Lifelong Connections

Patricia Budziak

Lauren Hedvat ’01 Wayne D. Kent ’85

Robert Marcus

Trustees

Rohit Bawa ’93

Debra Caplan

David Castelblanco

David Crall

Dr. Ajay Dhankhar

Robert Fink

Karen Guy-Smith

Millwood Hobbs, Jr.

Rebecca Moll-Freed ’94

Andrew Kogan ’90

Leigh Mumford

Lisa Powers

Valerie Radwaner Virany

Michael Rockoff ’87

Dr. Melissa Tassé

Rasheea S. Williams Hall ’95

Dr. Kalenah Witcher ’87

Elizabeth Christou Woodall

Emeriti

Louis V. Aronson II ’41

Paul Busse ’38*

Robert Del Tufo ’51*

William D. Green ’69

William D. Hardin ’44*

Nancy Baird Harwood ’75

K. Kelly Marx ’51

John L. McGraw ’49

Robert S. Puder ’38*

Gary Rose

William T. Wachenfeld ’44

Barbara Sine Newark Academy Office of Communications and Marketing 91 South Orange Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039 Telephone: (973) 992-7000

Email: communications@newarka.edu www.newarka.edu

Greetings from Newark Academy! If you set foot on the NA campus today, you would find that our signature flock of red-winged blackbirds returned in late February, spring sports are in full swing and the school is alive with all of the energy of the season.

This issue of LUMEN features several stories of lifelong connections between alumni and their Newark Academy teachers. As students, each of these alumni found in their teacher not only an excellent instructor, but also a trusted adult, a sympathetic ear and a role model. For their part, the teachers appreciated their students’ unique talents and personalities, recognizing potential that the students were not yet aware of. Through their work in class and in a range of other activities, these students and teachers developed an affinity during those school years that would begin as a form of mentorship and later prove to be an enduring friendship after graduation.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we read reports of an American crisis of loneliness, and recent studies have shown that today’s adults have fewer friends than their parents did. Despite the easy connections provided by social media, long-lasting and meaningful human friend- ships seem harder to sustain. At Newark Academy, the centrality of strong relationships between students and teachers promotes a decidedly old-school approach to building long-lasting bonds that are even more valuable today than they might have been for previous generations.

These Newark Academy stories are a reminder of the enduring power of an approach to teaching that is rooted in dialogue, inquiry and exchange. At its best, teaching allows students to build confidence as they learn valuable skills from mentors who also help them navigate the challenges of adolescence. In the years after graduation, those connections evolve and grow but always remain linked to the strong foundation established at Newark Academy.

Find the Red-Winged Blackbird!

For many years, the annual return of the red-winged blackbird to the Newark Academy campus was announced by former Assistant Head for Academic Affairs, Dean of Faculty and Archivist Blackwood “Blackie” Parlin during Morning Meeting, heralding the arrival of spring. While Blackie retired in 2017, this beloved tradition continues and remains one of many unique traditions held by generations of NA students.

As we look towards the fall, preparations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of Newark Academy are on the horizon. Several community celebrations will take place during the 2023-2024 school year, especially at Convocation, Reunion and Commencement. This milestone will be a wonderful opportunity for the extended NA community of alumni, former faculty and alumni parents to reconnect with one another, to celebrate our first 250 years and to look ahead towards the future.

In anticipation of the school’s upcoming 250th anniversary, LUMEN is kicking off a new tradition in honor of the cherished bird and its distinctive call. In each issue of LUMEN, there will be a red-winged blackbird (see at left) located somewhere in the pages of the magazine. Can you find it?

Once you spot it, email us at communications@newarka.edu by June 30, 2023 with its location to be entered for a chance to win NA SWAG!