valiance while relishing the life he had been given.  Jimmy was born in Houston on April 16, 1944, to Frances and Robert Moses; he was the middle child between big brother Bob and younger sister Barbara. His early years were spent in Richmond, TX, which he referred to lovingly as “the

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field community requires active engagement in the community. It also requires recognizing the powerful partnership between Wittenberg and Springfield, one that must be maintained as we work together in building our collective future.”

Deerfield Academy Archives

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’64 ’64 Lowell Davis ’64, Head Coach Buddy Teevens ’75, and David Hagerman ’64 posed for a photo during pre-season football practice at Dartmouth. Pat Gillespie ’64, his wife Mary Ann, and daughter Annie Gillespie Campbell posed next to the sign for the John Honeyman – Pat Gillespie Soccer Fields in Pat’s hometown.

pearl of the Brazos” and “the hub of the Gulf Coast.” He attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts and graduated from The Kinkaid School in Houston. He attended the University of Texas at Austin on a football scholarship and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, where he made many lifelong friends. Jimmy moved to Houston after graduation; he worked first with metals and tubes and then founded Bunker Steel, an oilfield tube and pipe company, where he served as chairman and CEO. He married Jeanne Wehmeyer in 1968 and proudly declared that this was the smartest decision of his life. He was fully invested in his two daughters, Jennifer and Jill, and he spent many hours coaching girls’ softball, and

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serving as a sideline coach for all of their other sports. The family shared a great love for the outdoors and for the sport of hunting, and some of their best memories come from times spent around the campfires in South Texas. Jimmy had the best eyes for spotting game and earned the nickname “Eagle Eyes.” He loved to hunt white wing dove, quail, duck, turkey, and whitetail deer and was thrilled when he realized the dream of his own South Texas ranch, El Sueño. He delighted in his family’s shared enthusiasm for hunting and the outdoors and felt blessed to see his sons-in-law, Scott and Raymond, embrace these things as well. His grandson, Tommy, reveled in stories of “Jimbo’s” exciting hunting adventures. His stories

came to life with Jimmy painting word pictures of the beauty and excitement of the outdoors. Jimmy and his family spent wonderful times at their family home in Montana. There, the magnificent scenery with eagles soaring, elks bugling and the Yellowstone River flowing made him feel especially close to his heritage and to God. “Lucky Jimmy” didn’t waste a day. Life was too precious. Jimmy served as a deacon at Second Baptist Church and was a longtime member of the Sojourners Sunday School Class. He was a member of the Houston Country Club, Allegro, Tejas Breakfast Club, and Gulf Coast Conservation Society, and he was a proud lifetime member of the Texas Exes. He served on the board of Amegy Bank of Texas and spent many years on the Breeders Greeters Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.   The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) has selected Rick Warren of Bangor, ME, as the 2012 recipient of the

Lee Wulff Atlantic Salmon Conservation Award. Visit asf.ca/bdn-publisherreceives-salmon-conservation-award.html for more on Rick’s award.

1964 Class Captains John L. Heath Robert S. Lyle Charles B. Sethness Boyden Society Captain Christopher G. Mumford Richard Berner reports, “In April 2011 I returned to public service as counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury. I’m primarily responsible for setting up the Office of Financial Research and have been nominated to be its director. The office’s mission is to serve the needs of the Financial Stability Oversight Council in assessing and monitoring threats to financial stability. Both the council, a collaborative body consisting of financial policymakers, and the office, were created by the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010. Deerfield reinforced for me the importance

I came to Deerfield last year, from my home in Canada, with dreams of playing college hockey. During my senior year, I realized there were amazing opportunities I hadn’t considered before. Next year, I’ll be in China, studying at New York University’s Shanghai campus. Deerfield has expanded my dreams, and my life, in less than two years. I made a five-year pledge to Deerfield, as part of the Class of 2013 Green and White campaign, because I’m grateful, and I want Deerfield to know it can count on my support. Jarred Kubas ’13

The Annual Fund You can now make a recurring gift for up to five years. Please consider a gift or pledge today. deerfield.edu/imagine or use the form on the reverse.

The Annual Fund and Class Notes Make your gift at deerfield.edu/give; mail a check to: P.O. Box 306, Deerfield, MA 01342; or use the provided envelope. Thank you for your support!

ID# (on the address label of this magazine) D00

Deerfield Recognition Societies Presidents Circle

Preferred email address: ■ I/We would like to make a gift annually until my next reunion year.

Headmasters Circle

■ I/We would like to make a gift this year only.

$50,000 to $99,999

■ Please charge my gift(s) of $ to: ■ AMEX ■ MC Card Number:

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

■ VISA

Heritage Circle

Exp. Date

Name on card:

$30,000 to $49,999

Signature: Billing address for credit card (if different from printed address on label): ■ Enclosed is a check for $

$100,000 and above

made payable to Deerfield Academy.

Founders Associates $15,000 to $29,999

1797 Member (20th Reunion +)

$5,000 to $14,999

Employer matching gift form: ■ Enclosed ■ To follow

1797 Member

Name of matching gift company:

(not yet 20thReunion)

$1,797 to $14,999

Additional Opportunities and Information

■ I plan to give securities (please call Jeff Swetland, 413-774-1597) ■ I have included Deerfield in my Will or Trust. ■ I plan to include Deerfield in my Will or Trust. ■ I would like to Volunteer for Deerfield.

Class Notes: Use the space below, submit online: deerfield.edu/alumni/notes

Green and White (20th Reunion +)

$1 to $4,999

Green and White (not yet 20th Reunion)

$1 to $1,796

or email news to: classnotes@deerfield.edu

Thank you for your support.

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you are going to enjoy the exercise to come. Best wishes to all!” Pat Gillespie, who coached high school soccer from 1970 to 2005 and was instrumental in the creation of both the Greater Cleveland and Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Associations, was honored by the dedication of The John Honeyman - Pat Gillespie Soccer Fields at Linden Park on August 4, 2012. The more than 600 high school players Pat coached were always given these words to use not just on the soccer field but in everything they did: “Do your best at all times and never quit.” “Still trying to be retired but not succeeding,” says Forrest Holly. “I’m teaching at the University of Arizona as adjunct professor of Civil Engineering.” David Moyer retired last year, after 26 years in the Navy and 14 at Kaiser Permanente. “Besides grandparenting, I have had time to climb Kilimanjaro recently and be a volunteer trip leader for our local hiking club to Norway, Tasmania, and Patagonia,” he says. Gregor Trinkaus-Randall completed a year as president of The Society of American Archivists in August of 2012. He received the George Cunha and Susan Swartzburg Preservation Award from the Association of Library Collections and Technology Services (ALCTS—a division of the American Library Association) in June 2012. He also served as the representative

of the Society of American Archivists and The Academy of Certified Archivists to the International Council on Archives quadrennial Congress in Brisbane, Australia, in August 2012.

1965 Class Captains Edward G. Flickinger Andrew R. Steele Larry Colker writes, “My first book of poetry, Amnesia and Wings, will be published by Tebot Bach this year.” “Paula and I sold our business in July and are really enjoying being out of retailing after 35 years,” Jon Eustis reports. “Now we can do some traveling, especially to Portland, OR, where our kids and grandchild have settled.” When we last heard from Alan Firestone he wrote, “I’m going to retire from the practice of medicine after 37 years in the same location. I’ll still teach at the med school and will play more violin and piano and soccer, and cook and travel with BJ, my wife.” The Reverend Bob Ives was appointed to the newlycreated position of director of Religious and Spiritual Life at his alma mater, Bowdoin College, effective January 2013. He retired in June 2012 as founding director of the Carpenter’s Boat Shop after 33 years. “It does seem strange to be semi-retired as an architect,” says John Meyer. “I thought they were supposed to go on forever. Maybe it’s just

slowing down. I do volunteer tutor in the Boston public school system two days a week at the high school level. These are students who have English not as their first language but their second or third. Other than that I read, write, and paint watercolors.” Christopher Monkhouse is currently organizing a major loan exhibition titled “Irish Art on a World Stage, 1640– 1853,” which will open at the Art Institute of Chicago on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) 2015 and run through June 7, 2015. William Sadowski writes, “I’m transitioning into retirement mode—live and work in Palm Beach, FL, six months of the year. Otherwise, status quo is a good thing!” “I retired from a long, varied career in education last June,” Charles Seyffer tells us. “My last position was as athletic director, PE and health teacher, and soccer coach at Grymes Memorial School in Orange, VA. After spending the summer in Maine, kayaking the waters of Frenchman’s and Penobscot Bays, I returned to Virginia, where I am writing and trying to sell my house. When it sells, I intend to move to Portland, ME, to be close to my son, daughter, and two grandsons. I am enjoying the freedom of retirement and love having the time to do some of the things I’ve always wanted to do. My days are filled with reading, writing, hiking, cooking, and playing music. I hope to see many of you from the Class of 1965 at

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of giving back, and I am glad to have the opportunity to do so. Nearly 50 years ago, the Deerfield alumni who participated in a Public Service Symposium on campus impressed me with their commitment to improving our country and our society. I hope that I am worthy of that heritage. 2012 was an amazing year for our family. My wonderful wife Bonnie tolerates my commuting to Washington. Our son Matt married Brittany Mantell in September, and our daughter Laura recently became engaged to Daniel Logue. We’re proud of them all.” Lowell Davis, who sent along a picture of himself, Buddy Teevens ’75, and David Hagerman during pre-season football practice at Dartmouth, commented: “Buddy is head coach at Dartmouth, and David works in the development office at Dartmouth. I was visiting the Hanover area, and connecting with alumni from the Landon School, where I have taught and coached for almost 40 years in Bethesda, MD. I was being introduced to Buddy for the first time by David when Buddy shook my hand and said, ‘My wife told me that some guy fell from a motor scooter and landed on the sidewalk in front of our home last night.’ Broken clavicle and busted ribs aside, a big bruise to my ego suddenly appeared. A lesson that I never learned at Deerfield: Never put a tennis racket and golf clubs on the back of a motor scooter and think that

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our 50th Reunion in 2015.” Stephen Schackne reports: “From 2010–2011 I was on a fellowship in China sponsored by the US State Department. I worked with blind students. Brief included teaching, research, and public diplomacy.” “I have been retired from UPS (United Parcel Service) for 11 years now,” says Philip Steppelo. “My part-time employment at EASA Flight School in Ormond Beach, FL, keeps me busy for a few days each week. I enjoy the conversations I have with student pilots from all over the world; it is a unique experience for me, which I enjoy immensely. My eldest daughter was married in Maui, HI, on October 18, 2012. My wife and I attended the wedding and had an awesome time. Hawaii is truly paradise.”

1966 Class Captain David H. Bradley Les LaBrecque writes: “It has been a while since I submitted any class notes, and other than the field dedication to Jim Smith a few years ago, I haven’t visited Deerfield in a while. After prep school I went to St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY), majored in psychology and played four years of football and three years of lacrosse for them. Following graduation I entered the Navy through OCS and spent nine years as a Surface Line Officer primarily aboard destroyers. I also spent a few years

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as an instructor at OCS in naval engineering. I left the Navy in 1980 and accepted a job with GE Aerospace in Utica, NY, as a marketing rep, settling in Clinton, NY. For the next 27 years I worked for GE and eventually for Lockheed Martin as a result of several mergers and divestitures. After retiring in 2007, my wife Nan still had a few years to work (she taught first grade in Waterville, NY), so I accepted a job with Carpenter Manufacturing, an industrial machinery manufacturer in Manlius, NY, as a sales engineer and worked for them until 2011 when my wife retired. After retirement I began coaching at Hamilton College in Clinton as an assistant line coach and have done that for the past two years. Nan and I have two sons, Ben and Mike. Ben graduated from Washington and Lee University and is a pharmaceutical rep for Berringer Ingleheim, and Mike is a West Point graduate and a major with the 82nd Airborne Division. He and his wife Heather (also a WP graduate and a major) reside in Fayetteville, NC. I realize that this is rather long but I hope it prompts some of the other ‘lost battalion’ of ’66 to respond. Take care everyone.” George Vary says, “The South has risen again—now that Liz and I (along with Boo the Golden) have escaped the DC rat race and retired to the lowcountry in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Things are genteel and relaxed here, even though the urban benefits of lovely

Charleston are quite proximate. And the tax situation sure beats Maryland! Thing we miss most: our really terrific local Chinese restaurant. Grits don’t seem to be big in Szechuan cuisine.”

