Spring 2015 MOORESTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL
Among Friends
Learning Leadership “Can leadership be taught?” Two new courses address the question.
Mission Statement Moorestown Friends School is a community rooted in Quaker values and dedicated to the pursuit of educational excellence for a diverse student body within an academically rigorous and balanced program emphasizing personal, ethical, and spiritual growth. Fall 1987, revised May 2011
Contents
SPRING 2015
From the Head of School
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Notes from Pages Lane
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Fox Tracks
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Career Day
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Learning Leadership 16
The Laramie Project: 30 Ten Years Later
Class Notes
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In Memoriam
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About the Cover
Spotlight on Student Artwork
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David White ‘15 and Emily Tatum ‘15 are Peer Leaders: seniors who volunteer their time to teach a ninth grade Peer Leadership class. In the “Learning Leadership” feature beginning on page 16, read about two new MFS courses that aim to teach leadership. The feature also shares alumni reflections on leadership styles.
Moorestown Friends School 110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057 (856) 235-2900, www.mfriends.org Published By The Development Office Editor, Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck Managing Editor, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Kat Clark
Graphic Design Alison Judah ’86, Hypno Design
Associate Director of Development Beth Stouffer
Photography Kat Clark, Nicole Edmund ’86, Mikki Harris ’93, Curt Hudson, Mike Schlotterbeck, and Alumni and Student Contributors
Director of Parent and Alumni Programs Christine Schantz Palumbo ’05
Head of School Larry Van Meter ’68
Development Office Staff Sue Giacchetto, Michelle Wartenberg
Director of Development Stephen Zakroff
Moorestown Friends School admits students without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, gender, or sexual orientation. All photos are identified from left to right unless otherwise indicated. SPRING 2015
Development Intern Julia Applegate ’10
Printed on recycled paper. AMONG FRIENDS
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Title Lower School in 3D First graders recently used the school’s 3D printer to design and print their own figurines.
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SPRING 2015
From the Head of School
Education for Leadership MFS, like most independent schools, is accredited on a regular cycle by a regional educational association. In our case, the accrediting body is the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA). MFS has qualified for a special MSA accreditation program called Sustaining Excellence, a new protocol available to a small number of schools that in the opinion of MSA are unusually healthy. Schools in this protocol skip most of the checklists and committee work involved in a regular accreditation process, and they work directly on one or two educational initiatives that will enable them to build on their already exemplary programs. We decided to focus on a core priority: developing graduates who will be successful, ethical, and service-oriented leaders. MSA agreed to base its accreditation solely on our execution of this program. We chose leadership because we know that our students learn invaluable lessons at MFS in teamwork, respect, and equity. Many of these skills are related to the school’s commitment to Quaker values like integrity, equality, and community. But, we also know that we can be more intentional in enhancing our students’ natural leadership abilities. We have therefore instituted two new courses designed to enhance the leadership skills of our students. A course I co-taught in the fall semester with Kathryn Park Cook, Leadership: Style and Skills, offered ninth and tenth graders an opportunity to understand the connection between Quaker values and a range of leadership styles. It also gave students an opportunity to bolster their skills in making persuasive speeches and leading teams (by role-playing thorny situations). They met with a number of business leaders, including Len Shapiro ’60 and Mindy Holman, an MFS parent and School Committee member. Ultimately, each student identified his or her own “authentic” leadership style and developed ideas for furthering personal leadership development. Another new offering is a year-long Peer Leadership class led by Upper School Director Justin Brandon, Director of College Guidance Meredith Hanamirian, and Chester Reagan Chair Priscilla Taylor-Williams. In this course, a group of 16 carefully selected seniors received leadership training and then worked confidentially with groups of 8-10 freshmen to help them navigate the sometimes difficult transition from middle school to high school. No subject is off-limits as our youngest Upper School students receive caring and wise counsel from our oldest. A visiting team from MSA came to campus in March and heard very favorable reviews from student participants in this year’s inaugural offerings. Both courses will be offered again next year. The underlying idea is based on the importance we place on thoughtful and humane leadership in organizations and businesses, large and small, and the benefits our students receive through their MFS education to be successful, ethical, and service-oriented leaders. Sincerely,
Larry Van Meter ’68 Head of School SPRING 2015
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Jumping 4 George Fourth graders Anya Zekavat and Sumin Kim perform for younger students at Jumping 4 George. This annual assembly and fundraiser benefits the George Thomas Endowment, established in memory of the fourth grade teacher who taught at MFS for 25 years. SPRING 2015
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Notes from Pages Lane This section of Among Friends takes its name from Pages Lane, the road that bisected the Moorestown Friends School campus prior to the construction of Stokes Hall in 1986.
The first Vision 2020 mural, which celebrates the study of visual arts.
January 22 Arts Department Chair Brian Howard announced the creation of the Vision 2020 Community Art Project to students and parents. The goal is to create one community art installation each year until 2020. The project also refers to “20/20,” numbers which represent clearness of vision. Under the guidance of Ceramics Teacher David Gamber, the first installation was carefully planned and installed in the stairwell leading from the Middle/Upper School to the Arts Suite and Red Gym. A team of faculty, staff, and students in Grades 6-12 participated in this first installation. Said Brian: “The Vision 2020 project will fill the school with seven installations that bring joy and wonder to the campus and celebrate in a concrete, visual, and permanent way the school’s ongoing relationship with the arts.” The second project, led by 2014-15 Artist-in-Residence Brad Carney, is now underway. Vision 2020 plays to essential 21st century skills: collaborative learning, the creative process, and fluency in visual communications. It takes advantage of the diverse ages and talents at MFS. 6
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2014-15 MFS Artist-in-Residence Brad Carney, of Philadelphia Mural Arts, is leading the second Vision 2020 installation. SPRING 2015
Notes from Pages Lane
January 23 This year’s Camden City Schools Drive collected 35 full bags of school supplies for seven K-8 schools in Camden. The drive was held in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
February 3 Kimberly Clarkson was appointed Middle School Director, effective July 1. She succeeds Steve Shaffer, who is returning to the classroom to teach English at MFS after serving as Middle School Director for 22 years. Kimberly is currently the Sixth Grade Coordinator at Sidwell Friends School.
March 21 The MFS Parent Council Auction, “A Shore Thing,” was held at the Collingswood Grand Ballroom & Theater. Pictured: Co-Chairs Sangeeta Doshi and Celestine Berg with the sixth grade class gift.
February 2 Professional storyteller David Novak visited for two days to work with individual classes and conduct workshops for faculty and staff. Pictured: First grade student Anjali Shah gets caught up in one of Novak’s stories. SPRING 2015
January 24-25 Melissa Abrams ’17 was selected to perform with the 2014-15 South Jersey Senior High Chorus in two all-star concerts at Eastern High School. Over 500 students from 50 public and private schools were represented at the November tryouts. AMONG FRIENDS
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Notes from Pages Lane
January 19 Priscilla Taylor-Williams’ Hospice and Healthcare class was featured in The Moorestown Sun. Taylor-Williams said her favorite part of teaching the class is “watching students become more comfortable about a very challenging topic in our culture in a way that is more positive.”
January 21 Edward Gelernt ’16 was the recipient of a 2015 Cogito Research Award from the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. He is one of only ten students in the United States to win the award. Edward hopes his research can be used to help doctors determine patients’ susceptibility to heart disease.
December 14 Seniors Adam Mohsen-Breen, Jamal Pratt, Alex Knowlton, and C.J. Passariello placed first at the annual Foxtrot Business Concept Competition, funded by the Herman Hollerith Endowment. This year, students designed social media campaigns to encourage healthy eating.
November 21-23 Students performed Shrek The Musical for three sold-out audiences. Lead roles were played by Brandon Beach ’15 (Shrek), Pilar Martinez ’15 (Princess Fiona), Noah Borromeo ’17 (Donkey), Luke Shaffer ’15 (Lord Farquaad), Jonathan D’Souza ’19 (Pinocchio), Skylar McClane ’16 (Gingy), and Sierra Mills ’16 (Dragon Lady). 8
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SPRING 2015
Notes from Pages Lane
November 16 Faculty, staff, and students traveled to Kean University to support Girls’ Soccer at the State Championship. Pictured: Middle School Director Steve Shaffer, Lower School Director Kelly Banik, Athletic Director Danielle Dayton, Upper School Director Justin Brandon, and Head of School Larry Van Meter.
October 18 The Upper School Women’s Choir performed in the Girls Empowered Through Music (GETMusic!) concert at Tindley Temple United Methodist Church in Philadelphia.
October 21 Author/Illustrator Brian Weaver ’99, who goes by the name Neil Numberman in the publishing world, visited MFS to share his books with Lower School students. SPRING 2015
October 10 Margaux Vellucci ’16 performed Tchaikovsky’s Nocturne in D minor at the Day of the Girl Summit at the United Nations in New York City. AMONG FRIENDS
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Fox Tracks
2014 Girls’ Soccer Season at a Glance: Record: 14-6-1 Goals For: 65 Goals Against: 25
ROAD TO A SOUTH JERSEY TITLE: Foxes 3, Our Lady of Mercy 0
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Girls’ Soccer Captures South Jersey Title On a snowy November evening at Holmdel High School, the Girls’ Soccer team captured the first South Jersey championship in the program’s 21-year history. Drexel-bound senior Vanessa Kara scored the first three goals of the match to lead the top-seeded Foxes to a resounding 5-0 victory over Gill St. Bernard’s. Junior Gaelyn Gregory made five saves to earn the shutout. The Foxes then moved on to the state championship match, where they fell to Villa Walsh 1-0.
