Harvey Magazine - Commencement 2012

HARVEY magazine | Commencement 2012

Congratulations Class of 2012 Charlotte Arbogast Kelly Barker Kimberly Bernstein John Bolanos Mitchell Bowman Benjamin Brimelow Constance Brimelow Zachary Buckwald Kiefer Callaghan Christopher Camuto Matthew Castleton Cameron Chase Ryan Cook

Kathryn Crum Jerome Corbin Day Michael Denigris Desiree Eason Jason Ecker Timothy Ehlberg Barry Falk Isabelle Gale Nicholas Gattuso Benjamin Goldman Elizabeth Goldstein Morgan Greenwald Tyler Grodin

Jessica Harrington Sean Hennings Brandon Hickey Sophia Hoffman Kelin Jimenez Nicole Johnson Katherine Kessler Collin Kraus Harper Linneman Nicholas Maluf Brett Marks Anna Maus Aaron McBurnie

Timothy McGee Rachel Miles Michael Morra John Mulhern Shannon O’Connor Alexander Petty Russell Pober Nicole Pugliese Samantha Rettie Julian Rissetto Dylan Rosenthal Maya Sank Daniel Schonning

William Schubert Richard Schulman Bryn Seltzer David Shabshis Hannah Slivka Martha Slivka Natalia St. Lawrence Mikhyle Stein Brian Theiss Leigh Thomas Alex Trister Noah Vock Arianna Wilson

Commencement 2012

Commencement 2012 by Chris Del Campo

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t was a beautiful late spring morning on June 7 when family and friends waited in great anticipation under the big white tent as bagpiper Jonathan Henken’s “Earl of Mansfield” heralded the arrival of the 65 members of the class of 2012. When the guests recognized the junior procession, applause and cheers erupted at first glimpse of the graduates filing behind, the girls in white dresses and the boys in navy blue jackets and maroon and blue ties.

Following “The Star-Spangled Banner,” sung by The Chamber Singers, Rabbi David E. Greenberg of Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford Corners, NY, gave the invocation and spoke to the graduates about striving to make the world a better place. He said, “At a very trying and confusing time for our world, we hope that each of you will go forth to be your own blessing of goodness and kindness to the world you will touch.”

In his welcoming remarks, Headmaster Barry Fenstermacher acknowledged the parents of the graduates for not only sharing their children with Harvey but for their donation of the lobby of the new athletic center. The Headmaster described it as a “treasure” and “the most generous gift we have ever received.”

He reminded them that in the new lobby there will be a plaque inscribed with the names of the members of the class of 2012.

To the graduates, Headmaster Fenstermacher said, “We send you on, and then we watch, mostly from afar, as you make new footprints in a world that needs you. Be proud of your achievements and get ready for a whole lot more.”

After prizes were awarded, Ruth Streeter, a “60 Minutes” producer and the mother of graduates, Constance and Benjamin Brimelow, delivered the commencement address on the need for everyone to find his or her own voice. “Each of us has a voice inside that tells us who we are, not who others want us to be,” she said.

Recalling the experiences of her life that led her down the path of journalism, Ms. Streeter said it was her nature to ask why. She spoke of the value of not being afraid of asking why. “Ask it a lot, especially when people don’t want you to.” She said,” The answers you may receive may change your lives or the lives of others.”

Following the presentation of diplomas, Nikki Pugliese, the president of the Student Council, delivered the valedictorian address.

She said, “Harvey is not graduating students, but graduating heart.

A group leaves here, taking with them all of the spirit, triumphs, and honor gained.” Nikki described her class as holding “a sweeping amount of potential energy, waiting to be released.” She told her classmates that the commencement “brings us to the threshold of our greater selves.” She said the day of celebration marks the beginning of a journey, and she called the teachers the “pedestrian compasses” whose lessons will guide them along. She concluded, “Today we

commence to our future—scared, proud, certain. Harvey is forever in my soul, but these graduates are forever tattooed in my heart.”

Following the benediction by the Reverend Dr. Charles Andrus, pastor of South Salem Presbyterian Church, Nikki Pugliese passed the Spirit Cup to Karina Lambert, the new Student Council President. Then the piping of “The Minstrel Boy” began, signaling the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the recessional from the tent to the sun-drenched areas that surrounded it. The graduates, diplomas in hand, were greeted by hearty cheers, warm embraces, and beaming faces of parents, grandparents, friends, and faculty.

Peter Rizzeto had mixed emotions about witnessing his son, Julian’s commencement. “It’s bittersweet to see him graduate, but it’s time for the next chapter.” Graduate Cameron Chase, planning to pursue a major in art, said,” It’s good to be done. I’m ready to go.”

Harriet Slivka, grandmother of graduating sisters, Hannah and Martha, had feelings twice as strong as most. “I have a feeling of warmth, gratitude, and double the pleasure because they’re twins.”

Sam Roberts, father of graduate Mikhyle Stein, was beaming with joy. “I’m feeling reflective, proud, and overjoyed, but most of all, I’m so proud of what he has become.”

Reflecting on the meaning of the ceremony, Jason Ecker’s mother, Tammi said, “There’s the joy of accomplishment and the bittersweet of leaving a place we love.”

One parent who had much to be proud of was Ceily Pugliese, mother of the valedictorian. “I was filled with pride to hear Nikki deliver her speech which she wrote from the heart and delivered with pride,” she said. She called Harvey’s commencement ceremony one of her favorite events. “The bagpipe player, the junior class leading in and the senior class leading them out, the faculty in full form, and the beautifully dressed graduates are among a few of the touches that make for a memory I won’t soon forget.”

Perhaps the parent in the most unique position was Ruth Streeter who, as commencement speaker, experienced the awarding of diplomas to her two children up close and personal.

“I loved the tradition Harvey has which expects the speaker to shake each graduate’s hand after being handed the diploma.”

