L A NDON SP RIN G 2016
THE MUSIC OF MOTIVATION Kai Kight ’10 inspires with a unique blend of original music and personal storytelling
The Fight to Save Forests 24
I Alumni News 28 I The Science Behind the Criminal Mind 34
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What’s Inside Our Mission
Landon School prepares talented boys for productive lives as accomplished, responsible and caring men whose actions are guided by the principles of perseverance, teamwork, honor and fair play.
24 On Our Cover Kai Kight ’10, photographed for our cover during a visit to Landon in October, treated students and faculty to one of his signature performances, which combines original violin music with inspirational speech. For more, read the story on page 18.
Cover photo: Edgar Artiga
Features
18 | The Music of Motivation
Landon School Board of Trustees
Kai Kight ’10 inspires athletes, artists, professionals and students with a unique blend of original music and personal storytelling.
Chairman: Joseph A Kenary Jr. ’82 Vice Chairman: H. Keith Powell President: Jim Neill Secretary: Michelle L. Freeman Treasurer: Dale B. Wolf
24 | Into the Woods
MacArthur Award-winning conservationist Michael Jenkins ’74 and his nonprofit organization Forest Trends fight to save the world from deforestation.
Trustees Emeriti:
Peter J. FitzGerald ’50 Knight Kiplinger ’65 Lawrence Lamade ’65 Samuel M. Lehrman H ’09 Russell “Rusty” C. Lindner ’72
28 | A Better Connection Alumni Board aims to strengthen alumni's ties with each other and the school using results from last spring's survey.
Trustees:
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Anderson J. Arnold ’78 Michael S. Banks ’92 Michael I. Connolly ’75 Matthew A. Coursen ’99 Francis “Mike” O. Day ’94 William C. Eacho III ’72 Robert H. Edwards Jr. Peter Jerry “Chip” FitzGerald Jr. ’83 Scott S. Harris ’84 Kenneth W. Jenkins ’78 Aranthan “Steve” Jones II Douglas C. Kiker ’93 Rev. Steve Klingelhofer ’60 Douglas H. Lagarde Steven C. Mayer Amy R. Mehlman John P. Oswald Tushar Patel ’81 N. David Povich ’54 Katheryn P. Wellington Martin J. Weinstein
Landon Magazine Headmaster Jim Neill
18 Departments 3 School News 11 Arts 14 Athletics 30 Alumni News SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
Editor Meredith Josef
Assistant Editors Tom DiChiara Dartha Dragnich Daphne Kiplinger
Contributing Writers Tom DiChiara Derrick Chengery Designer Hillary Reilly
Photography Edgar Artiga Tom DiChiara Derrick Chengery GoLandon.com Laura John Kai Kight Productions Daphne Kiplinger Wendy Steck Merriman Brad Rose
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HEADMASTER'S LETTER
My Year of Listening and Learning
Dear Landon Community,
W
hen I wrote to you in the fall, I shared that
my goals for this year
were to listen and learn about Landon’s
rich history, the culture that defines it, its
people and their stories, its challenges and its
limitations, its potential and its opportunities.
titles were won — with the boys working with and for one another,
together as brothers, and respecting their opponents in the process. Our Lower School's recent and amazingly creative presentation of The Lion King Jr. highlighted the multidimensional talents of our boys and gave
up nothing in artistic creativity to the famous Disney film. Through the Mini-Mester program, Middle School boys fanned out across the D.C. area for a rich array of experiential learning opportunities, representing the Landon name with pride and dignity as they did so.
I can testify that there is a palpable and positive energy at Landon
I have spent much of this year doing just that, and several themes
right now, that it is filled with a sense of opportunity and purpose as
and authentically focused on an emphasis on ethics, character, and honor.
look like, and what initiatives those years will include. All of this will
have struck me as prominent. First, Landon is a place uniquely driven by It is a place where the kind of men the boys become is paramount, where all the students are asked to commit themselves to the important ideals of regular hard work (we call it perseverance), collaboration (we call it
teamwork), and integrity and respect (we call it fair play), and then asked to spend their days striving towards these values. It is a place where our
we begin to think about, identify, and name what the coming years will be crucial work as we enter the beginning stages of a strategic planning
process, about which I will write the community with more information in coming months, the product of which will be the roadmap for that next chapter in our school’s history.
In closing, I encourage each of you to stay connected to the place and
dedicated faculty are engaged as teachers, mentors, and coaches — both
to one another, to share with us your good news and visit campus when
the day are seen by these dedicated professionals as teaching moments
planning process when the time comes. We will continue to make good
in the classroom and outside of it. It is a place where all moments in
and where every part of the robust and balanced program is seen as an arena for teaching life lessons. It is a place where the boys, with the
encouragement and guidance of these same educators, pursue balanced
you can, and, indeed, to share your voice and engage in the strategic on the commitment articulated in our school song: “Each loyal son
pledges her his heart and hand. Landon united we as brothers stand.”
I hope you enjoy the glimpse into Landon that this magazine affords,
excellence as students; as athletes; as artists, actors and musicians; as
and I wish the entire community a happy spring.
about others. It is a place fully and genuinely dedicated to developing,
Sincerely,
active members of their community, and as leaders who are taught to care as our mission states, “responsible and caring men” who are intent on
making a positive impact in their local communities, as well as in the global community in the years and decades to come.
To be sure, Landon is a busy place, a place where good and important
work is happening on a daily basis. Examples of this abound. On a cold January day, members of the Landon community packed thousands of
Jim Neill
Headmaster
meals for the non-profit Stop Hunger Now, which seeks to feed needy
children in schools and orphanages in Haiti. I watched our accomplished varsity hockey team celebrate an 11th straight IAC championship and a second straight Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League state championship, accomplishments that made me especially proud because of how these
2
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
Lower Schoolers Win State at Robotics Competition
T
his December, while a robot named BB-8 won over audiences across the galaxy in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Lower
School boys programmed two other robots, Dash and Dot, to
compete against 1,150 teams from across the country in the first-ever Wonder League Robotics Competition — and the force was strong
with the team of fifth graders Connor, Matthew, Gabe, Michael, Teo and Seth. These boys, one of six Landon teams to compete, finished first in Maryland and 16th in the nation.
To do so, they worked together for two months to use the “Wonder”
iPad application to write code and program their robots to complete a six-mission, space-exploration-themed quest that, as the Wonder
League blog states, required them to “design solutions to real-world science and technology challenges.”
According to Lower School academic technologist Michael Fisher,
who acted as the boys’ advisor, Dash and Dot robots were the perfect
way to give his students hands-on robotics and computer coding expe-
LOWDOWN Blasey ’16 Named ‘Extraordinary Teen’
N
ick Blasey ’16 is a winner in
valuable lessons they can apply to life in general.
“In our technology-driven world, it is more important than ever to
introduce boys to these concepts early on,” Fisher said. “Coding isn’t easy — it takes grit and determination to do this. And these team competitions show the boys that if one person doesn’t understand
something, the value of the group is that they can ask another member
Bethesda Magazine’s seventh
and understand that they are in this together and that more than one
annual “Extraordinary Teen
mind working together is better than just one.”
Awards.” From a pool of more than 100
“We learned to really work together because there were some chal-
nominees, Blasey earned a spot among
lenges where you didn’t quite get it, so you passed it on to the next
12 Montgomery County teenagers
person to correct it,” Connor said.
highlighted in the publication’s March/
April issue because they shine inside and outside the classroom.
The Dartmouth College-bound senior
is winner of the 2015 Johns Hopkins Book Award (given annually to one junior who exhibits scholarly promise and strength of character) and a
talented rugby player and downhill ski racer. But, according to Associate Headmaster John Botti, what makes Blasey truly extraordinary is his
empathy for others. “[Nick’s] kindness, humanity and passion are not for
artifice; they are essential parts of who he is,” Botti told Bethesda Magazine. These qualities find an outlet in Blasey’s work with the website
SPINALpedia.com, which provides a mentor support network and how-
to videos for people with spinal-cord-related paralysis. Nick got involved with SPINALpedia after his cousin was paralyzed in an auto accident in
2010. As the website’s director of community outreach, Blasey spends his weekends speaking at conferences, adaptive sports events, and support groups for people who have been injured.
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
rience at a crucial time in their educational lives — and to teach them
3
Matthew said this was the case during the competition’s difficult
Mission 6. “We had to program the robot to collect cups from around the room, so it was very hard to get the right coordinates,” he said. Gabe added: “We had to work together to get it right.”
LANDON LOWDOWN
AP Chemistry Students Score Top National Marks
W
hen Science
their 100 percent pass rate well
Chair Sacha
52 percent.
Department
Place received the results of
outpaced the nationwide mark of “I have been teaching AP
the 2015 Advanced Placement
Chemistry for more than a
approach the boys took to
great enthusiasm for science and
ecstatic: The 16 students in her
always been very proud of all that
the things this group of students
challenging moments the most
(AP) Chemistry exams, she was class had all passed the test,
which determines college course credit. Even better, their average score of 4.65 (out of a potential
5) was significantly ahead of the national average of 2.62, and
decade now, and while I have
my students learned, I was simply blown away by how well the
2014–15 AP Chemistry students did on their exams,” Place said. Just as impressive, according
to Place, was the collaborative
Love at Landon
I
n February 2015, at a dinner to
celebrate his birthday, Middle School
chemistry in the end; it’s about
collaborating on problem sets
knowing that anything can be
and in the laboratory,” she said.
learned.”
“As a group, they demonstrated a
her spouse: “There is so much about work that I wouldn’t be able to explain to most people — a lesson not
Bill & Jennifer Reed
turning out the way I had hoped or what to do with an advisee in a certain situation — and Christian just understands.”
“It’s nice to have someone who’s not only in your field
things for my birthday, but there’s only
but also knows the same people and same kids,” added
one thing I want.” He proceeded to get
Tara Northcott, who has a son Brendan and another baby
down on one knee and propose... to Middle
on the way with husband Blair. “And it’s nice to
School Chinese teacher Elizabeth Tredeau.
every once in a while have lunch together.”
When the two were married in November 2015,
Indeed, working together provides
Christian & Elizabeth Sears
Head of Upper School Hans Farnstrom and Upper
the benefit of added face time with one’s significant other. “If I have
free time, I like to drop by Mirian’s
School English teacher Lora Farnstrom, Director
class, and she does the same with my
of Athletics David Holm and Lower School librarian
classes,” Norman said. “The boys seem
Evelyn Holm, Middle School Spanish teacher Jeremy
to get a kick out of watching us speak
Norman ’92 and Lower School Spanish teacher Mirian
Spanish and interact with each other.”
de Ossorno, Upper School science teacher Blair Northcott and
Jennifer Reed — whose son Willis ’23 is
Upper School academic technologist Tara Northcott, and History
Middle School math teacher Jamie Matthews and Upper School English
it’s not so much about learning
worked together constantly,
“I’m sure you got me a lot of great
Department Chair Bill Reed and School Store manager Jennifer Reed.
discouraged by failure... After all,
science to each other. They
Sears ’01 told his then-girlfriend,
works at Landon. The list also includes Assistant
rewarding. They simply weren’t
did very well was explaining
earth science teacher Christian
they became the sixth married couple that currently
often seemed to find the most
preparing for the exam. “One of
a fifth grader and whose daughter attends Holton
— joined the Landon staff last year and saw instant
advantages to being the spouse of the History Department
teacher Emily Piacenza are engaged to be married this September.
chair and head varsity soccer and baseball coach. “The boys love that
believes there is a good reason he met his match inside the White
he thinks I’m doing a great job, so he’s a nice cheerleader for me.”