1967 Class Captains Douglas F. Allen John R. Bass George W. Lee When we last heard from Bill Howe he said, “Just back from skiing in Italy and exploring Rome with wife Cecilia, an Italian native and wonderful guide. Given today’s equipment (and the fact that I haven’t smoked for 31 years), I think Art Ruggles ’33 would have been proud of my performance on the slopes. One more year and I’ll have joint US/Italian citizenship, at which time I may move to Lake Como . . . if they’ll let me set up a tent. Working as a dean now at a Buddhist-affiliated university in LA. Learning much about the Buddhist ideal of ‘letting go,’ though still attached to many Deerfield memories.” Greetings from George Lee: “Just returned from Costa Rica, where my wife Cynthia and I are developing some property on the Pacific side near Playa San Miguel. Hard not to like unspoiled beaches, warm weather, and fair breezes. My family is doing well and could grow soon to make us grandparents—we are excited! I continue to be active in civic organizations in CNY and my real estate

practise continues to grow. We also had a sell-out year at our christmas tree farm—GO GREEN. Thanks to fellow ’67 classmates Ned Scudder and Steve Smith for creating our Facebook presence that continues to inform and amuse and attract more classmates to participate.” Ned Scudder reports: “There is currently a group of roughly 30 members of the Class of ’67 sharing news, photos, and commentary on Facebook. If you haven’t joined, please do. Just ‘friend’ Ned Scudder and you will be added to the group.” “Moved to Atlanta from Dallas last December when my wife accepted a wonderful job opportunity with The Weather Channel,” reported Bill Walker. “It turned into a really great year for us, as my wife is also an Aggie, so some would say that we in fact followed Texas A&M to the SEC highlighted by ‘Johnny Football’ crushing Alabama, which all of Georgia greatly appreciated. My daughters Logan (13) and Chase (11) have brought their Texas charm, cowgirl boots, and good looks to Atlanta, and I know I will have my hands full shortly as they turn into Georgia ‘peaches.’ Some day I hope to bring the family to view the beautiful grounds and hills of Deerfield. I feel so lucky to have attended Deerfield while Mr. Boyden, Mr. Sullivan, and Mr. Merriam still ran the show and of course two of my favorite teachers Mr. Hindle and Mrs. Boyden will forever be a part

1968 Boyden Society Captain Edgar A. Bates Jim Alvord reports: “After a lengthy career in retail merchandising, with stops at several department and discount stores, I was recruited 11 years ago by San Diegobased Petco Stores, where I spent seven years until opening my own consulting firm, JBA Marketing, Inc., working with pet industry suppliers on their products and marketing efforts. My wife Ana and I will celebrate our 28th anniversary this June. We continue to enjoy our children’s progress: 26-yearold Megan is a theater stage management professional, having spent four years in New York on- and off-Broadway with several productions; she has recently returned to California to work at the LaJolla Playhouse. Our younger daughter Grace is an exceptional junior at Cathedral Catholic High School and is winnowing down her college choices for a final decision soon. Son Michael, just turning 13, is thankful for the extended California youth baseball season to feed his passion almost year-round.

Although far away from East Coast family, we do get back to Squam Lake (NH) each summer for a visit, with an occasional drive-thru visit to Deerfield when we’re down that way. Work and other family commitments preclude a Reunion trip this year, but I wish all my fellow classmates a good time this June—we’ll be there with you in spirit. Enjoy!” “I have been training horses since the early ’70s here in the Berkshires on the farm that has been in my family going on 87 years,” Jeffrey Morse writes. “I am currently specializing in carriage driving horses, especially Dr. Boyden’s favorite: Morgan horses. I compete and give driving clinics around the country. I have two sons, Joshua and Jason, who live very nearby, and I have finally achieved grandfather status with the addition of Josh’s son, Jackson. I am blissfully married to my wife, Jen, an herbal medicine specialist. I am the western-most horse owner in the state. Stop in and visit if you’re driving by Exit 1 Mass Pike. We’re just minutes away.”

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Bishop, agreed to be acquired in January by OPKO Health, a NYSE-listed biopharmaceutical and diagnostics company, for $100 million in stock and up to $190 million in contingent consideration. Charlie is an authority on developing and commercializing successful new vitamin D therapies, and served as president and CEO of Bone Care International, a public company, from 1996–2001. Hank Wetzel, when he isn’t running Alexander Valley Vineyards, keeps busy with hobbies that include raising nearly 1000 free range chickens for their eggs, saving honeybees, and growing fruits such as loquats, yellow-green plums, and figs for sale in his local farmers market. Rusty Young booked Judy Collins for a benefit performance in Stuart, FL, on March 13. Earlier, Rusty booked the Fab Faux, a top Beatles tribute band that he has worked with over the years, for a benefit concert in Chicago.

1970 Class Captain G. Kent Kahle Please send us your news and notes! See page 64.

Class Captain John W. Kjorlien

1971

Class Secretary Doug Squires

Class Captains K.C. Ramsay John L. Reed

Some news compiled by Doug Squires: Cytochroma, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on chronic kidney disease and run by Charlie

Boyden Society Captain Edwin G. Reade “Jan and I continue to work on history, trolleys, and music in Darby and environs

( just outside Philadelphia) and are in the early stages of creating an Academy of Building Conservation,” John Haigis tells us. “Working on old buildings requires a special skill set and the best way to learn may be to work on old buildings (which we have in abundance, DarbyHistory.com). The greenest building is the one already built because it represents a past investment, present asset, and future possibility. We seek to appreciate, cherish, and utilize the past but keep the indoor plumbing. We are also seeking help to produce Pudd’nhead, a folk-opera based on Twain’s Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson and Wall Street Beggar’s Opera updating John Gay’s 1728 classic, where MacHeath is now a stockbroker and the Beggar impoverished by the economic collapse. Please visit us on the web and let us know how you are doing.” KC Ramsay reports, “I am back in the thick of it— working as a consultant to Hampton-Sydney College in Virginia. I helped manage a new campus master plan and am now leading a project to design and construct a new student center. It’s great fun to be on the owner’s side of the table when dealing with architects! Hank Haff has provided invaluable advice as I’ve made this transition. “I enjoy keeping up with Peter Ray’s recent work in documentary film making and comparing notes on camera equipment. We’ve come a long way from the

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of many happy memories for me. Hope all is well with all of my classmates. A good friend of mine in Albany, NY, advised that he plays golf regularly with Jim Reed, so I thought I would pass that along to all those who were friends of Jim.”

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The Running Sonnets Duncan Christy ’70 | CreateSpace, 2012

The Rhythm of Running | With The Running Sonnets, Duncan Christy ’70 pays homage in verse to a sport that has been his salvation. Running is a “unique brand of medicine / That has so enabled my life to flow / According to a harmony within,” Mr. Christy writes in a poem dedicated to the doctor who introduced him to his lifelong passion. Throughout its pages, The Running Sonnets conveys a multitude of experiences, from the agony of an ankle fracture to a favorite “sweetheart” run. Mr. Christy’s sonnets are at times comical, heartwarming, and powerful. In “Lost,” Mr. Christy describes a runner out to complete a 5k who takes the wrong route. “Now what to do?! How to go on from here?” Mr. Christy asks. “Did Magellan retrace? Or da Gama? / No way!” Finally, the runner returns home, “His k’s some several multiples of 5.” In “Central Park,” Mr. Christy vividly describes the experience of running through the park as a ride on a “lovely carousel of running,” with runners of all kinds and paces: . . . Then a continuum of striding From sprint to lope to bounce to trudge to chug. Urbanites in every kind of costume, At every tempo from gazelle to slug, Are here, for which New York makes ample room. Poetry is a medium particularly suited to capturing the essence of a sport so characterized by rhythm and movement. In poetry, “every word is like a perfectly executed stride while running. It glides, it soars, it bounds,” Mr. Christy writes in his foreword. The Running Sonnets is a lasting contribution to the literature of running, and all runners will find something they can relate to within its pages. ••

Edison Pena, “The Running Miner” “To prove to God how much I wished to live,” Edison Pena ran up to six miles Per day. A figure that’s quite impressive When you consider the track of his trials: He’s trapped underground in a collapsed mine. Fighting for life with 32 others, Hoarding their rations, nursing their life line, Praying, singing Elvis, being brothers. He does more than dream of a marathon, He trains for it. For 69 dark days Envisions the jersey he hopes to don, And then, rescued, runs to the world’s praise. So the next time you can’t quite motivate To run, think of Edison Pena’s fate.

YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO REGISTER!

August 1– 4, 2013

Mimi Morsman lmorsman@deerfield.edu or 413-774-1586

deerfield.edu/go/ltth

clockwise from top:

’77

John Cirtis ’77 and his wife pose with two of their three children. Jeffrey Morse ’68 and his wife Jen enjoy a fast ride at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. Adam Sokoloski ’57 and Bob Wynn ’72 had a “serendipitous encounter” on the intercoastal waterway in South Florida this past winter. Two-day-old Maria Magdalena Mackey, daughter of Scott Mackey ’77. The Goss family enjoyed Choate Day 2012 together. Marla Erkins Goss P’13, Claire Goss ’13, and Jonathan Goss ’77 P’13 Jim Reed ’72 (left) and classmate Bob Wynn enjoyed some time together with their families at Jim’s vacation “compound” in Steamboat, CO, last summer. Geoff Buerger ’75 poses with the infamous Stanley Can while visiting John Knight ’83 in John’s Ephraim Williams office.

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’72 ’75 ’77

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long days in the darkroom in the basement of the Memorial Building. Even compared notes on hip replacements with JD Mills, who was doing some research for a family member. My ordeal continues, but no longer affects my day-to-day activities. Not quite ready for the golf match that Mark Marcopolis and I have been planning, however. All of these remind me that the relationships we form at Deerfield have value for a long time. Ann and I look forward to meeting our second and third grandchildren when they are born this summer.”

1972 Class Captains Bradford Warren Agry Joseph Frederick Anderson Michael C. Perry Robert Dell Vuyosevich Boyden Society Captain Robert Dell Vuyosevich Jim Reed hosted Bob Wynn and his wife, Millie, at his family’s vacation compound in Steamboat, CO, last July. In addition to exploring the great outdoors and spirited political conversations, Jim convinced Bob to join him in membership in Deerfield’s Boyden Society. Bob Wynn reports, “Millie and I had a serendipitous encounter with Adam (Dan) Sokoloski ’57 and his lovely wife, Susan, as we both cruised the inter-coastal waterway in South Florida on January 24, 2013. The Sokoloskis were escaping cool weather from their domicile

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in North Carolina, and we were escaping more brutal cold from Wisconsin. We look forward to catching back up with each other in NC for some bridge!

1973

1975 Class Captains Dwight R. Hilson James L. Kempner Peter M. Schulte Boyden Society Captain Ralph Earle

“Terry and I moved to Austin, TX, in 2011, and we are now splitting our time between Austin and Minnesota (our home state),” says Michael Hejny. “One of our daughters is a budding artist, and the other is producing beautiful grandchildren. Our son Peter is working in Los Angeles for Tom’s Shoes.”

John Knight ’83 reported, “True story: Geoff Buerger stopped by the office today and asked, ‘Is that the Stanley Can?’ Harmless enough, but Geoff lives in Hay River, Northwest Territories in Canada, which is easily a 3300 mile drive!” From John Rafferty: “I’m out in Denver, CO, backstopping my paralyzed son, Bryce, as he learns how to drive again with customized equipment. Loving the sun and mountains out here.”

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1976

Class Captains J. Christopher Callahan Geoffrey A. Gordon

Class Captains Marshall F. Campbell David R. DeCamp

Peter Bannish passed away unexpectedly on July 28, 2012 at home. In addition to Deerfield, he was a graduate of Westfield High School and Harvard University. Peter was a three-sport star at both Westfield and Deerfield. He leaves behind brothers and sisters and several nieces and nephews. Fred Bendheim recently had an exhibit (chashama. org/event/song_for_harlem) in Harlem.

Boyden Society Captain Henry S. Fox

Class Captain Peter D. Van Oot Reunion Chair Lawrence C. Jerome

Please send us your news and notes! See page 64.

1977 Class Captains James Paul MacPherson J. H. Tucker Smith Wayne W. Wall Lots of news from Bob Burr: Daughter Phoebe ’11 is thriving at Gettysburg College, son Elliott is a freshman lacrosse recruit at Syracuse University, and son James is a sophomore at the Middlesex School and hot on his brother’s trail in the lacrosse

world. Wife Kerri is expecting a new Burr baby in May, when we will be in our new home in Marblehead, MA. Hopefully a member of the Deerfield Class of 2031!” John Cirtis checked in recently and commented, “Even after 22 years in London we have never stopped missing New England seasons. Kids are increasingly spread out: Morgan, a Dartmouth junior now in Jackson Hole; Austin, a fresher at Durham (UK), and Silas at Wellington, a boarding school that is part of Round Square, as Deerfield is. My father (Deerfield ’47) mentioned to me that our family tree has an Enos Bronson in it. He also figures first in the list of Deerfield heads as preceptor in 1799. I did not know we were involved in Deerfield from its very start. In 2011 I left environmental resources management at the time of a private equity transaction and purchased a small-scale bio-diesel company. I also took on the task of rescuing a botanic garden on the Isle of Wight (botanic.co.uk). All Deerfield is more than welcome at Ventnor Botanic Garden!” “After being married for five years to Helen Makoterska from Ukraine, our first child, Maria Magdalena Mackey, was born on January 17, 2013, here in Orlando, FL, Scott Mackey writes. “I’ve got to be the oldest in the Class of ’77 to have a first child!”

I have a five-mile commute, don’t have to move, and couldn’t be happier! Best wishes to one and all!

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’79

—Brad Butz ’79

1978 Class Captain Paul J.S. Haigney Reunion Chairs Devin I. Murphy Stephen R. Quazzo Please send us your news and notes! See page 64.