When it came to greeting her two children, she gave each an embrace. “I loved hugging each one of my kids as they walked off with their diplomas. It was very simple and very wonderful.”

It was another proud day of Harvey tradition on another sunny day for commencement in early June. One parent who has attended several Harvey commencements remarked, “It seems as though nature likes to be kind to Harvey on Commencement Day.” Perhaps we should see it as a sign that our graduates will indeed leave footprints to help lead the world to brighter days.

The Harvey School 1

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Valedictorian Address: Nicole Pugliese

elcome ladies and gentleman, chair of the board, Mrs. Walker, Mr. Fenstermacher, faculty, family, friends, and fellow graduates. Thank you, everyone, for coming today in celebration of the seniors. All of you have played significant roles in shaping our futures. Your incredible support has helped us in our experiences, and we couldn’t have gotten this far without any of you. The group that we are all here for today is remarkable. I stand proudly as a representative of this irreplaceable grade. Each of us holds our own individual enthusiasms and extraordinary talents; together, we make the class of 2012. We’re often known as the “deprived class,” because of missing out on trips and some off-campus privileges. We whine a lot, especially about these changes that all happened to occur during our era. But the only reason we complain so much is because we know how much we deserve. This year, Harvey is not graduating students, but graduating heart. A group leaves here, taking with them all of the spirit, triumphs, and honor gained.

I thought about the various ways I could start this speech; I went through several unsuccessful word documents, but the only idea I could come up with was the notion of time. Let’s put that into perspective. There were about one hundred and seventy days of school this year, give or take. Our school day lasts about nine hours, including our after-school activities. That’s about one thousand, five hundred hours spent on the Harvey campus. This number does not include two-hour bus rides to Watkinson, Model UN practices, or Student Council meetings.

Nor does it take into account the time we would stay for dinner, the many hours of hanging out in the dorms, or lingering in the commons because, well, there was really no point in going home.

We have spent a massive amount of time here, and without a doubt, leaving will cause some separation anxiety. Good thing I have been here for seven years.

When I entered high school, I envisioned my four years with a plan. The objective was simple, really, to work hard and achieve the illustrious end result: college. To me, high school was something that needed to be overcome, a bridge of some sort, which would transport me from youth to adulthood.

I thought that if I were devoutly studious, my future would be set. When I hit senior year, College Board got hold of the plan, and after a long awaited e-mail, I found out that I would not be attending a school I assumed I was destined for. The blueprint that I had strategically drawn out wasn’t working anymore, and I kept thinking about what I could have done to change my own outcome.

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I then started to reevaluate my perception of high school.

Towards the middle of senior year, I realized that my view was tainted. I thought college was the only thing that high school could provide. I had focused too much on the future, and had not appreciated the present; the destination was more important than the journey. It wasn’t about counting down the days until graduation or begging for a term to be over—it was more about savoring it. Every single moment. Because that is what I realized high school is: a collection of extraordinary moments, colored with feelings of growth, awareness, and knowledge. I was wrong to have assumed that these four years were a small diversion from my future. Instead, it was an accumulation of unforgettable memories, distinct to each of us.

We should reflect upon Harvey as the home that has fostered all of our personal accomplishments. This school has fueled all of our memories. It could be the moment the lacrosse team beat King in overtime, or when girls soccer won the HVALs on penalty kicks, when the chorus won silver in Annapolis, or when Oklahoma completely filled the Black Box.

“It wasn’t about counting down the days until graduation or begging for a term to be over—it was more about savoring it.

Every single moment.”

Perhaps a more personal moment, like scoring a goal in the championship game, or reading a piece aloud for writers group.

Each of us holds a special part of Harvey in our own hearts.

In a classroom, on the field, or in the rink: here is where all of our passions started, where each of us felt important. One day in Mrs. Mahony’s AP English class, we were discussing the idea of roots: how is each person affected by where he or she comes from? She began to speak about her childhood growing up in Long Island. She left long ago, and had found a different place to call home. “But,” she said, “I can say this: out of all of the radio stations in my car, I still have one local Long Island station.” Today is the day we move on to different places in the world. We have college stickers on our cars, and new jerseys to be worn. Yet, just like Mrs. Mahony, we will never be able to forget our first home. Our own personal “Harvey station” will resound silently within our own hearts.

Starting in about February, Mr. Lazzaro began the anticipated countdown. He would say,“This is the last advisor meeting of February, let’s soak it in people,” or,“Big day, last Thursday in March.”

His sentimental sarcasm was annoying. Every week there was something pointless that he used to mark senior year ending. I would roll my eyes at his jokes, but he was right. The days were flying by more quickly, and though I grew more excited, I was also scared. I would be lying if I said I didn’t fear leaving high school. It’s not that I’m afraid of what’s going to happen, but of what will not exist anymore. Each of us has to let go of this place that has built us. I walk into the commons now feeling a little like a foreigner, wishing I could once again sit down with the people I would see every single day. Here, we feel astonishingly safe. We have developed a level of comfort and identity, and walk the halls as superhero seniors—accomplished and humbled. Though another school has accepted us as its own, we take with us memories, and leave behind our legacies.

My blueprint never worked out, and I’m pretty glad that it didn’t. Otherwise I wouldn’t have stopped to appreciate the little moments that made my senior year so special. It all happened for a reason, and looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’m going to Michigan—that is where my true destiny lies, and Harvey has gotten me there. All of our goals scored, all of the laughs in frees, all of the time spent with my senior class. I’ll keep it with me. We leave here with unique purposes, and take with us our originality.

One day on a bus ride shared with the baseball team, I was talking to Mr. Halewicz. I told him on my senior page I had

included an excerpt from a Whitman poem, which I knew was one of his favorites. After I read him the passage, he said that he had written something similar on his own page, except it was a Tom Petty quote. Though I do love Whitman, I think Tom says the idea a little more sharply: “It’s time to move on, time to get going What lies ahead I have no way of knowing But under my feet, baby, grass is growing It’s time to move on, time to get going.”