That may sound like a lot of couples for one school, but Sears
Rocks. “One of the nice things Elizabeth and I have in common is how
I’m married to Bill,” she said. “[And Bill] thinks the store is great, and According to the teachers, another advantage to being a couple at
much we like working with the boys,” he said. “It really is a focal point
Landon is how supportive the boys and their parents are. “Some of
members of the community.”
getting married,” Piacenza said. “Two students have volunteered to be
of our lives, making sure that the boys are developing into good, solid Tredeau (now Sears) sees another big benefit to working alongside
4
the students are more excited than our friends that Jamie and I are our best man.”
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
Simms ’16 Earns Scholarship to Football Powerhouse Oregon
K
eith Simms ’16 has earned
a diverse
University of Oregon, where
coaches
a full scholarship to the
he will play Division I football
this fall (see sidebar for a list of 16 seniors playing college sports).
Simms — a linebacker who had
more than 40 scholarship offers
from colleges including Stanford, the University of Maryland, and
Virginia Tech — says his Landon
person. My emphasized that there are a lot
of things in your life other than
sports, and that’s something I’m going to carry on in my life no
matter which level I’m playing at.” Simms’ father Patrick said this
teacher-coach-mentors helped
was a big reason Keith transferred
maximizing his potential in the
a sophomore. “Landon was the
pave the path to Oregon by
classroom and on the gridiron.
Coach Padalino has always kept me grounded and kept me focused, and he’s always believed in me. – Keith Simms ’16 “[Head] Coach [Paul]
Padalino and assistant coaches [Rob] Bordley ’66, [Charles]
Harley, [Conor] Cassidy ’06 and
[David] Holm have all had a huge impact in my life,” Simms said.
to Landon from St. Albans as best academic and athletic fit for Keith,” Patrick said. “It’s
not so much the football or the scholarships — I have been a
really proud parent watching him
coaches’ focus on balance. “Coach Padalino has always kept me
a lacerated liver cut short Simms’ senior football season.
“It was tough to be on the
sidelines at first,” Keith said, “but I feel like it made me a better teammate and a better leader
because it showed me what it
takes to inspire a team even when you’re not on the field.”
“What I saw come out in
for his peers emotionally when
said. “That transition said more about him as a person and his
experience at Landon than just his
performance on the athletic field.” “The measure of who we are
grounded and kept me focused,
is how we deal with adversity,”
Simms said. “Going to Landon,
responded to losing his senior year
and he’s always believed in me,” you become a diverse student,
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
WATER POLO Isher Gill George Washington University Rahul Gill Connecticut College
That growth was evident when
he couldn’t physically,” Padalino
Simms is also thankful for his
LACROSSE Griffin Brown Colgate University Justin Conner Cleveland State University
SOCCER Charles Branche III Ohio Wesleyan University A.J. Miele Dickinson College
the happiness in him.”
concepts my coaches instilled in way.”
FOOTBALL Mark Ebo College of the Holy Cross Joseph Gagnon Washington and Lee University Keith Simms University of Oregon Jacob Wright Ohio Wesleyan University
Drennan Green United States Military Academy Eriksen Johansen Denison University Tyler McTague Ohio Wesleyan University Brian Menendez Salisbury University
three years at Landon, just seeing
Keith was this ability to be there
me are going to carry me a long
BASEBALL Matthew Brady Carleton College Patrick Lightner Marist College
grow as a young man over the last
“I still have a lot of improvement
left, but some of the skill sets and
CLASS OF 2016 COLLEGE ATHLETES
Bordley added. “The way Keith
is a wonderful testament to him.”
5
LANDON LOWDOWN
Landon... In Your Words
The Bear Blog on our website gives alumni, students, teacher-coach-mentors and parents a platform to share their perspectives on Landon. The following are excerpts from three recent posts. To read the full posts, as well as many more from members of the community, please visit landon.net/bearblog.
ETHAN FREED ’11 SHOWED WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A BEAR The following blog is an excerpt from the ethics speech that Spanish teacher Jeremy Norman ’92 delivered to Middle School students and faculty in September. In it, Norman spoke about how Ethan Freed ’11, who passed away in 2006, embodied what it truly means
S
to be a Landon Bear.
ometimes teachers and coaches can inspire their students and their athletes in myriad ways — passion for acting, art, math, language, music, community service, wrestling,
water polo, and so on and so on. I see it [at Landon] every day, and it is what makes this place special. The relationships, the development and the lessons.
What you boys may not realize is that often
you equally inspire your teachers, your coaches,
and the members of the Landon community. You inspire your peers, both young and old, with your
Ethan ‘made it cool to be kind.’ – Jeremy Norman ’92, Spanish Teacher
himself. He was always fair. Ethan had a magnetic personality.
Always with a smile and a friendly hello. He was a natural leader,
intellect, your thoughtfulness, your altruism, your athletic
and his positive attitude would rub off on his classmates and peers.
persevere.
School... Former Middle School head Doug Norry used to speak
prowess and your artistic talent. You boys succeed, you fail and you Ethan Freed was a young man who routinely inspired his peers,
his teachers, his coaches, and all of those who were fortunate to have known him. He did so by his daily approach to his academic and
He had groups of friends, but he rose above the cliques of the Middle about Ethan’s positive impact on the Middle School, and of how Ethan “made it cool to be kind.”
I want to stress that it was not easy for Ethan to always be caring
athletic challenges, but even more importantly by how he treated
and considerate, to work to the fullest of his potential, to practice his
loved his parents, Jeffrey and Susan. He loved his brothers — Adam,
purpose. It was not easy for him to treat all of those around him with
everyone with respect, attention and care. Ethan Freed loved life. He who graduated from Landon in 2013, and Alex, who is currently a
Form IV student and is the varsity soccer goalkeeper. Ethan loved his friends and he supported all of his classmates. He exuded a positive
attitude, and it was infectious. He always demonstrated the courage to rise to challenges again and again. He had the courage to always give his best effort.
For Ethan, giving his best extended well beyond the classrooms and
athletics fields. Ethan Freed gave his attention. He gave advice. He
offered friendship, a smile and a shoulder to lean on. He recognized his weaknesses, he heeded advice, and he always strived to do better. He was always kind to all. He was respectful of his peers, his school and
6
hardest, and to turn his weaknesses into strengths. He did so with
respect. It was intentional. It was not easy for Ethan Freed to be a great listener, and to always be inclusive of everyone, yet he did so day in and day out. He did so with humility and a smile.
Ethan Freed made a point out of living his life as he did, and that is
why I am making a point of sharing some of his story and legacy with you today. I am making the point of sharing the example that he set...
with the hope that you can, in your own way, make his example a point in your own life... with your family, friends, peers, and everyone in this
community. If you have the courage to follow Ethan’s example, you too can accomplish great things, and you can make yourself, Landon and the world a better place.
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
HOW LANDON LED ME TO A LIFE OF SERVICE
LANDON’S EMPHASIS ON BALANCE HAS SERVED ME WELL Jack Strabo ’10 wrote this post. At Landon, Jack was the Class of 2010
David Poms ’06 wrote this blog
valedictorian and captain of the lacrosse and cross country teams. He
post. A 10-year Bear, David
was also captain of the Princeton University lacrosse team and is now an
parlayed his passion for community
investment banker in New York City.
M
service at Landon into a college scholarship and now a career with the Capital Area Food Bank.
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That is something that is very unique to Landon and that, moving on to
from Landon, matching
college and now to the real world, I have carried with me and found to
the number of years I spent as a
be extremely important and helpful.
student at 6101 Wilson Lane — and
The Landon education and work ethic prepared me well for college.
the values and education I received
Going to Princeton, I felt that I was considerably better prepared than
at the school continue to influence
my classmates from other high schools... That stress on hard work is
my life.
something that has also served me well working as an investment banker
At Landon, thanks to so many
in New York City for Morgan Stanley’s power and utilities group.
wonderful teachers, I received a nation’s capital and suburbs... More than 540,000 people — 12
nurtured my desire to serve our
percent of the region’s population
Washington, D.C., area community
— receive food from us through
and prepared me for a lifetime of
our network of 469 partners. We
service. I learned that as young men
deliver meals to 9,000+ seniors
of character and integrity, it is our
monthly, provide 3,000+ warm
responsibility to be caring leaders
evening meals to children, and
who lead by example, and I live that
serve 7,000+ families with fresh
out every day as the director of
fruits and vegetables at school-
education at the Capital Area Food
based markets.
Bank in Washington, D.C. Through time spent
My teachers, coaches and advisors at Landon were amazing and really
helped to drive home the lesson that hard work pays off in everything
you do... My cross country coach Addison Hunt (pictured below left) and lacrosse coach Rob Bordley ingrained in me the importance of always trying your hardest for the benefit of the team...
My hope is that Landon students appreciate their time at the school,
appreciate the experience, and appreciate all the friends and all the
teachers. This is an experience that not everyone gets to have. And I
think that you don’t realize how special it is until you have left. It’s like Steve Jobs said: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.”
Because Landon is where I learned that it is important to lead
volunteering and learning at
by example, I encourage members
Landon, I qualified for the
of the community to support the
Bonner Scholarship at Davidson
Capital Area Food Bank by joining
College. This service-based
the movement.
college scholarship program
how important it is to do well not just in academics but in
the classroom, on the sports field, in the arts, and in your personal life.
year since I graduated
and leadership opportunities that
biggest thing I took away from my time at the school was
all aspects of your life — to be a well-rounded person who excels in
ext year will mark the 10th
high-quality liberal arts education
y Landon experience was amazing in so many ways, but the
As I reach the Class of 2006’s
recognized and nurtured the ethic
10-year mark next year and look
of leadership and service I built at
forward to the next 10 years, I
Landon. After college, I returned
anticipate continuing to serve and
to the D.C. area to work for an
improve the lives of our neighbors
AmeriCorps program in D.C. Public
on the strength of my experience at
Schools before coming to the
Landon and beyond.
“The biggest thing I took away from my time at the school was how important it is to do well not just in academics but in all aspects of your life.” – Jack Strabo ’10
Capital Area Food Bank, where we are working to end hunger in our
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
7
LANDON LOWDOWN
Jack Duquette: Teacher, Coach, Mentor... Painter
U
pper School English teacher Matt Dougherty is also a professional actor who last fall earned rave reviews for his performance in The Cripple of
Inishmaan, staged at the ATLAS Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C. Dougherty’s own acting career isn’t the only one he’s launched. While teaching at Delbarton School in New Jersey, Dougherty gave an aspiring thespian there named Peter Dinklage his first leading role in the play Sharon’s Grave. In a 2003 profile in The New York Times, Dinklage — now a twotime Emmy winner for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister on HBO’s Game of Thrones — said it was Dougherty who made him truly believe he could be an actor. Dougherty continues to encourage young actors at Landon, where he is the advisor to the improv troupe and Directors Workshop. In a blog post for the Landon website, Dougherty explained why he believes theater is important: “To be in something that connects a human condition to another human is another way of saying that we’re all in this together,” he wrote.
