fa l l
2016
MiltonMagazine
change. brought to you by optimists.
6
10
14
2
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
ta ble of contents
Features
Departments
6
4
A Catalyst at Google In Silicon Valley, Annie Jean-Baptiste ’06 helps Google lead the way in attracting tech talent from every background and creating a work environment where everyone can thrive.
10 Litigating the Right to Marry Chris Dusseault ’87 served as strategist and quarterback for the team that fought successfully against California’s Proposition 8, a case that hastened the legal tide toward the Supreme Court’s ruling in support of marriage equality.
14 What Don’t You Understand? Making Videos that Tackle the Issues that Confound Us At Vox.com, Joe Posner ’03 creates videos about complex and sometimes inaccessible news topics, helping viewers understand what is happening in our world.
18 Education. Especially Rural and Public. Rebecca Holcombe ’84 patiently involves all constituents to achieve change in Vermont’s demographically and economically challenged public school system.
Across the Quad
58 In Sight Photograph by
44 Head of School
John Gillooly
The Lived Truth: 60 Sports
When Mine Is Different From Yours
Milton Sailors Set Their Bar and Meet It
45 Board of Trustees 62 Messages 46 Retiring Faculty and Staff
64 Milton Mural
52 On Centre
67 Class Notes
56 Faculty Perspective
84 Post Script
From Fifty to One
When Clutter Gives You Joy
by John Banderob
by Mary McCutcheon ’65
Editor Cathleen Everett Associate Editors Erin Berg Marisa Donelan Liz Matson Design Stoltze Design
Photography Michael Dwyer John Gillooly Kjeld Mahoney Glenn Matsumura Evan Scales Ilene Squires Jeb Wallace-Brodeur Greg White
22 What Is the Real Safe? Students explored how adults and young people understand and experience the idea of safety in their lives through extensive interviews and narrative performance.
28 Know Thyself: An Approach to Getting There A middle schooler who understands how he ticks can do the best job of successfully navigating those rocky years when adolescent brains are frequently rewiring.
32 Commencement 2016
Milton Magazine is published twice a year by Milton Academy. Editorial and business offices are located at Milton Academy, where change-ofaddress notifications should be sent. As an institution committed to diversity, Milton Academy welcomes the opportunity to admit academically qualified students of any gender, race, color, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally available to its students. It does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, and athletic or other School-administered activities. Printed on recycled paper.
36 Reunion Weekend
FA L L 2 016
1
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
Change. Brought to you by optimists. Milton Magazine features change agents in this issue—skilled optimists who have eschewed anger and blame and instead opted for responsibility. They are working on solutions to intractable problems that every day delay social and economic progress for everyone. Milton alumni ask great questions, and they so often shake off the standard responses in favor of unconventional strategies. Dive in, and meet fearless and skillful Milton alumni who are changing some playing fields that matter. At the same time, Milton students play out projects that allow us to hear and understand emotions that drive our evolving approach to a difficult world.
acro s s t h e qua d
Going on Project Each May, Class I students begin the long-awaited “Senior Project.” A tradition since the 1960s, Senior Projects have evolved, and today seniors’ proposals qualify as: scholarly or academic; community service; internships; or the arts. The Class of 2016 chose broadly—from immigration to the environment, from stem cell research and business startups through working on presidential campaigns. Students painted, gardened, sewed, prepared concerts and recitals, shadowed doctors, wrote and directed plays, tried learning new instruments and languages, and volunteered at sites all over Boston. Just before graduation, underclassmen see the fruits of the seniors’ work, at demonstrations, performances, films, poetry readings, plays and presentations at the Senior Project Fair in the Athletic and Convocation Center.
Created 3-D-printed
Examined media bias
Assisted at the Irish
Re-created Jane Elliott’s blue
airplanes
and the presidential
Immigrant Center
versus brown eyes exercise to
election
explore discrimination
◀ Isabella Miller worked at
the Samaritans suicide prevention center, after 60 hours of training on taking hotline calls from people in crisis. She researched and wrote a guide on how to approach mental health and suicide prevention at Milton.
▶ Graham Blackburn, Tarin Karimbux and Matthew Ward launched a t-shirt
business called Oasis. ▲ Simone Hunter-Hobson designed a curriculum
They developed a business plan, created the logo,
for a senior-level, full-year literature course called
learned print screening
Black Voices: The Untold Narrative. She chose titles
techniques, and built a
including James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time
website for online sales.
to more recent works, like Between the World and Me ◀ Finley Cobb studied art at
Milton for four years, and he particularly focused on
by Ta-Nehisi Coates. “I learned that creating a curriculum is very challenging. Teachers have a lot to consider while they’re planning.” ◀ Grace Stanfield, Jessica
landscape painting. “I thought
Xu and Rika Ichinose created
that a series of paintings
a website of recipes using
focusing on Milton landscapes
ingredients from Flik Dining
would be a fitting and fun way
Services menu options. They
to close my time at Milton.”
wanted to educate themselves about healthier eating and create healthier, more delicious Flik lunch options for other students. flikbookblog.wordpress.com ◀ Sam Rochelle created
promotional videos for his middle school, Dedham Country Day. The videos included drone footage and taped interviews, edited into professional pieces.
Taught chess to
Filmed a documentary:
Created a dance
Wrote and published
Wrote an
elementary schoolers
The Student Athlete –
exploring ancient
a Middle East
environmental story
A Case Study
mythology and
policy blog
for children
modern religion
action on e
ANNIE JEAN-BAPTISTE ’06
60%
A Catalyst at Google
23%
Annie Argues for Real Conversations Annie Jean-Baptiste ’06
8%
Silicon Valley, arguably the most innovative corner of the planet, is also famously—and
perhaps resolutely—homogeneous. The Valley’s mostly male and mostly white and Asian tech workforce unremittingly turns out life-changing tools. Can the mix of minds and hearts that created today’s constantly evolving reality come up with inventions that will work for the next billion users, and solve the problems of our battered planet as well? “Tech companies, regardless of their size, are focused
Made with Code initiative, generating momentum among
diversity programs manager for Google’s Global Diversity
girls for careers in coding. The company also set out to
and Inclusion Team, “and those people don’t look or
“bridge the digital divide,” according to Annie, “offering
live anything like we do. So uniformity of background
‘boot camps’ for smaller and diverse businesses to connect
isn’t a great characteristic on teams looking at inventions
with the power of the web and become digitally savvy.”
for the future.” Like so many of her peers in Silicon Valley, Annie has
around hiring—“We want our company’s representation to be more reflective of the external market,” as Annie says—
with a willingness to work hard. Tall, vivacious
and also a layered program to build an inclusive work
and fashion-savvy, Annie turns out to be unflaggingly
environment. “Amazing ideas come from everywhere,”
optimistic, even exuberant about the future—and
Brian Welle, of Google’s People Analytics teams points out on Google’s website, making the case for a workplace that
have predicted this career? “Well, maybe not in diversity
fires on all cylinders because each employee owns a sense
programs at Google,” Annie shares her broad, warm smile,
of personal value. “We don’t want any single ‘Googler’
“but I was known as very sensitive: to others’ feelings or struggles, and on my own. My mom is a public school teacher, and my dad a policeman, so they instilled that focus on others. I get validation from helping people, and that was apparent early on.” In 2012, Google disclosed its own uninspiring workforce Photo by Glenn Matsumura
Looking inward, Google mobilized integrated efforts
parlayed a facile, creative mind and an eye for opportunity
“passionate” by her own definition. Would her parents
LEFT
the next generation of technology professionals, such as its
on these ‘next billion users,’” says Annie Jean-Baptiste, a
to feel that ‘this is not the best place for me to express those ideas,’” he says. The company wants to make sure that “when you come to work, that part of you that’s unique is able to express itself.” Annie says that Google is “leading the charge” in Silicon Valley—enabling people who work within the company
data, naming a low point of departure as it kicked off an
to thrive in a workplace that capitalizes on different
intensive, public drive to change the playing field. Looking
backgrounds. Google wants its employees to have “real
outward, Google began programs aimed at diversifying
conversations and take concrete actions that will ultimately
FA L L 2 016
7
71%
create change,” according to Annie. Google calls its internal
our decisions, moment by moment, day by day, are
work “unbiasing the company.”
processes we’re involved in unconsciously, from getting
“It’s long-term work,” says Annie. “It’s the organic and
often messy process of changing a culture.” Annie claims that it was at Milton where she and her classmates started
dressed and navigating toward work, to greeting people we know, to deciding which project to pick up. To lead our lives, we rely on unconscious biases,
to talk about race candidly. “I wrote my college essay
positive and negative evaluations that occur outside of
about it.” On an email thread through a student online
our conscious awareness and control. Those biases
conference, assertions and opinions about slavery,
translate to a series of brain shortcuts, so we can reserve
affirmative action, the role of blacks in the United States
our cognitive effort resources for priority items:
spiraled, leaving students and adults confused, angry
more challenging decisions and actions. The shortcuts—
and hurt. “I realized that it was time to stand up and be
convenient as they may be—lead to implicit attitudes
vocal, and challenge people to be accountable—to make
and stereotypes, for instance, the belief that women are
sure that people’s voices were actually heard. Milton was
nurturing, or that police officers like doughnuts. And
a great place for me, because it’s open to everyone’s own
using shortcuts affects certain thinking processes.
opinion, it’s open to questioning, but you learn that you
Hiring, promoting and funding decisions can easily be
actually need to listen, not just wait until you can reassert
shortchanged by the implicit attitudes we might not know
your point of view. You could challenge leadership, you
we have. Unconscious biases can narrow our view or skew
could dare to be true, but you needed to be respectful
our expectations; we can exclude a perfect solution to a
as well. Milton helped me find my own authentic way
problem, or simply reject an unconventional approach. Google workshoppers also take the Implicit Association
of questioning the status quo.”
Test, a simple and scientific way of measuring unconscious biases across a variety of categories—race, weight, disability, age, sexuality, gender, and more. Brian Welle
“Tech companies, regardless of their size, are focused on these ‘next billion users,’ and those people don’t look or live anything like we do. So uniformity of background isn’t a great characteristic on teams looking at inventions for the future.”
and his colleagues have found that once people take the test, their reactions often follow a predictable pathway: “You’re really talking about other people because I’m not biased,” turns into “Well, okay, I have biases, but I don’t always make biased decisions. It’s only the corner cases where bias applies.” But the relentlessly collected Google data show that even the smallest expression of bias is amplified by similar biases in the room, and that tiny bias can filter up an organization, compromising discussion and decision making. Once you’re aware of bias, you see it all the time, Annie says, “and our next phase is helping people learn concrete actions to take when that happens. It’s called bias busting at work. It’s awkward and uncomfortable when you
The trigger start for everyone at Google is a voluntary workshop that explains the concept of unconscious bias
expecting that you’ll be able to step up every time, putting
and its impact. According to the website, “to date, more
yourself on the hook is important. Committing even to one
than 30,000 Googlers (over half of the company) have
action is a huge first step. You can start small—like sharing
participated in the 60- to 90-minute workshop, making it
an article that relates to what you saw or heard, and that
the largest voluntary learning program at Google.”
will start a conversation. Or you can ask someone, ‘What
The workshop positions employees in their comfort
did you mean by that?’ which starts a conversation and
zone: surrounded by data—in this case, brain science
puts the onus back on the speaker to explain what he or she
about bias. Called “a journey with unconscious bias,” the
meant. We want to help you find a way of responding that’s
workshop explains that our conscious minds can’t process
authentic to who you are.”
all the data that inundates us each day. The majority of
8
see someone acting out a bias, and although we’re not
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
google.com/diversity
People throughout Google who go through this
@google @google
As recently as this past March, PBS reported the tech industry workforce in California as:
8%
7%
2%
23%
60%
black
other
Hispanic
29% female
71% male
Asian
white
training, more of them all the time, may effectively
when it’s missing. “Google’s all about accessibility,” Annie
change what they observe, the way that they think, or
points out. “To develop products, we need to know the
how they approach their work in a team. But even a
users. How will we build things for visually impaired
stellar professional development effort isn’t sufficient
people, for example, if we don’t include them on our teams?
to change a business culture. To make that systemic
We’re thinking about building for everyone, and we’re
kind of change, Google works department by department.
excited to do that. It makes business sense, and it’s simply
On that level, “there are several technical groups that
the right thing to do.”
I support,” says Annie, “Android, for example. I work
Working in the engine room of organizational change
with the head of that organization, a number of their staff
must be exhausting. “When people simply aren’t ready to
and some HR people to craft an inclusion strategy for
have the candid conversations, so they gloss over things,
that product area.” She helps them think through data
that’s frustrating,” Annie says. “Along with many others,
collection and determine areas where they can make
I’m ready to have those awkward conversations and
progress. Annie works with Streams, Photos and Sharing
we’re hoping to galvanize people. We’re not aiming to
as well. Customizing each department’s plan is key to “understanding what they value in their work, what’s
be punitive, or to blame. But in spite of people’s fear, or their unwillingness to be seen as ‘un-PC,’ we have to talk
important to them, and embedding diversity and inclusion
about things that may ultimately be emotional, and
into the culture and makeup of their organization, rather
painful. Your perspective truly changes when you stand
than adding an appendage afterward.” To achieve
in someone else’s shoes. If you’ve been privileged enough
that, Annie is typically part of a team that involves the
to spend your life never having experienced any overt
vice presidents, becoming part of “the thinking stream,”
bias against you, it’s easy enough to say, ‘I’m not part of
because knowing the business well is critical to crafting
the problem.’ But if you’re part of any minority, you live it,
a successful plan. “What the plan looks like relates
you get it, you necessarily talk about it every day. If you’re
directly to what they’re doing and how they get their work
part of a majority, you almost have a greater responsibility
done,” she explains. After several formative years in sales at Google, Annie’s
to take an active role, to have these conversations. Why would it not be in everyone’s best interest to work toward
sales skills are assets now: listening well, valuing the
an environment where everyone can thrive, one that’s more
customer, developing trust. “Going in with more questions
secure and resilient?
than answers is how things work best,” Annie says, “understanding what’s challenging, what’s exciting for this product area, and just appreciating being a partner.” More and more, throughout Silicon Valley, according to Annie, corporations and their leadership are seeing
“Wouldn’t it be great,” Annie says, “if in the future
country? My moonshot is that someday people say, ‘That’s so funny, that they had to think about that—that this was such an effort.’”
concrete evidence of the critical importance of diversity in their business process and outcomes, and the detriment
29%
I’m out of a job, and every company looks like our
by Cathleen Everett
FA L L 2 016
9
action t wo
C H R I S D U S S E A U LT ’ 8 7
Litigating the Right to Marry Chris Dusseault ’87
Same-Sex Marriage The Legal Short Course
JUNE 16, 2008
Same-sex marriage became legal in California. The Supreme Court of California ruled that barring same-sex couples from marriage violated the state’s constitution (In re: Marriage Cases).
10
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
You might predict that a debater at Milton and then Yale would turn up as a lawyer. Chris Dusseault claims an even tighter overlap between his love of music and singing at both those schools and his distinction as a litigator. “Reading your audience, understanding them, what they’re receiving and what they’re not, is much the same as looking a judge and jury in the eye. You come into the courtroom with one conception of how it should go—‘this is what I intended’—but is it working? You need to pay attention to what is resonating and what is not. Because at the end of the day, what matters is whether you reached your audience ...” Preparing for a career in law, Chris took civil rights courses
marriages state by state, in the absence of a federal ruling
in college, but his focus as a litigator over the years has
on the right of gay men and women to marry. Proposition 8
largely been antitrust defense and a range of other business
was the opportunity at hand. On a tip, Chad tested Ted
issues. “I’ve always been a trial person,” he says. One
Olson of Gibson Dunn’s Washington, D.C., office about his
winter night in 2010, Chris was out at a movie with his
interest in taking on a case against Proposition 8. Ted—
wife when he picked up an email from a partner at Gibson,
a high-profile, conservative lawyer and Solicitor General in
Dunn & Crutcher exploring Chris’s interest in working
the George W. Bush administration—believed strongly
on a new case that the firm was taking on. “Sure,” Chris
in the right of gay men and women to marry, and he agreed
said without hesitating. Only later did he learn that the case
to get involved. Further, he anticipated the impact of
in question would seek to stop Proposition 8, California’s
including counsel from “the other side of the ideological
ballot initiative that limited marriages to opposite-sex
spectrum,” as Chris says. Ted recruited David Boies,
couples. Even at the starting point of what would be
who led the Justice Department’s case against Microsoft
a four-year legal journey, Chris was “blown away by the
and defended Al Gore in the Bush v. Gore case before the
potential impact of the case. I could see early on how
Supreme Court that decided the American presidency in
right this was. It presented issues that the federal courts
2000. Olson’s and Boies’s firms worked as one on the
hadn’t yet reached, but it was 100 percent supported by
marriage equality case, according to Chris, and they were
the reasoning of existing civil-rights cases.”
joined by the city and county government of San Francisco.
The idea for the case that Gibson Dunn would undertake originated with California film director Rob Reiner and
Their complaint requesting an injunction against Proposition 8, filed with the Third District Court of
Chad Griffin, a former White House staffer who is now
Northern California, drew a response from Judge Vaughn
president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The two
Walker that shifted the character of the case. As Chris
were lamenting the ballot initiatives that were limiting
describes the judge’s thinking, “rather than simply reading
NOVEMBER 4, 2008
California state referendum known as Proposition 8 passed, limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples.
United States District Court Chief Judge Vaughn Walker declared Proposition 8 a violation of the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution (Perry v. Schwarzenegger). It “unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation.”
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court ruling (Perry v. Brown). “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”
AUGUST 4, 2010
F E B R U A R Y 7, 2 0 1 2
N O V E M B E R 5 , 2 0 0 8 Marriage licenses were not issued to same-sex couples in California.
briefs and granting or denying an injunction, he felt that
The legal team represented four individuals—two
this case involved many issues, at least 18 by his count, that
couples, who would need uncommon fortitude and
needed to be raised and decided in the way that trial
perseverance. Among their challenges was the need to
courts do things: through testimony, evidence and cross-
bare their personal lives not only before the court, but
examination.” Anticipating a potential Supreme Court role
also before the nation. Chris is still close friends with all
down the line with Proposition 8, Judge Walker wanted
four plaintiffs in the case: Kris Perry and Sandy Stier of
to build the trial, to build a record. Not only that; so as not to
Berkeley, and Paul Katami and Jeff Zarrillo of Los Angeles.
delay any further, he set an expedited timeline for hearing
Neither couple could get a marriage license, because Proposition 8 had overturned the California Supreme
the case. With a trial imminent, Chris’s expertise as a trial court specialist was especially relevant, and he took on “being
Court’s decision that legalized same-sex marriage. With the petitioners, experts and witnesses ready, the moment came to orchestrate the presentation of
the quarterback for putting this thing together.” “We embraced the 18 points,” Chris says. “The question
the evidence at trial. One of Chris’s roles was to map out
was, ‘How do we prove those points? How do you put
which witnesses would speak to which issues, and in
together a case that does that?’”
which order, to present the plaintiffs’ case most clearly and
In just 45 days, Chris and the team of lawyers identified and hired 10 experts and prepared their reports for the
powerfully, as well as how to respond to the arguments presented by the proponents of Proposition 8. HBO’s
trial. Taking and defending the depositions of roughly
documentary “The Case Against 8” shows Chris sharing
25 witnesses took another several months. Chris and the
with the plaintiffs the strategic decision to “put all four
team assembled experts that included historians whose
of you up front,” in recognition of the fact that the case was,
work focused on the history of marriage (Nancy Cott) and
at its essence, about people who just wanted the right to
the particular discrimination that gays and lesbians have
get married like everyone else.
experienced in the United States (George Chauncey). A
“The public trial was so important,” Chris says. He
Stanford political scientist (Gary Segura) showed the
remembers telling these two women and two men
disproportionate number of ballot initiatives directed at
who had agreed to undertake what lay ahead, “You guys
gays and lesbians. Psychologists testified on the effect of
are the whole reason for the case. It’s that powerful
legal discrimination on the LGBT community, and the
and that personal. The experts will follow you.” Chris
benefits of marriage, along with the lack of evidence that
defended the depositions of Paul and Jeff, and another
same-sex or opposite-sex parents have any unique effects
partner defended the depositions of Kris and Sandy.
on children. San Diego mayor Jerry Sanders (Republican)
“In a career that I’ve loved, and that has involved some
explained his decision to support homosexual marriage,
amazing, high-profile, high-stakes issues, nothing can
because of his lesbian daughter. Helen Zia, Chinese-
compare to preparing two men who love one another,
American journalist and lesbian, described the prejudice
and want to spend their life together, to be questioned about
she had experienced; and San Francisco’s chief economist,
exactly that: Why do you love the person you love? Could
Edmund Egan, projected the savings for the city if gays and
you love someone else? Questions about how gay and
lesbians were able to marry, especially a lower financial
straight people might differ in attitudes about promiscuity.
burden in mental health costs.