It is not my duty as a valedictorian to stand here and preach; I am just a student, the same as my classmates, waiting for the future, eager for my dreams to begin. Therefore, I cannot pretend as though I have any wholehearted advice for us, or an inspirational one-liner to carry. All I know is this: I am a member of a sensational class, and each and every one of us is outstanding. We can look back on all of our conquests with pride, knowing how hard we worked for it all. We each hold a sweeping amount of potential energy, waiting to be released, and I say beware to any college or team we approach. All of the experiences, both good and bad, have brought us to the threshold of our greater selves. My teachers, our teachers, were our pedestrian compasses. ‘Graduate’ means to complete a study, but ‘commencement’ means to begin. And so today we commence to our future—scared, proud, certain. Harvey is forever in my soul, but these graduates are forever tattooed in my heart.

Spirit Cup Passed to New Student Council President Graduating senior and outgoing Student Council President Nikki Pugliese handed over the Spirit Cup to Karina Lambert, class of 2013, who was recently elected as Nikki's successor.

The Spirit Cup, which was given to the school in 1930 by Judge Munro Woolsey and his wife, is a symbol of leadership at the school.

Mr. Woolsey, a U.S. district judge,was a friend of Harvey founder Dr. Herbert Carver. The judge was also chairman of the school's advisory board and the founder of the Decemvir Society.

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Commencement Address: Ruth Streeter

r. Fenstermacher, distinguished members of the faculty, parents, grandparents, and especially— Harvey’s graduating class of 2012. Thank you for inviting me to be your commencement speaker today. I am especially honored because I’m pretty sure the idea originated with my daughter Constance. Thanks, Stanzy, for making me sweat bullets on your graduation day. Just kidding.

In a few minutes, each of you will be receiving your high school diploma. It’s a big accomplishment—one of those notches in your belt that you score as you climb your way into adulthood. Phew, got that done—may be one of the overriding feelings that you’ll have today. I hope so.

I didn’t get my high school diploma until I was 35. Yes, 35.

And today I thought I’d take a couple of minutes to tell you why it took me so long. Maybe you’ll find something in my story that will be useful as you leave here and move out into the real world.

I went to an all-girls boarding school not too far from here called Ethel Walker. It was a traditional, strict, straight-laced kind of place that had been educating WASP girls for years— turning them into intelligent mothers and good help-mates to their husbands. I entered in 1969. It was a time of political turbulence and great social unrest. And although we were stuck up on a hillside in Simsbury, Ct.—some of us were not immune to the revolutionary changes that were happening around us.

Slowly we began to question the status quo—how our lives were being ordered, how we were being educated, what we

“It has to do with that voice inside each one of us, in you and me and everyone else here today, that tells us who we are no matter how loud the voices are around us telling us who we should be, or who we better be or else.” valued, what our futures should be. I began to ask why about everything, and pretty soon most of the kids were asking why along with me. We thought that was a great idea. But the school administration didn’t. They took action. In May of my junior year, even though I was at the top of my class and had never broken a school rule, I was told by the dean of students that “Ethel 4 Harvey Magazine Commencement 2012

Walker had nothing more to teach me.” I was not welcomed back for my senior year. The school would write me great college recommendations, but would not give me a high school diploma.

At the time, I saw this as a ‘get out of jail free card’ and I took it. So I didn’t have a high school diploma, I reasoned, I had something much more valuable…my freedom. And off I went to study French literature in Paris and when I hated that, I moved to Denver and ended up waitressing at the House of Pies. In January, I applied to Harvard, writing my application on the restaurant counter during my breaks. By that time I had figured out that freedom was great and all but I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life serving 62 different types of pie to people who didn’t tip well. My mother told me that with no diploma I’d be lucky if I got into a community college. Instead, I got into Harvard. I still don’t know why they accepted me. I’m forever grateful that they did.

At Harvard, I learned that asking why wasn’t an evil, insurrectionary question that resulted in punishment and excommunication. It was a central question—one that good journalists ask all the time. And soon I found a place on the Harvard “Crimson,” the college newspaper, and later at CBS News. Thirty four years later, I’m still asking why…and I know that I can turn the answers into a story that moves people, connects them, and sometimes even changes the world.

So perhaps you’re asking, how did I end up getting my high school diploma…wasn’t that the point of this story.

Here’s the answer.

In 1991, someone at Ethel Walker noticed that I had become a prize-winning journalist. I was asked to give the commencement speech to the graduating class. And so I did. I told the class that I was going to borrow their graduation and use it as my own because I had never had one. And I told them the story that landed me my job on “60 Minutes.” Ironically, that story involved Ethel Walker and not surprisingly had me asking why. The piece was about a drug bust that happened at Choate Rosemary Hall, another boarding school not far from here. In 1984, a bunch of rich Choate students put up $5,000 and paid an insecure scholarship student—who wanted desperately to be accepted by his classmates—to go to Venezuela and buy ¾ pound of high quality cocaine. On his return to JFK, the kid got caught with the drugs and was arrested. He faced 15 years to life, while the kids who had put up the money got off scott free.

Meanwhile there was so much coke on the Choate campus that kids from other schools starting coming to Choate to buy it.

One of them was a junior from Ethel Walker. This girl got caught using by Ethel Walker’s administrators and was suspended. She was sent home. A few days later the school called her and told her that she was expelled. She was alone when she heard the news. When her parents came home later that day, she had disappeared. Six weeks later, they found her body in the woods.

She left a note saying that she was Each year, the Parents" Association underwrites the annual Cavalier Award. The award is so full of guilt and remorse for what given to members of the Harvey community who exemplify the best of Harvey in terms of she had done that she couldn’t go on spirit and service to the school. The student winners are selected by the department heads, living. Her father told Ed Bradley, the and the staff winner is selected by the PA president. correspondent, this: This year's winners are 2012 graduate Nicole Johnson, eighth-grader Matthew Neporent, “I say to all parents …just always and Director of Technology John Wahlers. reach out and put your arms around these kids so that they understand always how much you love them and that nothing they do is Doc Bos, Mr. Wyland and yes, LZ. Maybe all that fomenting for worth the ultimate punishment that some of them go through. change that we did twenty years ago really has paid off.

