2012 Landon Fall Magazine by Landon School

FALL 2012

LANDON M A G A Z I N E

MAKING ROOM FOR FRUIT AND VEGGIES Creating a Well-Rounded Lunch

September 4, 2012:

Seniors welcomed students and teachers to opening day convocation. at the assembly, Student council President Graham Shue ’13 introduced this year’s theme: it’s a Matter of Pride. Landon SchooL Board of TruSTeeS h. Sherman “Tiger” Joyce ’78, chair david M. armstrong, PreSidenT Joesph a Kenary, Jr. ’82, Vice-chair Steven B. Gewirz ’84, SecreTary carter hertzberg ’89, TreaSurer

TruSTeeS eMeriTi Peter J. fitzGerald, Sr. ’50 Knight a. Kiplinger ’65 Lawrence L. Lamade ’65 Sam Lehrman h ’09 russell c. Lindner ’72

hillary d. Baltimore Mario h. Boiardi Stephen W. comiskey Michael J. darby francis “Mike” o. day iV ’94 Peter J. “chip” fitzGerald, Jr. ’83 Michelle L. freeman Jeffrey e. harris ’80 Wallace f. “hap” holladay, Jr. ’65 ernest d. Jarvis, Sr. douglas c. Kiker ’93 Brigham c. Kiplinger ’99 Stephan e. Klingelhofer ’60 daniel L. Korengold ’69 John P. Leachman ’69 christopher n. Manning ’91 e. Brett McMahon ’85 amy r. Mehlman Tushar c. Patel ’81 h. Keith Powell Laura Zaimi

Landon MaGaZine

cLaSS noTeS ediTorS

headMaSTer

david M. armstrong

amory Barnes George Pappas ’82

ediTor

deSiGner

Jean erstling

Polly Johnson, Polliwog design

aSSiSTanT ediTorS

PhoToGraPhy

Mary cunningham Lynn horowitch

Mary cunningham Lowell davis GoLandon.com Landon School archives Wendy Steck Merriman rob yunich

conTriBuTinG WriTer

rob yunich

our MiSSion Landon School prepares talented boys for pro-

ductive lives as accomplished, responsible and caring men whose actions are guided by the principles of perseverance, teamwork, honor and fair play.

S IU S S UE E I N T H I S I NI TSH I S

FALL 2012

F E AT U R E S

D E PA R T M E N T S

18 Making Room for Fruit and Veggies

From the Headmaster

Landon Today

Landon students choose from an array of healthy options, specifically chosen and prepared to satisfy their needs. With daily choices for those with food allergies and dietary restrictions, everyone loves lunch!

18 Features 30 Landon Alumni

21 From Ideas to Companies In recent years, a number of young alumni have chosen an entrepreneurial path, eschewing traditional careers for the chance to lead, shape and grow their own businesses.

24 Landon Forever

Thomas W. Dixon passed away on September 9, 2012. In his six decades at Landon, Dixon was teacher, mentor and friend to generations of students, alumni, parents and colleagues. We pause to remember this “soul of Landon.”

26 Boys in the Middle With its own faculty, integrated curriculum and special programs, Landon’s Middle School offers students a division experience specifically designed for young adolescents.

28 In Praise of the Serial Comma Ed Sundt shared his love of words, baseball and family with his students and fellow teachers. Landon boys are proficient readers and writers because of the fundamentals he taught them, including that rule about the serial comma.

On the Cover: a sixth grader enjoys a well-balanced meal made by the food service staff. Students and faculty choose from an entrée, vegetarian entrée, full salad bar, deli bar and a variety of fruits each day for lunch. Landon Magazine 1

HEADMASTER NOTES

Academics First his past spring, 33 Landon

sophomores sat for the Advanced Placement exam

in U.S. History. That’s a test most students take in their junior or senior

We teach boys to hold ideas in their hands, to turn them over

year, yet more than half of those

and examine them carefully

sophomores scored a 4 or 5. The

and critically.

results are even more impressive when you consider that Landon

women who capture the attention of our boys and open doors to new

requires all boys to take the exam if

ways of thinking, creating and caring about learning. For some, it’s a

they are enrolled in an AP course;

discussion in the style of the Harkness method, which encourages stu-

there is no opt-out. Our seniors also did well in their AP testing; in

dent voice under the quiet guidance of their teacher. For others, it’s

BC Calculus, for example, 13 out of 14 seniors scored a 5.

developing narrative skills through Writing Workshops in 4th or 5th

We all know that high tests scores are just one gauge of student

grade. For still others, it’s exploring the value of new technology in

accomplishment, but it is gratifying when our high academic standards

“flipped” classrooms and on-line discussions. With support from the

and the rigor of Landon’s program are confirmed by such external

Center for Teaching and Learning Resources and training in the “All

measures. In fact, Landon students regularly receive prestigious aca-

Kinds of Minds” program, all of our faculty are finding new ways to

demic awards. Since 2001, three Landon students have been chosen as

reach each boy and unlock his potential, as we understand more about

the annual Presidential Scholar representing the State of Maryland.

how boys learn and grow.

Last year, a Landon student was one of just 29 National Merit Scholars

Outstanding academic standards have always been a hallmark of the

in Montgomery County. Two members of the Class of 2012 received

Landon experience, but unlike athletics or the arts, that rigor goes

Navy ROTC scholarships, one to attend MIT and the other for UVA.

largely unnoticed, unremarked and uncelebrated. Let’s not forget that

Assisted by four college counselors, Landon boys are welcomed into

every Landon student is a scholar first and that we don’t teach English

prestigious colleges and universities around the country. (See this year’s

or science or math, we teach boys. We teach them to hold ideas in their

Matriculation list beginning on page 16.)

hands, to turn them over and examine them carefully and critically, and

At Landon, we are helping boys develop the skills and dispositions

then to engage in discussion and debate that matters to them. By so

not only to achieve, but also to appreciate the fundamental value of

doing we imbue them with specific academic passions, a deep level of

ideas and the joy of discovery. In programs like our junior year

intellectual curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.

Humanities class, covering western thought, and American Studies,

Best Wishes and Go Bears!

combining U.S. history and literature, we are teaching boys to question and to build arguments across disciplines. And it’s the quality of these questions and arguments that demonstrates the value of such extended academic conversation for our boys. With classes in Constitutional Law, Government, Justice, Forensic Science and Mandarin Chinese, Landon students are challenged in ways that have meaningful application to the roles they will take on as citizens in a changing world. None of this can happen without the talented and creative men and

2 Landon Magazine

David M. Armstrong Headmaster David_Armstrong@landon.net

HOE OL W N E WS S S C H O O LS CN

LANDON TODAY

Upper School Ventures Outside the White Rocks

pper School students and faculty wrapped up the third quarter in March with something new: Landon’s first upper School field Trip day. Students chose from 16 outings developed by faculty members. assistant headmaster John Botti organized the event, with the goal of providing experiences that were both educational and fun. choices included touring an embassy, galleries, museums and studios; pursuing artistic education with painting or a musical performance; or serving on a farm or with habitat for humanity. head of the upper School Ehren Federowicz said, “everyone returning from the day appeared to be buzzing with energy. i think the boys and faculty alike appreciated their time off campus and spending time together in a non-conventional setting … strengthening meaningful bonds.” upper School field Trip day is already on the calendar for next spring. — Mary cunningham field Trip day: Two juniors prepare to install a door for habitat for humanity.

Congressman Meets Future Senators

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” For the first time, all Landon and HoltonArms Upper School students and teachers were assigned a common summer reading book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. In the first semester, students will participate in combined discussion groups to analyze and share impressions of the book. The non-fiction book tells the story about the immortal cell line, HeLa, that came from Henrietta Lacks’ cervical cancer cells. It also covers her family’s struggles and her lack of recognition. The book addresses topics including medical ethics, race, class and history, enabling discussion across all academic departments.

Congressman Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) (pictured at center with 17 Model Senators from the Class of 2012) delivered the keynote address at Landon’s sixth annual Model Senate on May 24. Van Hollen discussed

challenges to lowering the deficit, including the impending retirement of scores of Baby Boomers and the rising costs of healthcare. He concluded that “the combustible cocktail of issues” would lead to productive action. Landon Magazine 3

LANDON TODAY S C H O O L N E W S

Azalea Garden Festival 2012—By The Numbers

3 9

days

students & faculty dunked in the dunk tank

musical acts

21 28

hours

musicians

60 350+ 450+

boutique vendors

funLand wristbands sold student volunteers

What Is the Nature of Excellence? “if you can dream it, you can do it … begin it now!” was the advice from 2012 nelson lecturer and alumnus Donald Dell ’56. dell is a former davis cup captain and national junior tennis champion who went on to found ProServ sports marketing firm and author two business books. he spoke to the Landon community on the “nature of excellence” as part of The christopher nelson ’86 Leadership Program coordinated by drama and english Teacher Fred Zirm. after speaking, dell took time to answer questions from current students.

Redefining Masculinity More than 1,250 volunteers helped azalea Weekend run smoothly.

azaleas sold

464 800 $437,000

(68 from Landon’s gardens!) parent volunteers

raised for Student financial assistance and faculty enrichment 4 Landon Magazine

Landon hosted the International Boys’ School Coalition conference “Redefining Masculinity” in the spring. The conference, which was attended by representatives of boys schools from around the world, featured keynote addresses from Joe Ehrmann, founder of Coach for America and Building Men and Women for Others, and Michael Kimmel, an expert in masculinity studies. Fran Townsend, former chair of the Homeland Security Council and a current Landon parent, was the dinner speaker. At the event, Landon introduced its Gender Equity Statement of Values. The statement reaffirms the School’s commitment

to help Landon boys appreciate differences and show respect for girls and women. It was developed by the Gender Equity Committee led by Carole Kerns and Jamie Kirkpatrick. Four goals are outlined in the Statement: • Teachers will seek to incorporate concepts of gender equity in the curriculum. • Landon will promote extracurricular activities where boys and girls may work together. • All teachers and staff members will model gender equity appropriately. • Landon’s institutional policies and practices will ensure that all faculty and staff are treated respectfully and fairly. To read the full statement, visit www.landon.net/genderquity.

S C H O O L N E W S LANDON TODAY

New Records for Annual Fund

Campaign Update - Focus on Faculty Housing

Last fall, Landon’s faculty and staff set a record, with 100% making a gift to the 20112012 Annual Fund. By the time the Fund closed on June 30, 2012, alumni had also set a participation record, with 33% making a gift, compared to 29% in the prior year. Parent giving also rose, from 77% to 80%. The strong levels of support resulted in an Annual Fund total for the year of $1.5 million. Every dollar has been put to work to support the daily activities of each and every Landon student. The 2011-2012 Annual Fund was led by Sharlene and Steve ’83 Amitay, and Dale Lipnick (Parent Giving): Mark Amorosi ’87, Kevin Shooshan ’00 and George Wenchel ’65 (Alumni Giving); Denise and Dennis Reilly (Parent of Alumni Giving); Jay Nussbaum (Grandparent Giving); and Lisa Goenner (Faculty and Staff Giving). “Our chairs and agents did a terrific job this year,” says Barbara Goodwyn, director of development. “We are so grateful to them and to each donor who made a gift.” The 2012-2013 Annual Fund launches in September.

andon united has passed the $39 million mark and continues to make excellent progress in each of Landon united’s five initiatives: · to support our exceptional faculty, Landon’s teacher-coach-mentors; · to sustain a multi-talented and diverse student body; · to strengthen our core programs and long-standing traditions; · to provide facilities that match our program excellence; and · to build an endowment that creates a new financial model going forward. The faculty housing initiative, part of supporting our exceptional faculty, has earned particularly broad support. Thus far, 176 donors have supported faculty housing, raising a total of $2,045,813! These parents, alumni and friends of Landon are helping the School’s teacher-coach-mentors with affording a home or renting an apartment convenient to campus. currently 24 faculty and staff have some form of housing assistance provided by Landon. Learn more at www.landonunited.com or contact Barbara Goodwyn, director of development, at 301-320-1004 or barbara_goodwyn@landon.net. — Lynn horowitch

Board of Trustees Welcomes New Members In July 2012, Landon welcomed three new members to the Board of Trustees: Peter J. “Chip” FitzGerald, Jr. ’83, Ernest D. Jarvis, Sr. and Douglas C. Kiker ’93. Samuel

Peter J. “chip” fitzGerald, Jr. ’83

Lehrman H’09 was named a trustee emeritus. FitzGerald had served a partial term on the board previously, chairing the Buildings and Grounds Committee. He is the director

ernest d. Jarvis, Sr.

douglas c. Kiker ’93

of asset management for FitzGerald Properties, a real estate investment and management company located in McLean. Jarvis is a senior vice president at First Potomac Realty Trust and serves as president of the District of Columbia Building Association. Kiker is a managing director at Kekst and Company, a strategic corporate and financial communications firm. Lehrman is president and founder of Lehrco Corporation, a retail development and management company. He served as a trustee from 2006-2011 and was a co-chair of the Landon United campaign. Lehrman led the efforts to build Bordley Stadium and renovate the Barton Alumni Athletic Center. The new trustees will serve terms of three years. For full bios on all board members, visit www.landon.net/trustees.

Landon Magazine 5

STUDENT NEWS

LANDON TODAY S T U D E N T N E W S

Kudos Ryan Curto ’14 won two gold and one silver medal at the 2012 USA Gymnastic’s Region 6 Tumbling and Trampoline Championships. He also finished fifth in the Level 10- doublemini trampoline event at the Junior Olympics National Gymnastics Trampoline and Tumbling Championship.