How do you get someone ready to testify under oath
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review the case (Hollingsworth v. Perry).
The Supreme Court ruled that the official sponsors of Proposition 8 did not have legal standing to appeal the district court decision. The judgment of the Ninth Circuit was vacated and the case was returned to that court with instructions to dismiss the Proposition 8 sponsors’ appeal.
D E C E M B E R 7, 2 0 1 2
JUNE 26, 2013
JUNE 28, 2013 J U N E 2 7, 2 0 1 3
12
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
A stay of effect was removed from the federal district court decision. Same-sex marriages were able to resume.
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
about questions like these? They were so courageous. “The proponents of Proposition 8,” Chris says, “focused
the Supreme Court, and in December 2012 the Supreme Court granted review. On June 26, 2013 the Supreme Court
on trying to poke holes in our folks’ testimony. We
found that the proponents of Proposition 8 did not have
presented 13 witnesses.” The proponents of Proposition 8
legal standing to appeal the district court’s decision, when
presented just two. Their main witness was David
California’s own officials refused to do so, and dismissed
Blankenhorn, whose task was to make the case for why a
the appeal. The life-changing day that Kris, Sandy, Paul
nondiscriminatory person would be against gay marriage.
and Jeff had been waiting, hoping and working toward was
He had to argue why it was not discriminatory to have the
June 28, 2013: The stay of effect on the district court’s
institution of marriage be a heterosexual thing; to narrow
decision was removed. Same-sex marriages occurred that
the institution to exclude a single group; and justify this
afternoon. Having endured and persevered through the
separate treatment of them. The Proposition’s proponents’
emotional roller coaster of various and protracted legal
argument at trial for why limiting marriage to straight
events from November 2008 through June 2013, Kris,
couples was not discriminatory centered on procreation,
Sandy, Paul and Jeff had earned access to an institution
or more accurately, “accidental procreation.” “Essentially,”
that many adults take for granted.
Chris says, “they pointed to the fact that a gay or lesbian
“Of course,” Chris says, “we had hoped the Supreme
couple couldn’t simply have a baby ‘by accident,’ as a
Court would decide the case on its merits and not on
heterosexual couple could, as justification to make
standing, but the fact that they recognized the constitutional
marriage only for heterosexuals.” A second argument,
right of gay men and women to marry only two years later
Chris noted, was that children are best-off when raised by
was a great thing.” On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court
their biological mother and father. But there was no
ruled that the right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex
evidence to support that conclusion, Chris says, and all
couples by the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States
Proposition 8 did was ensure that the many gay and lesbian
Constitution, and that state laws denying marriage equality
couples raising children in California would not have the
violated Equal Protection. All states were required, at
benefit of being married.
that point, to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
On August 4, 2010, Judge Vaughn Walker found in favor of the plaintiffs. Proposition 8 “unconstitutionally
Chris acknowledges that a love of and concern for justice and equality are in large measure what drew him
burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and
to the law. Those passions were well suited to this case,
creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual
he notes. “First I saw it as a legal issue. What I learned was
orientation,” he wrote. The proponents of Proposition 8
how human and how personal it is. This case allowed me
appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,
to use my training in the law, and in litigation, to help bring
and on February 7, 2012, the appeals court upheld the
about change that improves life for thousands of Americans.
district court decision. Judge Stephen Reinhardt noted that
And it simply makes this a better country.”
“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other
A wave of support for gay marriage is moving through
than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and
the country as pundits try to analyze why. Chris thinks
lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their
the reason is that “when you allow gay and lesbian couples
relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-
that love one another to marry and function in society,
sex couples.” The proponents of Proposition 8 appealed to
nothing bad happens. It’s all good. The parade of horribles, the 30-second sound bites of imminent disasters, just don’t happen.” “There’s lots of credit to pass around,” Chris says, “and we were a small part of a huge and widely effective effort.
The Supreme Court ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process clause and the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, United States Constitution. All states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. JUNE 26, 2015
By bringing a federal lawsuit, we took an approach and a strategy at a time when it wasn’t popular. Many people didn’t think it was the right strategy at the right time. But we felt that our clients deserved their full constitutional rights now, and we worked hard to make sure they got them. I will always be proud of that.” by Cathleen Everett
FA L L 2 016
13
action thr ee
J O E POS N E R ’03
What Don’t You Understand? Making Videos that Tackle the Issues that Confound Us Joe Posner ’03 The first of Joe Posner’s videos to go viral, he explains, was a robust, animated description of Europe’s austerity programs—all in about five minutes. He pitched the project, earned a grant from his alma mater, Brown, and collaborated with political economist Mark Blyth to render scholarly ideas about austerity in an accessible, entertaining video. That was 2009.
Today, Joe’s videos deliver facts-in-context at Vox.com,
“The assembly-line approach [to developing video] is
where his approach to creating video matches the mission
how television works. It’s efficient, and a good process
of the Vox digital platform. Vox.com aims to “explain
when you need to be on all the time, but what you get at
the news and the world around you.” Videos and features
the end is not unique or exciting,” says Joe. “Here at Vox,
also often explore subjects that may not be covered, or
we’ve gone from the mindset of considering video to be
even addressed, by other major media outlets. Vox videos
a supplementary thing, to where we consider ourselves
include, for example, “The Rise of Isis, Explained in 6
journalists. Instead of just adapting some news article,
Minutes,” or “Thin underwater cables hold the internet.
we are the true authors.”
See a map of them all.”
This structure serves the staff—and the viewers—well,
Joe is the director of video at Vox.com, and his team of
14
as Vox videos explore their subjects deeply, whether Joe is
video creators work on projects from the idea phase to
reporting on the New York City Marathon while running
the finish. This means taking people out of skill silos and
it himself, or his colleague Estelle is breaking down the
off the video production line. No one on the Vox video team
history of rhyme in rap music with painstaking detail.
does just one thing. They begin with broad expertise
In another case, a colleague proficient in French language
and journalistic drive; animators are reporters, and editors
and culture created a video that translated the Charlie
carry cameras and appear on screen. As a result, each
Hebdo cartoons and the periodical’s mission, in the wake
video has a fresh look and voice.
of a January 2015 attack on its office that left 11 people dead.
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
vox.com
/Vox
@voxdotcom @voxdotcom
FA L L 2 016
15
Launched in 2014 under parent company Vox Media by former Washington Post columnist Ezra Klein, Vox explains
this indicates that people do want to understand issues on a deeper level, beyond the sound-bite loop of cable news. “Among that terrible distrust of people, institutions and
complex issues, and its journalists do original reporting on politics and policies, science, business, culture and food.
facts, there still is a curiosity, and a recognition that some
Joe has been there from the start.
of the more popular forms of media can be misleading and not fact-intensive,” he says. “I love that our most-viewed items are really substantive, hard-news pieces.”
“Among that terrible distrust of people, institutions and facts, there still is a curiosity, and a recognition that some of the more popular forms of media can be misleading and not fact-intensive.”
Always coupling journalism and multimedia, Joe worked on The Milton Paper as a student, and also pursued his interests in music and performing arts. “Being involved in music and performance at Milton and beyond has taught me to relish performing, and that can show up in a lot of different ways.” At Brown, he combined his interests in performance, art and animation with studies in public policy, and he developed projects that spanned subject areas. Joe took a class taught by documentary filmmaker Eugene Jarecki,
In a time when distrust, or even hatred, of “the media”
who brought in guest documentary directors Alex Gibney
as a whole is propagated by public figures in politics,
(Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief ) and Morgan
sports and entertainment, working in journalism can
Spurlock (Supersize Me). Eugene Jarecki hired Joe right out of college, and their
be discouraging, Joe says. As people filter their news consumption based on their political alignment, a lot of
first major project together was working on a section of the
conflicting information is pushed out. But Joe is encouraged
documentary version of Freakonomics. Eugene directed,
by some unassailable data.
while Joe worked on animation. When he was ready to work on his own, Joe secured
Vox’s highest-viewed video on Facebook is an
16
explanation of the events leading to the violence and chaos
funding from Brown. “I created my own opportunities,”
in Syria up until last winter, which was posted just before
says Joe. “I had this idea to team up with an international
the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris. To Joe,
political economist who had something to say, and come
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
vox.com
/Vox
@voxdotcom @voxdotcom
up with a new kind of internet video that would combine my
everyday objects (“It’s not you. Bad doors are everywhere.”).
ABOVE AND
animation and the professor’s expertise and presentation.”
In December 2015, prompted by Republican presidential
Hence the career-igniting video condensing Mark Blyth’s
candidate Donald Trump’s inflammatory remarks about
PREVIOUS SPREAD Photos by Ilene Squires
scholarly paper on the instability of Europe’s austerity
Muslims and a call to temporarily ban Muslims from
programs into the video that showed the professor
traveling into the United States, Joe flew to a Trump rally in
interacting with Joe’s animations. Recently, Joe used some
Des Moines, Iowa, to see whether such comments resonate
of the same techniques on a Vox video interview with
with voters.
President Barack Obama. He used the Mark Blyth piece to land a series at Newsweek,
They do. In the video “Fear and loathing at a Trump rally,” statistics flash on the screen showing the increasing
which is how he met Ezra Klein, who became a fan of Joe’s
American distrust of Muslims, who make up nearly a
work. As he was building his plan for Vox, Ezra recruited
quarter of the world’s population. Clips of incendiary, anti-
Joe, who has been making videos for the site since before its
Muslim speech from cable talking heads appear before Joe
official launch.
interviews Trump supporters who say they feel threatened
For Joe, the next step in the “ambitious mission” of Vox video is continued growth. The talented group of video
by people who follow Islam. One man, when Joe asks whether it’s fair to say that
makers can only do so much; expansion will allow the team
Muslims are a problem, says, “If you break it down, yeah,
to better fulfill the organization’s mission—helping people
they’re a problem. Sorry to say it, but I can’t help but feel
understand what’s happening in the world. “We want empowered video creators. I don’t think there’s any other way to make something that’s fun,
that way right now. I don’t feel safe, and I think a lot of the country feels the same way.” Joe says he was surprised by the level of fear people
surprising and interesting,” Joe says. “Our ideas are driven
expressed, but not by the way it is being played for
by creators. What are they curious about? What do they
political gain. “A lot of this presidential campaign has
know about that’s of use to the audience?
been about taking advantage of people’s fears, and Donald
“We can’t cover everything, so we aim for quality over quantity,” he adds. “There is no perfect way to do this.” Joe’s recent work for the site includes a video celebrating
Trump does that effectively,” Joe says. “I would like to follow up that initial video. I would love to dive deeper into what is behind those fears.”
Muhammad Ali’s life beyond the boxing ring as a civil rights activist, and an examination of the usability of
by Marisa Donelan
FA L L 2 016
17
18
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
action four
REBECCA HOLCOMBE ’84
Education. Especially Rural and Public. Rebecca Holcombe ’84 The map of Vermont’s school districts—more than 270—on Dr. Rebecca Holcombe’s office wall resembles a patchwork quilt. Rebecca is responsible for this mix of colors and overlapping diagonal lines, this complicated school system. A passionate supporter of public schools, Rebecca became Vermont’s Secretary of Education in January 2014. “Nothing is more important than public education,” says
Despite the stark realities, Rebecca is steadfast
Rebecca. “If we cannot help children develop their voices
and focused on reforming the state’s education system,
and participate in civic life, help them make good decisions
embracing full citizen participation in decision making
for our communities and give them the tools they need to
and keeping the focus on what is best for all students.
be part of our economy, then nothing makes sense. Public education is foundational to that process.” Vermont’s demographics are in transition. It’s the second “oldest” state in the country, with its rapidly aging population. The number of people living in the state’s rural
“You can’t go into public education without being a hopeless idealist. You really have to believe that it’s possible to make a better world. And I am still a hopeless idealist,” says Rebecca. One of her department’s tasks is implementing a new
areas is sharply declining. And as is the case across the
state law, Act 46: a multi-year, voluntary process merging
U.S., a growing socioeconomic chasm “is threatening the
small school districts into bigger districts.
ability of some children to develop the skills they need to thrive,” Rebecca says.
“The logic is that bigger districts share resources and provide stability, but this idea also flies in the face of local
“This state has a strong sense of civic community
identity, so it’s challenging. However, 50 school districts
and high levels of public engagement, but some of our
have already voted to unify. These districts care about
schools have 50 to 75 percent fewer students than they
education, but they also want to make sure that they are
did in the past. That puts pressure on some of our systems
getting value for the dollars they spend.”
and challenges us to think about how we take care
In addition to managing the political and legislative
of our children and create opportunities for them in a
aspects of her department, Rebecca visits schools and
transitioning world.”
attends public meetings to talk with students, parents,
FA L L 2 016
19
ABOVE AND PREVIOUS SPREAD
Photos by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
teachers and administrators. “A lot of my job is listening
the person who controls the number in the budget is the
closely to what people are saying and trying to play back
person who can help push powerful conversations about
what I know and see, so when people come to the table, we
purpose and means.”
can figure out solutions. Schools work when people believe in what they’re doing and trust the system. No one wants
Rebecca was a middle school teacher in New Hampshire and a principal at the Fairlee School in Vermont. She
to change or consolidate or do any of this unless we have
also directed the formation of an interstate school district,
to. This isn’t about telling people what they need to do; it’s
which includes three districts in Vermont and one in New
about helping them understand the shared challenge and
Hampshire, a prelude of sorts to today’s consolidation
finding the tools to create better solutions.”
of districts under Act 46. Most recently, she was director of the Teacher Education Program at Dartmouth College. Rebecca’s department must also oversee federal requirements of public education. When it comes to mandated
“I fear that when we ask these tests to do things for which they weren’t originally intended, we lose the value the tests do have. None of us wants a test-driven curriculum, because real learning involves risks, inquiry and exploration.”
testing, an area she knows well from her dissertation research, she is not afraid to go against the grain. “Federal education programming is driven by testbased accountability. The logic is if you identify the lowest performance schools and target them, then everything will get better. However, our perception is that strong schools come from strong communities. You can’t mandate good schools; you need to provide the structure, the support, the transparency, and the data that enable a strong school to become self-regulating and self-improving. I fear that when we ask these tests to do things for which they
Rebecca didn’t necessarily intend a career in education, but she says, “In one way, shape or form, even at a young
have. None of us wants a test-driven curriculum, because
age, I was thinking about learning.” Her parents worked for
real learning involves risks, inquiry and exploration.
the United Nations, and Rebecca grew up in Pakistan and
Kids need to be willing to take intellectual risks and not
Afghanistan, where she attended American international
worry about repercussions.”
schools. When war broke out in Afghanistan in the early
When No Child Left Behind was the federal mandate, Vermont chose not to evaluate teachers based on test scores,
’80s, Rebecca came to Milton. She majored in history at
20
weren’t originally intended, we lose the value the tests do
Brown University, earned a master’s in education and,
because, Rebecca explains, “that demeans the breadth and
just recently, a Ph.D. from Harvard’s Graduate School of
richness of what our systems were trying to accomplish.
Education. She earned an M.B.A. at Simmons College
We don’t want to discourage our best and brightest teachers
School of Management because she “realized early on that
from embracing the most complicated students in our
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
education.vermont.gov
/VTEducation
@VTEducation
system. Those children need strong teachers the most. We need to make it a privilege to teach those kids and provide those educators with the support they need. Teaching well when all of your students are well fed and have supportive two-parent families is easy. Teaching is much harder when kids are grappling with issues of safety, hunger and family disruptions far beyond their control.” Taking this approach meant that Vermont had to label every single public school in the state as a “low-performing school” under the federal law. “But that gave us an opportunity. If all of us are low-performing, what does that mean? That was a launching point for a more nuanced conversation about what a good school is, how you know a good school when you see it, and what contexts enable quality education for all children.” Today’s federal mandate is Every Child Succeeds, and Rebecca is focused on what that might mean. Compared with other states, Vermont’s rate of students moving on to college is low. Increasing that number is important, but Rebecca believes in more than one path to success. “As a country, we have devalued the crafts and the trades. A skilled craftsperson has high value in the future economy. We want to make sure someone who wants to pursue that can do so, and develop the skill sets and entrepreneurial skills they need. How can we develop an education system that is flexible enough to reward and support many kinds of success, not just the stereotypical paths of success?” Rebecca commutes an hour from her home in southern Vermont to the office in Barre. The back roads twist and turn through small towns and villages where the schoolhouse was once the focal point of town life. Yielding to the concept of bigger districts changes that way of life. Rebecca is aware of what is lost, but she believes there is much to be gained over time. In the end, what is best for the students is what matters. “Good work takes time. Our line internally is that this is a marathon, not a sprint. We can’t improve a school in a day or a year. It takes people who roll up their sleeves and work very intentionally and very hard with communities over time. I need to create conditions for stability, knowing that paradoxically, getting to stability requires making changes, which can be hard.” by Liz Matson
“Essentially we’re talking about fear that drives this bottomless need for safety. And that’s the problem with safety: You can always be safer.”
22
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
at milton
PHOTOS BY MICHAEL DW YER
What Is the Real Safe? In the black box, six students shift quietly about the stage, taking positions to give public voice to the raw, or eloquent, or plaintive comments that emerged during more than 30 interviews. The actors, in their dark or neutral street-wear, recede physically, which isolates and emphasizes their words slicing through the air, riveting the audience. The script, which they sculpted from their transcribed interviews, sketches vulnerability in different shapes and sizes. It uses their narrators’ exact phrases. “Narrators” are those people who answered student questions with startling honesty, gave them personal stories. In total, the narrators show “real safety” as pretty elusive — compromised at best, and often out of reach.
Several months ago these six juniors and seniors set
encounter, he and others began to see that feelings
out to probe the ambiguous terrain of emotional and
about safety were hard-wired to many of the ideas the
physical safety. Bringing to the stage what they found
class wanted to test. What does safety mean to you,
culminates one second-semester project for the course
and how much or how little safety do you feel? “We
Narrative Journalism and Performance. It’s “hands on”;
wanted to offer conflicting perspectives and experiences,”
they learn narrative journalism skills, performance
says Kellie Quinn ’16, “because it’s clear that people’s
skills and peer workshopping, through practice. With
backgrounds and roles lead to different senses of what
their co-teachers, Lisa Baker (English) and Peter Parisi
safety means for them.”
