schoo ol the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy
a fond farewell
Honoring Board Chair Dick Hayne’s Two Decades of Commitment and Leadership | PAGE 7
writing (for) life
Alumni Reflect on Their Professional Writing Lives | PAGE 8
awards evening & commencement
Award Recipients and Photos | PAGE 26
building with words
Through SCH’s Writing Program, Students Gain an Appreciation of the Power and Variety of Human Expression | PAGE 40
FALL 2019
MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Some of my earliest memories are of my mom reading to my sister and me. Every night after dinner, before our 30 minutes of TV, mom would gather us on our couch and read to us. I remember Aesop’s Fables, Ayn Rand’s Anthem, Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Old Man and the Sea, Charlotte’s Webb, Winnie the Pooh, and the list goes on. Thank you, mom. You built an early appreciation in me for the power of story. Today, I mostly prefer nonfiction, but try to read a handful of fiction titles every year. Over this past summer I was really taken by Adam Gopnik’s A Thousand Small Sanities. I found it to be thought provoking, reassuring, and a little daunting—all at the same time. Gopnik’s work is not for passive Steve Druggan Head of School
consumption. Clearly, with Chapter Two titled “Why the Right Hates Liberalism,” followed by “Why the Left Hates Liberalism,” the reader is expected to engage, disagree, and emerge slightly wiser than when he or she started. I found Sanities reassuring as it made me feel not crazy and provided some excellent resources for talking with students and parents about the issues and challenges of our world in 2019. Finally, it was a little daunting because it reminded me that, although the long arc of humanity trends positive, it is far from linear and will take our collective efforts to beat back the hatred that prefers not to live in a world based on reason and reform. All of this from one book! In addition to Sanities, the other writing that really caused me to think and grow this summer was The Source of Self-Regard. This collection of selected essays, speeches, and meditations by the late Toni Morrison shows us how powerful and important well-crafted prose can be. If you only have time for one piece, I found Morrison’s commencement address to the 1988 class of Sarah Lawrence College to be not only rich and vivid, but incredibly relevant three decades later. I know that there are many, many more options for our time today than when my mom sat my sister and me down for our nightly story. And while I enjoy a great Netflix series as much as anyone, and certainly find live sports to be great entertainment, I do hope we all continue to take time for the written word. Simply reading to kids every day is one of the few undisputed educational practices that improves learning. Through the habits of reading we gain enlightenment, joy, and greater empathy. It has been very reassuring to me that the section of my monthly updates to the SCH community that I get the most feedback on is the last paragraph where I share what books are on my nightstand. This also forces me to keep reading! In this issue you will read about SCH’s writing program and its goal to produce the next generation of writers. You will also hear from CHA and Springside alums who have committed their careers to writing. I hope their words inspire you to take time to read for yourself and to others and to pick up a pen and paper and send a letter to an old friend. That is one of my goals for this year.
COVER PHOTO The co-captains of SCH Academy’s world championship Team 1218 (l to r), Hadley Sager, Allison Gerhard, and Dominique Regli, with the 2019 robot, Vulcan Voyager.
With warm regards,
Stephen L. Druggan
contents
SCHOOL
FALL 2019
the magazine of springside chestnut hill academy
Stephen L. Druggan, Ed.D. Head of School
Development Office Melissa Blue Brown ’87 Director of Alumni Relations
ifc message from head of school 2
campus news Highlights of Recent School Events
Lynn Burke Director of The SCH Fund
7 a fond farewell Honoring Board Chair Dick Hayne’s Two
Jennifer James McHugh ’84 Director of Development
Leslie Connor Newbold ’86 Director of Parent and Community Relations Pepper Johnson Rexford ’92 Stewardship Coordinator Sue Toomey h’15 Administrative Assistant
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Decades of Commitment and Leadership
8 writing (for) life
Alumni Reflect on Their Professional Writing Lives
21 legacy photos
Celebrating the Ties between Family and School. Class of 2019 Graduates and Their Alumni and SCH Family Members
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Communications Office Deidra Lyngard h’18 Director of Publications and Video Editor, SCHool Magazine Julia MacMullan Associate Director of Marketing and Communications Kayla Farrer Communications Specialist Karen Tracy ha Director of Communications
26 awards evening & commencement Award Recipients and Photos
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36 alumni weekend
Award Recipients and Photo Highlights of the Weekend.
40 building with words
Through SCH’s Writing Program, Students Gain an Appreciation of the Power and Variety of Human Expression.
44 class notes
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50 mystery photos Send your comments, story ideas, and expressions of interest in writing an article for the magazine to Deidra Lyngard, SCHool editor, at dlyngard@sch. org or 215-754-1616.
51 through the lens SCH Spirit Caught on Camera
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school magazine fall 2019
CAMPUSNEWS
| GENERAL
sch’s team 1218 wins their first world robotics championship Over 400 teams from around the world gathered in Detroit this past spring for the first of two world championship robotics tournaments hosted by the FIRST organization. SCH’s Team 1218 was there among them.
the Brighton TechnoDogs and ThunderChickens from Michigan and Team Rembrandts from the Netherlands—all the way through the many divisional rounds and up to the finals. For the final round of competition, the action was moved to the larger Ford Stadium, home of the Detroit Lions, where an audience of 38,000 screaming spectators witnessed the two top alliances battle it out for the championship. In the first of the best-of-three final rounds, Team 1218’s alliance lost out of the gate. But they rebounded with a new strategy and won game two. Tweaking their tactics further, in the nail-biting winner-takes-all final match, they won by ONE point, 91-90. In an instant, confetti was flying everywhere.
One of the chief features of a FIRST tournament is that teams must form alliances in order to advance. The composition of an alliance is key to any team’s ultimate success. “We were chosen by the #2 alliance exclusively for our expertise and ability to perform,” explains Peter Randall, the team’s primary mentor and chair of SCH’s Engineering and Robotics Department. “They wanted us because our robot had never broken and it had incredible reliability. We also had the best scouting system. Our custom software, designed by SCH students, is able to quantify the relevant strengths and weaknesses of our competition, providing real-time competitive intelligence from the field that can be instantly deployed in game time.”
For anyone who knows mentor Peter Randall, there are many things he could say about the team and its experience in Detroit, but in the end, he reduced his message to this: “It’s all about resilience—one of the school’s core values—and perseverance. Never… and I repeat NEVER… give up.”
That competitive intelligence took Team 1218 and its partners—
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CAMPUSNEWS
| GENERAL
sch senior’s entrepreneurial project helps him earn full ride to business school As a young African-American boy growing up in North Philly, Robert Williams ’19 thought the only two paths to real success were to become an athlete or an entertainer. Transferring to SCH and taking classes in the school’s Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) opened his eyes to a different path. Robert described it as “like walking into Narnia—I went into a whole different world.” For his CEL project, Robert developed his own clothing line called REINE (which stands for Rare Eminence Ignites New Excellence) with a mission to show African-American youth that they can achieve success in other areas beyond sports and entertainment by pursuing careers in the arts, entrepreneurship, activism, education, medicine, and more. He’s a model example of his own brand; Robert earned a full scholarship to his dream school, Hult International School of Business, where he is now pursuing his newly discovered passion for business.
sch first: science student qualifies for international science fair Senior Caden Traversari is the first SCH, Springside or CHA student to earn their way to the prestigious Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. At the regional Delaware Valley Science Fairs last spring, she earned a 1st place award in the microbiology category and was a Best of Fair bronze medal winner. She competed against the top science students in the world in Phoenix this past May. What percentage of students make it into this elite competition? According to Science Department chair Scott Stein, “less than 1 %—the same percentage as the number of students who earn perfect SAT test scores!” Caden also earned a 1st place cash award from the Society of In-Vitro Biology and two significant college scholarships from the University of the Sciences and Drexel University. Congratulations, Caden!
sch chess team competes in national tournament It was an exciting weekend in the world of chess as 1,200 students gathered in Dallas, TX, this past April to compete in the U.S. Chess Federation’s annual Jr. High Nationals. Four members of the SCH Chess Team played in the competitive “K-9 Under 1250” category against 67 other teams. The team’s wins earned it an 11th place overall. Congratulations to Zach Schapiro, who earned an individual trophy, coming in 13th out of 199 competitors with 5.5 game wins out of 7. L to r: JJ Detweiler ’23, Zach Schapiro ’22, Paolo Marchiano ’22, and Liam Reeves ’22
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CAMPUSNEWS
| GENERAL
sch announces international partnership with arcadia education in dubai, uae SCH’s nationally recognized entrepreneurial program will extend its reach internationally through a partnership licensing its unique CEL curriculum to Arcadia Education’s new secondary school in Dubai.
The roadmap for the partnership between SCH and Arcadia includes curriculum guides, staff descriptions, equipment that may be necessary to execute and maintain the program, and professional development for CEL faculty at Arcadia. SCH faculty will have the opportunity to travel to Dubai to provide hands-on, small-group training on their subject of expertise. This includes three SCH teachers who visited Dubai this summer to teach workshops before Arcadia’s launch of the CEL curriculum this fall.
The Sands Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) is one of the school’s signature programs and is committed to developing an entrepreneurial mindset and skillset in every student over the course of their academic journey. Ed Glassman, CEL’s executive director, says, “Our faculty have spent many years carefully crafting and refining a sequence of instruction that delivers a powerful product and impacts every student.”
SCH Head of School Steve Druggan says, “CEL brings purposeful, real-world learning to our campus on a daily basis. This is a unique partnership, and it exemplifies the essence of the entrepreneurial mindset we teach every day. At its core is recognizing opportunity. I am excited to see how this work will push our practice and drive us to continue to build a standout program for the benefit of SCH students and, now, those in Dubai.”
That curriculum first caught the attention of Arcadia Education’s CEO Navin Valrani when he was a graduate student in the University of Pennsylvania’s Educational Entrepreneurship program and visited CEL. “The minute I walked into the center, I just knew that Arcadia and CEL would have an agreement to bring this outstanding program to Dubai,” says Valrani.
Attending the signing celebration are: (seated) Navin Valrani and Steve Druggan. Standing, l to r: Pamela Chikhani, director of Strategic Alliances, Arcadia Education; Kephren Sherry, head of Primary, The Arcadia Preparatory School; Graham Beale, principal, The Arcadia Preparatory School and Arcadia College; Mohan Valrani, chairman, Arcadia Education; Ed Glassman, executive director, SCH’s CEL program; and Katie Harvey, managing partner, Q Communications.
“At Arcadia, our ethos has always been about meeting our students’ aspirations, and this partnership will give our students the necessary skills to pursue their ambitions across a wide variety of career choices,” says Graham Beale, principal of Arcadia’s secondary school.
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CAMPUSNEWS
| GENERAL
sch establishes new award in honor of retiring board chair dick hayne In addition to a commencement ceremony celebrating the 114 members of the Class of 2019, SCH celebrated the service of board chair Dick Hayne with a new award established in his honor. The SCH Shield Award recognizes the two decades of stewardship that Hayne, who stepped down as chair at the end of June, dedicated to both Springside School and SCH Academy. The Shield Award—the highest honor bestowed on an SCH senior—“recognizes that student who has expanded their full academic and personal potential while leading a life characterized by thoughtfulness, integrity, and a quest to effect positive change.” Senior Juan Castellanos, a “lifer” from Mt. Airy, was the inaugural recipient of the award. During his years at SCH, he exemplified the school’s values of integrity, courage, thoughtfulness, resilience, and diversity and distinguished himself in the eyes of his teachers for his genuine intellectual curiosity and inclusivity. In addition to being a well-rounded student, Juan is a nationally recognized ballet dancer. He received a full scholarship to study with the Charlotte Ballet this past summer and joined their professional dancers’ trainee program this fall.
Juan Castellanos ’19 accepts SCH’s first Shield Award from retiring board chair Dick Hayne.
sch receives loan of abstract expressionist paintings for new lower school This past winter, the school unexpectedly reconnected with a part of its history when the curator of the estate of artist, teacher, and filmmaker Sam Feinstein contacted the school to inquire whether SCH might be interested in having some of his works on long-term loan. Feinstein, a respected mid20th century abstract expressionist, had several links to the school: he was chair of the CHA Art Department, teaching both CHA boys and Springside girls, and was married for a time to Barbara Crawford, CHA’s beloved art teacher after whom the school’s art gallery is named. Visitors to SCH’s McCausland Lower School can enjoy Feinstein’s colorful, luminous works on the walls of the Lobby and Doran Hall. In the fall of 2020, SCH’s Crawford Gallery will feature an exhibition of the artist’s work in tandem with a show at the Woodmere Art Museum featuring works from Group ’55, formed by Feinstein and other Philiadelphia-area creatives concerned about the role of art and science in the post-war era. Standing with one of the paintings to be loaned to SCH are, l to r: Curator for the Sam Feinstein estate Patricia Stark Feinstein (the artist’s widow), Arts Council member Pia Druggan, and chair of SCH’s Arts and New Media Department Ellen Fishman ha. For more information on the artist Sam Feinstein, go to https://www. samfeinstein.com.