Poolworthy: using only cardboard and duct tape, Kodiak Bears created a boat that carried a student across the dixon Pool at the spring Bear Games. The Brown Bears triumphed in the semi-annual games. Book Drive Times Three Upper School students spearheaded three end-of-year book drives. Jack Sears ’13 led Landon’s annual book donation to the World Bank Book Project. As his Eagle Scout project, Randy Staples ’14 organized a book drive

for Arcola Elementary School in Silver Spring. Alec Merski ’14 led Libros Para Niños (Books for Children), a service project he started in 2011 to promote literacy, learning and a love of reading among underprivileged Hispanic youth in the D.C. area.

Making Music ... and History ... in China

n July, an ensemble featuring Landon students became the first high school band to play at the national center for the arts in Beijing, according to Earl Jackson, chair of Landon’s performing arts department. The nine-person ensemble included seven Landon students: Aaron Beguelin ’14, Alex Christner ’15, Michael Harris ’12, Tumi Onaghise ’14, Grant Smith ’14, Henry Smith ’16 and Culver van Vleck ’14. “This was a great opportunity to present Landon’s music program to the Beijing band community,” Jackson said. The highlight of the trip, according to Jackson, was playing at the u.S. embassy in Beijing, one of the largest american embassies in the world.

6 Landon Magazine

Vincent Kindfuller ’12 was one of only 29 students in Montgomery County to receive a 2012 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship. Earlier in the year, Kindfuller, who served as editor of the Landon News, head of the debate team and captain of the riflery and rugby teams, was featured as a Bethesda Magazine Top Teen in March. He will attend M.I.T. on a Naval R.O.T.C. scholarship. Ryan Rose ’13 qualified to compete in the National Chemistry Olympiad based on his top-scoring performance on the local section of the exam. He was one of only 19 local students who advanced to the national level.

“Playing ‘God Bless the u.S.a.’ at that concert gave us a chance to play a song about freedom in the hub of communism and gave the audience an opportunity to witness american music on american soil,” Jackson said. The group also played with Beijing’s high School 166 and at the Beijing international Band festival as the closing ensemble in conjunction with the Beijing Wind orchestra. Jackson serves as president of the Beijing Wind festival and also spent time conducting clinics and judging competitions during the trip. Landon adjunct music faculty member Ronnie Shaw and Gilbert Pryor, a former adjunct music faculty member, joined Jackson on the trip. — rob yunich

S T U D E N T N E W S LANDON TODAY

Congrats to US Writers! Seven Upper School students won the annual Upper School Creative Writing Contest, sponsored by Landon’s English Department and Landon Fathers Club along with The Writer’s Center in Bethesda. Check out the winning entries in Landon’s online literary magazine Prometheus Unbound at www.landon.net/prometheus. Congratulations to the winners: Harrison Voslow ’13 qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam by scoring in the top 5 percent nationwide for participants in the American Mathematics Contest 12. These exams are given across the country to evaluate mathematical problemsolving ability and to identify candidates for the U.S. Mathematics Olympiad Team.

Junior Olympians

While the Olympics was happening in London, three Landon students competed in the Jr. Olympics, held in Baltimore in July. Two track team members and one rising Fifth Grader participated in various track events. Malachi Bostic-Wattley ’13 competed in the 4x100 relay, while Oliver Hightower ’14 ran the 110-meter and 400meter hurdles and the 4x800 relay. Tre Simmons ’20 ran the 1500 meters and earned a 4th place medal in the 3000-meter race!

SHORT FICTION 1st Place “Polyphemus’s Lament” Ryn Buhler ’12

2nd Place “Huck Finn, Chapter 27½” Jonathan Haskin ’14 ESSAY 1st Place “10,000 Miles” Ryn Buhler ’12 2nd Place “Winter Track” Randall Seeger ’12 POETRY 1st Place “Ode to Trigonometry” Steve Poon ’13 and David Lackner ’13 2nd Place “My Blurred Bliss” Jack Jundanian ’13

From Landon With Love

n fathers’ Visiting day in May, Middle School boys and their dads created care packages of magazines, snacks and notes of support for servicemen. Three weeks later those packages reached their destination. half arrived in the hands of Lt. Brendan Reilly ’05 and his Marine platoon. reilly, a former middle school teacher, has been stationed on a ship off the arabian Peninsula. When the boxes arrived, he e-mailed to say, “The Marines really appreciate the contents of the packages and the thought behind them.” other care packages from Landon went to a unit of soldiers in afghanistan. Alex Baldwin (father of Tommy ’18) organized the assembly of care packages and letters as part of a new community service initiative on fathers’ Visiting day. navy commander Mark Mhley ’92 spoke to the boys and their fathers. — Mary cunningham

on fathers Visiting day, Landon Middle School boys and their fathers assembled care packages for the military. Marines, stationed on a ship in the arabian Peninsula, enjoyed the packages. Brendan reilly ’05 is standing, third from left.

Landon Magazine 7

F A C U LT Y & S T A F F

LANDON TODAY F A C U LT Y & S T A F F N E W S

Teaching Prizes for Bednar in late spring, fourth Grade teacher randy Bednar accepted the 2011-2012 Shirley J. Lowrie “Thank you for Teaching” award. The award is sponsored by the Shirley J. Lowrie Memorial fund and jointly administered by independent education and The community foundation for Montgomery county. for 2012-13, Bednar has also been appointed to Landon’s William f. Banks family chair for excellence in Teaching, a three-year post.

Teaching Is a Class Act

apple Pie run held on campus each fall. im Wright’s Middle School classroom is he has coached athletics in some form for 43 surprisingly stark, save for the quotes years and has described his classroom teaching posted on the walls, with phrases like as similar to preparing a runner for a race, teach“character counts,” “Live your life as an exclaing boys how to practice, how to compete and mation, not an explanation,” and “What you do, how to develop a strategy for doing their best. “i when you have nothing to do, says a lot about always tell my runners that you can’t be a phony who you are.” While he teaches math and coachin sports,” Wright says. “running cross country es runners, Wright’s goal at Landon over the past can be hard,” he notes, “but if you persevere, you 24 years has been to help boys find their moral can make amazing improvements and see tangicompass. ble results.” The same is true in the classroom. Soft-spoken but quick with a quip, Wright he describes his best moment in the classroom retired in June to return to his hometown, as a lesson on linear equations when boys asked, Gettysburg, Penn., where he went to college and “can we do another one?” later coached. he has purchased a small house “Jim is quiet and gentle,” says Middle School there that overlooks parkland and will be able Middle School math teacher and track coach Jim head Doug Norry. “i’ve often assigned boys who to hike to many of the sites where he and needed special support — academic or social or Wright retired in June after 24 years of service to Landon. other teachers have taken sixth graders on personal — to Jim’s advisory group because i their fall battlefield trip. he expects to volunteer at the Museum of the knew they would get the special attention and empathy they needed.” Lutheran Theological Seminary where he has studied over the summer. norry also cites Wright’s Thursday afternoon Math center sessions as Wright came to Landon in 1987 from the university of Maryland another demonstration of his long-standing dedication. where he was academic advisor to the football team. his assignment alluding to the quotes on Wright’s classroom wall, norry suggests was to fill in for Sandy Murray who was on sabbatical from the Lower another familiar one that could be there: “Teaching is a class act.” School (when sixth grade was part of that division). over the years, he hundreds of Landon students and alumni, who have experienced has taught a generation of Landon boys and served as cross country Wright’s “fireside chats” or “moral minutes,” know that he is certainly and track coach at both the Middle School and the varsity (1990-97) that and more. level. he coached the 2011 cross country team to the i.a.c. Middle — Jean erstling School championship. his name has become synonymous with the

8 Landon Magazine

F A C U LT Y & S T A F F N E W S LANDON TODAY

SERVICE HONORS at fathers’ Visiting day, headmaster david armstrong presented annual service awards and Landon mementos to faculty and staff members who reached milestones in their service to the School. Bill Gordon

Brittany Martin

Bill reed

Matt Virtue

Gordon Selected as NEH Scholar Bill Gordon was one of 520 educators chosen as a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Scholar. The Upper School history and humanities teacher traveled throughout Germany for four weeks, studying the intellectual and musical worlds of Johann Sebastian Bach. By studying the composer in his native land, Gordon looked to add a musical perspective to his understanding of the scientific, philosophical, religious and political developments of the 17th Century.

Chinese Teacher Reaches New Level in Rugby Head Rugby Coach Brittany Martin’s select Mid-Atlantic team (MARFU) placed second in the USA Rugby All Star National tournament. She was one of 22 players selected for the team. MARFU beat the Northeast Regional Select team, which had been champions the past four years. They lost to the Midwest team, which went on to win the tournament. Martin says, “It was the first time I’ve played at this level, and it was a great experience!”

Alumnus Is Scholar-in-Residence Sam Potolicchio ’00 has been named Landon’s first scholar-in-residence. He will work with Assistant Headmaster John Botti on the ethics program and the Alan Brinkley ’67 Lecture Series at Landon, now in its second year.

Grants Fund Summer Travel for Reed and Virtue History Department Chair Bill Reed and Athletic Trainer Matt Virtue each received a

20 YEARS Ted Lewis, Middle School english teacher Amy Stull, associate director of Landon in Summer David Wray, upper School math teacher Austin Zimmer, upper School art teacher

25 YEARS Sam Potolicchio ’00

rob yunich

Schinnerer Grant to underwrite a “genuinely unusual summer experience” to better the Landon community. Virtue attended the International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport in Glasgow, Scotland, which was held just before the London Olympics. At the conference, Virtue learned about current international trends in sports health and medicine. As a teacher of A.P. U.S. History and American Studies, Reed will bring a fresh perspective to his class discussions about the American West in the coming years. Reed traveled through Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Nevada, with visits to Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, as well as travel through the Great Salt Desert and Bonneville Salt Flats.

Yunich Presents at FinalsiteU Associate Director of Communications/Web Manager Rob Yunich presented at Finalsite University, a user’s conference sponsored by the company Landon uses for its content management system. Yunich spoke during the “Microsite Client Best Practices” session about the Web sites for Landon United, Landon in Summer and Faces of Landon.

Hans Farnstrom, assistant head of upper School Larry Fullerton, director of academic technology Susan Hooks, Middle School administrative assistant Cathy Lamont, upper School Spanish teacher

35 YEARS Tad Cavuoti, upper School music teacher Lowell Davis, special assistant for external affairs Steve Sorkin, upper School math teacher

40 YEARS Alan Rosenthal, upper School Spanish teacher Marcos Williams, director of the center for Teaching and Learning resources The Landon fathers club also gave out two President's awards:

FACULTY ACCOMPLISHMENT Doug Nettles, fifth grade teacher

STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENT Anthony Holmes, the Sodexo food Service staff

Landon Magazine 9

A R T S U P DAT E

LANDON TODAY A R T S U P D A T E

in you can’t Take it With you, the zany Sycamore household is brought to life by Landon and holton upper School students.

Upper School Actors Find You Can’t Take It With You Landon and Holton-Arms Upper School students acted as each other’s quirky relatives in Kaufman and Hart’s classic comedy You Can’t Take It With You, the spring play directed by Fred Zirm. Twelve Landon boys and seven Holton girls made up the cast of two families with different lifestyles. The play is one of the most frequently performed American plays and, according to Zirm, is a prototype for all comedies that focus on a collection of zany relatives. “I chose the play because I thought we had a wealth of talented comic actors, and this is one of the few plays that allows every member of a large cast to shine,” says Zirm.

Junior Takes Third in Local Art Show Romare Marshall ’14 won third place in the Brentwood Art Center's teen show “Express Yourself.” He entered a pair of Samurai Warrior silver scratchboards as a single display. A scratchboard is created by etching with knives into a thin layer of clay. 10 Landon Magazine

Student Painting Hangs in Congressman’s Office Matthew Schick ’14 was a runner-up in the 2012 Congressional Art Competition for Maryland’s Eighth Congressional District. His painting will hang in Representative Chris Van Hollen’s office for this year. Seven other Upper

School artists were selected as finalists in the competition: Jack Bolen ’14, Deacon Brew ’15, Paul Grube ’14, Peter Millspaugh ’15, Grayson Ours ’15, John Wellington ’13 and Matthew Wellington ’15. representative chris Van hollen presents the runner-up award in the 2012 congressional art competition.

A R T S U P D A T E LANDON TODAY

Upper School Musicians Win Big in New York Singers and instrumentalists brought nine trophies back to Landon from the Big Apple Music Festival in New York. At the Festival, the Bearitones, Chamber Singers, Jazz Band, Madrigal Singers, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble and Symphonic Band competed against 50 other high school music ensembles. Cyrus House ’12 was named Best Overall Male Vocalist (tenor section). Congrats to our musical bears!

Music on the Quad:

The Symphonette concluded its 22nd season with a well-attended new tradition: an outdoor performance during the azalea Garden festival. a Landon senior violinist performed with professional musicians. Visit www.landon.net/symphonette for information on the 2012-2013 season.

upper School musicians earned nine trophies from a new york festival.

Lower School Boys Create ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’

ackdrops and props help every Lower School play come to life, and this year’s vibrant set pieces for The Phantom Tollbooth, Jr. were no different. Lower School art teacher Megan Mercado led the set crew, 25 students, and fifth Grade Teacher Steven Micchiche directed the musical, based on a novel by norton Juster, which featured 35 performers. The plot follows Milo on a magical journey, where he meets strange and wonderful people and things. The set crew created dozens of backdrops (including dictionpolis and digitopolis cityscapes), props and set pieces from their own vision to reflect Milo’s varied experiences. Mercado built the bigger pieces and did some initial sketches, but the rest was up to the boys. “They like to paint the big props or larger set pieces,” says Mercado. “They like the big stuff.” each boy created a drawing for a slideshow that ran throughout the play, and chose which projects to work on. This year the first time, the set crew also designed a playbill. after the show, pieces that can be used again are saved, and, of course, the boys kept some pieces as souvenirs of their hard work. — Mary cunningham

The Phantom Tollbooth, Jr. includes a journey through magical places and encounters with such characters as the sleepy Lethargians.

