outreach N E WA R K A C A D E M Y
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$1 Million Hug | NA Legacies Alumni in Service | Reunion 2011
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Who will you honor?
I will be forever grateful to Joseph Borlo, Pegeen Galvin, Arky Crook and Jeff Kacur for helping me to become a critical thinker and a persuasive writer. They also taught me the importance of maintaining integrity in difficult and competitive circumstances.
These skills have proved invaluable and have provided me with a strong foundation for life. – Noah Franzblau ’86 Make your gift to the 2011-2012 Newark Academy Annual Fund in honor of someone who made a difference in your life. Go to alumni.newarka.edu/donate or mail your gift to: Annual Fund / Newark Academy / 91 South Orange Avenue / Livingston, NJ 07039
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CONTENTS FALL 2011 1
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FEATURES
6 NA Family Gives a $1 Million Hug William (Billy) and Ruth Redmond Bloom ’80
21 Roots & Shoots Generations Grow on NA’s Family Tree by Jessica Lubow
28 In Service Newark Academy and the Second World War by Jeffrey Vinikoor, Chair, Humanities Department
21 DEPARTMENTS
3 NA News Perspectives Faculty Focus
35 Alumni News 44 From the Archives 45 Class Notes
Campus Initiatives Advancement Sports Report
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Check out the latest Academy, arts, athletics and alumni news! www.newarka.edu
outreach FALL 2011 Donald M. Austin Head of School Lisa E. Grider Director of Institutional Advancement EDITORS Debra W. Marr Director of Communications Stacey Kaplan-Layton Communications Associate CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Lubow Lou Scerra Blackie Parlin Kristen Tinson Christian Pinto ’13 Jeffrey Vinikoor Kristin Walpole BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jonathan D. Olesky ’74, Chairman Executive Board Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 Joseph P. McGrath Jr. ’81 Bobby Jett David McGraw ’77 Wayne D. Kent ’85 Jeffrey J. Silverman ’82 Jane Wilf Trustees Donald M. Austin Tosan Livingstone Betsy Dollinger Bernstein ’86 Sandy Peinado William Bloom Richard R. Redmond ’77 Patricia Budziak Ajay Sawhney Jeffrey Cohen ’81 Eric Sumner ’73 Alice Coscia Evangeline Tross Laura White Dillon Joshua Weinreich Leo M. Gordon ’69 Larry S. Wieseneck Kim Hirsh ’80 Eric S. Williams III ’75 Jeffrey Kaplan Suzanne Willian Emeriti Louis V. Aronson II ’41 K. Kelly Marx ’51 Paul Busse ’38 John L. McGraw ’49 Robert Del Tufo ’51 Robert S. Puder ’38 William D. Hardin ’44 Gary Rose William T. Wachenfeld ’44 A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N B O A R D O F G O V E R N O R S Leo M. Gordon ’69 President Van Stevens ’65 1st Vice President
Amanda Rubinstein Black ’97 2nd Vice President
John Bess ’69 3rd Vice President Kathy Loesberg ’95 Neal Buchalter ’84 Ben Purkert ’03 Michael Carniol ’98 David Rattner ’03 Patrick Ciccone ’62 Stuart Flaum ’73 Adam Rosen ’99 Jacqueline Lipsius Fleysher ’93 Jed Rosenthal ’93 Noah Franzblau ’86 Lara Samet ’01 Kimberly Griffinger Wachtel ’85 Matthew Gertler ’90 John Gregory ’99 Glenn Waldorf ’90 Thomas Hennigan ’77 Arthur Williams IV ’81 Lauren Jacobs-Lazer ’98 Arthur Wynne ’79 Brian Zucker ’84 Emeriti J. Richard Beltram ’41 William C.H. Stroh III ’48 Richard M. Watson ’50
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Much has been written about the qualities of character of the ‘Greatest Generation,’ and these pages remind us that our alumni of that era contributed and sacrificed in ways that
Newark Academy Office of Institutional Advancement 91 South Orange Avenue • Livingston, New Jersey 07039 Telephone: 973.992.7000, Fax: 973.992.8962 E-mail: dmarr@newarka.edu • Website: www.newarka.edu
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continue to make their alma mater proud.
NA NEWS PERSPECTIVES by Donald M. Austin, Head of School
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Lessons in History As most of you know, in my prior position I served as Director of School Year Abroad (SYA) in Rennes, France. Each year while I was there, the students and teachers drove north to the Normandy D-Day beaches and nearby cemeteries . . . walking through the lines of sober white crosses, our students reached a painful understanding not only of the war, but also of the dimensions of the sacrifice of that generation.
for a final group travel experience.
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n preparation, students studied the Allied invasion of June 6, 1944. They learned that a vital element in that invasion was the establishment of an artificial port, designed by Winston Churchill, which allowed the Allies to off-load crucial supplies and soldiers in the midst of a 50-mile stretch of harborless beach. Without that port, the invasion would have been impossible. Interestingly, the engineers with whom Churchill consulted regarding his plan insisted that it was unfeasible. A wonderful little museum in the village of Arromanches recounts the tale. After visiting that museum and the vast, wind-swept beaches, our SYA group would proceed to the American Cemetery, where thousands of American soldiers are interred in a meticulously groomed burial ground overlooking the English Channel. During that bus trip, I would ask students to raise their hands if they had close relatives who had served or perished in World War II. Invariably, several hands would rise, while students exchanged glances in anxious silence. During that moment of recognition, the abstract history lesson became real and personal. Minutes later, walking through the lines of sober white crosses, our students reached a painful understanding not only of the war, but also of the dimensions of the sacrifice of that generation.