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CAMPUSNEWS
| ATHLETICS
ATHLETIC HIGHLIGHTS 2018-2019 Number of Team and Individual Inter-Ac Championships: 6 Number of Team and Individual PAISAA Championships: 2 All-Inter-Ac: 49
Above: Sabria Epps, individual InterAc champ in track. Left: boys and girls champs at Middle School Squash Nationals
All-MASA (squash): 3 Athletes committed to play college athletics: 22 Number of tri-varsity athletes in Upper School: 28
FALL Soccer Boys’ soccer won the PAISAA Championship for the second year in a row and a 2nd place finish in the Inter-Ac. Phil Burckhardt ’19 named Inter-Ac MVP, and Phil Burckhardt was named All-Southeastern PA (SEPA). Team was ranked #1 in PA, #7 in the region, #44 in the nation.
Golf Kara Kniezewski ’19 won the individual Inter-Ac golf championship as well as the individual PAISAA golf championship. Emma Schotsch ’21 placed 3rd in the Inter-Ac tourney. Track Individual Inter-Ac winners in girls’ track: Sabria Epps ’21 in the 400m, Esther Lamb ’21 in the 100m hurdles, Olabisi Adams ’19 in the 300m hurdles, Nayah Moore ’19 in the high jump (she is a 4x Inter-Ac high jump champion).
WINTER Wrestling Simon Kioko ’19 and Luke Purcell ’19 both became members of the wrestling Century Club with over 100 career wins. 4 wrestlers qualified for Prep Nationals.
Crew Boys’ and girls’ freshman quads took bronze in the Stotesbury Regatta; the Boys’ lightweight and boys’ freshman quads took silver at the City Championships. The girls’ freshman quad took bronze at Cities. The boys’ lightweight quad went undefeated in the Manny Flick season for the second year.
Ice Hockey Ethan Gyllenhaal ’20 led the Independence Hockey League in points and goals. Ice Hockey made it to the finals but fell to GA, ending 2nd in the league. Indoor Track Sabria Epps ’21 won the 60m dash at DVTGCA Meet of Champs for Indoor Track.
Tennis Boys’ tennis had a fantastic season, coming in 2nd in the Inter-Ac with just one league loss and a run at the title for the first time in a number of years.
SPRING Baseball Baseball was the stand-alone Inter-Ac Champion for the first time in 30 years. (Championship was shared in 2007.) 2 Inter-Ac MVPs in Carter Davis ’19 and Pat Elliott ’19.
Lacrosse Delaney Sweitzer ’19 was named a U.S. Lacrosse AllAmerican and Under Armour All-American. Her sister, Savannah Sweitzer ’19, scored her 100th career goal this season (145 career total) for girls’ lacrosse! MIDDLE SCHOOL Middle School girls’ varsity soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams went undefeated. Middle School girls squash won the Division 2 Championships and Middle School boys won the Division 3 Championships at the Middle School Squash Nationals.
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Inter-Ac baseba
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Kara Kniezewski, individual Inter-Ac champ in golf
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Springside breaks ground for new Upper School,
Dick joins Springside School board and serves on Enrollment Committee.
Upper School girls move to 3rd floor of Wissahickon Inn during construction.
1998
The merged educational entity, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, officially opens in fall 2011.
YNE A H K C I D
2008
2005
2002 2000
Springside and CHA boards approve 1:1 laptop initiative.
Springside completes most successful fundraising campaign in school’s history, raising more that $24.5M to fund renovation and construction projects that improve 72% of the campus.
2007
2004
2011 2010
VidCast Studio opens. New Upper School opens at Springside. New classrooms added to Springside’s Lower School Campaign launched for new Upper School and library, and for renovations to Middle School.
21 YEARS OF Springside celebrates 125th Anniversary with “Illuminating Women” speaker series which attracts over 7,000 attendees. Haynes host special guest speaker, Cokie Roberts, at their home.
S T E W A R D S H IP
CHASS created to oversee joint school initiatives, signaling stronger partnership between two schools. Both faculties hear presentation by Daniel Pink on his new book, A Whole New Mind, laying groundwork for school’s future-ready curriculum.
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CHA and Springside trustees participate in a visioning exercise to explore goals in anticipation of the two schools merging. The boards of Springside and CHA announce the decision to merge the two schools.
CHOOL SIDE S EMY SPRING L ACAD UT HIL CHESTN E D I S PRING
A FOND FAREWELL HONORING BOARD CHAIR DICK HAYNE’S TWO DECADES OF COMMITMENT AND LEADERSHIP On the eve of Dick Hayne’s retirement this past June, members of the Chestnut Hill Academy, Springside School, and SCH Academy communities gathered to celebrate and pay tribute to his legacy, leadership, and vision. The event featured a variety of speakers who reflected on his inspirational leadership and indomitable tenacity, which have enabled SCH to become the school that it is today. “Dick Hayne is a force of nature,” exclaimed CHA alumnus and former Springside board chair Ted Lodge ’74, who helped to recruit Dick to the board. He is “tireless, unstoppable in the face of daunting obstacles.” Lodge spelled out the impressive achievements that have taken place under Dick’s stewardship: “scores of millions of capital have been raised; the vast majority of the campus has been renovated or newly constructed; a remarkable dedication to progressive education, the most notable being the [Sands] Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL); and, last but not least, his tenure is marked by transitioning heads and recruiting our fearless leader, Steve Druggan.” Bobby Williams ’19, who discovered his passion for business through CEL and will be attending Hult International Business School on a full scholarship next year, spoke to Dick’s enormous influence on the student community: “It’s people like you that open doors for kids like myself and the rest of SCH—that give us an opportunity to explore our highest potential.”
Dominique Regli ’20, one of the first female captains of SCH’s world championship robotics team, also spoke eloquently about the school that Dick has helped to create: “Looking towards my future, whether I’m an electrical engineer or an art historian or a singer, I know that I will be searching for the same passion I have found in robotics. Thank you, Mr. Hayne, for helping to lead our school for 21 years as it became the school where passions come alive.” In addition to these and other tributes, Head of School Steve Druggan announced that, in recognition of Dick’s passion for the environment, the school will establish a grove of trees on campus in partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation. The grove will be planted with three different varieties of Chestnut, which it is hoped will help lead the return of tall-growth Chestnut trees to the Wissahickon Valley. “You have given more than one person can ever be expected to give to CHA, Springside, and SCH, and this gift will give for generations to come,” said Steve in concluding the evening. “I hope that we make you proud as we continue to bring the duality of joy and rigor to our students.”
“THANK YOU, MR. HAYNE, FOR HELPING TO LEAD OUR SCHOOL FOR 21 YEARS AS IT BECAME THE SCHOOL WHERE PASSIONS COME ALIVE.” DOMINIQUE REGLI ’20
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Journalist Zoe Greenberg ’09 at her desk at the Boston Globe.
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FOR SOME PEOPLE, WRITING IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO DO AS PART OF THEIR JOB. FOR OTHERS, IT’S A PLEASUREABLE PASTTIME, AND FOR THOSE FEW OTHERS, IT’S A NECESSITY. ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES, MEET SOME OF OUR ALUMNI WHO HAVE PURSUED A CAREER PATH ENABLING THEM TO COMBINE THEIR PASSION FOR LANGUAGE AND WRITING WITH THEIR LIVELIHOOD. IT’S A PAIRING THAT HAPPENS RARELY, BUT WHEN IT
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DOES, IT’S A POWERFUL BLESSING.
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Sydney Lea ’60 WRITING OCCUPATION Poet and essayist (though I did publish a novel 30 years back.) DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? I came late to the notion, publishing my first book of poems at 40. I was “teaching” a creative writing course at Dartmouth, for no other reason than that the English Department didn't regard it as a serious course way back in 1970, and thought anyone, qualified or otherwise, could teach such a thing. I suddenly realized that I might want to try my hand, too. Not that I hadn’t done some writing, all but exclusively fiction, on my own in my late teens and early 20s. When I decided to dedicate myself to being an author above all else, I became a tiger, working hours a day—usually very early in the morning—until I came to have some command of poetry. It took me 10 years to get there.
ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? I like to take long walks and/or paddle considerable distances; these activities seem to allow “subject matter” to sneak up on me. Trying to will material into being is counterproductive. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? I would like to keep writing decently as long as my mind is adequately functional. WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? The secret to writing is...to write. As, say, with developing athletic skills, long and rigorous workout is key. There’s no shortcut, I fear.
Edith Newhall ’69
WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? I have actually been more influenced by a very old generation of northern New Englanders, all dead now, whose flair for narrative was astounding. Small wonder then that the most influential actual writer was Robert Frost. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Writing well, to be blatantly obvious. Apart from that, writing is a joy, not a chore in the least. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? That’s for others to judge, but if I have anything to be proud of, it’s that although at its best my poetry and prose may be complex, they are not complicated; as with Frost, you can enter my work without having to have any special “credentials.” I want to remain accessible to as many readers as possible. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I do all my best writing in the morning hours. I’m done for the day by lunchtime. I write in an old hunter’s camp that overlooks our seven-acre pond in Vermont.
WRITING OCCUPATION I am an art critic and former art journalist, and began my career as a painter. DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? There was no moment for me. I was always torn between painting and writing, and writing slowly won me over after I began a long career as an editor, and then staff writer, at New York Magazine, while contributing freelance articles and reviews to ARTnews, Travel & Leisure, the Washington Post, and Conde-Nast Traveler.
WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? I have been a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 2005. I’m an enthusiastic reader of art criticism in mainstream publications and art magazines and always
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Eamon Javers ’90
have been, but in my own writing I’ve been more inspired by novels, non-fiction, and poetry. I’ve always been especially drawn to books about experiences in places I’m curious about or have an affection for: Bruce Chatwin on Patagonia and Wales, Susanna Moore on Hawaii, Alexandra Fuller on Rhodesia, Peter Matthiessen on Florida. I took poetry classes with C. K. Williams in the mid-1970s and was strongly influenced by his voice. His poems have been the strongest influence on my writing. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Meeting deadlines, which I always do, but it remains a challenge. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? I think I’m pretty good at identifying and articulating aspects of artworks that might go unnoticed and then making such aspects available to readers and hopefully piquing a curiosity similar to mine.
WRITING OCCUPATION: Journalist DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? I never wanted to be anything else. My dad was a journalist, so I suppose you could say I went into the family business.
ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? I get everything “done” before I sit down to write. Newspapers and blogs are read or skimmed, followed by yoga or aerobics, followed by breakfast and emails that require replies. Have to clear the decks before I can comfortably devote myself to writing for eight hours. My husband, David Walters, always makes a great dinner on the nights I turn in a column, and the anticipation of it keeps me going (I love to cook and try new recipes, but not on that night).
WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? James B. Stewart is pretty great, as is David Grann of the New Yorker. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? The first word. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? Breaking news—in my book, for example, I revealed a secret CIA policy allowing active duty officers to moonlight for financial firms for extra money. It said a lot about how desperate the CIA is to keep officers on the job in the face of private sector competition. And it raised the question of who they were actually working for.
IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? I am a co-contributor to a book of photographs by William Earle Williams, Party Pictures: William E. Williams, that will be published later this year.
WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? These days I’m almost entirely focused on TV, covering the White House for CNBC. So now, I do most of my writing for our website on an iPhone from inside a tent on the White House North Lawn. No time. Go, go, go!
WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Be persistent and make yourself useful in beginner jobs.
WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Don’t do what I wanted to do—do what you want to do. There are stories everywhere. If you are lucky enough to find one that fascinates and absorbs you, follow it all the way to the end.