1979 Class Captains Arthur Ryan Dwight Daniel C. Pryor Boyden Society Captain John H. Christel Brad Butz “wants everyone to know I retired from the US Air Force after 28 years

of global fun! BOSH Global Services graciously offered me an opportunity to continue the fun, working small unmanned aircraft challenges. I have a five-mile commute, don’t have to move, and couldn’t be happier! Best wishes to one and all!” “Recovery continues in the wake of Superstorm Sandy,” reported Bob Hein when we last heard from him. “I was able to remain in my house, but lost the garage (literally), had about two feet of water in the basement, and the property was scoured clean and covered in about four feet of sand. I hope to have

the house and property back in shape by summer, but I believe it will take a couple of years for the town of Bay Head, NJ, and the area to fully get back to normal.”

1980 Class Captains Augustus B. Field John B. Mattes Paul M. Nowak Steve Casey says, “My big news is: I was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug again. In 2012, I decided to bring one of my back burner ventures forward, and in January of this year my new company

launched RxCuris.com, a free anonymous patient and caregiver support portal (check it out if you get a chance). The site is focused on empowering patients and caregivers to gain financial and nonfinancial support. Came up with the idea several years ago when I was the caregiver, and trying to help my parents through a medication nightmare. Always open to connecting on LinkedIn; I don’t do Facebook for some reason. I know I’m missing out on Falcone’s updates, but hey—that’s life. Best to all!” “After 12 years on my own in the arena of sales and mar-

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’81

Not Just for the Birds Treehouses have captivated the imaginations of children and adults alike for generations . . . there seems to be something about the idea of building a shelter above the forest floor that not only excites us, but provides a delightful sense of both safety and privacy. Pete Nelson ’81, founder of Nelson Treehouse and Supply and The Treehouse Workshop, author of Treehouses: The Art and Craft of Living Out on a Limb, and front man of the brand-new Animal Planet original series Treehouse Men, has clearly taken this “captivation” to a whole new level. Mr. Nelson’s obsession with living in the canopy began at an early age, and he recalls building treehouses with his father and friends. His passion for these structures only grew throughout his years at Deerfield, where he penciled up his first few original designs. After graduating from Deerfield and Colorado College, Mr. Nelson decided to turn his passion into a career, eventually becoming the bestknown “Treehouse Guy” in the United States. With several hundred projects and 25 years of experience in the business, few people could argue otherwise. Mr. Nelson also holds the honor of being the 2011 Huffard Visiting Architect at Deerfield.

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“Trees have always been something that people are attracted to . . .” said Mr. Nelson during an interview with ABC News. “This is something that I’ve heard, but I tend to believe it,” he continued. “You climb up into a tree and all of a sudden you feel safe, your heart rate drops . . . so that’s a benefit!” Relaxation is certainly a common theme throughout all of Mr. Nelson’s work, as his light, compact structures seem to meld together with their trees, creating a powerful sense of uplift and support. His structures never appear as burdens to their host trees (and in actuality do not harm host trees), but as natural partners that complement the overall effect. Mr. Nelson is not the only treehouse guy on the West Coast, but the work he is doing across the country is inspiring the development of entirely new techniques and artisans. His new television show, Treehouse Men, will focus on the daily operations of Mr. Nelson’s companies, and the strong family ties that help keep the business running. Most importantly, however, the show focuses on the fundamental ideas Mr. Nelson is trying to express with his work, as he integrates them with developing trends in today’s evolving housing market. For instance, building a treehouse removes certain complications from the equation of building a traditional home; these compact, stylish buildings take up much less space than common households, as well as require less energy to heat and maintain. Treehouse Men will premiere on the Animal Planet channel early this summer. ••

To learn more about Mr. Nelson and his treehouse empire, visit nelsontreehousesupply.com

petenelson.wordpress.com

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PETE NELSON

builder

the common room Her devotion to Deerfield is legendary. Sixty-three years of teaching, challenging, and inspiring. And yet she wanted to do even more to sustain the school. Through a bequest, she established an endowed fund to support the work of young chemistry teachers such as Jennifer Marino. One hundred and eight years after her Deerfield career began, Mrs. Boydenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lessons continue. How will you live on at Deerfield?

L I V E O N AT D E E R F I E L D Katherine McKay, Director of Gift Planning | 413-774-1872 | kmckay@deerfield.edu | deerfield.edu/go/boyden deerfield.edu

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keting, I recently accepted an offer to become a major gifts officer at Old Dominion University effective February 11, 2013,” Peter Lawrence wrote when we last heard from him. “It’s a wonderful up and coming university and I encourage classmates with high school juniors and/ or seniors to take a look at it: odu.edu. The steady paycheck and benefit package will be a nice change. I don’t know if there are too many, if any, Deerfield/ODU alums but contact me if you are one. I’d love to learn about your ODU experience. For classmates unaware, my beautiful bride and I moved to Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore three years ago. We live in a place called Bay Creek. Check it out at baycreekresort.com. We have two spectacular golf courses along the Chesapeake Bay (Palmer and Nicklaus signatures courses), and it’s only five and a half hours from the Lincoln Tunnel. We’d love to have classmates stop by.” Matt Mattes checked in: “Two years ago, Chris Schenck and I started talking about how I might contribute to Knapp Schenck, his family’s insurance agency, and arguably the biggest, oldest, and best in Boston that you’ve never heard of, until now. It was founded in 1921 by Chris’ grandfather and it grew dramatically under the stewardship of Chris’ father, Garret ’50. It has thrived under the direction of Chris and his cousin, David Winship, since

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1987. Chris brought me on board in June to lead the new Personal Benefits Solutions division, which encompasses life, disability, and long-term care insurance along with financial, retirement and estate planning, and executive benefits. I’ll also help broaden the agency’s property and casualty reach south of Boston and beyond. We’re based in New England, but by no means are we limited to serving only the immediate area. In fact, we have clients in most states and are exploring international capabilities, too. So, if you have any questions in these areas, don’t hesitate to call.” Mark Rubin was recently appointed the inaugural director of the new pioneering Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Presbyterian Hospital. Mark is a renowned pathologist and prostate cancer expert who uses whole genomic sequencing to investigate DNA mutations that lead to disease, particularly prostrate cancer. He has authored over 275 peerreviewed publications, and holds multiple NCI-funded grants in prostate cancer genomics and biomarker development; he is a member of the World Health Organization Prostate Cancer Classification and the Prostate TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) Working Group. Mark serves as an ad hoc reviewer for many publications, including Nature and The New England

Journal of Medicine. He has also won numerous awards and prizes for his work. Brian Solik reports, “By God’s grace we survived Hurricane Sandy with no damage, although we are only 20 minutes from the Jersey Shore. The roller coaster in the ocean that all of you saw—my kids and I had ridden it many times. The Bible says that ‘heaven and earth will pass away . . .’ A year ago I celebrated my 50th by jumping into the ocean (in January!) right next to that pier. I am sure most of you are feeling the effects of aging, except for a couple of our classmates who somehow compete in triathlons (I haven’t figured out how they do that). I broke my leg in August playing ultimate frisbee, had surgery, and am slowly getting back to playing flag football and frisbee with teenagers. One of these days I’ll have to call it quits . . . but not yet.”

1981 Class Captains Robert G. Bannish Andrew M. Blau Leonard J. Buck Kurt F. Ostergaard John H. Sangmeister Boyden Society Captain Peter F. McLaughlin Bob Bannish writes: “I wanted to update the news and notes from the past year on two fronts: First, the good news. My wife Kati and I had our third child (boy #3) on January 12, 2012. His name is Dempsey Lew Bannish

and joins his brothers, Tate (six) and Decker (three). The sad news is that my brother Peter J. Bannish ’74 passed away unexpectedly on July 28, 2012, in Westfield, MA. He was a three-star athlete (football, basketball, and baseball) at Deerfield in his post-graduate year. He was the main reason I decided to attend Deerfield four years after his graduation. He went on to be a star baseball player at Harvard.” “I spoke with Andy Cohen this morning and Craig Slater and Andy Freedman ’76 last week,” Morris Housen reported when we last heard from him. “I spent an afternoon with Alex Navarro ’82 and his family a few months ago. He and I reminisced about our days in Plunkett and commented that our ‘class notes pages’ get farther away from the back of the magazine each time it arrives. I bought a house in Lexington, MA, last year that was built in 1797 and couldn’t help but wonder if the folks building the house got the news about the new school being built in Deerfield that year. The house is a project and an enjoyable one. I continue my work at the Erving Paper Mills trying to keep a 107-year-old paper mill relevant for its customers. The company barely survived the recession but is thriving now. Last year I was helping my 14-year-old son with his geometry proofs; Al Schell’s voice, manner and instruction came right to mind.”

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’83

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1982 Class Captains Frank H. Reichel William Richard Ziglar

’82

Boyden Society Captain Marc L. McMurphy Tim Carey reports, “My family recently attended my eldest son Tim’s graduation from Army Basic Training and MP School at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. Tim graduated as the 3rd Platoon Honor Graduate as well as receiving awards for the ‘Top Shot’ with the M9 Pistol and achieving the highest score for a male in the entire Company for attaining a 357 on the Army Physical Fitness Test. He will be assigned to the 747th Military Police Company of the Massachusetts Army National Guard in Ware, MA, and will return to Westfield State University in January to continue his pursuit of a degree in Criminal Justice, where my younger son Luke will join him. Kaleigh graduates high school in June and will attend ??? TBD! Ann is a flow manager (RN) in the

’83 ’84 David Ziccardi ’83 enjoyed the view during a rest stop at Apex Orchards in Shelburne, MA, after participating in a cycling fundraiser for land preservation in Franklin County (MA). | Taylor Watts ’83 and his son took the Stanley Can for a walk during an admission visit this past fall. | Wonduk Han ’84, his brother Euiduk ’83, Euiduk’s four children, and Wonduk’s girlfriend enjoyed a day of sun, swimming, and Korean barbecue last summer. | Tim Carey ’82 and family posed for a picture following Tim’s eldest son’s graduation from Army Basic Training and MP School, Fort Leonard Wood, MO. | From John Knight ’83: “Yes, that’s a Gregory ‘Wen’ Brown bobble head standing on an old IHL Bruins jersey in front of the Stanley Can. It may only be remembered by alumni in classes 1974–1989, but it is kept safe in the Office of Annual Giving at Deerfield.” | Judge Victor Wright ’84 had the honor of swearing in Diamond Hicks ’99 to the California Bar.

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emergency department at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and I just completed my 25th year as a manufacturer’s representative for the John M. Kirk Company.”

1983 Class Captain John G. Knight Reunion Chair J. Douglas Schmidt Boyden Society Captain John G. Knight John Knight says, “I took PEODU to lunch recently. That’s President Elect of Denison University, Dr. Adam Weinberg. I couldn’t bear the thought of him no longer being 30 miles away, although we’ve only seen each other four times in the six years he’s been nearby . . . And if you asked the thoughtful and reflective former defense-man from Dallas, he would say he wishes he had kept up with Deerfield, and his classmates, a little bit better. As he nears age 50 and reflects on the formative moments in his life, turns out we were a big part of it. To remedy his melancholy, Adam swore on his Class of ’83 tie that he would be at our 30th Reunion. (Register now!) He then followed that up with a bit of a surprise: A recurring credit card gift for five years in recognition of his love for DA and our upcoming time together as a class. Let’s keep working at keeping our lines of communication open, and sharing laughs together when we

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have the chance. We are an incredible group, this Class of ’83. Thanks for the reminder, Adam. We wish you well in your next chapter.” John continued, “It’s always fun to travel for the Academy, especially when I get to visit classmates! After a great DA reception at White Oak Kitchen in Atlanta (owned by Alan LeBlanc ’80) a random group (including Clay Holloway ’66, Chris Murphy ’85, David Van Riper ’85, Andrew Hough ’89, and myself ) marched down the street to Max Lager’s (also owned by Alan) and drank a single malt scotch toast to Mimi and Jay Morsman ’55 on the news of their retirement. Murph does ‘logistics’ in Atlanta area, Van Riper writes software for Suzuki, and Andy is an M&A lawyer. Solid citizens all and lots of bad ’80s memories . . . The bleary eyes I brought to breakfast the next day were immediately cleared by the broad grin of Hardie Jackson. So fun to see him and catch up. He’s in constant contact with Charlie Gagne, and both are planning on making the 30th Reunion. Hardie is busy as COO of a promising young company, distributing custom athletic protection for all at Evoshield. The day before Atlanta I caught up with Brian Steward, our award-winning San Antonio lawyer. (Good to know there is help for us all over the map if we need it!) He’s got Reunions on the radar too. Also got a big bear-hug from Corby Snow ’81.

