Around Delbarton

faculty update

World Languages Chairperson Dr. Rachel Carlson and DEI CoModerator Jenna Gomez are taking part in NJAIS’s Institute for Female Leaders in Education that promotes personal and professional growth for current and aspiring female school leaders. With facilitation by veteran school leaders, consultants, and other women in leadership, participants navigate a five-part series of topics that challenge women on a path to leadership roles in schools.

The Journal of the American Revolution recently published the second article by history teacher Kevin Conn, this one on famous (or infamous) New Jersey Loyalist James Moody. The Journal also published the interview they did with Kevin concerning the article on their podcast, Dispatches. In January 2020, the Journal published his article on the Lenape in Pontiac’s War.

Assistant Headmaster for Academic Affairs Josh Hartle again will serve as Table Leader (TL) for the AP Calculus Reading (grading). For the second year in a row, this will be performed remotely. As a TL, he will complete training on the scoring guidelines and then mentor and monitor up to 15 Readers’ progress in training and grading to ensure their alignment with the scoring guidelines. He will also score

Delbarton Forensics Achieves at Tournament of Champions

The Tournament of Champions (TOC) is one of the most challenging and prestigious championships in the country, a national high school speech and debate tournament held annually each April at the University of Kentucky. During the 2020-2021 school year, all high school speech and debate competitions took place virtually, including the TOC.

In order to participate in the TOC, participants must earn qualifying bids by reaching late playoff rounds at national invitationals during the regular season. This April, our Delbarton TOC competitors earned 11 silver and gold bids, with Alex Sun ’22 and Eric Moldoveanu ’22 and Connor Teehan ’21 and Will Li ’21 qualifying to the gold division and Lex Banker ’22 and Matt Sebastian ’22, and Alex Calder ’24 and Jack Grbic ’24 qualifying to silver.

Our top result was the duo of Banker and Sebastian finishing with a 5-2 preliminary round record, and the pair finished in elimination rounds in double octo-finals (17th out 296 teams) in the silver division. Forensics Society Assistant Director Noah Mengisteab, who assists Forensics Society Director Mary Gormley, reports, “It’s the first time in eight years that Delbarton had a team reach elimination rounds at the Tournament of Champions in either division.”

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Business & Economics Club Grows and Diversifies

Delbarton Investment Club, a subgroup of the Business and Economics Club, dramatically increased student membership and involvement during this challenging year of market turbulence, posting solid returns year-todate. Student leaders Christian Lalin ’21 and Garrett Larson ’21 oversaw management of a stock, bond, cash, mutual fund, and ETF portfolio valued in excess of $35,000 and the Club has hosted guest speakers, like Mr. Don Carey P’22,’24 on right in photo below, who visited the Ryan Crane ’95 Business Center to teach the boys how to improve their Bloomberg navigation skills. The Club also lent over $2,000 to small business owners through Kiva.org, the global microlending platform. Students identified small business owners in need of funding and distributed funds in Senegal, Paraguay, the Philippines, and Tajikistan assisting borrowers like Ironwood, pictured here, a group of Guatemalan carpenters that used a Delbarton loan to buy machines and supplies to expand and offer more employment opportunities.

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This year, Director of Campus Logistics Alecia Ho-Sang completed an Essential Leadership certificate program at Cornell University.

In August, Math and Spanish teacher Joseph LaLiberte begins a graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania in its one-year Independent School Leadership program. Additionally, he is completing a 240-hour internship component at Delbarton, under the guidance of Father Michael, while continuing his teaching, coaching and advising roles. LaLiberte says, “I am super excited to get started in August, and looking forward to a challenging yet very rewarding year!”

Kent Manno attended “Accidents and Disaster in the U.S. and the World” facilitated by Rutgers High School Teachers Institute. In addition, he attended “The First World War in Perspective” given by the University of Oxford. A 1982 graduate of Washington & Jefferson College, Manno has accepted a volunteer position as an Alumni Ambassador - Office of Admission Accepted Student Program.

Colin Rhodes/Lorraine Petrolino

A Faculty Memory

In April 2020, Delbarton Director of Library Services Jon Kelly ’99 posted the message on left on his Facebook account. When it cropped up as a memory this April, he shared it with Director of Admissions Dr. David Donovan in an email with the words, “Thank you, Dave –for everything you taught me about history and philosophy, and how to be an effective and wellrounded student of the world. It’s been a pleasure working with you these past four years and I’m looking forward to many more.”