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Katie Lentz Crawford ’89 WRITING OCCUPATION Novelist DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? There was no magic moment —I’ve just carried with me an ongoing urge to put words on paper. The aha moment was when I decided to actually call myself a writer. I realized that the only thing stopping me from saying it aloud was that I was afraid I would be embarrassed, that people wouldn’t think I was any good. I embarrass myself all the time, so realizing that this was the only barrier ended up being quite empowering. When that voice creeps into my head, I just remind myself that the worst that can happen is that people won’t like what I write. I can live with that. WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? I vividly remember reading Louise Erdrich’s Love Medicine while I was at Springside. It made me want to stand on my chair and shout, “You can write like this?!!!!” It was the most melodic, gorgeous, original writing I had encountered. I have four teenagers now and when I give them writing advice (unsolicited, of course), I always say, “Writing is hearing —read it aloud.” Louise Erdrich was when I first felt this viscerally. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? The writing. The actual sitting down and writing instead of cleaning the kitchen, or sending a text, or staring at a wall. The first 20 minutes when you think, “Oh, my god, I’ve lost any ability to write. I have no more creative ideas left.” The last 20 minutes when you think, “Everything I just put on the page is garbage.” Every minute in between. Finding the charger for the laptop in one of my kids’ rooms since every time I sit down to write the greatest sentence ever, the computer is dead. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? When someone else reads your book and responds to it, it is nothing short of magic. When I would leave book clubs, I wouldn’t be able to sleep all night. It is like going to a museum and watching people respond to paintings. When you put art out there, it becomes public, someone else’s story to own. Your characters become someone else’s characters.They see their own lives in the story line, they
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respond in their own, unexpected ways. You watch your stories transform. I never anticipated how intoxicating and powerful this would be. So I am most proud of putting my stories out there, despite the hundreds of people who told me they weren’t good enough. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I write on a laptop and so I work in different rooms. I try not to notice the view because that means I am staring out the window, mouth agape, wondering what the hell to write next. ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? Turn off the phone. Read everything you wrote the day before aloud. Read everything aloud, over and over again. Set a timer for how long you are going to write and do it, even if what you are writing is absolutely terrible. It is all part of the process. If anyone is home, lock the door to your bedroom, office, etc., and announce you are writing. Of course, this never works in my house and invites everyone to try to practically break the door down. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? I am working on a blog of short stories in process that I want to share with other writers and readers. I want to own the medium in which my writing is shared. I’m trying to do it the old-fashioned way, through email rather than social media, just because there is so much about social media that troubles me right now. WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Call yourself a writer. Early and often.
Harry Groome ’55 WRITING OCCUPATION Writing for me is a second career (or, a career revisited). After retiring from the pharmaceutical company that I began working for as a writer 33 years before, I returned to writing. To jump-start my desire to write fiction, in 2000 I got an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Since then, my short stories and poetry have appeared in dozens of
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because it has its comedic moments and ends with most of the characters changed but still alive, it’s not as tragic. And, sooner than later, I’ll be looking for a publisher.
magazines and journals, and I’ve published four novels (Wing Walking, Thirty Below, The Best of Families and Celebrity Cast), plus a Stieg Larsson spoof, The Girl Who Fished with a Worm.
WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Some advice, but no wisdom, for aspiring writers, regardless of age: read as much great writing (fiction and non-fiction) as you can and learn from what you’ve read; write the very best sentences you can and make your next piece better than your last; and, most importantly, enjoy the daily practice of writing and re-writing. That’s what it’s all about.
DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? Around age 10, after I read Franklin Dixon’s The Hardy Boys books, I wanted to be a writer. When I was a little older, I wanted to be a white hunter and a writer because of the way Ernest Hemingway wrote about African safaris. Next, I wanted to be an athlete and a writer (even though my high school football coach often said to me, “You’re little, but you’re slow”)—and a writer because of the way Red Smith and Furman Bisher wrote about sports. When I became the sports editor of my school newspaper and a “stringer” for the New York Herald Tribune and the Boston Globe, I got a little taste of what the writing business was about.
Margit Detweiler ’85
WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? The list is long, eclectic, and incomplete, but here are a few: Dickens and Hemingway (of course); Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, Ann Patchett, Bret Lott, Anthony Doerr, William Trevor, Hilary Mantel, Marilyn Robinson, and David Jauss. The one thing that they have in common is that they all tell terrific stories—something I’ve always tried to do. But, while all have inspired me, I have worked hard to develop my own style, not mimic someone else’s. That said, like Hemingway and McCarthy, I favor clear, uncluttered prose and try to avoid unnecessary words and lengthy descriptions. WRITING OCCUPATION I’m currently a mix of writerly things. I was a journalist who worked at the Philadelphia City Paper for 10 years, then was an editorial director at AOL, Time, Inc. and a few other places. I now have essentially two day jobs: I run Gyrate Media, a content strategy agency that helps companies and brands tell stories vis-a-vis their websites and other digital properties. I also run TueNight.com, a storytelling platform and live event series for women over 40. I freelance from time to time and am also working on a book—a lifelong dream. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a kid, keeping daily diaries and journals. Teachers at Springside were major influences, from Mrs. Allen to Mrs. Dempsey.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Skipping a day of writing. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? I’m most proud of a piece I wrote for The Nature Conservancy almost 20 years ago. It’s titled “Let Nature Be Your Teacher” (although it’s often referred to as “The Hal Letter” or “The Letter to Harry’s Grandson”). It’s only 524 words, but it’s been read or seen, according to one Conservancy estimate, by as many readers as Stephen King. (A video of it was produced about five years ago.) And, hopefully, it’s encouraged all those readers to invest in the preservation of our natural world.
WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? I’m inspired by so many writers. Right now some of my favorites are George Saunders, Patti Smith, Mary Gaitskill, and Dani Shapiro.
IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? Definitely. I’m at the mid-point of a new novel—the stage that Norman Mailer called “wrestling with the bitch”—and am quite enthusiastic about its potential/where it’s headed. My shorthand description is that it’s a modern-day King Lear, but
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Funny you should ask that right now as I’m having a bit of
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writer’s block! I’ve been an “article” writer for so long; that 800-2,000 word format is second nature to me. Trying to write a book, expanding my thoughts and words into a longer rhythm, is extremely challenging. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? I was nominated for an international Webby award for my series Ovarian Rhapsody, about my experience with ovarian cancer, published on TueNight.com. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I prefer to write in the mornings, before I do anything else. I like to go outside of my home to write, to my office or, even better, a coffee shop where there are other people around me. ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? A few. Coffee! Sometimes I like to read a chapter of a book before starting to write; it helps to take me out of my own head. If I’m writing in the afternoon, I like to go for a walk around the block first to get my creative juices flowing. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? I’m hoping to get my book proposal done by the end of the year. I’ve been working with a writing coach and we’re about 85% of the way there. Send me good, productive vibes! WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Write as much as you can—in journals, in the notes app in your phone. Take down daily notes about anecdotes and stories you experience. They’ll be great fodder for the future. In terms of career, think about the publications you love to read and go work there—even if you have to start at the very bottom.
Alexandra Logue ’70 WRITING OCCUPATION Research professor and former university administrator. I have always enjoyed writing, and knew that it would be part of my life as a college professor, my intended profession from about age 10.
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WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? There are too many to name—people who specialize in fiction (including science fiction), nonfiction (including journalism), and professional science writing. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Doing the initial draft. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? That I have published not only many articles in top-tier scientific journals, but also articles and books that communicate science (including behavioral science) to a much broader audience. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I write anywhere and anytime that I will not be interrupted for at least one-half hour (preferably much longer). It can be a quiet or a noisy place, a pretty or a not pretty place. When the writing is going well, I am pretty much unaware of what is going on around me. Examples of what works well are long plane or train rides, hotel rooms, and my office when no one is around. ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? I like to have all the materials and guidance that I will use for writing organized before I start. I set this all up at a time prior to when I will start writing, e.g., at the end of the previous writing session. I try to make it easy to start a new writing session. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? Having recently finished multiple large writing projects, and having become responsible for five grants, I’m focusing my time on managing the work for those grants. But in a year or two there will start to be much to write—both for professional journals and for nonprofessional media—about the results of that grant work. WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? My path—a standard university professor for 17 years, followed by 18 years of full-time university administration, followed by being a research professor (for five years and counting), and publishing both highly technical works and works for a much broader audience—is highly unusual. So the advice I would offer is not specific to my writing career path, and would instead apply to many career paths: Be persistent and be aware that all successful people, no matter how apparently successful, have had significant set backs in
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IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? Right now I’m in the editing stage of a film project I made with my writing partner, called HIGHER GROUNDS. It’s a comedy about the day two inept aliens botch their mission to detonate Earth. The script for this is, bar none, a piece of writing of which I am the proudest, to date. So I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to my family for subsidizing such an exhaustive, extensive, expensive, education in the service of this kind of end result.
their careers. Successful people keep going when they hit those set backs; they use whatever opportunities they have to improve their performance, and they put 100% effort into completing their goals.
Christian Sarkis Graham ’08
WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Hold to a regular—ideally daily—writing schedule, with as much discipline as you can. Even if five of seven days yield little to nothing for weeks at a time. The most helpful thing, to me, is doing whatever you can to calcify the habit and protect the muscles from atrophy. Because ultimately, whatever your page looks like, with enough time and practice, it’s possible to turn a turd into tiramisu—provided we’re operating within the margin of metaphor, which conveniently is a device within the remit of this particular creative field. Culinary artists, I’ve found, have shown middling success with this instruction.
Jacqueline Weiss ’13 WRITING OCCUPATION Screenwriter WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? Fiction writing I respond to the most tends to strike a balance between melancholy, funny, thoughtful, absurd, and—whatever might be made of this one—human. I also really like ensemble stories, or writing that puts forward a lot of the different characters, outlooks, and experiences that make up the world. To me, that’s something that can give a really nice insight into the sad, weird, confusing joy of what it is to be alive for a little while. Some writers who have done one or more of these things for me over the years have been Raymond Carver, William Saroyan, John Steinbeck, Larry David, Stewart Lee, Paul Thomas Anderson, Louis CK, Charles Schulz, and David Foster Wallace. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Somewhere during, or a little after a first draft, when it becomes clear that the thing you’re plodding through is not, and will probably never be, as graceful, clever or profound as it was in your head. And, usually for deadline-related reasons, just pushing along anyway.
WRITING OCCUPATION Freelance writer and blogger
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DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? I have wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. As a child, I would write my own books and stories for fun, and read whenever possible outside of school. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Sitting down and just getting started can be a challenge for me depending on the topic and deadline. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? I’m proud that I’m able to support myself as a freelancer, and am able to write about so many different topics! One of the reasons I decided to go the freelancing route instead of searching for a full-time job was so I could write about all of the things that interest me instead of focusing on one beat. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I either write from my desk or dining table, which are both in front of windows in my living room and kitchen. I definitely work best early in the morning or in the afternoon when there is a lot of natural light coming in. Luckily, I’m located in Los Angeles where it’s sunny most of the time so I have a great view of my apartment complex pool and palm trees from my windows. ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? Personally, I can’t stand having little tasks on my plate when I have writing to get done. I have to have a clear to-do list and mind in order to get writing done, so I normally batch my work into sections through the day so I don’t get distracted by anything else going on. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? Probably not for another few years, but I’d love to write a book eventually. WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Just go for it, and don’t let anyone tell you what you can't do! I feel that it's more possible than ever before to accomplish the career of your dreams, so don’'t settle for anything less.
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Polly Jenkins Man ’60 WRITING OCCUPATION I write spiritual meditations and essays, blog posts, poetry, plays and sermons. DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? In 8th grade, my Springside English teacher, Kit Masella, newly graduated from Bryn Mawr, told me that I “was” a writer. I went to Bryn Mawr for undergrad, in part because of Miss Masella. I had no idea at that time that I would put my gift to use in the context of my calling as a Christian pastor. WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? Mary Oliver, for the way she weaves the natural world into her spiritual awakenings. John Steinbeck, for his ability to paint the details of the 20th century American experience and for his unforgettable characters, especially Cal in East of Eden. The author of the book of Job. Nowhere else have I encountered such powerful and compelling imagery as in its final chapters. Alice Munro for her short stories. Edward Albee for his tragic yet ultimately redeemable characters. The poetry of Isaiah.... WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? I have to remind myself always to keep my thoughts succinct and to avoid run-on sentences. I spend time trying to use the best word or phrase to capture my meaning: “Simplify, simplify, simplify” per H. D. Thoreau. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? Since most of my audience is live, or online, I am always pleased and thankful when listeners/readers tell me how an essay or a sermon has opened their eyes to something new. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I write in my study, next to a window that looks out on a maple tree and hemlocks beyond. That’s where I put down the words, yet most of the work has already occurred while walking outdoors or driving.
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WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Journalism is a very tricky field because newspapers are dying, obviously, and digital outlets aren’t necessarily sustainable. I have often wondered if I would ever be able to find a reporting job, and right now I’m doing a job that I absolutely love. So I would say don’t lose hope! I’m always reminding myself of this Cheryl Strayed quote: “Don’t lament so much about how your career is going to turn out. You don’t have a career. You have a life.”
ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? I usually decide on my subject, or the biblical text, several days before I commit words to page and let it sit and percolate; open my awareness to what’s around me. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? I would like to have my blog posts published in a collection with the title Circling around God (from the poem of R. M. Rilke). WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? The best advice I can give is to write what you love and not to worry if it is marketable.
Clark Groome ’60
Zoe Greenberg ’09 WRITING OCCUPATION Journalist WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? One of the writers who I most admire is Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, the author of Random Family. She spent 11 years in the Bronx chronicling the lives of four young people growing up in poverty and raising families of their own. The book is dramatic and funny and full of detail and devastating. It took her a long time to write it, so every time I am working on a long project, I just think to myself, how must she have felt five years into the 11-year slog?