This issue of Outreach features reminiscences of Newark Academy alumni who served in World War II. Their stories are a gripping reminder that many of our graduates served courageously in that war. We also learn that students who were at the Academy did their part to stay informed and to support the war effort from home. Much has been written about the qualities of character of the “Greatest Generation,” and these pages remind us that our alumni of that era contributed and sacrificed in ways that continue to make their alma mater proud. The stories of these graduates honor an important chapter in our history and remind today’s students of the sacrifice and service of an earlier generation of Minutemen.
OUTREACH fall 2011
NA NEWS 4
Building Momentum NA’S CONSTRUCTION KICK-OFF EVENT Donning hard hats and “crew” t-shirts, Newark Academy community members came together to celebrate at the Construction Kick-Off Ceremony for the new Upper School Academic Center. During the ceremony on September 22, trustees, administrators, teachers and students had the historic opportunity to sign a framed-out wall of sheet rock that will become a permanent part of Newark Academy’s new building. “While the sheet rock signed today will be embedded in the new building and not visible to those who pass through its halls, it signifies that the people who make up this great community are always at Newark Academy’s core,” said Lisa Grider, Director of Institutional Advancement. The kick-off ceremony for the new Upper School Academic Center marked the official beginning of the first phase in a series of construction, renovation and expansion projects
for the school. Plans for this phase encompass 18,500square feet of new construction and 2,500-square feet of renovated space, and will include 13 classrooms, two science labs, a multi-purpose area, three collaborative learning rooms and a commons area. With a completion goal set for Fall 2012, the new center will mark the first substantial expansion and improvement to Newark Academy’s academic spaces since the Livingston campus was built in 1964. NA
(l-r): Jonathan Olesky, Chairman, Board of Trustees; Sam Goldfischer, Director of Business and Finance; Wayne Kent, Trustee; Alice Coscia, President of NAPA; Donald Austin, Head of School; Shane Neibart, School Council President; Carissa Szlosek, Senior Class President; Von Rollenhagen, Dean of Faculty; Leo Gordon, President, Alumni Board of Governors NEWARK ACADEMY
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OUTREACH fall 2011
NA FAMILY GIVES A 6
$1 MILLION HUG
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Coming as no surprise from the warm and friendly couple, Ruth and Billy decided to give Newark Academy their “hug” in the form of a $1 million gift from their family foundation.
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Ruth Redmond Bloom ’80 and her husband Billy have Newark Academy in their blood – literally. Billy heard stories about NA throughout his childhood from his father, Charles, who was a member of the Class of 1942. And few families in the school’s history have had as many NA graduates as the Redmonds. The youngest of six children, Ruth followed her older brothers to NA and since then many members of the Redmond family have made the Academy their home (see page 21). “My father, Jack, was a member of the Board of Trustees for years,” Ruth recalls. “With the exception of my sister, we all attended NA. Our kitchen table discussions, our family vacations and our basement weekend parties were always filled with NA families. I still cherish those personal connections. I am so happy that our sons – Jack ’11, Matthew ’13 and Charlie ’17 – are able to share in this legacy.” Those lifelong ties to NA give Ruth and Billy a somewhat unique perspective on the Academy. The faculty, they believe, continues to be Newark Academy’s core strength. “The relationships between teachers and students and the commitment the faculty have to guiding young minds is still the greatest thing about NA. We’ve experienced these teachers – and the entire school – doing so much with limited resources for a long time.” When the Blooms learned that Newark Academy was planning its first improvements to the academic spaces since 1964, they were ready to help. “The physical plant of the school needs a hug,” Ruth said. “The classrooms, hallways, labs, fields and theatre all have given their worth over the past four decades. We really feel the needs outlined in the campus master plan are very real and urgent.” Coming as no surprise from the warm and friendly couple, Ruth and Billy decided to give Newark Academy their “hug” in the form of a $1 million gift from their family foundation. “We are very fortunate and were able to start a foundation that is focused on education and a
small number of other needs,” Ruth said. “We wanted to do this gift for NA because, without a doubt, it has had the most influence of any organization on our family. My boys have developed their own relationships with kids whose parents were my classmates and they are learning from many of the same teachers who taught me. That really is the icing on the cake for me.” The gift from Ruth and Billy Bloom will provide much needed support for the ongoing construction of the Upper School Academic Center. They also earmarked $300,000 of their gift to support the Academy’s endowment for student financial aid and faculty support. Such a gift – the largest donation the Blooms have ever made – came out of a desire to have a significant impact. “There really is no success without significance,” Ruth noted. “We want our giving to be well-thought-out and well thought of. We want NA to use this gift to continue its wonderful march toward the future and, honestly, we hope it makes our parents proud!” As the Blooms continue to wear many hats at Newark Academy – current parents, alumni parents, alum and trustee – they also hope their gift will inspire others to support the school’s current efforts. Ruth continued, “Regardless of whether someone has been at Newark Academy 30 years, 30 months or 30 days, they know it is a very special place. It has positively impacted our past, our present and our future. It’s just a great school and I hope others will join with us to make it even greater.” NA
NA NEWS 8
COMMENCEMENT Media Expert Addresses Class of 2011 Renowned journalist, professor and playwright Anne Nelson gave an inspirational keynote address to the Class of 2011 during Newark Academy’s Commencement Ceremony on June 12, 2011. Nelson has worn many hats, touching lives and telling stories of individuals and communities as she traveled the globe. During her Commencement address, she shared her unique worldview and conveyed the vast possibilities open to the graduating class as they follow their passions.
Congratulations to the Class of 2011!