Tidings

Math teacher Courtney Barnes and her husband Timothy Barnes celebrated the birth of their son, Tanner Roy Barnes on April 3, 2021.

Faculty member Yaiza Dominguez and her husband Ryan welcomed their son Noah on May 23, 2021. Associate Director of Marketing & Communications Jared Lowy and his wife Heather welcomed their second son, Dustin Stewart Lowy, on March 11. Dustin joins older brother Lance, age 8.

Congratulations to faculty member Tiffany Luludis and her husband Robert on the birth of their daughter Millie who was born on December 31, 2020.

Delbarton Incubator Turns to e-Commerce

Delbarton Admissions Remains Strong

Well, it’s official. This year was one for the record books. Delbarton saw an unprecedented number of applications in the 2020-21 admissions season with over 400 total applications to the school. We are so excited to welcome our 36 new 7th grade and 114 new 9th grade students and their families along with an excellent incoming 10th and 11th grade transfer cohort. Incoming parents were greeted at our New Parents Coffee on May 24. Our Entrepreneurial Studies course – aka the Delbarton Incubator –faced interesting challenges when in-person classes resumed this fall and responded to COVID modifications with a major retooling. Teaching three sections of the popular senior elective, faculty member Dave Martin focused on ecommerce, designing a unit that motivated students to develop, source, market and introduce a new product for sale on ecommerce, specifically, the Delbarton Shop website. Students first connected with factories in China through Alibaba and mastered online selling platforms like Amazon. The first of three class products, the Shaker Bottle – debuted on delbartonshop.org in January.

The Spirit of Giving Continues

Pandemic or not, the Delbarton impetus to help others continues. Both major holiday service projects were impacted by COVID, but we accomplished each and helped many families and children.

Erin Manahan P’19

Thanksgiving Food Drive

On January 22 after several postponements, we filled bags of pantry staples and delivered them to MEND NJ in Essex County, NJ. Thank you to DMG volunteers who partnered with our Mission & Ministry department to organize our COVID-impacted 2020-2021 food and gift drives. At Delbarton, cancelling these community-wide service events was not an option!

Michael Fialcowitz ‘24 Wins Freshman Debate Tournament

This year, Delbarton offered a Freshman Debate Tournament led by teacher Adam Carlisle. The debate processincluded the participation of sixty-three freshmen and, after the finals in Spada Commons on May 26, Michael Fialcowitz ‘24 came out on top. Each participantdebated the merits of his choice for history’s most influential person. In the finals, Michael (who selected Alexander the Great) faced Logan Brooks ‘24 (Augustus Caesar) before a panel of nine faculty judges and the winner of last year’s tourney, Jack Wells ‘23. Classmates also attended to support the debaters. After opening remarks and several timed crossfires, Michael was announced as the champion. He enjoyed an impressive run during this internal Delbarton debate season, winning the debate 9 ballots to 0. He also won 90.8% of his ballots this year, posting a 69-7 record across all six of his debates. In the picture Michael, on left, stands with his worthy opponent Logan Brooks.

Christmas Gift Drive, COVID-style

Christmas arrived early at Delbarton on December 9. Thanks to the generosity of our families and alumni, the Delbarton community partnered with Catholic Charities in Paterson and collected toys for 800 youngsters in Paterson, NJ.

COVID restrictions meant no inperson delivery, so Delbarton mothers, led by the intrepid DMG Campus Ministry team of Diane

Brady, Kathy Hager, Elizabeth

Dooley and Julie O’Brien (aka ‘the DMG God Squad’), set up tables in the Senior Garden where deanery groups delivered unwrapped toys. Christmas carols filled the air and spirits were high as all worked together on this annual effort. Many boys and teachers were dressed in Christmas attire on this official Dress Down Day to raise funds for the Drive. Delbarton also invested in art kits for each family, in addition to the big red Santa sacks.

In theory, after all gifts were deposited on tables in the Garden, mothers would get busy filling Santa sacks, guided by pages (preferably dry) that listed the genders and ages of the children in 300+ Paterson families. The overstuffed bags would then be loaded onto an 18-wheeler parked in front of Old Main, courtesy of the Harrington Companies of Chester, NJ.