WRITING OCCUPATION Over the last 40 years I have been a reporter, a columnist, a sports writer, and, primarily, a theater critic, most of that for the Chestnut Hill Local. I have also done freelance writing for several other publications and wrote the Chestnut Hill Academy history, which was published in the school’s alumni publication for the school’s sesquicentennial in 2011. DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? I really don’t know. It sort of crept up on me. I was a radio disc jockey and newsman in and after college, then was in the advertising/public relations business, a large part of which involved writing press releases. When I left the ad world to become CHA’s director of development, a lot of what I did was writing—news releases, articles for the CHA NEWS, fundraising proposals and letters, and school brochures. The same was true for the two years I was at Abington Friends School (1978-1980) after I left CHA. When the AFS job didn’t work out, I started writing theater reviews for the Local. I’d always loved the theater (I was the business advisor for the Players at CHA and was honored to be the 11th adult to receive a Players Pin). I’ve covered theater in Philadelphia and neighboring major professional theaters and also covered New York theater from 1982 until 2001 when the Local cut back on its arts coverage. I’ve also done numerous interviews with subjects ranging from the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church to the Philly Phanatic.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Sometimes I knock my head against the wall trying to think of new story ideas. When I’m desperately brainstorming, they don’t show up. When I’m not looking, they pop up everywhere. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I like to write in totally silent places where I can tuck myself into a little corner. But I work in an open-office newsroom, so I am often writing surrounded by people talking and police scanners muttering and keyboards clacking. In college there was a medical library, and the signs on the wall discouraged people from wearing flip-flops and chewing gum because of the noise. That’s my ideal vibe.
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WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? E. B. White for his compact writing style; New Yorker writer Roger Angell for his love of what he was writing about (baseball, mostly); New York Herald Tribune and later New York Times theater critic Walter Kerr for his ability to make his points that, even when negative, were never nasty; and Red Smith for his extraordinary turns of phrase and his ability to put the reader at the sporting event about which he was writing.
First: read Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. Second: make sure you have your facts straight. Write with passion and with commitment to that about which you are writing. I’m not a fiction writer—although some of the theater folk I’ve reviewed might say that I am—but for those writing news stories, accuracy and honesty are the two ingredients that make for a successful article/column. It also helps a great deal if you love words and respect basic grammatical rules and procedures. And, more than anything, have fun.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? The lede (that’s the way journalists spell lead). Once I get the first sentence written, the rest of my column or review comes pretty easily. That’s not to be casual about how hard it is. Red Smith said that writing’s easy, all you do is stare at a blank piece of paper until little beads of blood form on your forehead. It’s just that in large measure what I have written has been my opinion so I just want to get the best entry to what follows, which is why I really can’t write an opinion piece until the lede is set.
Maura Cheeks ’05
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? I think I’m proud that, for the most part, what I’ve written as a theater critic has been clear and not mean. I’m also proud that the articles I write are primarily about the subject being covered and not about how clever a writer I can be. My hope is always that the reader is more interested and aware of what I’m writing about than about the writing itself. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? At home at my computer. I write columns when an idea comes to me and I have the lede in mind. For the close to 2,000 theater reviews I’ve written, I generally write as soon as I get home from the theater so the experience is fresh. ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? Not really. The ritual is just getting the lede down and then, since most of what I’ve written is in the 500–1,000-word range, to get the first draft done in one sitting. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? Not really. I wish that the newspapers for which I write were in better shape—had more space—so that I could write more theater reviews and sports columns. WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH?
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WRITING OCCUPATION I’m an essayist focusing on creative nonfiction. I started my career in marketing and still work as a freelance content marketing writer and editor. DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? My 4th grade teacher Mr. McCullough had us write plays to submit to the Young Playwrights Association. It was while working on that play that I realized I wanted to be a writer. I loved everything about the process: coming up with the story, writing the first draft, and editing. My play ended up winning 1st place in the competition and I thought, “Maybe I can do this.” Mr. McCullough really showed me how to approach writing thoughtfully and seriously, and first showed me a path to making writing a career. My grandmother was also constantly buying me books, so when I wasn’t at school, I was usually reading. WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? Most recently, I’ve been inspired by the essayist Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah for her ability to write detailed and intricate profiles of people, lots of whom she has never even met. I’m also inspired by Ralph Ellison for both his storytelling and his essays about the craft of writing. WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? For nonfiction, it is finding the right flow to create a compelling narrative while ensuring all of the details are accurate. It can be difficult to let certain facts go that I find interesting, but that don’t support the narrative I’m trying to tell. For both fiction and nonfiction I always have to remind myself “show don’t tell.”
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WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? When I get emails from people saying my writing resonated with them it serves as the best form of motivation. I’m proud that my writing has impacted people enough that they feel inspired to email me.
lesson about Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh. I was in one at Springside or CHA every chance I could get, and was president of the Springside Dramatic Club in 1963. But the most important experience for me was being a student in Henry Putsch and Barbara Crawford’s Summer in the Arts program at CHA in the 1960s. In the most natural way, I was in the world of contemporary theater, music, and painting. Working on plays by Samuel Beckett (a wonderful CHA production of Endgame), being in the Brecht Weill Threepenny Opera... Much of this work was considered new in New York in 1962, and we were doing it in high school! Beckett and Brecht inspired me then and now. Plus Shakespeare always.
WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I prefer to write first thing in the morning (either on my couch or at my desk) with a view of the Williamsburg Bridge or a picture of my family. If I’m feeling stuck, I usually read a piece of writing that inspires me.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Going public, seeing the audience for the first time. Are they going to give in to the play or will they resist it? Another writer described the audience as her victim and jury. It’s an awful feeling at first. I usually find a place to hide.
ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? I typically like to write a full draft through without editing in order to surface an unfiltered approach to structure and narrative. Then I’ll go back to edit and rewrite. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? I want to publish a book.
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN REGARDS TO YOUR WRITING? I’m proudest to be a playwright when I get the publishers’ reports of amateur productions—a high school in Indiana, let’s say, or a community theater in a town two hours away. The idea of my plays living out in the world, talking to people I don’t know, feels like a good reason to be writing them.
WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Write every day and trust the process. It may take years before you find your footing (either with a career or even finding your style), but if you wake up thinking about writing, then just write. The rest will follow.
WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? Morning. Front room of my house. I look out at two palm trees across the street. There’s lots of bird activity in those trees—sometimes more interesting than what I’m writing.
Doris Baizley ’63
ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? A lot of cleaning.
WRITING OCCUPATION Playwright. My published plays are fictional (Mrs. California, Shiloh Rules, adaptation of A Christmas Carol), but recently I’ve been writing documentary and community based plays from interviews. My newest play, Sisters of Peace, based on the life and work of four radical nuns, just finished a run at the History Theater in St. Paul, MN.
IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? Looking for it right now. A vague idea of a play but no words for it yet. WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? Be a theater nerd. Do everything: run lights, make costumes, act, sweep the stage. You’ll be surprised how much of it will inform your writing.
DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? In college I was acting in a play that I’d written part of. When it was over, I realized I cared much more about the reaction to the part I’d written than to my acting. Making plays was always something I wanted to be doing. I wrote my first play in 5th grade (not Springside yet) based on a history
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Chloe Corner ’10 WRITING PROFESSION Screenwriter DESCRIBE THE MOMENT WHEN YOU REALIZED YOU WANTED TO BECOME A WRITER AND WHAT OR WHO INSPIRED YOUR DECISION? I have always enjoyed creative writing, but it wasn’t what I thought my career would be. The moment I realized I wanted to write professionally was when I realized that in order to make the films I want to make, I have to write them myself. So it’s been an incredibly fun and liberating exercise learning to put my visions on paper as screenplays, and I’m excited to see what comes next. WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE YOU BEEN MOST INSPIRED BY AND WHY? At the moment I am most inspired by the works of Paolo Sorrentino, Krzysztof Kieslowski, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Each of them has a different style of storytelling and filmmaking, but they all explore human existence in really honest, unexpected, beautiful, and often hilarious ways.
WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU PREFER TO WRITE? WHAT IS THE VIEW FROM WHERE YOU WRITE? I prefer to write in my living room, which looks out over a sage bush and my little street in Los Angeles. Though I usually am struck with my most fascinating insights while I’m driving my car! ARE THERE ANY RITUALS YOU FOLLOW IN PREPARING TO WRITE? Tea and incense. Drawing out pictures of scenes or moments I see in my head. IS THERE A WRITING PROJECT/GOAL THAT YOU WANT NEXT TO ACHIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO SHARE? I would be thrilled to make my first feature film. WHAT ADVICE/WORDS OF WISDOM WOULD YOU OFFER A YOUNGER WRITER INTERESTED IN PURSUING A SIMILAR WRITING CAREER PATH? There is infinite opportunity for success and happiness in art—follow your passion.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE WRITING PROCESS FOR YOU? Sitting down and getting started! Writing has forced me to be very self-reflective, to dig inside of myself and unpack my thought processes and emotions, to grow as a person. I’m proud of each small moment where I feel this personal development, no matter how many words get down on paper.
Thanks to the many talented and diverse writers who took the time to respond to our request asking for submissions for this article. If we missed you, or you missed us, please let us know so that we can update our records.
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legacy families celebrating the ties between family and school
Alivia ’21 and Aaron ’19 Angelos
Griffin ’16, Mason ’19, and Jake ’13 Banks
Julia ’21, Kenneth ’19, and Karah ’14 Barrist
Matt ’11 and Sam ’10 Brenman, Michael Berry ’19, David ’17 and Ali ’14 Brenman
Andrew ’22, Matthew ’19, and Michael ’15 Bown
Lisa Marie ’16 and Philip Burckhardt ’19
Anabella ’24, Juan ’19, and Elizabeth ’21 Castellanos
Demianna ’19, Jameson ’24, and Maddigo ’22 Callas
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Liam ’15 and Kieron ’19 Cook
Cynthia Orr ’73, Alexander ’19, and Allison ’15 Day
Jean-Paul ’19 and Giselle ’21 Dencker
Rekha ’17 and Larkin ’19 Dhillon-Richardson
Andrew ’16, Nicholas ’19, and Eric ’16 Dolente
Sadie ’21 and Abigail ’19 Duncan
Chase Rotelle ’20, Owen ’19, and Nora Elliott ’23
Matthew ’21, Patrick ’19, and Jack ’18 Elliott
Robert ’19 and Giacomo ’20 Gentile
Cameron ’22 and Cole ’19 Golden
Noelle ’17, Rowan ’19, and Finola ’14 Goudy
Theo ’19 and Lauren ’22 Gregson
Khai ’31 and Jahli ’19 Hendricks
Cole ’13, Dane ’19, and Audrey ’22 Hoffmann
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Brenna ’16, Adrianna ’19, and Alyssa ’13 Isackman
Victor ’19 and Wilson ’17 Jones
Natalie ’14, Peter ’19, and Harrison ’16 Kapp
Margaret King ’17, John Estey ’80, and Leslie King ’19
Rosalyn ’16 and Alexander ’19 Koscica
Anna ’23, Christian ’20, James ’19, and Celia ’21 Mazzarelli
Alexia ’19 and Sienna ’23 Lindsay
Catherine ’17, Joseph ’19, and Brigit ’15 McDermott
Annie ’20 and Jack ’19 McDonald
Phillip McDowell ’21, Lucy Lamb ’18, Nathaniel McDowell ’19, Nina McDowell Lamb ’82, Samuel McDowell ’16, Tasmin Lamb ’12, George McDowell ’76, William McDowell ’75, and Jack Lamb ’17
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Olivia ’21, Alexandra ’17, Patrick ’19, and Gabrielle ’24 McHugh
William ’19 and Jennifer James ’84 McHugh
George, Bernard ’19, Deborah ’83, Parker ’17, Donna ’84, and Jennifer ’88 Popky
Joshua ’19 and Madison ’20 Niebish
Colebe ’19 and Courtney ’23 Oliver
Jacob ’16 and Luke ’19 Purcell
Shawn ’26, Kylie ’19, and Kenna ’25 Quinn
Tate ’11 and Hadley ’19 Sager
Alexa ’16 and Lindsey ’19 Schwartz
Heather Doran ’87, and Roan ’22, Caiden ’19, Lucas ’17, and Win ’84 Stauffer school magazine fall 2019
Claire ’21 and Madeleine ’19 Moustafellos
Gail Clements ’81 and Riley ’19 Redpath
Jenna ’19 and Cara ’16 Stapleton
Wynfield ’13 Rall, Kayla ’22 and Hayden Stephan ’19, Elizabeth ’16 and Forrest ’13 Rall
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Harrison ’22, Delaney ’19, Savannah ’19, and Charles ’18 Sweitzer
Nahla ’19 and Amatullah ’22 Turner
Jamieson ’19 and Grayson ’22 Wade
Ellen ’88 and Andrew ’19 Ward, Cathy McLaughlin Glazer ’66
Mikaela ’16 and Kianah ’19 Watson
Destiny ’19 and Timothy ’18 Weal
Norene ’21 and Robert ’19 Williams
Philip ’19 and Charlie ’22 Wrede
Evan ’15 and Andrew ’19 Wolfe
another sch day success Thank you to the 436 parents, alumni, faculty, and friends who made our 4th annual SCH Day a recordbreaking success. In just over 24 hours, you gave $341,516 to The SCH Fund! Your generosity impacts every student, every day, and your participation shows you believe in your school. Be sure to be on the lookout for your chance to #impactSCH during our next SCH Day in April 2020!