Foxes 3, Holy Spirit 1 • Foxes 5, Gill St. Bernard’s 0 (South Jersey Final)
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Fox Tracks 1 Alaina Shivers ’15 Sets Record for Three-Pointers in a Season In her final game of the 2014-15 season, Alaina Shivers ’15 made six three-point baskets to eclipse the program record for three-pointers in one season set by Akemi Moriuchi ’04. (Alaina scored 53 three-pointers, and Akemi’s record was 52.) Alaina was the Burlington County leader for three-point baskets this season. The Girls’ Basketball team finished with a 15-7 record. 2 All-Time Leading Scorer Vanessa Kara ’15 Receives All-State Recognition In February, at a celebration held at MFS with family, friends, and teammates, Vanessa Kara signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at Drexel University on scholarship. She was recognized by Friends Schools League coaches as an All-State selection in Pennsylvania. Only one player in the league receives this recognition. After suffering consecutive knee injuries during her sophomore and junior years, Vanessa returned for a stellar senior season in which she led the team to a South Jersey championship – she scored 27 goals and dished out 12 assists. She concluded her career with an MFS Girls’ Soccer program record of 48 goals, surpassing Brianna Howarth ‘12 who tallied 45 goals in her career. 3 Girls’ Fencing Enjoys Successful Season Girls’ Fencing qualified for the NJSIAA team playoffs and upset West Morris Central, 16-11, in their first round matchup on February 3. They fell to Livingston in the Round of 16. Erin Chen ‘16 enjoyed an outstanding season at Sabre and qualified for state individual championships on February 28 in Morristown. She was named Third Team All-State at Sabre. The MFS Girls’ Sabre squad of Pilar Martinez ‘15, Carly Rosvold ‘18, Carolyn Feigeles ‘18, Erin, her sister Chloe Chen ‘18, and Rowan Suarez Parmer ‘18 also finished sixth at the NJSIAA Squad state championships. In addition, Chloe Jones ‘18 (sabre) and Carolyn Feigeles ‘18 (foil) earned silver medals at the Montclair Freshman/Sophomore Fencing Invitational. 4 David Howarth ’15 Participates in NJ State All-Star Showcase David Howarth became the first MFS Boys’ Soccer player in over a decade to participate in the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey Senior All-Star Showcase. He was one of 17 players on the South section team, which tied the North I team 4-4 on December 6 at Rowan University. He was also recognized as a Second Team All-South Jersey selection by the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association and All-State by the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey. He will play next year at Colby College.
Girls’ Tennis Team Enjoys Postseason Accolades The Girls’ Tennis team was rewarded for a successful season with several team awards and recognitions. The team was ranked No. 4 in the final South Jersey Tennis Coaches Association (SJTCA) poll. They were also ranked No. 6 in the final NJ.com/Star Ledger poll of all Non-Public teams in the state. Grace Kim ’17 was named the Burlington County Times Player of the Year. Grace, Jess Ferber ’17, Katie Teitelbaum ’15, and the doubles team of Margaux Fox ’18 and Sasha Katsnelson ’16 were named to the SJTCA All-Non-Public team.
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Career Day Janice Johnston ‘88 • Senior Coordinating Producer, ABC News • B.A. Princeton University • J.D. University of Virginia School of Law
ABC News Producer Headlines Career Day Emmy Award-winning producer Janice Johnston ’88 was the keynote speaker at Upper School Career Day on February 20. She is currently the Coordinating Producer of ABC News Magazines and Specials, and she was recently honored with a Salute to Excellence Award by the National Association of Black Journalists. At the beginning of her speech, Janice pulled an old notebook out of her bag: her MFS Senior Project journal from 1988. “For my Senior Project, I was a production intern at KYWTV’s morning talk show. What I experienced during that amazing opportunity has been more helpful in my current career than any class I took at Princeton or any seminar in law school,” said Janice. “I think I spent the first day with a permanent grin on my face – I was still in shock that I had gained entrance to this unknown world. Watching the show from inside the studio, meeting the producers, seeing the ‘control room,’ going to the news floor – all of it was just plain fun. I did everything from making coffee and copies, to managing the audience, to entertaining Davy Jones’ daughter. One journal entry says, ‘I wish Senior Project were longer! I could do this forever.’ Well, fast forward to the present: I grew up to be a television producer.” A former practicing attorney, Janice has been with ABC News since 1998, where she has worked on 20/20 (her current assignment) and Good Morning America. She has filmed everywhere from the White House to Taylor Swift’s house, and she has
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traveled extensively from the volcanoes of Hawaii to the base of Mt. Kenya. Her recent stories include the record-breaking special “Highwire Over Niagara Falls: LIVE,” as well as coverage of Robin Roberts’ battle with a rare blood disorder. While working with ABC News, Janice has earned four Emmy Awards and multiple Emmy nominations, as well as two George Foster Peabody Awards, an NAACP Image Award Nomination, and a National Headliner Award from the Press Club of Atlantic City. Janice explained to the students gathered in the Meeting House that prior to working in television, she was a corporate litigation associate at a law firm in New York. She spent a year serving indigent tenants in Brooklyn Housing Court, and she also worked as a speechwriter for Senator Bill Bradley. Janice then decided to transition to television, and she networked diligently until she was able to obtain a position at ABC. After describing her early career, Janice fielded questions from students and shared some of her more recent experiences: covering the Presidential campaign, shadowing a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and sitting with Keith Urban on his porch. She spoke about difficult and heartfelt interviews, as well as the more glamorous ones. “I get to meet everyday people who have shown enormous courage in extraordinary circumstances. I feel most blessed to have shared those stories.” In closing, Janice offered some advice: “Be engaged in the world around you. Ask great questions. Take it on. And, perhaps, keep a journal – you’ll be surprised what amazing stories you have to tell.”
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Career Day Career Day was established in 2003 to introduce juniors and seniors to a variety of career ideas. After listening to the keynote speech together, each student has the opportunity to attend three breakout sessions, hosted by alumni and parents representing a wide cross-section of fields.
Jeffrey Berg, MFS Parent
Bradd Forstein
US Country Manager and Executive VP De Lage Landen
Managing Director Black Bear Capital
Greg Guthe ‘05
Dan Hennessy
Kevin Lee ‘00
Software Engineer RJ Metrics
Senior Project Engineer Alaimo Group
Counsel New York Stock Exchange
Cathy Martin, Alumni Parent
Greg Masiko ‘94
Howard Orel, MFS Parent
Social Worker Medford Leas Continuing Care
Clinic Manager Excel Physical Therapy and Fitness
Pediatrician Advocare Marlton
Rob Pineda ‘86
Stephen Shilling ‘09
Chris Warren, MFS Parent
Senior Counsel Johnson & Johnson
Commercial Artist Stephen Shilling Media LLC
Planner Alaimo Group
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Learning Leadership
Can Leadership Be Taught?
Two New Courses Address the Question Leaders in today’s complex and increasingly participative world need empathy, respect for others, and an ability to help build consensus. As a complement to existing Quaker education courses – which begin in Preschool – and the philosophy electives offered for older students, two new Upper School courses were introduced this year. They reflect Moorestown Friends’ commitment to instill these values in students and prepare them for future leadership. The first, Leadership: Style and Skills, is an introduction to leadership theory and practice. In addition to studying well-known approaches, the class focuses on Servant Leadership, in which serving others is prioritized. Popularized by Quaker management scientist Robert Greenleaf, Servant Leadership calls for those in leadership to share their power and encourage others’ growth. In November, the Styles and Skills class met with Howard Stoeckel, Vice Chairman and former President and CEO of Wawa. He emphasized Servant Leadership as one of the things that makes Wawa unique. “The days of a title signifying respect are disappearing,” Stoeckel said. “True leadership is the ability to influence people, with or without a job title. Good leaders give other people credit.” The class also enjoyed visits from business leaders such as Vernon Hill, Mindy Holman, and Len Shapiro ’60. Students gave oral presentations, role-played difficult leadership situations, and assessed peers’ strengths and weaknesses. The course culminated in a paper and speech by each student on his or her authentic leadership style. A second course, Peer Leadership, provides seniors with the opportunity to mentor ninth grade students on a weekly basis. The 16 upperclassmen, who must apply for the mentorship positions, lead discussions of moral and ethical issues relevant to the student body. As part of the curriculum, the senior leaders meet with faculty advisors, and they provide support to freshmen throughout their transition from Middle to Upper School. These unique offerings, combined with a rigorous academic program, aim to create productive and public-spirited leaders.
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Former President and CEO of Wawa Howard Stoeckel (center) with Head of School Larry Van Meter (right) and students from the 2014-15 Leadership: Style and Skills course.
Vernon Hill, the founder and chairman of Metro Bank, speaks to the Leadership: Style and Skills course.
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Learning Leadership
“The best part is that seniors understand what it’s like to be freshmen. They know that we are on our own journey to personal discovery, and they are unfailing in their efforts to help show us the way.”
Seniors Emily Tatum and David White leading their class of ninth grade students.