COLLEGE DESTINATIONS Meir Alelov Brandeis University
Joyce Chen New York University
Hardy Evans Kenyon College
Devon Amin Rutgers University
Michael Colizza University of Miami
Jodi Feinberg University of Pennsylvania
Emma Baumgartner Boston College
Shannan Corby New York University
Anthony Fernandes New York University
Nick Becker Duke University
Christopher Cutri Stevens Institute of Technology
Ellen Fishbein Manhattan School of Music
Nicole Blank Tufts University
Nitika Daga University of California at Berkeley
Nicole Friend Elon University
John Bloom Boston College
James Damiano-Martinez Harvard University
George Boyar Washington University in St. Louis
Hannah Davidson University of Delaware
Alexander Beim University of Chicago
Anne Brakel Tulane University Jacob Breene New York University Katherine Bu Boston University Elizabeth Celente Muhlenberg College Rachel Charow Georgetown University
NEWARK ACADEMY
Jason Diamond Emory University Timarie Diehl Connecticut College Amyah Durant Gap Year Henry Ellis University of Miami Rebecca Ellis Harvard University
Uttara Gadde Cornell University Joseph Gerish Trinity College William Geyer Washington University in St. Louis Monica Gibilisco George Washington University Jake Gillman Cornell University Jacob Goldenring Williams College Brenna Gormally Pomona College
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Jaxon Gruber Tulane University
Scott LaBove University of Chicago
Raj Merchant Cornell University
William Harwood Colby College
Louise Lamb Trinity College, Dublin
Andrew Morrison Georgetown University
Emily Heller Bucknell University
John Lawler University of Richmond
Kelsey Mulgrew Goucher College
Thomas Henshall Bowdoin College
Thelonious Lester Montclair State University
Sydney Hershman University of Wisconsin
Eric Li Harvard University
Eric Neiman Washington University in St. Louis
Lucas Hudelson Tulane University
Noah Liff Cornell University
Allison Hyans Duke University
Jennifer Mandelbaum Boston University
Adam Hyatt University of Wisconsin
Alix Mann Cornell University
Alexander Hyman Columbia University
Ashley Martin Franklin & Marshall College
Jordan Jett University of Pennsylvania
Callie Marx Dickinson College
Timothy Redmond Washington and Lee University
Katherine Johnson Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College
Jourdan McGhee Spelman College
Aleksandra Reznikova University of Pennsylvania
Sarah McGrath Colgate University
Daniel Richards Cornell University
Emily Ullmann Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College
Nyasia Jones Emory University
Bethany McHugh Carleton College
Ariel Sadeghi University of Pennsylvania
Ashley Ulrich Dartmouth College
Samantha Kennedy Hendrix College
Patrick McMahon Northeastern University
Nikhil Sawhney Pomona College
David Webster Williams College
Rohan Sawhney Northwestern University
David Weinman Bates College
Christina Kovar Colgate University
Om Pathak University of Miami Samuel Peinado Harvard University Rebecca Press Franklin & Marshall College Marie Quintana University of Richmond
Liza Seiden Washington University in St. Louis
Adrienne White Washington University in St. Louis
Adam Seltzer Lehigh University
Steven Wilf University of Michigan
Neil Sethi Boston College
Matthew Willian Bowdoin College
Branden Sheehan Muhlenberg College
Leigh Wolfson University of Southern California
Zachary Shinske George Washington University Delphine Slotten Princeton University
Jamie Yang Emory University Jacob Zack Emory University
Calli Snook New York University Meyha Sud Gap Year Nicholas Szuch New York University
OUTREACH fall 2011
NA NEWS
FACULTY FOCUS
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WELCOME TO NEW FACULTY AND STAFF! Eight new educators joined Newark Academy’s faculty this year: Sarah Fischer (Humanities), Megan Lopretto (Health), Laurie Mason (Science), Candice Powell (English), Lew Potters (Film), Rachael Reeves (Science), Robert Rezvani (Mathematics) and Andrew Ryan (Science).
welcome
Brenda Hamm has joined the College Counseling team full time as the new Associate Director of College Counseling. Cynthia Reinhard has joined the Admission Office as the Director of Financial Aid. Kristen Tinson will strengthen connections to NA’s alumni community in her new position as the Director of Alumni Relations.
After 18 years of teaching in Newark Academy’s science department, Josephine Allocca retired at the end of the 2010-11 school year. During her time at NA, Josephine taught chemistry, physics and biochemistry. She was the faculty advisor of the Minuteman Society, which serves the school by supporting a variety of student and parent programs. Josephine plans to spend time with her family, sons Jonathan ’05 and Andrew ’07, and to travel with her husband, Joe. In addition to his duties as NA’s director of theatre arts, Scott Jacoby will be in the classroom teaching the International Baccalaureate’s signature program, the Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Scott joins Rich DiBianca (Upper School Principal), Jeff Vinikoor (Humanities Chair) and Sarah Fischer (Humanities) in teaching this class. TOK is a course that offers students a venue in which to reflect on the nature of knowledge itself and how it is justified in different ways across academic disciplines. Yvette Luxenberg (Arts) was featured in the August 2011 edition of Dance Teacher magazine. The article highlighted the International Baccalaureate dance program and its formal launch of intercultural dance curriculum for high school students. You can read the entire article at http://www.dance-teacher.com/content/ global-approach.
NEWARK ACADEMY
MILESTONES Congratulations to Pegeen Galvin (left) and Arky Crook for 30 years at Newark Academy!
CONVOCATION 2011 “SCARLETT’S LETTERS” The Newark Academy community enjoyed a venerable academic tradition during the school’s Convocation Ceremony on Monday, September 12. Head of School Donald Austin formally welcomed students and faculty to a new academic year as he led the traditional opening ceremony in the Rose Auditorium. Distinguished alumnus Joseph Scarlett ’62 presented the Convocation address, where he discussed the ideal qualities for future leaders, including honesty, integrity, self-control, confidence, patience and respect for yourself and others.