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i n e v e s d r awa c
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ng& ommencement
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Congratulations, SCH Grads!2018
As a group, the Class of 2019 encompassed an amazing range of talents and interests, from world champion robotics team captains to a national chess champion, and from an All-American lacrosse player to a future Naval Academy cadet and a dancer with a professional ballet company. There are also Cappie acting and costume/makeup nominees, a successful clothing line entrepreneur on a full scholarship to business school, a girls’ golf Inter-Ac champion, a Sports Illustrated and Little League history-making athlete, and a Kimmel Center headliner. Whether their paths are science, humanities, engineering, arts, or athletics, this impressive group of graduates is bound for the history books. We wish the members of our 2019 graduating class all the best as they move on to the next exciting stage of their lives, and we thank them for their many contributions to our school community.
THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 2019 ARE ATTENDING THE FOLLOWING INSTITUTIONS: Albright College Amherst College Arizona State University Babson College Bard College Barnard College (2) Boston University Bucknell University California University of Pennsylvania Carnegie Mellon University Charlotte Ballet (Post Graduate Year) Chestnut Hill College Colgate University (2) College of Charleston Colorado College Columbia College Chicago Cornell University Davidson College Delaware State University Dickinson College
Drexel University (4) Duquesne University (2) Elon University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Franklin & Marshall College Georgetown University Hampton University Haverford College High Point University Hobart and William Smith Colleges Howard University Hult International Business School James Madison University (2) Jefferson Philadelphia University La Salle University Lafayette College Lehigh University
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Loughborough University, England Millersville University of Pennsylvania Monmouth University New York University Pennsylvania State University (6) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2) Rider University Southern University and A&M College Springfield College Syracuse University (5) Temple University The College of Wooster The George Washington University (3) The University of Alabama University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Trinity College
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Tulane University (3) Union College (New York) United States Naval Academy University of Denver University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Miami University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania (9) University of Pittsburgh (5) University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown University of South Carolina (2) University of Southern California (3) Ursinus College (5) Villanova University Wake Forest University (2) Washington State University Wellesley College West Chester University of Pennsylvania (2) Yale University
END-OF-YEAR AWARDS FACULTY AWARDS edward c. rorer ’61 faculty of promise award Given in honor of Ted Rorer ’61, teacher, coach, trustee, and friend, this prize recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies energy, passion, love of learning, care for students, and a commitment to the school. • Kevin Harris • Edward Malandro
elliston perot walker teaching excellence award Established in honor of CHA faculty member E. Perot Walker and his wife, Susie, for years of dedicated service, excellent teaching, and commitment to the students. • Debra Amoroso ha d. stanley parker ’68 award Established by CHA alumni to honor the career of teacher and coach Stanley
Distinction in the Arts ( l to r): First row: Krystian Sampson, Bobby Hill, Aja’nae Hall-Callaway, Finn Seifert, Teddy Tasman, Ellie Shoup. Back row: Victor Jones, Trevor Meyer, Marilyn Tocarek, Allison Gerhard, Sarah Edelson. Not pictured: Jack Rice.
Distinction in Science (l to r): Front row: Abigail Li, Dominique Regli, Alisa Jia. Middle row: Mingyu Zheng, Tony Regli, Annie McDonald. Back row: Chloe Lehocky, Rowan Goudy, Zach Shapiro, Kara Kniezewski. Not pictured: Andy Lau, Brian Henesey.
Parker ’68, this award recognizes excellence in teaching, mentoring, and/or coaching. • Steven McGuinn ha landreth award Given in memory of Charles Landreth ’29 to a staff member who, for at least 10 years, has served the school with outstanding devotion. • Joyce Seiferth • Maeve Malone the william shuttleworth award Given to that teacher, by vote of 10-year CHA alumni, who has had the most beneficial influence on the students. • Edward Aversa h’15 the william k. gemmill chair for engineering and robotics Awarded every three years to a teacher who exemplifies outstanding teaching, inside and outside the classroom, who exerts the positive influence that faculty have as role models for young people, and who demonstrates a deep commitment to the school community. • Alissa Sperling
corning pearson ’30 service award Given in recognition of extraordinary service to the school, long-standing commitment to the school’s educational experience, dedication and loyalty to values and mission, and passion for its traditions, as personified by Corning Pearson ’30, student, athlete, educator, administrator, benefactor. • Richard Hayne
STUDENT AWARDS Departmental Distinctions arts 9th: Elizabeth Shoup Theodore Tasman 10th: Finn Seifert 11th: Aja’nae Hall-Callaway Trevor Meyer Jack Rice 12th: Sarah Edelson Allison Gerhard Robert Hill Victor Jones Krystian Sampson Marilyn Tocarek science 9th: Alisa Jia Tony Regli Zach Schapiro
Faculty Awards (l to r): Alissa Sperling, Joyce Seiferth, Debbie Amoroso, Kevin Harris, Ed Malandro, Steve McGuinn. Not pictured: Ad Aversa, Dick Hayne, Maeve Malone.
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cel 10th: Connor Koschineg Keith MacMahon 11th: Alysa Akins Tiara Jenkins 12th: Alexa Frankel Robert Williams
Distinction in History (l to r): Front row: Jamieson Wade, Katherine Huggett, Sabrina Wang, Ellie Shoup, Gracie Lubisky. Back row: Andy Lauerman, Joseph Falcone, Sam Halfpenny, Grayson Wade, Ella Webb, Ethan Gettes. Not pictured: Fenglin Wang.
english 9th: Sam Halfpenny Nia Hodges Sally Thistle 10th: Anne-Marie Martin Lia Jones Julia Lieberman 11th: Emma Schwenderman Maya Schwenderman Aja’nae Hall-Callaway 12th: Mahaa Ayub Gracie Lubisky Kylie Quinn mathematics 9th: Alisa Jia Tony Regli Zach Schapiro 10th: Isaac Becker Ainsley Rexford Mingyu Zheng 11th: Sophia Kamien Zhixuan Li Jack Kollmar 12th: Elliott Cunningham Rowan Goudy Alex Koscica
Distinction in Foreign Language (l to r): Front row: Philip Wrede, Julia Lieberman, Ella Stevens, Tobi Farbstein, Ainsley Rexford, Amanda Cooney. Back row: Audrey Hong, Katherine Huggett, Gioia Marchiano, Emma Schwenderman, Scott Bandura, David Berger.
10th: Brian Henesey Andy Lau Mingyu Zheng 11th: Zhixuan Li Annie McDonald Dominique Regli 12th: Kara Kniezewski Rowan Goudy Chloe Lehocky history 9th: Sam Halfpenny Elizabeth Shoup Grayson Wade 10th: Andrew Lauerman Joseph Falcone Ella Webb 11th: Katherine Huggett Sabrina Wang Fenglin Wang 12th: Ethan Gettes Gracie Lubisky Jamieson Wade
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foreign language 9th: Amanda Cooney 10th: Tobi Farbstein Julia Lieberman Ainsley Rexford Ella Stevens 11th: Scott Bandura Katherine Huggett Gioia Marchiano Emma Schwenderman 12th: David Berger Audrey Hong Philip Wrede engineering and robotics 9th: Zach Schapiro 10th: Victoria Cohen 11th: Ziyu Fu 12th: Joseph McDermott
College Book Awards brown university book award Recognizes a junior who combines a high degree of ability in English expression, both written and spoken, with those outstanding personal qualities which, in the words of the Brown Charter of 1764, give promise that the student will become one of the “succession of men and women duly qualified for discharging the offices of life with usefulness and reputation.” • Katherine Huggett ’20 harvard university book award Awarded to an outstanding junior who displays excellence in scholarship
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Distinction in Engineering and Robotics (l to r): Joe McDermott, Victoria Cohen, Zach Shapiro. Not pictured: Ziyu Fu.
and high character, combined with achievement in other fields. • Annie McDonald ’20 rhode island school of design book award Given for excellence in the creative arts. • Nathaniel McDowell ’19 university of pennsylvania book award Presented to a junior who exemplifies the qualities and characteristics of Benjamin Franklin, the founder of the University of Pennsylvania—a scholar, innovator, and one who served the community. • Marco Goldberg ’20 university of virginia book award Presented to an outstanding junior based on academic and extracurricular activities in acknowledgment of that student’s commitment to academics, leadership, and community involvement, which Thomas Jefferson held in high regard. • Scott Bandura ’20 yale university book award Presented to a member of the junior class who has shown intellectual promise, significant involvement in extracurricular activities, and
ATHLETICS lawrence r. mallery ’05 award Named for Lawrence Mallery from the Class of 1905. He admired scholar-athletes, and his family established this award to honor the male scholar-athlete of the senior class. • Peter Kapp ’19 j. l. patterson cup Named for Dr. James Patterson, headmaster from 1897 to 1923, this cup is awarded to the best allaround male athlete in the senior class. • Matthew Bown ’19
Distinction in CEL (l to r): Bobby Williams, Keith MacMahon, Connor Koschineg, Alysa Akins, Tiara Jenkins, Alexa Frankel.
meredith s. and langdon w. harris iii award Given by the Harris family in memory of Langdon Harris and in honor of Meredith to the parent or parents who have been most supportive of SCH athletics and athletes during the school year. • Allison Golden • Pamela von Seldeneck Harris ’81
Distinction in English (l to r): Front row: Anne-Marie Martin, Julia Lieberman, Sam Halfpenny, Nia Hodges, Gracie Lubisky, Mahaa Ayub, Kylie Quinn. Back row: Aja’nae Hall-Callaway, Maya Schwenderman, Emma Schwenderman, Lia Jones. Not pictured: Sally Thistle.
service to the community. • Dominique Regli ’20 smith college book award Presented to a member of the junior class who exemplifies the academic achievement and leadership qualities that characterize the thousands of women who have graduated from Smith College. • Maggie Pearson ’20
Deeded Awards ARTS players on-stage and off-stage awards Given by the director of Players for a significant
junior vare award in memory of johanna sigmund ’94 Named for the former head of the Physical Education Department
contribution, loyalty, and commitment to Players—on stage and off. On Stage • Gracie Lubisky ’19
and given in memory of Johanna Sigmund ’94, this award is given to a junior girl who exhibits talent and a keen interest in athletics, demonstrates sportsmanship, and maintains consistent academic achievement. • Maggie Pearson ’20 phyllis m. vare sportsmanship award Given in honor of Miss Vare, former head of the Physical Education Department, to a senior girl who, through leadership and example, has shown to others the highest standards of sportsmanship and play. • Kianah Watson ’19 blue / gold award Presented to a female athlete in the senior class who best exemplified excellence in athletics and sportsmanship this year and is voted on by the Athletic Department. • Mo’ne Davis ’19 edward morris mcilvaine ’95 memorial scholarship Provides an outstanding summer opportunity for an Upper School boy who exhibits leadership potential
Off Stage • Hadley Sager ’19 suzanne turner rebmann award Given in memory of Suzanne Turner Rebmann for excellence in one of the performing arts. • Hannah Cohen ’20 alumnae association art award Given to a member of the senior class who has demonstrated extraordinary interest, ability, and accomplishment in the visual arts. • Destiny Weal ’19
Distinction in Mathematics: Mingyu Zheng, Abigail Li, Ainsley Rexford, Alysa Jia, Sophia Kamien. Middle row: Isaac Becker, Tony Regli, Jack Kollmar. Back row: Alex Koscica, Rowan Goudy, Elliott Cunningham, Zach Schapiro.