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Learning Leadership
The Peer Leadership Experience By Sujin Kim ’18 Peer Leadership is a new elective that all ninth grade students are required to take. We’re split up into classes of eight or nine, and each class is assigned two senior Peer Leaders. Our class meets once a rotation – about once a week – and each time we meet, our Peer Leaders have a different “lesson plan” for us. They’ve talked to us about everything, from managing stress and dealing with ethical dilemmas, to relationship advice and the importance of academic honesty. They also let us know which teachers have the best snacks. I have to admit that when I was first told I would be taking Peer Leadership as an elective, I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure that it would be worth giving up an elective period each week. But when I met my Peer Leaders, I realized why this class was worth my time. I met my two Peer Leaders, Emily Tatum and David White, at Freshman Fun Day. We spent the whole day outside playing teamwork games and getting to know our fellow classmates. After the games, Emily and David introduced themselves to my group. I recognized them both as Admissions Ambassadors for our school. They were good friends with each other, and they were incredibly friendly and welcoming to us. I already felt comfortable and at ease around them, and we hadn’t even had a class yet. Over the next few weeks, my classmates and I slowly learned to navigate the waters of the Upper School. We were foreigners in a new country, and there were a lot of adjustments to be made. Peer Leadership gave us a lifeline to invaluable resources, including guidance, a good laugh, and most importantly, newfound friendship. This class gave us something that students at other schools can only dream of: a strong connection between the freshman and senior classes. The work that each Peer Leader puts into leading their class is truly amazing, and it’s easy to see that each one of them is committed to guiding their freshmen down the right path. The best part is that seniors understand what it’s like to be freshmen. They know that we are on our own journey to personal discovery, and they are unfailing in their efforts to help show us the way. The Peer Leaders have given me the indispensable gift of friendship, and they’ve inspired me to fearlessly strive for even the loftiest of goals. The values I learned, the confidence I gained, and the camaraderie that formed in Peer Leadership class will stay with me throughout my own journey, and I hope they understand how much they have done for us all. The Class of 2018 thanks the Peer Leaders for their unfailing efforts and their invaluable advice. The difference they’ve made in our lives will be apparent for years to come.
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Learning Leadership
Reflections on Ethical Leadership These alumni are just a few of the many MFS graduates recognized as leaders in their specialties. We asked them to share their personal leadership styles, as well as their thoughts on how to remain ethical in positions of power. Whether they are standing up for civil rights or breaking the glass ceiling, alumni bring the lessons they learned at MFS with them into the workplace.
Ted Kreider ’06 • B.A., M.S. University of Pennsylvania • M.D.-Ph.D. Candidate, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania How would you describe your day-to-day work? I am currently pursuing an M.D. and a Ph.D. with the hope of becoming a physician-scientist. I spend some days in the lab studying HIV immunology and vaccines, while I spend others in the hospital caring for sick patients. During my training, I have also become involved in developing medical school curricula, and I am a fellow at the Penn Medicine Program for LGBT Health. I am currently establishing an outreach program for LGBT-identified youth called Out4STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Four years ago, I could not have predicted that I would be involved in the variety of projects that I am currently spearheading, but each one holds a lot of meaning for me. What are you most passionate about in your line of work? Everything. I have had the extremely good fortune of loving every aspect of my training and all of my extracurricular activities. And nothing is more fulfilling than identifying a problem (a disease, access to education, or social inequality) and devoting yourself to fixing that problem. My thesis work involves studying the immune response against HIV-1 in hopes of developing new vaccination strategies. Over the course of my Ph.D. program, I have worked with collaborators across the country and around the globe to address this major international health problem. And while studying HIV has been fulfilling from the beginning of my training, I have also encountered new passions throughout the years. When I was a second-year medical student, I discovered that medical school curricula lacks representation of LGBT populations in its basic science training. After some research and discussions with many passionate experts in LGBT health, I realized that we could easily expose first-year medical students to the health problems that their transgender patients would present with. I proposed a Trans Health Symposium, and that same year the Endocrinology course directors implemented a three-hour lecture series on transgender health and tested first-year medical students on the material. The success with which we have seamlessly integrated health education regarding a vulnerable and often marginalized patient population still drives me today. I’m currently working to publish our curriculum so
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Learning Leadership
that medical schools across the country can prepare the physician workforce of tomorrow to care for each and every patient. Based on your experiences in medicine, what do you feel makes for an effective leader? Leadership varies depending on your objectives, the team you’re working with, and your level of experience. But there are a few underlying principles. First, always listen to each team member who wants to voice an opinion. When forging into unknown territory, one never knows what obstacles are ahead, and each person brings a unique perspective and set of experiences. Second, check in with the group frequently. Rapport among a team is essential for success. And finally, never lose sight of the ultimate goal. Sometimes the most difficult thing to do when you’re starting a new project in lab, admitting a patient to the hospital, or establishing a new program is to stay on track. Using milestones or frequent reassessment (and reflection after completion of a project) allows you to accomplish your goals more readily and learn from mistakes you have made. Did anyone from MFS have an impact on the field you chose to pursue? While countless members of the MFS community contributed to my development, one who stands out is Judy van Tijn. Judy taught social studies, and she was faculty advisor for the Service Club while I was in Upper School. I remember sitting in Judy’s classroom during lunch each week and discussing service opportunities for current students. I had the sense that anything was possible – when it pertained to service, Judy never said no. Whether it was volunteering at a local shelter, implementing a new fundraising activity, or simply raising awareness about a cause that someone felt strongly about, Judy supported us. With her support, we took initiative, identified organizations or causes that we wanted to contribute to, and simply went for it. When starting a new endeavor, I still have doubts – is this actually a worthwhile cause? Will people care? Will I be able to accomplish my goals? With Judy’s help, I have developed the ability to brush off that self-doubt and incite changes that seemed improbable from the get-go. What is one memory from MFS that you feel has shaped you as a person? High school was a time of significant development – I discovered academic passions, I challenged myself with activities that I had no particular talent for (as most people who sat next to me in choir can attest), and I went through normal adolescent changes. But one memory that stays with me is the incorporation of the Operation Smile Penny Drive into Upper School Spirit Week. As a freshman, I came up with a proposal to include a fundraising aspect in the school’s Spirit Week, which was full of inter-class competitions like tug-of-war, hallway decorating, and airbands. I remember being placed on the Meeting for Business agenda and standing in front of the entire school, scared out of my mind. Despite my fear of public speaking, I knew that I was in a loving community that would support me even if I fumbled. The Upper School voted to include the Penny Drive in Spirit Week, and each year we raised more money than the year before.
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“It doesn’t matter what drives you, all that matters is that something drives you. I believe every student can find that passion, and once you have a passion, hard work doesn’t always feel so hard.” When I went to college, I couldn’t find a service group that excited me as much as Op Smile did at MFS. So I helped establish the Penn Op Smile chapter, and I stayed with that group all four years of undergrad. I look back on the Penny Drive experience with fondness and realize how much the work I did with Op Smile has molded my professional interest in International Health and Pediatrics. How did Quaker values encourage leadership and personal accountability in your life? I basically grew up at MFS, so before college I didn’t know there were other ways of assuming responsibility for your actions (or inactions) than those based on Quaker values. The “I Care Cat,” “Rules for Fighting Fair,” mediation, and the Quaker propensity for service have all been ingrained in my psyche, and I subconsciously base all my decisions on these principles to this day. I think these lessons have helped mold my passion for infectious disease work and biomedical research in general. My future career, which will take one of many possible paths, will be centered on one principle: helping those who are sick and in need. On the whole, I feel like Quaker values pervade every aspect of my being. And I couldn’t be happier about it. What advice would you give to current students pursuing leadership positions? An important component of being a good leader is passion. Without passion, adversity will overwhelm you and lead to failure. Every project I have worked on has hit roadblocks, and my success in each endeavor has always hinged upon whether or not I felt passionate about the outcome. It doesn’t matter what drives you, all that matters is that something drives you. I believe every student can find that passion, and once you have a passion, hard work doesn’t always feel so hard. To discover that passion, I would suggest putting yourself in a variety of situations. While I didn’t become a star soccer player or actor, playing on sports teams and trying out for the musical each year taught me valuable lessons that I am sure still influence me today. The obvious lesson from those two activities was that I would not always be able to meet my aspirations (or even reasonable expectations!). This highlights an important balancing force to the passion that is essential for successful leadership: Leaders must always recognize their limitations and accept that things will not always work out perfectly. The right balance between passion and humility results in effective leadership.