Joe Scarlett ’62 meets School Council President Shane Neibart ’12
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FACULTY HOUSING PROGRAM Newark Academy values its faculty and makes it a priority to ensure that these talented individuals are rewarded for their efforts in and out of the classroom by making available a range of personal and professional development opportunities, travel opportunities and other special benefits. The Academy recently selected Ted Gilbreath, humanities teacher and varsity lacrosse coach, as the first recipient of its Faculty Housing Assistance program, which seeks to provide support in purchasing a primary residence.
ACCOLADES Each year at Convocation, outstanding members of the faculty are recognized for their most important contributions to the NA community. This year, honorees included: Luis Gomez for the Catherine Lynham Academic Chair; the Arts Department for the Ohaus Chair; Joe Ball for the Ernest Allsopp Award; Alexandra Mahoney and Kirsti Morin for the Ripps Faculty Awards; and Elaine Brodie, David Griffin and Jeff Vinikoor for the Head of School Awards. Congratulations to all for their innovative teaching! Above (l-r): Jeff Vinikoor, Luis Gomez, Joe Ball, David Griffin, Elaine Brodie and Alexandra Mahoney
“It can be a challenge for our faculty members to purchase suitable housing in northern New Jersey’s expensive housing market,” said Head of School Don Austin. “This program aims to relieve some of the financial burden associated with buying a first home.” Ted and his wife, Kristin Walpole, NA’s director of development and parent relations, with their son, Owen (3), bought a home in West Orange and settled in last summer. “We are very grateful to Newark Academy and to the many donors who have contributed to the Faculty Housing Fund,” he said. “As a result of this generous support, our financial commitment has been much more manageable.”
FORMER FACULTY NOTE We sadly report the passing of beloved former Headmaster Robert M. Butler on September 23, 2011 at the age of 99. Robert Butler began his career at Newark Academy as Assistant Headmaster, and was appointed Headmaster in 1956. During his tenure, he led the effort to relocate the Academy from Newark to Livingston, including the construction of the new building and campus. Mr. Butler was also responsible for its conversion from an all male to a coeducational school and facilitated the development of the Newark Academy Parents Association. In 1967 he returned to teaching, retiring in 1974. Shortly afterward, Robert and his wife Priscilla moved to Vinalhaven, Maine, where they had spent many vacations. His favorite activities in retirement included playing cribbage, watching sports, reading, traveling with friends, boating and clamming.
T.C. Abbey, Headmaster Robert Butler and Blackie Parlin in 1961
Memorial contributions to the Robert M. Butler-Endowment Fund for Faculty Administration Support may be made online at alumni.newarka.edu/donate or may be sent to Newark Academy, 91 South Orange Avenue, Livingston, NJ 07039. For more information, contact the advancement office at 973.992.7000, ext. 321. OUTREACH fall 2011
NA NEWS 12
As part of the Faculty Travel Initiative, a group of Newark Academy faculty members traveled to Cuba to meet with administrators from Cuba’s National Association and Teacher Training Program, to visit urban and rural schools and to study the Las Terrazas, an eco-community in the Sierra del Rosario region.
Las Dos Cubas by Lou Scerra, Chair, English Department
When Sam Peinado ’11 delivered the T.C. Abbey Oration at Commencement in June, he asked his classmates to consider how to describe a place to someone who doesn’t know it. One week later, when 14 fortunate Newark Academy faculty members traveled to Cuba, we asked ourselves the same question as we navigated a country that is truly foreign to most Americans.
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an you describe the sense of a place through comparison or sensory imagery? Upon arrival, Havana calls to mind the wrought iron terraces of New Orleans, the piazzas of Rome, and the irrepressible charm of Barcelona. The neoclassical architecture is all Athens, while the ethos is unmistakably Caribbean. By day, Cuba is a world of faded pastels, dilapidated buildings, and roaring mufflers; by night, it is a country of humid darkness, where electricity is a luxury and sweating is the norm. The vintage American automobiles,
the ceaseless images of revolution, and the crumbling infrastructure make us feel as though we’ve shown up to a party 50 years late. In painting the portrait of this country, we might opt to relay the words and ideas communicated to us, but, in Cuba, we learn so much more from the things that are left unsaid. Publically, the Cuban people seem reluctant to criticize the government, but they are quick to separate the personal from the political. In meetings and workshops, we listen to the success stories and rhetoric of a nation with a proud history, but hear mostly canned answers about the transportation, housing, and financial crises facing the island nation. In fact, as the week progresses, it becomes clear that there are two Cubas – divided by a “silent wall” that separates public and private. Through individual conversations and experiences not on the itinerary, we manage to climb the partition for a peek inside Back (l-r): Scott Jacoby (Arts), Lou Scerra (English), Don Austin (Head of School), Ted Gilbreath (Humanities), Joe Ball (Humanities), Blackie Parlin (Humanities), Tony Ungaro (Mathematics) middle: Norm Schafler (Spanish), Kirsti Morin (Humanities), Stephanie Acquadro (English), Luis Gomez (Spanish) front: Beth Sparacino (Humanities), Jay Torson (Arts), Amy Schottland (Humanities)
NEWARK ACADEMY
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The vintage American automobiles, the ceaseless images of revolution, and the crumbling infrastructure make us feel as though we’ve shown up to a party 50 years late.