(chair, Performing Arts), they identify, research, write and
Slicing the topic into three areas (physical safety,
perform stories from within and beyond Milton Academy.
emotional safety and “post 9/11 parenting”) researched
This particular storytelling project was to be a
by three, two-student teams, they named their target
collaborative venture. “We filled an entire whiteboard
narrators, and set about interviewing: teachers and
with brainstorming ideas,” Chloe LeStage ’17 remembers,
counselors, campus safety officers and administrators,
“materialism, race, religion, the meaning of love, helicopter parents, lockdowns, depression, the meaning of art, and
fellow students and parents. Adam Bramson ’16 led the questioning at a panel
how adolescence has changed.” Their previous projects
discussion with Upper School parents; Chloe and Henry
had already taught them how listening well, standing in
Westerman ’17 led the mirror panel with Middle and Lower
another’s shoes and telling his story, can completely alter
School parents. “I know from my own mom how much
your awareness, and create newfound empathy. In this
things have changed since she was a child,” Adam says,
round, they wanted to trigger a new level of discovery by asking questions that held a mirror up to the Milton
“when she basically did her chores and went outside and played all over the neighborhood with her friends.” He
community itself. Peter Parisi recalls that during an intense
found parents chilled by violent events; both empowered
conversation in the dorm one night, after a Republican
and flummoxed by the internet; avidly seeking a “balance”
presidential candidates’ debate, Norris boys turned to him
between programming their kids, striving for their
and asked, “Well, what are you willing to compromise,
achievement, and trying to make sure they are happy.
Mr. Parisi, your safety or your freedom?” In class after that
They each confided having taken a certain course of action,
FA L L 2 016
23
“Understanding how much adults on campus have to worry about was eye-opening.”
duty for the dorms. While he’s on duty, he thinks continually of what range of things might happen, what he may need to do—and what the right thing to do will be.” David Ball told Kellie that the Boston Marathon bombing stood out as a distinctive challenge in his memory. In the script, another administrator recalls that day: “I got a call from the boarding monitor. I had no idea what had happened, and the first thing he said was, ‘We’re all okay, the bombs went off really close to us by the finish line.’ And I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ I remember that moment and then kind of going through the whole process of: ‘All right, so here’s what I need you to do. Give me a good sense of where you are,’ stuff like that, and walking this kid through getting out of the city and back to campus or to places we could actually get to them. That was what we were thinking. There was no … confidence that if you sent them this place or that place that you were going to be sending them away from danger.” One narrator, an adult pointing to the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels, says, “I don’t think gathering places but not feeling the least bit confident that they might be on the right track. “So immediately in your mind, the
to cause harm.” The same person says, convincingly, “We
world is a really scary place that you need to protect your
don’t hear about the times that guns actually protect
children from, as opposed to the world is an amazing place
someone, where lives have been saved because someone
that you want your child to explore and be a part of,” says
has been carrying a gun. We don’t hear about that in the
one parent. A school counselor’s approach may make good
news—you don’t have the complete picture.”
sense: “I think it is important to learn to fail, to learn
Without attribution, the words in the script stand for
to hear things that are uncomfortable, to know that the
themselves. As Henry says, “Our narrators didn’t need
world isn’t a safe place, and inherently by doing that,
to be worried about being judged. So we can have a debate
you’re building your resilience.” But as another narrator
onstage that never could have happened offstage. People
said, “It’s hard to be a mellow parent.”
would be too afraid to say what they believe.”
Musing, Adam says, “Parents seem to want to teach their own kids now, based on what happened to them,
Crafting the script, students learn that some of its power springs from juxtaposition. Following one deeply
even though things about adolescence have changed.”
held point of view with a counterpoint marks up a reality
Henry can’t help but note the conflict parents are feeling:
we rarely consider—as when this student narrator enters
being against over-scheduling and over-protecting, and
the flow: “When you come from a community where a
yet doing exactly that. “Seeing them changed how I think,”
lot of kids don’t live to see the next day, of course you’re
says Henry, “hearing what and how parents think. It’s
going to tell that kid: ‘Well maybe don’t wear that hoodie’
important that we acknowledge what’s real for them.”
or ‘Don’t stand on that corner.’ Black kids have to grow
“Understanding how much adults on campus have to
24
are safe anymore. … There are people out there who want
up faster. As a kid, I was told, ‘Hey, the police are gonna
worry about was eye-opening,” says Kellie. “Like Mr. Ball
give you a tougher time. You’re going to be seen as more
(Upper School principal) when he’s the administrator on
aggressive no matter what you do or say, so here’s what
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
you need to do: When you get pulled over, keep your hands on the wheel. Don’t make eye contact. Only answer questions when spoken to. And whatever you do, do not make sudden movements.’ I think I had that conversation when I was seven.” Or from a parent anticipating that very encounter: “We have a black son, so whenever I see a kid, or a black person getting arrested, we sit and watch and talk about what that person did right while getting arrested. ‘If a cop comes up to you, take your hands out of your pockets and spread your fingers.’ When we drive by someone who’s pulled over in Milton, my son always looks and says, ‘Oh look, another black guy pulled over.’ I told him the other day that he’s not allowed to cut through backyards. He’s gotta stay on the street because people get nervous when they see kids, black kids, cutting through their backyard.” “None of this is fiction,” says Eshani Chakrabarti ’17,
understanding real experiences and being open with one another are. The majority opinion is not the only opinion.
reflecting on her classmates’ challenge, sifting through
Some of our best days were spent arguing about what
pages and pages of transcribed interviews to create a
needed to be included in the script.”
script that respects all the voices. “It shows how important
Eshani’s interviews explored language as a vector. “How would you define political correctness?” she would begin, becoming increasingly aware of what a complicated, simple question she was asking. “I didn’t know where I stood,” she says. “People are not things,” one narrator says. “They are not statistics. They are not game pieces. They are precious beings and we should treat one another the way we’d have others treat us. Which means not to be dismissed, not to be referred to by a slur, not to be defined as an object
He found parents chilled by violent events; both empowered and flummoxed by the internet; avidly seeking a “balance” between programming their kids, striving for their achievement, and trying to make sure they are happy.
FA L L 2 016
25
w h at is t h e r e a l sa fe?, con t.
or a purpose for someone else. I tend not to use that term,
not caring that they did—all of that has a compounding
political correctness, because it sounds like a kind of
effect on your ability to focus on things, like school or
autocratic or totalitarian term or something out of
sports or doing what you have to do. It’s a distraction.”
1984 ... that term is in itself kind of a minefield of ordering people how to speak, when the point of it is to be mindful
around. He was aware then that one boy in the room may
and to listen to other people.” What does “teaching” mean when those inevitable
26
A teacher re-created an encounter of decades ago, when boys in his class were trading “faggot” comments all have been gay. In his retelling, the teacher turned similarly
comments spill out, when young people of vastly different
degrading comments on each of the boys, explicit to their
backgrounds—naïve, myopic, probing young people—
race or ethnicity. They were furious. “And I said, ‘You see?
engage around a table? As a student narrator said, “It’s
What did I just do?’ And they got it. They got it. They were
not so much physical safety, but emotional and mental
talking in a way that was so offensive to anyone who
safety I am concerned about, just because the community
might—it was offensive to me! I didn’t say, ‘You boys, now’
is largely ignorant. Everything from micro-aggressions
[wagging finger], I wasn’t going to give them a lecture. It
to well-intentioned kids saying the wrong thing and then
was visceral. And that’s what I think we’re lacking now, a
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
visceral response. I don’t think anyone today would do what I did then.” His story connects with another narrator’s insight: “I have a lot of empathy for people who have to walk into rooms and size up if they’re safe. Is there anyone who looks like me here? Is there anyone who seems like I might be able to trust them? Do I have to worry about having to represent everybody who looks like me? It’s a huge burden, and if you carry it all the time, you take it in stride, but it conditions your whole life.” That “only person in the room” syndrome plays out in many ways: “If I’m in a group, and I’m the only student of color and someone makes a joke, it’s kind of like I have to decide whether or not to be offended and whether or not to state that offense, because the second I do, I’m bringing the conversation to a level that a lot of people don’t want to be on,” says a student. “It makes me feel very uncomfortable, because people might be like, oh, she had to bring it back to race, she always does, but it’s like I don’t have the privilege
“It’s not so much physical safety, but emotional and mental safety I am concerned about, just because the community is largely ignorant. Everything from micro-aggressions to well-intentioned kids saying the wrong thing and then not caring that they did — all of that has a compounding effect on your ability to focus on things, like school or sports or doing what you have to do. It’s a distraction.”
of not saying something in that situation. I guess that makes me feel unsafe.” Perhaps the identity issue is captured most succinctly by another student narrator: “As far as unsafe goes, I feel like when you are required to prove something to someone, that is really nerve-racking.” Now in their third year of teaching the course, Lisa Baker and Peter Parisi have learned that they can be
“As performers, we’re all embodying many personas, making sure we get the language right,” says Cheyenne. “Every person is represented [in performance] in the
two “experts” in the room, working together, agreeing,
most important way,” says Adam. “We each played several
disagreeing, in real time, collaborating with students to
narrators; we were performing as people I don’t know,
reach high standards of reporting, crafting stories,
or didn’t hear, and wasn’t there, and we had to give each
performing publicly.
narrator his own respect.”
“Ms. Baker brought a focus on how to tell a story,” Chloe
“We tell the kids to own the language,” says Peter. “We
says, “how to get a message across: what to emphasize,
are gifted with honesty. What is the emotional content?
what to withhold, how it moved.
We need to feel and express the emotion.”
“Both teachers were active on every issue over the whole
“Our goal, really, was to encourage listeners, to encourage
course, with good and congruent opinions and differences
people to be more thoughtful,” Adam says. “From Ms.
in opinions. The class was really collaborative. I loved the
Baker and Mr. Parisi I learned that it is amazing what you
interviewing the best,” she adds. “I was able to go deeply
can learn from the art of listening,” says Henry. “This is a
into a subject with someone I didn’t know.”
cool art form, storytelling.”
“I didn’t expect to get such valuable words,” Cheyenne Porcher ’17 says. “Each person was so candid. Then we had to see how to fit it all together. During the interview, we can’t interrupt and disagree. It’s so different from a conversation where people listen just to respond rather
“This story says so much about Milton,” says Chloe. “There are so many different perspectives. Milton is speaking, but it’s about the world. “It will be revealing, what sort of impact this kind of storytelling can have.”
than to understand. Then afterward, I couldn’t take something out just because I disagreed with it.
by Cathleen Everett
FA L L 2 016
27
at milton
Kn w Thyself
An Approach to Getting There In the student lounge of Ware Hall one morning in late May, seventh graders were piecing together snack “necklaces” to represent what they’d learned about themselves. They’d just completed year one of the Middle School’s 360 program.
A mini-Saltine cracker meant they knew their learning
week schedule. They use two separate classrooms and
fruit loops in different flavors represented auditory, visual
two different curricula, but the subject areas often overlap.
and tactile/kinesthetic learning. A Cheerio represented
Liz, the learning specialist, helps the students
empathy, and a purple gummy ring was the sign of good
understand their dominant learning styles, whether they’re
time management. A Cheez-It indicated that the wearer
auditory, tactile/kinesthetic or visual. She works with
would rather work on a project than write a paper. More
them on time management and study skills. Nicci, the
than a dozen options were available for the choosing, one
Middle School counselor, teaches students communication
sign of the range of topics covered in 360, a class all seventh
skills and self-advocacy, just as students are expected to
and eighth graders take, co-taught by counselor Nicci King
take ownership of their success, preparing for high school life. Nicci also works with students on mindfulness and
and learning specialist Liz West. After assembling their edible jewelry, students shared
stress management, and shares tools for navigating the social and emotional obstacles of teenage life.
their stories. “I learned that I need to manage my time, and I’ve gotten
“We want boys and girls to see themselves as more
much better at that,” one girl offered. “I used to be really
than just students,” Nicci says. “We want them to see their
antsy and fidgety in class, but I learned that I’m a tactile/
strengths—what they’re excellent at—and also those areas
kinesthetic learner, so when I do a hands-on physical
where they might need to advocate for themselves, because
project, I focus much better.”
they may struggle in certain things.”
“I think I’ve become a more reliable friend,” a boy said. “I know what not to do while studying, and what was
Liz adds that she wants students to consider their struggles as calls for improvement, rather than weaknesses. Success stories from 360 often begin when a student
distracting me before,” another student piped in. “I’ve become more aware of what’s going on around me,
realizes, “I need help, and I’m going to seek it.” For Brendan, time management was difficult before
and how it affects others, not just me.” The 360 program addresses students’ academic, social
28
Liz and Nicci alternate the sections they teach on a two-
style, and could easily articulate it. Gummy candies and
360. Through the program, he learned that his dominant
and emotional growth—considering how a teenager
learning style is kinesthetic, or hands-on, so when he has
develops as a student, friend and community member—
to build something for one class and write a paper for
during years in which their brains are frequently rewiring.
another, he now knows to budget more time to work on the
Over the past decade, 360 has evolved from an elective life-
paper. Brendan says he intends to put his 360 knowledge
skills class into today’s comprehensive format, a program
to the test in the Upper School this fall, using what
Middle School Principal Will Crissman says “gets better
he’s learned about how sleep, nutrition and hydration can
and better every year.”
support academic performance.
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
“I don’t think I can say that I’m completely prepared,
“Life is not perfect. Students are going to struggle and be challenged, so we want that to happen here and now when it’s in a pretty controlled setting. That way we can say, ‘There it is. It happened. You survived it. And now, what do we know?’”
because the Upper School is a major step up in the amount of work that we’ll have, but I feel much more prepared than if I hadn’t taken 360,” Brendan says. “I’m more comfortable going to my teachers now if I have questions, because I understand that it’s useful, and they want us to succeed.” The Middle School is a perfect environment for this kind of affective education, Liz explains. While students are going through the constant and major changes of their teen years and taking on the responsibilities of managing their own class schedules, becoming aware of how they learn and communicate is critical. As schoolwork becomes more difficult, the tight-knit group of educators are on hand to help them improve. Kids start to push away from their parents and tackle challenges on their own—something that can be tough for
30
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
parents. “Kids are going to become less communicative
his peers do the self-evaluation in 360 prompted him
with their parents, and that’s normal,” Liz says.
to think of himself as an individual. Knowing his learning
“Parents can always reach out to us and talk. The
style helped him study more efficiently, but it also created
best thing parents can do as our partners is to let kids
an understanding that everyone has different strengths
know that it’s okay to fail, because failing leads
and struggles.
to opportunity.” Nicci adds, “And it builds resilience. Life is not
“It takes a burden off people’s shoulders to see others finding out who they are and how they learn, and just
perfect. Students are going to struggle and be challenged,
becoming more comfortable with themselves. Now I
so we want that to happen here and now when it’s in
know that if I am having trouble, I need to ask myself if
a pretty controlled setting. That way we can say, ‘There
there is a different way I can approach the problem,”
it is. It happened. You survived it. And now, what do
Kavi says. “I think that’s one of the great things about the
we know?’”
Middle School as a whole: Self-advocacy is something
Self-awareness serves students for life, explains
that all of our teachers emphasize. Our teachers push us
Will. The program gives students the tools to advocate
to talk to them and understand ourselves as learners, and
for themselves socially as well as academically. The
360 gives us the guidelines for talking to them about
goal is that students leave the Middle School knowing
what we need as students.”
themselves very well. Kavi, who completed eighth grade in June, said seeing
by Marisa Donelan
FA L L 2 016
31
c o m m e n c e m e n t 2 0 1 6
What Dare to Be True May Mean Tomorrow Conor French ’99
because of the multiplier effect. Studies show that women and girls reinvest over 90 percent of their income into their families and their communities. Empowering these women is the smart thing to do because if you look at the future demographics of our global workforce and consumer landscape, this will be critical to a sustainable future economy. Finally, it keeps us safe, because building capacity among women and providing them access to functional economies has been shown to significantly reduce security threats such as terrorism. You can, and should, care about many different things. When you find what you care about deeply, roll up your sleeves or get nerdy or do whatever you need to do to make caring about it a priority in your life. relentlessly challenge the status quo
What attracted me to Funding Circle, where we’re re-imagining how we finance small businesses, was the disconnect between small business’ importance to our economy and its poor access to the resources necessary to Daring Virtue
grow. At Funding Circle, our borrowers are Main Street
Let’s ground ourselves in a common starting place. Dare
small businesses; small businesses employ roughly half of
to be true. We’ll try to tackle today what “Dare to Be True”
our American workforce. They have accounted for two-
can mean to you tomorrow. I’ll offer you a notion of daring
thirds of net new jobs over the past two decades. And they
to be true as an elegant composition of four interconnected
serve as critical on-ramps for their owners to broader
virtues: (1) caring is cool, (2) relentlessly challenge the status
prosperity, which in turn helps address income inequality.
quo, (3) stand bold and (4) hard times require furious dancing.
Yet for many of these 28 million American small
For simplicity’s sake, from here on out, we’ll call each a
businesses, the status quo of traditional financing options
Daring Virtue.
isn’t working.
caring is cool
are often targeted by predatory lending practices. Rather
In 2010, I left my law firm after four years to help artisan
than turning a blind eye to the financial exploitation…,
In my current field, small business credit, … borrowers
women in Rwanda lift themselves out of poverty. At Indego
I co-authored a Small Business Borrowers’ Bill of Rights.
Africa, our programs help these women gain market
This Borrowers’ Bill of Rights called upon every small-
access and earn income to meet their families’ basic needs.
business lender to adopt clear baseline industry standards
At the same time, our business and management training
for transparency, fairness and inclusion.
provides them opportunities to acquire the skills to run their own profitable businesses over the long term. The prevalence of gender-based discrimination means
32
stand bold
A few years ago, I was honored to be named among the
we all share a clear moral imperative to stop it. This is the
most influential young foreign-policy professionals;
right thing to do. Women’s empowerment is also effective
after my initial shock … came the even greater surprise at
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
indegoafrica.org
/IndegoAfrica
@/indego_africa @indego_africa
the category: they labeled me a “risk taker.” I had always equated risk taking with deliberate imprudence or a penchant for unnecessary peril, like driving without a seatbelt or free-climbing some remote rock formation. It never occurred to me—the importance of taking the healthy, everyday risk of being courageously ourselves. Sometimes courage drives us toward self-discovery. Sometimes it challenges us to supplant our hurt or anger with empathy or compassion. Sometimes it spurs us to love another—a spouse, a child, a friend—as much or more than we love ourselves. And sometimes courage requires
I share Joselyne’s story … so that we never forget the
us to face down injustice, even where its very existence
immeasurable depth and power of human resilience. No
may benefit or insulate us.
one is immune to life disruptions, so the best we can do is
hard times require furious dancing
The best we can do is to embrace those things that anchor
not underestimate the vitality of our own human spirit. Early on at Indego Africa, I learned of a woman who, in
us and lean on them to remind ourselves that, whatever
the face of her neighbors’ death threats during the genocide,
comes our way, we always have the strength to bounce back.
tried to commit suicide by throwing herself into a latrine.