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Learning Leadership Chiyo Moriuchi ’73 • B.A. Mount Holyoke College • M.B.A. Columbia University • M.P.H. Candidate, Columbia University • Board Member, Medford Leas and Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation You spent many years in real estate investment. How did you decide to go into that field, and how did it meld with your worldview? When I was first coming out of school – it was at the end of all the social movements of the 1970s – I wanted to make a difference in the world. My dad said, “Everyone has different skills and abilities,” and he took an economics perspective on it; he explained my career choices in terms of the concept of comparative advantage – if everyone does what they are best at, the whole community is better off. Now, my dad was a businessperson. But even though he wasn’t working directly in peace and social justice, he was able – because he was good at business – to contribute his time and money to organizations and causes he believed in. He told me, “You don’t have to be employed directly in good works. You can do other things and be instrumental in supporting those good works.” So even though I went first into banking and later into real estate investment management, I felt good about being involved in the financial industry. Hard-working people were going to be relying on the investments my firm made for their retirement. Think of pension funds: they are for people like public school teachers and firemen and police officers. A lot of people think of big investors as being bad, but those pools of money are often for the benefit of ordinary folks. Making sure that those funds have strong returns is a social good. How would you describe your leadership style throughout your career? The highlight of my real estate career was working in Asia for nine years with LaSalle Investment Management. That was where I gained the most leadership experience, because I was building a team and running a chunk of an organization. It was much like clerking a Quaker committee, where you’re trying to bring out the best in
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everyone at the table, but sometimes the path isn’t obvious. People often don’t know what they’re good at, and they often can’t articulate to you what they’re concerned about or what’s getting in their way. I think you need to see the Light in each person and look for what’s special about them. In my leadership roles, I’ve found that there are a lot good people who are put in the wrong places and asked to do things that don’t fit them well. And I’ve found that if you can shift them around, or shift what you’re asking them to do, they’ll flourish. You need to have respect for the individual. What do you view as the role of Quakerism in business? When I was growing up, it seemed like the Quaker community was a cross section of all sorts of folks, including large and small business owners. Now the Quaker community is largely made up of people in education and social work – the caring and nurturing sectors of society – and not so many people are involved in business. That’s a real problem, because Quakerism has created all of these great organizations and institutions (like Moorestown Friends and the Scattergood Foundation and Medford Leas and AFSC), and all of these great organizations need monetary support, financial management, and business skills. They need people with experience in the wider world to keep them healthy. I’m all for Friends School graduates going into business and becoming really good, ethical leaders. I recently helped organize a gathering of Quakers in Business in association with Friends General Conference, for exactly that reason. Do you believe Quaker values are relevant to the business world? Yes. Last year, I clerked the search committee for the new General Secretary (executive director) of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. It was quite wonderful, and it made me think that Quaker process is very applicable to many business situations. A lot of the business management literature talks about “Level 5 Leadership” and similar catchphrases, and in actuality it’s exactly what a good committee clerk does. The Quaker business process is powerful that way. It has to do with respecting each other, facilitating deep listening, and focusing on the common purpose. What is your current focus? I’m currently pursuing my master’s degree in public health at Columbia University. Public health covers everything from biostats and epidemiology to social science, policy, and management related to population health. Specifically, I am studying aging, and trying to understand the science as well as the policy issues. People of all ages need more support than they are getting – young families, single moms, the elderly – so the question is, is it possible to come up with supportive solutions that are not age segregated? I’m hoping to take my real estate and business background and combine it with a more in-depth understanding of these policy and management issues related to taking care of people. Most of the initiatives to date rely on donations and volunteers, I think we’ll need a business solution to create a financially sustainable and scalable solution.
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“If everyone does what they are best at, the whole community is better off.”
What prompted your shift toward public health? I’m on the board of Medford Leas, a senior living and continuing care community, as well as the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation. As part of my involvement with Medford Leas, I became very interested in the growing population of older people, who need support and care but don’t want to be segregated from the rest of society. As we were looking at our strategic planning process at Medford Leas, we considered how baby boomers (and most people in the United States) have not saved anywhere near enough for their retirement and how family and community structures no longer provide the connections and support they once did. So that’s what I wanted to study in a more rigorous setting: “How can we deal with this problem, and how can we build communities that provide connection and support for all ages?” Did any faculty members at Moorestown Friends have an impact on your career path? The Upper School faculty members who stand out in my memory are Cully Miller, Stu Wood, and Dick Tyre. Of course, I loved Miss Engel (who taught me to read), Mrs. Stiles (who had the Dutch feather bed and our own little town) and Mrs. Caughey (who read us The Iliad) in elementary school. They were all so dedicated to the development of each student. I still remember not so much the actual words of conversations that I had with them, but just the feeling of how well they knew me. Dick Tyre had a way of looking at you and making you feel like he was looking right into your soul. Cully and Stu were involved in issues of peace and social justice, and while we might not have been directly doing things with them on those points, knowing that they were very personally committed and involved made a difference. Do you feel the school helps create leaders? The respect and attention you receive at Moorestown Friends helps develop people who understand their own worth and their own abilities. By the time I was a senior, I was comfortable in the school and starting to feel comfortable in my own skin. I remember having this thought: “I’m really comfortable here. Everyone has great confidence in me. So if I can just carry that feeling with me to other places that I go, then I can do as well there as I’ve done here.” I felt like, “This is my turf. And I just need to make myself feel that wherever I am, that’s my turf too.”
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Paul Pinsky ’68 • B.A., M.Ed. George Washington University • Member of the Maryland Senate since 1994, Teacher and Union Organizer How would you describe your day-to-day work as a Senator? I only work full-time in the state capitol for three months of the year, but I do political work year-round: speaking to town councils and meeting with constituents. During the months we are in session, I often start the day by meeting with an advocacy group to discuss legislation. I work with many advocates for progressive causes such as the environment, healthcare, and tax reform, and I spend time working with people coordinating grassroots legislative actions. The Senate goes into session in the morning. However, most of our time is spent in committee, where I serve as Vice Chairman as well as Chairman of the Education subcommittee. We spend anywhere from two to six hours in committee listening to bills and asking questions so that we gain a better knowledge of the issues. At least one day each week, we have a voting session where we debate bills and pass or kill them. If I get out of committee early, I’ll work in my office on drafting amendments, or I’ll meet with my staff. What have you learned from your experiences in government? I don’t buy into the “Great Man” (or woman) theory that one or two charismatic people make the difference or make history. Any change in policy comes about because people speak out, get mobilized, and work together. I believe in collaboration: getting
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“You need to hold fast to what makes life meaningful; be aware of it, come to grips with it, and don’t just pander to people to make them feel good.” the best ideas from a broad array of experts. This happened when I authored the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act about five years ago, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Maryland by 25 percent. I like to bring people into my office and knock around ideas. Frequently, this will push the envelope and develop a better idea. I’m not happy settling for the status quo. What is your greatest passion in the public sector? Helping people attain more social and economic justice. I know we’re making progress when I see people engaged in improving the quality of their lives. If I can put the finishing touches on progressive, public demands and help turn them into actual law, that’s when I get excited. I think our state (and our country) can be a better place. It’s not going to get there with just one person – we have to change the culture “on the ground” to educate people and move people and get them engaged in the political process. I work with grassroots organizations to encourage people to demand what they need, and I frequently fall back on a quote from Frederick Douglass: “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will… the limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” How did you become involved in politics? I became a history teacher. I chose to teach through a “people’s history” – how events were driven by and affected regular working people. I used an economic and class perspective in teaching how and why things happened and how issues were resolved. I ran a fairly large organization as a teachers association president and
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Senator Pinsky speaking to Maryland constituents about his legislation to fight oyster poaching. Oysters help filter pollutants, and 99 percent of Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster population has been lost to disease, fishing, and poaching.
then decided that electoral politics would be a good way to move from educating students to educating adults. I see a lot of my work in the senate as educating people and working with them to change public policy. Did anyone at MFS have an impact on your career path? I think it was the whole culture of the school, as exemplified by the teachers and the students. I came to Moorestown in tenth grade, so I was not a “long-timer.” There was a general culture in the school of caring for others and not beating other people down to get ahead. We learned that there is never just one answer to a problem. Our teachers were thoughtful people who made us think critically. I do remember Senior Projects and the Mock Political Convention fondly.
Learning Leadership
correlation: the greater the ambition, the more ethics tend to fall to the wayside. You can’t check your entire ego at the door, but you need to check most of it. Sometimes you’ve got to fight the good fight, even if it doesn’t result in immediate victory. I’ve proposed legislation that, at times, has gotten crushed. Ultimately, if you keep fighting, people will come to realize the right decision. You need to hold fast to what makes life meaningful; be aware of it, come to grips with it, and don’t just pander to people to make them feel good. In the end, you need to be ethical.
What advice would you give to current students pursuing leadership positions? It’s easy to go astray. I encourage students to make improving the lives of the broader populace a driving force in their lives, not simply personal ambition. I hate to say it, but there is an inverse
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“MFS also taught me the importance of quiet. In my profession, everybody talks – litigators love to talk. It’s important for me to have a moment to center myself. That comes from years and years of attending Meeting for Worship.” The legal profession is indeed stressful – and young associates tend to be tightly wound. I tell them, “I don’t expect perfection, but I expect you to try your best.” I expect things to be done in a timely manner, but I recognize that people make mistakes – I’ve made mistakes. There’s nothing that can’t be fixed. That’s something my mentor taught me, which I greatly appreciated, as it gave me room to breathe.
Danielle DeCou Garno ’93 • B.A. University of Miami • J.D. Pepperdine University School of Law • Shareholder and Attorney, Greenberg Traurig LLP • Chair, Board for the SE Division of the Children’s Home Society of Florida How would you describe your day-to-day work? I am a partner at an international, multi-practice law firm serving clients from 37 offices globally, and I work out of our founding office in Miami. I am a member of the litigation department, and my practice focuses primarily on issues faced by the fashion community, including commercial contract disputes, employment issues, anti-counterfeiting, and trademark infringement. A significant part of my daily practice is to serve as a trusted business advisor to my clients, which requires ongoing communications and delivering a high-quality work product. How do you incorporate your views on leadership into your law practice? It’s important that the people who work on my team not only enjoy what they are doing, but also understand what we are trying to accomplish and our overall strategy. When I was younger, it was hard for me to see the big picture when I was assigned a one-off task. Now, when I mentor young ambitious lawyers, I make a concerted effort to explain, “This is what we are doing, and this is just one small piece of a larger puzzle.” We couldn’t have the puzzle without pieces like them. Their work and their contributions are significant.