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classified Cuba. We hear stories of two-bedroom houses holding 14 family members. We listen to one man explain how he left his government-sanctioned job earning three U.S. dollars a month to find illegal work elsewhere making five U.S. dollars an hour in hopes of providing a better life for his family. By the end of our week, we realize that Cuba is a complicated place where aging political ideals seem incompatible with current socioeconomic realities. By the time we return to Havana on the final day of our trip, both the answer to Sam’s question and the key to unlocking Cuba have made themselves clear. Armed with a love of music and laughter, an insatiable curiosity, and an irrepressible spirit, the Cuban people charm and astonish us. On one afternoon, we meet a posse of young swimmers hoping to impress their new friends with reckless leaps into a rocky reef; on another evening, we chat with a baseball aficionado thrilled to trade Cuban baseball jargon for American catch phrases. For seven days, an affable and witty former teacher turned tour guide shares his country with 14 teachers-turned-students eager to learn. “Place” depends principally on people and, in Cuba, the people happen to be the nation’s greatest resource. NA
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“In a lot of ways Cuba felt post-apocalyptic to me, like a society trying to survive after it has been disconnected from the rest of the world. But the Cuban people are cobbling together lives for themselves. They live in dilapidated mansions that now host generations of families on single floors; they rumble around town in Chevys, Packards and DeSotos from the 1950s that run on little more than elbow grease, duct tape and crossed fingers. They open restaurants in their living rooms that serve the best food around, and they leave teaching jobs at the nation’s finest universities to lead yokels like me around the country because it is the best way to feed their families. The Cuban people I met were charming, gracious and had an indomitable spirit, and I, for one, am very appreciative of having had the opportunity to meet them.” — Ted Gilbreath
OUTREACH fall 2011
NA NEWS 14
PHYSICS STUDENTS LEARN BY DOING Students in Bob Bitler’s 11th grade physics class took a “shot” at understanding parabolic trajectories with a hands-on lesson incorporating a bow and arrow. The class was studying kinematics – the physics of how things move – in particular, how things move when accelerating at a constant rate, when Bitler decided a visual example would bring this lesson to life.
“Things that fly freely through the air accelerate downward at a constant rate, while at the same time moving at a near constant velocity in the horizontal direction,” Bitler explained. “When these two types of motion are combined, you get parabolic trajectories. Indeed, when you throw a ball, it ends up moving in a parabola, a mathematical function involving the square of horizontal displacement. You can’t not throw a ball in a parabolic trajectory!” Following the in-class instruction, Bitler had students investigate the angle at which you should throw something (or shoot something, in this case) in order to get the maximum horizontal distance trajectory. “Students were beginning to figure this out with mathematical equations, but I wanted them to gain some intuition on the subject and figure out the answer through experiment. And what do you know? It turns out that the arrow shot at a 45-degree angle from the horizontal, with everything else held constant, goes farthest! Hopefully, the students had a good time while trying to intuitively figure out something very mathematical.”
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! “I’d like to thank the Academy…” Well, at least that’s what students in the new film and video production course are saying to NA’s Arts Department! Beginning this fall, students in grades 10-12 have the opportunity to enroll in a semester-long course on the art of filmmaking. Prerequisites include a passion for motion pictures and a desire to want to learn by making projects in a hands-on, intensive program. Through instruction in the essential principles of dramatic writing, camera operation, production, direction, sound recording and editing techniques, students develop a basic competence in the practice of filmmaking and video production. “This is such an exciting development for the arts,” said Elaine Brodie, Chair of the Arts Department. “There is clearly a demand for this kind of class. We’ve seen it time and again in both the enthusiastic participation in the annual spring film contest and the large membership in our film and digital media club. We have listened to our students’ needs and responded with an innovative, hands-on learning opportunity.” The new film and video course is taught by Lew Potters, who brings many years of experience to the position.
NEWARK ACADEMY
SERVICE IN SENEGAL by Christian Pinto ’13
Masts, Mountains and Monasteries While many young people tout summer camps and beach vacations as the best ways to fill up summer days, 70 Newark Academy students saw the summer of 2011 as the opportunity to immerse themselves in another language, culture, community or the natural world. In an effort to fulfill Newark Academy’s immersion requirement – all Upper School students are required to partake in at least one significant off-campus immersion experience lasting a minimum of 10 to 16 days – students chose to participate in get-out-of-their-comfort-zone experiences that ranged from living and working on an organic farm to hiking and camping in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. “More than just travel, immersion experiences engage students in cultural or environmental exploration, developing an appreciation and understanding of diverse cultures, people and perspectives in the world,” said Immersion Director Maria Teresa McNeilly-Anta ’93. A sample of the past summer’s immersive journeys included: Sam Wohlforth ’13 completed a wilderness immersion that centered on a sailing race on the Atlantic Ocean. Working on all aspects of the race, Sam took five days and 22 hours to reach Bermuda. Elizabeth Vogel ’13 opted for a service learning immersion project at the Zen Mountain Monastery in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Her immersion was an experiment in communal living that included daily chores in addition to lessons in Buddhist principals. Paring down the essentials and packing only what could fit in an overnight bag, Emma Brown ’13 traveled to Southeast Asia for a 25-day cultural immersion in Laos that included an in-home stay with a host family. Christian Pinto ’13 headed to Senegal in West Africa to help a community in need and study his French in a real-world setting.
Last summer I had the chance to travel to Senegal in West Africa to complete my Immersion requirement. The trip consisted of linguistic, cultural, and service components, all core values of the immersion program at Newark Academy. In preparation, I gathered as much information on Senegal as possible. I watched movies, listened to music and read guidebooks. I walked onto my flight thinking that I was ready for Senegal, but when I arrived at my destination everything was far different than I had imagined. More than 50 percent of the population is living below the poverty line; there were flies everywhere; the majority of their technology was from the 1990s; the cars were rusted and falling apart; and there was no hot water. Even with all these disadvantages, though, it was the most amazing trip I have ever experienced. It opened my eyes to a critically different standard of living. I worked with the volunteer service organization called Projects Abroad. During the first two weeks; I went to French class in the mornings and worked at a Dhara — a building that houses young boys (talibés). These boys are sent away from their homes at a very young age to learn the Quran from a religious teacher in exchange for labor (most were street beggars). In the afternoons I worked at building a shower and toilet for the facility. During my third week, I helped the local organization, Association Aider Sans Frontiéres (ASF), feed and disinfect the wounds of the talibés. In the mornings, I would go to the Dhara with a few other volunteers, and young boys would line up in front of us so that we could disinfect, clean, and bandage their cuts. During the afternoons, children would come into the ASF center looking to get their wounds cleaned, but they also came because we would distribute bread and chocolate. For some, it was their only meal of the day. My immersion experience truly changed the way I think about things now. I lived among the Senegalese people and experienced their way of life. It made me appreciate the high standard of living we have in the United States and the luxuries that are at our disposal. My experience in Senegal influenced my world view by teaching me to become more open-minded and very grateful.