This is all avoidable. And it was a horrible mistake and it didn’t In the next few months, as you start college, things are going to need to happen.’ change big time. For some of you, it will be your first experience That father’s message is as urgent and powerful today and is it with freedom—freedom to explore parts of yourself that you never was when we first reported it. knew existed. You can invent or reinvent yourselves—or just build The story moved the Ethel Walker graduation audience, too. on what you already know. Will there be times when that voice When I finished the speech, the headmistress thanked me and you’re supposed to be listening to gets drowned out by things you said: we have something for you. A few days later, I got my Ethel can’t control, or because you screwed up? I can almost guarantee it.

Walker high school diploma in the mail.

And you’ll be scared…you might even be scared right now thinking The truth is I have no idea where that diploma is. That diploma about college and how are you going to handle it. Frankly, as a pardoesn’t matter. The education I got at Ethel Walker and afterwards ent, I’m a little scared myself about how you’re going to get through in my life has nothing to do with a piece of paper. It has to do with college…and how I’m going to handle having no kids at home for that voice inside each one of us, in you and me and everyone else the first time in 22 years. But if I keep listening for it, and you do here today, that tells us who we are no matter how loud the voices too, your voice, no matter how weak, will strengthen and direct you are around us telling us who we should be, or who we better be or forward…not necessarily in a straight line by the way. else. It’s the voice in my case that can’t stop asking why. In oth Straight lines aren’t always the best route to finding yourself. ers, it might be the voice that makes you a great musician, writer, So don’t worry about getting lost, or sidetracked or stalled out. mathematician, computer nerd, friend, parent, or partner.

It’s not a race. But I bet you know that already…Harvey’s pre Two nights ago I went to Harvey’s senior dinner. I was struck pared you for that…and that’s more valuable than any diploma by how different that dinner was from the last one I had at you get today.

Ethel Walker. Students talked about how happy they’ve been So good luck out there. It’s a pretty exciting world. It’s your here. Teachers and administrators were recognized for being turn to grab your part of it. Don’t be afraid to ask why a lot. Ask it friends and advisors as well as educators. I know from my own especially when people don’t want you to. The answers will surprise personal experience that that’s true. Thank you Mrs. Mahony, you. And change you. And maybe change others and the world.

Mr. Farshtey, Mrs. Visintainer, Mr. Morse, Mrs. Hooton, Thank you and good luck.

Parents’ Association Presents Cavalier Awards

The Harvey School 5

Commencement Dinner

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Commencement Dinner Speech: David St. Lawrence

ood evening, Mr. Fenstermacher, distinguished faculty, fellow parents, and the reason we’re all here tonight— the Class of 2012.

First off, I have to apologize, as Daniel Craig was scheduled to speak, but with the construction of the new gym an austerity budget has been put in place, and The Harvey School had to go to plan B. They said that people would never know the difference, but I am sure that you can tell the difference between his coarse English accent—and my soft Irish brogue.

I am David St. Lawrence, father of Nicolette, Class of 2011 and Natalia, graduating this week. When Mr. Cook asked me to speak, his only advice was “to speak from your heart”—for me that usually means talking about sports, but tonight I will change that and talk about—education, a subject that I hold sacred. Since education is the cornerstone of our society, educators truly are the icons, not celebrities or sport stars. I assume everyone here can agree with this.

I would like to take you back in time, to the early 70s, to a Christian Brothers school in Ireland—a time when as many as 20% of houses did not have indoor plumbing, and there was one TV channel, starting at 5:00 in the evening and shutting down at 11:00 at night—and girls did not play sports; they knit, sewed, and learned how to cook—a different world.

And corporal punishment was long held as the correct way to teach children. Corporal punishment in Latin translated to English means, “We are going to beat the crap out of you, and there is nothing you, or your parents, can do about it.”

So let’s go to a classroom in this all-boys school any morning.

One might think that a man like John Wayne, from the film “The Quiet Man,” will walk in and start the day with, “Top of the morning, lads. Did you eat your porridge this morning?” But no, we had a teacher, Mr. Coyle, better known as “Crater Face” and his opening words were always “Fold your arms. Fold your arms. St. Lawrence, get up here. You have a smirk on your face.”

And with that, I would usually get the first slap of the day with his 24-inch leather strap. These were the good old days.

(Thank God they are gone.)

My next encounter with education was with my older children in the American public school system. Although there may be many brilliant teachers in the system, it is broken.

It has become a numbers game, and it stifles creativity and breeds indifference.

As I stand here tonight, after eight years in The Harvey School, I can say from my heart that I have never witnessed

apathy. Here we have a faculty that is creative, caring, innovative—in a system that allows them to flourish. I would like to mention some of the teachers who had a profound impact on the St. Lawrence children, and I am sure the list would be different if another parent were speaking tonight: Mr. Byrne, for planting the seeds in the Middle School; Mrs. Cushman, for exposing the performing arts in such a classy way; Mrs. V for being there, when we could not be; Mr. Kelly, who could show old “Crater Face” how it’s done; LZ, for being a pillar of strength; and Mrs. Mahony, for her love of literature that infects all who cross her path; and a headmaster who oversees with a firm smile and not a 24-inch leather strap.

I would like to thank them—and all the faculty—for the wonderful work they have done.

Class of 2012: You are indeed lucky to have had the opportunity to be educated here at The Harvey School. You demonstrated character, talent, and hard work during the last four years. Many of you have read Malcolm Gladwell’s book, “The Outliers.” He makes the point that talent, opportunity and hard work are a recipe for success, and I believe this to be true, so I am looking forward to the future to hear about all the things you will achieve.