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What are you most passionate about? What I love most about law is interacting with people. We solve problems. People come to us when things aren’t necessarily going their way, and we help them navigate through a sticky situation. I love being able to help somebody do that. There’s so much more to law than litigation: it’s emotional, it’s dealing with people who are in a really stressful situation and trying to reassure them through a very tough process. Outside of law, I currently serve as the Chair of the Board for the Southeastern Division of the Children’s Home Society of Florida. It’s a wonderful organization, and I love it. The program has an adoption and foster care component to it, but what I find to be the most attractive quality is the preventative side. It targets at-risk families, and it provides families in need with basic parenting skills, including how to cook, how to breastfeed, and how to change a diaper; it reinforces the importance of obtaining an education. The impact of this business model is critical, as it can help to prevent a child from going into the foster care system, thereby ensuring a better quality of life for the child at risk. For those children who are taken out of their home unit, Children’s Home Society provides facilities. One of the things that I love most about the organization is that it won’t separate siblings: it always keeps them together. Often times, you’ll have seven, eight, or nine siblings staying in a children’s home together until they’re sent back to their families. It’s a very special organization. My board is full of motivated people who have a passion for children and for the cause. We organize a lot of events to raise both awareness and money for the charity. Do you feel you’re able to find balance between your separate passions? I’m not sure that it’s possible to achieve a perfect work-life balance. I think it’s more of a day-to-day process. I have four daughters:
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a six-year-old, a three-year-old, and one-year-old twins. I ask myself, what needs attention at the moment? Is it client issues, the nonprofit work, or something related to one (or all) of my kids? I have learned that you need to prioritize matters based upon the needs of that moment, that day, or that week.
Are there specific faculty or staff members who influenced you? Joe McAleer, my tennis coach, really shaped my leadership style. He taught me that I wasn’t a tiny cog, but I was part of a larger machine.
It’s important to me that my daughters know that, as women, they can be successful. Their mommy works, and people rely on her. I want my girls to know that they can achieve whatever they want. I think that’s something Moorestown Friends instilled in me: that there is no limit. One of the things about the school that I liked so much is that the teachers really fostered us as individuals. They weren’t trying to put us into one mold, and we were all cherished and respected for our differences. That’s difficult to find at a school, but I try to instill that in my daughters, and that’s something that MFS definitely instilled in me.
Tennis was in the fall, and I remember that our team would watch the geese flying south for the winter. Coach Mac would always say, “Look at the geese up there, remember this moment. You’ll look back and remember times like this and how special they are, and that you might never have them again.” I just turned 40, and he sent me a text saying, “Remember the geese?” I look back on those times with tremendous fondness. MFS is an incredibly special environment that you really don’t get anywhere else. Do you feel that Quaker values have played a role in your life? Quaker education taught me the importance of finding the Light of God in everyone. It taught me that you need to foster what is personal to you, and not become a lemming. MFS also taught me the importance of quiet. In my profession, everybody talks – litigators love to talk. It is important for me to have a moment to center myself. That comes with years and years of going to Meeting for Worship – sometimes I just need a moment to be quiet and to think. I remember in fourth grade, my teacher Larue Evans would lead us in meditation exercises. To this day, I still do those exercises when I’m stressed. Mrs. Evans would have us lie down on the ground and close our eyes, and we would imagine that our bodies were empty jars and someone was slowly pouring water into us one drop at a time, until it filled up our toes. Her voice and the visualization of it has stayed with me. For a fourth grader, it was a pretty profound experience. Do you have any advice for young people pursuing leadership roles? I encourage everyone to do something that they are passionate about. If you are not passionate about it, then you are less likely to succeed.
Danielle DeCou Garno ’93 speaking at an event for the Children’s Home Society of Florida.
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Learning Leadership Martin Lehfeldt ’57 • B.A. Haverford College
If I were to generalize, I’d say that I spend most of my time building bridges – trying to connect good people with good causes.
• M.Div. Union Theological Seminary
What do you feel differentiates a truly ethical leader? Ethical leadership to me consists of being guided by empathy when • Former President, Southeastern Council of Foundations making a major decision: thinking through who’s going to be left • Author of Notes from a Non-Profitable Life, Thinking About out, who’s not going to benefit, and who’s going to be hurt by Things: Selected Columns, and The Sacred Call: A Tribute your decision. You try to look at the world through a lens that permits you to see opportunities that will benefit many people, to Donald L. Hollowell rather than just a few. What was your work like with the Southeastern Council of I’ve been struck by the fact that so many folks look around them Foundations? The Southeastern Council of Foundations is a 10-state, 330-member and see a world of scarcity. I think there’s great abundance that we need to tap into, particularly in assisting the most neglected people. association of grantmakers. I took over as President in 1998 and I think good leaders are willing to tap into that abundance, and ran the organization for 11 years. It involved providing technical they are willing to have the courage to promote change. assistance to foundations, organizing legal seminars, taking people to D.C. to lobby for their interests, and leading many meetings Can you give an example of a time you needed that kind of about the proper role of philanthropy. courage? Courage may be too strong a word, but I mentioned the seminary What advice would you give to someone pursuing a similar that I’m involved with: Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary. It leadership position? began in Charlotte, NC as part of a freedman’s school after the Civil A lot of people think they need to start high up on the ladder, but War. Then it was part of a theological consortium for the past 45 I think a willingness to do the grunt work of an organization has years here in Atlanta. Recently, my colleagues and I decided that the enormous benefits. You learn humility you’re going to need if you church needs a new model of theological education. We pulled out go into the nonprofit sector: how to make your own coffee, type of the consortium and are now re-inventing ourselves with a new your own letters, move your own furniture. And if you feel that’s community-oriented mission and a very non-traditional curriculum. beneath you, you’re never going to go very far. It was a pretty gutsy change that initially upset a lot of people, but I I also believe you should look for opportunities to go into unfamiliar think history will show that we made the right move. and uncharted territories. That’s going to mean something different Do you feel Quaker education impacted the way you make for everybody: working in a soup kitchen in Camden, or traveling leadership decisions? to the Middle East to learn about Israeli-Palestinian relations. I’ve Moorestown Friends validated a great deal of my own upbringing; learned the most when I have been the outsider and newcomer. my father was a Lutheran minister in Camden who was very That was certainly the case when I came south to work at a involved in social justice issues. He was an avowed pacifist. My historically African-American college, and here I am, 40 years later, Friends education, combined with the education I received at home, still passionate about encouraging diversity in education. worked to shape my character. Would you say your main priority as a leader has been giving Looking back, Chester Reagan and Cully Miller tapped me to do back to the people you lead? some things that in a way constituted real leadership training. Cully To say “yes” would sound arrogant, but I am a big proponent made it possible for me to go down to Washington, D.C. by myself of what has been called servant leadership. When I decided not – that was a big deal! That weekend exposed me to the world of to go into the ministry, I ended up coming south to promote policymaking and national affairs. It was an incredibly memorable African-American higher education, and I did that for many years. Eventually I formed my own consulting firm with a variety of clients, experience for me. Then I was the first exchange student from MFS to go to Nuremberg, thanks to Chester Reagan, and that had a but most of them tended to be struggling organizations that didn’t huge impact on my life. He was also the first person who exposed have much money but were on the side of the “good and true and me to a sense of environmental stewardship. I used to go on bird beautiful.” I was willing to charge a lot less than the going rate in walks with him at dawn through the backyards of Moorestown. order to help them. How do you stay involved with nonprofit work now that you’re retired? For many years now, I’ve been on the board of the only historically black Presbyterian seminary in the country. I chair a development committee that supports the homeless, I work on several church committees, and I am president of my college class. I’ve also been working with a colleague on writing a history of philanthropy in the South.
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I remember Chester Reagan speaking in assemblies, and in my blurred memory it seems he always spoke from the same text: “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Every time I hear that – Micah 6:8 – I flash back to Chester Reagan expounding on it. It was a remarkable privilege to attend Moorestown Friends.
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Learning Leadership “I’ve been struck by the fact that so many folks look around them and see a world of scarcity. I think there’s great abundance that we need to tap into, particularly in assisting the most neglected people.”
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The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later In March, the Theater Department presented The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later, a potent sequel to the landmark docudrama about community reactions to Matthew Shepard’s 1998 murder. The play explored what progress, or lack thereof, has been made over the past decade in Laramie, WY. It was also a “ten years later” moment for the school, as Spring 2015 marked ten years since MFS students took on the original Laramie production in 2005. Both the original play and its sequel were directed by Drama Teacher Mark Gornto, who is moving to Ohio at the conclusion of the school year after 12 years at Moorestown Friends. Alumni, students, and faculty attended the play and shared their appreciation for Mark’s longstanding commitment to the theater program. Ten Years Later was also featured on the front page of The Moorestown Sun the week of the production. When interviewed about the play’s significance, Mark said, “I feel as though there is a story that still needs to be told – and healing to accomplish. Much of what the play addresses is still relevant today and will be until equality is achieved.” The MFS cast was privileged to have Andy Paris on hand to consult before the production; a member of the Tectonic Theater Project, Andy is an Emmy-nominated writer who worked on both the play and the screenplay for Laramie. In addition to attending a cast rehearsal, Andy spoke to audience members after the performance on March 6. “Having Andy here for opening night of our production gives the audience an even more intimate connection to the play – and
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A group of alumni attended the MFS production of ‘The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later’ on March 7. Pictured: Ashley Alter ’06, Hannah Spielberg ’09, Chris Lloyd ’05, MFS Theater Director Mark Gornto, Sean DiStefano ’05, Jacks Katz ’07, and Anna Tate ’07. the chance to continue the dialogue with Andy. I am very grateful for his work with us,” Mark said. The production had a profound impact on cast members. “I just think this show is so important, and I’m grateful that Mr. Gornto isn’t afraid to take on the challenge of these important issues,” said Luke Bianco ’15, who played one of Shepard’s murderers. “I think you have to look at the dark parts of human nature to really learn from it, and I think Mr. Gornto does a very good job of doing that. He’s not afraid to talk about these issues.” Read on for alumni reflections on working on the original Laramie.