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and seeks a special growth experience. Established in 2005, this scholarship is awarded in memory of Ed McIlvaine ’95 whose Outward Bound experience left a lasting impression on his life. • Peter Humphreys ’21 the outward bound award Provides an outstanding summer opportunity for a girl who exhibits leadership potential and seeks a special growth experience. • Zoe Marinakos ’20
ACADEMICS - SCIENCES society of women in engineering award Recognizes and honors girls who achieved excellence in the study of mathematics and science for at least three years and have demonstrated an aptitude and interest in engineering. • Zhixuan Li ’20 rensselaer polytechnic institute award for excellence Awarded to a member of the junior class for outstanding academic achievement in the study of mathematics and science. • Annie McDonald ’20 m.i.t. promise of the future award Given to the student who, through personal initiative, has done the most to promote the awareness of science and technology. • Dominique Regli ’20
ACADEMICS - GENERAL class of 1959 award Awarded to the student or students who show the greatest intellectual curiosity during each of the high school years. • 9th: Zach Schapiro • 10th: Victoria Cohen • 11th: Zhixuan Li • 12th: Jamieson Wade school magazine fall 2019
christopher fraser carpenter ’60 memorial award In memory of Chris Carpenter ’60, this award is granted to that member of the junior class who has shown the greatest improvement during the year. • Rex Leininger ’20 daniel webster charles memorial scholarship Given to the member of the junior class who has demonstrated excellence in historical research and creativity in writing. • Qiaoxin Lin ’20
Book Awards (l to r): Front row: Maggie Pearson, Dominique Regli, Annie McDonald, Katherine Huggett. Back row: Scott Bandura, Marco Goldberg, Nate McDowell.
joseph l. castle
’50 comcast
scholarship Awarded in memory of Joseph L. Castle ’50 by the Comcast Foundation to a senior in recognition of his or her general excellence, commitment to communications at SCH, and who may pursue further study of communications in college. • Gracie Lubisky ’19 rebmann summer study award Summer study scholarship awarded in memory of Bill and Susie Rebmann to supplement and extend the normal scope of school experiences. • Liam Reeves ’22 • Elizabeth Dure ’21 • Julianna Smith ’20 • Sabrina Wang ’20 franklin & margaret steele award for entrepreneurship A scholarship given to a student who wishes to pursue his or her entrepreneurial passion through an internship in a certain industry or business. • Caroline Reitmeyer ’21 • Finn Seifert ’21
Deeded Awards in Arts and Athletics (l to r): Front row: Maggie Pearson, Hannah Cohen, Destiny Weal, Hadley Sager, Gracie Lubisky, Mo’ne Davis, Allison Golden. Back row: Zoe Marinakos, Peter Humphreys, Peter Kapp, Matthew Bown, Kianah Watson, Pam Harris.
Character Awards franklin d. sauveur memorial award Honors an alumnus from the Class of 1911 and is given to a member of the 9th grade for character and scholarship. • Amanda Cooney ’22 garrett d. pagon award Given to a member of the 10th grade for moral courage and integrity. • Elizabeth Castellanos ’21 • Finn Seifert ’21 community service award Recognizes seniors for extraordinary commitment to their community
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and meaningful service connections throughout their school career. • Gracie Lubisky ’19 robert a. kingsley scholarship Given to that student in 9th, 10th, or 11th grade who has shown the highest degree of academic promise and scholarship, along with the most responsible type of leadership. • Kellie Graves ’20 kevin kirk ’15 memorial award Given to a student or students, new to Upper School, who have made the most positive impact on the community. • Gabriella Leon-Palfrey ’22
alice morice ’24 memorial award Given in memory of Alice Morice ’24 by vote of the faculty to that senior who has shown loyalty and devotion to the school in all aspects of school life. • Mahaa Ayub ’19
Deeded Awards in Academics (l to r): Front row: Finn Seifert, Liam Reeves, Abigail Li, Dominique Regli, Victoria Cohen, Gracie Lubisky, Eliza Dure. Back row: Caroline Reitmeyer, Sabrina Wang, Julianna Smith, Zach Schapiro, Jamieson Wade, Rex Leininger, Annie McDonald.
Deeded Awards in Character (l to r): Front row: Mo’ne Davis, Jahli Hendricks, Riley Redpath, Maggie Pearson, Amanda Cooney, Elizabeth Castellanos, Finn Seifert, Ethan Gettes. Back row: Hayden Stephan, Scott Bandura, Tiara Jenkins, Emma Stern, Gaby LeonPalfrey, Kellie Graves, Gracie Lubisky, Mahaa Ayub, Leslie King.
jane bell memorial award Established to keep alive the memory of the founder of Springside School, a woman of noble personality, full of enthusiasm and courage, and to remind students that in this ever-changing world, there will always remain a need for these virtues. • Tiara Jenkins ’20 • Emma Stern ’20 martin henry dawson ’90 memorial award Presented in memory of Tinry Dawson ’90 to that senior who has, by vote of the members of the senior class, provided the most positive
edward savage memorial award Named for Edward Savage, who worked at CHA from 1915 through the ’30s, taking care of athletic equipment as well as maintaining the athletic fields, this award is presented by the alumni and awarded for loyalty and service to the school. • Leslie King ’19 • Hayden Stephan ’19 caroline susan jones junior and senior awards Given in honor of Springside’s headmistress from 1900 to 1921 by vote of the faculty to a junior girl and a senior girl for courage, cheerfulness, fair-mindedness, good sportsmanship, influence widely felt, and the courage of her own convictions. • 11th: Maggie Pearson ’20 • 12th: Riley Redpath ’19
alumni gold and silver awards Presented to a junior boy and a senior boy who, in the judgment of the Alumni Association and after consultation with the faculty and students, best exemplifies those characteristics of leadership, academic standing, character, and service to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. • Silver: Scott Bandura ’20 • Gold: Hayden Stephan ’19
Alumni Gold and Silver Award winners (l to r): Hayden Stephan, Scott Bandura.
support and friendship to his or her classmates during their years together in the Upper School. • Mo’ne Davis ’19 • Jahli Hendricks ’19 sara wetherell blake ’70 award Given in memory of Sara Wetherell Blake ’70, by vote of the senior class for service, simplicity, and sincerity. • Ethan Gettes ’19 Caroline Susan Jones Junior and Senior Award winners (l to r): Riley Redpath, Maggie Pearson.
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COMMENCEM
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ENT CANDIDS
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ALUMNI WEEKEND 2019
2019 CHESTNUT HILL ACADEMY ALUMNI AWARDS alumnus of the year
roll of fame award
the francis p. steel jr ’77 award
Tim Greenwood ’68
Dr. Mark Moss ’79
Clark Groome ’60
The Alumnus of the Year Award recognizes an alumnus for outstanding service to the Alumni Association or to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.
The Roll of Fame recognizes an alumnus who has made significant, far-reaching contributions to society and who is widely respected by peers in his field.
The Steel Award, named for former head of school Frank Steel, recognizes an alumnus who, over the course of many years, has made unique contributions and shown an outstanding and extraordinary devotion to the school. young alumnus of the year award
HONORARY ALUMNI
Brian Miglionico ’04
Right: Josh Budde, Former Head of Middle School for Boys. Far right: Rene deBerardinis, Director of Library Services
Far left: Ishaq Deis, Art Teacher, Lower School for Boys Left: Annette Williams, Food Services
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The Young Alumnus Award recognizes the achievements of an alumnus who has graduated within the past 20 years. It honors his excellence in his career or in service to the school.
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2019
2019 SPRINGSIDE SCHOOL ALUMNAE AWARDS distinguished alumna award
distinguished service award
outstanding young alumna award
Suzanne Ellery Chapelle ’60
Ellin Dixon Miller ’75
Morgan Berman ’04
Given to an alumna who has made a significant contribution in their field of interest and whose accomplishments have had an effect on the larger community.
Recognizes an alumna or volunteer who, through her or his unselfish devotion to SCH Academy, has made an outstanding contribution to the school community.
Recognizes the achievements of alumnae who have graduated within the past 20 years who have demonstrated excellence in a career or service to the community.
HONORARY ALUMNAE
Far left: Crystal Jackson Schoolwide Administrative Assistant Left: Kimberley Krieger Associate Director College Counseling
Right: Deidra McRae 2nd Grade Teacher, Lower School for Girls Far right: Karen Scullion, Accounts Payable Manager
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ALUMNI WEEKEND 2019 To view more pictures from Alumni Weekend 2019, visit the Alumni section of our website and click on Photo Gallery.
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“D
lm el t ’t on
h et
oo em
ng; show me n is shini the
glin t
of lig h
to
nb rok en g la
ss.“ |
Anton C
hekhov
building with words
At SCH, our students are learning to become architects of words. Through a deeply thoughtful and carefully sequenced writing curriculum, they are learning the building blocks of language, working in its traditional forms and styles, and studying a diverse array of “mentor authors” to gain an appreciation of the power and variety of human expression.
the Foundations Susanna Coates, chair of the English Department, explains the goal of the writing program in less metaphorical terms: ”The bedrock of our program is helping students to be logical, thoughtful, articulate writers who can make an argument and sustain it, support it with evidence. The other piece of it is to help them develop and communicate their voice. We want our students to be able to express who they are, what they want, and what they can bring to the world through their writing,” At SCH, the writing curriculum is guided by the fundamental proposition that in order to write well you must understand what good writing is. That is why analytical and creative writing are closely intertwined in the English curriculum. Not only are our students learning the fundamentals—how to use the parts of speech, properly punctuate, craft and support an argument, deconstruct a text, and write in various genres—
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they’re also being exposed to writing that does these things well and creating their own work inspired by what they’ve read. “Reading and writing are always connected,” emphasizes Coates. Another guiding principle of the program is scaffolding: what students have learned one year is reinforced and built on in the next. “The curriculum spirals back on itself, each year adding a new layer to help students understand how all the parts work together,” explains Regina Puleo, 6th and 8th grade boys English teacher. According to the research, says Coates, students have to learn the same thing multiple times before it will click for them. She remembers clearly her own experience: “It wasn’t until I was 17 and in an AP Lit class that commas finally made sense to me. Before that, I was just throwing them into the sentence.”
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Learning the Basic Building Blocks This scaffolding process begins in Kindergarten with students gaining their first experience in putting their ideas to paper. They’re asked to dictate or write a sentence describing a “moment” in their day. Over the next two or three years, these small “moments” build into longer personal narratives and the beginnings of essay writing. By Middle School, students are expected to be able to produce a five-paragraph traditional essay, with an intro, body, and conclusion and citing multiple pieces of evidence to support their argument. They are also gaining experience in creative writing, both self-generated and connected to what they are reading. One of the biggest challenges for Middle Schoolers, says Christine Saraco, 6th and 7th grade girls English, is remembering to provide context for their quotes because the audience for their essay may not have read the book they’re critiquing. “They have to learn to explain who is talking and what they’re talking about.” “By the time they’re seniors,” adds Coates, “our students are generating their own arguments, that is, coming up with their original thesis statements driven by their own personal inquiry, and they’re being very selective and thoughtful in the evidence they present.”
voice comes only through hard work and diligent practice. At SCH, students are given the tools and frameworks to find that magic word path that is uniquely theirs. Experience with creative writing begins early and parallels students’ work on the critical side. Short haikus or stories about “What I Did This Summer” in 1st grade become more complex explorations in Middle School, with students creating their own chapters to a book they’ve read in the style of the author or writing an ekphrastic poem about a work of art used as an allusion in a text they’ve studied. By Upper School, creative writing opportunities expand exponentially with electives in journalism, creative writing, and narrative nonfiction. A course in Film as Text: The Analysis of Cinematic Language, explores writing and storytelling in a visual medium. Outlets for showcasing student work include the Pub (literary journal), the Campus Lantern (student newspaper), and poetry slams sponsored by the Black Student Union. The Dempsey Writer in Residence program, established in honor of former Springside English teacher Deborah Dempsey, provides a unique opportunity each year for students to hear from and work with an experienced, published writer. “It’s a real gift for us,” says Coates, who cites recent visits by poet and former CHA English teacher Iain Haley Pollock and the poetryperformance group, Project Voice.
In the Upper School creative writing courses, students gain experience in the finer points of craft through the study of different genres within poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. They Journaling is an important can also try their hand at a cross-over genre part of each Lower School student’s writing experience. called creative nonfiction, which draws on more literary, imagistic styles to describe At SCH, learning the rules of grammar is a a true event from a first-person perspective. “As soon as necessary, though perhaps not most popular, part of the I’m writing a non-fiction story and I type the letter ‘I,’ I’m a writing program. “As a department, we work to ensure that character in the piece as well as the author,” explains Brian our students gain a solid foundation in this area,” explains Zalasky, Upper School English teacher. “We challenge the Coates. As students progress through the lower and middle students to think about what part of their persona they grades, their study of nouns, verbs, and articles evolves into need to reveal for the purpose of their story. It’s almost like the study of verbal phrases, dependent clauses, and how to framing a picture or composing a photograph. They have to avoid those dreaded dangling participles. “The idea is that make a conscious choice about what to show through the they will become better sentence writers as they learn new lens, but also what to leave out.” patterns and constructions, and as they pull them apart and A popular assignment in Zalasky’s creative writing course understand relationships,” says Puleo. is the “eavesdropping” assignment, in which students are asked to write dialogue incorporating a conversation they’ve overheard outside of school. Finding Your Voice Grammar and punctuation are the bête noire of almost every student, yet they are essential components of language. A popular grammar meme illustrates the importance of the undervalued comma: “I like cooking my family and pets.”
Aspiring writers often speak of “finding their voice”—of mastering the unique way they express themselves, embodying their distinctive speech and thought patterns, and their view of the world. But the prize of finding one’s
In the Journalism course taught by Upper School English teacher Marshall Bell, students explore the issue of what makes something news and experiment with different journalistic forms, including the straight news story, the
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interview and profile, and the opinion piece. “I really push them to focus on specific visual imagery that illustrates what they want to communicate,” says Bell. “A lot of them, when writing a story about Blue and Gold Day, for instance, will say ‘the energy was high.’ But what does that look like? Through this course they learn to ‘show, not tell.’” In the Advanced Creative Writing class, students are asked to deep dive into the work of a single author, someone whose writing they admire or have been influenced by. They read several of the author’s works, write a critical analysis unpacking what the author is doing and why, and write a piece in the author’s voice. Through this in-depth “conversation” with their mentor author, they find inspiration for their own creative work.