L
I
n his four decades at Landon School, Jack Duquette has
inspired students as a science
teacher, an advisor, and a
championship-winning golf, track, football and wrestling coach.
Duquette has also been inspired —
by talented colleague Walt Bartman, the school’s Visual Arts Department chair. Bartman has helped Duquette develop a talent for painting that
resulted in Duquette’s first solo art show, which displayed in Landow Gallery this fall.
Duquette dabbled in painting in high school, but it wasn’t until
Bartman invited him to one of his art classes seven years ago that
Duquette rediscovered a long-dormant passion and aptitude for the medium. He began painting regularly, and he hasn’t stopped.
“Walt is the man, and I’d be lost without him,” Duquette said. “He
shows me different techniques. I bring him my work for criticism, and
he tells me how to make it better. He has really helped my development ower School academic technologist Michael Fisher owns a therapy dog named Coco, who is trained to provide comfort and affection to people
suffering from stress, trauma or loneliness in hospitals, schools, homes for the
as I grew as a painter.”
“I love it when Jack runs upstairs and brings a painting and wants to
share it,” Bartman said. “I’m excited about his work. His use of color is amazing, especially the way he paints water and uses complementary
elderly, and other venues. Fisher had Coco certified as a Pets on Wheels therapy dog in 2010. Since then, Coco has lifted spirits with visits to an elderly care home; to a men’s shelter; and, in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, to Sandy Hook and nearby schools. According to Fisher, that last experience was particularly powerful. “There was a teacher at the high school who was in tears
and contrasting colors to capture the light. The evidence of his talent and his hard work is in the paintings. I think sometimes as much as Jack thinks I might be inspiring him, he’s inspiring me.”
Indeed, the two men agree that it is not uncommon for Landon’s
teacher-coach-mentor philosophy to bleed over into faculty members’ relationships. “We learn a lot from each other,” Bartman said. “I think painting has helped to bring Jack and me together as colleagues and friends outside the classroom.”
and said that out of everything it was the dogs that brought the most healing to the students,” Fisher recalled. “He said that having all these dogs around was a great way to get the kids back in the school and to feel safe.” Fisher has also brought Coco to Landon to visit with his students in a nontherapeutic capacity. Fisher marvels at her effect on his students. “It’s amazing how many boys who have been afraid of dogs have been able to totally change around and now ask when Coco is coming,” Fisher said. “It’s a very powerful experience for the kids and the dog.”
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LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
13 Students Win Scholastic Art Awards
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hirteen Bears from the Middle and Upper Schools earned
honors for their paintings, drawings and photographs at the
2016 regional Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which draws
his rendering of birds in flight; Joseph Koegel ’19 for his vibrant moose portrait; and Middle School artist Alex Kapelina ’20 for the wooly mammoth painting All of My Friends Are Gone (see back cover).
Matthew Lowrie ’18 and West Shaw ’18 showcased their talent
some 300,000 submissions annually.
behind the lens of a camera. Lowrie received honorable mention for his
for the national competition by winning Gold Keys, the highest
mention for his sleek snapshot of a car.
Middle schoolers Landon Sells ’21 and Coby Shrensky ’21 qualified
regional award, for their abstract paintings. Franco
striking photograph of New York City, while Shaw earned honorable In the drawing category, two middle schoolers
Abdala-Arata ’16 scored a Silver Key, the second
scored honorable mention: Michael Gilbert ’20 for
Francis, and fellow Upper School student Will Jarrett
’21 for his eye-catching rendering of a compass.
highest regional award, for his portrait of Pope
the subtly shaded Cleansing Clarity and Jordan Rose
’19 also earned a Silver Key for When a Hipster Dies.
Past winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing
Several other Bears received honorable mention
Awards include painter Andy Warhol, photographer
for their prowess with a paintbrush: Sky Cui ’18 and
Richard Avedon, author Stephen King and
Andrew Engel ’18 for their still-life paintings; Luke
filmmaker Lena Dunham.
Glenn ’16, also a Scholastic Art honoree last year, for
Franco Abdala-Arata ’16
Matthew Lowrie ’18 Jordan Rose ’21
Coby Shrensky ’21
Landon Sells ’21 Joseph Koegel ’19
Michael Gilbert ’20
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
Will Jarrett ’19
West Shaw ’18
9
LANDON LOWDOWN
Michael Soraci ’16 Named IAC Hockey Player of the Year
S
kill, leadership and sports-
five goals from their captain.
three qualities Interstate
but he does more than lead by
manship. These are the
Athletic Conference (IAC) var-
sity ice hockey coaches took into
consideration as they selected the first-ever IAC Hockey Player of
the Year at their 2015–16 season-
“Michael is soft-spoken,
example,” Head Coach Hans Farnstrom said. “The other guys [on the team] look up to him.”
According to Farnstrom,
end meeting. Every coach agreed
what truly wowed both Landon
the award: Landon senior captain
not just Soraci’s leadership and
that there was a clear choice for Michael Soraci ’16.
On the ice, Soraci contributed
31 goals and had 21 assists to
coaches and rival coaches was
prowess on the ice, but also his genuine sportsmanship.
lead the 21–3 Bears to their 11th
Player of the Year, we got to
and second straight Mid-Atlantic
assistant coach, and he said,
consecutive IAC championship
Prep Hockey League (MAPHL) title (for more on their season,
see p. 16). Perhaps Soraci’s most
impressive performance came in the first round of the MAPHL
tournament against Archbishop Spaulding, when the Bears
prevailed 7–4 on the strength of
Michael is soft-spoken, but he does more than lead by example.
“When we were discussing
the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes ‘Soraci, hands down. When we lost to Landon 3–2, Michael found us and told us that we
played with so much heart — it
– Head Coach Hans Farnstrom
was completely complimentary
is not just a kid that the three
and the stuff he does on the ice,
all the other coaches agreed,”
he is someone who represents
the ice. He’s just a classy, classy
and unsolicited.’ After that...
Farnstrom recalled. “Michael
ART & MUSIC CAMPS
Landon coaches love as a leader; the league well with his ability
ACADEMIC CLASSES
2016
JUNE 13–AUGUST 26
LANDONSUMMER.COM 10
as well as all the stuff he does off human being.”
DAY CAMPS
BOYS & GIRLS, AGE S 3 ½ – 17
SPORTS CAMPS
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
Performing Arts Bear Talent Roars to Life on the Stage and In the Studio
T
his fall and winter, Bears won awards
for their dynamic art,
entertained audiences with
PETER PAN JR.
ARTS
theatrical performances, and
earned ovations for their musical prowess. Middle School actors
to Neverland with Disney’s Peter Pan Jr. Upper School thespians
collaborated with their HoltonArms peers for a powerful
production of Aaron Sorkin’s
military courtroom drama A Few Good Men, and also directed and staged a series of short plays for
the annual Director’s Workshop. And Lower School entertainers
felt the love when they performed the musical Disney’s The Lion
King Jr. in Coates Auditorium.
Middle schoolers perform at MAD Day
A FEW GOOD MEN
took audiences on a musical trip
Chamber Singers perform at Washington National Cathedral
Musicians from all three
divisions and numerous disciplines — including handbells, band,
strings and chorus — showcased their talents at school assemblies
throughout the year, as well as at a series of concerts in the Mondzac Performing Arts Center this winter. Michael Berkowitz ’18 was one of just 200 students from the state chosen to perform in the Maryland Senior All-State Mixed Chorus. The Lower School
Chorus sang at National Cathedral, and Upper School musicians traveled to New York to compete, as well as to perform at a New Jersey Devils hockey game.
On the coming pages, there is a sampling of works from our
talented studio artists. For example, 22 Lower School artists
displayed their work at Baltimore’s Walters Art Museum as part of
an Association of Independent Maryland and D.C. Schools exhibit. Thirteen Middle and Upper School artists received honors for their paintings, photographs and drawings in the prestigious Scholastic
Art & Writing Awards, and five more had their work juried into the Congressional Art Exhibition.
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
THE LION KING JR. 11
ARTS
Visual Arts Gallery
Graham Hertzberg ’21
Nic Lebron ’23
Lochlan Matheson ’23 Will Nussbaum ’20
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LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
Luke Glenn ’16
Brett Gallagher ’18
Adam Hsu ’20
Jack Bradley ’20
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
13
ATHLETICS
Fall Sports 17 BEARS EARN FALL SPORTS HONORS
T
his fall, 17 Landon student-athletes in four sports earned
individual accolades, including 10 All-IAC (Interstate Athletic Conference) honorees and two Academic All-Americans.
CROSS COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS Captain Ben Gilbert ’16 and IAC individual runner-up Wesley Feldman ’17 led the Bears to second place at the IAC Championships. The runners also finished second in the Montgomery County Private School Championships. In addition, Gilbert became the first-ever male runner to earn All-Montgomery County Private School (All-MoCo) accolades four years in a row. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Jack Chlopak ’17: All-MoCo; Wesley Feldman ’17: All-IAC, All-MoCo; Ben Gilbert ’16: All-IAC, All-MoCo, Captain; Kevin Tsai ’18: All-MoCo FOOTBALL HIGHLIGHTS Five seniors and one sophomore notched spots on football’s All-IAC roster in a hard-fought season that saw the 4–6 Bears defeat Walt Whitman and Bethesda-Chevy Chase. They closed out their 2015 campaign with a decisive 42–14 victory over St. Albans. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Griffin Brown ’16: All-IAC; Mark Ebo ’16: AllIAC; Steven Gee ’16: All-IAC; Josh Hunter ’16: Co-Captain; Keith Simms ’16: Co-Captain; John Slowinski ’16: All-IAC; Brian Menendez ’16: AllIAC; Joey Epstein ’18: All-IAC SOCCER HIGHLIGHTS All but two games were decided by one goal this season. Led by A.J. Miele ’16 and Zach Johnson ’18, the 4–7–3 team won regular-season victories over IAC rivals Georgetown Prep, Episcopal and St. Albans, with the latter two coming in dramatic fashion in overtime on what Coach Bill Reed termed “golden goals.” INDIVIDUAL HONORS Charles Branche III ’16: Captain; Zach Johnson ’18: All-IAC; A.J. Miele ’16: AllMet honorable mention, All-IAC WATER POLO HIGHLIGHTS With 14 seniors among the 20 players on the roster, water polo scored second place in the D.C.-area Metro Championships and secured sixth-place finishes in the Eastern Prep Championships and Beast of the East Tournament. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Hayden Fralin ’16: All-Beast of the East; Isher Gill ’16: All-Metro, Co-Captain; Rahul Gill ’16: All-Metro, Co-Captain; Clayton Henschel ’16: USA Water Polo Academic All-American, All-Metro, AllEastern Prep; Harry King ’16: Co-Captain; Noah Thomas ’16: USA Water Polo Academic All-American
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LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
15
ATHLETICS
Winter Sports ICE HOCKEY’S 2ND STRAIGHT STATE TITLE CAPS WINTER SPORTS SEASON
T
his winter, ice hockey won its second straight Mid-Atlantic
Prep Hockey League (MAPHL) state title (their fourth in six years), and two wrestlers earned trips to Nationals.
BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHTS The 7–16 basketball squad finished second in the Yellow Jacket Christmas Classic, a tournament that pitted the Bears against tough competition from North Carolina public schools, and notched regular-season victories over Sidwell Friends, Georgetown Day and The Heights. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Mark Ebo ’16: Co-Captain; Donnell Frayer ’16: Co-Captain; Grant Hani ’16: Co-Captain ICE HOCKEY HIGHLIGHTS The 21–3 Bears earned their 11th straight IAC championship and second consecutive MAPHL state title. They cinched the MAPHL championship with a decisive 8–1 victory over Gonzaga on the strength of cohesive team play, a hat trick by sophomore Patrick Giles, and a 30-save performance from senior goalie Jack Concannon. In addition, captain Michael Soraci ’16 earned the inaugural IAC Player of the Year award (for more on this, see story p. 10). INDIVIDUAL HONORS Ben Gilbert ’16: Assistant Captain; Patrick Giles ’17: All-Met second team, All-IAC, All-MAPHL first team; Drennan Greene ’16: All-Met honorable mention; Brian Jordan ’16: All-Met first team, All-IAC, Assistant Captain; Michael Soraci ’16: All-Met first team, IAC Player of the Year, All-MAPHL first team, Captain INDOOR TRACK & FIELD HIGHLIGHTS Wes Feldman ’17 ran the second fastest indoor 1,600 meters ever by a Bear. Ari Chadda ’18 landed at No. 2 all-time in the 3,200 meters, No. 3 in the 1,000 meters, and No. 5 in the 1,600 meters. And Matthew Lowrie ’18 earned spots on the 1 mile (No. 4) and 1,000-meter (No. 6) lists. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Eric Shalloway ’16: Co-Captain; George Shalloway ’16: Co-Captain RIFLERY HIGHLIGHTS With six rookies among its 12 members, the 1–9 riflery team shot a season-best 1,063 (out of a possible 1,200) against Lake Braddock. Harrison Smith ’18 shot 551 (272.5 average) at the Potomac High School Rifle League Regional Championships, where the Bears finished ninth overall. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Amil Agarwal ’16: Co-Captain; Jack Pingle ’16: Co-Captain SQUASH HIGHLIGHTS In the first season with Coach W.T. Miller ’86, the 4–5 squash team scored a win over Sidwell Friends and edged out the tough Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School team.
16
SWIMMING & DIVING HIGHLIGHTS This winter, the Bears (3–3 in dual meets) finished fourth in the IAC, ninth in the Washington Metropolitan Prep School Swim Dive League (WMPSSDL) Championships, and 19th in the Metro Championships. Jason Tang ’17 took fifth at Metros in the 500-meter freestyle. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Hayden Fralin ’16: CoCaptain; Clayton Henschel ’16: Co-Captain; Charlie Lederberg ’16: Co-Captain; Jason Tang ’17: All-IAC WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS After going 11–11 in dual meets, wrestling finished third in the IAC Tournament and 16th at the Maryland Independent State Tournament. At States, four Bears placed in their divisions, the most since 2006: Brendon Gallagher ’18 was fourth to qualify for the National Prep Championships for the second year in a row; Ben Goodfriend ’16 was seventh and also qualified for Nationals. Goodfriend finished his varsity wrestling career with 106 victories, tied for fifth most in Landon history. INDIVIDUAL HONORS Brendon Gallagher ’18: All-Met honorable mention, Maryland State Wrestling Association (MSWA) AllAcademic Team, Co-Captain; Brian Gelb ’16: All-IAC, Co-Captain; Ben Goodfriend ’16: All-IAC, MSWA All-Academic Team, Co-Captain
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
17
FEATURE | KAI KIGHT
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LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
T HE
M UOFS I C
K AI KIGHT ’10 INSPIRES ATHLETES, ARTISTS, PROFES SIONALS AN D STUDENTS WITH A UNIQUE BLEND OF ORIGINAL MUSIC AND PER SONAL STORY TELLING by Tom DiChiara
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
19
FEATURE | KAI KIGHT
hen the National Football
League’s Seattle Seahawks
needed to regain their confidence
after a crushing loss in Super Bowl
XLIX and when the Walt Disney
Company wanted to kindle the creativity
of its animators and designers, they reached out to the same man to
Kight evokes the example of Mozart to explain. “These days there
are 1,000 rules to playing Mozart, and people get upset if you break them. But back when he was making music, people thought he was
crazy,” Kight said. “We get so locked into the product that these people created that we forget the spirit of it. If you were actually trying to be like Mozart, you would try something different and take risks.”
In the year since Kight launched the enterprise with the help of his
inspire them: Landon graduate Kai Kight ’10.
girlfriend Zippy Guerin — a classmate at Stanford who also serves as
design school, the Los Angeles-based violinist, composer and
of thousands. Kight has booked more than 50 engagements, has
Two years after he graduated from Stanford University engineering
inspirational speaker admits that he might not seem the most obvious choice for the job. He plays music. He tells stories. He offers advice.
What would a 23-year-old know about perseverance and teamwork?
Kight says his success as an inspirational speaker is, in fact, inspired
by a valuable lesson he learned at Landon: Find common ground.
“Something really important that I took away from Landon was the
his marketing/business manager — Kai’s message has reached hundreds delivered TEDx (Technology, Entertainment and Design) talks on his innovative ideas, and has performed for audiences in Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Germany, and this fall will lead a
learning excursion cruise to the Mediterranean for Stanford alumni.
MUSIC DREAMS & HOOPS LESSONS
ability to do different things and still be me — to not categorize myself
Kight learned to play the violin at age 3. From then through his time
always have the mindset that there is a way to connect with them, that
goal: to play with a professional symphony orchestra. In pursuit of
as one thing,” Kight said. “Any group of people that I’m talking to, I
there are certain things I have experienced as a musician or in my life
that they can relate to… I’m only 23, so I don’t go into a company like Disney and say, ‘I have the answers on how to do this, this and this.’
That’s not true, and no one is going to buy that. I just talk about things that I have felt and trust that other people will have felt those same things in their lives.”
Kight’s original music is a unique fusion of classical, hip-hop and
jazz. Each piece is interspersed with lessons he has learned on his
at Landon (beginning in fourth grade), Kight had one ultimate musical this dream, he played with the school’s Strings Ensemble, as well as with multiple outside groups (including first chair in the National
Symphony Youth Orchestra), and studied classical music under the concertmaster of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. He
and fellow musician Patrick Belaga ’10, a cellist, even put ads in the
newspaper and on the website Craigslist to book their first “professional gigs” at local parties and events.
According to Belaga, Kight was an exceptional musician whose
journey from an overachieving youth focused on excellence alone to a
mathematical aptitude made him a whiz at music theory and
possible impact on the world. The overriding message: Don’t be afraid
spirit and his desire to help those around him become their best selves.
mindful adult focused on doing what he loves and making the greatest to pursue your passions and take risks — because that is how true creativity and innovation occur.
20
composition. But what Belaga says really set Kai apart was his generous A prime example of this occurred when Patrick and Kai teamed up for their Independent Senior Project in spring 2010. The two decided to
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
“SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT THAT I TOOK AWAY FROM L ANDON WAS THE ABILIT Y TO DO DIFFERENT THINGS AND
STILL BE ME — TO NOT CATEGORIZE MYSELF AS ONE THING.” – Kai Kight ’10
21
FEATURE | KAI KIGHT
Kight performs at the Disney SPARC Symposium in Glendale, California, April 2015.
learn to play the piano and then write and perform their own pieces of music that incorporated piano, violin and cello. Belaga struggled with composing, and Kight selflessly came to his aid.
“Kai was so generous with his knowledge and his time despite the
fact that I was behind him in my grasp of music theory and composing — he was more than willing and happy to take his time to help me with my side of the senior project, to help me compose, to edit my
stuff,” remembered Belaga, who is now a professional cellist in Los
Angeles. “It has always been an amazing aspect of Kai that despite his
self-designed extremely busy schedule he somehow finds time to help out
Botti cites Kai’s transition from junior varsity basketball star to
varsity sub during his junior year as a very telling one. “This is a guy
who in every other walk of Landon life was not just a star; he was the star,” Botti said. “But in basketball, he found himself in a situation
where he was not the best player, not the best point guard, and the
way in which he segued into another role in service of a greater good reaffirmed what I thought I knew about Kai, which is that he was an
authentically giving, genuinely self-sacrificial guy. Some guys are great stars but not great teammates — he was both.”
Luther remembers the tone Kight and Wellington set for the team
the people in his life that matter to him and that he cares about.”
each day before practice when they warmed up with no-holds-barred
player,” said Performing Arts Department Chair Earl Jackson, who
into each other and make each other better,” Luther recalled. “The
“Kai is a very self-motivated young man, a great kid and a great violin
bonded with Kight outside the classroom thanks to a shared love of
college basketball. “He has a great ear and a great sense of time. He knows what to play when, which is really what works for him as a musician.” In addition to being an outstanding violinist, Kight won the
Headmaster’s Award for general excellence and served as Student Council president his senior year and class president his other three years in the Upper School. His teacher and advisor, Banfield Ethics Chair John
Bellaschi, said, “Kai sets the gold standard for kindness, decency, honesty, respect, humility, patience, grace and love.”
These qualities also shone through on the basketball court, where Kight
one-on-one games. “They loved each other, but they would just tear
tenacity they had and the attitude that they showed really helped make us the team that we were.”
Wellington looks back fondly on that ritual, but it was Kight’s
behavior off the court that helped them forge a friendship that endures to this day. “Kai was always the type of person you could look at and just know that he would make the right decision, which is why a lot
of the things he does now speak toward that,” Wellington said. “The inspirational speaking draws from his life experiences being able to navigate his way through Landon and through college as a leader.”
made an indelible impression on his Upper School coaches John Botti
BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY
helped the team win back-to-back IAC championships in 2009 and 2010.
mentors and classmates for his leadership and character, he had a
and Andy Luther and teammates, including Delonte Wellington ’10, and
22
While Kight earned the respect of his Landon teachers, coaches,
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
“I HAD A TON OF GREAT EXPERIENCES AT L ANDON. I THINK NOW I WOULD DO SIMIL AR THINGS, BUT I WOULD APPROACH IT FROM A
DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE — I WOULD USE THE AMA ZING RESOURCES AT L ANDON A LIT TLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.” – Kai Kight ’10
surprising and important message for Landon students when he
returned to campus October 21 to deliver the keynote address at the
Boiardi Forum for Ethical Reflection. In retrospect, he said, he doesn’t
feel he was a true leader at Landon because he was too concerned with
able to reflect on who we really want to be and how we want to live our lives. It’s been so rewarding to go through that journey together.”
A GREATER CALLING
pleasing others and living up to a vision of who he should be.
Today, Kight has streamlined his existence so that he usually spends
right things so that I could get that validation, that applause,” Kight
content for his speeches.
“I was doing everything I could to hit the right notes, to do all of the
said, recalling an incident in which he remained silent as his fellow
each day doing three things: meditating, creating music, and writing For Kight, these powerful presentations are just the beginning, and
students insulted another. “I knew it was wrong, but I wouldn’t say
the ultimate goal is to positively affect as wide an audience as possible.
keep up that appearance. Is that leadership? I don’t think so. It’s more
because there is something greater, a bigger calling that I know I can
anything because I was trying to keep everything cool, I was trying to of a performance.”