During this already disrupted pandemic year, Mother Nature chose to throw a frozen curveball at our parent volunteers. Virtually the moment that the last student returned to Trinity Hall, a swiftmoving powdery cloud arrived from the north and, for the next two-andhalf hours, a heavy snow fell steadily and...stuck. Tents were quickly erected to protect the toys, and Delbarton parents toiled on, filling bags during a near-whiteout. Looking for a solution to world peace...a cure for cancer...a massive COVID vaccination rollout? Call the DMG.

Thank you to all students, faculty, parents and alumni who helped us execute a truly memorable day during this crazily unforgettable year at Delbarton School for Resilience and Generosity.

French Club Hosts Virtual King Cake Baking Class

This has not been easy year for French Club organizers. The popular club typically features a variety of events and activities throughout the year, many of which naturallement feature food. As moderator Maureen Pearsall points out, “Club members have a particular affinity for eating and doing so together is impossible with a mask.” But you can’t keep a good club moderator down. In honor of Mardi Gras, Pearsall decided to get creative and on the President’s Day holiday, hosted a King Cake baking session via Zoom, posting the recipe and ingredients in advance, then leading students through the baking process until each had created an impressively attractive and eminently edible cake.

Will Li ’21 Selected as Coca Cola Scholar

In March, Will Li’21 was selected as one of 150 2021 Coca-Cola Scholars from a pool of 99,403 high school senior applicants. Scholars were chosen based on their academic excellence, leadership and service demonstrated in school and community activities. Will has been an exceptional student leader and mentor at Delbarton. As a co-founder of the Research in Science Club, he was instrumental in producing last spring’s COVID-friendly Delbarton Virtual Science Fairand this year’s hybrid Fair on April 16. Awarded a $20,000 college scholarship, Will now joins the family of 6,300 Coca-Cola Scholar alumni across the world, and will attend the Coca Cola Scholar Leadership Development Institute this June.

8th Grade Public Forum Debators Take 5th in National Tournament

In May, the Middle School team of Suhaas Valiveti ‘25, on left, and Zeke Ehrenberg ‘25 earned 5th place in the Middle School Division of the Tournament of Champions (TOC). Competing against 252 middle school teams from around the country, the duo finally bowed out in the quarterfinals to the eventual tournament champions. Zeke and Suhaas are only the 4th Delbarton Public Forum Debate team ever to reach elimination rounds in either division of the tournament. Later in May, undefeated in the NJ Middle School Forensics Tournament, Suhaas and Zeke were named New Jersey State Champions.

Joseph Artiglere ‘21 Wins Middle School Spirit Award

On May 10, Delbarton Middle School athletes celebrated their sports achievements at the annual Middle School Sports Banquet. The winner of the 2021 Middle School Spirit Award “whose enthusiasm for and participation in Middle School Athletics has been a tribute to his teammates and his classmates at Delbarton School” is Joseph Artiglere ‘25 who plays football and lacrosse. Joe is pictured here with Owen Hand ’21, a graduating ‘lifer’ who was invited to speak to his younger brothers about his Delbarton Experience.

Finn Leamy ’23 Wins Fall Green Wave Stock Exchange Title

Nearly one hundred Delbarton students participated in the Green Wave Stock Exchange (GWSE) during the fall term, and Sophomore Finn Leamy ’23 won the competition with an outstanding 42% return with savvy trading, largely based on technical analysis, included charting trends and analyzing relative strength indicators. Finn donated his $100 prize to the Christmas Toy Drive.

GWSE heated up again during winter term with Finn prepared to defend his title.

Matthew Pasko ’23 is Eagle Scout

On October 3, Matthew Pasko ’23 earned his Eagle Scout Rank at Troop 8’s Court of Honor in Chatham Borough. He also received five Eagle Palms for earning 46 merit badges. Matthew began his scouting career in Cub Scout Pack 6 and earned the Arrow of Light Award. For his Eagle Project, Matthew led a team of scouts and adults to build planter boxes and benches for a new park in Chatham Borough. Matthew has been an active member of the Delbarton community since 7th grade. He is a member of the CrossCountry team, Track team, The Courier, Business and Economics Club, Delbarton Economic Education Program, Euro Challenge, Interfaith Food Pantry and serves as a Student Ambassador.