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I had a fantastic experience working with Mr. Gornto! He coached me to actually become my characters and empowered me to interpret the script as I saw fit. His vision was unparalleled and I am so thankful to have performed under his direction. – Neece Echevarria-Harris ’06
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The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later
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Laramie was one of the first projects to open my eyes to a world much larger than the one in which I had been privileged to grow up, and it kept them open. Mr. Gornto was a huge force in helping us realize the individual roles we were playing not just in the production, but in the larger message and how it could resonate in the MFS community. I specifically remember one day, during rehearsals for my ‘big monologue,’ he had planned an acting exercise to bring out the character’s pain and story that involved one of the cast members lying on the ground with his head in the lap of another actor as she screamed for help… while I delivered the monologue. It was totally unexpected and intense, and at 15 years old and with zero similar experience, I remember thinking, ‘This is extreme and scary and I don’t think I like it.’ But it worked! And those emotions and drivers stuck with me right through to the last performance. – Anna Tate ’07
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I really admired and appreciated Mr. Gornto’s courage in pushing the play to be brought to the MFS stage. I was so honored and excited to be a small part of the show, as an eighth grader helping out in the lighting booth. Mr. Gornto was – as he always is – just as invested in the backstage component and the backstage workers of the show as he was in those on stage. I also remember how excited my older brother was to be a part of a show with a really meaningful message. Mr. Gornto was excellent at pushing people to think through the shows he directed, and The Laramie Project – in 2005 and now – was a prime example of that. He was a wonderful teacher, in the lighting booth and on stage crew days particularly for me. He was an adult I trusted and looked up to at the school, and I know his presence will truly be missed at MFS. – Hannah Spielberg ’09 Julia Giordano ’17
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Laramie Project
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Kennedy Sanders ’16
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I was excited by the idea that working on The Laramie Project meant bridging theater with social and political activism. Both were – and still are – important to me, and it felt good to participate in an artistic endeavor that was also poised to literally ‘do something,’ something that could get people talking about an often uncomfortable collection of issues.
The Laramie Project was my first real acting experience. I only decided to participate because Mr. Gornto convinced me to do so. I’m really glad he did. I found out both that I could act and that theater can be a meaningful way to convey a message. Mr. Gornto gave one of the most moving speeches during Meeting for Worship that I can remember. It was about August Wilson and the ways in which we can be limited by various media when trying to express ourselves. I wrote a college essay about it. My general memory, which I think is most important, is of Mr. Gornto’s kindness and the genuine interest he took in students’ lives, and I really appreciate having had the chance to have him as a teacher. – Ben Spielberg ’06
It was also very satisfying to see how our preparations for and production of the play stimulated important discussions outside the domain of performance. It felt like the people around me were really talking about what it meant to discriminate, to hate, to love, and to work through difficult personal/social/political issues, and it was rewarding to know that all of us could contribute to making these discussions happen. Mr. Gornto works incredibly hard, and has (really and truly) inspired me in his passion for theater, and for life. He has an insightful and penetrating intellect, but is also generous, kind, and compassionate. – Allison Bernard ’06
Hunter Harris ’17, Alexis Tsapralis ’16, and Luke Shaffer ’15
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The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later
Members of the cast and crew present Mark Gornto with gifts after the final performance of Laramie – his last production at MFS.
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Mateo Flores ’17 and Luke Bianco ’15
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I remember rehearsals were a lot fun. We laughed a lot – almost a weird amount for a show about a hate crime. But then there would be moments, when I’d be watching some monologue from the wings, and I’d suddenly get hit with a wave of emotion. And I’d think, ‘We’re really doing something here.’ I feel like 15-year-olds shouldn’t have been able to pull that play off. But Mark knew it could work, and he made it happen. – Wyatt Cain ’08
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The Laramie Project was the first time that I really discussed a play in depth with the cast, crew, and director. The format and structure required a lot of patience and an open mind because it is not written like a ‘normal’ play. I think Mr. Gornto realized this and very deliberately chose how to introduce the play to us. Some of my favorite plays now take this kind of patience and approach, so I think my time during The Laramie Project has facilitated my continued appreciation of theater. – Sean DiStefano ’05
I had the opportunity to do stage crew for The Laramie Project. The play helped me realize that it was possible to have conversations about difficult issues as a community, and that such conversations could bring us closer together. It also opened my eyes to the ways that art can change the world. It was an incredible learning experience and one that has informed my approach to and understanding of politics and society ever since. I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of it! – Alexandra Stark ’06
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Class Notes
Liz Adler ’14 (University of Virginia), Emma Giordano ’14 (Swarthmore), Austin Harris ’13 (NYU), Maddie Cohen ’14 (Tulane), and Garrett Rightler ’14 (Syracuse) participated in the annual Alumni College Panel for seniors in January. They discussed the college experience and fielded questions from seniors.
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Class Notes 1949
1952
Margarita (Retie) Sharp Johnson writes: “My six-year experience at MFS still holds a very special place in my heart. The values, kindnesses, friendships, and academic spirit I found there will always be with me.”
Wesley Manuel reports that he and his wife enjoy “Palm City, cruising Florida and the Abacos, and life with our 95-pound female long-haired German Shepherd who rules our life.”
1950
1957
Fredric Jameson received the Truman Capote Award for Literary Criticism for his book The Antinomies of Realism. The award is the largest annual cash prize in English-language literary criticism and is chosen by an international panel of prominent critics and writers. Jameson, who is Professor of Comparative Literature and Professor of Romance Studies at Duke University, received the Holberg Prize in 2008 from the Norwegian Parliament, the Lifetime Scholarly Achievement Award
The Class of 1957 extends sympathies to the family of classmate Hal Megee. Hal married Stephanie Berridge on November 16, 2014, and passed away on Wednesday, December 31.
in 2012 from The Modern Language Association, and the Wilbur Lucius Cross Medal in 2013 from the Yale University Graduate School Alumni Association. He will receive the Alumni Association’s Alice Paul Merit Award at Alumni Weekend 2015.
1958 Rochelle “Shelly” Towers writes that she “is dividing time between Ocean City and Cherry Hill. We still have a busy travel business. Our three attorney sons are local, so we see our seven grandchildren.”
1959 Robert Nicholson has a suggestion for retirees: “Wondering what to do in retirement? Hike the Camino de Santiago! See it in Martin Sheen’s The Way or check out our journal and many others at www. trailjournals.com – search for The BeeGees.”
Alumni Weekend 2015
May 1-2 See Inside Back Cover.
1961 Bill Archer remains the town crier mascot for the Historical Society of Moorestown. He participated in the MFS May Day 2014 Procession and has marched in many Moorestown parades and participates in historical society events. His classmates wish Bill well as he recovers from a December 2014 stroke. Bill’s wife Eileen shares that “Bill is very positive and determined to return to his normal activities.”
1962 Virginia Grisel Guerrera is a happy grandmother again. Her son Justin ’99 and daughter-in-law Angela Dixon Guerrera ’99 welcomed Samantha Grace to the world on May 14. Her son Chris Guerrera ’96 became engaged in August.
1963 Whitty Ransome received a 2014 Legacy Award from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The award is given to alumni who have made significant contributions in their lifetime that exemplify value, character, and high integrity. The award was presented on October 30, during the university’s Alumni of Distinction Dinner.
1965
Hal Megee ’57 and his wife Stephanie on their wedding day, accompanied by Rowland Ricketts ’57 and Marylynne Ricketts. SPRING 2015
Walter and Mary Beth Hempel reported on their travels during the past year: “We have spent much of the year traveling by ship to China and Japan, by plane to the Netherlands, Belgium, Key West, and France, by train to New York City and D.C., and by car to upstate New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. In between we gardened, sang, and enjoyed our grandchildren.”
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Class Notes
1971 Jeff Miller’s nonfiction book, Behind the Lines was released in October and has since received a prestigious Kirkus Starred Review and positive reviews from Publishers Weekly, Foreword magazine, and the Denver Post. Kirkus also included the book in its Best Books of 2014 (Indie) and wrote: “An excellent history that should catapult Miller to the top tier of popular historians.” Behind the Lines is the first volume in a projected trilogy about the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB), which initiated, organized, and supervised the largest food and relief drive the world had ever seen. Nearly 10 million Belgians and Northern French, trapped behind the German trenches, were fed and clothed every day for four years during World War I. Herbert Hoover, a 40-year-old mining engineer, founded the CRB and enlisted the aid of young idealistic Americans who went into German-occupied Belgium as CRB delegates to supervise the distribution. Behind the Lines covers the early months of the war, the aftermath of the German conquest, and the personal stories of many Belgian and American citizens who were involved in the unprecedented work and negotiations to establish an international relief network before the winter of 1914, when Belgium’s food supplies would run out. The book’s release coincided with the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I and the CRB. Jeff’s maternal grandfather, Milton M. Brown, was a CRB delegate who served in Belgium and married Belgian native Erica Bunge. Jeff inherited their papers, diaries, and photos. “While my family is in this book, it is not a book about my family,” Jeff says. “They are just one thread in the tapestry of Behind the Lines.” To learn more or order a copy, visit www.wwibehindthelines.com
1968
1973
Ken Mayer, Professor in the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard University, writes: “Busy year. Lots of overseas work, including meetings in Geneva, London, Lima, Melbourne, Cape Town, Gaborone, Mumbai, Chennai, New Delhi, and Kolkata.”