A Case for Relevance Research on literacy and reading proficiency reports that U.S. adults, on average, read at an 8th grade level or lower. Marketing rules of thumb urge communicators to be brief and entertaining in order to hold our shrinking attention spans. So why do we bother to teach students the
complexities of language, the subtleties of word choice? Why do we ask them to spend hours studying the techniques and styles of others? Though we may no longer take advantage of its many fascinating facets, language is still our primary means of communication. We need to know how to write well in order to capture that The Black Student Union’s annual college admission officer’s or Poetry Slam offers students an employer’s attention, to craft opportunity to share their poetry. that persuasive argument in support of a project. We need to know how language can be manipulated so that we can be vigilant, informed consumers of the media that envelop us. But at its most basic, we need to know how to write because it’s integral to our species and because “the act of writing is, at its core, about identity,” says Puleo. “It’s an exploration of self, and it cultivates empathy with others.”
selection of student work The Kiss
Ocean
by Eli Eckert ’23 Inspired by Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss”
by Adam Lane ’28 Creative, Wonderful Living, Flowing, Loving Creatures, Reefs, Tectonic Plates, Waves Crashing, Expanding, Rising Beautiful, Blue Sea
I mistook the golden cosmos For the brown soil you rest in I saw you kneeling on the edge of a precipice Peeling beauty from the earth Right into your sun-drenched clothing You come right from heaven Your halo casting light on your robes Whose reflection is cast off into the night Tranquility and peace form a barrier of love A love that doesn’t destruct you, but loses you. WHAT IS RACECAR RED?
by Lylah Morris ’29 Racecar Red is the color of love and madness. It is the color of roses. It is the color of going fast and stopping fast. Racecar Red is the color of sweet little ladybugs It is the color of hearts. Racecar Red makes me feel happy and silly and alive. Racecar Red is a color of the rainbow And a unicorn’s mane.
school magazine fall 2019
Creative non-fiction
by Lia Jones ’21 Today wasn’t like any other Sunday we had had this year. Even the other Youth Sundays, they weren’t as intense as this one. My mother was buzzing around the house far too early in the morning, shifting and moving and packing everything she needed for her big day. It was a spy theme this time around, but I didn’t know much about it beyond that. I couldn’t really be a part of it because of theater practice, or, as my mom calls it, “that heathen school stuff.” I decided to stay in bed for a few minutes more, delaying the inevitable routine of getting ready for church. I’ve been getting ready for church on Sundays my whole life, but the older I get, the more of a chore it becomes. It’s hard to go to church when you don’t fully believe in what they’re preaching.
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Point of view piece
Head, Body and Soul
by Gracie Lubisky ’19
by Kylie Quinn ’19 I have lost myself While hating you.
Georges-Pierre Seurat’s “Les Poseuses” ca. 1887 and Paul Cézanne’s “Les Joueurs des Cartes” ca. 1890 display to us every way in which art is failing to meet respectable standards. What we can see from the Salon is that Seurat and Cézanne capitalize on their commitment to their extreme ends of the spectrum in terms of appeal to emotion. Seurat is revolting in his lack of humanity and creativity, while Cézanne has deserted any concern for technicality, letting his emotions dominate every aspect. The common thread? A chronic case of indulgent narcissism in two moderately talented individuals. When it had become obvious that the Salon would prefer not to be associated with the obtrusive and menial creations of Impressionists and their superceders, the washouts persisted in finding ways to stay relevant and present in the mainstream. Will this fad ever cease? Those who genuinely appreciate les beaux arts will pray with us all that it does, and soon at that. Critical analysis
by Juniper Moscow ’21
Hating the hopeless heaviness That weighs upon my chest While I think about you While I think about the way your fingers Roamed the distance of my skin After hoping my words were powerful enough to make you stop Finding you wasn’t my mistake. My mistake, Was trusting. Trusting, hoping, begging, That you wouldn’t hurt me the way you did. To care is a death wish But to trust... To trust is a death sentence. I fear you. Similar to the way
In Macbeth, Shakespeare uses the motif of birds to convey the animalistic nature of humanity, exploring the creatures as both predators and models of the family unit. To develop Macbeth as a villain, Shakespeare compares the Scottish commander to a bird of prey. A captain’s report of a battle to King Duncan provides the first impression of the protagonist, referring to the commander as an “eagle” in comparison to the enemy, whom he refers to as “sparrows” (1.2.35). In doing this, Shakespeare uses a clear example of a predator and prey in nature to showcase Macbeth as powerful and courageous; it is this valence that earns Macbeth the title of Thane of Cawdor, his first symbolic name in his rise to power.
You fear me ruining your reputation. I fear your hands
Winter
PERSONAL NARRATIVE
by Jahi Al-Uqdah ’26
by Maeve O’Connor ’24
Thin sheets that are white, so clean and so clear. Ice drags and drops from high above, I fear. Horseshoes rust and scrap with black snow storms near. White flames dance and pop which scares my small steer. We sit by the frozen sea right on the pier.
Did you ever have a toy that you were obsessed with? Was it something that you felt like you had to bring everywhere, or something that you could never put down? When I was in Kindergarten, I had a stuffed Eeyore toy. It was my favorite thing in the world. I slept with it, ate with it, and brought it everywhere. He waited for me to come home, and he loved me no matter what. Whenever I was in trouble, I told Eeyore about it. Whenever I was sad, I told Eeyore about it. Wherever I went, Eeyore went. He even came to the bathroom with me. I loved Eeyore with all of my heart, and he loved me, no matter what happened.
My horse sits on the dock with morning sky. My body is heavy, still I shall fly. Words stick to my throat like stars to the sky. We walk on dirt road with farmhouse nearby. My path is to space so I say goodbye.
Holding my body down so tightly that I can no longer breathe. And you fear the word that can ruin your life Drifting from my lips Due to what you’ve mercilessly done to My head, my body, my soul, Only because you lost yourself.
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school magazine fall 2019
C L A S S NOTE S NEWS FROM OUR ALUMNI NEAR AND FAR
R = REUNION YEAR
1960s 1964
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Members of the Springside School Class of 1964 met for the 8th year in a row on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, in June. L to r: Mimi Pearson, Honor Fox Sage, Lillie Schwartz Hord, Wezo Hunsicker Pierson, Gretchen Gessler Schuler, Anne McIlvaine Walmsley.
1969
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The Springside School Class of 1969 celebrated their 50th reunion, and we asked about their professional life, volunteer activities, and most enduring memories of Springside. Here are some of their answers: Janet Wright Allison: “It took four schools before I finally settled into an academic program at Fordham that made sense to me— becoming a middle school teacher. After four years of
school magazine fall 2019
teaching humanities at the Hewitt School, I applied to graduate school and was accepted at Harvard (my Fordham advisor was more shocked than I was—and I was plenty shocked!). I was lucky to be in the first graduating class of the Mind, Brain and Education concentration. The next 20 years were spent teaching as a middle school learning specialist and 5th/6th grade English teacher. But … as the curriculum narrowed, the developments in brain and learning broadened and beckoned, so I left to become a MS/US learning specialist (again) where … it turned out that my latent interest in math was a significant asset. So guess what? I now teach 6th/7th grade pre-algebra.” D’Arcy Stalnaker Amburn: “I am a full-time realtor and an associate broker. I currently serve as the president for our local association, The Blue Ridge Association of Realtors. I have earned several designations in the real estate industry.
Previously, I was on the board of directors for the local women’s shelter. I also volunteered for several years with a group that went into the schools and gave presentations regarding child assault prevention.” Hildy Armour: “My focus has been non-profit management. Since moving to Colorado nearly 30 years ago, I have worked with horses, ranging from running a large horse rescue to funding equine assisted therapies, as well as monitoring agricultural zoning issues and doing horse evacuations during wildland fires. An earlier application of my MBA was in water conservation for the state of Massachusetts, followed by wilderness preservation in Utah. My work with the Lefthand Fire Protection District has been a constant since I live in a high fire area in the Foothills
of the Rocky Mountains.” Tay Aspinwall recalls, “As a ‘lifer,’ I have many memories. Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf is indelibly etched in my memory because it was played every day in kindergarten during our rest period. I also recall our move in 5th grade from the ‘homey’ Lower School at Willow Grove Avenue and Seminole Street, to the new Middle and Upper School buildings, which were functional but without charm. The memory that runs through all my years at Springside is one of a caring and competent faculty who attempted to instill in us a love of learning and the discipline to accomplish it.”
KEEP IN TOUCH Wedding bells? New baby? Career change? Share your news at alumni@sch.org
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Anne Walker Bowers: “I work as an emergency nurse practitioner and plan to retire in 2020. Beekeeping, gardening and cooking are my hobbies.” Jane Merritt El-Yacoubi: “I have many great memories from Springside. Here are a few: Those uniforms: kneeling on the floor in front of Miss Potter to make sure that our skirts touched the floor. Senior class getting to pick out our own kilt tartan. Good friendships, small classes, great lunches.”
teacher, and I currently teach math part-time at a community college. The highlight of my teaching career was coaching the school’s MATHCOUNTS team. I also taught computer skills when computers first entered the classroom (master’s degree in instructional technology). For the past seven years I have participated in HikeMS in Keystone, CO. (College friend has MS, and about 10 of us, from all over the country, participate.” Linda Pamp Farnum: “Worked in women’s retail fashion for several years before buying a children’s wear shop with branches in Chestnut Hill and Bryn Mawr that I owned for 14 years. I got my real estate license and continued selling real estate until I retired in 2009. I’ve served on the Women’s Committee of Children’s Hospital for 40+ years and also the Community Clothes Charity Committee for almost 30 years.” Deborah Inch Foehring: “I am a retired science teacher. I loved teaching and still love learning. In elementary school, my friends called me Inchworm, because I was always rescuing caterpillars and earthworms. I haven’t changed much. However, I have expanded my efforts to save the critters by creating habitat for wildlife and educating others on how to do so.”
Sandra Gilbert Evans: “I have been both a stockbroker and a middle school math
Susan Forster: “I have been an ophthalmologist on the faculty at Yale with a focus on access to care
and education—I also was the co-founder of the Minority Mentoring Program sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and American University Professors in Ophthalmology. I started the AAO (American Academy of Ophthalmology) Medical Student Website and have served on boards in New Haven related to education.” Kay Tucker Franklin: “My very first day of school when I, in 8th grade, and Carolyn Cooper in 7th grade became Springside’s first two black students. I wondered how I would be treated/received and prepared myself for the expected and unexpected. Sandy Gilbert was assigned to shepherd me through those early days and they were actually pretty uneventful. But that first day was my entree to a new world (of uniforms, Fair Isle sweaters, leg-shaving, VW buses, Maine and shore vacations, old vs new vs not much money, the social register, Venn diagrams, kids who never diagrammed a sentence, etc.) that was very near and very far from my home in Germantown. It changed the course of my life and provided experiences that reinforced my love of where I came from; bolstered my love of language, learning, people and culture; and cultivated my perspectives on class, race, respect and many other things including myself. I will always remember pranks like the giant ’69 sheet in the gym; and plays and projects like May Day, Parousia, and Song Night. Yes, ‘We’re coming back, when ...’ I will
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also always remember the members of our remarkable class.” Tizzie Kennedy Hoskins: “Some of my fondest memories involve procrastinating on gigantic assignments with friends who shall remain unnamed. We pulled several allnighters and turned in very mediocre papers but had a wonderful time goofing around. The most memorable event I have great difficulty remembering was delivering our class valedictory address. I had written a dialogue between my positive and negative personalities. Tay Aspinwall was in charge of the tape recorder which produced one side of the dialogue; the desired effect was that I was talking to myself about what the rest of my life might look like after graduation. My mother was horrified that I would write something so out of the ordinary and, in her opinion, cynical. She was also terrified that I would be too nervous to talk. As a result, she gave me a glass of brandy and two valium tablets right before we all marched onto the stage. I have absolutely no recollection of what actually happened that day!” Andrea Giambrone Huff: “Founded an Organic Food School Lunch Program at Kimberton Waldorf School which is now in its 26 year and helped introduce Biodynamic Pfeiffer Wheat to the U.S. marketplace— renewal of agricultural crops, especially grains through 15 years of teamwork.”