For my wife, it is her faith. For my father, who has
She survived the fall and instead lived down there for five
coped his entire life with depression, it is painstaking
days while people urinated and defecated on her.
self-awareness. For the poet Alice Walker, from whom I
When, several years later, Joselyne Nibagwire, a
borrowed the phrase that encapsulates this Daring Virtue,
charismatic leader of a cooperative whom we’d selected
it evidently is dancing … furious dancing. For me, it is
for an artisan trip to the U.S., sat down with us to pen
shared laughter with family and friends and fellowship
her biography, it seemed impossible that she was that
with people like Joselyne, who never stopped believing
survivor—the same woman who would charm and disarm
in themselves and that what they did mattered—not just to
her way through Amex, Google, and the U.S. Department
them, but to all of us.
of State; the same woman who’d shrug and calmly tell
Someone once told me that it isn’t a matter of if we’ll
a room full of fashion buyers that “if [she] didn’t die in the
fall, it’s a matter of when and how often. What matters then
genocide, [she] realized maybe there was a reason for that,
is that we accept that we will fall and learn to fall gracefully
and maybe [she] needed to move forward with [her] life,”
so that we don’t let the fear of falling deter us.
and then would implore the buyers to go back to discussing the products she’d carefully laid out for their inspection.
Excerpted from the commencement address delivered by Conor French ’99 to the Class of 2016. Conor is co-founder and advisor to Indego Africa, a nonprofit enterprise that partners with cooperatives of nearly 500 female artisans in Rwanda and Ghana. Indego Africa tries to break cycles of poverty by providing women with the tools and support to flourish as independent businesswomen and drive economic development in their communities. Indego Africa supports its artisan partners by exporting, marketing and selling their products— clothing, jewelry, accessories, home décor—online and to retailers like J.Crew and Nicole Miller. Indego Africa pools profits from sales, donations and grant support to fund training in business management, entrepreneurship, technology and literacy for its artisan partners. Conor is an attorney and serves as general counsel for Funding Circle USA.
FA L L 2 016
33
com m encem en t 2 016, con t.
College Matriculation, Class of 2016
Dartmouth College 1 University of Denver 1 Duke University 1 Emmanuel College 1 Emory University 2 Fairfield University 1 Franklin & Marshall College 1 George Washington University 2 Georgetown University 3 Gettysburg College 1 Hamilton College 2 Harvard College 8
University of Maine 1
College of the Holy Cross 1
University of Maryland 1
Johns Hopkins University 1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4
Kenyon College 1
University of Massachusetts, Amherst 1
Lafayette College 2
McGill University 1
Laguna College of Art & Design 1
Messiah College 1
Amherst College 3
Loyola University Maryland 1
University of Miami 2
Babson College 4
Lynchburg College 1
University of Michigan 3
Barnard College 1
Macalester College 1
Middlebury College 3
Belmont University 1 Bentley University 1 Boston College 5 Boston University 5 Bowdoin College 3 Brandeis University 1 University of British Columbia 1 Brown University 8 Bryn Mawr College 1 Bucknell University 2 California Institute of Technology 1 University of California, Los Angeles 1 University of Chicago 10 Claremont McKenna College 1 Colby College 3 Colgate University 2 University of Colorado, Boulder 2 Colorado College 2 Columbia University 6 Connecticut College 4
34
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
the talbot baker award On the day before graduation, at the spring prize assembly, four faculty members were honored with the Talbot Baker Award, recognizing excellence in teaching. Created in 1968 to honor Talbot “Bake” Baker ’25, this award “provides a living memorial based on a confidence in the humanity of teachers and the quality of teaching” that Mr. Baker experienced as a student at the Academy and as parent to Nick ’51, Toby ’53 and Ben ’57. Sonya Conway (Grade 6) Chris Hales (Mathematics/Computer Programming) Martha Slocum (Kindergarten) Vivian WuWong (History and Social Sciences)
left Juan Diego Jaramillo, Class of 2016 Speaker
Morehouse College 1
Saint Louis University, Madrid 1
Wake Forest University 1
New England Conservatory 1
Scripps College 2
Washington University in St. Louis 3
The New School 1
Skidmore College 1
Wellesley College 2
New York University 4
University of Southern California 1
Wesleyan University 5
Northeastern University 4
Stanford University 2
College of William and Mary 1
Northwestern University 2
Swarthmore College 1
Williams College 1
Oberlin College 1
University of Toronto 3
Yale University 2
Occidental College 2
Trinity College 4
University of Oregon 1
Tufts University 3
University of Pennsylvania 1
Tulane University 3
Pomona College 1
Union College 1
University of Puget Sound 2
U.S. Merchant Marine Academy 1
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 1
Vanderbilt University 1
University of Richmond 1
Villanova University 2
Rochester Institute of Technology 1
University of Virginia 3
Accurate as of July 18, 2016
above Melody Tan, Class of 2016 Speaker
FA L L 2 016
35
r e u n i o n w e e k e n d
by the numbers
731
reunion guests
class of 2011 was best represented
93 62 attendees
donors to their class gift
520
burgers
9,982 miles traveled from Queensland, Australia, by Ngaio Jamieson ’ 66
495
hotdogs
s e r v e d at t h e b a r b e c u e o n t h e q u a d
$ 392,000
in gifts t o m i lt o n
from the 30th reunion Class of 1986 36
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
FA L L 2 016
37
r eu n ion w eek en d, con t.
38
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
FA L L 2 016
39
r eu n ion w eek en d, con t.
40
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
FA L L 2 016
41
r eu n ion w eek en d, con t.
42
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
FA L L 2 016
43
head of school
BY TODD B . BL AND
The Lived Truth: When Mine Is Different From Yours When my younger brother, Richard, graduated from college, he
worked for Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York. Senator Moynihan—a liberal Democrat—regularly had breakfast with the staunchly conservative Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. Today’s political culture would label these two senators enemies. Legend has it that the first half hour of their shared meals involved their ridiculing one another’s positions with passion and, often, spectacular humor. Once that exchange was out of their systems, they got down to business. They knew that regardless of their differences— which could be extreme—their responsibility to the people of the United States required that they collaborate, that they work together
commitment to collaboration, and to recognizing the value of everyone’s
through tremendously complex policy issues.
contribution to a collective idea.
Many have heard me describe Milton people as “beautifully
Milton has always been known for helping young people find
opinionated.” Milton students, faculty, staff and alumni are
their voices. Today, they find out who they are, and what they can offer,
diverse—of thought, background, talent, ethnicity and lifestyle—
as team members in project-based group work—tackled by students
and that is a great source of strength for our School. It stands to
in every grade, in every discipline. From debates around the Harkness
reason that the more diverse the group of people who are living
table in history classes, to the “Design Your Own” lab experiments
and working together, the more challenging—and important—
throughout the science curriculum; from sophisticated theatrical
the act of listening and understanding each other is. At its core,
productions to sports competitions; from kindergarten conversations
Milton has always prioritized growing and learning among
about sharing to a senior project on designing a service website. As
individuals who share widely divergent life stories, and respecting
we can see from this Milton Magazine, and others, Milton graduates
each other’s backgrounds and cultures, as an invaluable aspect
apply these attributes and skills to accomplish forward motion that
of a true education.
affects us all.
With “Dare to Be True” as our watchword, how do we effectively, productively, live and learn together when many of our “truths”
Recently, student leaders of Onyx (Milton’s black culture club) and The Conservative Club worked together to create meaningful
are divergent? When intelligent and strong-willed individuals
conversation on campus about the Black Lives Matters campaign. Israel
perceive that their daily realities are different from the mainstream,
Moorer ’16 and Tiara Sharma ’16 co-founded Assad, a publication whose
invisible perhaps, or under-appreciated? Not easily, not perfectly,
mission is to illuminate “narratives around race, class, sexuality, gender,
and not separately. Every day at Milton, we work toward finding the
religion and (dis)ability.” These conversations, among others that we
balance between advocating fervently for what we believe, and also
must address, are difficult. They are fraught with emotion, and they
acknowledging a commitment to classmates, teachers, neighbors
require extraordinary courage. Time and again, students and adults at
with whom we disagree. Doing this well means striving toward ideal
Milton rise to that challenge.
expressions of respect, civility and understanding. It means developing
Educating our students to take responsibility and act on behalf
open-minded self-awareness, integrity, empathy, curiosity and the
of everyone is not only a moral imperative, it’s a pragmatic necessity.
ability to work as a team member—critical skills today and at all times.
Milton helps young people “Dare to Be True” in a modern context.
We work hard to develop these key competencies in our students. Complicated questions—issues with which we wrestle in classes
Our motto demands the best of the individual, and while we determine our personal truths, we must acknowledge our inextricable connection
and across campus—require nuanced responses, reached only through
to one another. We will continue to struggle, disapprove and
intense, creative work with one another. Many of today’s public figures
misunderstand, as well as coalesce, engage and empathize. Milton will
promote simplistic answers, based in narrow “truths,” as solutions.
continue developing young people interested in, and capable of, finding
Our children, our students, deserve leaders who truly help move
ingenious, practical responses to complex problems. I can confidently
everyone forward. Milton prepares young people to understand how
predict that future Milton alumni will be deeply involved in finding the
to lead when complicated, inclusive approaches to complex issues are
common good, even when that means breaking bread with someone
necessary. Making this kind of progress comes only with a steady
whose “truth” is quite different from their own.
44
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
b o a r d o f t r u s t e e s Retiring From the Board Bob Cunha ’83 Milton Academy Board of Trustees, 2008–2016
Bob Cunha asks tough questions, and he asks them well—a common
MacBook in the other, ready to work. Bob is prepared to tackle issues
Milton trait. Perhaps less common: Under Bob’s curiosity and search
head-on, unwilling to settle for the way “we’ve always done it.” He takes
for truth is a pure heart. Asking the tough questions made Bob a savvy reporter and editor
commitments seriously and strives to understand things at ground level. For a time, he had monthly lunches with Milton staff members so he
for the Milton Measure. During board meetings 30 years later, Bob still
could be well prepared for issues that came his way. Bob established a
uses thoughtful probes to get to the bottom of any matter. But getting
scholarship at Milton because it was important to his family; it also lent
there—wherever there is—feels good with Bob lighting the way. He’s
him more credibility, as a friendly yet intrepid solicitor.
devoted to real outcomes, while remaining open and curious. His style
For his approachable and astute demeanor, Bob was asked to
invites greater participation, advancing conversations, never stunting
join the board of trustees in 2008, and he was critical in helping Milton
them. His approach likely was shaped by a lifetime spent on teams.
affirm the School’s K–12 structure. Bob served on several board
Bob was a three-sport athlete at Milton, playing basketball, baseball
committees, including as co-chair of External Relations and campaign
and football. He’s still a competitive athlete, and at reunion, you
planning, as well as working on the Building and Grounds Committee
may find him in an alumni baseball game, keeping recent grads on
and Institutional Brand Council. His leadership as chair of the Trustee
their toes. Bob’s intelligence and athleticism are an important part of
Committee may be his lasting work, however—assessing board
who he is, shaping his approach to problem solving and his outlook
governance and bylaws, recruiting the next generation of committed
on collaboration. Bob’s efforts have touched many corners of the School: He served as a volunteer for both the admission and development offices; he has
board members, and creating succession plans between chairs. Weighty work, but Bob, predictably, brought moments of levity, too. His sense of humor shines through with fellow trustees, where ribbing is expected
been Annual Fund chair and a 1798 volunteer. He comes to meetings
and always returned. No one could ever be offended, because with Bob,
armed with a detailed agenda in one hand and the latest, lightest
underneath the humor is a discernible, pure heart.
FA L L 2 016
45
r e t i r i n g f a c u l t y a n d s t a f f Mark Hilgendorf, History and Social Sciences Department Member of the Faculty, 1982–2016
Of Mark Hilgendorf, one history department colleague
of the classroom, one that resisted conventional notions
said, “He is a master at inviting our connection with each
of authority: He believed in the importance of treating
other around the table,” of encouraging “a radical sense
students as intellectual equals—of empowering them by
of shared humanity.” I’ll begin there, as perhaps there’s no
creating a space where they could trial ideas without fear
higher praise for a career educator. For Mark, though, such
of judgment.
connection was, from the beginning, the goal.
Right away, Mark and Cindy moved into Little House,
He arrived at Milton 34 years ago, in 1982, with his
46
where he would live for his whole Milton career, racking
wife, Cindy, and their two, very young children in tow,
up 30 years as dorm faculty in Hathaway. In this setting,
fresh out of a doctoral program in African-American history.
Tarim and I knew Mark where, along with Sally, Doug,
A committed civil-rights activist and a young teacher,
Laurence and Patrice, we lived our lives aside 30 adolescent
he came to campus with a vision for the relationships
girls. My favorite images of him surface from those years:
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
Mark on the tennis-slash-basketball court, late into the
Mark believed that academic learning should underscore
afternoons, hitting or shooting with anyone willing to take
our work around identity, and vice versa—our intellectual,
on this creaky but competitive athlete and coach; Mark in
emotional and spiritual selves in full interrelationship.
the hammock, reading under the blooming, overgrown
Long before it became fashionable to consider this a duty
rhododendrons, reggae sounding through the windows;
of an educator, Mark was committed, in and out of the
Mark riding across the field on his beat-up 10-speed, skull
classroom, to the “whole selves” of his students. This
protected by that silly, unbuckled ski helmet, headed for
commitment so often galvanized his activism; no surprise,
his classroom. The dorm has always been community for
for example, that Mark was one of the founders of the
Mark, as it was for all of us—a work/life intersection so
Transitions Program, initially an effort to address
unique and vital. Here, Mark understood, in this place
significant attrition among black boys, and he continued
where we could come to know the “full adolescent child,”
to teach in the program for the next 32 years.
so much teaching happened. And just down Centre Street, on main campus, his iconic classroom—its walls covered with student artwork
A colleague remarked on his skill at promoting deep listening and discussion—to wade into big “ideas,” as Mark would say, to ask questions like, “Can history teach us empathy?” and “Can history heal us?”
and images of cultural and political leaders of the 1960s— was a haven for Mark and his students. He taught across the department’s curriculum, with African-American History his signature course, around which he achieved a cult following, his devotees fiercely loyal. Mark remembers the late ’80s as an exciting time: The department was shifting away from teaching history as a series of maps and dates and toward teaching it as a record of cultural and social change. “We were kicking down the boundaries,” Mark recalls, encouraging conversations about race, class and gender—focusing on “humanity in the history.” Graduates with whom I’ve spoken quickly point to this focus in Mark’s teaching, often praising it as “lifechanging.” One graduate said, “His Senior Seminar class
Our old crew from the dorm gathers, when we can, for a reunion dinner. After all, we lived a lot in that
changed the way I think about history altogether. We
stretch: children born, children growing, relationship
learned so much about how people experienced events and
entanglements, and of course, death—precisely the life-
timeless themes: justice, revolution, democracy.” Another
stuff that reminds us of our shared humanity. Inevitably,
noted that while history has taught her that ugly
when we get together, we marvel over the march of
narratives—injustice, oppression—mark our human
time, how we look up and, suddenly, say, 34 years have
condition, his classes allowed her to discover the ever-
passed. Mark’s not sure what the next chapter holds,
presence of hope and transcendence: themes that cut
though he knows he will live other chapters, likely other
through race and culture, that persisted in the face of
iterations of teaching: counseling, ministry, maybe a
darker counter-stories. A colleague remarked on his skill
journey home to Milwaukee, where he first launched
at promoting deep listening and discussion—to wade into
his teaching career. I think of Mark’s lesson that history
big “ideas,” as Mark would say, to ask questions like,
exposes the persistence of hope. In this light, surely
“Can history teach us empathy?” and “Can history heal us?”
endings here will yield even more meaningful beginnings.
The classroom spilled over into his work with student groups, particularly Christian Fellowship, which he
Lisa Baker
advised for 14 years, and Onyx, which he advised for 20.
English Department
FA L L 2 016
47
r e t i r i n g fac u lt y a n d s ta f f, c o n t.
Erica Banderob Math Department and Robbins House Head Member of the Faculty, 1978–2016 Ricky came to work at Milton in 1978. John Banderob
a hand in helping that student overcome a challenge and
was working here already, and as former faculty member
experience success.
Donald Duncan recalls, “Ricky got the job, and it didn’t take very long before John realized that a treasure was
Milton alumni fondly recall her kindness—how she helped make math clearer and easier to understand. She
teaching across the street.” However, Ricky is much more
has made so many students’ lives better, both in the
than the other half of the indomitable Banderob team. She
classroom and in Robbins House. Robbins was home to
stands up for what is just and fair, often looking at a
Ricky for 24 years; first she was a member of the dorm
situation from the student perspective. In fact, it is hard to
staff, and then she took the natural step toward running
imagine the School without Ricky here to ask the hard
the dorm with John. Girls fortunate to have had Ricky as
questions about what we are doing and why. Her attention
an advisor often don’t realize how lucky they are until
to detail is legendary.
years later, when the relationship is still going strong.
As a colleague, we all know Ricky as a ready resource for all School information. She can look at a situation
(Though they immediately recognize Ricky’s baked goods as legendary.)
from many angles and share constructive criticism in an
I will miss Ricky’s love for Milton and her big heart.
incredibly thoughtful way. Through the math lens, she is
As a colleague, Ricky is generous with mentoring time,
generous, ready to discuss curriculum, act as a sounding
recipes, and a listening ear. She always says thank you,
board for a new idea, and be part of the team. As a teacher,
and she is quick to acknowledge strength in others.
no one has more patience. Each of her students knows
Her unwavering gift of recognizing the heart of a matter
that she is on their side, eager to celebrate their successes.
helps all of us remember what matters most: the students.
If you advise one of her students, you know that she is
We treasure the many years that Ricky spent with us,
as quick to share good news as she is to get in touch with
and we wish her the best as she heads off into a wonderful
you when something has gone awry. Never leaping to
next phase of life.
quick judgments about a student, Ricky often reports
48
being surprised by a turnaround a particular student has
Heather Sugrue
made. She would never say so, but she most certainly had
Math Department Chair
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
Doug Fricke English Department Member of the Faculty, 1987–2016 Stroll. Amble. Meander. Stride. When we think of Doug, he is always walking with steady purpose—never haste—seeking out two things: good company and new experiences. Young and old alike marvel at his 500-mile walks across Spain’s Camino de Santiago, but with postal regularity Doug takes to the hallways between classes, always popping in to his colleagues’ rooms, a story, a recipe, a follow-up comment on the tip of his tongue.
humor. Always there, always ready to
I can count on one finger the teachers
Just the other day, he walked to Cambridge
play his role, he made his dorm charges feel
who would tackle in high school tentacled
to join former students for dinner, a trip he
known and cared for. And wonderfully,
monsters like Joyce’s Ulysses. But in his Three
has made dozens of times by as many different
Doug met Anne Neely at Milton, their
Writers course, Doug went for it, concluding
routes as possible. That love of people and
partnership blossoming into marriage in
the venture with a dress-as-your-favorite-
experience, to say nothing of his lifelong
1992, and years of work, home building, and
character dinner party. Of course, the party’s
scholarship, led Doug to Milton, where his
travel together.
success brought the same group of students
students have basked in his warm traveler’s spirit for the past 29 years. If you ask him where his teaching journey began, Doug will take you back to his public
In the classroom, three decades of students
back ten years later to reprise the dinner and
have come to know Doug’s masterful
raise a Guinness as thanks to their warm,
way around a book: frank, deeply researched,
intrepid literary guide.
and obsessional about craft. To Doug, a
For the English department, Doug’s
library in Rhinebeck, New York, where he,
book is not an idea but a thing, a construction
parting tugs hard, as he is nearly the last
at age 10, was a daily fixture after school, so
that asks to be enjoyed, deconstructed,
of a generation of teachers with distinctive
much so that a gentle librarian passed him
and then enjoyed anew. Without pretensions,
expertise. We don’t want him to go. But
new books until he was reading two a week.