This “performance” continued when Kight attended Stanford
University, put his dream of playing the violin professionally on the
backburner, and decided to accept admission to the Stanford Engineering School’s highly selective Design Program. Although he appeared to be “on the way up,” he told Landon students he was depressed... until he finally realized that he had the power to change his trajectory.
Kight received his degree from Stanford, but with the help of a
“I’m not content with saying that I’m just going to do this forever
use my skills toward,” Kai said. “Landon taught me to do things for the greater good, and one of the biggest problems with the world
is when people are super smart but don’t use it for good,” he said. “I
think that’s a huge reason so many problems that seem solvable aren’t
solved. I want to structure my business that way, where I’m only going to succeed by helping people do what I have found to be right and effective.”
In the meantime, Kight says that current Landon students can learn
therapist and encouragement from Guerin, he decided that what would
from his experiences. “I had a ton of great experiences at Landon. I
people. Together, he and Guerin launched the enterprise that now makes
different perspective — I would use the amazing resources at Landon a
truly make him happy would be to use his love for music to inspire
him so happy. “Zippy is kind of like my sensei [teacher],” Kight said. “We
have all these really great conversations, and she pushes me to go further.” Guerin says she wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. “The best
part is that both of us have grown so much,” she said. “We have been
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
think now I would do similar things, but I would approach it from a
little bit differently,” he said. “I wouldn’t really care about awards; I’d care about: Who am I impacting? What am I really trying to say? Everyone’s
trying to learn those lessons, but if I could go back, that’s the one thing I would change.”
23
INTO THE WOODS FEATURE | MICHAEL JENKINS
MacArthur Award-winning conservationist Michael Jenkins ’74 and his nonprofit organization Forest Trends set their sights on saving the world from deforestation by Tom D i Chi a ra
24
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
W
hen Michael Jenkins ’74 enrolled at
Jenkins and his brothers were part of the tennis dynasty Mac Jacoby built at Landon in the 1970s.
Landon in the seventh grade in 1968, he
had seen more of the world than most. He and his brothers Peter ’71 and Tim ’75, P ’06 ’08, had lived in Russia, Germany
and Thailand because their father worked
in the U.S. Foreign Service. The family had spent the past three years
in Venezuela, where the boys were nationally ranked age-group tennis
players. But even with all this worldly experience, Michael remembers the challenges he faced to adjust to life within the White Rocks.
“My English and my reading weren’t very good when I got to
Landon. That made academics a challenge and also made it hard to
make friends, especially since most of the kids had been best buddies
since fourth grade,” Michael said. “But through tennis I learned to form friendships, and [English teacher] Ann Sundt tutored me and helped my reading and writing improve.”
The ability to build relationships has been critical to the success
of Forest Trends, the international nonprofit organization Michael founded in 1998 to find solutions for environmental conservation.
Guys like Mac Jacoby and Tom Dixon… recognized the light that was in every one of those Landon kids and helped them find ways to let it be expressed — and break the mold.
Forest Trends (forest-trends.org) works specifically to battle
of acres of forest globally each year as a result of agriculture, logging
chefs in Peru, as well as 20 conservationists, business leaders and
The players involved — from governments and conservationists to
was to figure out ways to use the popularity of Peruvian cuisine to
deforestation, a process that results in the loss of hundreds of thousands and urban sprawl, the repercussions of which include global warming. local residents and banks — often find themselves at odds on the issues and the potential solutions.
“To me, what is really critical in conservation is when you can forge
coalitions between different, unusual partners,” Jenkins said. “To solve
– Michael Jenkins ’74
financial backers, for a boat trip down the Amazon River. Their goal conserve the natural ecosystems of the Amazon, improve the lives of
the indigenous people who live along the river, and supply restaurants with the necessary food products.
Forest Trends pioneered this environmental initiative, which aims
the climate change problem, you need to be working with business,
to take the natural services that forests provide — such as filtering and
with local communities, indigenous peoples, financial institutions... I
and preserving fertile soil — and make them a financially valuable part
you need to be working with governments, and you need to be working like to say that our guiding principles at Forest Trends are to be small, global and nimble.”
A NATURAL MARKETPLACE Michael’s relationship-building prowess impresses longtime friend David Laird ’73, P ’11 ’14. “When you consider how diverse and
obstinate and recalcitrant to compromise the participants in that
supplying clean water, slowing global warming, promoting biodiversity, of our economic system by delivering unbiased information about the markets and payments for these services.
“The goal is to create markets around the functions that forests and
wetlands provide,” Jenkins said. “We build out models where you can
make those natural services financially valuable and, in giving them real value, you conserve them.”
whole debate are, Mike has always been a man who, by his own pure
CREATIVITY HAS ITS REWARDS
said. “He got to know elements from the factions of this debate —
one of the Schwab Foundation’s Social Entrepreneurs of the Year. And
personality, is able to bring these disparate interests together,” Laird
In 2015, Jenkins’ work with Forest Trends earned him recognition as
the companies, the banks, the countries and people involved, and the
Forest Trends received a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective
environmentalists — and he was able to bring them together.”
For example, in November 2015, Jenkins convened 10 of the finest
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
Institutions, a prestigious $1 million grant the MacArthur Foundation gives annually to a handful of organizations that embody its mission:
25
FEATURE | MICHAEL JENKINS
“to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security,
make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society.”
a conservationist career path — but the seeds for his passion were planted during his childhood and his time at Landon.
“Growing up in all these different places around the world, we lived
For Jenkins, the honor made clear just how far Forest Trends has
around woods a lot — in Venezuela, there was a big forest behind our
MacArthur Foundation and used a small amount of seed money from
an important early influence,” Michael said. “And at Landon, I was on
come since its inception in the 1990s, when Jenkins worked at the the foundation and the World Bank to start Forest Trends.
Forest Trends was a four-person operation back then, but today
the organization boasts 52 employees, and its international reach was recently confirmed at the COP21 climate talks in Paris. The historic
global climate agreement signed there included a commitment to make forest protection a priority with financing to back it, and Jenkins and
his colleagues helped to formulate the language and terms included in the accord.
THE SEEDS OF A CONSERVATIONIST FUTURE Jenkins says that working with the Peace Corps in Paraguay and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in
Haiti were the transformative experiences that led him to attend the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and set him on
house and even in Washington we lived in Wood Acres — so that was the tennis team back in the heyday when we were nationally ranked. Mac Jacoby would take us to play against college J.V. teams at the
Naval Academy, Army, Duke, UNC and Princeton, and that helped us
to understand what the next step in life was going to be like and that if we worked hard we could achieve great things.”
Landon also helped provide Michael with direction at a time in his
life when he desperately needed it. During the fall of his sophomore
year, his mother Cecile passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. All three Jenkins boys were devastated, and Michael left Landon for
Walt Whitman High School for a year before returning to the White Rocks for his senior year.
“Mike was a quiet leader at Landon — warm, friendly, with a great
sense of humor and a strong intellect,” said longtime friend and fellow
tennis player Bruce McNair ’73, “but he was hit hard by his mother’s loss.”
Jenkins during his time with the Peace Corps
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LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
Mike’s inspiration and support led me to make my very small part of the world as sustainable as it could be.
– Peter Jenkins ’71, Michael’s older brother
spent a lot of time with Mac because of tennis and all the traveling we
were doing. He took us under his wing, took care of us, and kept an eye on us back in the day when we all needed some supervision.”
“Mike was a bright guy and had his own ideas and own path to
follow and encouraged others to do the same,” Jacoby recalled. “I just tried to be there for him the best I could.”
A BIG (AND SMALL) IMPACT Michael emerged from Landon with a desire to make an impact on the world. He traveled with the Peace Corps to Paraguay, where he worked in agroforestry, and with the USAID Agroforestry Outreach Program Jenkins during a Forest Trends trip to Costa Rica in 2016
to Haiti, and he learned the languages of Guarani and Creole along the way (he is fluent in five languages).
“That was an eye-opening experience for Mike,” Peter, Michael’s
older brother, said. “He realized that you don’t have to be in poverty to
live close to the land because fundamentally we all live close to the land.” These experiences were key to Michael’s eventual decision to found
Forest Trends. “What I realized was that making grants, even on the scale of MacArthur, was really a drop in the bucket to solving the problem,”
Michael said. “I wanted to send a more powerful signal, which is about building value into these environmental services, creating markets for these goods and services where they are going to be competitive.”
In the years since, Forest Trends’ influence has touched the far reaches
of the world — but has also had a profound impact close to home. “Through Mike’s personal influence, he encouraged me to buy
a piece of land in Gill, Massachusetts, that has almost 100 acres of Three generations of Jenkins: Michael (second from right) with his father, brothers and nephews
“That was a really hard time in my life,” Michael said. “Guys like
Mac Jacoby and Tom Dixon kept an eye on me and really cared about
protected woodlands connected to it,” Peter said. “We have solar panels
on our barn that power our entire home. Mike’s inspiration and support led me to make my very small part of the world as sustainable as it could be.”
While this brings Michael pride, he won’t be content until the
me. Those guys recognized the light that was in every one of those
ecosystem marketplace is the norm.
break the mold.”
a mirror of the stock market for the services that the natural world
their father, had an especially big impact on Michael.
clean air and water, a financial value, we could ensure that investment
Landon kids and helped them find ways to let it be expressed — and Jacoby, who coached all three brothers in tennis and was close with “Mac was a mentor figure to my brothers and me,” Tim, the youngest
Jenkins brother, said. “After our mother died, my dad was working very long hours for the Foreign Service at the State Department, so we
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
“The long-term goal is for us to be able to say that we have created
provides,” Michael said. “By giving those services, such as providing
flows into all of these natural infrastructure ideas — and in doing so we could conserve them. It will take my lifetime for sure, but I believe we can get there.”
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ALUMNI
Alumni Board Aims to Reconnect Alums With Landon and One Another BELOW IS A MESSAGE FROM ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT MATT COURSEN ’99.
I
n May 2015, the Alumni Board sent a survey to all alumni to gather information about their experience as Landon alums. More than 400 alumni responded, and many of you took the time to provide helpful and insightful comments. Thanks to you and to your survey feedback, we have identified themes, marked issues, and charted our course to refining the purpose of the Landon Alumni Association and its Board of Directors. During analysis of the data, we found that the majority of alumni wanted to do two things: strengthen their connection with Landon and strengthen their connection with other alums. In response to these findings, we have reviewed the Alumni Board’s strategic plan and adjusted it accordingly to ensure we serve you, our fellow alumni, in the most effective way. Our goals and action plans to accomplish them are listed below.