Snow Sculpture Throw-Down

On February 2, a slow-moving storm dumped 18 to 24plus inches of snow in Morris County, perfect conditions for Freshman Advisors to challenge the Class of 2024 to a snow sculpture contest. Each advisory group, eight in all, selected its top entry, and the winners went on to compete in the finals with the entire student body voting on the favorite. With a conclusive 58% of the vote, the winning submission came from Kear O’Malley ’24 for his Aztec Ruins and his advisory group, led by Mr. Andrew Sherwood, later enjoyed the grand prize: a mid-morning snack of egg & cheese sandwiches, donuts, and juice.

Delbarton Hosts Virtual Solidarity Sleepout

On Saturday night, March 20, Delbarton hosted a Solidarity Sleep Out to support the important work of Covenant House. This year’s Delbarton Sleep Out was virtual –which meant families could participate by sleeping outside at home. Pictured here are Connor Teehan ’21 and his dad Ed Teehan P’14,’21 who slept outdoors at home in Franklin Lakes, NJ. Thank you to all who helped Delbarton raise over $100,000 for Covenant House.

39th Annual Blood Drive

Delbarton’s 39th Annual Blood Drive on April 15 was hosted on campus using a COVID-friendly appointmentonly process. Thank you to all the students, teachers, parents and alumni who donated blood, or their volunteer time and/or refreshments. Delbarton ultimately collected 136 units (86 whole blood and 50 ALYX units) helping to save over 400 lives.

The EverAdaptable Ben

As Delbarton navigated through a challenging winter of in-person classes with the occasional need to revert to Virtual Delbarton, our mascot Ben – pictured here with his keeper Fr. Michael –learned to adapt to changing circumstances. No doubt about it –Ben’s spirits were highest when surrounded by students and a bustling campus!

Celebrating Earth Day with Solar Energy

As Delbarton celebrated Earth Day on April 22, solar panels were installed to building rooftops throughout campus, including five solar photovoltaic (PV) systems capable of delivering 1,105,160 kWh of electricity in year one. All are connected to the utility grid and metered against existing electricity usage, so each facility contributes an economic benefit in electricity cost savings. Over the life of the system 11,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) will be eliminated from our footprint, equivalent to displacing CO2 emissions from the annual electric use of 1,935 homes. Delbarton’s solar power system also provides students with a hands-on renewable energy experience, supplementing their understanding in chemistry, physics, engineering and environmental studies.

Jack Finning

Anand Majmudar

Juniors Selected for Summer Programs

Two Delbarton juniors have been selected from very talented pools of applicants for two prestigious summer programs. Jack Finning ’22 was chosen to participate in this summer’s Governor’s School of Engineering & Technologyhosted by the Rutgers University School of Engineering. Anand Majmudar ’22 was selected for this summer’s New Jersey Scholars Program, Mind and Body: The Future of Being Human.

Peter Gibbons ’21 Receives 2021 Cerasia Award

On March 26, Senior Peter Gibbons ’21 was the 2021 recipient of the Cerasia Award, presented to a student who exhibited persistence and resilience during his years at Delbarton. Peter received the award during a Morning Meeting that seniors attended in the FAC while underclassmen accessed the event via livestream. The Cerasia Award is dedicated to the memory of the late Michael C. Cerasia, a member of the class of 1994 who died tragically with his older brother in a boating accident during the summer following his freshman year. Michael’s parents, Robert and Carole Cerasia P’94 of North Caldwell, attended via Zoom call and congratulated Peter from the big screen. Peter faced his own set of unique challenges which included having to attend class virtually this year due to the COVID pandemic. Despite missing the in-person experience that Delbarton worked so hard to provide, he still persevered and produced impressive work. His fellow seniors in the Class of 2021 rose in unison to give him a rousing standing ovation when he accepted his plaque. He is pictured here with his parents, Susan and Dave Gibbons ’88, P’21,’23.

On April 22, Peter Loftus, a Wall Street Journal reporter, presented to the Delbarton community via a Zoom call about his reporting on the COVID pandemic. Seniors watched the presentation in the FAC, while underclassmen accessed it in classrooms. Loftus has served as a lead WSJ reporter on the COVID pandemic and government and private sector pandemic response. Loftus is a 1992 graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he majored in History and English, and was a Lasalle High School classmate and friend of Headmaster Fr. Michael Tidd.