NA NEWS
ADVANCEMENT
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BROADENING CULTURAL AWARENESS:
The Feinberg Family Makes an Impact What do “Survivor,” stereotypes and cell phones have in common? They are all topics that sparked layered conversations in the Newark Academy community, thanks to the annual Feinberg Multicultural Assembly. The assembly, initiated in 2002, brings dynamic speakers to the school to expose students and faculty to world events and cultural phenomena in a very real and personal way.
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he first year of the assembly laid the groundwork for the type of compelling, worldview-altering issues we wanted our students to be exposed to,” said Pegeen Galvin, Dean of Students and original chair of the program. “It featured Francis Bok, a native of South Sudan, who was captured during a militia raid when he was seven years old. He was enslaved, living in bondage and enduring terrible abuse for 10 years until he ultimately escaped and arrived in the United States where he now works as an abolitionist. It is just impossible to hear a story like this from the victim’s own lips and not have something shift inside you.”
FEINBERG MULTICULTURAL ASSEMBLIES 2002 Francis Bok, escaped Sudanese slave, abolitionist 2003 Mykee Fowlin, challenged stereotypes through performance art 2004 World Games, interactive teams created a “model world” 2005 Joseph Bruchac, Indian storyteller 2006 Colman McCarthy, peace activist 2008 Ethan Zohn, used reality show winnings to found grassroots AIDS awareness charity (inaugural Global Speaker Series Assembly) 2009 Sonia Nazario, journalist, author of “Enrique’s Journey” 2010 Disaster Relief Panel 2011 Nicholas Sullivan, microfinance expert spoke about the power of the cell phone in third world nations
“I thought I followed world events closely, but I was shocked to hear from a man forced into childhood slavery,” said faculty member Joe Ball. “He was a powerful, charismatic speaker and ever since then I’ve taken the issue of modern slavery very seriously.” This is exactly the result that Peter Feinberg ’78 and Margery Feinberg ’78 anticipated when they put the framework and the funding together to initiate the Feinberg Multicultural Assembly.
The Feinberg family had been volunteering and donating to the Annual Fund for years when they decided they wanted to make an additional impact by endowing a fund. “We had in-depth discussions with the administration and concluded that there was a need for an annual assembly focused on broadening the cultural awareness of NA students,” Margie said. Peter added, “There is a lot more diversity at the school today than when we were students here, but we still felt there was work to be done in helping the student body to develop a deeper cultural awareness, whether it be about race, religion or socioeconomic backgrounds.” The Feinberg Multicultural Assembly is ever-evolving and sometimes takes a hands-on approach to learning, as in the case of the “World Games” workshop. This assembly exposed students to the political, economic and social challenges facing the world today through a global simulation interactive game. “This was certainly one of the most thrilling assemblies for me,” said Pegeen. A feature article appeared in the Star-Ledger the following day, highlighting the intellectual energy of this exercise. The World Games workshop had students recreate the political and economic realities of competing regions with students playing many roles in a model world. Students had to work to acquire resources, symbolized by cards and chips, by making trades with officials. As they collected resources, their power increased and they moved up the ladder of global dominance. Students learned invaluable lessons about negotiation, interdependency and how the world works.
The Feinbergs with Ethan Zohn 17
“I remember standing in the Great Hall looking down at the Kirby Gym where the games were unfolding, and thinking, ‘This looks like the floor of a stock exchange!’” said Margie. “Students were moving in every direction, groups of people were negotiating, there were papers all over the floor, people shouting orders and directions to one another. It was an energetic scene to say the least!” Over the years Peter and Margie have found that the endowed fund for the Feinberg Multicultural Assembly has been the perfect vehicle for them to support Newark Academy. “I had a very good experience as a student at NA and I know Margie did, too,” said Peter. “When you have a good experience with an institution you have an obligation to support it. We also understood the importance of supporting independent schools – that tuition doesn’t cover it all and you need to have outside giving or else the programs aren’t going to be as robust or vibrant.”
Margie concluded, “One year we hosted Ethan Zohn who was the winner of Survivor: Africa. He told the inspirational story of how he used his prize money to co-found Grassroots Soccer, a program that sends African soccer stars into schools throughout Africa to educate students about HIV and AIDS. His speech was truly compelling and he aired a video about AIDS in Africa that had many in tears. Students were coming up to me afterward, telling me they were ready to pack their bags and move to Africa to help. That’s when it hit me: This is working. This is what it’s all about.” NA
THE GIFT OF GLOBAL TRAVEL After the Feinberg Multicultural Assembly experienced several years of success, Peter decided to go a step further by endowing a second program that would send students into the world to experience other cultures through the Feinberg Student Travel Grant. Recipients of this grant are more than mere observers as they travel, they are true participants in the exchange of culture and tradition. That so many opportunities and experiences have grown out of the family’s endowment gifts brings the Feinbergs great satisfaction. As NA’s globally aware curriculum has grown, travel and immersion opportunities have extended to the faculty as well, taking teachers to the Middle East and to Cuba.