Doug might start a discussion by asking,
he is ready to go. If any were planning to stand on the shoreline and wave white
From then on, he says, he knew he loved
What’s happening here? What’s going
words. In high school he didn’t have Class
on with this guy?—be that guy Faulkner or
handkerchiefs as he sails out of view, Doug
IV English, but he had Mr. Kelly, one of those
Shakespeare. So naturally connective with
would probably tell us to do something better
magnetic teachers that stand as templates
his students, Doug quickly tags kids
with our time. No moss growing on him
for the future teacher hatching inside the
with nicknames and telltale anecdotes.
now: Doug soon will be on a Madrid-bound
smitten student.
And generations of students have flocked to
plane, and thereafter the possibilities stretch
his playful candor. Doug once joked, “Henry
on and on. Of course, he will stay well-read
at Bowling Green State, Doug came to Milton
James is boring? No, you’re boring!” With
as ever, and there’s talk of food projects,
Tenured as a professor of English literature at 44 for a new life chapter for himself
freedom from collegiate pressure, Doug
perhaps something fermented or distilled
and his children, David and Anna, then 15
taught what he knew so well and what posed
(I’m voting for kimchi, which we mutually
and 11. The School, he remembers, struck
pedagogical challenges. Like the hiker
adore), and moving with Anne between
him as smart, funky and traditional, with a
seeking the steeper route, Doug volunteered
Boston and Maine, where he can be found
slouching ease. All the staircases creaked;
to revamp a sophomore course by teaching
cooking, clearing brush like a biblical force,
everyone was friendly; “I loved it,” he
the oldest literature in the world, like The
and walking to his heart’s content.
remembers. Wolcott, Robbins, Faulkner and
Ramayana and Tang Dynasty poetry. After
Hathaway: A slate of dorms benefited from his
50 years in the classroom, he somehow
Tarim Chung
two decades of faithful, warm service and
has become more adaptive and risk-seeking.
English Department Chair
FA L L 2 016
49
r e t i r i n g fac u lt y a n d s ta f f, c o n t.
John Banderob Math Department and Robbins House Head Member of the Faculty, 1974–2016 Dare to be true, nothing can need a lie; A fault which needs it most, grows two thereby.
John Banderob embodies our institutional memory, and we’ve relied on his honesty and stories in our daily work. I’ve been privileged to witness John empowering students to be truthful in Discipline Committee meetings. John teaches students respect by being respectful, and to listen by listening. In and out of the DC, students and adults pay attention when he speaks. In the classroom, John often quotes “If all you have is a hammer, the entire world looks like a nail.” He inspires students to take a new perspective, to try a new approach. Sometimes he’s talking about math, sometimes not. John’s not shy about tossing out a lesson plan in deference to a class’s need to talk about an important community issue. Donald Duncan liked to say, “John always puts the heart before the course.” But, John loves to teach math. He has an infectious enthusiasm for numbers, problem solving, and making new connections. John and I have collaborated to produce many course documents, but for me, this was about process, not product. John can listen to me jump from idea to idea, just as he hangs in there with every student who is trying to piece together coherent understanding. with Gregg Reilly until everyone at the top
Class after class of Robbins girls have been
compassion in a variety of ways. Many
of Ware is laughing themselves breathless:
gifted by knowing all the Banderobs.
times, he has stood by my desk, mustache
John has helped the math department
twitching, holding out his Zits page-a-
live large.
John expresses his wisdom and
day calendar: “This guy just gets adolescent
Thank you, John, for the laughter and tears we have shared. You are my big brother
On the other side of Centre Street,
and I will miss you, but I will remember to
boys.” John has a sublime sense of the
John has been living his respect for women
ask a question first, format document tables,
ridiculous and practices the fine art of
through his dormitory work in Robbins
and not worry about the thunder.
sarcasm: “If the thunder don’t get ya, then
House. In the house head apartment
the lightning will.” Jerry Garcia quotes,
lies the core of John’s love and loyalty—his
Terri HerrNeckar
irreverent Facebook posts, and bantering
devotion to Ricky, Rachel and Jessica.
Math Department
50
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
Fran McInnis Student Activities Office, 1980–2016 purpose. Or at least a piece of candy.
For 36 years, Fran McInnis has played a
renewed purpose. Beyond the tangible, these
critical role at Milton. She has managed more
hearts provide a constant rhythm that keeps
information, essential to the functioning of
the community in step. Fran is one of Milton’s
supported members of this community in
For more than three decades, Fran has
the Upper School, than one can measure.
hubs. Her thoughtful advice, contagious
our ever-evolving work of educating children.
From budgets and the all-School calendar, to
laughter, and sharp wit are undergirded with
Forging relationships as a trusted colleague,
student mailboxes and the quarter-filled
an amazing memory, affinity for detail, the
a sage counselor, a comforting friend, Fran
graduation sock, nothing was too broad—or
abilities to make it happen, and the wisdom
was a source of what we needed, when we
too narrow—a focus for Fran. She has been
to say, “No.” At some point in each of our
needed it. The rhythm of Milton beats strong
situated in two buildings and four different
careers, someone has advised, “You should
in Fran. For all she has done for our School,
offices, always at the epicenter of student
ask Fran.”
activity. She has seen three heads of school—
And when we arrived, we were greeted
her greatest gifts have been the relationships she has built and the support that she has given to us all.
and an interim; nine Upper School principals—
by students hanging out on couches, or their
and an interim; six deans of students; nine
pictures hanging on the wall, a short line of
As Fran heads off to her next set of
student activities directors; and countless
colleagues, and Fran perched (or standing at
adventures, the beats of Milton’s rhythm
Milton Academy appearances in the Boston
her Varidesk) under the “The Witch Is In” sign.
will continue, though they will never sound
Globe. Fran has survived it all.
In our turn, we each received the information
the same.
Every community has hearts—hubs
that we sought (and maybe some we didn’t),
through which essentials of daily life pass:
shared information that we intended (and
André Heard ’93
entering exhausted, leaving refreshed, with
maybe some we didn’t) and left with new
Associate Dean of Students
FA L L 2 016
51
o n c e n t r e Marshall Sloane ’17 Wins National Championship in Speech Tournament Almost four years to the day after he earned a national title in speech
competed in his category. He earned awards for winning the finals as
and debate as a Middle School student, Marshall Sloane ’17 repeated
well as the entire category.
the feat, this time becoming High School National Champion in international extemporaneous speaking at the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah. Marshall delivered 13 speeches over the course of the tournament, rising to the top of the 250 students from across the country who
“This is a huge award. Marshall has worked very hard to get to this point,” says faculty member Susan Marianelli, Marshall’s coach. “History means everything to Marshall. Being aware of what’s going on in the world is important to him.” Marshall’s months of preparation involved a voracious study of international current events, along with skills that would help him best connect with his audience and the judges. During international extemporaneous speaking, competitors are presented with a choice of three questions related to current world events and given 30 minutes to prepare a seven-minute speech that answers the selected question. During their preparation, they may use research materials they compiled prior to the event, but they may not conduct any additional online research, according to the tournament website. The speech is then delivered from memory. Earlier this year, Marshall and his teammates had great success at the Massachusetts State Finals competition. Alexandra Upton ’18 was named state champion in dramatic performance for her portrayal of Zelda Fitzgerald in The Last Flapper, and Marshall earned the state championship in extemporaneous speaking. More than 40 Milton “speechies” earned bids to the state tournament in 13 categories, and six other students took home honors.
Matt Tabor ’17 Throws Perfect Game Against Lawrence Matt Tabor ’17 accomplished one of the most challenging and
Fossas ’17 and Gavin Baker-Greene ’16 made huge plays that saved
impressive achievements in sports when he pitched a perfect
the perfect game,” says Matt.
game against Lawrence Academy this spring. Matt’s perfect game,
Sam Hitt ’16 says that Matt had “many great outings this year and
which happened on April 30, capped a season full of highlights
has been vital to the team’s winning record.” Sam also described Matt,
for the boys’ varsity baseball team.
who can throw 85 miles per hour, as one of the best pitchers in the ISL.
“Pitching a perfect game is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” says Sam Murray ’17. The accomplishment is rare—Coach Matthew Petherick had never had a pitcher throw a perfect game before Matt. Matt said that he did not have high expectations going into the game because Lawrence was undefeated. Instead, he “was focused on being the best I could be and going out to get a ‘W.’” Matt says it was not until the fourth inning when he realized that the feat was within reach. However, he stayed focused on winning the game, rather than fixating on throwing a perfect game. A perfect game occurs only when no opposing batters reach base. “It was honestly such a surreal experience, and I couldn’t have done it without the support and play of the guys behind me. Isaac
52
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
Matt has committed to play Division I baseball at Elon University.
Campus Safety Director Jay Hackett Wins National Award Jay Hackett, Milton’s director of campus safety and risk management, has achieved the “gold standard” in addressing safety and security issues
“The reason for the Professional of the Year Award is to allow professional leagues, NCAA member institutions, and marathon
at sporting events, according to a national organization recognizing Jay’s
and endurance organizations to honor outstanding individuals
leadership. Jay was included among professionals from Major League
in the field of sports safety and security, for their contributions
Baseball, the National Football Association, and the Federal Bureau
and leadership,” Dr. Marciani said in a press release. The
of Investigation who received Professional of the Year Awards from
NCS4 Gold Standard is an industry benchmark that considers
the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) at
safety and security while balancing costs, operational
the University of Southern Mississippi.
efficiencies and staff engagement, all while enhancing the fan
Milton’s campus as a whole was nominated for the National Sport
experience. In his 30 years of campus safety experience, Jay
Safety and Security Facility of Merit award. “Receiving the professional
says practices in emergency preparedness and safety training
award was a big honor, but the one I really wanted to win was the
have improved immensely.
facility award, because we truly are a team here,” says Jay. “Between the
Jay’s team meets the challenges of managing event crowds
campus safety employees, facilities department, athletics, trainers, the
head-on. With campus-wide events such as graduation and
Milton Police and Fire Departments and the Fallon Ambulance Service,
Reunion Weekend, the team works with departments across
everybody is part of keeping things running smoothly.”
campus and beyond to execute an operational plan—which includes
The award honors those who go above and beyond the basic requirements of safety and security, says NCS4 director Dr. Lou Marciani.
traffic management—to make sure everyone is safe and has a great time. “Everything is a team effort,” Jay says.
FA L L 2 016
53
on cen t r e , con t.
dilutions
Milton Student Poet Wins National Recognition
It is six in the morning and my grandfather is feeding sparrows on the balcony, grains of rice, bird shit like egg white. He shies from the sky— to look up would be to imagine his son, streak-ebbed to speck of white, a figure careening. All
A “tough contest” is how English faculty member Lisa Baker describes the Bennington
he has left is a handful of granddaughters. This,
College Young Writers Award. But Letitia
watching the birds, is the closest he will come
Chan’s ’17 collection of poems stood out
to saying it. Grandmother and I watch the white
among more than 2,000 entries, and she was
fleck the shrubs. For him it seems the sky has waned— in a house of women, my grandfather cannot look
awarded the first-place poetry prize.
at us. But grandmother says a son lost is the world
Her poems cover topics such as a distant relationship between a mother and daughter
cupped in both hands, the sky in your palms
to a grandfather who favors men over women,
to trickle away—it wells again. Now she holds me
but only has granddaughters. “Most of my
to her sweat and I, girl in her grandmother’s arms,
writing is only partly autobiographical. Often
am not cursed anymore. Grandfather retreats
it is a version of something or an experience
through the door, as if he has realized that birds
I took inspiration from,” says Letitia. She
do not pelt as bullets from above. Tomorrow
gives credit to Ms. Baker’s Advanced Creative
he will stumble out again, hoping for a rainstorm
Writing class and the workshop style of
of sparrows. The sky is brimming with the sweat
the classes where students receive “amazing
of women. The world comes and goes and I must learn
feedback” on their work.
to hold the swell of it in my arms. Grandmother and I take the gloves, the alcohol, and wipe the balcony,
Letitia’s work was also recognized in another national contest, the Nancy Thorp
the shit, the rice. I look at her and she is thinking
Poetry Contest, where she earned a runner-
of all the sons she has never had. This morning
up award.
is bird shit, white, canvas awash with sweat, the smell, nothing she has ever seen, and grandfather turns away, unable to bear women, their sweat, their silence. Letitia Chan, Class of 2017
Middle School “Speechies” and Coach Debbie Simon Earn National Recognition Speaking, storytelling and bringing to life poetry and prose paid off for the Middle
of events over the course of the tournament. Six students placed as finalists during
also named Middle School Coach of the Year by the National Speech and Debate
School’s Speech Team, as it was recognized
the tournament, meaning they were among
Association. “The parent body is extremely
as one of the top-five Teams of Excellence
the top six in the nation in their events,
appreciative of Debbie’s tireless efforts
at the National Speech and Debate
while several others earned recognition
and unflagging support of this program,”
Association Tournament in Salt Lake
in the semi- and quarter-finals during
says parent George Alex. “Debbie’s
City, Utah. The students used their skills
the competition.
‘speechies’ learn so many life lessons and
in public address, limited preparation and interpretation to succeed in a variety
54
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
Honors for the Milton team did not end there, however. Coach Debbie Simon was
/MiltonAcademy1798
develop critical skills that will serve them well throughout life.”
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
John Avlon ’91 Kicks Off Seminar Day 2016 What Happens When Centrists Are Marginalized? “If you’re tempted to disengage from politics
reality in both parties, but more activist and
as a result of this surrealist campaign, don’t,”
ideological among Republicans, especially Tea
students heard from John Avlon ’91 , editor
Party Republicans. The total ineffectiveness
in chief of The Daily Beast and a CNN political
of Congress and the rigged system of
analyst. Ceding political debate to “hyper-
redistricting, where politicians choose the
partisans” is partly to blame for the highly
people as opposed to the opposite, are major
polarized state of Congress and political
factors. When satisfying the core of your
campaigns right now, he explained.
constituency will keep you in office for a
John launched Seminar Day 2016 as the
lifetime, what is your incentive to reach
Sally Bowles ’56 Keynote Speaker. John has
across the aisle? The rise of partisan media,
long advocated for the power and importance
which has allowed journalists to come to the
of political centrism, a level of discourse
table “armed with their own facts,” has fed
that has before and can again generate real
the divide as well.
progress in the United States. He has written
John recalled the “Northeast Republican
and thanks to this fund, students will listen to a wide range of perspectives on issues
tradition of fiscally responsible, socially
critical to the health of society in the United
American Politics as well as Wingnuts: How
inclusive politicians.” He pointed to the election
States and around the world.
the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America. Earlier
of Ed Brooke, a Republican elected in
in his career, John was a columnist and
1966 from Massachusetts and the first African-
followed the keynote address, covering a
associate editor for the New York Sun, and a
American senator. He defeated former
wide range of publicly debated domestic and
chief speechwriter for New York Mayor
governor Democrat Endicott Peabody in a
international issues. Among many topics,
Rudolph Giuliani.
landslide and served two terms. Today, the
students could choose to learn about the
Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change
Fourteen other experts and activists
center right in American politics has been
law and politics of women’s health today;
rhetorically, “Because it’s our job as citizens
forced out of the picture and “being responsible
the direction of workplace automation; the
to get engaged. We know that there are
is a net negative” in today’s campaigns.
economic impacts of digital transformation;
“Why should we be engaged?” John asked
bullies in life, and the best response comes
“When you’re on the fence between apathy
how terrorists recruit and how governments
from responding with strength.” People need
and engagement, go toward engagement,”
can stop them; or whether the giant banks
to stand firm against the politics of division;
John urged students. “Debate with a sense of
should be broken up. Many Milton Academy graduates and several parents were
they need to oppose the “us vs. them” analysis
perspective. We will have real work to do after
of issues. “Both parties are polarized,”
this election. You vote with your eyeballs
among the guest speakers, stimulating great
John noted, “therefore they won’t function,
and your wallet, every day. You have impact
questions and discussions.
as they should, to cool our passions and
and you have an obligation; a leadership
help us govern together, as they have in the
opportunity is being handed to you. … At the
event has been one of Milton’s most important
recent past (witness the Marshall Plan,
core, commit to your independence.”
traditions since 1977. It is named in honor of its
the national highway system, and civil rights legislation).” Mutual respect has dissipated,
John’s keynote speech fulfills the wishes of
Called the Keyes Seminar Day, this lively
founder, former faculty member Peter Keyes,
Sally’s family and friends that speakers come
a legendary promoter of student interest in
and “now we have all the disadvantages
to campus who reflect the intellectual
political process as well as public and
of a parliamentary system and none of the
curiosity and rigor that marked Sally’s
governmental affairs and service. In the Milton
advantages,” he says.
pursuits, as a student and a professional. Sally
spirit of developing students’ confidence and
was focused on big, bold ideas affecting
competence to live by our motto, “Dare to Be
millions of people. She was on the team that
True,” Seminar Day brings to campus
Marking this presidential campaign as “weird, deeply off-center, not without precedent, but a live-fire moment,” John described the
developed the Peace Corps; she helped
individuals who have made compelling choices.
polarization and populism that we are
decentralize New York City public schools;
They are scholars, business people, scientists,
witnessing. Many factors colluded to serve up
she was the director of Medicaid and ran
educators, writers, political leaders and artists
our current “symmetrical polarization,” a
Connecticut’s welfare programs. Over time,
making a difference in the world.
FA L L 2 016
55
f a c u l t y p e r s p e c t i v e
From Fifty to One: We’ll Take It a Day at a Time
After 42 years at Milton—24 of those years living in
Robbins House—lots of adjustments loom ahead. One of these adjustments may not occur to most people as they think about retiring: Erica and I are going from living our everyday lives with at least fifty people to living with just one person: to living with each other. Fifty personal styles and fifty voices; fifty sets of needs and fifty senses of humor, or lack thereof; fifty cases of fatigue and fifty levels of energy; fifty fans of brownies and fifty pairs of willing ears. We’ve never had trouble coming up with things to talk about, but how will we do when we can actually finish our sentences—or when we can follow one thought with another that may actually be connected? How will we do when the only schedules we need to organize
Fewer late-night and middle-of-the-night intrusions: when the girl DOES get invited to the prom by the “right” person just before check-in; when a dorm staff person announces her pregnancy to the girls and it
and synchronize and oversee are our own?
elicits a screaming and jumping-up-and-down fest that I am SURE registered on the Richter scale; when some girls come to tell us of a lapse of judgment; or
“Counterintuitively, that very vastness has made the world feel smaller and more connected, as the natural or humanmade disasters in other parts of the world become a lot more personal, because we know someone from there.”
when girls come to talk with us about changes in their relationships with their parents and of realizations about themselves. So many have been happy moments, but the poignant and sad ones have been, in the long run, rewarding as well. Clearly, we will miss the close connections with students and their parents and the impromptu visits from alumnae, because sharing our home and our lives with so many people has meant that we and our daughters have known people from all over the world and from every imaginable background. We’ve come to a deep awareness of the vastness and diversity of the peoples of the world, in the most organic way: by actually knowing people.
Certainly, some practical advantages will occur to
the world feel smaller and more connected, as the natural
shouting on the quad; speech team people won’t be leaving
or human-made disasters in other parts of the world
at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning when we’ve been on
become a lot more personal, because we know someone
duty ’til 1 a.m.—and the list goes on.
from there.