As a parent, I would like to give you some advice as you prepare to go off to college—and it’s the same advice I would give you if you were to participate in a bicycle race: 1. ALWAYS ride towards the top of the pack—this keeps you out of trouble, meaning you’re less likely to be in an accident, and you get to watch your competitors. In college, try and stay close to the top of the class, and you will be influenced by other good students.

2. Bicycle races can last for days, sometimes weeks, such as the Tour de France, so you have to be consistent in order to win. In college the same applies: setting short term goals will help you to be consistent.

3. Remember to eat and drink. No—not pizza and beer. In a bicycle race, it takes a team to supply the food and drink. College is also a team endeavor. You need help from other students and professors, and do not forget your parents who are also your chief sponsors.

In closing, the St. Lawrence family, and I think I can speak for all the parents, would like to thank The Harvey School for everything it has made possible over the years.

Good luck to the class of 2012! Enjoy your graduation! And Happy 18th birthday, Natalia!

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Commencement Dinner Speech: Dianne Mahony

irst, I need to say to the seniors that I understand what is really going on here—Speech Contest Payback. And I accept.

Honestly, I am enormously honored by this lovely and daunting invitation to speak to you this evening. Lovely because it comes from those whom I truly do love, and daunting because it brings with it the unspoken expectation that, at my core, I carry some bit of wisdom that I might share with you tonight. Well, wisdom eludes me. To me it implies an assurance, a certainty regarding one’s world view. And certainty suggests stagnation, boredom, death… often undistinguishable and always undesirable. You see my concerns. And so, I am leery of certainty.

In fact, I embrace uncertainty. I wrap it around myself like a blanket, a shield against calcification. If I am uncertain, I have no choice but to be flexible, to explore.

As you know from class, I am not a lecturer. For me, teaching is a conversation. A conversation with intent. Occasionally, a conversation with swords, strange leaps across the room and accompanying hand gestures—but ever a conversation.

So, at this time, I’d like to side-step the implied expectation of wisdom and simply chat with you for a while. If that’s all right with you, and I hope it is because I’ve only got the one speech. Now there have been several times this year, when one of you has turned to me—not always the same one—during a breathtakingly passionate discussion of some literary masterpiece such as Crime and Punishment, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, Waiting for Godot,— all frothy tales—and asked that question that I try very hard to not answer, “Mrs. Mahony, what do you think?” Well, tonight, on this side of the classroom, I will take courage in Emerson’s disdain for foolish consistency, and tell you what I think—at least today.

I think that ceremonies are important. This dinner tonight.

Graduation on Thursday. Rituals offer us the comfort of familiarity, while instilling in us the awe that accompanies the recognition that we are a part of something larger than ourselves. For instance, right now in this place and time, you are absolutely yourself surrounded by faces that, chances are, you have grown up alongside.

Go ahead, look around. Ah, the old gang. Collectively, however, as the Class of 2012, you take your first steps off of the homey porch of this school that cherishes you, and onto the packed earth of a beckoning, but necessarily uncertain, path. An adventure.

Ceremonies also act as frames, crystallizing one rite of passage, then the next. Pre-school graduation, kindergarten, fifth grade moving up day, middle school graduation…well you know what comes next. But I think, sometimes, afterward, we are

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unsure of our relationship to that framed moment. What does it mean to be a high school graduate? For each individual? How are we connected to that image of ourselves? Where do we put it in our lives? Prominently displayed on the mantel? A bookshelf?

Set on the nightstand? Stashed in a drawer? Cradled in a locket?

And once we’ve taken a shot at figuring that out, then we can begin to anticipate collecting more of these portraits. College graduation. Grad school. First job handshake. Wedding— perhaps with a particularly good-looking spouse. Ceremonial

“The point is that when uncertainty is acknowledged, as in Christopher Robin’s case, we leave the window open for unimagined possibility. And if we’re serious about living, we fling the window wide open, inviting in wonder. ” family holiday photo. Retirement handshake. We project our lives. We have a gallery of expectations. And at the end of the day, our mantels and shelves and drawers are stuffed with images of ourselves, in which we look so polished, so finished, so darn certain. But what isn’t reflected, perhaps, are all of the moments in between, those in which we really live, with a plan that organically fades in and out of focus; the shifting moments that fill each flawless crystallization with its full meaning, its resonance.

In A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh, Christopher Robin pushes his feet into his Big Boots and organizes an Expedition to the North Pole. An Adventure. Naturally, the first one he tells of his intentions is Pooh. “’We’re going to discover the North Pole.’”

(Pooh is game, but requires a little clarification.) “’Oh!…What is the North Pole?’ he asked.

‘It’s just a thing you discover,’ said Christopher Robin carelessly, not being quite sure himself.”

Have you read Pooh? I hope so, because I have to tell you that Christopher Robin and his Bear do not reach 90 degrees North latitude. In fact, they never leave the Hundred Acre Wood.

They do, however, in the midst of their Expedition with Piglet,

Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit-and-all-of-his-friend-andrelations, ford a Dangerous stream, avoid an Ambush, “chatter to each other of this and that,” write a song, learn to swim, and ultimately, find a pole, which they proclaim their North Pole.

Now that’s an Expedition! There is even an illustration, by Mr. Ernest H. Shepard, of that pole with the appropriate signage hanging from it, suitable for proper ceremonial framing.

So, expectations and uncertainty. There was an expectation, to find the North Pole. Our protagonist, however, gives only a vague nod to this as Milne suggests with his word choice “carelessly” (p. 113 hardcover Dutton edition). And, staying with the text, most importantly, Milne specifically notes Christopher Robin’s uncertainty regarding the matter, “not being quite sure himself ” (again, p. 113 hardcover Dutton edition). Does anyone have the same book as I have? Do certain individuals—even at this late date—need to share? A show of hands if you have ordered it on Amazon, but are still waiting for it to come. Who would like to tell me that it should be at your house when you get home or that your mother is picking it up for you, but it’s just all been very hard since Borders closed?