Landon Magazine 11

AT H L E T I C S U P DAT E

LANDON TODAY A T H L E T I C S U P D A T E

Young Golf Team Is Undefeated The varsity golf team won the i.a.c. title with an undefeated 15-0 season. in the Washington Private Schools championship, Landon came in second place, and Brent Bubes ’14 shared the individual title. four of six starters were freshmen or sophomores, but captains drew Mickum ’12 and nathan Bubes ’12 provided essential leadership, says coach Jack duquette. “This was a very enjoyable team to coach because of their personalities and their willingness to always put the team first,” he says. Small Rugby Team Stays Positive

Two Landon Bears are lifted by their teammates in an attempt to gain control of the ball in a line-out.

12 Landon Magazine

Ted Sears

With a roster of only 22 players to field a team of 15, varsity rugby played tough this season without a lot of subs. Coach Brittany Martin says, “Everyone was willing to step in at a moment’s notice, at any position.” In the St. John’s game, Landon was down 0-15 and fought back, eventually playing to a 20-21 loss. “Even though we didn’t win, we left with pride,” Martin says. The team ended its 2-5 season on a high note with a win against Good Counsel.

A T H L E T I C S U P D A T E LANDON TODAY

Baseball Finishes Strong

SEASON HONORS

New varsity head coach JJ Brock led the baseball team to a 7-10 season. The team was plagued with injuries, but improved as the season progressed, winning four of its last five games. The Senior Day game against Episcopal was especially exciting, as every senior who played had big hits, leading Landon to a 16-1 win. Brock cites Kyle Gutierrez ’12, a leader in the dugout and in practice, and Nick Murray ’13, who played catcher for the first time, as standout players.

BASEBALL Max Kra ’12: co-captain, all-i.a.c., MVP Cord Peters ’12: co-captain Rushmore Johnson ’12: all-i.a.c.; all-Gazette honorable Mention; all-Met honorable Mention; and Most Valuable Pitcher Michael Ibrahim ’12: Most improved Player Henry Duncan ’12: hard hat award

GOLF

Tennis Shares I.A.C. Title as Coach Wins Honor After placing third in the regular season with a 6-3 record, the varsity tennis team won the I.A.C. tournament, earning a co-champion title. Landon players reached the finals in all seven flights. The number two doubles team of Deacon Brew ’15 and Seth McNair ’15 placed first in the tournament. Throughout the season, the top four players and number two doubles team were all freshmen and sophomores. Coach Adam Atwell, named Gazette Coach of the Year, commended captains

Members of the Varsity Baseball team earned all-i.a.c. and all-Met honors. Michael Harris ’12 and Richard Huber ’12 on their doubles play and dedication to the team.

Nathan Bubes ’12: co-captain, coaches award Drew Mickum ’12: co-captain; all-i.a.c.; career award Mike Blasey ’15: all-i.a.c.; rookie of the year Brent Bubes ’14: all-i.a.c.; all-Met first Team; MVP Morgan Egloff ’15: all-i.a.c.; rookie of the year Walter Spak ’14: all-i.a.c.; Most improved Player

LACROSSE Hank Brown ’12: co-captain; all-Met first Team; all-i.a.c.; all-american, c. Markland Kelly high School Lacrosse award – Private School South, MVP Charlie Schnider ’12: co-captain; all-i.a.c.; allGazette Second Team; all-Met Second Team; under armour all-american; and offensive Player of the year Mark Strabo ’12: co-captain; academic allamerican; all-i.a.c.; all-Gazette Second Team; all-Met Second Team; and defensive Player of the year Alex Joyce ’12: all-i.a.c.; all-Gazette first Team; all-Met first Team; under armour allamerican; MVP Peter Laco ’12: all-i.a.c.; all-Gazette Second Team Matt Potolicchio ’12: Khari Baten ’90 award Garrett Sellers ’12: George Boiardi ’00 award Alex Povich ’12: Most improved Player continued on page 14

The varsity tennis team celebrates a co-i.a.c. championship title after winning the tournament. Landon Magazine 13

LANDON TODAY A T H L E T I C S U P D A T E

SEASON HONORS RUGBY Vincent Kindfuller ’12: co-captain, coaches award Garrett Pan ’12: co-captain, Stephen Smith ’01 MVP award

TENNIS Michael Harris ’12: co-captain, coaches award Richard Huber ’12: co-captain; all-Gazette first Team doubles; coaches award Adam Freed ’13: all-Gazette first Team doubles Deacon Brew ’15: all-Gazette Second Team doubles Seth McNair ’15: all-Gazette Second Team doubles Gabriel Goldberg ’15: all-i.a.c.; rookie of the year Alex Reinke ’14: all-i.a.c.; all-Met honorable Mention, MVP Andrew Joseph ’12: Most improved Player Adam Atwell: Gazette coach of the year

TRACK AND FIELD Deion Wellington ’12: captain; all-i.a.c.; allGazette first Team 4x100 relay Johnny Sharp ’12: all-i.a.c.; all-Gazette first Team (4x100 relay); all-Gazette Second Team (110 hurdles) Malachi Bostic-Wattley ’13: all-i.a.c.; allGazette first Team (4x100 relay) Johari Johnson ’15: all-Gazette first Team (4x100 relay) Myles Allen ’13: all-i.a.c. Micah Keels ’15: all-i.a.c. Jordan Marshall ’13: all-i.a.c. Randall Seeger ’12: all-i.a.c. Teddy Tanous ’15: all-i.a.c.

Varsity Lacrosse won its 28th i.a.c. title. Seventeen members of the class of 2012, including several lacrosse players, will play division i or division iii athletics in college.

Lacrosse Celebrates 28th I.A.C. Title Varsity lacrosse won its 28th I.A.C. title with a 13-6 record. The team started 3-5 with losses to tough opponents. Coach Rob Bordley said, “This team had resiliency. They didn’t let the early losses hold them back.” Season highlights included beating Georgetown Prep twice in one season — for the first time in several seasons — and breaking Haverford’s 30-game winning streak during a game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

4x100 Relay Team Breaks School Record After breaking the school record in the 4x100 relay last year, Malachi Bostic-Wattley ’13, Johnny Sharp ’12 and Deion Wellington ’12 added Johari Johnson ’15 and broke the record again. With a time of 42.60 at the Loyola Relays, the relay team ranked sixth in the state. Their performance helped the varsity track and field team place first at the

14 Landon Magazine

Cronley Invitational for the first time, and second in the I.A.C., losing first by only one event. Coach Addison Hunt applauded Jordan Marshall ’13 for his impressive pole vaulting, with only a few weeks of training.

The 4x100 relay team set a new school record as the track team placed second.

June 2012 Class8, of 2012

Commencement Awards

Commencement Attire

Valedictorian: Michael Anderson ’12

Cord Peters ’12 models his Class’s required graduation attire. Attire requirements have changed over the years. Some highlights are below. (Our research isn’t perfect; if you remember wearing something different, let us know at communications@landon.net.)

Fathers Club Citizenship Award for school citizenship in unselfishness, integrity, courage and spirit: Nathan Bubes ’12 The Malcolm Coates Student Activities Award for outstanding, constructive participation in non-athletic activities: Henry Duncan ’12 The Eleanor Ann Johnson Award for creativity, innovation, ingenuity or artistic merit: Michael Anderson ’12 The William Harrison Triplett Award for contributions to the sports program and distinguished qualities of team dedication, respect for opponents and regard for the spirit of the game: Hank Brown ’12 The Carroll Mercer Marbury Award for spirit of fearlessness and tenacity of purpose: Michael Hengerer ’12 Upper School Headmaster's Award for outstanding qualities of general excellence: Vincent Kindfuller ’12 The Mary Lee and Paul Landon Banfield Award for a faculty member who has made a significant contribution to the life of the School: Steven Micciche

CARNATION Registrar Lisa Goenner and former Upper School Secretary Sara Atherton believe they started pinning carnations to boys’ lapels around 1980. For at least one year, the carnations were white, but red ones became the norm thereafter.

SHIRT Light blue is now required, but white was the compulsory color for decades. The Class of 2005 was the last to require white shirts (many still wore blue).

TIE Since 2005, each class has designed its own red tie. In the early 90s, boys were asked to wear a red tie, and before that any tie would do.

JACKET With black and white photos, it’s hard to tell if jackets were ever not blue. It’s safe to say they’ve been blue for a long time.

PANTS White pants have been required at every Landon graduation. However, the pants are now harder to find than they were in the 1930s. Belts are also required.

SHOES The Alice F. Cosimano Award for a staff member who made a significant contribution to the life of the School: Lisa Goenner The Hugh C. Riddleberger Alumni Scholarship Award for highest GPA in Form V: Adam Freed ’13

White bucks date back to the 1930s, but were replaced by brown or black dress shoes for decades. In 2006, white bucks made their comeback as a requirement. Today, seniors can now choose whether or not to wear them, but most still do. — Mary Cunningham Landon Magazine 15

College Plans The 77 graduates in the class of 2012 are attending 51 colleges in 25 different states. Princeton university university of colorado at Boulder Alex Berry university of california at Santa Barbara Hank Brown drexel university Keesy Bruggen rollins college Nathan Bubes Boston college Ryn Buhler yale university Reilly Carlton hampden-Sydney college Mitchell Chen university of Virginia Will Christner Bucknell university Johnny Cobb ohio Wesleyan university Charlie Darby duke university Peter Dreux indiana university Henry Duncan davidson college Ben Foxmanuniversity of Edenbaum colorado at Boulder Jack Frye Bates college Devin Gantt university of Maryland, college Park Alex Garner Washington university in St. Louis Sellers Garrett hamilton college (ny) Taylor Greene Stetson university Max Greenwald Middlebury college Kyle Gutierrez Tulane university Michael Harris carnegie Mellon university Michael Hengerer new york university Mac Hightower claremont McKenna college Cyrus House university of Maryland, college Park Richard Huber Sewanee: The university of the South Matthew Hunt davidson college Mike Hunter Mount Saint Mary’s university Michael Ibrahim Wake forest university Alexandre Johnson Tulane university Rushmore Johnson Trinity college Eric Jordan Virginia Polytechnic institute and State university Andrew Joseph cornell university Alex Joyce Georgetown university

Mike Anderson Cameron Barnes

16 Landon Magazine

1Valedictorian Michael anderson addresses his fellow students. 2 charlie darby signs the senior book joining every graduating senior since 1930. 3 Michael hunter, adam MacLaury and austin Touhill enjoy the Senior Breakfast, hosted by the alumni association. 4 registrar Lisa Goenner pins the traditional red carnation onto devin Gantt’s jacket. 5 adrian Martino accepts his diploma from headmaster david armstrong. 6 Mitchell chen and adam freed ’13 symbolize the transfer of leadership to the class of 2013. 7 allan Spiegel, Garrett Pan, Kyle Gutierrez and rushmore Johnson in the Lindner dining hall before heading over to the amphitheater. 8 new graduates Sellers Garrett, hank Brown, nathan Bubes and Sam Lamson celebrate with history teacher chan Gammill (center).

Did you know? Each class has a photo on the wall in the Lindner Dining Hall. Since 1991 those photos have been taken on the morning of Commencement. 4

Kevin Keena Nathan Kim

hampden-Sydney college university of Maryland, college Park Vincent Kindfuller Massachusetts institute of Technology Max Kra Bucknell university Billy Kuhn rice university Sam Lamson Trinity university Robert Leachman university of Virginia Carter Lipnick Pitzer college Brian Liu university of Pennsylvania Adam MacLaury Trinity college Adrian Martino Wake forest university Nate McArdle Tufts university Joe McDonald The George Washington university Connor Meike Junior hockey Shehrose Mian Brown university Drew Mickum university of Wisconsin, Madison Cody Monarch Pennsylvania State university TJ Nixon Morehouse college Carter O'Brien university of Virginia Kameel Omar Bucknell university Garrett Pan Lehigh university John Paseur John hopkins university Mark Perry Trinity college Cord Peters duke university Isaac Porter colgate university Matt Potolicchio university of richmond Alex Povich Tulane university John Raesly university of colorado at Boulder Joel Rosenzweig Bentley university Daniel Salcetti university of richmond Addison Sarter Stetson university Charlie Schnider The ohio State university Randall Seeger John hopkins university Johnny Sharp university of nevada, Las Vegas Allan Spiegel davidson college Alex Steren university of Maryland, college Park Mark Strabo Princeton university Austin Touhill university of colorado at Boulder Kamil Turkmani cornell university Brendon Walsh college of charleston Deion Wellington coastal carolina university JP Zawatsky hillsdale college Landon Magazine 17

Making Room for Fruit and Veggies

by Rob Yunich

...more than chicken nuggets t’s hard to miss lunchtime around campus. Boys rush to the Lindner Dining Hall when their time slot arrives and the kitchen staff is ready to feed about 800 people from just after 11 a.m. until around 1:30 p.m. While students enjoy a break during a busy day, they’re also enjoying something else: healthy, filling meals that cater to carnivores, vegetarians, those who have food allergies, dieters and, most importantly, the needs of approximately 680 growing boys. “I firmly believe that our purpose here is to ensure that our students can get the nutritious meals they need to be successful in the classroom, in the music and art studios, on stage, and on the playing field,” Landon Food Service Director Charmion Wood says. “In order to do that, we are committed to making sure the boys enjoy their lunch. We want them to feel comfortable and satisfied and maybe just a little excited to come to lunch every day.” Wood and her kitchen staff of 12 begin preparing food each day around 7 a.m., making the main entrees, soups, the hot vegetarian entree and side dishes from scratch and cutting fruit and vegetables. This allows Landon’s diverse dining population to enjoy an extensive salad bar (that, in addition to at least 10 vegetables, includes shredded cheese, tuna fish with and without mayonnaise and hard-boiled eggs),

a deli bar that also includes salads, cut and whole fruit, soup and baked white and sweet potatoes. That means, in a given week, there is about 700 pounds of fruit to serve, as well as 600 plates, 800 cups, and 700 forks to clean (at least once per day). When it’s time to grill, there are two people cooking 1,200 hamburgers. And when the popular chicken nuggets are served, the kitchen staff must cook 420 pounds of nuggets (approximately 6,500). On pizza day, about 220 14-inch pizzas (1,760 slices) are served. To accomplish that ambitious mission, Wood references an online database by food service company Sodexo, with whom Landon contracts, to look up recipes, nutrition information and ingredient lists. She and her staff introduce new cuisines, make one new soup per week and reduce the fat included in some of the more popular items by only using the fryer five times per month. For example, the sweet potato fries are always baked and whole-grain breads are used more prevalently in conjunction with sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs and the ever-popular chicken patties. The staff uses 180 pounds of ground turkey (not beef ) for tacos and cooks turkey and veggie dogs to accompany beef hot dogs when they’re on the menu.