400+ ALUMNI RESPONDED
WE HEARD FROM CLASSES INCLUDING
1943 & 2014 — AND MANY IN BETWEEN
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1. Refine our purpose to the alumni body by creating transparency with our process, our goals and our mission. Our aim is to ensure the Alumni Board and the Alumni Association are aligned in our goals and to enact procedures that will maintain checks and balances on the association and its directors. Results: We have amended the Alumni Association Constitution, written an updated Purpose Statement, and published information regarding how Alumni Board members are nominated and selected. All of this content is live for you to see on the Landon website. By refining these important organizational documents, we are adapting to the changing times while remaining respectful of Landon’s rich history. 2. Reconnect alumni with the Landon community. We want to reconnect alumni with key constituent groups and leaders on campus to strengthen relationships and remind them that the Alumni Board is an impactful association of loyal and passionate members willing and able to help ensure the long-term health of the school. Your Ideas: Career Day, Innovation Day, customizable alumni newsletters, social media outreach, improved on-campus events, ambassador program for the Admissions Office OF RESPONDENTS Action Plan: To build on what FEEL CONNECTED we started last year with the first TO LANDON Landon Alumni Board Visiting Day, we will execute more direct outreach to key leaders, plan more engaging and more diverse events both on and off campus, and work with the Alumni and Communications Offices to develop innovative approaches to serving as a resource for the school. Results: In 2015 and 2016, we have held two Alumni Board Visiting Days, created the ability for alumni to customize Landon news alerts by area of interest, taken steps to improve the online alumni contact database, and improved Homecoming and Reunion Weekend by working with the Alumni Office to add a tent on the hill for an alumni
80%
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
gathering during the game. In addition, the Communications Office has given alumni from the 1950s through the Class of 2015 a platform to share their Landon experiences through the website’s Bear Blog. To date, nearly 20 alums — from a former U.S. ambassador to Austria and a Navy nuclear engineer to a Silicon Valley tech guru and college basketball coach — have written eloquent and powerful posts about how Landon has shaped and continues to shape their lives.
3. Reconnect alumni with one another locally and across the U.S. and the world. This includes increasing the visibility of the Alumni Board and Association in the Admissions process and the community at OF RESPONDENTS large to improve the LIVE OUTSIDE Landon brand and represent THE D.C. METRO AREA the most impactful area of differentiation: the Landon alumni network.
50%
Your Ideas: Young alumni networking opportunities, regionally focused networking events, online tools to improve professional networking, improved contact management system, more frequent professional networking events, better reunions and on-campus events Action Plan: We heard you loud and clear that you want more opportunities to network with each other inside the Beltway and beyond. We will focus on a three-pronged approach to improving the bond among the alumni. The first priority is hosting convenient, compelling and dynamic events both on and off campus. The next priority is beefing up our professional MORE NETWORKING networking opportunities OPPORTUNITIES both through events and online. And the final priority is
MOST COMMON REQUEST:
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
the way we use social media and other technology solutions to increase brand awareness and promote positive news ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S of what our alums are doing around the world. KEEP ALUMS INFORMED Results: In addition to a OF LANDON NEWS much-improved Homecoming Weekend in 2014 and 2015, we hosted a third successful Thanksgiving Eve Roast event and created new events such as the paddle tennis tournaments in D.C. and NYC. We hosted two professional networking events that were well attended, and we have another planned for later this spring at the Supreme Court of the United States. While these events offer an opportunity for face time with fellow Bears, our Communications Office also makes sure alums stay connected online: Since September, we have featured more than 60 alumni posts on Facebook alone. These run the gamut from reminders about networking events... to photos from Homecoming & Reunions... to captivating stories about alumni who front rock bands, play college hockey or run schools.
NO. 1 SERVICE:
Along with the Landon Alumni Office, the Alumni Board embraces the opportunity to serve you and to be even better at informing, entertaining and inspiring you. There is good work to OF RESPONDENTS do, and we are energized FEEL POSITIVELY ABOUT LANDON TODAY and ready to do it!
93%
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1942
July 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015
CLASS NOTES
ALUMNI
1945 Ralph Meima writes: “Alive and kicking, enjoying the
years with my wife Barrie at the wonderful Heron Point
retirement community in colorful Chestertown, Maryland.”
1948 Gilbert Bogley writes: “I’m still enjoying playing ‘IT’S YOURS’
tennis, but still haven’t managed to shoot my age (84) in golf. Pathos!”
At the Landon-St. Albans football game on November 14, 2015, John
1950
Gill (pictured above left) shared a photo op with Jon Ogden (St.
Jerry FitzGerald writes: “In
Albans, UCLA and the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens. Mr. Gill has attended
built a one-room school and
Albans ’92, above right), an NFL Hall of Famer who played for St. almost every Landon-St. Albans football game since 1937!
1944
2013–14, my family funded and adjunct library in Cambodia to teach the children English. We
now have an enrollment of over 500 children per week. Gave
them an American flag for the wall to remember the USA. In addition, we pay all teachers’
salaries and operating expenses.”
1952 Class agent Bill Gawler writes: “Just received a very nice email from Lloyd ‘Tuffy’ Kriner
telling me he was concerned Theodore P. Wright Jr. (whose wife Susan is pictured above) writes:
“We spent a delightful Labor Day weekend at the Adirondack Loj on
Heart Lake. Hiked to Marcy Dam and up Owlshead in Keene Valley as well as canoeing around the lake twice. The loj was built in 1927 by the
Adirondack Club to replace one burnt down by the great fire of 1903. In November, we went on a marvelous, if strenuous, two weeks in Ethiopia
with Road Scholar group. Africa’s only Christian nation since 300 A.D.”
30
about Charlie Griffin [because of a storm headed his way], so he called him and found that
bad weather bypassed and that
otherwise he is doing well, and
same for his new wife, Blossom. Thanks, Tuffy! I am aware that Lloyd has experienced heath
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
challenges this year but is fully
1955
recovered. In the spring, called
Jerry and Skip Rideout celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary
reminiscing with him... [Editor’s
operate the Mill Street Inn. Cora and Murray Simpson celebrated
Jay Phelan and had a long
note: Sadly, Jay passed away in December 2015.] Hear from
over the August 21–22 weekend in Cambridge, Maryland, where they their 55th the same weekend.
Henry Ravenel on occasion —
Over the October 24–25 Reunion Weekend, a total of 22 classmates
and Lee Derrick in Florida in
Landon and dinner at Pizzeria Da Marco in Bethesda. Sam Milliken
he and Alicia both well. Saw Jan the spring as usual for a great
visit. They have relocated from
and wives celebrated the Class of 1995’s 60th reunion with events at brought his son Rudy — Sam has fathered twins!
Pennsylvania to Annapolis. And,
Mark Page with wife Mary (both retired from accounting and computer
appear on the doorstep but Buck
Mark is treasurer of the local Kiwanis Club.
six months ago, who should
Buchanan and his wife! I believe
systems careers) now operate an antiques business in Berlin, Maryland.
Rody Davies ’51 was with them:
Laura and Dick Dortzbach split their time between Madison,
Wisconsin, and Princeton, New Jersey, to be closer to their kids
and grandkids, who live and work in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Westport, Connecticut.
Jack Kneipple recently moved to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he lives with his daughter.
Charlie Hayes, Nick Kolb, Mark Page, Skip Rideout, Murray Simpson and Ted Prince
attended the December funeral of
another great reunion! Buck is
Bob Leahy.
going to relocate from Portugal to
the U.S. and, by now, may be here.
1959
from a four-month absence to
Bart Barbee writes: “At 75, I
mountain home; traveled (other)
my son Randy: Commonwealth
Marge and I have just returned
North Carolina. Finally sold our
have opened a new business with
North Carolina mountains in
Motor Sports, a dealer for Polaris
our RV, and finally settled in the
Industries and also selling antique
town of Waynesville, where we
purchased a lot and fifth-wheel
collector cars.”
trailer in a small community. (It
Murray Simpson, Doug Hotvedt ’80, Walker Simpson ’81 and Quinn
Jim Cavanaugh writes: “I was
in Asheville, so we will try to get
Simpson and Sarah Hotvedt’s graduation from Wake Forest University
Kupka ’64 Distinguished
occurs to me that Al Long lives
in touch, Al). As some of you are
aware, Marge has been diagnosed
Simpson ’11 (pictured L to R above) posed for this photo at Quinn in May 2015.
with dementia, but so far we are
Steve Robin was recently honored as a founder and first president of
our mid-80s — can’t believe it!”
has more than 800 members. Steve and his wife Martha are active
coping well as we soon approach
1953 Kim Alfaro writes: “All’s well
now that El Nino has brought
rains and snows to the Sierras.
the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia Association, which now supporters of the Loudon County Symphony Orchestra.
Charlene and Bob Ring still live on his family’s farm in Williamson
County, Tennessee. They travel widely, including locally in an RV and
honored to receive the Anthony Alumnus Award at the Landon
Alumni Luncheon on December 18, 2015. I also had a nice
discussion with Headmaster
Jim Neill earlier in the day. He
was a fine choice!” (For more on Cavanaugh, read the profile on p. 34.)
abroad on small ship cruises.
Greetings to all.”
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
31
ALUMNI
ALUMNI EVENTS Homecoming, Reunion, Holiday Lunch, Paddle Tennis Tournament and More!
1
2
3
4
7
8
5
6
9
10
1. Members of the Class of 2007 watch the Homecoming game from the hilltop. 2. Jack Duquette (far right) catches up with alumni at the annual Holiday Luncheon in December. 3. David Armstrong (left), with Headmaster Jim Neill at Homecoming, became an honorary alumnus in October. 4. Alumni Board President Matt Coursen ’99 (center) mingles with NYC alumni in February. 5. Jon Schiller ’65 with Barbara Goodwyn and George Pappas ’82 at February’s New York Alumni Reception. 6. Alumni compete in Landon’s inaugural D.C. Paddle Tennis Tournament in January. 7. Class of 2010 Bears reconnect at the tent party at Homecoming. 8. Headmaster Jim Neill (center) with Banfield Award Winner Marcos Williams ’65 and Kupka Award Honoree James Cavanaugh Jr. ’59 at the Alumni Holiday Luncheon. 9. Members of the Class of 2005 congregate at Homecoming. 10. The Bearitones perform "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Homecoming .
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LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
1960 Bob Buchanan is chair of the
recently approved Montgomery
County Economic Development Corp. The corporation, to be
funded by the county, was created under the philosophy that the
private sector is better positioned than a government agency to market the county nationally
and globally, to foster a business-
wide-ranging professional career, Peter has recently reactivated a
long-dormant interest in writing. Mike Heid’s career has also
ranged widely: teaching English,
coaching soccer, with a side career in radio announcing. He and
Laura live south of D.C., east of
the Potomac, with a view north to Washington and Alexandria.”
friendly legislative and regulatory
1961
business and create jobs.
George Barbee’s new book, 63
Bill Ruddiman writes: “The
good start with national publicity
environment, and to grow
class of ’60 bid fond farewell
to two members in 2015. John
Hazard (in Indianapolis) [died]
of complications from Parkinson’s disease. Known to most of us at
Innovation Nuggets, is off to a
(For more, see “Bears in Print,” p. 40.)
he held that positive attitude
Frank Kilpatrick writes: “I’m
John Woodside (in Brooklyn),
44-year career in medicine. I’m
who at Landon seemed like a
countercultural Goth, but went to Yale and had a successful
reunion at Homecoming & Reunions Weekend in October.
Forbes, Inc., and Fast Company.