As I suspected. Back to Milne.

The point is that when uncertainty is acknowledged, as in Christopher Robin’s case, we leave the window open for unimagined possibility. And if we’re serious about living, we fling the window wide open, inviting in wonder. Rachel Carson, naturalist, writer, and something of a wonder expert says, “If I had influence with the good fairy, who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children, I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last

throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength.”

I value expectations. I toss them around right and left, for myself, for my children, and clearly for my students. I value achievement. But they are not the All. The North Pole. Right there, in the Hundred Acre Wood.

Who would have thought?

The answer is… uncertainty and wonder.

So, between now and Thursday morning, when the ritual of graduation will eloquently frame your crossing of the bridge from high school to your nearest tomorrow, you might remember the uncertain moments that have led you there, and perhaps celebrate the characters you’ve encountered, and the serpentine trail that you may have traveled on over your individual landscape. And if your models of Mango Street, back in ninth grade, were any indication, I imagine a wide variety of colorful, clay and Lego strewn routes. Embrace the unexpected structures that you’ve built along them; maybe even wonder at them. As well as those to come.

It is with the deepest affection that I tuck the crystallization of this night, this image of all of you, into my locket, and wish you a generous dollop of uncertainty to pave the way for a wonder-filled Adventure.

And, as always, thanks for the conversation.

Dianne Mahony, as the faculty member chosen by the senior class for this year’s yearbook dedication, was asked to speak at the Commencement Dinner.

Dekadeis: Top ten Upper School scholars for the past three trimesters according to weighted grade averages. The Scholarship Cup is awarded to the student with the highest average.

1. Jesse Silbert (Top Scholar in 11th Grade) 2. Bryn Seltzer 3. Charlotte Arbogast 4. Nicole Pugliese 5. Samantha Rettie 6. William Walant

7. Lillian Brouwer (Top Scholar in 10th Grade) 8. Daniel Pelgrift 9. Karina Lambert 10. Patrick Taylor (Top Scholar in 9th Grade: Andrew Bowers)

 (top to bottom) Jesse Silbert, Lillian Brouwer, Andrew Bowers The Harvey School 9

Academic Prizes

The Art Prize: Cameron Chase

The Photography Prize: Michael Morra

The Ronald W. Duncan Music Award in honor of former piano teacher Ronald W. Duncan: (Vocal) Kathryn Crum and (Instrumental) Brett Marks

The Dance Prize: Maya Sank

The Keenan Wynn ’31 Prize for excellence in Drama: Julian Rissetto

The English Prize: Constance Brimelow and Nicole Pugliese

The History Prize: Benjamin Brimelow and Bryn Seltzer

The Japanese Prize: Katherine Kessler and Nicholas Maluf

10 Harvey Magazine Commencement 2012

The David Muntner Technical Theatre Award: Natalia St. Lawrence

The Spanish Prize: Tyler Grodin

The John A. Shea Latin Prize in honor of former Harvey Latin teacher’s twenty-two years of service: Samantha Rettie

The Science Prize: Charlotte Arbogast

The Mathematics Prize: Collin Kraus and Sean Hennings

The Girls Athletic Prize: Martha Slivka

The Edward Micola Model United Nations Award in honor of Edward V. Micola ’92: Mitchell Bowman and Nicole Pugliese

The Headmaster’s Prize endowed by the Board of Trustees for the student who, in the view of the Headmaster, has put forth the greatest effort in any aspect of his or her life at school: Anna Maus and Mikhyle Stein

The Boys Athletic Prize: Brandon Hickey

Senior Athletic Achievement Awards

The Citizenship Award endowed by the Harvey Parents’ Association: Natalia St. Lawrence

The John L. Loeb, Jr. ’44 Scholarship Cup given and endowed by Mr. Loeb, the School’s leading scholar of 1943: Jesse Silbert

Started in 1990 by then Athletic Director Ron Annis, the awards recognize student-athletes who have contributed to Harvey athletics in multiple sports. Requirements: Student must be a graduating senior and have at least 6 varsity letters. Numbers next to names represent the number of varsity letters each senior received while at Harvey.

Michael Morra ��������������������������������� 12 Letters Timothy Ehlberg ����������������������������� 11 Letters Nicholas Gattuso ����������������������������� 11 Letters Brandon Hickey ������������������������������� 11 Letters Shannon O’Connor ������������������������� 11 Letters Nicole Pugliese ��������������������������������� 11 Letters Richard Schulman ��������������������������� 10 Letters Jason Ecker ����������������������������������������� 9 Letters Kimberly Bernstein ���������������������������� 8 Letters Kiefer Callaghan �������������������������������� 8 Letters Cameron Chase ���������������������������������� 8 Letters Jessica Harrington ������������������������������ 8 Letters Kelin Jimenez ������������������������������������� 8 Letters

Collin Kraus ��������������������������������������� 8 Letters Brett Marks ���������������������������������������� 8 Letters Russell Pober �������������������������������������� 8 Letters William Schubert ������������������������������ 8 Letters Hannah Slivka ����������������������������������� 8 Letters Martha Slivka ������������������������������������� 8 Letters Mikhyle Stein ������������������������������������� 7 Letters Noah Vock ������������������������������������������ 7 Letters Zachary Buckwald ����������������������������� 6 Letters Ryan Cook ����������������������������������������� 6 Letters Sean Hennings ����������������������������������� 6 Letters Brian Theiss ���������������������������������������� 6 Letters

The Harvey School 11

Undergraduate Academic Departmental Prizes English: Jesse Silbert

Major Awards For Seniors

History: William Walant

Math: Jesse Silbert

Science: Mark Hilbert

Language: Emily Silk

The Founders’ Honor Cup The Upper School’s highest award is presented by the Carter family in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Swift Carter, founders of The Harvey School, and their son, Herbert Swift Carter, Jr. ’19. For contributing the most to the spirit and aims of the School: Daniel Schonning