What Does It Take to Feed Landon for a Day?

1,200

hamburger patties (it takes 2 people 2 hours to grill them all.)

850

hot dogs (it takes 2½ hours to steam and grill.)

turkey dogs

420 6,500

lb. Landon nuggets or approx. nuggets.

180

lb. of ground turkey for tacos

125

loaves of sliced bread per week for PB&J sandwiches

loaves of sliced bread and about rolls for the deli Bar

500 80-100 lb. of uncooked pasta

PIZZA DAY: cindy Jackson cuts several of the 1,760 slices in 220 pizzas. OPPOSITE PAGE delia noguera prepares rice stuffed peppers, a vegetarian entrée option. Landon Magazine 19

ACCOMMODATING EVERYBODY Wood collaborates with Landon Nurse Maria Weiss about special diets and other student health issues. This helps her accommodate a contingent of diners that has special dietary restrictions, including the growing population of Landon boys, faculty and staff who are glutensensitive. An estimated 21 million Americans have some kind of gluten sensitivity, according to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, pasta, bread and cake, but it can also be found in less obvious places such as soy sauce, salad dressing and licorice. Therefore, Wood must take extra precautions to offer gluten-free products and avoid any cross-contamination with mainstream foods from a condiment, for example. Gluten-free available products include pizza crusts, baked sweets, bread and rolls, pasta, and chicken tenders. Landon began offering gluten-free meals about two years ago, after Wood heard about two boys who were diagnosed with celiac disease over the previous summer. Wood and Weiss were able to come up with a plan to accommodate them and also arranged a training session for the kitchen staff with nutritionists from Children’s Hospital, with whom Wood continues to communicate. “I want to make sure the boys are able to find appropriate things to eat and to feel comfortable doing so,” Wood says. “The risk of cross contamination is always a possibility and, for someone with celiac disease, even a hint of gluten can make them very sick.” Spencer Legg ’20 was diagnosed with typeone diabetes and celiac disease this past January. “They have bent over backwards to accommodate him and, for that, my husband and I are very grateful,” says Liz Legg, Spencer’s mother. “We feel so lucky knowing that Spencer is being so well taken care of at Landon.” There are also other allergies to consider. Jonathan Gerber ’20, for example, cannot eat sesame and poppy seeds. That creates special challenges as American food companies are only required to clearly label the presence of the top 20 Landon Magazine

TOP Lower School boys go through the serving line where they have meat, vegetarian and gluten-free options. ABOVE LEFT The salad bar offers variety with vegetables, cheese, eggs, tuna, potatoes and soup. ABOVE RIGHT upper School boys dine at a table reserved for those with food allergies. RIGHT daily fresh fruit is a popular choice. eight allergens; sesame seeds are the ninth most common. (Most of the bread in the dining hall is made without any seeds.) Members of the kitchen staff work with any student or faculty/staff member who may have questions during lunch. For those are can’t eat dairy, there are always non-dairy offerings during lunch, including a dairy-free Italian ice on days when ice cream is served. “Kids have to adjust to healthy eating,” Wood says. “Learning to eat well comes from home, and we want to reinforce that here.”

Did You Know? Before composting, one day of Landon lunch generated about 10 60-gallon trash cans of waste. now, everything gets composted. The kitchen produces approximately two bins of compostable material a week.

From Ideas to Companies Young Alumni Entrepreneurs Build Businesses by Lynn Horowitch

In recent years, a number of young alumni have chosen an entrepreneurial path, eschewing traditional careers for the chance to lead, shape and grow their own businesses.

A New Way to Health Where do today’s entrepreneurs find inspiration for their business concepts? For Grant Verstandig ’08, the idea for Audax Health (www.audaxhealth.com) started with a knee injury on Landon’s lacrosse field. That injury led to the first of seven surgeries for Verstandig while at Landon and in his first year-and-a-half studying neurobiology at Brown University. While at Landon, Verstandig had a fellowship at NIH’s National Cancer Institute. His experience there, coupled with his perspective as a serial surgical patient, led Verstandig to conclude that the healthcare experience was “broken from a patient point of view.” He recognized that advances in technology had improved workflow for providers, but had done precious little for patient engagement and patient connection. Determined to rectify that, he left Brown during his sophomore year to become the founder and CEO of Audax Health, based in Washington, D.C. Audax Health empowers and engages consumers to take control of their health in a fun and inspiring way. With privacy concerns a large

Grant Verstandig ’08

barrier to technology innovation, Verstandig knew that the challenge would be to deploy technology in a way that protected patients’

privacy. He conceived Careverge, an all-in-one digital health engagement experience that combines social networking, gamification and comprehensive health resources in a free, private and secure environment. Knowing that insurance providers have trained nurses on staff, Careverge taps into this resource through social networking. “It’s a new form of patient engagement,” says Verstandig. “We are expanding channels of communication.” Verstandig’s concept and business model have attracted interest from experienced investors and executives who have joined as leaders and directors of the company. They include former Pepsi CEO and Apple executive John Sculley; venture capitalist Dr. Rick Klausner, who serves as Executive Chairman; and former Aetna Chairman and CEO Jack Rowe, now a professor at Columbia’s School of Public Health. With 55 employees in Washington and 10 others in San Francisco, Audax Health has a growing base of users, funding, a clear vision, strong leadership and interested potential partners. Verstandig says one more ingredient is necessary for success: “eternal optimism.” Landon Magazine 21

College Campus Connections Until Rajiv Shenoy ’04 came along, Johns Hopkins’ hockey team frequently played to empty seats and a cappella groups sang in halffilled venues. Frustrated that his peers were overly focused on their studies (“a bit nerdy” according to Shenoy) and motivated to make his peers aware of upcoming events, Shenoy approached the dean of students with an idea. He proposed hooking up flat screen TVs around campus to advertise events. Thus was born OrcaTV (an acronym for Organization for Responsive Campus Advertising), a communications solutions company.

ing New York, Shenoy reached out to several local Landon alumni. One gave him $5,000 with no strings attached to jumpstart his business! Working with his mother, Neena Shenoy, who had 30 years of experience at G.E., Shenoy has expanded the company. Colleges and universities have recognized that OrcaTV can advertise upcoming events and is also a powerful emergency response system. Last summer, Shenoy landed a contract with the Commonwealth of Virginia and re-signed with Hopkins for five years. Having secured a first angel investor — Bill Gray, former chairman of Ogilvy and current senior advisor to Blackstone Group — Shenoy is looking to grow the business. “If we can get into 10 schools and prove there is a market for this, then we can raise more funding and get to 100-200 schools,” says Shenoy.

Michael defranco ’06

Communications for the Mobile Workforce

rajiv Shenoy ’04

“We failed in the first three months,” says Shenoy. But he turned the tide, teaming with a friend, the hockey team captain, to create a humorous ad about an upcoming championship game. The ad ran on three screens in the library; the game sold out! Keeping a promise to his family to complete college and work at a “real” job, Shenoy graduated from Hopkins with a degree in mechanical engineering and took a position in banking in New York City. After exactly 365 days, he quit and returned home to focus on OrcaTV (www.orcatv.net). Before leav22 Landon Magazine

When movie director Terence Malick (“Tree of Life”) wants to communicate with his crew on the set of his next movie, he will do so with the help of Lua Technologies (www.getlua.com). Based in New York City, Lua Technologies is the brainchild of Michael DeFranco ’06. It is a communications system for mobile workforces. Lua enables people in the field—on movie sets, concert tours, sports arenas—to change schedules on the fly, upload new documents quickly and to “communicate, collaborate and build community on site.” DeFranco came up with the idea while at Wesleyan, where he majored in Nation Building with a concentration on the Middle East conflict. He joined with two college friends to start the company. The name Lua stems from DeFranco’s heritage. His mother is Hawaiian and Lua is an ancient Hawaiian martial art that relies on coordination and communication during battle. The company is growing. Lua Technologies was selected for a tech accelerator program (www.techstars.com) and won a NYBeta competition last February. It closed on a $2.5 million round of seed funding, led by IA Ventures,

in August. A pilot program with the New York Mets organization is underway. DeFranco estimates that he spends 30 to 40 percent of his time recruiting, with 10 employees so far. He divides the rest of his time between managing (weekly breakfast meetings allow him to keep employees involved), fundraising and meeting with clients. The commitment – working seven days a week for months on end – is huge, but rewarding. DeFranco says, “I haven’t been bored. Tired…but not bored.”

Building Something Great By the time he was 24, Inc. Magazine ranked Elliott Bisnow ’04 in the #19 spot on its 30 Under 30 list of America’s Coolest Young Entrepreneurs. Bisnow was cited for his Summit Series, which he started in 2008, as “a community of like minded entrepreneurs, each trying to make the world a better place,” according to his blog. It has grown in the years since and has attracted high-profile speakers including former President Bill Clinton. Bisnow may have inherited his entrepreneurial bent. His first success was Bisnow Media Corporation, which he founded with his father,

Mark. The company now has 100 employees and reaches into 25 U.S. cities. That first success was just a start. He oversees the Summit Action Fund, which makes investments in start-ups and is a co-founder of the Get Well Soon Tour, which brings musicians, including Justin Bieber and Maroon 5, on surprise visits to hospitals to perform for sick children. He is also a venture partner at LearnCapital, “focused exclusively on funding entrepreneurs with a vision for better and smarter learning.” As he continues down the entrepreneurial path, Bisnow says, “My passion is building organizations that can impact the world. It’s hard to do this inside a big company – they

Breakthrough! Alex Cornell ’03, co-founder of San Franciscobased Firespotter Labs (www.firespotter.com), was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal in June 2012 for a product called Jotly, an app that allows users to rate anything and everything, “from ice cubes to hiding spots.” While it started off as something of a joke, the app has become a well-used phenomenon. Firespotter Labs was founded by Cornell and three partners in April 2011. They are funded by Andreessen Horowitz and Google Ventures and recently closed a $15 million investment round. In the words of its Web site, Firespotter is “a product-focused team of developers and designers fanning the flames of ideas and building companies to solve the problems that bother us daily.” Cornell is a designer and more. “My job title often stretches to include film work, copywriting, marketing and most all

alex cornell ’03

“Put together a small team and start creating the product you want to see in the world. Build something great.” – Elliott Bisnow ’04 elliott Bisnow ’04

move slowly, you’re not the ultimate decision maker, and they generally don’t have the same character and moral fiber on a corporate level that you have on a personal level.” Bisnow’s game plan? “Start from scratch. Put together a small team and start creating the product you want to see in the world. Build something great. You can change the world and make it a vision of what you want it to be.”

of our creative needs,” says Cornell. “One day I’ll be glued to Photoshop for 12 hours, the next I’ll be purchasing smoke grenades and renting LED litepanels for a video shoot.” Cornell did not plan to be an entrepreneur. “Absolutely not!” he says. “If anything I set out to be a famous musician.” Cornell graduated from Duke in 2007 with a BFA in psychology. Then he headed west to pursue his MFA in graphic design, leaving the program with one semester to go. He explains that decision: “It came down to either completing the program or starting Firespotter. Design school is meant to help you build a portfolio and get a job—both of those were complete so I didn’t feel I needed to stay.” Firespotter continues to bring new products to market. In addition to Jotly, Firespotter has developed Nosh which allows users to rate and review specific dishes at restaurants, “like Yelp

for menu items” according to the company’s Web site. Its latest is Uberconference, a “gamechanging audio conferencing service.” Cornell has edited a book, Breakthrough! Proven Strategies to Overcome Creative Block & Spark Imagination, available on www.amazon.com. And he still pursues music. His YouTube videos, featuring Cornell playing guitar and piano and singing, have 14,000 subscribers and 3 million views. While Cornell anticipates staying on the West Coast, he recognizes the foundation that his years at Landon provided. “When I was in high school, technology — or anything start-uprelated — was not on my radar.” He continues, “That said, Landon was actually a terrific preparation for all of this start-up craziness. There is a discipline and attention to detail that I learned at Landon that still serves me well today in what I do.”

Landon Magazine 23

TRIBUTE 1924-2012

Landon Forever Thomas W. Dixon by Lynn Horowitch

Thomas W. Dixon, who played many roles at Landon – all with excellence and dedication – passed away on September 9, 2012. Over nearly six decades, Dixon served variously as English teacher, dormitory advisor, swimming instructor and school historian. He became a Landon institution, hired by School Founder and Headmaster Paul Landon Banfield in 1953 and remaining a daily presence on campus until his death at the age of 87. 24 Landon Magazine

Tom dixon joined the Landon community in 1953 as a swim instructor in the day camps and never left. he joined the faculty that fall as a Middle School english teacher and later moved to upper School.

Multiple Roles Dixon, an honorary alumnus, worked for every Landon Headmaster. He was Landon’s longest tenured teacher, joining the community as a summer camp counselor in the summer of 1953. He became a faculty member the following fall and taught English fulltime until 1991 and part-time with his Shakespeare elective for Form VI students until 2009. An endowed chair in the English Department bears his name.