“Ben Patton was invited to campus by the senior class recently as one of nine alumni presenters at ‘Pathways.’ The program, which was created by the Alumni Association in 2001, shows how a Deerfield education might prepare you (or not) for the road ahead. Other presenters were Asha Echeverria ’96, Josh Greenhill ’96, Rob Hale ’84 P’15, Leslie Hotchkiss ’06, Sean Keller ’86, Stephanie Lazar ’94, Adam Lubinsky ’89, and Rafi Mottahedeh ’02. Ben spoke of his average academic record, his perceived pressure to join the family business, and his desire to tell stories . . . and how that’s all come together in his current work with veterans suffering from PTSD. It was a conversation with journalist and brain injury survivor Bob Woodruff that set him on his current path. Ben learned from Bob that to cope with the jumbled memories that come from severe injury, it helps to unpack them and order them in a way that makes sense. Ben recognized immediately that the process mirrors film editing and the work he had been doing with Fred* film workshops; he began making movies with PTSD veterans to help them tell their stories. Clearly the process is therapeutic for the veteran and helpful to their families as a way to understand the issues. Learn more at pattonveteransproject.org. Thanks for making the time to talk to the students, Ben, and for being available to

them along their pathways. “Had the chance to catch up with two classmates recently, and my abbreviated reports will only give you a glimpse of the excellence that is DA ’83. The full versions are only available at our 30th Reunion, so register today! Pete Townsend is in Boston, handling dry-wall projects for a commercial retrofitting operation. When a client moves out of an office building, his team reworks all the walls for the new client, etc. Both of his sons are at Carrabassett Valley Academy at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, (offering a unique balance of college preparatory academics and competitive ski and snowboard training). He looked good and had his usual smile when we connected at the DA reception in Boston at the MIT Museum (very cool). John Kikoski and I connected in NYC recently. John has been spearheading an effort to develop ‘GTL’ technology for development in the US. Gas to liquids technology might be a game changer, especially for the air travel industry, and interestingly, Sasol announced the first GTL plant in the US to be started soon in Louisiana on the very day John and I met. I hadn’t talked to John for an hour straight for years, but I guarantee it will not be as long before I make a point to do it again. John is especially proud, as he should be, of his six-week-old son. We are a solid bunch of citizens—30

BAYARD WINTHROP

’87

Made in the USA “American manufacturing is making a comeback,” American Giant declares. The words appear in bold letters on its website, across the backdrop of a photo of Bayard Winthrop ’87 and employees at the company’s cut and sew facility in California. American Giant is proud of its product and its message: Their clothing is made entirely in the United States of America, and their hooded sweatshirt has received national attention as “the greatest hoodie ever made.” In a Slate article published last December, American Giant was praised for its ability to make high quality, long lasting clothes—entirely in the United States—for a reasonably low cost. The secret to its success? “It’s called the Internet,” said Slate. Because the San Francisco–based American Giant sells its clothing only online, it avoids costs for distribution and maintaining a physical storefront. American Giant can invest more in its product, making apparel that lasts a lifetime, similar to the clothing that was produced 30 or 40 years ago. “I grew up with a sweatshirt that my father had given me from the U.S. Navy back in the ’50s, and it’s still in my closet,” Mr. Winthrop told Slate. “It was this fantastic, classic American-made garment— it looks better today than it did 35, 40 years ago, because like an old pair of denim, it has taken on a personal quality over the years.” To create a line of “classic American-made” men’s clothing, Mr. Winthrop hired a former industrial designer for Apple as his creative director, who experimented with sweatshirt prototypes, perfecting every aspect of the typical hoodie. American Giant’s signature hooded sweatshirt is made of heavyweight cotton to prevent shrinking and pilling. Other features, such as stretchy side-panels and heavy-gauge thread along the seams, provide a fitted, yet flexible, feel to a garment that doesn’t stretch out or fray over time.

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entrepreneur “For a lot of people, this all might sound like overkill,” Farhad Manjoo wrote for Slate, “a beautiful hoodie might strike you as oxymoronic and superfluous, and you’d just as well spend your money on high fashion rather than a slacker uniform. But even if you aren’t a fan of sweatshirts, American Giant’s business model is worth watching. Like American Apparel, the company has staked its brand reputation on making its clothes in this country. But American Giant’s rationale isn’t merely a patriotic one. Winthrop argues that by making clothes in America, he can keep a much closer eye on the quality of his garments, and he can make changes to his line with much more flexibility.” Following the Slate article’s publication, American Giant’s sales exploded. The growing company sold out of its current inventory almost immediately, but it is responding to the overwhelming demand with the same innovative spirit it shows in its approach to design and distribution. As it adjusts to its newfound fame, and expands its business even more, American Giant is paving the way for a return to an age of classic, high quality clothing—made in the USA. ••

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years later! Please remember Deerfield in your annual philanthropy, with many options for recurring credit card giving now available at deerfield.edu/give.” Dean Singewald writes, “Sandy and I along with the boys (Hunter, 12, and Max, 7) caught a Central Connecticut State basketball game recently, thanks to Paul Schlickmann, the University’s AD. While Paul had official duties to tend to, we did get a chance to chat for a few minutes at halftime and at the end of the game. Paul has been at Central for the past three years, and the job is treating him well. He and wife Kristin were heading to Syracuse after the game to visit family and catch the CCSU-Syracuse basketball game. Both will be at our 30th Reunion! We, too, will be at the Reunion with the boys and are looking forward to it! Hunter and Max thoroughly enjoyed the basketball game and can’t wait to catch the next game. Had hoped to see Jim Wareck at the game as well, but he changed plans due to an impending snow storm. The weather has not been kind to Connecticut of late. Looking forward to seeing everyone back at Deerfield this spring! “If you can believe it, after 16 years at BBDO NY and 14 of them on the Gillette business, I’m heading to mcgarrybowen in NY to lead the United Airlines and P&G Aussie accounts as a managing director,” Peter Geary reports. “Now that Ryan is 14 and

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Charlotte is 11, time was right professionally and personally to make a move. Hoping to get to Reunions this June.” Whit Sheppard is finishing writing a 125-year history (1887-2012) of the Horace Mann School for publisher Heritage Histories, which is the province of Tim Noonan ’70. David Ziccardi checked in: “Last August, Eileen and I took a long weekend up to DA to participate in D2R2, a cycling fundraiser for land preservation in Franklin County. It was my first visit since ’91 and Eileen’s first look at the school. We arrived Friday morning and set up camp in a field just south of the village. We then took a drive up to the old ski facilities, where I spent much time toiling as the first and only four-year letterman on Varsity Trail Crew. That afternoon, we spent some time talking with John Knight in front of the administration building. During our conversation, who should stroll up but Mr. Harcourt, who tried to teach me chemistry 30 years prior. In any event, the ride was as beautiful as it was challenging. Hoping to be able to ride up from home this June for my 30th Reunion.” Jim Wareck’s second career got another boost recently when his latest film project, Newlyweeds, was accepted to SFF 2013 (IMDb, Facebook). Jim did not write this one but is a producer and plays a character in the movie called “Hedge Fund Coke Fiend.” Jim and Brad

are working on their next screen play as well. Taylor Watts and his son made the admission visit last fall and decided to take the Stanley Can for a walk and a photo before departing . . . (See page 75.) Adam Weinberg will become president of Denison University, effective July 1, 2013. See denison.edu/ theden/2012/11/denisonsnext-president/ for the full story.

1984 Wonduk Han sent in a photo (see page 75) with the following note: “This photo was taken last summer at the entrance of my new home in Mie Prefecture, which is about 40 miles south of the city of Nagoya (the third largest city, situated right around the center of Japan). Euiduk ’83, my older brother, has four kids, a boy, girl, boy, girl, all two years apart. Euiduk and his Japanese wife (Taeko-san) truly choreographed the delivery well! I am in the middle of the photo, with my Chinese girlfriend on the right (Taeko-san took the photo, so she is not pictured here). This was, as usual, a hot humid summer, and we swam in the nearby ocean, enjoyed the sun, and then chowed at a local Korean barbecue restaurant. With plenty of cold beer, the dinner was excellent, but whenever Euiduk and I get together, we talk about how much we miss American traditions—one

being a family-style barbecue. I hope to attend the 30th Reunion in 2014 and reunite with my classmates.” David Rancourt says, “I had the great pleasure and honor of supporting a courageous Barry Hinckley in his run to replace Connecticut’s junior US Senator. Although unsuccessful, Barry established himself as a thoughtful and serious candidate for public office. Barry fought hard and proved that ideas and principles still do matter in politics today. I am confident that he will find other opportunities to serve his state and country.” Judge Victor Wright swore in Diamond Hicks ’99 to the California Bar. They were joined by Diamond’s mom Sauda Johnson; Diamond had a small private ceremony in Victor’s courtroom in Inglewood, CA.

1985 Class Captains Charles B. Berwick Sydney M. Williams Boyden Society Captain Christopher J. Tierney ’85-ers Ted Ullyot and Matt Fawcett were recently named in 2012’s Top 20 General Counsel in California. Ted was named for shepherding Facebook through its IPO and Matt for innovations at NetApp that dramatically improved the business’s transaction velocity and efficiency.

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’86

’88 ’87

The Academy’s Russell Gallery featured the work of alumnus Chris Burns ’86 late this past fall. Part sculpture, part photomontage, visit cburnsmontage.com to view Chris’ latest work. Evan Campbell Reese was born early this past fall; proud parents are Samantha Perito and Christopher Reese ’88.

evan

Jeremy Robert Starr was born on October 24, 2012, pictured here with proud dad Andrew Starr ’87. “Fall family fun” with DJ Fairbanks ’87 and his children.

jeremy

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Os Bolos da Julie Julie Wolf Deffense ’91 – Marcador, 2012

Sweet in Any Language | “A picture is worth a thousand words” also comes to mind when flipping through Julie Deffense’s ’91 gorgeous (and mouth watering!) cookbook, Os Bolos da Julie, which roughly translates to “The Cakes of Julie.” Packed with tempting delights, Os Bolos da Julie is worth a look, even if you can’t read a word of Portuguese. In 1998, Ms. Deffense moved to Portugal to take a short-term job. She’s been there even since. For years she worked in publishing, which included creating two of her own publications— People&Business and CasaTotal—but Ms. Deffense also spent many happy days in her kitchen, experimenting and creating, and becoming more and more adept as time went by. According to her website, thegreatamericancake.com, with so many family and friends requesting her specialty, cakes, she was inspired to take her hobby to the next level. In January of 2011, she earned a diploma from the Wilton Master Course, and in June of the same year, she began studying with Colette Peters, owner of Colette’s Cakes in New York

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City. Ms. Deffense earned a diploma in gum paste and fondant, and in 2012 another diploma for sculpted cakes. Colette Peters has authored several cake cookbooks, and she may have been Ms. Deffense’s inspiration to write Os Bolos da Julie, which prominently features cakes recipes along side those for muffins, scones, cookies, and more. Os Bolos da Julie is just one part of Ms. Deffense’s growing confection empire; she shares her passion for the scrumptious with clients by offering them personalized, custom designed Americanstyle cakes, as well as teaching courses for those who want to learn the art of cake decoration. Thegreatamericancake.com caters to both amateur and professional bakers in Portugal, offering hard to find American ingredients, and cake decorating and baking supplies. A hit in Portugal, Ms. Deffense and her work have been featured in magazines, on websites, and in television commercials and shows. In the US, we can only hope that Os Bolos de Julie will be translated into English . . . ••

1987

Class Captains Henri R. Cattier Michael W. Chorske

Class Captains John D. Amorosi Andrew P. Bonanno

Boyden Society Captain Todd H. Eckler

Andrew Bonanno writes, “Murch, Dewey, and Kennel: great to catch up while I was in San Francisco! To the rest of the San Fran crew who couldn’t make it—next year.” DJ Fairbanks reports, “We had our second child this past October. Now that I have my boy, we should be done!!” Jeremy Robert Starr was born October 24, 2012; he’s pictured playing with dad Andrew Starr on page 79.

“I attended a wonderful memorial service for our departed friend, John Flicker ’85,” Cole Brown says. “It was graciously hosted by my brother Gregory ’85 and attended by a number of our close friends. A special thanks to John Knight ’83 for his assistance and support. We were all saddened by this tragedy and will always remember ‘Flickadoo’ and what a great friend and person he was. Flicker always brought a smile to my face, and as much crazy fun as we had over the last 30 years, it pains me to realize he’s gone. I can still visualize one of the best summers of my life in 1985 with Gregory, Flicker, and Brad O’Sullivan ’85. We did more in Europe that summer than a bunch of blokes on V-E day. I know we all ended up with our still present ‘it’s on thin skin it will fade’ ankle tattoos from Juan-les-pins, France. Of course John had the best one. We all know he will be sorely missed and we are all that much emptier without him. I can only hope we will not have an opportunity to repeat this for many years to come. Be worthy brothers.”

1988

completing high school, and still actively skydiving and playing ice hockey several times weekly. Life is good!”

1990 Class Captain Jeb S. Armstrong Jonathan Petty was married on August 25, 2012, to Catherine Hyland in Larchmont, NY. “It was a glorious day and we had a great honeymoon in Europe. Living in NYC and run into DA alums a good amount.”

1991 Class Captain Justin G. Sautter

Reunion Chair Oscar K. Anderson

Boyden Society Captain David A. Thiel

Please send us your news and notes! See page 64.