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Frances Prichett Kamen: “My strongest recollections are of my friends in the Upper School years—the ways in which we tried to support each other, the crazy and fun times we shared. Each of us was struggling, in her own way, to figure out who she was and what her future direction should be, often with family difficulties and pressures in the background, as well as the general political and societal turbulence of the late 1960s. The times were unsettled, but also exciting, and having close friends to rely upon was a great gift.” Lindsey Lang: “I remember that Springside welcomed me as a ‘new girl’ junior year and that I made some lifelong friendships in those two brief years. One quirky thing—I remember the way Springsiders used those canvas boat bags as book bags, and slung them over their shoulder to carry from class to class. I still find that a comfortable way to carry things! I also remember how, in that pre-Title IX era, sports were a big deal and that there were opportunities for all levels in many different sports. Another enduring memory—how shocked and appalled everyone was when, on one of my first days, I offered gum to the people at the lunch table.” Peggy Klein Mandell: “Developing girls count on two groups of people to mentor and inspire them, and hold up mirrors in which to view themselves: peers and teachers, especially other girls and women in whom they can see their
school magazine fall 2019
future selves reflected. Springside provided both in abundance. The school was my first real window on the vast expanse of the outside world, beckoning me through the lens of excellent teaching. I especially loved science, hoping to become a doctor, until Florence Kleckner wrote, ‘Some time in the middle of twelfth grade, Peggy and chemistry parted ways.’ I never stopped loving Florence Kleckner and Lillian Koltnow, or Charlotte Hood, or Nancy Masland, or Marie-Therese Lambert (I quote her to this day), or Bobbie Forrest, or John Roberts. I will never stop loving the girls of the class of 1969 who embraced one another with big, accepting hearts.” Edith Newhall: “I began my career as a painter, but worked as an editor and writer at New York Magazine and eventually became a full-time writer and now write a column of art reviews for the Philadelphia Inquirer. I have been a volunteer gardener at Pennsylvania Hospital’s Physic Garden since 1998.” Dedie Stout Nutt: “I can still remember how much care many of the teachers put into educating me, making sure that I focused more on my studies as I tended to be more interested in other classroom activities. They really never gave up on me...”
Martha Parry: “Elaine Weinstone and the Art Room (my favorite place)... she was always so supportive of any artistic effort. Mrs. Kleckner was awesome, too!” Helene Perold: “Following my year at Springside, I returned to university in Johannesburg where I graduated with a bachelor of arts degree, followed by a year at the University of Cape Town where I graduated with an Honour’s degree in English. For the next 20 years I was active in the fields of adult literacy and in adult distance education, working for the largest anti-Apartheid education organization in South Africa called the SACHED Trust. In 1993, a year before the election that ushered in our new democracy under the presidency of Nelson Mandela, I launched my consultancy called Helene Perold & Associates, which I’m still running 26 years later. It specializes in research, evaluation, and customized publishing. One of my largest assignments was a three-year longitudinal evaluation conducted for Harvard University’s Ministerial Leadership in Health Program. In 2003 I established a non-profit research organization called Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa (VOSESA) which ran for 10 years and produced the first evidence base world-wide about volunteering and civic service in Southern Africa. Ellen Reath: “We had small classes with teachers who cared. Amazing
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opportunities for enrichment in art, music, languages and sports—much of which stays with me even today. I am proud of our class trying to make a difference in the world with Senior Work Projects. Being educated at an all-girls school helped shape me into a strong capable woman who is not afraid to speak her mind. Early exposure to team sports at a time well before Title IX played a role in my staying active into my ‘later years.’” Tina Heist Smith: “After retiring, I volunteered in golf tournaments, hospitals, and most recently, I volunteered with the Vail Valley Foundation. My husband and I managed all the volunteers (over 700) for all the ski events on the mountains, including The Birds of Prey, The American Ski Classic, The Winter Mtn. Games, etc. We also managed all the volunteers (850) for the American Pro Challenge Bike Race.” Mimi Merino Stake: “Springside provided guidance that created the love of learning that continues for me today. I take courses through the University of MN and the museum as well as constant learning from many travels. Springside provided a great example that I referred to when my children attended school overseas. I had little else to compare to as we lived in other countries for most of their early schooling. I wish all schools could operate like the Springside I remember.”
1989
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in memoriam (as of 10/15/19) ALUMNI
1972
1946
Elizabeth Webb
John F. Kling Charlotte Flanders Raffensperger
1981
1948 Patricia Forbes Dempsey
1959 Patricia Lennig Peterson
Sarah Hunter FORMER FACULTY/STAFF Florence Kleckner ha Scott P. Righter Leland L. Smith h’03 Caroline L. von Stade
1969 Martha McLaughlin
Sally Bridger Wirts: “I was a lifer and I was so happy to have my children there too. I loved seeing the similarities and changes over the years.”
1970s 1974
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Suzy Goldstrohm Cline reports, “We became firsttime grandparents. A baby boy, Caleb (Arlo) Remington, was born on May 9, 2019. I had to miss our 45th Reunion, but it was well worth it. See everyone at our 50th!
member for both the DAR and French Heritage Society. I volunteer for MidAtlantic Great Dane Rescue League.” Claire said she was THRILLED to attend her 40th reunion in May and wishes all alumni “joy, good health, and prosperity.”
1980s 1983
1977 John Wylie has switched career paths after 3 decades and is currently a full-time yoga instructor in Bala Cynwyd, PA.
1979
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Claire Edwards Meyer is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in the Philadelphia School District and a referral agent for Keller Williams Realty Group. “I am a board
Lynne Bey was recognized as a Technology All-Star by Women of Color magazine. This award is given to women who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in their workplaces and communities. Lynne was honored at the Technology Recognition Luncheon during the 24th
Annual Women of Color STEM Conference in Detroit, Michigan.
1987 Debbie Gress ’87 was married on June 9 to Philadelphia chef David Jansen. The wedding took place on a stunningly beautiful Sunday afternoon in the garden behind Jansen’s restaurant. In addition to the bridal party, comprising Katie Walker ’20, Addie Jansen ’20, Jimmy Jansen ’13, Hannah Jansen ‘14, and Jack Walker ‘18, several SCH students, as well as Springside and CHA alums, attended, including Amy Tyler Shea ‘87, Christy Morse Kelly ‘87, Sara Walker Goodwin ‘90, Howdie Goodwin ‘90, Jay Gress III ‘90, Meghan Curry Rogers ‘03, Simon Rogers ‘03, Georgia Forjohn ‘18, Olivia Clark ‘18, Jared Yetter ‘18, Earl Patterson ‘18, Tom Kessler ‘88, and Rosalie Hunter ‘82 . To top it all off, the ceremony was officiated by Susanna Roxby Forjohn ‘87. (See photo on p. 49.)
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Justine Stehle is a program facilitator for ARTZ Philadelphia, an organization that brings people suffering from dementia, and their caregivers, to museums in the region to enjoy and talk about art. An article on Stehle recently appeared in the Chester County Press. Photo credit: J. Chambless.
1990s 1995 Mike Koplove was inducted into the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
2000s 2003
Ashley Via Maass and her husband, Aaron, welcomed Charlotte Vivian Maass on May 15, 2019. She joins big brother Caleb, who is two.
school magazine fall 2019
2004
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Adrienne Simpson Gittens was announced as a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” in the 2019 Professional Excellence Awards by the Legal Intellligencer. She’s a lawyer to watch in the City of Philadelphia. Ryan Bateman married Danielle Rosborough at Union Trust in Philadelphia on July 13, 2019. (See photo on p. 49.)
2006 Kevin Hines married Caitlin Boemke on August 31 at The Asbury Park Hotel in New Jersey (See photo on p. 49.)
2010s 2010 Members of the Class of 2010 descended on Milwaukee, WI, for the July 6 wedding of Eddie McCrossen and Katie Shannon. (See photo on p. 51.)
2011 Anderson Good has been named the head squash coach at George Washington University. He joined the GW squash program as an assistant coach in October 2015. In 2017-18, he led the team to their first-ever Hoehn Cup (B-Division) Championship at the College Squash Association Team Nationals. Luke Stauffer, SCH Class of 2017, is also a member of the team. program history.
ALUMNI HIT THE BEACH IN NANTUCKET (L to r): Hunter Ferry ‘16, Harrison Kapp ‘16, James Mazzarelli ‘19, Matt Bown ‘19, Will McHugh ‘19, Nick Dolente ‘19, and Peter Kapp ‘19.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS DECEMBER - JUNE
2018 Nick Pearson and his wife, Heather, welcomed a new baby. Mason Corning Pearson was born on May 26, 2019.
2007 Allie Dalglish married Nicholas Manzo on July 13, 2019, in Newport, Rhode Island. (See photo on p. 49.)
2008 Jeffrey Telemaque III married Morgan Danyelle Martin on September 1, 2019, at The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA. (See photo on p. 49)
2009
Multicultural and Diversity Festival
December 6 | 6 pm
March 8 | 11 am - 2 pm
Lecture featuring Dr. Winnie Hallwachs ‘72 in McCausland Lower School and Commons
Mid Atlantic FIRST Robotics District Tournament at SCH
December 7 | 4:00 pm
Alumni Networking Event
Alumni Lunch for Classes 1940-1970 The Sunnybrook Golf Club December 12 | 11:30 am
Jordan Lubell represented the USA in tennis at the Pan-American Maccabi Games 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. Congratulations to Jordan for winning his doubles match.
Senior Alumni Assembly, Athletic Complex January 24 | 9:45
March 13-15
April 8
Parents Association Fundraiser April 18
Blue and Blue Day April 24
Alumni Weekend May 1-2
Commencement June 6
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Phil Thomas married MacKenzie Rogers on August 16, 2020 at the Morris Arboretum. (See photo on p. 49.)
school magazine fall 2019
Alumni Art Show and Sale in the Rec
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DALGLISH WEDDING
GRESS WEDDING
Ellen Nalle Hass ‘77, Ruthie Strong Ferraro ‘77, Elizabeth Wetherill Lawless ‘07, Nell Sorensen ‘07, Nick Manzo, Teddy Dalglish ‘11, Allie Dalglish ‘07, Stacey Fiechter, Hannah McDonnell Savitt ‘07, Chris Dalglish ‘17, Allison Soss ‘07, Emily Winant ‘07, Sarah Boothby ‘07, and Zandy Nalle ’79.
Jack Walker ’18, Hannah Jansen ’14, Debbie Gress ’87, David Jansen, Jimmy Jansen ’13, Addie Jansen ’20, and Katie Walker ’20.
MCCROSSEN WEDDING Kevin Hines and Caitlin Boemke
Class of 2010 members helped celebrate Eddie McCrossen’s wedding: L to r (front): Matt Schreffler, Andrew Greenspon, Eddie McCrossen, Ryder Harman; (back) Dylan Tracy, Jack Maine, Pat Connaghan, Todd Cramer, and John Canning.
Jeffrey Telemaque III and Morgan Danyelle Martin
BATEMAN WEDDING
Phil Thomas and Mackenzie Rogers
L to r: James Fitzpatrick ‘04, Tripper Sivick ‘04 , Ryan Bateman ‘04, The Honorable Robert Baldi ‘67, Sean Fitzpatrick ‘07.
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school magazine fall 2019
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?? DO YOU KNOW THEM?
BE THE FIRST TO SUBMIT YOUR ANSWER AND WIN AN ALUMNA/ALUMNUS GIFT! Here’s what we need to know: Who’s in it? What are they doing? When did it happen? Send your responses to Deidra Lyngard, SCHool editor, at dlyngard@sch.org or call 215-754-1616 and we’ll publish your reminiscences in our next issue.
Suzanne Kurtz Klorig ’66 identified the group as “Chrissie Kenworthy, Gretchen Frank, Cathy McLaughlin, Tina McAdoo and Mimi Dannenbaum advertising the Springside School Car Wash, 1965/66 school year. Maybe having to do with the new library???” Merritt “Merf” Andruss ’66 also wrote to say that “the people in the Volkswagen are all from my class of 1966. From left to right: Christine Kenworthy Scarlett, Gretchen Frank, Cathy McLaughlin Glaser, Tina McAdoo, and Mimi Dannenbaum Roberts is the one sticking her head out of the sun roof. I think the Volkswagen was my bug but I’m not sure, and it was an advertisement for a car wash we were holding to raise money for something—not sure what!! Doesn’t seem so long ago and yet it was!!! Thanks for the memories!! Great picture! Wow! Love it!” David Hall ’79 identified the group as, l to r: “Jeff Richenbach, Ted Smith, Pem Hutchinson, Ted Haines, George Bailey, Dave Hall, Mike Gaffney, Jordie Maine, Jeff Shipman, Terry Mclaughlin, Phil Harris, Stan Smith, Joe Castle, Drew Tishman, Mike Longfellow, Bruce Castor, Tim Brownell, Mr. Lanzalatti.” Ellen Glendinning ’79 wrote to identify the boys’ photo: “In the recent mailing from SCH there is a mystery photo of the CHA class of ’79. So, in case no one else chimed in, there you have your mystery solved.”
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through the lens
INTEGRITY | COURAGE | DIVERSITY | THOUGHTFULNESS | RESILIENCE 51
school magazine fall 2019