A counselor at Landon day camps for 42 years, he taught hundreds of boys to swim. In honor of his role as swimming instructor, the Dixon Pool was formally named on the occasion of his 50th anniversary in 2003. In the days when Landon had boarding students, Dixon lived on campus in Andrews House, serving as head of the boarding department for 16 years, until it closed in 1972. The Dixon Dormitory at Andrews House was dedicated on May 24, 2012. At the dedication, several alumni honored their former teacher and good friend. Larry Lamade ’65 shared: [Boarding at Landon] changed my life and in no small part because of the mentoring, guidance, firm hand and compassion that Tom had for me and the other boarders. The non-boarders respect Tom for someone who taught them how to communicate for the rest of their lives. The boarders know that Tom taught them to live their lives correctly. In recent years, Dixon played the role of Landon historian, writing the School’s history, “Courage, Commitment & Change,” published in 2004. And after he retired from teaching his Shakespeare elective to seniors, he continued at Landon as a student, auditing his former Shakespeare class and participating as recently as last spring in Conversational French and Constitutional Law. While Dixon was a serious scholar, he had a ready laugh. His former student Bill Prindle ’65, son of long-time teacher and coach Harry Prindle ’31, remembers: Students and little tadpoles were a source of unending humor for Tom, and his laughter was always the kind that was not mocking but simply one of delight. He reserved his heartiest laughter

“Tom taught me there’s ‘a rat’ in ‘separate.’” for stories about himself. Early in Tom’s career at Landon, [a colleague’s wife] said, ‘Banny, don’t you wish you had more teachers like Tom?’ to which Banny replied, ‘No, one’s plenty’ which in the telling was always followed by an outburst of Tom’s most uninhibited laughter.

Excellence in the Classroom Dixon was an aesthete who shared his love of Shakespeare in the classroom and his appreciation for music, notably Mozart and Ella Fitzgerald, in the Dormitory. Known to unruly students for his threats to “snatch you baldheaded,” he kept order and introduced generations of boys to the power and beauty of the written word. Dixon was a native of North Carolina, leading Ted Sidey ’88 to note, in a 2003 Landon Magazine article, “I still imagine [King] Lear to have a drawl.” Bill Eacho ’72, the U.S. Ambassador to Austria, credits Dixon with teaching him to write properly. In an online tribute, Eacho wrote: Of all the teachers I encountered at Landon, Tom Dixon stands out in my memory as the one that had the greatest impact on my adult life. His confidence in my writing ability turned every writing assignment into an exciting opportunity to explore and push the limits of my creativity…His positive support gave me confidence, and that confidence has stood me well throughout my life.

Commitment to the School Dixon cared deeply about Landon and its students, describing the School as a family and the boys as his sons. He was a fixture on the sidelines or in the audience for school events, right up to attending the opening football game this fall. He was known for telling stories about Landon back in the day and also for sharing his well considered and strong views both about Landon and the world beyond. He especially liked to talk about politics. Dixon was as ready to converse with old friends as he was to strike up a conversation at a first meeting with a student, faculty member or parent. Former Headmaster Damon F. Bradley captured Dixon’s commitment to Landon in a

on May 24, 2012, Tom dixon enjoyed the dedication of the dixon dorm at andrews house.

tribute: Tom, for me, was the “bridge” from an earlier Landon to the School that would undergo some “change” during my tenure.…To his credit, this Landon icon, with his deep and abiding love for the School he knew for so many years, did not fear change, for he knew that all great institutions must evolve over time in order to become even greater and even stronger. In the words of his beloved Shakespeare, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” For Tom, “what we may be” was the thing to be pursued.

Landon School in the spring of 1953, I was smitten with its beauty and hoped I would succeed in my quest for a job as a teacher at the school. During my interview that first day with the cofounder and headmaster, Paul Banfield, he made me feel that he would be doing me a favor if he hired me. So much in awe did he leave me that I neglected to ask what my pay might be. The pay must have been sufficient, for Dixon stayed on for the rest of his life. Over that time, he built a fruitful career and a legacy of excellence, dedication and friendship. Landon is forever in his debt.

Succeeding in his Quest In online tributes, letters and gifts, former students, colleagues, parents and friends recalled a man who shared his intellect, caring, wit and love for Landon. They have infinite fond stories about Mr. D., Tommy D., Mr. Dixie and simply Tom. Remembrances have poured in from across the decades and around the globe. In his book, Dixon recalled his initial meeting with Banny: The moment I set foot on the campus of

To view online tributes to Mr. Dixon, go to www.landon.net/dixontribute. Gifts in memory of Tom Dixon may be made to the Landon Faculty Housing Fund at Landon School, 6101 Wilson Lane, Bethesda, MD 20817, or online at www.landon.net/makeagift.

Landon Magazine 25

Boys in the Middle by Lynn Horowitch

With its own faculty, integrated curriculum and special programs, Landon’s Middle School offers students a division experience specifically designed to meet their needs and foster their growth. or candidates for jobs in Landon’s Middle School, an advanced degree is helpful, but other qualities are necessary. When interviewing prospective teachers, Landon Middle School Head Doug Norry ’90 says, “The number one thing I ask is their level of enthusiasm and commitment for working with Middle School boys.” Strong

26 Landon Magazine

candidates come in for a full-day screening, including teaching several classes. Norry says, “I’m looking to determine whether they are excited about active teaching. Can they connect with the boys? Do they have varied experiences? High EQs (emotional quotients)?” And one additional quality. “Don’t discount the importance of a sense of humor.”

In the last few years, several young faculty members have joined the Middle School team of seasoned professionals with decades of experience. Their mission? To provide an experience that engages and challenges 226 boys in Grades 6-8. Several elements – a unique schedule, an integrated curriculum, leadership opportunities for boys in Form II and signature programs – make the mission a reality. Middle School follows the same eight-day cycle as the Upper School, but an earlier lunch period provides 20 minutes of free time each day. In each cycle, Middle School students go to School Meeting four times, advisory meetings three times and class meetings once. School Meetings are run by Form II Student Council representatives, one of several opportunities for leadership. Each Form II student gives a “This I Believe” speech, modeled after the NPR series, presenting to the entire division on a subject of personal importance. In addition to these speeches, School Meeting provides time for service projects, performances and presentations. Another hallmark of Middle School is its horizontally integrated curriculum. Deans run regular grade meetings of teacher/advisors to discuss students’ progress and to share best practices. Teachers in specific grades find ways to tie together the curricula for multiple classes. For example, as Sixth Graders study American history from the Civil War to the present day, they read novels and short stories that address issues and are set in the places and periods they are studying. In Form I, the science and geography curricula overlap. As boys delve into areas such as tectonics and weather- and climate-related issues in Earth Science, their study of geography incorporates

culture of Washington, D.C. and how it draws inspiration from Ancient Greek and Roman civilizations. These boys learned that RFK Stadium is not only the former home of the Washington Redskins, but also has neoclassical features that relates to the Coliseum in Rome. The group toured the National Gallery of Art, the National Portrait Gallery, the Lincoln, FDR and MLK Memorials, as well as the Arboretum, RFK Stadium and the Sculpture Garden at the National Gallery, where they did a scavenger hunt. The boys came away with a greater familiarity with classical architecture and how and where it is represented in our nation’s capital. “We learned about distinct architectural design like the dome, arch, different types of

“We wanted to encourage student to forge meaningful connections with the larger community … and promote a spirit of collaboration ABOVE: Students work in Landon’s Greenhouse as part of environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Living, one of 13 options for Mini-Mester. OPPOSITE PAGE: as part of Toga Party, boys got a firsthand look at some of the Greek and roman architectural features in downtown Washington. and builds on what they have learned. Some of these themes tie into the study of mathematics, as Form I students examine population changes over time. Mini-Mester, a recent addition to the Middle School experience, offers additional opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. It was conceived by Middle School Assistant Head Laurie Sears. Sears and Norry sought to create a program unique to the division. Early in the 2011-2012 school year, teachers from different disciplines paired up to develop topics that reflected their interests and knowledge. The results included Future Cities (designing an environmentally friendly city out of recycled materials); Rocks for Jocks (different geological activities, including a hike up a 40-foot sheer rock cliff ); Entrepreneurship for Purpose & Profit; African Americans in Washington, D.C.; Spies and Crime Solving; and Beach Safety

and Junior Lifeguarding. While engaged in entirely different activities, the boys accomplished a common set of goals. Sears says, “We wanted to encourage students to forge meaningful connections with the larger community. Next we aimed to promote a spirit of collaboration – among students and between students and teachers.” Sixth Grade History Teacher Sandy Murray teamed with Eighth Grade English Teacher Ed Sundt to share Law & Literature with the boys. They watched and discussed books and movies such as Twelve Angry Men and To Kill a Mockingbird. Students traveled to Rockville District Court to observe jury selection for a criminal trial. Murray says, “It was an unqualified success.” Latin Teacher Robert Brutus, in his first year at Landon, and veteran Art Teacher Aaron Brophy developed Toga Party to introduce 14 students to the architecture, art and

– among students and between students and teachers.” — Laurie Sears, Assistant Head of the Middle School pillars and dentils,” says Form II student Mo Feldman ’16. “From there, we drove into D.C. to visit certain monuments and buildings around the Mall where these designs could be seen. Overall Toga Party was an awesome experience that taught me lots about art and architecture.” Mini-Mester is on the schedule for spring of 2013. As Murray observes, “At Landon, traditions come quickly. The first year, it’s a happening, the second year a coincidence, and the third year, a tradition.” The program fills a dual role, providing an experience for Landon’s middle students that is, in Norry’s words, “one that younger students will look forward to and older students will long remember.”

Landon Magazine 27

In Praise of the Serial Comma by Jean Erstling

One of the great pleasures of teaching for a long time, according to Landon English teacher Ed Sundt, who retired in June, is having students from 40 years ago remind you of things you don’t remember. “I want to be remembered for all those moments I don’t recall,” he says wryly. The Eighth Grade

after 58 years of teaching and coaching, english teacher ed Sundt retired in June. opened the e-mail and there it was, another reminder from Ed Sundt, the then-chair of the English Department, that Landon Magazine should be using the final comma in a series. After all, it’s in Strunk and White’s Elements of Style and in every grammar text a Landon Bear uses. His latest example was flagrant. “I wish to thank my parents, the Pope and Mother Teresa,” it read. Clearly, a pope and a nun were not his parents, and his point was well taken. Even the Associated Press Style Guide, which we follow for the magazine, makes an

28 Landon Magazine

exception for something as confusing as that. But, otherwise, AP is clear: no comma. And so, the punctuation debate has continued. Teaching the rules of grammar and writing to boys in eighth grade has been Ed’s most recent assignment at Landon, one of many hats he has worn in his 40-plus years here. Although he was English Department chair from 1967 to 2000, he has also twice headed the Middle School (1995-97 and 2004-05), and he has found his greatest challenge in preparing younger boys for the rigors of Upper School.

In the spring of 2011, Ed generously extended to me — the comma violator — an opportunity to spend time in his classroom as I prepared to teach Middle School English. “Simplify!” was his advice to me, and I saw that at work every day. “Don’t tell boys that a comma comes after an introductory participial phrase,” he said. Instead, he would show how commas are used to follow “openers.” They are also used with “interrupters,” lists/series and compound sentences. In teaching about using vibrant and descriptive language, he kept it simple too. He called boys out for using “dead words” which were posted on his whiteboard: very, great, fine, thing, really, nice, basically, like, um, you know. It occurred to me that “entertain!” might also be his mantra, as he announced the end of a test with the call of the “wild wallabee,” an odd warble that stopped every boy midsentence so he could imitate it. What a cacophony! What control over 14-year-old boys! Pencils down; that test was over.

A Connecticut Boy One eighth-grade assignment close to Ed’s heart was his Past-Present project, whose origin came from his own life experience. He asked boys to profile a family member and create a keepsake to be shared with others,

ed Sundt with his form ii students at one of his last Landon classes. he served many roles while at Landon, but he considers preparing boys for upper School his greatest challenge. which required conducting interviews, gathering photos and preparing a small book. Born after his own father had died, Ed has used the project to bridge generations. “I wish I had asked my grandfather questions about his life,” he told me. “That generation was working so hard to make a life,” he observed, “I wish I had asked, ‘Do you ever have any fun?’” Growing up in rural northeast Connecticut without close neighbors, Ed developed his own way to have fun, playing baseball by himself. He learned to be accurate: “When you are playing games alone, you don’t want to chase balls.” He played shortstop in college, and, while he has coached many sports including Landon’s infamous winter soccer, baseball remains his favorite. He coached the Landon Bears to several I.A.C. championships, including the 1972 title, their last for almost 30 years.

Senior Electives In Upper School, Ed taught a course about baseball and literature, entitled The American

Metaphor. It was one of many senior electives he introduced as department chair, including the Hero Myth and Black Voices. He especially remembers teaching one on Moby Dick and Literature of the Sea, a class he conducted over Cokes in the living room of his campus residence near Bradley Boulevard. When Madeira girls wanted to join his class on T. S. Eliot’s “The Wasteland,” Landon experimented with its first foray into cross-registration. In addition to reinventing the English curriculum, he also hired many of the current English Department faculty, served a stint as head of Upper School Admissions, and twice chaired the School’s evaluation committee. He admits the latter was the least satisfying of his many assignments. A year before his retirement, he stepped down as dean of faculty.

Teaching Poetry This spring, I invited Ed to teach an introductory poetry class to my sixth-grade students. I told them this would be their only chance to learn from this Landon legend

before he retired. He came to class and simplified. “What is poetry?” he asked them. “How do you know that you’re reading poetry?” Boys stumbled over their answers, suggesting that poetry sounded poetic, which definitely failed the Sundt test. “You know poetry when you see it,” he explained. “Look at the words on the page. They don’t look like prose.” In that moment, poetry was demystified, and we moved on to enjoy the work of Robert Frost, as Ed shared “The Road Not Taken” with 13 enthralled boys, if only for 45 minutes. Ed’s love of words, baseball and family is a gift he has shared. Landon boys are proficient readers and writers because of the fundamentals he taught them, including that rule about the serial comma. From all of us, thank you, Ed. I’m waiting for your next e-mail. Jean Erstling is editor of Landon Magazine and teaches Sixth Grade English.