1989

1992

Class Captains Gustave K. Lipman Edward S. Williams

Class Captains Elizabeth B. Cooper Kristina I. Hess Jeffrey Morrison McDowell Clayton T. Sullivan

“As I finish my dissertation in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, I am splitting time between being an assistant professor at Edgewood College and consulting with Organization Development Consultants, Inc., providing psychological assessments and evaluation to police, sheriff, and fire departments,” reports Trevor Nagle. “I also spent a month this past summer on a consulting project at Saudi Aramco, in Dahran, Saudi Arabia. On the personal side, really enjoying watching my daughters

Thomas Appleton reports that after only traveling with their eldest up to this point, the whole family of six (kids ages seven, four, four, and three) will be spending August in Hawaii (where his wife is from). Thomas is hoping that a few intrepid souls might join them there. If “crazy enough to be interested,” please send him an email at tappleton@lwcotrust.com. Katie (Birrell) Utley died suddenly on November 17,

2012. She is survived by her husband, Stephen, and two young sons, Chase and Stephen, as well as by her sisters and parents. After graduating from Williams, Katie worked in marketing in the Colorado ski industry, and later relocated to Richmond, VA, where she was employed by Trilegiant in client services. She left that position to pursue her passion for art, and was employed by John Barber Art in addition to serving as a marketing consultant to local artists. At the time of her death, she was a realtor with Long and Foster in Richmond. In lieu of flowers, Katie’s family requested that memorial contributions be made to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Silver Springs, MD. Last year the Casey James Garrels ’92 Memorial Fund was established in honor of Casey Garrels, who died in 2011. Original donors to the fund are: First Eagle Investment Management, LLC, The Winchendon School, John Arnhold, John Bochicchio, Peter DeVries, Laura Esposito, Sheryl Finch, Cynthia Garrels, Robert Hackney Jr., Tara Hannigan, Ashley McAvery, Henry Richmond, Mr. and Mrs. William SanFilippo, Mr. and Mrs. Kinh Tran, and Stephanie Valeche. For those who would like to contribute at this time, checks should be made payable to the Trustees of Deerfield Academy, with “Casey James Garrels ’92 Memorial Fund” in the

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1986

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memo and may be sent to Deerfield Academy, PO Box 306, Deerfield, MA 01342. Emily Day Ross writes, “After 17 years in Southern California, our family relocated to Palm Coast in northeastern Florida. My husband Paul and I are purchasing a tax and accounting practice. We are excited to be in business for ourselves! Our boys continue to grow: Andrew is 11, Ian is eight, Maxwell is seven, and Niall is five. Using my great education from Deerfield, I teach them at home. Life is busy and crazy, but full of lots of fun times. I would love to hear from any classmates or anyone in the Jacksonville to Daytona area. My email address is emily@rossfamily6.com. I am hoping that being back on the East Coast will make a family trip to Deerfield doable some time soon!”

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’90

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Pictured here are Jonathan Petty ’90 and Catherine Hyland on their wedding day, surrounded by their groomsmen at Larchmont Yacht Club. Emily Day Ross ’92 and her family pose on the beach near their new home in northeastern Florida. Mike Laskin ’94 and his family closed out last summer with a warm September weekend on Block Island. Nate Garrison, born December 6, 2012, to Dan Garrison ’94 and Jill (Carmody) Garrison ’99.

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Reunion Chairs Kimberly Ann Capello John T. Collura Christopher T. DeRosa Michelle Lin Greenip Charlotte York Matthews Sarah D. Weihman Marjorie Maxim Gibbons Widener Jannie Lau has been promoted to executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of InterDigital, Inc., a publicly traded wireless technology company headquartered in Wilmington, DE. She joined InterDigital as associate general counsel in 2008 and had been serving as deputy general counsel since 2010.

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The Disaster Diaries

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Apocalypse Sam Sheridan ’93 | The Penguin Press, 2013

Expect the Worst | Imagine you’re driving with your family on the highway, listening to the radio. It’s a beautiful day, and your biggest concern is making sure you get to the movies in time to catch the previews. Suddenly, the familiar tones of the Emergency Alert System blare over the radio, but without the usual “This is a test” announcement. The earth around your vehicle begins to rumble, and the overpass ahead of you cracks apart . . . Or imagine waking up in your bed at night to the sound of a rushing tsunami flooding your first floor . . . Or even more fantastically, that the dead have begun to rise and attack the living. Do you have the skills and strength to survive the initial cataclysm? Do you have what it takes to guarantee your family’s safety after the modern world has collapsed? These are just a few of the questions that Sam Sheridan ’93 asks in his latest book—The Disaster Diaries—a modern-day users’ manual for survival in apocalyptic scenarios, no matter how outlandish they may seem. Throughout the pages of his book, Mr. Sheridan describes some of the infinite variables one might encounter after an apocalyptic event, and explains how to prepare for them. His research stretched from training with Olympic weightlifters, to learning under the tutelage of firearms gurus, to living at the top of the world in an isolated Inuit town that never thaws. Growing up in Old Deerfield, Mr. Sheridan had always been fascinated by stories of the 1704 raid on the town, and quietly feared when the next attack might happen. “As a little boy I knew by heart which doors had tomahawks hacked in them,” Mr. Sheridan says in his book. “Perhaps the simple explanation is correct, that these childhood fears marked me.” Mr. Sheridan connects this subtle, omnipresent fear in his youth to his later pursuits as a mixed martial arts fighter, sailor, volunteer firefighter, and more. In his mind, he was always subliminally preparing for some sort of life-altering cataclysm—something that would shake the world to its core. For the most part, living on his own, Mr. Sheridan was comfortable with his skills. But when his son Ace was born, everything changed. “Here’s the bittersweet truth of having a child,” he says. “It entails the loss of a kind of narcissism, the end of your own childhood. Maybe you’re not the sole reason for the existence of the universe.” In that one sentence, Mr. Sheridan sums up the most powerful underlying reason for crafting his book: Not only did he write The Disaster Diaries to better his (and his family’s) chances of survival, but in the hopes of doing the same for fathers all around the world. ••

Was I embarking on this journey in a desperate attempt to prove myself worthy of caring for another life? Maybe. But maybe not. You may think I’m a paranoid pessimist, spouting all this doom and gloom. But after considerable thought on the matter, I believe that’s wrong. I’m an optimist. You and me, we’re going to make it, at least those first twenty-four hours after the wave hits, the bomb drops, or the corpses start clawing their way out of the dirt. If you are one of the lucky one percent who survive the pandemic, it will be a damn shame if you die because you don’t know how to start a fire. We’re going to make it, and we need to know what we’re doing.

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MARC LANOUE

restorationist

’98

Marc Lanoue ’98 and his father David don’t simply renovate old buildings—they are dedicated to seeking out and restoring New England’s hidden architectural treasures for an entirely new generation to appreciate. The duo also hosts workshops at their complex in Great Barrington, MA, focusing on the development of local carpenters and students, and infusing old New England wisdom into every aspect of their teachings. While Lanoue Inc. has grown from humble beginnings into the highly successful operation it is today, Mr. Lanoue and his father have never forgotten just how important the local community will always be to their success. “We really take pride in building great buildings,” admits Mr. Lanoue. “It somehow seems to add a lot to the collective good when someone builds a good building.” One of their most recent acquisitions, the “Connecticut River Valley Barn,” which came into the Lanoues’ possession via Historic Deerfield, is a powerful testament to that idea. The barn, originally built in 1789, is considered to be the oldest barn in the

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

Valley. Of course the rarity and age of this structure drew Lanoue Inc. toward the restoration project, but their foremost interest in the structure was the unique opportunity it offered to gain further insight into the techniques used by colonial carpenters. The buffs and scratches left behind by hand-forged tools weave a story across each wall of the centuries-old building. “The barn has many interesting features and markings from that time,” explains Mr. Lanoue. “It is extremely unique.” As a for-profit business, renovation is only one stretch of the road toward success for the team. “We go out of our way to save early, significant, and special buildings, almost always on our own dime at first, before a customer is found,” says Mr. Lanoue. “Actually, it is quite an investment.” Attention to detail and loyalty to each structure’s historic significance only compliments an already robust repertoire: “These buildings won’t last forever and are often in need of repair; we do nearly everything in an historically accurate manner—right down to the methods

Watch a Lanoue Inc. barn restoration project: vimeo.com/57215214

Courtesy of Marc Lanoue

Preserving Our Heritage

“The (Connecticut River Valley) barn is truly unique in that it features very large tie beams joined to plates with lapped dovetails and joined into very large gunstock posts via teasel tenons—classic English tying joints. The barn roof system is framed more like a meeting house than a barn, featuring principle rafters joined to the tying beams supported by raking struts, staggered purlins framed into the principle rafters, and pole rafters step-lapped over the plates and framed into a ridgepole with braces framed between the principle rafters and the ridgepole on the plane of the roof! The sidewalls feature vertical oak studs that support horizontal weatherboards, feather-edged and secured with early wrought nails. We even found remnants of the original sill system. This well-cared for barn must have been very important to someone to have survived to this day.”*

we use to make repairs—they’re the same as those people would have used back then—such as hand-hewing the timber and preserving most of the original boards and planking,” explains Mr. Lanoue. Unfortunately, until a buyer is found for this particular project, the frame and major parts of the Connecticut River Valley Barn will remain in storage at David E. Lanoue Inc. headquarters, gradually receiving care whenever a rare chunk of free time appears. “Right now there is no set date for the preservation,” says Mr. Lanoue.

*From David E. Lanoue, Inc., lanoueinc.com

“The frame gets an initial cleaning in our shop and we will chip away at the repairs while we get the word out.” Ironically, waiting is often the nature of restoration, but the team fully expects the barn to see the sun again, right where it belongs, somewhere in the Valley. “We’ve done projects as far away as California,” says Mr. Lanoue. “But in this case we’d love to set the barn up in a place where it could have stood when it was first built.” ••

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Jannie is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Columbia College of Columbia University.

1994 Class Captain Daniel B. Garrison Bradley Bower’s father, Steven, sent the following update: “Bradley has joined the Peace Corps and is currently on assignment in Azerbaijan until the end of 2014. He is teaching English in a rural secondary school there.” Dan and Jill ’99 Garrison welcomed a baby boy, Nathan Charles Garrison, on December 6. He was born at Mass General Hospital in Boston, 8:58 pm, 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Both of his parents are “over the moon,” as are his four proud grandparents! Mike Laskin writes, “Last April we grew our family when Rachel gave birth to a healthy and beautiful baby boy, Samuel Isaac. Samuel is especially adored by his twoand-a-half year old brother Benjamin—they make each other laugh all the time. To make room for Samuel, we decided to leave Boston and move out to Newton, and it seems like we have spent most of the past year settling into the new home and life with the two boys. Luckily, they fit right into the family as they both love the beach, boating, and watersports. Work has been more steady recently as our little start-up got bought by giant Cisco— same services, different brand. It’s fun keeping up

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with everyone on Facebook— stay in touch!”

1995 Class Captains Daniel D. Meyer Avery B. Whidden Jeffrey Steiner reports: “A little delayed but very excited to report that my wife Bari (Glazer) Steiner and I were married on September 17, 2011, and we welcomed our daughter Dylann Susanne on June 11, 2012.”

1996 Class Captain Farah-France P. Marcel Burke Please send us your news and notes! See page 64.

1997 Class Captains Amy Sodha Harsch Margot M. Pfohl When we last heard from Amy (Sodha) Harsch she said, “My husband Brett and I are expecting a baby boy (our first) in March and are very excited! My baby shower was in January and I was thrilled to have several Deerfield girls from the Class of 1997—Jill (Bowers) Black, Annie (Lynch) Lukowski, Ali Lee, and Heather Viets— there to celebrate with me.” Libby Leist was recently promoted to Washington, DC, senior producer of the TODAY show. David Lee reports, “After eight years in Washington, DC, working on national security budget and policy

issues at the White House Office of Management and Budget, I moved to the National Security Council as a director for Nonproliferation Policy last year to work on nuclear issues. After marrying Soohyun Park on August 25, 2012, in Washington where David An ’99 and Jeff Grady joined us, I landed a State Department job in New York at the US Mission to the UN to work as an adviser and delegate to the United Nations and to live with my new wife. After an action-filled 2012 that included three jobs and a wedding, we are now happily enjoying our new life in New York City!”

1998 Reunion Chairs Thomas Dudley Bloomer Alice Elizabeth Brown Ashley Muldoon Lavin Vanessa Bazzocchi McCafferty Okechukwu Ugwonali “Ben and I welcomed our son, Philip, on March 27, 2012, and had a terrific spring and summer together,” Lauren Downey wrote. “Fall brought the beginning of a challenging school year teaching Latin at Needham High School. A nice distraction came at the end of October with the visit of my good friend Annette Grew and her family. We had a terrific time in Boston during Halloween, taking in the elaborate decorations on Beacon Hill. School is still very busy as I attempt to teach, mentor, and plan a trip to Rome, but I would gladly

welcome a respite from all that in the form of a visit from friends!” Ty Hennes has been named regional manager of USA Hockey’s American Development Model. Visit usahockey. com/News/HennesAnnounce. aspx for the full story. When we last heard, Page McClean had started a three month long job in Port-auPrince with Haiti Reporters, an organization that works with Haitian youth to develop their talents and expertise in filmmaking and journalism. Juliana (Russo) Siconolfi checked in: “Happy New Year! I am very happy to share that I married Robert Siconolfi last May in New York City! We are enjoying life in Alexandria, VA. I continue to work as a professor with GW Law’s externship program, and I’m also busy writing and consulting on professionalism issues. Hope you all are well!”