Getting up and going to bed when we choose! Locally sourced food: ours!
56
Counterintuitively, that very vastness has made
you: Less noise: no more 6 a.m. fire drills; no 10:55 p.m.
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
Among the things we will miss most are the relationships we have with other members of the Milton
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
community, and especially those who have lived or DO live in dorms, and most especially those with whom
and unparalleled for Erica and for me. If you ask our friends, they’ll tell you that they’re
above Erica and John Banderob
we have lived in Robbins. They are the people who
not worried about what we’ll do when we have only one
understand in their bones the wonderful but crazy lifestyle
another rather than a host of fifty. I’m sure they’re right,
Robbins House
inherent in dormitory living. The shared values, shared
but just like the girls who arrive at Robbins House for
1992–2016
trust and frequent substantive conversations with
their first year at Milton, we’ll need to learn some things
House Heads
these people are an integral part of our lives, and we will
as we go along.
2006–2016
sorely miss them. Being an important part, over the course of two, three
John Banderob
or four years, of transitions in the lives of exceptional young
Mathematics Department, 1974–2016
women has been an extraordinary experience, formative
Robbins House, 1992–2016
FA L L 2 016
57
in sight
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
P H O T O B Y J O H N G I L L O O LY
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
World-renowned photojournalist Lynsey Addario shared with students the challenges and rewards of her work, covering wartime conflicts and human rights issues. Photographs from her award-winning collection Veiled Rebellion—documenting the plight of women in Afghanistan—were on exhibit in Milton’s Nesto Gallery, during her visit as last year’s Melissa Dilworth Gold Visiting Artist. Ms. Addario creates photographs for the New York Times, National Geographic and Time magazine.
sports
Milton Sailors Set Their Bar and Meet It by Liz Matson
From the shore, sailing looks effortless. Handsome boats
teams earned Mallory spots after qualifying in a New
glide across the water. Milton sailors, however, testify to the
England regional event. During the regular season, Milton’s sailing program
mental and physical challenges. “I describe sailing as trying to do sit-ups while going through little hills and playing chess—all with one arm tied
school compete against three boats of an opponent team. In this scenario, last season’s teams were Henry and Peter;
behind your back,” says Peter Baron ’17. Sailing team coach Patrick Broome says, “Sailing is
Eli and team captain Emily Grace ’16; and Charlie and
intellectual. On the water, you need to figure out where the
Ginny Alex ’17. Milton has a fleet of eight 420s and two
wind is coming from, what the tide is doing, where your
Whalers at a marina in Quincy, where they practice under
team is, what the other team is doing, and where you need
Coach Broome’s guidance.
to be. As for the physical demands, a non-athlete in the boat
“One of our primary goals last season was to qualify
is noticeable. You need good coordination to move around
for the Baker Trophy, which is like the Mallory Trophy, but
effectively in the boat.”
for team racing,” says Coach Broome. “About 100 schools
Milton sailors must have mastered these demands last
in New England have sailing programs, and only six
spring when they had a notably successful season (19-3-1).
to eight schools have realistic hopes of going to the Baker
Off the coast of Charleston, at the ISSA High School
nationals every year. We are fortunate at Milton—the Baker
Doublehanded Championship for the Mallory Trophy,
is a realistic goal for us.” Milton placed fourth in the New
Milton’s A Division fleet racing boat, skippered by Henry
England qualifier for the Baker, but only the top-two teams
Burnes ’17 with Peter as crew, placed fourth out of 20
moved forward to nationals.
boats—the best result for a Milton fleet racing boat in
60
focuses on “team racing,” in which three boats from one
Milton sailors spend the offseason racing individually
team history. Milton’s Division B boat was skippered by
with club teams or together in national and international
Eli Burnes ’17 and crewed by Charlie Hibben ’18. The two
events. During the summer of 2015, five members of
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
Milton’s sailing team—Eli, Henry, Ginny, Peter and Charlie—competed in the International Sailing Federation’s 2015 team racing world championships in Rutland, England. They won the gold medal in their division and took the final gold honors in youth racing—a huge achievement in an event considered to be the pinnacle of international, dinghy team racing. Christina Sakellaris ’17 did not sail with the team during the spring , but last fall she represented Milton in the single-handled fleet racing New England qualifier for the national event. She came in first place, qualifying for nationals, where she placed 11th. Christina says she came late to sailing, and she didn’t start racing competitively until she was about 14. She must be a fast learner, because Christina excels at the sport. Last winter
Rowers Thrive on Rigorous Training and Teamwork
she traveled back and forth to Florida on the weekends so she could continue sailing with a club team. Now she
In the absence of a Milton-based crew team, a number of interested
is focused on sailing with her home club team based
students are rowing for clubs in the Boston area. Pete DiGiovanni ’17,
in Newport, Rhode Island. She started training under a
Nick Potter ’17 and Jack Robinson ’18 all row for Community Rowing Inc.
coach who is a former Olympic gold medalist.
on the Charles River in Boston. Pete rows in a lightweight 8+ boat,
“Because I started at a later age, I’m still developing
Nick rows in a heavy 4+ boat, and Jack is the coxswain in Nick’s boat.
as a sailor. There’s a lot of experience that comes over
Practices are daily, either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
time,” says Christina. “My coach encourages me to take a
Before a big event, practices can ramp up to twice a day.
more professional approach and strive for perfection in everything I can control in the boat.” Christina hopes to race for Milton during the upcoming
Pete says he tried rowing because his father rowed. He discovered that he enjoyed it despite the rigors. “It’s not an easy sport. A lot of people quit because of the physical and mental strain. My teammates
spring season because she says she really enjoys being on
keep me going; I love the people I’ve met. I’ve also learned a lot
the team. All the sailors are hopeful for an even stronger
about myself.”
season next year. “We had a really successful season and it was actually
Jack says he loves being a coxswain. “A coxswain ties up all the loose ends. They steer the boat, run the practices. The coaches tell rowers
a building year for our team,” says Ginny. “We learned
what to do but the coxswain runs the drills. We execute the race plan
more about our strengths and weaknesses, and we’ve
and provide the motivation. It’s like juggling a bunch of balls and keeping
figured out ways to get better and work out all the kinks.”
them in the air.” Last May, the three competed in the U.S. Rowing Northeast Youth Championships on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Massachusetts. This is a qualifying event for the national championships, and boats must be in the top three of the final races to move on. Pete’s boat placed first in his division final, and Nick and Jack’s boat placed third in their final race. All three rowers were excited to compete in nationals, which took place on Lake Mercer in New Jersey in June. Although Nick and Jack’s boat did not make it to the A Final, they did win the C Final. Pete’s boat made it to the A Finals and it was an exciting finish. “In the sprint of the race, we overtook the third-place boat to take bronze in the Men’s Lightweight 8+ event,” says Pete. “It was a humbling experience that I will not forget anytime soon, and it certainly wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates and coaches.”
FA L L 2 016
61
m e s s a g e s Emily Reichert, Ph.D.
Emily Reichert is the CEO of Greentown Labs, one of the largest and fastest-growing clean technology startup incubators on the East Coast. Dr. Reichert, who earned her Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University
of Wisconsin, was the Lorax Speaker for this year’s Earth Day assembly. Businesses that have evolved from Greentown Labs’ Somerville prototyping and office space have created innovative and practical environmental solutions, such as the first fully functional airborne wind turbine and an unmanned “robot boat” that records ocean data and analytics. Dr. Reichert spoke about the value of teamwork in solving our major environmental problems—climate change, energy deficiencies, water scarcity, deforestation and waste management—and explained that the combined fields of science, technology and business can be a powerful force in meeting those challenges.
“You can make a difference. You may not know what that is today, but keep your ears open as you’re learning, as you’re growing, to how you can make an impact. There are big problems out there to be solved.”
Dost Öngür, M.D.
Dr. Dost Öngür, chief of the Psychotic Disorders Division at McLean Hospital, was the 2016 Science Assembly Speaker. Noting the stigmas associated with mental illness, Dr. Öngür described mental illness as a public health issue affecting hundreds of millions worldwide. Dr. Öngür is an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and the author of more than 80 articles on the neurobiology of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Dr. Öngür’s research, using brain-imaging techniques to study chemical abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health and other institutions. Dr. Öngür has won awards from Harvard Medical School for his teaching and mentoring of medical students and residents. He also serves as the associate editor of JAMA Psychiatry.
“Mental illnesses are common. They are not a small thing we can ignore, but rather a significant public health issue, and people need help. The best way to deal with mental illness is head-on—the way we approach any other medical condition.”
62
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
Lisa Miller, Ph.D.
A professor of psychology and education, Dr. Lisa Miller ’84, this year’s Class of 1952 Speaker for Religious Understanding, described the connection between happiness and spirituality among children and adolescents. Such spirituality may come from organized religion, nature, or an activity like yoga or music. Dr. Miller directs the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and founded the Spiritual Mind Body Institute—the first Ivy League graduate program in spirituality and psychology. Her innovative research into the quantifiable effects of spirituality on health, resilience and thriving has been published in top research journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association. As a clinical psychologist, her work focuses on spiritual awareness and growth for individuals, families, groups and organizations. She has spoken about her work on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and the “Today” show.
“Everyone is born with some innate spirituality. The most important thing you can do as a teenager is to expand this and establish a spiritual core. It will help protect you from the ‘holes’ in life. If you set it up now, you will live that way for the rest of your life.”
“I hear a lot about creating safe spaces, but out in the real world, you have
Armond James
Armond James encouraged students to learn from their failures and spend time outside their comfort zones, urging them to become involved in politics. Mr. James—a 2014 congressional candidate for Pennsylvania and teacher in the Philadelphia public school system—visited campus in honor of Black
to have tough skin. Not
History Month, sponsored by the student club Onyx. Mr. James was born and raised in the Mount
everyone is going to like
Airy section of Philadelphia, and credits his parents for providing him a strong foundation, and
you, but don’t let that dissuade you. Stay true to what you believe.”
teaching him about hard work, respect and the importance of education. Mr. James graduated from Temple University, where he discovered a passion for history and politics. Mr. James, a Republican, plans to run for political office in the future.
ZZ Packer
Reading her short story “Brownies” from the collection Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, author ZZ Packer explored racial segregation and prejudice among groups of adolescent girls in suburban Atlanta. Ms. Packer was the Bingham Visiting
Writer. She grew up in Atlanta and Louisville, Kentucky, and graduated from Yale University. She earned her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and her M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa; she has held fellowships at Harvard, Stanford and Princeton. The critically lauded Drinking Coffee Elsewhere was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and a New York Times Notable Book.
“The stars sprinkled the sky like spilled salt. They seemed fastened to the darkness, high up and holy, their places fixed and definite as we stirred beneath them. Some, like me, were quiet because we were afraid of the dark; others were talking like crazy for the same reason.” (from “Brownies”)
FA L L 2 016
63
milton mur al
A C U R A T E D G A L L E R Y O F A R T S , L E T T E R S A N D D E S I G N B Y M I LT O N A L U M N I
Mei Mei Boston Inspired Chinese-American cuisine Irene Li ’08 launched her third and fourth
Boston-based food businesses: Mei Mei by Design in the Seaport, a shipping containerturned-lunch counter, and Mei Mei Pantry, a line of Chinese-inspired sauces starring local ingredients. Both enterprises emerged from her and her siblings’ award-winning food truck, caterer, and restaurant, Mei Mei, near Kenmore Square, serving up creative Chinese-American cuisine made from locally-sourced and sustainable ingredients. The food truck opened in April 2012 and was awarded Boston’s Best Meal on Wheels. Mei Mei Restaurant, named Eater Boston’s Restaurant of the Year, opened in November 2013 and serves casual truckstyle lunch and creative and contemporary table-service dinner. Irene was a semifinalist for the 2015 James Beard Award in the Rising Star Chef category and was named an Eater National “Young Gun.” www.meimeiboston.com
LAMPO The lamp that comes in a tube
Inspired by the mechanics of threaded wooden toys and the infinite possibilities of origami, Lindsay Richardson ’00 and partners developed an ultra-modern lamp using materials they love. Influenced by designers like Noguchi and Nelson, they ensure every detail is both beautiful and functional. They set out to make LAMPO something they could afford for their own homes. LAMPO is the lamp that comes in a tube—it can go anywhere and light up any room. It’s made with quality materials and is easy to assemble and break down. Marrying age-old techniques with contemporary design, threaded woodwork and an origami lampshade create a lamp that’s as beautiful as it is smart. www.mylampo.com
64
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
The Accidental Agent The Overlook Press, July 2016
The conclusion to the Jimmy Nessheim trilogy, by Andrew Rosenheim ’72, The Accidental Agent is set in the fall of 1942. In the midst of war, special agent Jimmy Nessheim has asked for extended leave from the FBI to study law at the University of Chicago. But at the university, under the stands at Staff Field, renowned scientist Enrico Fermi is beginning work on what will become known as the Manhattan Project, research that could not only change the course of the war, but change the face of
West of Her
war itself. Drawn into a web of international
Corner Piece Productions, April 2016
intrigue, Nessheim faces his most deadly threat yet. Andrew Rosenheim is the author of Fear Itself and The Little Tokyo Informant.
West of Her, directed by Ethan Warren ’04 , is a film about adventure, romance and a life of meaning. Alone and adrift, Dan joins a mysterious organization, agreeing to roam the country with a stranger named Jane, working by night, laying small linoleum tiles in the streets of towns across America, each bearing the same cryptic message. Dan feels that his mysterious employers—who communicate
Dancing With the Tiger
Eclectic Visions
Putnam Penguin, July 2016
Milton’s Nesto Gallery, May/June 2016
only through Jane—know vital secrets. As the pair travels together, their contentious relationship grows and deepens, until they’re
Lili Wright ’82 published her first novel,
This spring, Milton’s Nesto Gallery showcased
forced to choose between their work and the
Dancing With the Tiger, with Putnam Penguin
the work of talented alumni artists celebrating
possibility of a future together. Filmed across
this summer to much acclaim. The novel is
their Milton reunion. The exhibit was a broad
ten states, West of Her has won many notable
a thriller set against Mexico’s epidemic of drug
collection of perspective, scale, medium and
film festival awards, including three for Best
violence, and the global controversy over
story. Artists include Valerie Claff ’81, Murray
Narrative Feature, one for Best Director,
the repatriation of cultural artifacts. The tale
Dewart ’66, Mikel Glass ’81, Walter Horak ’66,
and Best Feature Film at the 2016 American
begins when a drug-addicted grave robber
Michael Maltby ’66 and Amy Wood ’76.
Film Awards.
unearths an artifact he’s certain is of immense historical and monetary value. His decisions lead to a violent struggle for possession, involving a vicious drug lord, American expatriates, local Mexicans, and heroine Anna Ramsay, who has a complicated back story of her own. Lili writes with a deep understanding of Mexican culture; she spent a year in Oaxaca living with Mexican families, studying Spanish, working as a reporter, and running with the bulls.
FA L L 2 016
65
NAME:
CLASS OF:
OCCUPATION:
FAVORITE MEMORY:
WHAT THE MILTON FACULTY MEANS TO ME:
WHY WE SEND OUR CHILDREN TO MILTON:
THE DARE CAMPAIGN IS:
WHY WE GIVE BACK:
66
To learn more about the Dare campaign, visit milton.edu/campaign.
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
c l a s s n o t e s 1940 The family of Joan Anderson
Primary Care. He continues to
Belfast, Maine, where she’s been
Smith said farewell on Joan’s
teach part-time about child
since her late husband, Al Moore,
93rd birthday, September 14, 2015.
development at the Children’s
retired in 1984. A widow as of
After a celebration in Florida
Hospital of Philadelphia.
1997, Nell enjoys annual trips
surrounded by friends, her sister
to Seattle and Shanghai to visit
Dorthea Anderson ’38, and four
generations of children, she
1946
her children.
passed away during an evening
Gerry Livingston, Randy Byers,
rest. During World War II,
Smiley Ruggles, Edith Rotch
1951
Joan enlisted in the Navy as a
Lauderdale and Rusty Bourne
Rebecca Faxon Knowles lives
mechanic for PBY seaplanes.
enjoyed each other’s company,
at an oceanfront retirement
Joan’s four daughters—Sandra,
as well as the company of two
community in Maine, and returns
Catherine, Laurie and Carol—
daughters, Cate Livingston
to Naples, Florida, in the winter.
gave her nine grandsons, one
Fernandez and Rebecca Ruggles,
She keeps mind and body busy,
Jacquetta Nisbet ’46
granddaughter, and five great-
during Reunion Weekend. “Being
and she welcomes classmates to
is pursuing the finer reaches of
together, with that memory-
get in touch and visit!
grandchildren.
1942 Henry Moulton is still traveling,
which he loves. His older
experience—nearly bold enough to
Dean Francis LeBaron was
make up for the lack of very-much-
sorry to miss reunion this year.
missed classmates,” says Rusty. “The most memorable moment
Self-described Adventure
during dinner was when Smiley
doctor at Mass General Hospital,
Ruggles played rustic banjo for us,
New Hampshire.
and his younger daughter, Sara, is
turning a conventional Milton
www.deanlebaron.com
a celebrity chef with cookbooks
affair into quite something else!”
between Boston, Florida and
Despite a recent heart attack,
His son, Peter, is a judge in the
Jacquetta Nisbet is pursuing the
Morgan Palmer is in good
New York State judicial system.
finer reaches of Navajo and
shape for 83 years, still managing
Henry has six grandchildren.
Andean four selvedge weaving
the details of his investments,
and teaching in her studio, as well
keeping him in touch with the
as surface design with painted
business scene.
1943
cotton warp on the ancient
Pamela Cottier Forcey is so
back-strap loom. Life in Canada is
grateful for the education she
good with friends, animals and
1952
received from Milton—an
exuberant rural resources.
Charles Walcott became an
academic experience that she
emeritus faculty member in
claims is superior to her
Edie Lauderdale traveled to
neurobiology and behavior at
experience at Vassar! She sends
Europe in April, where she
Cornell University in 2008,
greetings to Girls’ School
saw her first great-grandson.
when he retired as dean of the
classmates who graduated with
She stays in touch with her
university faculty. He still
her in the middle of World War II.
two grandsons and two
teaches, does research, advises
granddaughters. She is quite
students, and serves as
active and doing well.
University Ombudsman and
William B. Carey, M.D.
William B. Carey, M.D., ’43 published, with co-author Sean McDevitt, Ph.D., a second edition of his book Child Behavioral Assessment & Management in Primary Care.
University Marshal. He lives on
published, with co-author Sean McDevitt, Ph.D., a second
in her studio.
Capitalist, Dean shares his time
daughter, Anne, is a primary care
published and programs on PBS.
Navajo and Andean four selvedge weaving and teaching
charged group, was a wonderful
about 170 acres of field and forest
edition of his book Child Behavioral
1949
close to the university with his
Assessment & Management in
Nell (Halsted) Moore lives in
wife, Jane.
FA L L 2 016
67
cl a s s no t e s, con t.
1953
1956
Joel Wechsler gave himself
Duncan Chapman has two
year, Tom sailed across the
an 80th birthday gift of a
children and five grandchildren
Atlantic (a bucket list check-off!).
tandem parachute jump last
with his late wife, Susan. The
fall. He says it was quite a thrill,
family lives in North Carolina.
Christopher Owen has enjoyed
and he’s ready to go again! He
life as an architect, traveling,
still works in the travel business
building a family of two children
five days a week and hopes to
and four grandchildren, and
ski this winter.
finding pleasure in art and classic automobiles.