The Lindsley Loring Loyalty Award endowed by Mrs. Loring in memory of her husband: Brett Marks

The E. Bradley Richardson Scholar-Athlete Award named after former Headmaster Richardson: William Schubert and Nicole Pugliese

The Improvement Award given by Mr. and Mrs. Calvin A. Thompson parents of Alexis ’82 and Thaddeus ’87: Maya Sank and Brian Theiss

Fine Arts: Benjamin Walant

Performing Arts: Annalise Cepero

2012 Presidential Scholars Charlotte B. Arbogast Costance C. Brimelow Kathryn L. Crum Jason M. Ecker Barry P. Falik Benjamin D. Goldman Sean P. Hennings Kelin M. Jimenez Nicole J. Johnson Collin D. Kraus Harper A. Linneman

Brett L. Marks Timothy R. McGee Shannon A. O’Connor Alexander E. Petty Nicole A. Pugliese Samantha M. Rettie Dylan M. Rosenthal William E. Schubert Bryn H. Seltzer Natalia R. St. Lawrence Mikhyle P. Stein

12 Harvey Magazine Commencement 2012

Undergraduate Awards

Wells Speech Cup: Nicole Goldstein

Matthew Preston ’65 Recitation Prize: Jeremy Bacon

Awards for Freshmen

The Frank M. Perrine Award for outstanding scholarship, leadership, and contributions to the school: Julia Chatzky and Jameson Scarsella

The Dean’s Scholar-Athlete Awards: Connor Wilson and Arianna Weaver

The John L. Miner Award for the most improved: Jackson Roberts

Awards for Sophomores

The Dean’s Scholar-Athlete Awards: Christian Artuso, Robert Van Raamsdonk, and Lillian Brouwer

The Most Improved: Michael Goodkind

The Most Outstanding Sophomore Award for scholarship, citizenship, and service: Emily Silk

Awards for Juniors

Barnard Book Prize: Karina Lambert

The Faculty Improvement Award: Guillermo Leon

The Faculty Citizenship Award: Karina Lambert

The Faculty Scholar-Athlete Awards: Gabrielle Paulhac and Brent Feldman

The Harvey School 13

G

Middle School Address: Patrick Kennedy

ood evening, friends and family of the class of 2016.

First of all, I would like to thank you for coming to tonight’s 8th grade graduation ceremony. I know these students greatly appreciate everything you’ve done to help them get to where they are today and your presence here tonight reflects that support that you’ve given them throughout their lives.

Whether it is the encouragement they’ve received from their parents or the guidance from their friends, without your support, these young men and women would not have accomplished nearly as much as they did during their short middle school years.

Let me start by saying what an honor it is to speak to the graduating class of 2016. Can you believe that these 8th graders will be celebrating The Harvey School’s 100th anniversary in four short years? The fact that your school has been educating young people for almost a century is quite amazing. I think that fact in itself is a testament to both the faculty and to the administration that make this school what it is. And, of course, no school is complete without a terrific student body such as yourselves.

Now, I’m sure the anticipation about what I’m going to talk about has been killing you for weeks. When you found out that I would be giving the 8th grade graduation speech, many of you probably thought I would be cracking jokes all the time and making fun of you in some sort of way. While that’s not necessarily the case, there will be plenty of time for that later.

Others might have thought that being the middle school athletic director, I would stand up here and relate the importance of athletics in your lives. While this is true, maybe not all of you are as passionate about sports as I am, and I want to talk about something that affects all of you.

Or, some of you might have thought that as the Civics teacher in the Middle School, I would get up here and talk about politics or citizenship. While being a good citizen and an informed voter is extremely important, who really wants to talk about politics in a presidential election year?

I gave all of these topics serious consideration, but I wanted to talk about something to which every single one of you can relate. While I had the majority of you in class last year, we had several wonderful additions to the 8th grade class that I did not have the pleasure of teaching. I also coached many of you during the last nine seasons. However, there are quite a few of you who have not been blessed with my coaching expertise.

So, that left me with this question: What do you LOVE about Harvey?

14 Harvey Magazine Commencement 2012

Think about it. Of all the amazing things this remarkable school has to offer, what do you LOVE about Harvey the most?

While you think about that, let me tell you about two of the things that I LOVE about Harvey. Obviously, there are countless things I’ve learned to love about Harvey during my seven years here, but I could go on for hours describing how proud I am to be a member of the Harvey community. So, I’m just going to focus on two of the things that I think make this school great.

First, I LOVE my co-workers. We have an incredible faculty here at Harvey, both in the Middle and Upper Schools. And I know for a fact that each and every one of you has developed some type of relationship with one of your teachers, coaches, or advisors in the Middle School. Whether in the classroom, on the practice field, or in the Arts Center, there has to be a member of the faculty that has provided you with the guidance, knowledge, and encouragement needed to help you reach your potential. As teachers, there is nothing that we LOVE more than seeing our students succeed in whatever endeavors they choose.

Now that the majority of you will be moving on to the Upper School, I want you to know that you’ll be in good hands. Many of you might not realize this, but without the guidance I received from an Upper School faculty member, I would not be here at Harvey. You see, when I finished graduate school I was looking for a job in the Boston area as well as in New York. As it turned out, Mrs. Hufnagel (an Upper School chemistry teacher and college guidance counselor) was engaged to my childhood best friend.

She introduced me to Harvey and I started substitute teaching in the fall of 2004. If it weren’t for her steering me in the direction of Harvey, chances are I wouldn’t be up here speaking to you tonight.

So, next fall when you meet Mrs. Hufnagel, make sure you thank her for me because I absolutely LOVE teaching at Harvey.

I encourage you to be open-minded as you head to the Upper School. Seek out the faculty members you connect with and develop those relationships as you did in the Middle School.

And if you listen to their advice and take it, who knows, maybe you’ll turn out just like me!