1962
right to the end. [We also lost]
Members of the class of 1965 (pictured above) celebrated their 50th
and positive reviews in Fortune,
Landon as ‘Smilin’ Jack’ because of his wonderful disposition,
1965
happy to have retired from a
enjoying being a grandparent and working with two charities.”
career editing and publishing. Among the many-of-us still
extant: Pat and Tony Sweet are near Avila, a lovely unspoiled
beach town in the central coast
George Wenchel (pictured above with his granddaughter Josie)
Francisco and L.A. We aging ’60s
see Europe’s Christmas markets in December. The trip included seeing
area of California, far from San
geezers should go visit them and overrun their piece of paradise.
Wendy and Peter Gibb moved to Ashland, Oregon, a small college town with an active art scene
and outdoor activities. After a
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
traveled with his wife Rosemary and Josie (daughter of Adam ’92) to Nuremberg, the largest Christmas market in Germany, as well as
Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for Cinderella’s castle. They
went to Sound of Music sites in Salzburg and Zugspitze, a mountain on the border of Germany and Austria. Josie loved the fashions, and Grandpa enjoyed the beer tastings.
(1965 notes continued on page 35)
33
ALUMNI
Grizzly Bear A Beautiful Mind
J
ames Cavanaugh Jr. ’59 has dedicated his life to treating the mentally ill and says it was his time at Landon that taught him to use his
talents to help others.
“The Landon credo of honor, perseverance, fair
play and teamwork became my guide for the rest of my life,” said Cavanaugh, a graduate of Williams
College and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. “Williams broadened my intellectual
capacity, the University of Pennsylvania gave me my profession, but Landon gave the drift of a driving
Landon was not just a wonderful education, but a total life experience that changed me, helped form my character, taught me to deal with both victory and defeat, and provided the foundation to live a life of honor. – James Cavanaugh Jr. ’59
dream to be the best I can be.”
Cavanaugh is one of the leaders in the fields of
forensic and legal psychiatry, in which doctors work with the legal system to evaluate and treat those
accused or convicted of crimes. He has been involved in psychological profiling — a method used by
investigators to identify character traits that can help find and apprehend criminals.
Profiling can help solve crimes and, in some cases,
prevent them. As an expert consultant, Cavanaugh
has worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Secret Service and the Chicago Police
His experience as a psychiatric resident at the
University of Pennsylvania inspired Cavanaugh
to work at the largest community mental health
program in the United States. And after treating patients with mental illnesses from the Vietnam
and Korean wars, Cavanaugh accepted a leadership position with the newly formed Rush Medical
College in Chicago in 1973. He created a large
forensic psychiatry program at Rush and founded the school’s division of law and psychiatry.
Cavanaugh and his staff developed “fitness for
duty” evaluations for police officers that are now considered the industry standard. In 1985, he
founded Cavanaugh & Associates, a consultancy firm devoted to assisting trial lawyers with cases involving behavioral science issues.
In addition to his professional work, he continues
to give back to the community. His nonprofit
organization, the Isaac Ray Center, helps provide adults and children in need in Chicago with
psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and mental health professionals.
“These are very sick, mentally disturbed
Department. He has also evaluated well-known
incarcerated people who broke the law, but it
Gacy Jr. and John W. Hinckley Jr., who attempted to
Cavanaugh.
criminal defendants such as serial killer John Wayne assassinate President Ronald Reagan.
was a manifestation of their mental illness,” said The center’s primary goal is to reduce the number
What led Cavanaugh to enter this field long
of mentally ill people in detention centers. When
made the practice seem mainstream? During his
Chicago’s youth, the juvenile detention center in
before Criminal Minds and other television shows residency at the Hospital of the University of
Pennsylvania, Cavanaugh worked in the community
and social psychiatry department where he witnessed
Cavanaugh and his staff began working with
Cook County housed about 800 children. Today, it holds about 300.
Cavanaugh says he would not have accomplished
a system that did not serve those in need.
any of this had it not been for the foundation
but when they’re discharged where do they go?”
wonderful education, but a total life experience that
“[The mentally ill] might get hospitalized fine,
said Cavanaugh. “They have to go out into the
community where there are no services, they don’t
get their medication, and they drift downward. Then they come to the attention of law enforcement and
he received at Landon: “Landon was not just a
changed me, helped form my character, taught me to deal with both victory and defeat, and provided the foundation to live a life of honor.”
end up in prison.”
34
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
1965
1969
1975
Landon’s school store is now online!
Ted Wright is currently in
remission from leukemia. He
is working full time again as a
pastor in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and likely will retire in the latter half of 2016.
1970 David McConnaughey writes: “All is good in Connecticut. Sandy Murdock (pictured above) writes a blog, BearSportsNews,
which posts stories on some, not
all, Landon sports soon after the game. You can find it at
bearsportsnews.wordpress.com.
Enjoyed seeing Class of ’70
Stephen Gordon and his family
of retirement and back to the
they snapped the photo above at
classmates at the reunion. Out grind as COO of the PlowShare
Group. Look us up on the web at plowsharegroup.com.”
As the photo shows, he has found
1973
Bear (man) cave to protect him
Glenn Scoggins writes: “I
his game summaries.
since 1977: teaching Japanese
the ideal all-weather portable
from the elements while he writes
Bob Tupper’s new book, Drinking In the Culture: Tuppers’ Guide to
Exploring Great Beers in Europe,
is the first-ever guide to finding
not just good beer but also good places to drink local beer in two dozen of the best cities in the
world. (For more, see “Bears in Print,” p. 40.)
John Hanks writes: “Good
to see many ’65 classmates at
our 50th. A sincere thanks to
George Wenchel, Hap Holladay and Larry Lamade for their organizational skills.”
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
went on vacation to France, where
Bear Essentials is your only source for official Landon gear. $10 flat-rate shipping to continental U.S. Visit Landon.net/store
the Hotel Eden-Roc in Cap d’Antibes.
Hats Apparel
continue the same job I have held
Ties
and Chinese history in the
International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme at Saint
Smathers & Branson
Maur International School in
Yokohama, Japan. As the college
counselor at Saint Maur, I visited
Cufflinks
the U.S. this summer for the first time in eight years to attend a
counseling conference in Oregon,
Rain or shine, Frank Fowler
reunion.”
miles per week on his bicycle.
coupled with a Scoggins family
(pictured above) likes to ride 100 Frank rode to Landon to visit
with the rugby coaches, offering
Specialty Bags & Backpacks Key rings
his coaching skills for the spring season.
...and so much more at
35
ALUMNI
1976
1980
Members of the Class of 1976 reunited over summer 2015 for a
Jon Strain, his wife Patty and three sons joined longtime teacher-
above photo to commemorate the occasion. Front row (L to R): Marc
preseason sport practices (pictured above).
weekend of sailing in Annapolis, Maryland. David Simms took the
Witowski, Doug Kinney, David Reeves, Doug McGuire. Back row (L to R): Calvin Cobb, Chris Belcher, Steve Hollman, Dek Potts, Tom Carr, Geoff Davis, John Williams.
Henrik Parker writes: “On October 10, my daughter Katherine
coach-mentor Mac Jacoby for a tour of the Landon campus during fall
After 16 years at Sony Pictures, Greg Economos decided it was time to make a transition and created his own consulting company called Brand Licensing Solutions.
married Andrew Lewis. A beautiful weekend in all respects. In
attendance were Katherine’s godparents Leslie and Tom Carr and Therese and Dave West.”
1977
Colie Matheson, Michael Farr, Frank Saul ’81 and Cary Simmonds
posed for the above photo on November 4 at Gillionville Plantation in Albany, Georgia, where they were about to finish their quail hunt.
Alex Berry writes: “Having a great time with Car Show TV, my threeIn July, Andy Freese and Carolynne Ehrlich were married at their
home in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. They were joined by Andy’s
year-old company. We travel to the best car shows in the USA and tell the stories behind the coolest cars in the world!”
three sons and daughter and Carolynne’s daughter and son (pictured above with the happy couple).
36
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
1981 Jerry Palmer writes: “My wife
Diane and I lived with our three
kids in Waterford, Virginia, until 2011, when I was offered a job at a startup in Santa Monica, California, so we moved to
Marina del Rey on the west side (beachside smile emoticon of
sister Cannon Pappas, along with
1990
parents George Pappas and Amy Kitzmiller.
Scott Johnston married Erin Brody on October 9, 2015.
1985
L.A.). We sold that company to Verizon in 2013. I left Verizon last February and did some
consulting with Microsoft. They hired me to manage long-range
Members of the Class of 1990 Taylor Simmers, Harmar Thompson,
and moved me up to soggy
Upper School Hans Farnstrom at their class reunion party in October.
strategy for Azure cloud services
David Peikin and Tommy Castiello caught up with Assistant Head of
Seattle. My kids are now grown
Canterbury School and Head of
oldest daughter is 26 and is a
(pictured above left) welcomed
and spread over the country: My teacher in Lexington, Virginia;
my middle daughter manages a
tech support team at Ring.com;
and my son is working for BMW in New Jersey. If any alums are in the Seattle area, I’d love to hear from you.”
1982
School Rick Kirschner ’83
Pictured above (L to R) are Simmers, Farnstrom, Thompson, Peikin and Castiello.
Neil Phillips (above right) as the third guest in Canterbury’s
Speakers Series. Phillips is a national thought leader and
renowned speaker on black male
achievement, minority education, character development and youth empowerment.
1987 Patrick H. Breen published The Land Shall be Deluged in Blood
Members of the Class of 1990 (pictured above) reconnected at their
Turner in 1831. (For more, see
to R): David Peikin, Mike Gorelick, Andy Goldman, Scott Koonce,
about the slave revolt led by Nat “Bears in Print,” p. 40.)
25th reunion party in October. First row: Fred Regan. Second row (L Darren Lubetzky, Harmar Thompson, Taylor Simmers. Third row (L to R): Neil Cantor, Eric Atherton, Ed Pokorny, Jamie Rooney, Brian Anger, Mike Smith.
Keller Pappas (pictured above),
born February 22, 2015, joins big sister Karis Pappas and bigger
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
37
ALUMNI
1991
Peter Corrigan writes: “In the annual summer Bearsapalooza get-
together, an unusual occurrence reared its victorious head similar to the 17-year surfacing of the cicada, with a victory on the hoops blacktop of Team Dainty (in white) over Team Bruiser (in brown). Spectators
traveling from all corners of the U.S. grumbled that the difference was
due to the extra sub for the white team, but naaaah... the true X-factor
After 15 years of working on the issues of public education and school reform, Tony Gerdes (pictured above with his family) has spent the
last two as a technology trainer at a regional law firm. In June, he and
his wife Sue celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary, joined by their seven children (ages 7–18). Tony has also recently produced a website, called Lunatic or Lord, available at lunaticorlord.com.
and hero should have been scouted out by the brown team during
1992
‘One and Done Sophomore Sensation’ of Jon ‘Wags’ Wagner tapping
Mac Hooks writes: “Wendy and I have been blessed with a son, Peter
trees in Darien, Connecticut, negotiated their way back in time,
Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was greeted by many
warmup drills with the aggressive and focused determination of the
into that remarkable varsity Landon hoops season of ’89. It was as if the fastening themselves to the hallowed walls of Riddleberger Gym,
witnessing and then spiritually reverberating the deafening chants of,
‘sophomore, sophomore, sophomore...’ Then again, perhaps it was the black high-tops? Nonetheless, a solid victory by the white team! Go
Zhang Hooks (also
), born October 9, 2015, at Johns Hopkins
members of the Hooks family (grandparents Bill ’57 and Susan, Uncle Jon ’92, Aunt Liz, and cousins Max and Emi). Mom and baby are
doing well and have moved with dad to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”
Bears!” Pictured above (L to R, sporting the Bear sign): Michael Banks
Adam Wenchel is vice president for cyber and technology analytics
Boehly, Art Rosen.
infrastructure.