A health journalist with more than 30 years of experience, Robert Barnett wrote a feature article, “A Recipe for Happiness,” in the March 2015 issue of Family Circle magazine. Bob is the co-author of The Guilt-Free Comfort Food Cookbook, and Volumetrics: Feel Full on Fewer Calories.
Lee McDaniel is currently President of the National Association of Conservation Districts, representing 3,000 Districts nationwide and 17,000 elected and appointed public officials.
1971 Kurt Klaus has moved to the Redland Agricultural Area of Miami-Dade County in Florida and is a master gardener, growing native plants to attract birds and butterflies.
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AMONG FRIENDS
1974 Donna Kipp writes: “I am so sorry I missed our 40th reunion! You were all such wonderful and unique friends 40 years ago, and I’m sure that you have matured in the same vein!” Anne Rosenberg, the 2009 recipient of the MFS Alice Paul Merit Award, is on the Advisory Council for the Pennsylvania Conference for Women. The conference was first held in 2004, and has since grown
to attract more than 7,000 attendees to Philadelphia each fall.
1988 See photo on page 37.
1989 Riccardo Longo’s new Philadelphia restaurant venture, Gran Caffè L’Aquila, was profiled on Philly.com in November. As chronicled in the article, Longo toured the Abruzzo region of Italy for his forthcoming book on regional cuisine and wine; while there, he visited the landmark Gran Caffè L’Aquila, in the center of Piazza Duomo. The restaurant was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 2009 and was a long way from reopening. After striking up a friendship with the owners (who had opened a temporary restaurant on the outside of town), they agreed to a recreation of the restaurant in Philadelphia, SPRING 2015
Class Notes
A group of alumni gathered together for a fun night in Atlantic City. Ryan Winkelspecht ’98, Tara Winkelspecht, Kristin Bromley Fitzgerald ’97, Doug Fitzgerald, Takashi Moriuchi ’92, Mey Yen Moriuchi, Mark Pappas, Vera Pappas, Akemi Moriuchi ’04, Michelle Moriuchi, Naoji Moriuchi ’94, Bree Rutherford, and Ryan Rutherford ’99.
Dee Huff Smith ’88, Chris Tegley ’88, Rick Kanefsky ’88, and Gabriella McAllister ’88 visited MFS on February 20 to hear keynote remarks provided by classmate Janice Johnston (center) to MFS juniors and seniors at Career Day. which opened in late December at 1716 Chestnut Street: www.grancaffelaquila.com.
1993 Alexandra Oasin and wife, Jennifer Johnston, welcomed their son, Jackson Arthur, to the world on November 6. Joya Oasin ’90 and Vanessa Paneque were also present for this joyous occasion.
1996 Jim Bonder enjoyed another successful season at the helm of the Haddon Township SPRING 2015
Anastasia Pozdniakova ’96
High School boys’ soccer program. The Hawks won the South Jersey Group 1 championship with a decisive 4-0 victory over Palmyra in November. They then advanced to the state championship match where they fell to Harrison. Jim led Haddon Township to the state title in 2011. Anastasia Pozdniakova was sworn in as a U.S. citizen on December 19. Wrote Pozdniakova: “...It has been a long road to get to this point, as I lived, studied, and worked in the U.S. for the last 20 years.
Jackson Arthur was born to Alexandra Oasin ’93 and wife Jennifer Johnson on November 6. AMONG FRIENDS
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Class Notes
2000 Rob Moose was profiled in the New York Times Fashion & Style section on November 21. Titled “Rob Moose: Breathing New Life Into Classical Music,” the article focused on his current work with yMusic, an experimental chamber music sextet he co-founded. yMusic released its second album in September.
Scan QR code to read New York Times article.
In the last decade, Rob has emerged as one of the most sought after Rob Moose’s sextet, yMusic. Rob is third from the right. instrumentalists, arrangers and producers of his generation. As violinist and guitarist, Moose has toured with Antony & the Johnsons, Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond, Beth Orton, and Glen Hansard. In 2011, he joined Bon Iver, writing arrangements and recording strings for the group’s sophomore album. Highlights of that experience include four sold-out concerts at Radio City Music Hall, an appearance on Saturday Night Live, a Gold record, and two Grammy wins for “Best New Artist” and “Best Alternative Album.”
I am proud of the opportunities, freedoms and responsibilities that this country offers to us all and now can call it my own.”
1999 Angela Dixon Guerrera and Justin Guerrera welcomed Samantha Grace Guerrera to the world on May 15, 2014. She was greeted by her sister Gabriella Michelle, born in 2012.
2000 See spotlight.
2001 William Burris III became a United States Masters Swimming National Champion by winning the 50-meter freestyle event at the Marriott USMS Summer National Championship in College Park, MD. More than 1,000 swimmers competed in events during the five-day master’s swim meet that was held at the University of Maryland. Burris also placed fourth in the 50-meter backstroke.
2002 Kellie Machlus and husband Zach Roftus welcomed their first child, daughter Delilah, on August 19. 38
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The Guerrera children, Gabriella and Samantha. Adam Serlin, who works with adjudicated youth at NorthEast Treatment Centers in Philadelphia, helped to organize a city-wide basketball tournament for the second year in a row. Held this past November, it pitted the all-stars from the Philadelphia Provider’s League (including boys from 11 treatment programs for teenage offenders) against Philadelphia Juvenile Probation Officers. It took place at the Martin Luther King Recreation Center in North Philadelphia. The event also featured a Thanksgiving food drive for the local community and a community resource fair.
Kellie Machlus ’02 and her husband Zach Rotfus with their daughter, Delilah. SPRING 2015
Class Notes
Robert Cope, Judy Benner Cope ’70, Luke Tarvin, Rachel Cope Tarvin ’03, Rebecca Cope ’07, and Tyler Cope. Randy Restrepo ’05 and his fiancée, Lauren Nicole Witchey.
2004
2006
Justine Korkor and Elie Sarraf were married in June 2013. They reside in Irvine, CA. Justine has been a piano teacher for Jacobs Music School in New Jersey and California Music Studios in Encinitas. She received her bachelor of music degree in piano performance from Rowan University.
Ani Klaus De Moraes is launching a nonprofit food business incubator in Washington, D.C. The incubator will serve minority populations surrounding the Adams Morgan neighborhood by offering commercial kitchen space and programming that will help underserved entrepreneurs start and grow their food businesses.
2005
Jolene Lucille Spatucci, daughter of Rebecca Machlus ’08.
Lindsay Wolf presented a live reading of her first original pilot, “Punched In The Face,” in December at the Improv Olympic West Loft Theater in Hollywood, at Cake Batter’s First Annual Funny Women Festival in Hollywood.
2003 Rachel Cope married Luke Tarvin at Pocono Lake Preserve, PA on September 14, 2013.
SPRING 2015
Shaina Machlus works with The Trade Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping young women around the world who are victims of sex trafficking and abuse. Shaina spends time in Siem Reap, Cambodia teaching teenage prostitutes how to style hair as a business, in order to help them buy their way out of the brothels where they are forced to work. Shaina visited MFS in September, and The Trade Foundation was the beneficiary of the November 2014 Faculty/Staff Dress Down Day Fundraiser. Randy Restrepo is engaged to Lauren Nicole Witchey. Randy graduated from Villanova in 2009 with a B.A. in criminal justice and again in 2010 with a master’s degree in criminal justice, law, and society. The couple is planning a Fall 2015 wedding. They are both employed by the federal government and reside in Ellicott City, MD. Cornell Woodson is now the Associate Director for Diversity and Inclusion at Cornell University.
Ben Spielberg is a periodic contributor to The Huffington Post on a wide variety of social, political, education, and environmental topics and issues. He currently works as a Research Assistant at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Ben blogs at 34justice.com.
Scan QR code for Ben Spielberg’s Huffington Post profile.
2007 Anni Weisband appears in two films premiering at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival: I am Michael, which stars James Franco, and Tangerine, in which Anni has a supporting role.
2008 Rebecca Machlus gave birth to a baby daughter, Jolene Lucille Spatucci, on September 7.
AMONG FRIENDS
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Class Notes
Make a Gift Online to the Annual Fund for MFS
Andrea Onorato was part of the visual effects team which won an Oscar at the 2015 Academy Awards for Interstellar, a film directed by Christopher Nolan. She worked as a digital set designer, architectural draftsman, and model maker at New Deal Studios while Interstellar was being shot. Andrea, who graduated from Cornell in 2013 with a bachelor of architecture degree, discovered her passion for working in the movie industry while interning at Threshold Animation and New Deal studios in college. She is now a set designer for Marvel Entertainment and is currently working on the movie Sputnik, set for release in 2016. Alyss Vavricka recently joined LivePerson Inc., a data web analytics company based in Manhattan, as a Senior Analyst. Formerly a software consultant at IBM, she is now focused on past-sales analytics and strategy as a member of the LivePerson Customer Success team.
2010
Andrea Onorato ’08, whose special effects team won an Oscar.
Keyanah Freeland is pursuing her Ph.D. in History at New York University.
2011 Shakeil Greeley, a student at Penn, created a performance art piece raising awareness about black individuals who have been killed by police officers. Greeley, wearing a shirt with victims’ names printed on the front, walked slowly down Locust Walk in October with four other students and handed out postcards detailing the causes of death.