Landon Magazine 29

C LA S S NOT E S

LANDON ALUMNI C L A S S N O T E S

These entries represent alumni submissions through June 30, 2012. Send your news to class notes, alumni office, Landon School, 6101 Wilson Lane, Bethesda, Md 20817. or submit them through the alumni portal at www.landon.net or by e-mail to alumni@landon.net.

TRIBUTE 1927-2012 John P. Leachman, Sr. ’45

1942

ohn P. Leachman, Sr. ’45 passed away on June 7. Leachman played many roles at Landon. he was the father of three alumni (Jack ’69, Tom ’72 and Scott ’77), and the grandfather of five alumni (Penn ’94, Jamie ’95, Tommy ’06, Scott ’07 and Robert ’12). in addition to being a Landon patriarch, Leachman was a dedicated fan of Landon. Varsity Lacrosse coach Rob Bordley ’66 recalls, “Mr. Leachman was an incredibly loyal supporter of both Landon and my family for many years. he had a passion for living, and his loyalty to those he loved was unmatched.” an alumnus of the university of Virginia, Leachman had a brief career after college with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. he then joined Johnson & Wimsatt, a lumber and millwork company based in the Washington, d.c. area, where he served as president and ceo. in Leachman’s memory, his family has established the John P. Leachman, Sr. ’45 fund at Landon to support general activities at the School.

70TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Fred Weekes is enjoying the cool summer weather of the Pacific Northwest. He celebrated his 87th birthday on July 21 and regularly makes trips back to the D.C. area to visit family.

1943 John Berry died on August 11, 2011. John was a WWII veteran, honored with an Eastern Theatre Offensive ribbon, seven campaign stars and two Presidential citations. A 1947 graduate of University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, he worked as a stock broker in Bethesda for 20 years. John was an active outdoor enthusiast and an avid whitewater canoeist and competitor who competed in the 1961 world championship. Bob Hanson spoke at the dedication of the Dixon Dormitory, sharing insights about the daily lives of those who boarded in the 40s. Bob drove his 1940 deluxe Ford station wagon to the event, which was used during his boarding days as a school bus.

1944 James “Dex” Kearny, brother of Richard Kearny ’43, died on January 24, 2012. Dex graduated in 1947 from Yale with a degree in engineering. He spent the next 23 years in the U.S. Navy, starting on destroyers and then serving on submarines in the Atlantic. He was the first commander of the USS James Madison SSBN 627, a nuclear powered Polaris Missile submarine based in Rota, Spain. Following his military career, he spent 23 years in the brokerage business. Ted Wright reports, “We took a three-week trip to Islamabad, Pakistan, for a conference at International Islamic University and Forman Christian College (Lahore), then New Delhi, India, to look up old friends in March, and a side trip to a tiger sanctuary and Mogul Fort at Ranthambore in Rajasthan.”

1945 Nameer Jawdat died on February 9, 2012. Nameer was an editor, writer and lecturer, farmer and firearms dealer. He was born in Baghdad and came to Washington in 1942, when his father was named Iraqi ambassador to the United States. He attended Harvard University and Bowdoin College. He spoke seven languages, and wrote and lectured on firearms and issues related to the Middle East. His good friend Charlie Hobbs ’46 spoke at the service.

Ralph Meima and his wife Barrie continue to enjoy living in Chestertown, Md. Ralph has started another career representing boat companies. His firm is called Shore Marine Marketing LLC.

Bob hanson ’43 and Tom dixon at the dixon dormitory dedication on May 24, 2012. 30 Landon Magazine

Barrie and ralph Meima ’45 (center right and far right) recently had dinner with Steve Klingelhofer ’60 (left) as well as Lowell and nancy davis (second from left).

C L A S S N O T E S LANDON ALUMNI

1947 65TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 James P. Nolan died February 29, 2012. He graduated from M.I.T. in 1951, with a B.S. in chemical engineering. He was employed by NASA for 25 years, where he worked on the Mercury and Apollo XV projects. James was an avid sailor and served as the sailing coach for the U.S. Naval Academy Sailing Team, which won the 1992 Newport Bermuda Race.

1948 Gil Bogley and his wife, Anne, report having a very nice dinner at their summer residence in Michigan with some members of the Burr clan. Those attending dinner included Shep Burr ’77 and his wife, Alice, along with Shep’s parents Peter and Donna Burr. Ralph Engelsman died on May 24, 2012. He was a former mayor of Madison, N.J. He graduated from Amherst College and went through Naval OCS, serving as a deck officer on the U.S.S. Harold J. Ellison for two years. Following in his father’s footsteps, he entered the life insurance business in 1956, retiring in 1998. Ralph loved playing tennis and platform tennis at the Morristown Field Club.

Jerry FitzGerald attended the dedication of the Dixon Dormitory at Landon. Two more grandchildren are attending Landon this fall.

Charlie Griffin attended the alumni gathering in Charleston, S.C., in April. He had some great stories to tell about his Landon senior year, particularly about playing varsity baseball.

1954 David Povich and his wife, Connie, attended the dedication of the Dixon Dormitory. Their grandson, Alex Povich ’12, graduated this past spring, joining another alumni grandson, Sam McDonough ’10. Bill rough ’57, Mac Jacoby, John hardisty ’58 and Jerry fitzGerald ’50 reconnect at the dixon dormitory dedication on May 24, 2012. Bob Norris has written an historical paper entitled “Abraham Lincoln and the Mankato Executions,” about the little known story of Indian uprisings in Minnesota, which occurred during the time of the Civil War.

1951 Dick Beatty hosted a dinner for classmates at his home in Washington, D.C., in April. Lowell and Nancy Davis attended and gave an update on Landon. connie and david Povich ’54 with Tom dixon in the dixon dorm at andrews house.

1955 Emerson Gardner and his wife, Mioko, are staying busy and enjoying their weekends at their summer home in Rhode Island and still getting in some rounds of tennis.

1950 Rick Fayen died February 12, 2012. Rick was a jack of all trades and worked as a “sign painter, actor, race car mechanic, newspaper reporter/editor, restaurateur, stage director, cabinetmaker, teacher, bookstore owner, radio/TV host, farmer, sales representative, draftsman, imaginer and others.” In later years he retired to Starks, Vt., where he co-hosted “Pooh Corner” on cable television with his wife, Dorothy.

friends from the class of 1951 met for dinner at the home of dick Beatty ’51: Peter Smith, Bill Butler, Beatty, Tim coss, Victor Block and roland davies.

1952 60TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Bill Gawler has been rallying the troops for the 60th Reunion in October. Bill and Marge will be bringing their mobile home up from Jacksonville, Fla., and parking behind the Lower School. Please contact them about stopping in for an impromptu visit to their home away from home!

Bill Granik died on February 21, 2012. Bill graduated from Harvard and spent his career with the federal government. His passions included supporting the arts and music in the Washington, D.C. area. In addition, he was a longtime class agent, and in his 70s, was a member of Landon’s Alumni Board, serving as a sage voice in the room for many a discussion. Gus Littlefield shares exciting news that “my fiancee and I got married on February 17, followed by a brief five-day honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas out of Port Canaveral. We will stay here in Florida and enjoy the good weather.”

Landon Magazine 31

LANDON ALUMNI

Grizzly Bear A Master of Forensic Psychiatry

he Marlborough diamond was a prized jewel of the British monarchy and, at 26 carats, the third largest diamond in the world. in 1980, two chicago men stole it while it was on temporary display at a Graff jewelry store near harrod’s in London. They did a careless job, and, upon their return to chicago, were immediately arrested at o’hare airport. While the diamond has never been found, in the aftermath of the arrests a psychiatrist was called in to evaluate one of the two men to determine whether he was fit to face extradition. That was Dr. James Cavanaugh ’59. cavanaugh trained as a psychiatrist at the university of Pennsylvania, after earning his B.a. in english at William college. he served in the u.S. navy during the Vietnam War, and then moved to chicago in 1973, to be the clinical director of the department of Psychiatry at rush Medical college. after eight years overseeing in-patient care, teaching and research, cavanaugh was ready for a change. a chance meeting at a cocktail party with a professor specializing in mental health law led cavanaugh to explore a different avenue. he entered the field of forensic psychiatry, work that blends legal and mental health issues. he continues as a professor of psychiatry at rush, and is the chair, president and c.e.o. of the isaac ray center, a private forensic behavioral science group located on the rush campus that specializes in behavioral risk management. he is also the senior associate of cavanaugh & associates, which consults for trial attorneys handling cases involving behavioral science issues. cavanaugh applies his psychiatric expertise to the complexities of basic issues of guilt, innocence and criminal responsibility. he served as an expert for the government in the cases of John hinckley, who shot 1956 Tom Kern is living in South Carolina, where he has been enjoying the Washington Nationals baseball season.

1957 55TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Bill Rough, Doug Parsons, Tom Camp and Pete Sendroy have been reaching out to classmates for their 55th Reunion. RSVPs confirmed include attendees from California, Oregon and England. If you need help or information, contact Lowell Davis, special assistant for external affairs, at Lowell_ Davis@landon.net or at 301-320-1006. 32 Landon Magazine

President ronald reagan, and John Wayne Gacy, a serial murderer who was convicted and sentenced to death. cavanaugh has also worked with some of the most wellknown and important institutions in the united States. he contracted with the f.B.i. to develop fitness-for-duty evaluations for officers readjusting to new roles after undercover assignments. he is one of sevdr. James cavanaugh ’59 is a forensic psychiatrist, applying his expertise to the eral national consultants with complexities of the basic issues of guilt, the Secret Service, helping to innocence and criminal responsibility. make distinctions between those with harmless mental health issues and “the real Mccoy.” The archdiocese of chicago has retained him to develop a range of evaluations and interventions for priests who are suspected of abusing children. at 71, cavanaugh has no plans to retire, and says, “i’m interested enough to keep going.” he notes that as a forensic psychiatrist, there are “so many roles to play in so many aspects of criminal and civil law.” as he reflects on his interesting career, he notes that Landon was “a good training center.” he says, “The theme i benefited from was ‘Push yourself farther than you think you can go.’ identify what you are afraid to do, distill it down, address it, conquer it, then master it.” — Lynn horowitch

Robin Hoar shares, “My wife, Sue, and I have just celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. Our six grandchildren (aged 2 to 12) are great; we are lucky that all three families live within easy reach. My current interest is deciphering a treasure trove of land transactions (handwritten, in French, on vellum) dating back to the 1590s; they were found in Sue’s family home in the Channel Islands. My brother John Hoar (Class of 1955) and I have been walking the Shakespeare Way – a long-distance path that follows the route the Bard might have walked from Stratford to London and back. And, finally, looking forward to the Olympics in our town!

Contee Seely writes, “Happy to see Bill Rough ’57, Bill Green ’57, Ralph Bennett ’57 and the Beach Boys at our 50th Princeton Reunion — my first.”

1958 Ed Worthy writes, “Huei-ling and I will move on February 22 to a lovely condo about five minutes from our house of 33 years. We have a top-floor end unit, with three sunny exposures. Come visit if you’re in the Bethesda area!” Ed adds that “There are some Landon connections with my move. I bought the unit from Brooks Brown ’61. Ed Sears ’61 also owns a unit in the building.”

C L A S S N O T E S LANDON ALUMNI

1960 Ira Plotkin died May 20, 2012. He graduated from Rochester University in 1964, and earned his Doctorate in Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan. Ira was a professor in Japanese and Chinese Histories at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. Ira served on Durango Colorado’s City Council and later occupied the office of Mayor.

tion was started by Knight’s grandfather, Kip, in 1920 for the offices of Kiplinger Magazine. The donation was spurred by the company’s recent office move.

TRIBUTE 1962-2012 Stacy Robinson

1961 Ed Sears reports that he not only celebrated his 70th birthday with his family recently, but he and Charlotte excitedly became first-time grandparents with the birth of Grant Anders Schaefer. A big boy, weighing in at 9 lb. 10 oz. and measuring 22 inches in length, mother Dana (Holton ’93) and father, Michael, are all healthy and doing well.

George Wenchel ’65 enjoys a glass of chardonnay at the naked Mountain Winery in Virginia, after a 17-mile bike ride with sons, adam ’92 and Seth ’98. George says, “Love that european hydration.”

Ralph Williams looked up Mark Lane ’69 in Rehoboth, Del. Ralph reported, “We had not seen each other since my graduation in June ’66. He (Mark) walked out and said, “It’s Ralph Williams.” Ralph notes, “I have friends I surf with in Puerto Rico, and Mark supplied them with seafood. Small world; it was a good feeling to see him again.”

ed Sears ’61 celebrates his 70th birthday on June 14 with sons Teddy ’95, ricky ’99 and christian ’01.

1962

ralph Williams ’66 caught up with Mark Lane ’69 in rehoboth, del., after 46 years.

1967 1965 Knight Kiplinger ’65 and his father, Austin, were featured in The Washington Post. The Kiplingers donated more than 4,000 pieces of art and objects related to Washington to the Historical Society of Washington. The collec-

tacy Robinson, a Landon School trustee since 2006, passed away on May 8, at the age of 50. he had been diagnosed with cancer in 2009. The proud father of three boys, including two who attended Landon, robinson was director of Player development for the national football League Players association. in that role, he helped prepare players for their careers after football. a former nfL wide receiver, robinson was best known for winning two Super Bowls with the new york Giants in 1987 and 1991. Prior to his professional career, robinson pursued athletics and completed his B.a. in Business Management from north dakota State university. after college, he was selected by the new york Giants in the second round of the 1985 nfL draft. While with the Giants, he received his M.B.a. from fairleigh dickinson university. robinson is remembered in the Landon community for his outstanding mentorship of young men, both professionally and as a father. “he brought that same passion to his work with our Board of Trustees, and that is central to our mission of developing young men of character,” said Sherman “Tiger” Joyce ’78, chairman of the Board of Trustees. Joyce also recognized robinson as a devoted family man with a great sense of humor who enjoyed life and shared that spirit with all around him.