’92, Zach Warren, Peter Corrigan, Jon Wagner, Jeff Lamkin, Todd
at Capital One, where he is rebuilding their cybersecurity data
1994 Tom Foley writes: “Moved to Portland, Oregon, last August to
start a Ph.D. program in community health. My focus area is health promotion and disease prevention and, more specifically, preventing
and treating chronic illnesses such as coronary artery disease and typeII diabetes through physical activity and dietary intake. The area is great. Visitors are welcome.”
38
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
1996
1999
PLEASE SEND US YOUR NEWS! Submit your update to: landon.net/ classnotes Alex D’Amico writes: “Maggie
and I are still enjoying life in New
Michael Boyd married Liza Tanner (Holton ’99 and the director of the
first child, Hamilton Howe
above). Peter Boyd ’96, Erik Vachon, Bion Bliss, James Langdon and
York. We recently welcomed our D’Amico (pictured above), into the world on August 30, 2015. Hamilton is doing well and is
Landon Fund) on October 3, 2015, in Chestertown, Maryland (picture Cabell Hobbs were groomsmen, and Thad Minshall was a reader. Many other Landon alums were there to celebrate.
clearly a fan of Zoolander, as
Mychael “Myke” Cohn married Allison Rishty on July 18, 2015, in
flash ‘Blue Steel.’”
MacDonald, Mike Rutenberg, Ravi Pillay and Scott Hettermann
1999
and Allison live in Washington, D.C.
evidenced by his proclivity to
Photos are appreciated!
Charlottesville, Virginia. Landon friends Bobby Higgins ’00, Will
were groomsmen, and many more Bears were there to celebrate. Myke
2000
Daniel Freer posed for the above photo with his wife Katie and
daughter Charlotte after Landon’s annual Alumni Hockey Game
played during Thanksgiving break.
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
Members of the class of 2000 (pictured above) celebrated their 15th reunion in October.
39
ALUMNI
BEARS IN PRINT
2000
Looking for a good read? Check out these recently published books authored by Landon alumni...
award. The program recognizes 40 emerging leaders under the age of
George E.L. Barbee ’61
Patrick H. Breen ’87
George’s 63 Innovation Nuggets
In his nonfiction work The
insights culled from his 45-year
Patrick explores the terrible
PepsiCo and other Fortune 500
the local black community
Kevin Shooshan received a Leadership Arlington “40 Under 40”
40 who demonstrate impact personally and/or professionally through their exceptional leadership in the D.C. metropolitan region.
2001
provides aspiring innovators with
Land Shall Be Deluged in Blood,
career with General Electric,
choices faced by members of
Matt Schiffman married Samantha Bichler on June 27, 2015, at
companies.
during the bloody slave revolt
“Huge turnout from Landon ’01 and ’00. David DiBianco was my best
Bob Tupper ’65
led by Nat Turner in 1831.
Have you recently published a book?
TriBeCa Rooftop in New York City (picture above). Matt writes: man, and Mike Petrash and Fitz Holladay were groomsmen.”
2002
Let us know at communications@ landon.net! Beer lovers will want to drink in Bob’s Drinking In the Culture:
Tuppers’ Guide to Exploring Great
Beers in Europe, a guide to finding the best beer (and beer-drinking spots) in Europe.
40
George Williams and his wife Caitlin welcomed a baby boy, Thatcher Macleod Williams (picture above).
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
2002
2003
WANT MORE ALUMNI NEWS? Follow Landon on social media to stay up to date with your fellow alumni!
Nick Katz (pictured above) is
co-founder and “chief housemate”
Phil Mills married Hilary Lawsing in Newport, Rhode Island, on
property technology startup that
Phil works for a company called Chubbies (chubbiesshorts.com). They
of Spittable, a London-based
helps young renters manage their shared expenses through an app. The company recently closed a
August 23, 2015 (picture above). Hillary is a nurse practitioner, and recently moved to Tiburon, California, just over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.
$1.2 million investment round
2004
Seedcamp, Playfair Capital and
Matt Harrigan writes: “I am still consulting NPOs and just moved to
Fund, which is backed by the
for the Diocese of Buffalo. It should be completed in mid-2017.”
from venture capital groups
the London Co-Investment mayor of London.
Jimmy Rhodes writes: “About
Buffalo, New York, where I am working on a $100 million campaign
2006
three years ago I left my booking job at The Rock and Roll Hotel,
and DC9 in Washington, D.C. It was a very bittersweet departure, as I was hired by Live Nation to
be the talent buyer for their clubs & theatres division in the Mid-
Atlantic. Some of the venues that I now book include The Fillmore
On August 15, Jacob “Jake” Kaden married his longtime sweetheart,
Baltimore Soundstage, Sixth &
in attendance were classmates Chris Dodson, Joe Luchs, Zach
Silver Spring, Warner Theatre,
I, and many, many more. I’m still playing drums in a band called Black Clouds. We released our
second record, Dreamcation, on Collect Records. You can find that just about anywhere.”
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
Kira Loretto, at Salt Air Farms in Greenport, New York. Landon alumni Eisemann, Andy Gagarin, Jeff Soffen, Jamie Altman, Will Quartner,
Alex Lynch, Greg Marks and Jake Alter ’07. Also there to celebrate were Patrick Kaszubski and Will Hanlon, who attended Landon for a few
years. Jake K. and Chris also took on the challenge of playing Bethpage Black with Jake’s father Alan and brother Zack (who also attended
Landon for a few years). All four were able to break 90! Photo above
(L to R): Luchs, Hanlon, Kaden, Eisemann, Dodson, Gagarin, Soffen.
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ALUMNI
2009
2015
Joshua Mendelson works for the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America Tour in Ponte Vedra, Florida.
2010
Ben Levinson and Steven Liu (pictured above) are enjoying Northwestern University.
Jones Lindner is president of his Chi Phi pledge class at the University Members of the Class of 2010 (pictured above) celebrated their fifth reunion in October.
Austin Dabney graduated from the University of Virginia and works
of Georgia (UGA).
Ian Dabney is attending the University of Virginia (UVA) and having a great first year.
for a law firm in Washington, D.C.
Will Gibson is playing baseball at Gettysburg College.
2011
Matt Wellington is at Davidson College, where he is roommates with
Darion Atkins signed a contract to play for the National Basketball
fellow Class of 2015 Bears Mike Blasey and Parker Smith.
Association’s (NBA) New York Knicks. Atkins was the 2015 Atlantic
Coastal Conference (ACC) Defensive Player of the Year when he played
for the University of Virginia. He was also the Portsmouth MVP and a key figure in the San Antonio Spurs Summer League Championship.
Alumni Hockey Game
2014
Saturday morning of the Thanksgiving holiday break brought several Walter Spak is now a member of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Spirit Squad.
42
Landon alumni together for the annual Alumni Hockey Game (pictured above). Landon won!
LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
IN MEMORIAM Helen Holt, mother of Rush ’66. July 12, 2015. Harriet Constance Leppanen Levy, mother of David ’80. July 17, 2015. Ellen Proxmire, mother of Doug ’80. August 2, 2015. Edward C. Bou, father of Christopher ’76, Stephen ’78 and Lawrence ’83, and grandfather of Teddy ’19, Will ’19 and Stephen ’21. August 18, 2015. George Henry Watson III ’98. August 19, 2015. Bob Strain, father of Jon ’80. August 24, 2015. Stephen Mark ’82. August 30, 2015. Margaret M. Collins, mother of Matt ’85 and grandmother of Conor ’13. September 3, 2015. Stephen Muir ’88, father of Jack ’24, son of Cassin ’58, and brother of Brad ’93. September 4, 2015. Joseph Guarnieri, father of Patrick ’00. October 13, 2015. Michael Stevens ’85. October 15, 2015. John Henry “Jack” Hazard Jr. ’60. October 23, 2015. John Hardisty ’58, father of Kirk ’97. October 29, 2015. Joe Sears ’54, brother of Ed ’61 and John ’65, and uncle of Teddy ’95, Ricky ’99 and Christian ’01. October 31, 2015. Robert Beale Leahy ’55, father of Bill ’79 and Chris ’82. November 1, 2015. John Samuels Pontius, father of James ’00 and John ’98. November 8, 2015. Bradley Stephen Jones ’02. November 11, 2015. Charles M. Boteler Jr. ’41. November 13, 2015. John Woodside ’60. November 15, 2015. Austin H. Kiplinger, father of Todd ’64 (deceased) and Knight ’65, and grandfather of Brigham ’99 and Daphne (Landon’s graphic designer). November 20, 2015. Arthur “Jay” Phelan Jr. ’52, brother of Howard ’54. December 9, 2015. Ruth Headlee Potter, mother of Stephen Niles Potter ’75. December 9, 2015. Dr. Herbert Ernest Klingelhofer, father of Steve ’60, Eric ’67, Victor ’69, Philip ’75 and Marty ’77. December 31, 2015.
SPRING 2016 | LANDON SCHOOL
43
FROM THE ARCHIVES
ALUMNI
OLD-SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY. Before Landon had iPads and 3-D printers, Bears learned how to use this early digital-age computer. Can you name the teacher, any of the students, or year? Send your best guess to communications@landon.net!
“Yule Tied 1957” Archive Photo Identified Thanks to Bill Prindle ’65, Hap Holladay ’65, Fred Hunt ’66 and Bill Ikard ’64 for writing in to
identify many of the members of the Lower School Boys Chorus, pictured here performing at the
opening of the 1957 Christmas Greens Exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. All four men were members of the chorus, which also performed at the White House, at Constitution Hall with the
National Symphony Orchestra, and at the National Gallery of Art. Bonus for Prindle, who correctly
identified the Landon teacher-coach-mentor(s) among their ranks. “It’s [Rob] Bordley ’66, of course... There is another future Landon teacher in this group, John Hurd ’64, who taught music at some point at Landon,” Prindle wrote, and then added: “As anyone in that photo can testify, those vestments were hot to wear, and we had to recruit a lot of extra help to tie those floppy black ties.”
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LANDON SCHOOL | SPRING 2016
Can we count on you? Coach Barton did his part to leave a lasting impact on Landon. You can help make Landon Forever. Make a planned gift and join the Legacy Circle. Include the school in your will or name Landon as the beneficiary of your retirement account or insurance policy.
Ed Barton Beloved Landon athletics director and coach
To make a planned gift, please contact: George Pappas ’82, Director of Planned Giving 301-320-1005 or George_Pappas@landon.net
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Alumni Golf Tournament
Friday, June 3 Reunions
(Classes ending in ’6 and ’1)
Thursday–Saturday, November 10–12 Homecoming
Saturday, November 12
Painting by Alex Kapelina ’20
communications@landon.net