WSJ Reporter Peter Loftus Speaks About Frontline COVID Reporting

Delbarton Wins 2nd Place Design Award in First Tech Challenge

By Jack Finning ’22, Zach Vincent ’21 and Alex Van Den Hende ’21

Enjoy this First Tech Challenge recap from three student engineers. The team’s mentors Bob Bitler, Greg Devine and Brian Theroux, were proud of the team’s creativity, problem-solving skills, and perseverance this year.

From October of 2020 to mid-April 2021, the three of us–Jack Finning ‘22, Zach Vincent ‘21, and Alex Van Den Hende ‘21–have cataloged hundreds of hours building a robot for the First Tech Challenge, an international competition involving thousands of teams around the world. This year’s competition revolved around two main objectives: shooting foam rings into a tiered goal from a distance of around 5 feet and transporting a tall unbalanced object called a wobble goal.

As a result of COVID, our team competed virtually, but we’re hoping to participate in in-person competitions in the near future. This time around, we were happy to win the 2nd Place Design Award for the tournament we just completed.

You’re probably wondering WHY we all dedicated so much time to our robot.

Obviously, we wanted to win, but more importantly, the three of us love engineering and the process of turning our ideas into reality. Our robot began as just a fuzzy image in our heads that slowly cleared after much brainstorming, arguing, and prototyping. And, while this image formed in our heads, we began to bring it into the physical world with our hands. After months of slow and continuous work, we found a fully realized creation before us–but it’s probably not as pretty as you think. Looking at the tangle of wires and mess of aluminum pieces, I wouldn’t be surprised if you asked us how we had even begun to plan and build it. What nobody ever tells you is that everyone starts at ground zero–the sooner anyone embraces the idea that the first prototype is never the last, the sooner they free themselves from the restraints and fears of failure. Engineering is all about failure, and without this willingness to encounter failure head-on, our robot could never have progressed to a competition-worthy state. Many of our robot’s components are the results of failed prototypes. Our forklift, for example, began as a geardriven claw mechanism that wasted one of only eight allowed motors and took up half of our robot’s max size. The fine-tuned aspects of our robot, such as the speed of our motors, the height and length of our ring collection ramp, and the spacing for our flywheel in our ring shooter are all products of a multitude of failures. We spent many frustrating weeks finding an optimized solution that worked!

Overall, robotics has been an extremely rewarding experience for

all of us. It’s mesmerizing to see the metal and parts become a fully functioning robot that can shoot rings 30 feet and pick things up. Seeing something come to life from a poorly drawn sketch on a whiteboard produces gratification like nothing else. Another aspect to the competition is that each robot is unique from one another with an infinite number of designs that could complete the course. This ambiguity in robotic design fuels the drive to constantly want to innovate. Delbarton students, if you have any interest in engineering or robotics, love attacking problems and failure head-on, or are curious to learn more, join the Robotics Club next year!

Photos by Bob Bitler

Hybrid Science Fair is a Success

On April 16, Delbarton hosted its third annual Science Fair in St. Benedict Hall (SBH) and the FAC. COVID necessitated some adjustments, but the Fair proved that scientific research and the unending quest for knowledge are alive and well at Delbarton.

Delbarton middle schoolers presented original research via poster presentations in SBH. Later, after a welcome from Headmaster Fr. Michael Tidd that emphasized the significant value Delbarton places on science, technology and original research, awards were distributed, reflecting the

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Fr. Michael with Research in Science Club officers, from left, 2021 President Will Li ’21, VP Jack Maurer ’21, and 2021-2022 Co-Presidents Jack Finning ’22 and Travis Ehrenberg ’22.

Fr. Michael with Science Fair keynote speaker Dr. Alan Rigby P’20.

Hybrid Science Fair is a Success (continued from page 35)

Research in Science Club co-moderators Bob Bitler P’06,’09 and Brian Theroux.

work of Delbarton student researchers and 35 students from eleven other area schools who submitted their research for the juried Delbarton Science Fair (winners received $50 gift cards).