1966

50TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Frank Nuessle and Paul Kiernan have been rounding up classmates for their 50th Reunion. The weekend will be full, and a couple of events not to miss are classroom visits, the visit with Pen Pals, and a special guided tour from Lowell Davis.

European Regional tournament.” Mike has been a Little League volunteer umpire for 24 years.

45TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Mike Poore has been busy organizing the 45th class reunion this fall. He writes, “I have been selected for the third time to go to Kutno, Poland, to umpire in the Little League

Landon Magazine 33

LANDON ALUMNI C L A S S N O T E S

1968

1972

Stan Pierpoint writes that he is “winding down my career as English Department chair at a private school after 21 years. Time flies. I’m almost half of a Tom Dixon now. Expecting my first grandchild in September — finally!! Would love to hear from classmates at bardphile@yahoo.com.”

40TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Dan McDermott, Peter Craig and Andy Somerville are planning the 40th Reunion. The off-campus party has been set for Andy’s home in Virginia on Saturday night. As for the rest of the festivities, please check the Landon Web site for a full list of events at www.landon.net/reunion.

1969 Robert S. Carter, Jr. reports that he is retiring from the Army after 30 years of service and is taking on a new position as director of dental general practice residency with the East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine in Greenville, N.C.

1970 In June, George Hill was elected the 11th president of the Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown, following John Marbury, A.R. “Boss” Sheperd and W.W. Corcoran. George says it’s truly a great honor and responsibility. Jamie McEwan, who won the Kupka Award for 2011 with his brother Tom ’64, and his son, Devin, were interviewed on NPR. Devin tried out to represent the U.S. in the Olympic “whitewater slalom” canoeing event. Jamie competed in the event in the Olympics in 1972 and 1992, winning the bronze in ’72 and finishing fourth in ’92. John Medaris jokingly writes, “I think I have my life story in my e-mail signature! We have a growing, family-run, residential RE firm in Fairfax, Va. It was a surprise and a delight to receive e-mails from Landon classmates. Thank you for staying in touch.”

1971 Thomas Wadden reports, “I was fortunate to receive an endowed professorship this past September – the Albert J. Stunkard Professor in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.”

34 Landon Magazine

1973 Glenn Scoggins lives in Japan where he is the college admissions counselor, high school coordinator, and social studies department head at Saint Maur International School. He reflects, “As a teacher and counselor for the last 35 years. I have tried to maintain Landon’s emphasis on character education, ethics and strong personal values. I teach historical research and writing, and just about everything I know about effective English writing came from Tom Dixon and Charlie Campbell. As a college counselor, I measure myself against the high standards set by Spud Parker. On the other hand, I was never much of a jock, so I didn’t take advantage of the sports program. I’m encouraged that the arts have a higher profile now.”

1977 35TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2002 Bill Amoroso and Greg Gosnell are allegedly hard at work planning their 35th Reunion. If you ask Amo he will tell you that everything

is under control and if you ask Greg, he says to talk to Christie, since she knows what is going on. In all seriousness, if it wasn’t for these two, not sure there would have been a 30th, a 25th, a 20th, etc. Thanks, Bill and Greg, for your efforts on behalf of 1977.

1978 Bill Parks reports that he directed the video for the Washington & Lee Mock Convention in Lexington, Va. For more information, visit http://mockconvention.com/. “This year, the W&L students are predicting the Republican nominee,” Bill says.

1980 Alex Berry, the Tea Party coordinator for Boca Raton, Fla., appeared on the CBS Evening News on January 30, 2012. John Sanders writes to say that he “is happy to arrive at 50 intact and ready to go…making calls for Landon, that is.”

1981 Josh Eagle says, “Life is good – no complaints. I have been here eight years and have really enjoyed S.C.” He reports that he will be on the road all next year, teaching at UNC in the fall and then at a law school in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in the spring.

1982 30TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 derek Mann ’82, Kaden Jacobson ’82 and Samu Qureshi ’82 gathered after a Landon lacrosse game in april.

C L A S S N O T E S LANDON ALUMNI

1982... continued George Pappas visited with John Roberts in Charleston, S.C. John, Kathy and their kids recently moved to the low country, where they have has settled in after moving from California. Apparently JR’s place is quite popular, since John Simmonds stopped by while bringing his boat up the inner coastal waterways back to Maryland.

Christopher Plumley had a busy year. He was married in Arlington, Va., had a baby girl, Reese Marie, and changed jobs. In May 2012, he started as a senior mortgage officer with EverBank.

1985 Aleco Bravo ’85 is the executive producer of “Hurricane Hunters,” a TV series that premiered on The Weather Channel this past spring. The show is about planes flying into hurricanes to gather meteorological data. He encourages everyone to watch. Rich Roll ’85 recently published a book, available on Amazon, entitled Finding Ultra: Rejecting Middle Age, Becoming One of the World’s Fittest Men, and Discovering Myself.

reese Marie Plumley, daughter of chris ’83.

Creating Hope in South Africa

George Pappas ’82 stopped in north carolina to visit John roberts ’82. Ralph Savarese, associate professor of English at Grinnell College, is spending the summer pursuing a neuropoetics project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. In the fall he will be a Humanities Writ Large Fellow at Duke University where he will join the neurohumanities research group at the Institute for Brain Science.

1983 Matt Carberry writes that his company, Sports & Entertainment Asia LTD, has represented the Globetrotters in China for the last several years. Carberry and his wife recently hosted a group of Landon in China students for dinner at their home in Beijing. Rick Kirschner writes that his classmate Mike Johnston and Landon alumnus Rob Nelson ’06 squared off as opposing middle school lacrosse coaches in Florida. Rick reports, “Bringing some Bear lax to Florida. Oak Hall (Rob’s team) prevailed in a tough game over Trinity Prep (Mike’s team).”

specific town: richmond, South africa. a specific purpose: creating partnerships to educate the town’s youth. That’s what Jonathan Warner ’79 and his church, St. Peter’s episcopal in Poolesville, Md., started with in 2005. now that purpose has grown to include education in nutrition, health, sanitation and employment. The town has turned into a region (Karoo) through hope in South africa. hiSa is a community development partnership that works with established organizations, like rotary clubs and Grassroots Soccer, in Jonathan Warner ’79 with kids in richmond, South africa. it has refurbished a community South africa, benefitting from hope in South center, which houses a soup kitchen, a library, africa. Warner recruited Peter Krogh ’79, who recreational facilities, and health and educational took this photo, to help with visual marketing offices. hiSa employs a local staff at the for the organization. community center to run Grassroots Soccer, after school programs from art to sports, and other initiatives including education programs about hiV, fetal alcohol Syndrome and sanitation. Warner was instrumental in focusing hiSa on richmond, a small farming town, through South african contacts from his post-graduate rugby days. he also recruited two of his Landon classmates. Dwight Bostwick ’79 joined Warner in South africa this summer and professional photographer Peter Krogh ’79 helps with marketing materials. “We really have to show people what [richmond] looks like to have a better understanding of what they need and who the people are,” says Krogh, who has been to South africa twice to shoot photos and video. With the small community and specific focus, Warner, Krogh and those involved with hiSa hope that they can make a bigger difference and affect the future for the youth of richmond. To learn more, visit www.hopeinsouthafrica.com. — Mary cunningham

Landon Magazine 35

LANDON ALUMNI C L A S S N O T E S

david Burman ’99, ed Burman ’92, denny Taylor’86, Scott eisen ’87 and chris dodson ’06 at the new york alumni Wine Tasting, hosted by Sam Milliken ’55, in april.

Alex Sienkiewicz and his family moved to Livingston, Mont. Alex explains, “I am working for the U.S. Forest Service and will be managing part of the national forest north of Yellowstone National Park.”

1993

1986

1992

Denny Taylor recently moved to Connecticut but continues to work in New York City.

20TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Recently Mike Banks, James Cassidy and Bill Magruder got together to plan the 20th Reunion. It is reported that Banks tried to trip Cassidy as he was headed up the steps of the restaurant. Luckily Cassidy caught himself before falling down. Given the focus of these three, there is no doubt the 20th will be a great success. Thanks to the organizers, along with a special thanks to Bill and Carrie Magruder for hosting Saturday night.

1987 25TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Mark Amorosi ’87, Paul McLenaghan ’87 and Hunter Montgomery ’87 are busy planning the 25th Reunion this fall. Odds are you have already heard from one of these guys and they are encouraging you to come back for the weekend. There will be a party on campus Saturday night in the Banfield Alumni Room. Bob Elliot ’87 had his artwork, Red Line, selected for the Bethesda Metro Tunnel. The work was on display in May.

1991 Todd Boehly is part of a consortium, including basketball legend Magic Johnson, that successfully bid for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Mike Lazerow appeared on “Squawk Box” on March 5 to discuss social media advertising. He is the chairman and CEO of Buddy Media, a social enterprise software company that works with over 500 brands and agencies. In fact, the company is so successful that Mike recently sold his interest to outside investors. Congratulations, Mike!

a group of alumni gathered in Vail in february. front row: Peter corrigan ’91, harmar Thompson ’90 and carter hertzberg ’89. Back row.: Brian rodgers ’89, James cassidy ’92, Taylor Simmers ’90, Michael Banks ’92 and Jimmy Mannino ’89. 36 Landon Magazine

Okorie Johnson has written and produced Canopy, a coming-of age/romantic comedy that is loosely based on his own life.

1994 Billy Walsh reports a great trip hunting wild turkeys with Alex Cade ’94, Nick Cade and Mr. Cade to Highland, Kan.

1995

Tom dawson ’95 and his wife, Jenn, welcomed son Kevin cleland dawson on february 21, 2012. he weighed 8 lb. and measured 21.5 inches. Tom writes, “Both mom and baby are doing well.”

1996

Preston Miller ’96 and his wife, Morgan, welcomed daughter harper cadence Miller on May 7, 2012, at 1:48 a.m. She weighed 6 lb. 1 oz. and measured 18.5 inches.

C L A S S N O T E S LANDON ALUMNI

1997

1998

15TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Nick Barquin, John Frekko and Travis Martz are busy planning the 15th Reunion this fall.

Adam Corman is currently a resident in Emergency Medicine and his fiancée, Dr. Eva Almansouri, is an internist in an Endocrinology fellowship. Both are at George Washington University Hospital in D.C.

Ali Fardshisheh and Erin Powell were married on October 15, 2011, at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. Landon attendees were classmates Karim Abdel-Baki (best man), Andras Kirschner (usher), Brian Sanford, Peter Dempsey, Tony Mboya, David Maginnes, Abyie Ghenene and Steve Brodsky.

Jeff Mackey writes, “I got hooked to triathlons last summer and I am now training for an Ironman in September.” He currently lives in Bethesda, Md., with his fiancée and recently received an MBA from George Washington University. He works for EU Services as the VP of operations. Jeff Mackey ’98 competes in a triathlon.

Alums Tee Off he 23rd annual alumni Golf Tournament drew 120 players on May 11 at the Little Bennett Golf course in clarksburg, Md. congrats to our winning players and pairs:

Longest Drive – Myke cohn ’99 Straightest Drive – Ben Shand ’02 Closest to Pin – Joe Scheffres ’02 First Low Gross Michael Bobys ’01 Myke cohn ’99 Brad hoffman ’98 Joe Scheffres ’02 ali fardshisheh ’97 married erin Powell on october 15 in Washington, d.c. Charlie Meininger travelled to London with his professional vocal quintet in January. They opened for a concert by the Swingle Singers at the London A Cappella Festival and had other performance “gigs.” Jesse Ryback has relocated to New York. He has taken a position as director of business development at Premier Partnerships, a sports sales and advisory firm.

First Low Net Paul adkins ’77 ralph Blasey iii ’78 Bill amoroso ’77 Bob Veith ’77

and special thanks to all of our sponsors who made the tournament a success! Landon Vendor Corporate Sponsor McGladrey & Pullen, LLP - Tom Sneeringer, cPa Banfield Sponsor in Memory of John hemenway ’81 - friends from the class of 1981; criswell chevrolet clayton Weber ’92; nauticon imaging Systems - Tom cunningham ’76, carter hertzberg ’89; red coats, inc., admiral Security - Mack Wells ’95, George Vincent, Jr. ’99 Riddleberger Sponsor a friend from the class of 1965; capital city

cT fisher ’08 and Tommy Leachman ’06 read the break in the green at the annual alumni Golf Tournament, held at Little Bennett.

nurses – Brian rodgers ’89; cassidy Turley rocky Kern ’82; employee Benefits Group John Sanders ’80; falls road Veterinary hospital, Greenbriar hospital, and Luxury Boarding Kennel - Bill amoroso ’77; fitzGerald Properties – Jerry fitzGerald ’50, chip fitzGerald ’83, John fitzGerald ’86; folger nolan fleming douglas, inc. - George hill ’70, Bob Leahy ’55; Galliher & huguely - Scott huguely ’89; honour Society, nreB - andy hotchkiss ’95; MoST (Metro orthopedic Sports Therapy) - Jim Gilbert, Md ’81; newmark Knight frank - Scott Johnston '82, austin Sanders ’04; Shooshan companies John Shooshan ’70, Kevin Shooshan ’00; Sterling capital Management - don harris ’78; SunTrust Mortgage - Brad hoffman ’98 Coates Sponsor inSite Builders LLc - Stephen Gordon ’75

Landon Magazine 37

LANDON ALUMNI C L A S S N O T E S

1998... continued

1999

Now living in Atlanta, Ga., Chris Wren and Laura Lee Fleming were married on June 16, 2012, at Historic Cedarwood, an 1830s antebellum farm estate outside of Nashville, Tenn. Landon alums in attendance: Matt Wren ’00, Justin Magazine ’98, Dave Straub ’98, Barett Diefenderfer ’98, Danny McCormick ’98, Quentin Ward ’98, Sam Farnum ’98 and Jordan Paulson ’98.