2013 Matthew Brown, a student at Johns Hopkins University, was recently selected by The David Project to travel to Israel with 107 U.S. college student leaders. The group traveled to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Capernaum, and many other sites. The David Project, based in Boston, believes that “relationship building” is the key to social change. While in Israel, the students met with people and experts from all facets of Israeli life, each of whom provided them with a unique opportunity to learn about the complexities and nuances of the country.
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AMONG FRIENDS
A performance art piece by Shakeil Greeley ’11 was featured in ‘The Daily Pennsylvanian,’ Penn’s student newspaper. Reprinted with permission.
SPRING 2015
Visit www.mfriends.org and click on “Support MFS”
Daniel McGinn ’14 of Davidson and Nick Cook ’11 of Emory faced off in a hotly contested Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association game on February 8, won by Emory 11-10. Pictured: Daniel, MFS Boys’ Lacrosse Coach Michael McGinn, and Nick.
Class Notes
In October, retired Lower School teachers Emma Richter, Hazel Edwards, and Marge Dawson (pictured above), along with retired LS/MS Quakerism Teacher Lynne Brick and LS/MS Reading Specialist Katie Dole, gathered in the Moorestown Meeting House for a hat-making session, crafting hats and bonnets for the William Penn 370th Birthday Celebration at Arch Street Meeting House in Philadelphia.
Class Notes received after March 16 will be printed in the next issue of Among Friends.
Former Faculty and Staff Former Upper School Dean of Students and Social Studies Teacher Dwight Wilson had an article published in the October 2014 issue of Friends Journal titled “The Social Justice Testimony.” In addition to his time at MFS, Dwight was an educator at Oakwood Friends School in New York and Friends School Detroit. He also served as Friends General Conference general secretary and writes historical novels. He is a member of Ann Arbor Meeting in Michigan.
Share Your News with Friends
Matt Brown ’13, an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins, recently traveled to Israel with a group of U.S. student leaders.
SPRING 2015
Moorestown Friends School encourages all alumni to share their news for Class Notes. To contribute, please email communications@mfriends.org with updates on your life and any high resolution photos you would like to submit for publication. If you prefer, you can also write to Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Kat Clark, Moorestown Friends School, 110 E. Main St., Moorestown, NJ 08057.
AMONG FRIENDS
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Class Notes
Alumni Soccer Match Twenty-three alumni soccer players braved the cold on Saturday, November 29 for a high-scoring affair, won by the Red team, 7-5. Naoji Moriuchi ’94 scored on a diving header to earn Man of the Match honors and Red’s Tim Latimer ’13 bagged a hat trick in a losing cause. Thanks to all who came out! Front row: Justin Horwitz ’07, Will Stouffer ’05, Naoji Moriuchi ’94, Jake O’Donnell ’11, Nick Harbist ’08, Galen Spencer-Linzie ’11, C.J. Cooper ’13, Bryan Gfeller ’12, Volunteer Assistant Boys’ Soccer Coach Shawn Gupta ’10, Nick Cook ’11, and Varsity Boys’ Soccer Coach Mike Schlotterbeck. Back row: Alex Levy ’07, Jake Adamson ’13, Dan Zeiberg ’14, Andy Schultz ’14, Peter Bader ’14, Justin Stark ’10, Tim Latimer ’13, Joe Filippone ’11, Harrison Krohn ’11, Mike Stobbe ’09, Drew Bachman ’09, Kyle Price ’13, and Kyle Koste ’11.
Alumni Basketball Game Twenty-six alumni visited on December 19 to compete in the annual MFS Alumni Basketball game. The crowd was treated to some bonus basketball in a thrilling 75-73 double overtime victory by the Red team. Thanks to all who participated! Front Row: Dan Richards ’14, Sean Denson ’08, Greg Billings ’84, Lauren Lowe ’13, Sophia Aguilar ’12, Steve Suflas ’69, Assistant Athletic Director and Math Teacher Ron Obermeier, Steve Dwyer ’12, Drew Haines ’11, and Tim Cook ’08. Second Row: Jake Montgomery ’10, Phil Dwyer ’10, Steve Haines ’08, Jake Brown ’12, Isaias Munoz ’11, Dhalil Sadiq ’14, Pierce Williams ’14, and Middle School Director Steve Shaffer. Top Row: Jordan Ernest ’14, Rushabh Thosani ’11, Justin Spencer-Linzie ’10, Curran Ellis ’11, Mike Cunningham ’12, former Boys’ Basketball Coach Ryan Winkelspecht ’98, Boys’ Basketball Coach Colin Haynes, and Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach and History Teacher Parker Curtis. 42
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SPRING 2015
In Memoriam Bruce Brotzman father of Michael Brotzman ‘99 Philip Brown father of Elon Brown ’02 and Kara Brown ’07 William Maynard Brown, Jr. ’54 brother of the late Mary Lou Brown Auchter ’48 and the late Pauline Brown Cutting ’49 Andrew Bryen former School Committee member and father of Brad Bryen ’78, Liz Bryen Greene ’79 and Stefani Bryen Kasdin ’80 Edward Carilli father of Ethan Carilli ’13 and Dylan Carilli ’17 Rolf Franklin DeCou ’65 brother of the late Lauren DeCou ’58, Anthony DeCou ’60, Ann DeCou Cranmer ’62, Tina DeCou Krutsky ’63, Patricia DeCou LaMountain ’63, and David DeCou ’68, and son of the late Thomas S. DeCou ’30 and Wilda DeCou
Thomas McKnight Marshall ’55 James T. McCracken father of Jamie McCracken ’95 and Meghan McCracken ’98 Isabelle McVaugh mother of John McVaugh III ’69, Mary McVaugh Shannon ’71, and the late Sally McVaugh MacEwen ’66 Harold L. “Moose” Megee ’57 Elizabeth Souder Moore ’45 wife of the late Granville B. Moore ’34 Judith R. Obbard, former School Committee member Michael Parrington father of Megan Parrington Hollingworth ’97 Marguerite Perrone mother of Stephen Perrone ’83
Charles “Charlie” Dore ’45
Joanne Clement Poff ’54
Steve Edgerton former faculty, father of Alice Edgerton ’03
Van R. Richards former faculty
Arthur Eldred ’54
E. Kirk Roberts ’40 brother of the late Malcolm H. Roberts ’37 and the late Carol Roberts Todd ’47
Christopher Elias ’10 Bernhard Ferg ’66 J. Everett Hancock ’59 Irving Hollingshead, Jr. ’45 brother of Paul Hollingshead ’49 and Nancy Hollingshead Elsbree ’54
Eric Salonen husband of Lisa Bobbie Schreiber Hughes ’76 Francis Sloat ’51 Jean Collins Smock ’40 sister of the late Alan C. Collins ’44
James Laessle ’38 brother of Jane Laessle ’41, father of former faculty member Linda Kemple, and grandfather of Keith Kemple ’98
Emily Robertson Steinsieck ’36
Marie Lario mother of Rochelle “Shelly” Towers ’58
Carol Roberts Todd ’47 sister of the late Malcolm H. Roberts ’37 and the late E. Kirk Roberts ’40
Florence Lippincott ’44
Juanita M. Thompson mother of Michelle Clements ’72
Andrew Long husband of Katharine Van Cleve Long ’05
Anne Wood ’44 sister of the late Rebecca Wood Robinson ’41 and Richard Wood ’49
Laurence “Laz” Manou ’58
Joan Stockwell Zerr ’47
Editor’s Note: Full obituaries are found on the MFS website. “In Memoriam” lists the passing of the following: alumni; immediate family of alumni (father, mother, child, spouse, sibling); current parents; current and past faculty and staff; spouses, partners and children of current faculty, staff and administration; current and former trustees; and spouses and children of current trustees. Notices will include any of the deceased’s relatives who are MFS alumni. To locate full obituaries on the MFS website, navigate to “News” in the top menu of www.mfriends.org and then select “Among Friends Magazine.” Alumni who do not have access to the Internet may contact Director of Marketing and Communications Mike Schlotterbeck at 856-914-4434 to request a hard copy of an obituary. SPRING 2015
AMONG FRIENDS
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Spotlight on Student Artwork
Photograph by Jess Ferber ’17 As part of Upper School Photography, students practice long-exposure techniques. This image was displayed at the MFS New Media Art Show in March.
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SPRING 2015
2015
Alumni Weekend
Friday, May 1 & Saturday, May 2
1965
Come Back to Friends! Dinner Among Friends, May 1, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 2
Greet classmates and former faculty members and applaud the 2015 Alumni Association Award recipients. Plan a table with your MFS friends!
Many activities are planned for Saturday, including Meeting for Worship, the annual Luncheon in Honor of the 50th Reunion Class and all prior classes, the Alumni Association Meeting, an Alumni Picnic, and Student Guided Tours. Hear from current faculty and students in presentations as well as two Senior Capstone reports. The final on-campus event on Saturday afternoon is the Alumni Networking and Class Reunion Reception at the Greenleaf Main Building.
Heather A. McKay ’00 Young Alumni Award
Fred T. Moriuchi ’65 Alumni Service Award
Fredric R. Jameson ’50 Alice Paul Merit Award
To register online, visit the Alumni Weekend page under the Alumni tab at www.mfriends.org. Remember, this year’s reunion classes are the 5’s and 10’s.
If you have any questions about the weekend’s events or would like to know more about your reunion, please contact Christine Schantz Palumbo ’05, Director of Parent and Alumni Programs, at cpalumbo@mfriends.org or (856) 914-4416.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Cinnaminson, NJ Permit No. 81 110 East Main Street Moorestown, NJ 08057-2949
Follow MFS on Instagram! Check out throwbacks and current photos at instagram.com/mfsfox.