“
The Feinbergs look forward to the continued evolution of their family’s endowed programs. They hope to include their sons Louis ’08 and Nate ’13 in the future of the Feinberg Travel Grant and the Feinberg Multicultural Assembly, by helping to review applications for travel grants or research ideas for presentations. In addition to handing down the tradition of giving to their children, they also want to see other supporters find similar ways to participate in the NA community. Margie said, “Our hope is to not only inspire the current student body, but also our peers, so that they, too, will reconnect with NA and give back to the school that gave so much to us.”
It was such an honor to be the recipient of a Feinberg travel grant. It gave me the opportunity to travel to an amazing place like Australia – something I’d always wanted to do – and not only tour parts of the country and immerse myself in its culture, but also give back by working as a volunteer with special needs individuals and performing other types of meaningful community service. – Sean Mulligan ’12, 2011 Recipient of the Feinberg Travel Grant
OUTREACH fall 2011
HOMECOMING HIGH NOTES! October 15, 2011 Alumni, students and friends gathered to celebrate Newark Academy’s annual Homecoming event on Saturday, October 15. Fans cheered on NA teams and enjoyed a fun afternoon at the Tailgate Party. The day included food, music, farm stands and family friendly activities, including bouncy castle, human bumper cars, pumpkin painting, karaoke and more. A good time was had by all!
NA NEWS
SPORTS REPORT
20
UNDER THE LIGHTS For the first time in the long history of Newark Academy football, the Minutemen played a home game under the lights on Coursen Field on Saturday, September 10, 2011. The Minutemen hosted the Hawks of Hudson Catholic High School, winning 12-2 in the season opener for both teams. Fans were out in force and the “Red Army” cheered the Minutemen on to victory. “The team played a great game and we had a historic turnout of our fans,” said Head Coach Steve Trivino. CONGRATULATIONS MINUTEMEN!
NEWARK ACADEMY
RED & BLACK ON THE ATTACK! Newark Academy’s successful fall athletic season ended with some exciting victories! Winter team practices have now begun and players are working hard to reach their full potential during the upcoming season starting December 16. Get the full rundown of current scores and athletic news at www.newarka.edu/athletics.
roots
&
shoots
Generations Grow on NA’s Family Tree by Jessica Lubow
22
roots
&shoots
Since its founding in 1774, Newark Academy has dedicated itself to educating students from a wide variety of backgrounds and teaching them the values of intellectual curiosity and service to the larger community in which they live. For a school so rich in history and tradition, NA also values its own constant evolution, embracing the many cultures that make up its student body today. Their language, heritage and traditions are celebrated along with the old traditions of the school, whose birth preceded even that of the United States. One tradition in particular
‘‘ The school
understands
that it must
which keeps NA strong, and that honors its past while celebrating its future, is the tradition of welcoming legacy students whose parents, or even grandparents, have shared in the Newark Academy experience.
approach the balance of
When Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 arrived at
legacy and Newark Academy she attended an Orientation Tea
new families for the new girls entering these previously all-male
hallways and classrooms. And there were certainly no
with care, “Casual Fridays.” For a pioneer of coeducation at NA,
through the years.
new people and new traditions.
In the early 1970s Newark Academy was redefining itself as a coeducational institution, creating new traditions and adjusting to the changing face of its student body. “In those days girls were beginning to infiltrate all aspects of the school. The drama club no longer needed to import its female cast members from other schools, and the student government made room for the new girls who joined its ranks as representatives and leaders,” said Nancy. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Nancy would go on to become Vice President of Newark Academy’s Board of Trustees, a key leadership role in which she proudly serves today. Certain elements of 1970s era NA, however, would seem very familiar to any NA student walking the halls today. “What I remember most,” she recalls,
Although they had been immersed in Newark Academy stories for many years, when it came time for Whit and Ned to apply to secondary school, attending NA was not a foregone conclusion, but rather a decision the family weighed carefully to ensure that each boy would end up in the best environment for him. After spending a day on campus Whit remarked to his mother that NA “seemed like the kind of place where people can be themselves, not a community of cookie cutter students.” Having passed the NA tradition on to her sons, Nancy reflected about the future of families like hers in the NA community. “The school understands that it must approach the balance of legacy and new families with care, embracing the traditions while remaining open to new people and new traditions.”
od ’75 rwo Ha
current students. But on closer inspection, it seems
remaining those differences were more superficial, and that the open to heart and soul of NA has been remarkably consistent
ird
one might imagine that the school, as Nancy experi-
embracing the enced it, would have been almost unrecognizable to traditions while its
“were the incredible mentoring relationships between students and faculty.” Lee Abbey, Joe Borlo, John Limmer and Blackie Parlin were some of the most influential teachers in Nancy’s N an student career, and they became cy Ba familiar names and faces to her sons Whit ’11 and Ned ’13, when they joined the NA community.
When Margie reflects on her own experience at NA, she recalls the valuable life skills she learned here that continue to serve her well. “It was Hampton Abney who taught me about time management, helping me create lists of tasks and match them to my calendar – a true necessity now as then. Working with Mr. Parlin I literally doubled my vocabulary in one year, and I have two sets of SAT scores to prove it! I think of him to this day whenever I complete the New York Times crossword puzzles.” Margie recalls Morning Meeting in the mid-1970s, “when everybody had a seat, including the teachers.” It was there that she learned to feel comfortable speaking in front of a group as she announced the basketball team’s latest results. The same basketball
in
yG er
Marger
coach who led her NA team to a State Championship was none other than Bill Blaskopf, math teacher to both mother and son (Nathan ’13). Nate has certainly enjoyed listening to his parents’ and grandfather’s NA stories over the years (his father, Peter Feinberg ’78 is also an alumnus). “When I was a student,” Margie reflects, “kids came to NA for a wide variety of reasons and we all got along whether we were in the AP classes or hung out with the ‘Sweat Hogs.’ Now, admission is so competitive – the kids just keep getting more talented but the sense of community remains the same.” All three generations of their family have found NA to be a place where kids are encouraged to “try something new, take a chance – that’s a tradition that keeps Newark Academy so strong.”