’95 ’97

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’95

dylann

’98

jack

sebastian

’98

’99 ainsley

’99

haddie

Ethan Lively ’95 posed with his family for their 2012 holiday card. From l to r, top to bottom: Ethan, Denny Lively P’95, Kate Lively, Sandy Lively P’95, Nora, age four, Margaux, age six, and Drew, 11 months. | Dylann Susanne was born on June 11, 2012, to Jeffrey ’95 and Bari Steiner. | Amy (Sodha) Harsch reunited with ’97 classmates Jill (Bowers) Black, Annie (Lynch) Lukowski, Ali Lee, and Heather Viets at her baby shower in January. | John (Jack) Merrigan Moore was welcomed by Leigh Merrigan ’98 and her husband Pat Moore on November 14, 2012. | Yasmine (Nemazee) Westmacott ’98 and Carolina (Dorson) Ponzer ’98 welcomed daughters Soraya Rose Westmacott and Mercedes Myers Ponzer (Mimi) recently. Carolina commented, “Mimi and Soraya had their first play date in NYC before they were a month old!” | Classmates reunited in Boston: Ben Szekely, Lauren Downey ’98 (holding James Compte), Caroline Grew ’99 (holding Philip Szekely), Chloe Compte, and Annette Grew ’98 | Ainsley Sara Byrne, daughter of Trevor ’99 and Hannah Byrne. | Katharine June Lo ’98 says: “We welcomed baby Sebastian John Lai into our family on April 20, 2012.” | Hadley “Haddie” Waterman Barnes was born on September 9, 2012. Proud parents are Amory ’99 and Eli Barnes. deerfield.edu

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1973

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Montague’s Sawmill River Run received national attention this year, thanks to Adam Voiland ’01. Writing for the “Races and Places” section of Runner’s World, Mr. Voiland shared with readers his New Year’s tradition of bundling up and running the race with his father and brother Luke ’99. Mr. Voiland reflects on his childhood growing up in Montague as he describes the scenic 6.2-mile course that winds its way past meadows, farms, and 19th century barns. “The sound of the river transports me back to long summer days we spent mucking around in the water below like feral cave kids, slathering ourselves with clay from the riverbanks and worrying about nothing except how many frogs we could catch,” he wrote. “As the sound of the river fades, we enter the meadows, a fertile tract of land on the floodplain of the larger Connecticut River. Wooden tobacco barns, tractors, and a few lonely farmhouses dot a landscape of fallow fields. I inhale deeply, devouring the scent of the soil.”

Photo: George Ross’s DIGITALphotoconcept

ADAM VOILAND

Mr. Voiland has reviewed two races a year for “Races and Places” since 2010. He is currently a writer for the NASA Earth Observatory, a website that shares images, stories, and discoveries about the climate and environment. “On any given day, I’ll be reporting and writing about virtually anything happening on our planet that satellites have observed in one way or another,” Mr. Voiland said. “On some days this means I might be writing about a breaking natural disaster like a hurricane, wildfire, or volcanic eruption. On another day, I might be writing about long-term trends like the global temperature record, the growth of a solar farm, or how a glacier has changed over decades.” Among his many responsibilities, Mr. Voiland writes features, blogs, tweets, and even attends rocket launches for the Earth Observatory. His work has also appeared in Earth, Streetsblog Capitol Hill, and U.S. News & World Report. ••

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The Road Traveled—Each NewYear

runner |writer

’01

The sound of the river transports me back to long summer days we spent mucking around in the water below like feral cave kids, slathering ourselves with clay from the riverbanks and worrying about nothing except how many frogs we could catch.

Visit earthobservatory.nasa.gov to read more of Adam Voiland’s work.

deerfield.edu

musician

’01

DON MITCHELL

Dynamic Harmonies

Pilot Machines, the debut album from Don Mitchell’s ’01 band Darlingside, couldn’t be further from “just another indie rock record.” This award-winning collection weaves a compelling and profound narrative via the noteworthy talents of Darlingside’s five band members, but it also stands as a tantamount representative of the growing industry of self-driven performers. “We walk a line between experimental and mainstream music,” remarks Mr. Mitchell. “From song to song it’s different. Some are more rock, folk, or classical. We’re always asking ourselves, ‘How can we describe this?’” Pilot Machines developed in the transformed bedrooms, basement, and even bathrooms of the house Mr. Mitchell and his bandmates shared in Northampton, MA, but the crystal clear vocals and distinct instrumentation in this album rival any that were laid down in multimillion dollar studios. “There were amps in closets—upstairs we had acoustics and vocals. It was wild,” says Mr. Mitchell. A producer from LA was present to help move things along, but Darlingside maintained total control from conception to completion, which allowed them to infuse a wide variety of their musical influences and classical backgrounds into the work. This synthesis produced tracks that surge forward with deliberate rhythm while simultaneously soaring, thanks to a variety of string instruments and aerial vocals.

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Pilot Machines is best experienced if you have some extra time and a comfortable spot in which to kick back, relax, and listen; each play reveals more of the complex instrumentation and harmonies laid into every track. The record’s seamless pacing also helps the tracks melt into each other, creating a listening experience that often seems to end “before you know it.” As for mega singles, several tracks stand out: Still, “The Woods,” and “The Company We Keep” are all great, but the song “The Ancestor” in particular will evoke a swath of emotions in listeners of all ages. Pair that with the jaw-dropping visuals of the animated music video produced by Crazy Lake Pictures, and Darlingside’s potential as an explosive success becomes increasingly apparent. One of the most interesting and powerful elements of this band and their album is how closely their studio work lines up with the live performances. “With classical strings, if you saw Aerosmith live there would be a track playing,” says Mr. Mitchell. “We’re taking something that’s often a studio tool and making that the core of the song. It’s neat for people to see exactly what instruments are being used and whose movement is contributing to making a certain sound.” Darlingside travels regularly throughout New England, performing shows and even hosting workshops for students. Go to darlingside.com for information on upcoming events, sample tracks, and more. ••

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’00 “ Woodscape,” by Fitzhugh Karol ’00, was part of SculptureFest on the Vermont Land Trust property at King Farm in Woodstock, VT.

1999 Class Captain Christopher Colin Wallace Amory Bradley Barnes wrote, “Eli and I welcomed our daughter, Hadley ‘Haddie’ Waterman Barnes on September 9, 2012. She weighed 5 lbs. 3 oz. and measured 19.5 inches long. We all are adjusting well and enjoying this new chapter!”

Trevor Byrne and his wife Hannah welcomed their second child on December 15. Ainsley Sara Byrne weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. She is adored by her older brother, Declan (16 months) and the entire family is doing great. Diana Torres-Hawken was honored with the Delia Nila Basile award for her work in the Hispanic community at the Aurora Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board’s annual awards ceremony.

2000

Class Captains Lisa Rosemary Craig Emily Jean Dawson “I continue to work as a sculptor, designer, and woodworker in Brooklyn, NY,” Fitzhugh Karol said when we last heard from him. “I recently debuted ‘Woodscape,’ a large-scale public installation as part of SculptureFest on the Vermont Land Trust property at King Farm in Woodstock, VT, and I’m preparing for a solo exhibition of large-scale outdoor works at The Aidron Duckworth Museum in June 2013. I recently launched a jewelry collection, based on

small-scale representations of my sculpture work, and serve as The Brooklyn Home Company’s creative director, where we are currently working on several new real estate developments.” “I’m very excited to report that I (finally!) married Alex Rozek on September 15, 2012, at the C Lazy U Ranch in Granby, CO,” says Mimi Rozek (Krueger). “My brother, Chris Krueger ’98, was a groomsman and fellow ’00 classmates Ashley Kadakia (Hilton) and Aurora Tower were bridesmaids. Addie Conner, Kelley Drake, Kady Buchanan (Tremaine), Maggie Domont (Brown), Katie Long (Fay), Sheida

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“ I was married in September to Rick Chamberlain in Brooklin, ME, where we live,” Libby (Irwin) Chamberlain writes. “We were thrilled that Deerfield friends Sara (di Bonaventura) Ofosu-Amaah, Jessica Wood, Emily Geiger, and Lindsey Whitton Christ all made the trek to celebrate with us, and Rick’s father, Val Chamberlain, represented the Class of 1966! Rick is a boatbuilder at Brooklin Boat Yard, and I’m currently the director of admissions at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill.”

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’05

’04

’01

Andrew Lederman and Grier Potter ’01 were married in Boston on June 23, 2012. Classmates of Grier’s who attended the wedding were: (l to r): Kate Larsen, Rebecca Blumenkopf, Christy Williams, Julie Silipo, Elizabeth Barker (formerly Dyke), Sara Von Althann (formerly Mills), and Emily Pell.

’00 ’97

Haley Warden ’04 and Lauren Rodgers were married last August, with Katie Coyne ’04 serving as an official witness. “ We forgot to bring the Deerfield banner but we did sing the fighting song!” says Mimi (Krueger) Rozek ’00, who married Alex Rozek on September 15, 2012, in Colorado. David Lee ’97, his bride Soohyun Park, and their wedding party posed in front of the White House after David and Soohyun’s August 25, 2012, wedding.

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Bunting (Tabaie), and Hilary and Will Kallop were there to help celebrate in true Deerfield style!

2001 Class Captain James Dorr Dunning Andy Black checked in: “Since I last wrote, I married Kaelan Young, who I met at St. Andrews, and moved to sunny Tampa, FL. Curtis Chin, Katie Beth ’02, and Matt Konowicz were all there to celebrate. I now split time between Tampa and Washington, where the consultancy Navanti Group I founded three years ago continues to grow. I recently caught up with Eli Barnes ’99 in DC and got to meet Curtis and KB’s baby boy.” “I was married in September to Rick Chamberlain in Brooklin, ME, where we live,” Libby (Irwin) Chamberlain writes. “We were thrilled that Deerfield friends Sara (di Bonaventura) Ofosu-Amaah, Jessica Wood, Emily Geiger, and Lindsey Whitton Christ all made the trek to celebrate with us, and Rick’s father, Val Chamberlain, represented the Class of 1966! Rick is a boatbuilder at Brooklin Boat Yard. and I’m currently the director of admissions at George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill.” A perfectly sunny January day at Squaw Valley was enjoyed by Lauren Frank, (fiancée of Parker Chase), and Chris Hall ’00. Also spotted that day at the Chamois were Liz Parker ’03 and Ben Buchanan ’02.

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2002 Class Captains William Malcolm Dorson Robert Agee Gibbons Terrence Paul O’Toole Dorothy Elizabeth Reifenheiser David Branson Smith Serena Stanfill Tufo Robert Gibbons writes: “Good living in San Francisco with Nick Stielau, Matt Coyle, Casey Ley, and Parker Chase ’01. Directly following our 10th Reunion I climbed Mt. Whitney (tallest peak in Continental US), and have recently started a new job at a start up called Getaround, the leader in peer-to-peer car sharing. Missing the Valley!” Tom Zipser reports, “I am engaged to Whitney Weiler. We are set to be married in Camden, ME, October 5, 2013.”

2003 Reunion Chairs Eric David Grossman Tara Ann Tersigni Ben Shattuck will graduate from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop this spring.

2004 Class Captains Nicholas Zachary Hammerschlag Caroline C. Whitton Katie Coyne sent the following news: “I am engaged and getting married in August 2013; I’m marrying a fellow Hebron Academy teacher, Casey Ftorek (Taft ’04).” She continued, “After working for Submarine, a boutique film sales agency, for four years I

have been tapped to be VP of Digital and Ancillary Sales at Oscilloscope Laboratories, an independent film distribution company based in NYC. I am thrilled to be stepping into this leadership position. Oscilloscope was founded by the late great Beastie Boys singer Adam Yauch in 2008; previous and current releases include Lynne Ramsay’s Golden Globe-nominated We Need To Talk About Kevin starring Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, and Ezra Miller; Oren Moverman’s Oscarnominated The Messenger starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, and Samantha Morton; Shut Up And Play The Hits, the LCD Soundsystem movie; Samsara, Ronald Fricke, and Mark Magidson’s follow up to Baraka; and Todd Louiso’s Hello I Must Be Going, which received major acclaim out of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.” Haley Warden Rodgers writes, “I was married last August to Lauren Warden Rodgers, who hails from Pittsburgh, PA. Katie Coyne was an official witness. I will finish law school at Duke in May, and have a judicial clerkship at the United States District Court in Hartford, CT, followed by another clerkship on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, in Providence, RI. On another note, I’ve been lucky to spend some time with Greg Daggett, who is finishing up veterinary school at NC State after completing his coursework at Ross University in St. Kitts.”

2005 Class Captains H. Jett Fein Bentley J. Rubinstein Torey A. Van Oot Elliott Smith is living in New York. He teaches reading, math, and ancient history at St. Bernard’s school.

2006 Class Captain Kevin C. Meehan Elinor Flynn moved back to her hometown of Dallas this past fall for the first time since before going to Deerfield, after spending two wonderful years living in Rome, Italy, and teaching at an international school. During her time in Rome, Elinor was visited by great friends and former Deerfield classmates Lucy Stonehill, Leslie Hotchkiss, and Cristina Liebolt, with whom she traveled across the country, from the Amalfi Coast up to the Dolomites near the Austrian border. Now back in Dallas, Elinor is studying psychology and working as a research assistant in preparation for applying to graduate school within the next year. “This past fall Edward Wozniakewicz and I got engaged!” says Michaela Martin. “We are busy planning our wedding for the summer of 2014.”