Next, Delbarton parent Dr. Alan Rigby P’20, a research scientist, oncologist, and businessman delivered a keynote address on the life of a scientific research which includes regular doses of failure and requires persistence. Dr. Rigby has over 20 years of experience in everything from teaching at Harvard Medical School to founding the biotechnology company HiberCell.

Finally, Research in Science Club co-moderator –(with Brian Theroux) – Bob Bitler saluted Club cofounder Will Li ’21 for his exemplary work as a student leader. After describing Li as ‘driven, smart, able, humble, kind and funny’, he lauded Li

T he D eLBARTon S ChooL A Lumni T eAChing F eLLoWShiP P RogRAm

is a one-year opportunity open to Delbarton alumni currently in their senior year of college. The term is from August to May of their post-graduate year, and the Program is designed to give alumni considering a career in education an opportunity to experience life in the school environment, as well as serve as a gap year for alumni embarking on a post-graduate degree program or career. Up to three Teaching Fellows will be selected annually.

Teacher Fellows are responsible for managing the Delbarton Alumni Mentor Program, an after-school program open to all students that offers time management, organizational, and test preparation skills. Each mentor also will assist in an extracurricular activity or sport and shadow a faculty member during the academic year. Alumni mentor team diversity is important, so our Alumni Teacher Fellows will offer a variety of skill sets, passions, and expertise to the school. Teacher Fellows are compensated for their time, and offered free housing in a School-owned group home in Morristown. They will also assist occasionally in Admissions and Marketing & Communications events or projects. Roggi Chuquimarca ’17 is a recent graduate of Rutgers University where he majored in Theater Arts and minored in Human Resource Management. Born in Ecuador, Roggi and his family moved to Newark in 2002. At Delbarton, Roggi was very involved in playing soccer, was an integral member of DAP, held leadership positions in the French club, sang in multiple music groups, and most notably, participated in the theater productions. He starred in numerous Abbey Player, and community and regional productions. He credits his success in the theater community to his experiences right here in the FAC at Delbarton. His future plans include going to graduate school for his acting MFA and continuing to audition for professional projects.

Delbarton Introduces

We are pleased to present our inaugural Alumni Teaching Fellows:

At the Science Fair, eighth grader Donovan Perry '25 describes his science project to Fr. Michael.

for inspiring so many others to get involved in this popular club. When he graduates this June 6, Will Li ’21 leaves behind a legacy of intellectual curiosity and scientific research that is sure to continue to attract young men to Delbarton, where they will find a home for their inquisitive minds. In his honor, the Will Li ’21 Award will be presented each year to the boy who most exemplifies Li’s intellectual attributes and persistent pursuit of knowledge. As a final fitting gesture for this year’s very successful hybrid Delbarton Science Fair, Li presented the first annual Will Li ’21 Award to his Research in Science Clubmate and friend Travis Ehrenberg ’22. The Delbarton community commends Will Li ’21 for his many contributions during his years on campus and salutes all who made our third annual Science Fair a resounding success.

Alumni Teaching Fellowship Program

Andrew Gannon ’17 is from Madison, NJ and enjoyed attending Delbarton with his two brothers, Liam Gannon ’16 and Finn Gannon ’19. At Delbarton, Andrew managed the Varsity Soccer and Baseball teams, performed in Schola Cantorum, was a member of Stage Crew, and was active in the Spring OneAct Festival. He also served as a tour guide and retreat coordinator. He is a 2021 graduate of the University of Notre Dame where he majored in Economics and minored in History and Irish Studies. Through Notre Dame, he studied the Irish language and in 2019 spent a semester abroad at Trinity College Dublin. He is the recipient of the 2021 Donald and Marilyn Keough Award for Excellence in Irish Studies. Jordan Hubbard ’17 was born and raised in Newark, NJ, and lives in North Plainfield, NJ. He is a recent graduate of Drew University with a major degree in Psychology and a minor degree in Sociology. At Delbarton, he was an avid member of Diversity Among Peers (DAP), and served as DAP president during his senior year. He also competed on the Track & Field team in the discus and shotput events, was student coordinator for the Interfaith Food Pantry and a freshman/sophomore retreat leader. At Drew, he was a Resident Advisor and on the executive board of the Black Student Union. He is excited to be selected for the 2021 Delbarton Alumni Teaching Fellowship Program and says, “I am extremely blessed and excited for this opportunity, and grateful to be returning to a place that I call home.”