As I said before, there are countless things I LOVE about Harvey, but above all, it’s you guys sitting in those chairs in front of me that I LOVE the most. I tend to look at you as the younger brothers and sisters I never had. I’m the youngest of five children, and anyone who has been the youngest child knows what that entails. It’s not an easy position to be in. When you’re the youngest, you’re always the one getting made fun of, the one getting teased, and, on occasion, the one getting beaten up. Now, while I haven’t beaten any of you up (yet), I’ll

Middle School Prize Night Class of 2016

Lily Alexander Kiana Anderson Jasmine Brouwer Rick Brown Rohan Cassells Kelsey Childs Dylan Cox Lamar Dell

Julia DeNigris Michael DePass Michael Dimson Jared Finkel Benjamin Gatta Ava Gurman Jacob Harkins Susan Katz

James Kelly Tessa Knorr Ethan Koffler Seth Lyons Joshua Markowitz Kayla Mattocks Andrew Muzin Matthew Neporent

be the first to admit that I’ve done my fair share of teasing and making fun of you guys over the last three years. Most of you have been the butt of one of my jokes at one point or another. Most notably, “Does your face hurt? ‘Cause it’s killing me!” That might be the oldest joke in the book, yet it works every year.

In all seriousness though, I truly care about each and every one of you, and nothing makes me happier than seeing my students reach their potential. And I can honestly say that the Upper School will give you the opportunities for you to grow both as students and individuals. And remember, the advice and guidance of a current Upper School faculty member is the reason I’m at Harvey today.

Now, I asked you a question earlier: what do you LOVE about Harvey? Think about it.

Maybe it’s the small classes that allow you to develop those close relationships with your teachers that you LOVE the most.

Maybe it’s the opportunity to be part of a sports team or theater production that you LOVE the most.

Or maybe it’s this beautiful campus we’re on with an incredible Arts Center and a soon-to-be finished Athletic Center. (By the way, the ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Parents’ Weekend in the fall.) Being a basketball coach myself, I know I’m going to LOVE the new Athletic Center, and I’m sure all of you will, too.

Ashley Peart Adam Penino Aila Prieto Theodore Rattner Sara Reino Henry Rosenberg Alec Roslin Isabelle Rozas

Emily Sirota Julia Slater Claudia Smith Ryan Sturm Lauren Suna Elijah Walker Emily Walsh Jordan Weintraub

Maybe it’s the friends you’ve made since coming to Harvey that you LOVE the most. You never know how these friendships will turn out, but for me, I’m lucky to have stayed friends with a handful of people I met in elementary and middle school.

And one of those connections eventually led me to Harvey.

Perhaps you LOVE all of these things about your wonderful school. So, you might be asking yourself, why is Mr. Kennedy focusing so much on the word LOVE? Well, it’s simple: I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase: “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” It comes from the Chinese philosopher, Confucius who lived during the 5th and 6th centuries BC. I can honestly say that I truly feel this way when it comes to educating, coaching, and mentoring all of you. I don’t view it as work. I view it as an opportunity to have a positive influence on the future of our country.

As I said before, there are many things to LOVE about Harvey, but, without a doubt, I wouldn’t LOVE this place nearly as much as I do if it weren’t for all of you bringing a smile to my face every day. And for that, I thank you.

Remember, my door is always open if you ever need anything.

Whether it’s life advice, help with a history paper, or you just want to stop in and say hello, you know where to find me.

Thank you.

The Harvey School 15

Middle School Prizes

The Aspinwall Athletic Cup given by Lloyd Aspinwall ’25, a member of the Board of Trustees, whose two sons attended Harvey: Ryan Sturm and Ava Gurman

Class of 1981 Award for exemplary sportsmanship on the athletic field: Lauren Suna and Jared Finkel

The Leverett T. Smith Memorial Award after our former Headmaster Leverett T. Smith for initiative and perseverance in the pursuit of some special interest during the school year: Tessa Knorr (competitive diving)

The Wells Speech Award given by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Wells in 1973: Kiersten Wittmann

The Matthew Preston ’65 Recitation Prize given to the Middle School winner of the Michael A. Lopes Annual Poetry Contest: Jacob Harkins

The Baoth Wiborg Memorial Prize in honor of Baoth Wiborg ’34, for excellence in Latin: Rohan Cassells

The Jack Hornor Mathematics Prize endowed by Jack’s father, John W. Hornor, Esq., in honor of his son Jack Hornor ’29: Jordan Weintraub

The Alvah Innes Memorial English Prize for Alvah Innes ’32, after he lost his fight with a severe infection: Henry Rosenberg

The Michael Stirling Duncan Memorial Cup in memory of Michael Duncan ’50 for the greatest interest and enthusiasm for literature: Emily Sirota

Spelling Bee Award: Kayla Mattocks

The Faculty Drama Prize: Emily Walsh

The Faculty History Prize: Elijah Walker

16 Harvey Magazine Commencement 2012

DECEMVIR:

The Harvey Art Prize: Andrew DeRose

The Faculty Music Prize: Jake Lewis

The Hickrill Science Prize endowed in 1953 by Mrs. Robert Halsband and Frank Alan Weil ’44: Jacob Harkins

Top ten Middle School scholars for the past three trimesters according to weighted grade averages.

Scholarship Cup is awarded to the student with the highest average.

1. Emily Sirota 2. Kiersten Wittmann 3. Jake Lewis 4. William Shaffer 5. Joseph Bakas 6. John Wise 7. Rohan Cassells 8. Jordan Weintraub 9. Lauren Suna 10. Macy Drude

Cole Improvement Award in honor of Philip G. Cole ’34: Adam Penino

The Alumni Honor Cup for the greatest contributions to the life and work of the School: Lily Alexander

The Almirall Scholarship Cup given in 1922 by Juan A. Almirall, Esq. for the highest scholastic standing for the year: Emily Sirota

The Harvey School 17

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