Photos courtesy of Rob Burnett

ROB BURNETT

social entrepreneur

’07

Photographs courtesy of Rob Burnett

Transformation Tea In the mountains of Nepal, farmers have cultivated high quality tea for years, and now—thanks to the efforts of Nepali Tea Traders and Rob Burnett ’07— American consumers can enjoy these distinctive teas and support the children of Nepal with every cup. Nepali Tea Traders, which launched late last year, is the first American tea company to exclusively offer teas from Nepal. Created by a group of social entrepreneurs in Colorado, the company sells a variety of teas, teaware, and accessories, and donates all of its profits to the Nepal Youth Foundation. Nepal is one of the poorest nations in the world, and the Nepal Youth Foundation provides education, housing, and medical care to children. Nepali Tea Traders’ impact on Nepal goes far beyond its charitable donations; the company is supporting an industry that has long been overshadowed by the nearby Darjeeling district in India. Due to the unstable political situation in Nepal, “it has been very hard for [the Nepali tea industry] to capture the international market,” Mr. Burnett explained. “Most of their tea is exported to India at low prices. India ships it all over the world, and all the money goes to India.”

nepaliteatraders.com

To ensure that Nepalese tea farmers get a fair price for their high quality product, Nepali Tea Traders works directly with hundreds of small tea farmers and other producers in Nepal. One of the factories that processes a large portion of the tea sold by Nepali Tea Traders is majority-owned by local farmers and headed by one of the few female tea entrepreneurs in Nepal. The company also promotes sustainable, responsible environmental practices, only purchasing tea that is grown organically. Mr. Burnett, who is Director of International Operations, has been with Nepali Tea Traders since the beginning, joining the fledgling operation right after his graduation from college last June. Mr. Burnett first traveled to Nepal during his gap year between Deerfield and college, then returned during his junior year of college to study development in Kathmandu. Although his interest in Nepal was born after his time at Deerfield, Mr. Burnett said, “Deerfield set me on this path.” He credits his teachers and the service work he did at Deerfield for developing his critical thinking and global awareness, and for encouraging him to make a difference in the world. ••

CHINA

NEPAL INDIA

deerfield.edu

the common room

’06

A worthwhile life is simple math, give it everything.

The Academy community received the sad news of Will McIlvaine’s death on March 11 during a Navy training flight in eastern Washington state. Two other Navy crewmembers were also killed in the accident. As a Naval flight officer, Will was known for his dedication and skillfulness; he lived the phase he included in his Deerfield senior yearbook: “A worthwhile life is simple math, give it everything.” At the Academy, Will was a proctor, captain of the ski

Spring 2013

team, and co-leader of the Mellow-Ds. It was also at Deerfield that he was introduced to the bagpipes— an instrument that would “frustrate and inspire” him for the rest of his life; he piped his class into Commencement. Immediately after graduation, Will was temporarily assigned duty at the Naval Preparatory School in Newport, RI, where he was awarded the Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal for excellence in leadership.

A memorial service for Will and his comrades was held on March 19 at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, WA, followed by a personal memorial at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel on April 9, where the eulogy was delivered by former Headmaster Eric Widmer ’57. Will is survived by his parents, his sisters, including Julia ’05, and a brother, as well as his grandparents, and LTJG Kristen Keelor, who was “central” to Will’s life.

Lauren Frank, (fiancée of) Parker Chase ’01, and Chris Hall ’00 paused to have their picture taken at the top of Headwall, Squaw Valley.

’01

JJ Evans ’05 says, “In Chicago with members of the EverTrue crew!”

’05

2007 Class Captains Matthew McCormick Carney Elizabeth Conover Cowan Jennifer Ross Rowland Please send us your news and notes! See page 64.

2008 Reunion Chairs Sarah Helen Brim Robert Haldane Swindell Inside Lacrosse reports: “In order for Cornell attackman Rob Pannell to return to the Big Red this spring, the Ivy League required him to withdraw from school and forego fallball last spring.

Missing the first semester and lacrosse, Pannell decided to use the time afforded him to travel to Uganda as a part of Fields of Growth, an organization founded by former Scranton head coach and Notre Dame Director of Ops Kevin Dugan, dedicated to utilizing lacrosse to do good throughout the world. Pannell’s the latest in a long line of lacrosse players to go to Uganda.” Katie Canty graduated from Georgetown last May and is now attending Jefferson Medical School in Philadelphia. She received “All American” for college sailing while at Georgetown, where

her team won the National Championship last year.

2009 Class Captains Elizabeth Utley Schieffelin Nicholas Warren Squires Nancy Fuentes graduates in May from Southern Methodist University with a BA in Anthropology. After graduation, she will work in Dallas and take prerequisites for a nursing post-bac program.

2010, 2011, & 2012 Please send us your news and notes! See page 64.

deerfield.edu

scientist

’11

Relatively new to the ranks of Deerfield alumni, Latoya Stewart ’11 is already making a splash in the global scientific community. Time magazine recently published an article highlighting some of her work with the New York Stem Cell Foundation last summer. Ms. Stewart, now a sophomore at Harvard, was part of a research team that developed a nuclear genome transfer technique that will ultimately help prevent certain hereditary diseases from passing across generations. “In PREP for PREP I had programs over the summer that helped me so much,” says Ms. Stewart. “But New York was my first major work, I was more independent, and by the end I was doing a lot of the work by myself. Always being interested or pursuing opportunities really helped.” Mitochondrial disorders affect about .01 percent of the population, but cause a wide variety of ailments that affect the entire human body. Furthermore, these disorders can be difficult to treat because of the nature in which they appear—forming in the unique DNA and proteins that mitochondrial cells manufacture apart from the rest of the body. Since mitochondrial DNA is only transferred from mother to child, these genetic aberrations are unavoidable unless mothers carrying mutated genes opt out of childbirth or go through in vitro fertilization with donor egg cells.

Spring 2013

istockphoto— Henrik Jonsson

LATOYA STEWART

Ms. Stewart’s team, however, has developed a method that might allow mothers to share their nucleic DNA with their child while bypassing the mitochondrial aberrations they’ve inherited. The technique involves a process that actually transfers a mother’s nucleus from a healthy egg directly into a donor egg while leaving her mitochondria behind. While earlier attempts at this technique often resulted in damaged egg cells or unwanted mutations, Ms. Stewart’s team has managed to leave most cells undamaged and successfully allowed them to separate. Stem cells were then removed from the new egg and left to develop into a variety of other matter such as muscle tissue or even neural material. An interesting, but controversial, element of this procedure, however, is how closely it resembles the process for cloning animals. “There have been a lot of ethical debates about using human eggs,” admits Ms. Stewart. “But I think as scientists reveal the benefits of using human eggs, maybe that will change people’s views of the politics on cloning.” Regardless, the work is still quite far from clinical practice and requires a great deal more validation from different teams. In the meantime, Ms. Stewart has more than enough on her plate to keep her busy at Harvard: Whether it’s working at one of her three jobs, practicing with the dance company “Expressions,” or studying hard in her language, medical, and science classes, Ms. Stewart will continue to represent the epitome of a diverse, well-rounded student. ••

in memoriam

1934

James Paulsen Krogh

Carl Richard Woese

November 4, 2012

December 30, 2012

Forrest N. Shumway ’45 P’78 G’12

1937

1953

Trustee emeritus, parent, grandparent, and member of the Class of 1945 Forrest Shumway died on December 4, 2012. He was 85. Born in Skowhegan, ME, on March 21, 1927, Mr. Shumway joined the Marine Corps after Deerfield, and subsequently attended Stanford University, where he earned an undergraduate degree in political science and a law degree. After much urging from his uncle, Mr. Shumway left his budding legal career to join Signal Oil and Gas, ultimately transforming it from a regional energy company into one of the largest conglomerates in the US. Under Mr. Shumway’s guidance, the company expanded from the oil and gas business to buy a diverse range of companies, including Mack Trucks, Golden West Broadcasters, and the Garrett Corporation, an aerospace company. Mr. Shumway’s acquisitions were often lucrative, but according to an obituary in The New York Times, he was also known as a “white knight” who came to the rescue of ailing companies facing hostile takeovers. Also according to the Times, Mr. Shumway’s signature merger was one that ended his three-decade tenure at Signal, when he orchestrated a merger with the Allied Corporation in 1985. The combined companies later merged with Honeywell, assuming the more popular brand name. Mr. Shumway was an active Deerfield alumnus, who served on the Board of Trustees from 1966 – 1981; prior to that, he served as a class agent. For his loyalty and dedication to the Academy, Mr. Shumway was presented with the Deerfield Medal, the Academy’s highest honor, on the occasion of his 50th Reunion. In addition to the gift of his time, Mr. Shumway was a generous financial donor. He and his wife Patsy steadfastly supported the Annual Fund in addition to other gifts, most notably that of Shumway Dormitory, which was dedicated in the fall of 1989. Mr. Shumway is survived by his wife, his son Garrett ’78, daughter Sandra, brother Douglas ’49, a granddaughter, and a grandson, Jackson Cook Shumway ’12. His brother, John ’53, predeceased him in 2007.

November 30, 2012

December 10, 2012

1938

1955

June 30, 2012

May 8, 2012

1939

1956

October 14, 2012

October 30, 2012

1940

1958

July 1, 2012

May 14, 2012

John Thayer Weeks

1963

Carl Cushing Krogh

Fitzhugh Carter Pannill, Jr.

William Martin Kaiser, Jr.

Montford Herbert Robin Sayce

January 30, 2013

1941

Christopher Stanley Smith November 4, 2011

1942

Andrew George Kridl January 2, 2013

Charles Henry Stebbins

Lloyd Wesley Mason, Jr.

Mark Clayton Ewing

Richard Turner Lyman, Jr.

Stephen Robert Monaghan

James Graham Moses January 12, 2013

1964

William Acilio Sandri* December 11, 2012

1966

John Billings “J.B.” Howard January 22, 2013

July 5, 2012

1981

1943

November 21, 2012

Burt Cochran

Eugene Daniel Starr, Jr.

January 9, 2013

1982

James Linn Rodgers, III

February 2, 2013

October 25, 2012

Charles Torrey Williams

Henry Canning Woodward

1987

Eric Charles Moldowan

August 23, 2012

December 1, 2012

1945

1992

December 4, 2012

November 17, 2012

1946

2006

December 19, 2012

March 11, 2013

Forrest Nelson Shumway*

Peter Wiswall Sturdivant Robert Kevin Tisdall October 15, 2011

Kathleen Reynolds Birrell Utley

Will McIlvaine

* Member of the Boyden Society

deerfield.edu

Jenny Hammond and Jessica Pleasant

D E E R F I E L D I N AT L A N TA

1 Curtis Oh ’11, Luke Mario ’12, Hayes Gifford ’10, Mack Chandler ’12, Luke Aaron ’12, Patrick Hilbert ’11, Connie Rhodes ’12, Charles Jones ’12, Jimmy Bitter ‘11 2 Kathleen Prater S’74, Keith Prater ’74, Roger McEniry ’74, P ’07, ’10, Graham Anthony ’74, Lila Sullivan 3 Deerfield Club of Atlanta Committee: Wes Gifford P’10, Art Clement ’66, P’00, Jeff DuFresne ’74, Graham Anthony ’74, Jenny Hammond (Alumni Relations), Andrew Hough ’89, Bill Schwendler ’58 4 Khaleilee Scott ’99, Bill Schwendler ’58, Barbara Schwendler 5 Dr. Ken and Priscilla Lance ’45 with speaker Pete Nilsson, Asst. Dean of Faculty and English Teacher 6 Jim Burns ’67, Angelika Burns S’67 7 Kelvin Lee ’99, Judith Courshon S’70 8 l to r; standing: Ms Guirong Fang P’15, Ms Lirong Cai P’15, Ms Mingfang Zhang P’16, Ms Yanping Yang P’14, Mr. Huazhi Gao P’15, Ms Jin Dong P’16, Mr. Gong Xin Wang P’15; front row sitting: Ms Tianmiao Lin P’15, Mr. Philip Greer ’53 P’94 G’13,’16, Mr. David Pond P’92,’98, Mr. Xin Jin P’13

UNC & DUKE COLLEGE VISIT / NC

REGIONAL & CLUB EVENTS

2 3 5

DEERFIELD IN FLORIDA

100

Spring 2013

DEERFIELD IN BEIJING

D E E R F I E L D I N S E AT T L E

deerfield.edu/alumni/daclubs

for club photo galleries.