1955
John S. Reidy works with both
Debbie Roberts is still
the Boston Symphony Orchestra
head of performing arts at
and the Boston Museum of
the Jewish Community
Fine Arts. His greatest joys are
Joel Wechsler ’53 gave
Center in Tenafly, New Jersey,
▲ After many years in film and
spending time with his ten
himself an 80th birthday
host to several musical
television, Rupert Hitzig
Harvard students, who come
theater camps each summer,
directed his first stage play—a
from all over the world.
as well as a SummerStage
farce called Acting Mad. It opened
gift of a tandem parachute jump last fall.
professional production of
well and enjoyed a second run
My Name Is Asher Lev.
over the summer—an exciting “new vista and great fun” at his
1957 Alexander “Sandy” Cochran
▼ Margot Parsons Brown
age, he says. He hopes to do a
lives in Corrales, New Mexico,
and Kitty Stinson Carleton at
film on the Cape this summer
with his wife of 55 years. He
their own mini-reunion in
and keeps trying to persuade
teaches part-time at University
Peterborough, New Hampshire,
John Reidy to produce it!
of New Mexico, after 50 years with the Department of Defense
in June. “Last time we were together was our 50th reunion,
Tom Hoppin and his wife enjoy
in Washington. He taught 15
but we connected as if it
their small community, about an
years at military war colleges
was yesterday!” says Margot.
hour from downtown D.C. Last
and spent 2007–2011 studying the 2003–2007 Iraq War. Robert Fuller ’s short story,
“Flashback Morning,” was selected as required reading for a recent conference, Preventing and Treating the Invisible Wounds of War, run by Rupert Hitzig ’56 directed
University of Pennsylvania Law
his first stage play—a farce
School professor Claire
called Acting Mad.
Finkelstein. Robert’s story describes a combat veteran of the Maine National Guard who, after returning from a tour in Iraq, suffers disturbing flashbacks. Robert served as a member of the Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps and is also
68
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
1960 the author of Unnatural Deaths,
Chas W. Freeman Jr. published
at the Boston Conservatory at
a police procedure novel set
his fifth book, America’s
Berklee. She plays team tennis and
in Maine.
Continuing Misadventures in
won the Harvard Club doubles
the Middle East, in May. Chas
squash tournament with the
Philip Rand had two heart
continues to chair the Committee
former Harvard University
valves repaired in March, but
for the Republic and speak
squash captain. Her grandchildren
is now back to full-time, full-
out on public policy issues:
are Reece Donnelly (2) and Cooper
force Ashtanga yoga. Finding
chasfreeman.net/category/
(1). Dina recently completed her
administrative difficulty in
speeches.
second book, a novel, about the protest era of the late ’60s.
being an expatriate, Philip renounced U.S. citizenship and
Sheldon Sturges is working
returned to the U.S. on his
on developing his company’s
Italian passport in July, to see
patented LearningPlaybot
1963
a friend conduct Don Giovanni in
technology. He continues to
Anthony Abeson recently
Santa Fe.
serve with Princeton Future
published Acting 2.0—Doing
Inc., a land-use planning
Work That Gets Work in a High-
organization. His eldest, Beka ’90,
Tech World.
1958
is a landscape architect and is
Georgia Zaborowski ’s daughter
raising a son, Abe. Zack ’93
and family moved in with her
is a lawyer at the SEC, raising
Tim Brooks and his wife, Martha,
spent a combined 80 years
in May. “Multi-generational
two children, Lucas and Daphne.
working in education—Tim in
living is a great thing when folks
Louise co-produced the Best
higher education, and Martha
love each other,” she says.
Documentary at the Sundance,
in special education. Since
And, luckily, all enjoy living in
Rome and Edinburgh film festivals
retirement, travel has been a key
the woods. Georgia spends time
this year. Sheldon married Tatiana
focus for them, as has helping
Chas W. Freeman Jr. ’60
reading, playing Solitaire, and
Popova last December, and the
with their four grandchildren.
published his fifth book,
watching episodes of “Father
two play lots of tennis.
They recently returned to campus
Brown” and “Bones” on television.
to share Milton with their Barbara Russell Williams and
granddaughter. “She was very
her husband are retired, volun-
impressed!” says Tim.
America’s Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East, in May.
teering at their local historical organization, working on the collection, and hiking. Barbara volunteers as a docent at her local botanical garden. They have two grandchildren, Alison (12) and Jack (9), who live in Arizona.
1962
▲ John Bihldorff, Peter Robbins,
▲ Kirk Nelson and Neilson Abeel
got together in May. Kirk was
Jim Kaplan has published
went bone fishing for a week
on a road trip around the United
his 20th book, Clearing the
off the island of Andros in the
States and found Neilson and
Bases: A Veteran Sportswriter on
Bahamas. They have frequented
friends in a house on the Imnaha
the National Pastime.
River in Oregon. The two had not
Bill Vanderbilt and John Grandin
this spot over the past decade, and they enjoy the company of
seen each other since their
Diana B. Roberts (Dina) is
friends and family there during
Milton graduation.
a senior major gifts officer
the winter season.
FA L L 2 016
69
cl a s s no t e s, con t.
1964 Charles DeLorme and his
the Houston Yacht Club and has
mother, Eleanor DeLorme, an
passed the U.S. Sailing Club Judge
art historian, have just written
and PRO certification exams.
1969 ▲ Emily Fuller Hawkins and Lisa
their fifth book, The Word Painted. They recount the story of the
Judy Harkness lives in the
Lloyd Hobson caught up at
Pentateuch, illustrated by more
Rhode Island woods, writing
Sandwich Marina.
than 70 paintings by great
fiction. She and Will Taft
masters. They analyze each
just celebrated their fifth
William Nesto and his wife,
painting, discussing the artists’
anniversary; Will is a retired
Frances Di Savino, have written
style and cultural milieu.
international lawyer and public
their second book: Chianti
servant. The couple is busy
Classico: The Search for Tuscany’s
In March, after 15 years in
with combined children and
Noblest Wine. Their first book,
Samoa, Eleanor Rhinelander
grandchildren and lots of travel.
The World of Sicilian Wine, won
Schofield and her husband,
Judy’s book groups include
the 2013 Andre Simon Book
Walter, moved to the Big
fellow “Milties”: in Rhode Island,
award in London.
Island of Hawaii and are now
Jane MacKenzie Dennison and
happily ensconced in laid-back,
Arria Biledeau, and in Matunuck,
friendly Hilo, in a small seaside
Julie Randolph Sharpe
apartment. The two have begun
and Susan Lovejoy. Contact:
lessons in Hawaiian and hula
judyharkness@gmail.com.
dancing. “Aloha to pals in Kate Hadley Baker ’68 serves as president of the Society
the Class of 1964! Contact me at samoalib@yahoo.com.”
of Petroleum Engineers Foundation, secretary of the American Rock Mechanics Association, and treasurer
John King and his wife, Marcia,
have “graduated” from Hebron Academy with the Class of
1966
2016, as John retires as head of
After a career in consulting
and Marcia, the next chapter
1971 ▲ “As we grow older, attending
school after 15 years. For John
and senior health care, Peter
includes plenty of time with their
Mining, Metallurgical
Roberts retired this year and is
three grandsons in Maine and
reunions becomes even more
and Petroleum Engineers.
planning to spend his winters in
Cape Cod.
essential! Seeing old friends and
of the American Institute of
hearing how they lived their lives
Marbella, Spain (near his wife’s family in France and Morocco),
Jesse Kornbluth is writing
is mesmerizing. How lucky we
and “summer” in Manchester-
another novel and a play. He
were to attend this incredible
by-the-Sea.
is parenting a 14-year-old
school!” says Sylvie Peron. “I was
with no ability to see around
probably one of the happiest souls
1968
corners. “One foot ahead of
at Milton then, and my heart
the other”—wisdom he is living
remains forever half American!”
In retirement, Kate Hadley Baker
by right now.
serves as president of the Society
70
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
of Petroleum Engineers
▶ Ann McClellan’s new book,
Foundation, secretary of the
Bonsai and Penjing, Ambassadors
American Rock Mechanics
of Peace & Beauty, will be released
Association, and treasurer of the
in October 2016. She is “branching
American Institute of Mining,
out from cherry blossoms,”
Metallurgical and Petroleum
which she saw plenty of during
Engineers. She is active in the
an unforgettable trip to Japan
Women’s Sailing Association of
in May 2016.
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
1973 After a long stint in Washington,
campaign announcement speech
on March 8. Michael is getting
D.C., John Ruser returned to
and served as a senior communi
well acquainted with Milton!
Boston. In January, he became
cations advisor to Senator Bob
president and CEO of the
Corker (R-TN). He also ran into
Workers Compensation Research
Tom Downs and Nick D’Arbleoff
1986
Institute, a public policy research
at the Fenway Park “Dead
John Travis Marshal recently
group in Cambridge that seeks
and Company” concerts in July.
to be a catalyst for improvements to states’ workers’ compensation
published the book How Cities Can Save the World.
systems. He looks forward to
1980
Wendy Millet runs a 100 percent
reconnecting with old friends
Elissa Kaplan’s son has graduated
grass-fed cattle ranch whose
in the area.
from University of Pennsylvania;
mission is to raise healthy food
one daughter graduated from
on working land, in a way that
University of Maryland; and
sustains the planet and inspires
another daughter graduated from
others to take action. She
1976 Margo McGlade had fun visiting
high school with plans to attend
welcomes San Francisco Bay
Milton with friend Susan Clark
Rutgers University. Elissa
area visitors for a tour!
for their 40th reunion. “Lots of
practices psychology in New
shock at how old we are! Also lots
Jersey, where she and her wife
Chris Perry lives in Lincoln,
of laughs, memories, and new and
reside.
Massachusetts, with his wife,
renewed friendships. So grateful
Sylvia, their children, Simon (14)
to the team that put it all together.”
and Ginger (11), two dogs, and
Stephen Winthrop completed a
Boston Conservatory, which
Wendy Millet ’86 runs a 100 percent grass-fed cattle ranch whose mission is to raise healthy food on working land.
two cats. Chris is involved at the “bucket list” trip to Ireland with
recently merged with Berklee
his wife, Jane, and two teenage
College of Music. He is also a
daughters. Diagnosed with ALS
lawyer at Northern Trust.
in November 2013, his mantra is, “There is no time like the present.” The disease has substantially limited Stephen’s use of his arms and hands, but his slower-than-average
▲ Simon Kaypaghian lives and
progression is giving him plenty
works in Shanghai with his wife
of time to focus on those things
and four daughters. He welcomes
that matter most. Stephen
his friends and former classmates
welcomes calls and visits to his
to visit!
home in Wayland, Massachusetts, from Milton friends new and old.
1981
1978
▶ Swing Robertson welcomed
Gordon Hensley is a consultant
Robertson on October 11, 2015.
son Michael Swing Keating
and writer in Washington,
Swing enjoyed attending his
D.C. He collaborated on
35th reunion, as well as the
Wisconsin Governor Scott
Margaret Filoon Robertson ’56
Walker’s 2016 presidential
pre-tour concert in King Theatre
FA L L 2 016
71
cl a s s no t e s, con t.
1991 Amy Hamill and Thaddeus
Bouchard were married in the summer of 2015. Together they have five children, ranging in age from 6 to 21. Life is chaotic and rich and, on most days, manageable! Mitchell Lucas Jr. married Shelley
Wales in Atlanta on July 3, 2016. The newlyweds live in Boulder, Colorado, where they enjoy skiing and snowboarding.
▲ Drew Hendrickson, Will
Hutchinson, Will Gardner and Matt Williams earned his Ph.D. in
Luke Crowley met in the South
United States history in December
End for brunch to reflect on their
▲ Former trustee Farah
2014 from SUNY-Binghamton. He
mutual love for Milton and plaid
Pandith and trustee Charles
lives in New York City with his
shirts. Drew (Latin America),
Cheever in selfie mode during
wife, and he recently became a fan
Will H. (Austria) and Luke (South
reunion weekend.
of the Grateful Dead.
Africa) continue to live in and
1996
world. Will G. has stayed closer
explore different parts of the
1990
to home, where he founded and
▼ Andrea Bongarzone ’90 and
Elanor Starmer was appointed to
leads Alma Del Mar, a charter
Claire Mcnamee Poole ’92 get
lead the Agricultural Marketing
school in New Bedford.
together when Andrea returns
Service, a federal agency that
home from her international
handles all aspects of agricultural
teaching career. Pictured
product marketing, including
with Claire and Andrea are
running the National Organic
Andrea’s son Finn (3) and
Program. Elanor and husband,
Claire’s daughter Ava (14).
Kumar, live in Washington, D.C., with their son Kai (2). Her mother, Nancy, and father, Jack (both former Milton faculty), retired this spring to New Hampshire. ▶ Calvin (son of Adam Forkner
and his wife, Claire) loves wearing his Milton onesie—showing Milton spirit at only 15 months!
1997 Kurt Collins recently relocated to
72
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
milton.edu
/MiltonAcademy1798
1998 Lyh Ping Lam and siblings Lyh-Rhen Lam ’99, Lyh-Hsin
Paris, France. There’s a lot of
Lam ’04, Joyce Lam ’05 and
travel in his future, so if anyone in
Grace Lam ’05 started a family
Europe wants to connect, please
business, Fivefork Farms—
contact him: kurt@kurt.sx.
a partnership founded on the
@Milton_Academy @miltonacademy
siblings’ passion for growing,
Anne Duggan and David Ranieri
Freddy Deknatel married Emily
arranging and selling flowers—
welcomed Matthew Duggan
McGoldrick in New York City on
inspired by their mother.
Ranieri on March 3, 2016.
June 25, 2016. Max McCurdy was a groomsman, and Julia von
www.fiveforkfarms.com
Metzsch, Lindsey Schwoeri and Jessica Resnick-Ault published
Edith Eustis were wedding guests.
her first book, Hess: The Last Oil Baron, and leads oil and gas
▶ David Scardella and his wife,
coverage for Reuters in New York.
Jaime Wendel (of Milton’s
She lives in Scarsdale with her
development office), welcomed
husband and daughter.
their son, Andrew Reed Scardella, on May 31, 2016. David owns
Beth Taylor and her husband,
2003
Matt Weyand, welcomed their son,
▲ Caitlin Domke celebrated her
a general dentistry practice in
Macy Barron Taylor Weyand
wedding to RJ Weiss with many
Duxbury, where the couple lives.
(“Moss”), on February 27, 2016.
Milton friends. From left to right: Philip Pitt, Krista Nylen, Kate
Center for Progressive Dentistry,
1999
Lenehan Perez, Caitlin Domke
2004
Weiss, Erin Morley Costa and
Talia Marie DiPanfilo Walsh
Pam Wildeman is working
Lindsey Schwoeri.
married Christopher James Walsh last year, and the couple
remotely for HookLogic; Roy still works for Cimpress; and their
Beau Rhee directs an independent
welcomed their daughter,
children are 8, 6 and 3. The family
design studio in New York City
Kennedy Jean Walsh, in March.
enjoyed a month-long adventure
called Atelier de Geste. In May, the
Natasha Greene was in the
this summer to visit family in
studio was one of 60 selected
wedding, and now Kennedy
Pennsylvania and Illinois before
among the “best and the brightest
is lucky to have Natasha as
taking off for Mexico.
of contemporary design.”
her godmother!
2002 ▶ Chris Dalton and Kate Walker
got married in October 2015, in Nahant, Massachusetts. The couple met at Milton, and guests included not only those pictured, but also Adam Walker ’05, Emilie Stark-Menneg, John Bisbee ’84,
and many current and former faculty members: Tom Bisbee, Marty Bisbee, Maggie Stark, Paul Menneg and Rebecca Shorin. Pictured here from left to right: Charlie Bisbee, Jay Deshpande, Lizzie Pope, Jon Magaziner ’01, Jen Doorly Magaziner, Chris Dalton (groom), Kate Walker (bride), Pal Herman, Alex Hannibal, Seth Magaziner.
FA L L 2 016
73
2009 ▲ Caroline Palmer, Amara
Warren and Celestine Warren ’10 reunited in July to backpack
California’s Lost Coast Trail and Trinity Alps Wilderness. “So grateful for our Milton Outdoor ▲ Jason Cincotta and his wife,
2007
Program roots!” says Caroline.
Katherine, welcomed their
Natalie Chapman and Nico
Holly Mawn lives in Portland,
daughter, Josephine Lorraine
Amaro married on June 25,
Maine, where she serves as an
Cincotta, on July 4, 2016.
2016. Lauren Alliegro, John
AmeriCorps member. She is also
Josephine was born as the
Ghublikian, Samantha Yu,
working toward her master’s
fireworks went off!
Cecelia Cortes, Aditya
degree in elementary education.
Basheer, Maggie Cochran,
and Michael Matczak helped
▶ This spring, Allison Rubin and
to celebrate.
Caroline Spahr ’19 teamed up to
Lauren Elizabeth Cohen and
doubles squash tournament and
Aaron Goldberg ’91 perform at
Michael Cohen welcomed
won the women’s open draw by
the Blue Note and in Louisville,
their son, Henry Thibodeaux
defeating the number-one seed in a
Kentucky, at the Jazz Education
McCollum Cohen, on
five-game finals battle. The pair
Network conference—an
June 3, 2016.
also were finalists in the C draw.
2005 Jason Yeager is a jazz pianist in
New York, where he recently saw
compete in the Massachusetts state
organization led by Milton jazz teacher Bob Sinicrope. Jason is an
Trevor Prophet just completed
instructor of piano at Berklee
a master’s program in psychology
College of Music and a recording
and has accepted a research
artist with Inner Circle Music. In
assistant position with the
Jason Yeager ’05 is a jazz
March 2017 he will perform at the
Institute for Leadership at the
pianist in New York, where
Berklee Performance Center in
United States Coast Guard
he recently saw Aaron
Boston to celebrate a forthcoming
Academy. He is excited to start
Goldberg ’91 perform at the
project with violinist Jason Anick.
this new job while continuing
Blue Note and in Louisville,
to coach collegiate soccer at
Kentucky, at the Jazz Education
Connecticut College.
Network conference—an organization led by Milton jazz
2008
teacher Bob Sinicrope.
▶ Baye Elizabeth Cobb Tilson
married Martin Tilson in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 4, 2016. Milton’s chaplain Suzanne DeBuhr, Rachel Klein-Ash ▲ Julie Ellison Palmedo and
(college counseling and Robbins
Randy Palmedo welcomed their
House), and many Robbins
first child, Roland Robinson
House girls were in attendance.
Palmedo, on May 25, 2016.
74
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
Jasmine Reid will enroll in
Stanford’s Ph.D. program in archaeology this fall, to study museum and community interactions in Johannesburg, South Africa. William Yu created
#StarringJohnCho, a viral social movement that imagines today’s ▲ On May 27, Victoria Lee,
using painting as a means to
Asian-American actor as their lead.
Ruyi Li, Erin Yang and
empower women and spread
His campaign received global
Natalie Solomon celebrated
awareness of human rights.
media coverage from CNN, BBC,
Commencement day at Wellesley
and the New York Times, among
College, as members of the
Caroline Wall transferred to
others. Visit StarringJohnCho.com
Class of 2016.
University of Chicago, where
Hollywood blockbusters with an
and follow @StarringJohnCho for more information.
she began in September.
2013
▼ Milton reclaimed the
Emily Roberts, Suzanne Gallo,
Alumni Cup in its 35th annual
Cate Littlefield and Connor
match against Nobles.