2000

Matt coursen ’99 and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed son cole Gratwick coursen on June 11, 2012. he weighed 8 lb. 10 oz. and measured 21.5 inches. Matt writes, “Got a little Landon Bear over here. What an awesome thrill!!”

Laura Lee fleming and chris Wren ’98 were married in Tennessee.

Alex Walker writes, “I recently launched my own company - MILLER WALKER Retail Real Estate, with my longtime business partner.” MILLER WALKER is a retail real estate brokerage firm that represents landlords and tenants in the D.C. market.

Scott Hettermann reported that he just finished his two-year stint as a personal trainer to the prime minister in Qatar and has started a business consulting firm, focused on helping western firms interested in Qatar. Visit his Web site, www.smhconsulting.org or contact him at scott@smhconsulting.org.

Matt Walker had a series of video stories in the Huffington Post this past year. They focused on New York and the people of New York. His first story was about Paul Schweitzer, a 72-year-old man who makes his living supplying and maintaining typewriters.

2001 Matt Lefkowitz and his wife, Alexa, welcomed son Radley Gelman Lefkowitz on April 25, 2012. He weighed 6.5 lbs. Matt writes, “Both mother and baby are doing great!”

BIG MAC ATTACK: Mark dichiara ’99 and carissa anne Blasinsky were married on august 27, 2011 in chevy chase, Md. in attendance at the wedding were Mark, Mac Jacoby (laying), andy Luther, andrew Salcetti ’04, former faculty member Marc Grossman, Brian Salcetti ’99, Ben ourisman ’99, Justin Shackleford ’99 and ricky Sears ’99. 38 Landon Magazine

C L A S S N O T E S LANDON ALUMNI

2002 10TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012 Andy Dayton is moving to Chicago in September to attend the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Chris Jackson had an article published in the Asia Wall Street Journal about the Chinese aviation industry. Chris continues to enjoy living and working in China. Nick Katz joined a new start-up called Honest Buildings, a U.S.-based online business that aims to provide valuable information about buildings. He is in charge of launching and managing the business for Europe, focusing on London. Kaegan Williams married Sarah Elizabeth Moore on March 9, 2011. He reports, “I redeployed mid-December from Iraq.” He was awarded a Joint Service Commendation Medal for actions in support of Operation New Dawn. In addition, he plays rugby for the Southern Pines Rugby Football Club as a second row and flanker. Sean Zinsmeister recently moved to San Francisco and accepted a position as market-

Warner Ball ’03 (center)and his army unit in Kyrgyzstan. he has since been shipped home! ing manager with Nitro, Inc., a company that provides software to convert, edit, sign and send PDF files.

Alex Cornell, a co-founder of Firespotter Labs, is featured in the article on Young Entrepreneurs on page 21.

2003

Doug Gates writes, “I’m leaving Japan after four years of service onboard USS LASSEN (DDG 82) and USS BLUE RIDGE (LCC 19), most recently on the staff of the Seventh Fleet Commander. I moved to Annapolis to take an assignment as a political science instructor at the Naval Academy, teaching American Government and International Relations courses for midshipmen.”

Warner Ball reports, “We are in Manas, Kyrgyzstan, right now waiting to fly out. Should be stopping in Germany for a night, then finally flying home to Ft. Bragg. Take care, hope to see you all soon!” Austin Bordley celebrated his 28th birthday at Steamers in Bethesda with many other Landon classmates including Warner Ball ’03, Andrew Ott ’03, Taylor Bush ’03, Charlie McCombs ’03 and Carl Sylvester ’03.

Stro ashburn ’03 and christine Mazza married on June 9, 2012, in richmond, Va., with the pictured Landon alumni in attendance: (Back row) carl Sylvester ’03, Brandon Goodwyn ’05, charlie Mccombs ’03, Jason aschenbach ’03, Jamie Gnall ’03, Blake Potolicchio ’03, Stewart royer ’03, andrew ott ’03. (front row) Skip Myers ’65, Terry Seaks ’65, frank ashburn ’65, Stro ashburn ’03, Will defrancis ’03, reed dunn ’03, austin Bordley ’03, Johnny Greenwald ’04, Michael cox ’03, ottsie cox ’65, John Walsh ’67.

Phil Mills writes that this past spring “I acted in a production in Charleston, S.C., called Inga Binga. It’s a play about a young Jack Kennedy and the story of a love affair with the former Ms. Denmark, Inga Arvad, who was suspected of being a Nazi spy. I got to play Jack Kennedy, which was fantastic and challenging.”

Phil Mills ’03 and Sam Timberg ’03 at the new york alumni Wine Tasting, hosted by Sam Milliken ’55. Landon Magazine 39

LANDON ALUMNI C L A S S N O T E S

2003... continued Stew Royer writes, “I am living in the OC in Newport Beach, just moved from NYC in January and started my own commercial real estate company out here.”

2004 Rajiv Shenoy is the CEO and founder of ORCAtv. Read about his business in the article on Young Entrepreneurs on page 21.

2005 Brendan Reilly is a Marine stationed in the Arabian Peninsula. Read about care packages

at the wedding of Trent Pickle ’04 and Sally Summerson on July 9, 2011 at the eastern Shore: Jimmy Pickle ’08, danny evens ’04, Whitson huffman ’08, Matthew underhill ’13, Justin donaldson ’08, Trent and Sally, Thomas underhill ’08, Brian Kelly ’08, Stu nibley, Pearson nibley ’07, Mike Kelly ’08 and Stu nibley ’09.

Sharing Books fter graduating from Wesleyan university with a degree in american Government, Jon Sheehan ’07 became a fifth Grade teacher at a school in West harlem through Teach for america. one of the first things he noticed was how few books the school had. of Landon fifth graders connect via Skype with students in new york them, many were missing cov- city taught by Jon Sheehan ’07. ers and very old. he knew if he could offer his students more and better books, their reading might improve, their vocabularies might expand, even their math skills might be strengthened. Sheehan thought that Landon might be able to help. he reached out to Lower School head Len Armstrong who put him in touch with Lower School Librarian Suman Agarwal. She gathered up extra books that Landon boys were not using and sent them up to new york. The Lower School Book fair also provided an opportunity for boys to purchase books for the new york students. Boxes and boxes of books were sent from Wilson Lane to West harlem. on Sheehan’s end, the books made a huge difference. his students became more interested in reading. They began reading more and talked more about books, while getting excited for each new shipment. Sheehan’s students wanted to share their enthusiasm with the Landon students who had made it possible. he and agarwal organized a Skype session to allow Landon fifth graders to connect with Sheehan’s students in new york. The students in new york started with a huge thank you to the Landon boys. The students then quickly found that they had similar literary tastes, agreeing on several favorite books, like the 39 clues series, and authors, such as roald dahl, fred Bowen and Sharon creech. Sheehan and his students are grateful to Landon for sharing books. he says, “i had hoped that Landon would pitch in. They took it and ran with it!” — Lynn horowitch

40 Landon Magazine

his platoon received from Landon Middle School students and their fathers on page 7.

2006 Michael DeFranco is building his business, Lua Technologies. Learn more in the article on Young Entrepreneurs on page 21. Robert Gelb launched an innovative video project called “Bus 52” at Landon on January 8, 2012. Bus 52 is a year-long project in which Gelb and four friends are traveling the country in a converted school bus. Throughout their journey, they are finding and sharing stories of ordinary Americans who are confronting challenges in innovative and worthwhile ways. Their group was interviewed about the project on CBS This Morning.

2007 5TH REUNION: October 18-20, 2012

2008 Keith Rubin is a member of the water polo team at Yale, which has been successful at the national level, culminating in final rankings of 9th, 7th, and 2nd in the past three years. Keith helped found the Landon team during his senior year. Grant Verstandig’s business, Audax Health, is taking off. Verstandig is featured in the article on Young Entrepreneurs on page 21.

C L A S S N O T E S LANDON ALUMNI

2010

2011

Nick McGuire says, “I’m studying Ghanaian Anthropology abroad this summer in Cape Coast, Ghana, through a program that Davidson does with the University of Cape Coast. However, in addition to classes, I am working with deaf children, teaching them English and interacting with them. Also, because I love percussion and was a drummer at Landon, I am studying African drumming and dance with accomplished drum masters.”

Jordan Gear placed fourth at Pac 12 Conference championships on the 10-meter platform and 20th at USA Nationals in December on the 1- and 3-meter.

Dwight Townsend-Gray writes, “I am keeping busy at Maryland, including serving as vice-president of the water polo team and acting in theatrical groups. The big news is that I will be spending my summer in Syracuse, N.Y., as an intern with the grounds crew of the Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Nationals.”

John L. Berry ’43. August 11, 2011.

Ira Plotkin ’60. May 20, 2012.

Dexter Kearny ’44, brother of Richard ’43. January 24, 2012.

Wallace F. Holladay, father of Hap ’65 and grandfather of Fitz ’01 and Addison ’04. January 25, 2012.

Officers Stephen Bou ’78, president Patrick Gorman ’83, vice president Matt coursen ’99, treasurer Preston Miller ’96, secretary

In Memoriam

Chantal Shafroth, wife of Steve Shafroth ’44. April 7, 2012.

John P. Leachman ’45, father of Jack ’69, Tom ’72 and Scott ’77, and grandfather of Penn ’94, Jamie ’95, Tommy ’06, Scott ’07 and Robert ’12. June 7, 2012. Read a Tribute on p. 30. James P. Nolan, Jr. ’47, brother of Stanton ’51 and Gaillard ’54. February 29, 2012.

Patricia Hawfield, mother of Jay Hawfield ’73, Robert Hawfield ’75 and Lee Zampella and grandmother of James Zampella ’16. March 31, 2012. Marie E. Gallegos Connor, mother of Joe ’75 and Chris ’78. April 21, 2012. Marilyn Simms, mother of David ’76. February 22, 2012. Colonel John Hawley Oakes, father of Jack ’78. May 25, 2012.

Ralph Engelsman ’48. May 24, 2012. Stephen Bou ’78 Rick Fayen ’50. February 12, 2012.

Members Bill adkins ’81 Steve amitay ’83 Bill amoroso ’77 austin Bordley ’03 Steve J. Burman ’96 andy hotchkiss ’95 Penn Leachman ’94 George Purcell ’01 Brian rodgers ’89 Scott Smith ’05 George Wenchel ’65 George Williams ’02

James Johnston reports that he hosts a radio show on WSOE 89.3 FM, Elon University’s radio station, every Monday from 3-4 p.m.

Brandon Gleklen and Michael Liu founded Big Bear Tutoring, which employs seven

Nameer Jawdat ’45. February 9, 2012.

2012-2013 Alumni Board

accomplished tutors who offer one-on-one tutoring for students in grades 3-12.

Lonny Bliss ’52. January 14, 2006.

Richard M. Block, father of Steve ’80. June 17, 2012. Mary Ann Kirlin, mother of John ’80. February 22, 2012.

Bill Dingwall ’52. January 12, 2004. Michael V. Yohn ’53, father of David ’79. Bill Granik ’55. February 21, 2012. Margaret L. Dell, mother of Donald ’56 and Dick ’65. February 1, 2012. Florence B. Fort, mother of John ’59, William ’61 and grandmother of David ’96 and William ’98. February 14, 2012.

Carl Allen Hollingsworth, Sr., father of Carl ’86. May 13, 2012. Nathaniel M. Semple, father of Nathaniel, Jr. ’98 and Carter ’03. January 3, 2012. Josh Thomas ’98. January 8, 2012. Angela Holland, sister of Burnell Holland ’01. April 28, 2012.

Landon Magazine 41

FROM THE ARCHIVES

family-style lunch

LANDON LUNCH: in february 1986, danny Maslasky ’93 (right) enjoyed a family-style lunch with his friends. Lunch was served in the Wilson Building until the Mondzac Performing arts center opened in 1989. Who else is pictured? Send responses to communications@landon.net.

And the boy in the madras jacket is…

42 Landon Magazine

…we’re not sure! Thanks to responses from John Arness ’75, Mark Chapman ’76, Tom Cunningham ’76 and Tim Hanson ’76, we’ve narrowed it down. Two votes for Phil Madeloff ’76 and one for Mike Connolly ’75. There’s broader consensus on some of the others in the photo: Cunningham (second from left), Chip Arnold ’76 partly obscured by Teddy Driscoll ’76. Then John Stetson ’76 on the right, being helped by Craig Smith ’76 (or was it Chris Farland ’75 as one alum suggested?). Hanson recalls: “It was the end of our 4th grade year (walking outside the Wilson Building) and crew cuts and plaid jackets were somewhat popular. Inside of two years that clean cut sporting look was gone, as longer hair and rebelliousness slowly crept into Landon. In 1970, Bill Nicholson ’71 managed to sneak a peace sign into the Form V class picture and Banny retired, probably dreading the changes he saw coming.” Thanks for your help in identifying who, what, when and where!

Landon SchooL 6101 WiLSon Lane BeTheSda, MaryLand 20817

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a d d r e SS S e r V i c e r e Q u e S T e d Parents: If this issue is addressed to a son who no longer maintains an address at your home, please send current address information to the Alumni Office at alumni@landon.net.

SAVE THE DATES Reunions

Homecoming

Thursday-Saturday, october 18-20 www.landon.net/reunion

Saturday, november 10 Varsity football vs. St. albans Photograph by austin rose â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15