DEERFIELD CLUB OF NEW ENGLAND

1 2 3 4

opening night of Little Shop of Horrors 1 Jay Morsman

’55 P’89, Mimi Morsman P’89, Tom Clark ’67 P’94,’96 and others listen intently to Director Catriona Hynds’ pre-show discussion 2 Christine and Jon Pineo SUGARBUSH DAY3 Jeff McAulay, Christine Eckhardt ’05, Eric Bombaci, Jayme Keeling, Courtney Becher, Luke Patterson ’04, Leah Caldwell S’81, Jay Caldwell ’81

Upcoming Events:

8 9

DEERFIELD CLUB OF HONG KONG

DEERFIELD IN LOS ANGELES

deerfield.edu/go/events

1 Deerfield in London 4 Deerfield Club of Atlanta Braves Game 9 Deerfield Club of Southern California: NE Prep Schools Young Alum Cocktail Night 21 D eerfield Club of New England: Opening Night of Spring Student Theater Production 26 Commencement

June 5 Deerfield Club of D.C. Nationals Game 7 Deerfield Club of Chicago Cubs Game 13-16 Reunions 2013 20 Deerfield Club of New York Yankees Game

July 24 Deerfield Club of the Bay Area San Francisco Giants Game 25 Deerfield Club of New England Boston Red Sox Game 26 Rochester Red Wings Baseball Game in Rochester, NY

4 Amanda H. Harris ’00, Jeff Harris, Rick Rorick ’76, Bradley Atwood, Ben

Mallory ’76, Jim Gilbane ’77, Peter Van Oot ’73, Rob Strong ’00, Al Hobart ’55, Jane Hobart, Luke Patterson ’04, Gordon Sadler ’71, Win Smith ’67, Marc Dancer ’79 P’11,’16 5 Paul Harris, Martina Love Harris ’92, Cynthia Richards ’94 6 Mark Yung ’92, Peter Swain ’92, John Antonini ’92 7 Sandy McLean ’44, Betty Medearis 8 9 Friends of Deerfield Hong Kong held a reception on March 13, 2013 for the newly admitted students and parents from Hong Kong and China starting Fall ’13. Pictured: Eddie Liu ’91 and Danny Lee ’84

May

27 Independent School Multicultural Event @World Bar in New York City Invitations are mailed approximately six weeks before each event. If you have not received an invitation and would like to attend a particular event, please contact the Office of Alumni and Development: events@deerfield.edu or 413.774.1474

August 1 - 4 Look to the Hills 2013

first person

How to SaveYour Best Friend’s Life by John Chittick ’66

Throughout Rakai, Uganda, ground zero of the AIDS pandemic, word spread that a short, plump American had arrived. Curiosity got the better of people, and they began to emerge from their dark huts into the sweltering noonday sun, seeking refuge under the large branches of a red flame tree. “I am here to tell you that AIDS is now found everywhere in the world. No one is immune. Although there is no cure to take it out of the body, you can learn how to prevent it from entering.” While Susan, a Ugandan teen, translated my words, another volunteer, Derrick, went over to young men coming in from the fields and sat them before their elders. Looking at the young people in their ragged clothes, I emphasized that they could choose life by telling their friends how to avoid HIV, despite the fact the killer disease had devastated Uganda since it was discovered in 1979. Now, globally, over 40 percent of all new cases of HIV occur among 13-24 year old youth (UNAIDS, Geneva). This was the third meeting of the morning. People listened intently, some with tears in their eyes. A wizened gentleman, limping with the aid of a rough-hewn walking stick, came up to me. “Please help my son,” he softly pleaded and took my arm. Near a recently dug grave for a child, we entered the stifling suffocation of a mud and straw

102

Spring 2013

abode—it was difficult to see anything at first. Unable to carry medicines because of government restrictions, I knew that I would only be able to offer empathy. I sat down on the mat beside a frail young man. I took his hand and was struck by how cold it was in the heat. Derrick whispered, “He died this morning.” What possessed me to leave behind my income and the creature comforts of home to embark on a volunteer global AIDS campaign on a shoestring budget? I still ponder that question sometimes, but my passion for humanitarian causes had its roots in President Kennedy’s call to service: “Ask not what your country can do for you . . . ” and when I first walked down Albany Road in the fall of 1963 those words were reinforced. That evening Mr. Boyden addressed us as his “Boys” and emphasized that we should strive to be worthy of our heritage, a concept few of us new students grasped, but one that would become clearer over time. I found that Deerfield was a community that empowered us to excel; we were pushed to study hard, play sports, take part in extracurricular activities, do charitable deeds, and express ourselves forthrightly. Deerfield was a seminal point in my life, and it was in the classroom that I blossomed. After graduation, the many things I learned at Deerfield opened new doors: I received degrees from Dartmouth, MIT, and

Harvard, and I sampled various careers that interested me for a time before establishing a successful advertising publishing company and art gallery on Boston’s Beacon Hill . . . just as the AIDS epidemic took hold. Unless one lived that time, it is difficult to fathom the widespread panic that ensued. Soon artists and clients began dying from this terrifying, mysterious disease. The day a business colleague cried while informing me he had tested positive, I was too scared to offer a hug of sympathy. And then when a dear friend of mine, who happened to be on scholarship at Harvard, repeatedly urged me in the last two weeks of her life to do “something” to warn young people about the deadly but avoidable danger, the die was cast. I sold my business and returned to Harvard for doctoral studies to investigate the true risk to sexually active teens, in the hopes of developing prevention programs. One day, while lecturing to public health and medical students, I realized I was preaching to the choir. I knew I needed to take the message directly to youth wherever they gathered. Thus began my unique series of “Global AIDS Walks” that have now taken me to the streets of 86 countries; I spend upwards of a month traveling through each nation, enlisting local youth in my educational mission. I choose my destinations based

brother being hacked to death during the genocide. I tell all volunteers that everyone needs to hear our life-saving message. When we were out in the countryside, former Hutu killers, now prisoners, marched by carrying shovels and machetes to clear roads. The sight gave me pause. Without hesitation or instruction, Christella went up to the men, passing out our cards in their native dialect saying, “Please tell your children before it is too late.” Sadly, I have carried the message into child brothels in Phnom Penh’s notorious Svay Pak (“Kilometer 11”) where Cambodian police have been known to shoot girls who refuse sex without a condom. In St. Petersburg’s Park of the Black Limousines where young Russian prostitutes gather nightly, I met 17-year old Dima who was taking the place of his dying twin sister so he could buy her medicine and food. I remember his despondent, ice blue eyes and felt hopeless that I could not change his mind. I preach the concept to youth that AIDS is their generation’s war. In Jerusalem, we purposely brought young Jews, Arab Christians, and Muslim teens together to spread the word in markets and on urban playing fields. For a moment in time they shared a common goal. Yet not everyone shares TeenAIDS’ goals and techniques; I was arrested in Cuba for street proselytizing, shadowed in Belarus by secret police who harassed my volunteers, and our AIDS materials were confiscated in China. All along the way, the teens and I record our outreach work on video to share on YouTube so youth understand that this is a universal cause. Are lives being saved? The short answer is yes, but my heart sinks because I know many teens still choose to have sex without protection . . . nevertheless, I am driven by TeenAIDS’ mission statement that begins: “It is the human right of every maturing adolescent to have full and honest access to the medically accurate facts

that cannot be denied them.” Presently, my team and I are conducting the first on-street HIV tests by oral swabs in the US, with the belief that “it is better to know” one’s status because some medical treatments are available. The vaccine I initially hoped for is still not available, so I am putting together a sustainable team of former PeerCorps members to run TeenAIDS as a joint, volunteer effort after I complete the final leg of my global trek in 2015-2016. My hope is that Mr. Boyden’s words to an assembly of students over 40 years ago, urging us to “Be worthy of your heritage,” will inspire them, as they have inspired me. ••

first person

on need, young people’s invitations, recommendations by AIDS colleagues, and through speaking engagements at conferences. In fact, it was one of my Deerfield classmates who made a generous donation to start the journey that was intended to last two years but turned into a campaign that has gone on for nearly twenty. Walking alone but often with my PeerCorps volunteers, I conduct “AIDS Attacks,” directly approaching youth in urban slums and rural byways. My girth, smile, gift for gab, and penchant for colorful Hawaiian shirts might catch their attention but this empowering message grabs them: “I have information that will save your best friend’s life.” I have learned that this personal appeal is a compelling psychological hook that works well with adolescents, and when I walk the streets and ask youth to join me as guides, outreach helpers, or translators, they are surprised—and impressed—than an “American” (stereotype = wealthy) has come to their neighborhood and asked for their help. When I ask them to accompany me, most are willing, and they tell their friends, many of whom also join us, and so the recruitment grows. I treat my young volunteers as equal partners in the outreach efforts because I believe that empowered individuals who know they are respected and trusted will work harder toward our common goals. No population is immune. I have spoken to privileged Deerfield students and to vulnerable youth in the shantytowns of Cité Soleil in Haiti, Mumbai’s Dharevi (think Slum Dog Millionaire), and Rio’s Favela Rocinha, where few outsiders venture but my message was welcome. I travel to active war zones such as the Congo, because civil unrest means teens are not getting meaningful AIDS education where violence and rape are rampant. Even the toughest child soldiers have best friends that they love and want to protect. In Rwanda, shy 19-year old Christella joined my team. A Tutsi child in 1994, she had witnessed her parents and baby

“Dr. John,” who was presented with the Academy’s Heritage Award in 2001, accepts invitations from youth worldwide to visit their communities; it is his hope young Deerfield alumni will participate in his work. After his final AIDS Walk, Dr. John will return to the Western Caroline Islands, where he will establish an experimental school to prepare indigenous youth for higher education in the US and elsewhere. He can be reached at chittick@post.harvard.edu or visit teenaids.org for more information.

TeenAIDS Teamwork When the non-profit “TeenAIDS” was founded in the early 1990s, Dr. John thought that a cure or vaccine would be forthcoming. Instead, his original commitment turned into a lengthy personal crusade. Fellow Deerfield alumni have supported his work with their generosity and time (some serving on the Board), including Gates Hawn ’66,

Jim Dunning ’66, Bink Garrison ’66, Alan Hassenfeld ’66, Gig Faux ’80, John Jensen ’66, Bob Hardman ’66, Brooks Watt ’66, Andrew Merin ’66, John Hussey ’66, and Huoi Trieu ’02, among others. King Abdullah ’80 welcomed TeenAIDS to Jordan, paid their expenses, and assigned the volunteers drivers when they shared their message with youth throughout the country. In two decades, over 350,000 peer volunteers have been trained.

deerfield.edu

103

S e a Word c h by Danäe DiNicola

Find the *key words in the jumble below. The remaining letters, read row by row (left to right, starting at the top), will spell out a quote from a famous play. Send the lines to communications@deerfield.edu or to Puzzle, Communications Office, PO Box 87, Deerfield, MA 01342, and you’ll be entered to win this Deerfield Vineyard Vines Tote! (The winner will be chosen at random from all correct answers received by June 1, 2013.) *Tip: Circle only the key words listed below. KEY WORDS

Code

Exam

Main

Orra

Advising

Coed

Gym

Man

Pot

Arts

Cool

Hall

Maple

Rand

Asia

Cullen

Inch

Mimi

Road

Beat

David

Inn

MSB

Twolayers

Box

Day

Ire

Need

War

Boy

Dims

Ivy

Net

Week

Busy

Down

John

Nice

Wgaj

Can

Duster

Lab

Oak

Will

Chip

End

Limb

Old

: * $ 9 ( 0 7 $ & 8 / / ( 1

+ $ / / 2 $ $ , 1 5 0 ) < + 3

' ( 5 $ ( + , , 0 ( / , 2 , +

$ 0 $ ' 2 : 1 2 $ , 3 1 1 / <

9 2 1 9 5 , ' , 0 6 & 2 ( ' +

, 5 ' , 5 / 2 % 0 ' 2 7 7 2 $

' ( 1 6 $ / , 7 6 5 ' : ( ( .

7 & + , 3 5 5 9 % $ ( 2 8 1 0

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+ 1 1 * , 7 ; $ $ 8 0 $ 3 / (

( + * + 1 & 1 5 6 . 7 < 3 6 (

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WIN THIS BAG!

$ $ $ $ $ 5 ' + 6 $ $ 6 2 / '

5 1 1 0 ' + $ * < 0 2 7 / $ %

Fill in the blanks to reveal the hidden phrase:

“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _____, _______, ____ ___ ______ __ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _” — ______ 104

Congratulations to Rick Warren ’63, whose answer was drawn at random from all the correct answers we received for the Winter ’13 puzzle: “For food, for friendship, and for the blessings of the day.” Jay Morsman

Time and wear and tear finally caught up with the Great Tent last year, so this year’s festivities will feature a new brand-new version. As for the old one:

Age: 20 years

Assembly: took a crew of 15 approximately 5 hours

World leaders who spoke under the tent: His Majesty King Abdullah ’80, President George H.W. Bush

Materials:

fire-resistant and waterproofed canvas Dimensions:

100' wide x 240' long

Approximate number of Reunion attendees who enjoyed lobster under the tent:

16,000

Number of chairs set up for Commencement each year:

2560

Possible future uses: (if it’s kept intact) shelter for cattle at a show or as the venue for a traveling ministry; (if it’s cut up) covers for large, round bales of hay or individual boat covers.

object lesson

The (Late) Great Tent

Number of graduates who received their diplomas under the tent:

3200

The new tent will be made of vinyl “blackout fabric,” which will provide a cooler atmosphere and better protection from the elements. It will be 20 feet longer than the old tent, and its “swoops and peaks” design is engineered to handle wind gusts better than the old style. And yes—it will be green and white. ••

Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

m a g a z i n e

PAID

Deerfield Academy | Deerfield, MA | 01342

Burlington, VT Permit No. 19

Change Service Requested

Janie Merkel ( left) Commencement 1991