Handy reunited on Cape Cod
for July Fourth at the Littlefield
front row (l to r):
home with other Milton alumni.
David Walker (parent),
Emily and Cate are roommates
Will Trepagnier ’09,
in New York City.
Michael Campos ’10,
2015
Jake Garfinkle ’03,
Dartmouth freshman Carson
Keith Caldwell ’02.
Dan Sibor ’01,
Spahr was named Ivy League
2011
Rookie of the Year in squash.
back row:
During her gap year, before
Swing Robertson ’81,
Max Hoffman ’05,
Career milestone? Exciting travel? New addition to the family? Or maybe you reunited with Milton friends and have the picture to prove it?
Ian Kernohan, fresh off a solo
beginning at New York
Chris Robertson ’83,
jaunt to Scotland, is energized
University, Christina Perry was
Mark Jensen ’08,
Share it with us:
to start a second year with City
an advocate for refugees settling
Seth Reynolds ’90,
alumni@milton.edu
Year New Hampshire, serving
in Maryland. She has also been
Zac Trudeau ’05.
in a fifth-grade classroom as a mentor and tutor.
2012 Hannah “Henna” Auerbach
recently graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a degree in neuroscience. In August, she began the fellowship program of the American Hebrew Academy.
75
cl a s s no t e s, con t.
◀ CLASS OF 1946
(l to r): Smiley Ruggles Jr., Gerry Livingston, Edith Rotch Lauderdale, Rusty Bourne, Randy Byers.
▲ CLASS OF 1951
front row (l to r): Donald Phipps, Polly Phipps, Ellen Wadsworth, Oliver Wadsworth, Alvin Crowell. back row: Liz Ward, Andy Ward, Christine Navez, Andre Navez.
▶ CLASS OF 1956
front row (l to r): Christopher Owen, Bob Bray, Rupert Hitzig, John Reidy. back row: Josh Lane, Phil Robertson, Robby Hallowell, TB Robbins.
76
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
◀ CLASS OF 1961
front row (l to r): William Hitzig, Lawrence Coburn, Tim Bolton, Kenneth Horak. second row: Joseph Hull, William Joplin, Candy Reiter Midkiff, Faith Howland, Jane Page Mallinson, Charles Howland, Robert Morse. standing: Francis Woods, William McKenna, Paul Schmid, William Coleman, Ralph Pope, Peter Talbot, Stephen White, George Cushing, Peter Wilder, Roger Reiser, Michael Eaton, Joseph Knowles, Roger Sullivan, John Cooper, Gorham Brigham. not pictured, but in attendance: Walter Mack, William Burgin, Robert Devens.
▶ CLASS OF 1966
front row (l to r): Walter Horak, Marian Gram Laughlin, George Maltby, Mia Beale, Richard Kornbluth, Joel Bard, Anne Brewer, George Buffington, Nancy Haydock. middle row: Russell MacAusland, Sally Hepburn, Paula Thompson Woodhull, Joan Coburn Casini, Catherine Cinelli Hendriquez, Ngaio Worfold Jamieson, Deborah Black Drain, Elly Lindsay, Deborah Thaxter. back row: Thomas Turner, Warren Chase, Sam Perkins, Bill Maclay, Dan Gerrity, Mac Dewart, Fred Fiske, Goran Lundgren, Mark Page, Camilla Ware von Bergen, Cathy Ives Cornell, Kippy Dewey, Anne Fiske.
◀ CLASS OF 1966, OFF CAMPUS
front row (l to r): Marian Gram Laughlin, Elly Lindsay, Kippy Dewey, Debby Saltonstall Twining, Sue Thomas Boddington. middle row: Anne Fiske, Anne Brewer, Sally Hepburn, Holly Gardiner Burnes, Camilla Ware von Bergen, Mia Beale, Sally Serrell Young. back row: Nancy Haydock, Susan Cary Nicholas, Susie Perkins Graseck, Cathy Ives Cornell, Debbie Black Drain, Ellen Saltonstall, Catherine Cinelli Hendriquez, Joan Coburn Casini, Paula Thompson Woodhull, Deborah Thaxter, Ngaio Worfold Jamieson.
FA L L 2 016
77
cl a s s no t e s, con t.
▲ CLASS OF 1971
(l to r): Phil Suter, Fred Ames, Sylvie Peron, Ogden Ross, Russ Lyman. ◀ CLASS OF 1971, OFF CAMPUS
front row (l to r): Phil Suter, Sally Clark Donahue, Margaret Trumbull Nash, Betsy Bergan Altman, Clara Richardson, Sylvie Peron. back row: William Straus, Russ Lyman, George Hackett, Colin Maclaurin, Christopher Pope.
▶ CLASS OF 1976
front row (l to r): Sarah Lockwood Wright, M. Jeanne Thrower Aguilar, Ellen Panarese Gibson, Margo McGlade Epprecht, Susan Clark, Drew Moseley Kristofik, Jonathan Sibley, Serene Charles, Sarah Whitely Ferguson. second row: Thomas Fitz, Lisa Fitzgibbons, Emily Cox Sinagra, Joanne Montouris Nikitas, Hamilton Johnson, Robert Macomber, Terrence Tedeschi. third row: Deborah Leggat, Elizabeth Stockwell, Lisa White Spellman, Julia Simmonds, Sturtevant Burr, Jeff Piazza, Gil Kliman, Henry Carr. back row: John Hynes, John Toulmin.
78
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
▲ CLASS OF 1981
front row (l to r): Elizabeth Dakin, Susanna Humpstone Michalson, Jessica Hallowell Lindley, Lucie Rice, Frank O’Boyle, Swing Robertson, Kevin McDonough. back row: Matthew Moore, Ken Goldberg, Sierra Bright, Douglas Kliman, John Sullivan, Margaret Harding. ◀ CLASS OF 1986
front row (l to r): Kathryn Moran Collins, Shin Hirose, Barry Korn, Chris Perry, Grady Clouse, Ruta Brickus, Becca Pecore, Reni Dulos Cadigan, Kathleen Weiss, Kristin Frederickson. second row: Todd Chayet, Heather Ewing, John Thompson, Lewis Gilman, Lucy Siegfried, Grace Chan McKibben, Steven Bordonaro, Farah Pandith. third row: Will Chaffey, Scott Stikeleather, Richard Walker, Larry Donahue, Adam Peirce, Brian Paul, Karen Euler. back row: Robert Ball, Carl Prindle, Adam Bookbinder, Roger Travis, David Yas.
FA L L 2 016
79
â–ś CLASS OF 1996
front row (l to r): Kristin Lewis, Alexa Gilpin Janssen, Omayra Ortega, Alicia Sinicrope, Aaron Raphel, Colin Cheney, Eric Hudson, Clark Freifeld. second row: Jessica Gemm, Moriah Musto, Daniel Cubell, Alice Burley, Ted Maloney, Raj Mitra. third row: Sander Cohan, Jonathan Alschuler, Laura DeGirolami, Alexis Scott, Barbara Targum, Laura Burnes, Adam Forkner. back row: Brendan Burek, William Taylor, Christian O’Toole, Gregory Loftus, Brian Tobin.
80
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
◀ CLASS OF 1991
front row (l to r): John Corey, Anne McManus Hurlbut, Meg Foley Burke, Tamsen Caruso Brown, Tiffany Claflin, Amy Hamill, Vy Horwood, Mike Laznik. second row: Megan Stephan, Adriana Clancy, Erin Sheepo, Matthew Hennigan. third row: Penn Lindsay, Kate Brooks Leness, Tom Siegfried, Matt Pottinger, John Avlon, Kathleen Carr Foster, Ellen Hummel, Spencer Hoffman. fourth row: Jeff Courey, Courtney Drohan Monnich, Erika Cooley, Priscilla Elliott, Cindy Talbot, Rob McCloskey, Jefrey DuBard, Elizabeth Kettyle, Henrik Brun, Sarah Millet, Stephanie Pare Sullivan. back row: Susan Meagher, Leonora Zilkha Williamson, Luke DiGirolamo, Andreas Lazar, Michael Douglas, Simon Clark, Chase Arnold, Nicholas McQuaid.
▲ CLASS OF 2001
front row (l to r): Alda Balthrop-Lewis, Elyse Nieves Mahatha, Maggie Kerr, Nate Bliss, Pete Fishman, Maria Kamenetska. second row: Mark Lentz, Frances Weld, Amanda Harrington, Caroline Browne Adelman, Hernan Ortiz, Alex Weiss. back row: Brian Higgins, Danae Pauli, Meghan O’Toole, Sarah Pease Murphy, Hannah Flint, Tim Churchill.
FA L L 2 016
81
Who gave you the will and the skills to be the best you could be? To choose your own pathway? To weather the ups and downs of asking great questions and crafting a life? Alumni so often name invaluable faculty mentors at the root of their success. Nearly half of Milton’s faculty will retire in the next decade. Support Dare to make sure that the most talented and devoted educators will call Milton home, today and tomorrow.
www.milton.edu/campaign
â–˛ CLASS OF 2006
front row (l to r): Amanda McCafferty, Kim Thorpe, Andrea Dregalla, Max Stratouly, Stacey Harris, Katherine Marr, Laila Ameri, Jamie Mittelman, Madeleine Macmillan, Simin Lee, Alex Rodman, Zoe Jick, Stephanie Richards. second row: Jacob Roundtree, Caitlin Barry-Heffernan, Shellonda Anderson. third row: Kristen Rubin, Ross Bloom, Jordana Lopez-de Silva, Kathy Han, Alanna Hall, Sasha Kamenetska, Sara Bakkar, Nelson Fernandez, Josh Kay, Annie Jean-Baptiste, Bailey Carroll, Nathaniel Obler, Greg Chase. back row: Henry White, Alex Heitzmann, Sam Sadler, Noah Carson, Carlon McPherson, Ned Littlefield, Mike Bechek, Mike Greenberg, Marland Hobbs, Jonathan Coravos, Dan Charness, Nathaniel Anschuetz, Jim Frantz, James Fee, Winston Tuggle, Sam Mansour, Nate Danforth.
82
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
In Memoriam Class 0f 1933
▼ CLASS OF 2011
front row (l to r): Sophie Panarese, Sarah Alliegro, Chelsea Mehra, Sloan Devins, Marco Barber-Grossi, Joycelyn Yip, Jenny Chen, N’dea Hallet, Jovonna Jones, Andrew Nwachuku, Zakiya Lewis, Solana Davis, Kahdeem Ralph, Ashley Bair, Olivia Irving, Aylin Feliz, Nicole Meyers, Nikhil Bhambi, Connor Johnson, Ben Hawkins, Robert Bedetti, Wayne Chang. second row: Claire Whitman, Isabella Frontado, Reed Palmer, Michael Berke, Rebecca Deng, CJ Ganss, Sophia Sopuch, Sam Shleifer, Alex Healey, Sidney Chiang, Phil Alves, Anais Rodriguez-Thompson, Richard Kong, Tory Trippe, Elias Dagher. third row: Lydia Green, Emma Borden, Jaclyn Porfilio, Kunal Jasty, Sam Karlinski, Doriane Ahia, Samantha Noh, Shannon McHugh, Josette LaRochelle, Daniel Schwartz, Shan Lin, Alex Stratouly, Farzan Vafa, Arianna Williams, Nico Gendron, Josh Berman, Isabelle Lelogeais, Sofia Silverglass, TJ Schneider. fourth row: Brian Rawn, Gregor Seidman, Cam Bowen, Andrew Beaudoin, Danny Lamere, Josh Jordan, John Bailey, Pat McNally, Jake Turrin, Andrew Strang, Sam Ames, Dan Merenich, Chloe Michaelidis, Conrad Taylor, Mike Godwin, Sam Madden. back row: Sarah Costello, Charlie Malone, Kathy Woodhouse, Audrey Keathley, George Pantazopoulos, Sarah Lyn, Tyler Edwards, Caitlin Dutkiewicz, Kasey Caine, Jaclyn Coffey, Aaron Deutsch, Sean Dougherty.
Class of 1949
Colonel Francis Gorham
Bridget Birdsall Cooke
Oakes Ames Spalding Jr.
Brigham Jr.
Class of 1935
Class of 1952
Eleanor Blackall Read
Jonathan Field
Class of 1937
Class of 1954
Charles P. Edwards
Katherine Maclaurin
Marion Chester Read
Staples
Alanson Hall Sturgis Jr. Class of 1955 Class of 1942
Frederick C. Cabot
Rev. Edmund Knox Sherrill Class of 1956 Class of 1943
Margaret Sheffield
Thomas Hale
Honorable George
Lyman Whitman Smith
Class of 1944
Class of 1964
Rockwell Sprague
Julia Sturges O’Connor
Donald Gibby Paige
Ethel Thurber Ortenburger
James Arthur Pappas
Class of 1945
Class of 1972
Judy McCook Banning
Paul J. Hanley Jr.
Andrew Griscom Former Faculty & Staff Class of 1946
Mara Lane Cary
Harry Johnson Collingwood
Elinor S. Griffin
Martha Farrar
Thelma Gloria Lake
Estelle Dallas Rose Lawson
David Roak
Johnston
Pamela Steele White
Class of 1947 Constance Merrill Cameron Richard Peter Crumbly Fitzgerald Henry Weil Lauterstein
FA L L 2 016
83
post script
BY MARY MCCUTCHEON ’65
When Clutter Gives You Joy That infernal book by Marie
a Match.com for these lonely singles. The other day,
best-seller list for months. I
I was putting a fresh pillow case on a pillow when, lo
haven’t read it. I haven’t opened
and behold, a sock popped out. With absolute rapture, I
its cover. I haven’t touched it.
located its mate there in the drawer. I was delirious with
I haven’t even seen a copy, but
self-satisfaction.
I am already barricading
Then there’s the wrinkle cream. A walk through the
my mind against its painful
aisles of CVS transports me into an imaginary world where
message: decluttering.
I am radiant and my skin is clear and free of all sags and
When I first arrived at Milton in 1962, I had one
creases. The L’Oreal packaging with its gold lettering, the Revlon and Olay labels with their far-fetched promises,
Samsonite suitcase (no wheels),
make me dream of the new me. I furtively pick up the
a portable typewriter, and
product and put it in the cart. Meanwhile, back in the
a copy of Webster’s Sixth
medicine cabinet at home are the jars and bottles from my
Collegiate Dictionary. Aside from children’s books and teddy
previous trips to CVS. No matter how much of this stuff
bears, the only other thing I owned was my nascent and
I slather on my face, whose surface area grows greater and
growing collection of airline vomit bags. These treasures
greater as the wrinkles become deeper and more numerous,
stayed back home in Illinois.
I can never use up my enormous inventory before the
Now 54 years have passed and I am moving to what I call my “Old Age Home.” I built it across the street, with all the handicap-accessible gizmos I will one day probably
products lose their potency and become rancid. And can I toss them out? Well, not yet. I could go on and on with a self-conscious inventory
need. My worldly possessions, once fitting loosely into a
of my abundant stuff, but it brings out a degree of guilt
Samsonite suitcase, have somehow turned into boxes and
and self-torment that I’m not ready to cope with. Though
boxes and boxes of stuff. How did this happen? Is it time to
this essay is an exercise in self-defense, there is still plenty
call the hoarding task force?
of ambivalence.
One day a few years ago, my uncle Shaw McCutcheon
If I have problems parting with my clutter, I’m not alone.
(Milton Class of ’39) sent me a huge box of books and
When my great-great-Aunt Bessie died, she left a large
papers and things with a cover letter saying, “It looks as
collection of snuff bottles, hundreds of bars of French soap,
if you are now the family archivist…” I gulped with a
sexy nighties, and three or four silk parachutes she
mix of pride and dismay. I already had possession of
took on her trips to France to allay her fear of flying. My
my grandmother’s diary and this gave me enough mixed
grandmother often wrapped these things up as gifts.
feelings as it was. My grandmother always told me that
My brother loved the parachutes, my sister liked the soap,
the minute she “popped” it would be my job to burn her
and I wore one of the nighties for years.
diary. When she did pop and I acquired the diary, I briefly considered how and where I would start the promised fire. Somehow the match never managed to get lit and here is the diary still in my possession. The box Uncle Shaw
My new house will be pleasantly cluttered. Marie Kondo is not going to be invited over. In one of these boxes of stuff, I unearthed that longlost collection of airline vomit bags and have started
sent included a lot of correspondence, manuscripts and
a conversation with the National Air and Space Museum
my grandfather’s diary. My family was creative in art and
here in Washington about accessioning them. So if
literature, so a lot of these keepsakes deserve to be kept
you’re like me, find a way to keep the things that remind
somewhere. Why not here?
you of those you love and find a way to leave your
I lose socks in the wash all the time. I ponder where
84
have a whole drawer of mateless socks. There should be
Kondo has been on the
descendants the things that reflect your own idiosyncrasies
in the space-time continuum these single socks got to, but,
for better or worse. And then they can buy that copy of
expecting their mates will one day return, I keep them. I
Marie Kondo’s book.
M I LT O N M A G A Z I N E
boa r d of trustee s Robert Azeke ’87
John B. Fitzgibbons ’87
William Knowlton P ’23
H. Marshall Schwarz ’54 P ’84
New York, New York
Treasurer
Boston, Massachusetts
Emeritus
Bronxville, New York Bradley M. Bloom P ’06 ’08
Stephen Lebovitz P ’10 ’12 ’14 ’17
Emeritus
Margaret Jewett Greer ’47
Wellesley, Massachusetts
P ’77 ’84 G ’09 ’13 ’14
Charles Cheever ’86
Lakeville, Connecticut Weston, Massachusetts
Dune Thorne ’94 Lincoln, Massachusetts
Emerita
Yunli Lou ’87
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Shanghai, China
Concord, Massachusetts
Erick Tseng ’97 San Francisco, California
Eleanor Tabi Haller-Jorden ’75
Stuart Mathews P ’13 ’17 ’17
Douglas Crocker II ’58
P ’09
Vice President and Secretary
Kimberly Steimle Vaughan ’92
Delray Beach, Florida
Wädenswil, Switzerland
Waban, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts
Mark Denneen ’84
Franklin W. Hobbs IV ’65 P ’98
Chris McKown P ’13
Luis Viceira P ’16 ’19
Boston, Massachusetts
Emeritus
Milton, Massachusetts
Belmont, Massachusetts
New York, New York Elisabeth Donohue ’83
Wendy Nicholson ’86
Dorothy Altman Weber ’60 P ’04
President
Harold W. Janeway ’54
Vice President
Boston, Massachusetts
New York, New York
P ’79 ’81 ’87 G ’12 ’14
New York, New York
Randall Dunn ’83
Webster, New Hampshire
Ted Wendell ’58 P ’94 ’98 ’01
Emeritus
Milton, Massachusetts
P ’17 ’19
Chicago, Illinois Claire Hughes Johnson ’90 James M. Fitzgibbons ’52
Caterina Papoulias-Sakellaris Milton, Massachusetts
Sylvia Westphal
Liping Qiu P ’17
Boston, Massachusetts
P ’18 ’21 ’25 ’27 ’27
Menlo Park, California
P ’87 ’90 ’93 Emeritus
Peter Kagan ’86
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
New York, New York
Beijing, China Ronnell Wilson ’93 West Orange, New Jersey Kevin Yip ’83 P ’16 Hong Kong
Milton Magazine
Non-Profit Organization
Milton Academy
U.S. Postage
Communication Office
PAID
Milton, MA 02186
Boston, MA Permit No. 58423
Change Service Requested