23
r Feinberg ’78 Pete
For Margery Gering Feinberg ’78, the Newark Academy tradition extends to branches both above and below in her family tree. Her father George Gering ’51 paved the way for her. “When I came for my interview,” Margie recalls, “I was meeting with Curly Ford, former faculty member and director of admission, and in walked Catherine Lynham – I’ve never seen my dad stand at attention so quickly!” A beloved and legendary teacher at Newark Academy, Mrs. Lynham had been Mr. Gering’s own faculty mentor. Upon seeing her former student g ’78 r e she ran for her pocketbook and inb Fe returned quickly, pulling from it a g monogrammed silver compact that had been a gift from Mr. Gering’s parents years before.
For the Amin family of Bernardsville, the Newark Academy tradition mirrors the growth of the family’s food distribution business. When Archit Amin ’83 first came to Newark Academy in 1980, his parents were in search of an educational environment where he could get more individual attention, better preparation for college, and ultimately develop the skills he would need to carry Deep Foods, Inc. (the family owned company started by his parents) forward as its future leader. “Right from the start I loved the
Class of 2011 Legacies Legacy Students from the Class of 2011 with their family members Back (l-r): David Richards ’71, Nancy Baird Harwood ’75, Peter Marx ’76, Archit Amin ’83, Monal Amin, Joseph McGrath ’81, Jeffrey Heller ’81, Colleen Szuch, Richard Szuch ’80, Ruth Redmond Bloom ’80, Richard Redmond ’77 middle: Daniel Richards ’11, William (Whit) Harwood ’11, Nicole Friend ’11, Callie Marx ’11, Devon Amin ’11, Sarah McGrath ’11, Emily Heller ’11, Nicholas Szuch ’11, John Bloom ’11, Timothy Redmond ’11 front: Matthew Richards ’08, Vivek Amin ’14, Milan Amin ’09, Richard Redmond, Jr. ’06, Scott Redmond ’09
Ar ch it
Am
in
’83
teachers and the attention they gave me in class. I received the best possible preparation for college and beyond.”
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Ke Wayne credits the NA faculty with giving him the confidence, as a teenager, to look adults in the eye and speak to them from the heart with intelligence and respect. “I see some of my daughters’ friends who go to other schools struggling when it comes to communication with their elders. My girls have learned differently at NA, just as I did, and this is an invaluable life skill,” says Wayne. How do Samantha ’15 and Chloe ’17 feel about having such an active alumnus for a dad, one who is so frequently on campus for school-related business? “Embarrassed!” Wayne laughs, “but of course they are also proud that the school means so much to me and that I have remained an active participant in the community.”
’ 85
Archit credits both Don Austin, Head of School, and Will Taylor, Director of Admission, for understanding how important the NA tradition has been for his family and what this education has meant to both generations. “Admission to Newark Academy has become very competitive and the curriculum has strengthened, as it should for the students of today’s more competitive world. Finding a place here for my children was a top priority for my family.” Now that Deep Foods has grown to an international company of more than 4,000 employees, Vivek ’14, and his brothers, Milan ’09 and Devon ’11, will have their work cut out for them. They are proud to carry on the NA tradition in their family, just as they are proud of the business their grandfather built and that, with hard work, they too will pilot toward future success.
Way ne
nt
When the time came for the Amins’ own sons to seek out an independent school, they were content in their public school environment but Archit knew there was something more for them at NA. “The emphasis on character development was what I wanted most for my children, and that ethos of hard work and integrity at NA is also a key ingredient in the success of our business.” When the boys visited NA and Archit saw his former teachers, including Norm “Doc” Schaffler who has taught all four of the Amin boys, he knew his sons had found their “home base.”
One NA experience shared by all these alumni, has been the outstanding quality of the school’s faculty – a strength that has remained part of the fabric of Newark Academy across generations. In fact many of those individuals themselves remain at NA to this day, teaching the children and even the grandchildren of their former students. “One of the biggest challenges NA will face in the future is filling the shoes of our most senior faculty once they retire,” notes Wayne Kent ’85, member of Newark Academy’s Board of Trustees.
Wayne, who played in Newark Academy’s first ever Stanley Cone tournament, fondly recalls campus traditions such as Morning Meeting, and feels that
Current NA Legacy Students Upper School
Top (l-r): (grade 9) Daniel Cohen ’15, Samantha Kent ’15, Nicholas Martino ’15, David McGraw ’15, Sara Widmann ’15; (grade 10) Vivek Amin ’14, Georgia Bloom ’14, (grade 11) Matthew Bloom ’13, Robert Cowen ’13, Nathan Feinberg ’13, Ned Harwood ’13; bottom: Ashlyn Heller ’13, Erika Kronk ’13; (grade 12) Rachel Drobner ’12, Christopher Matturri ’12, Joseph McGrath ’12, Ian Ravin ’12, Zachary Taffet ’12, Jessica Waggoner ’12, Isaac Widmann ’12
the
the school has done a great job of creating new and stronger traditions. “For example, the Middle School today is much better integrated into the whole fabric of the community, and NA does a great job serving as a home base for its students who now come from so many different towns, bringing them back to campus for games, dances, and other social events.” “When I attended the recent Construction Kick-Off Celebration for the Upper School Academic Center, I was truly touched to see sixth graders standing side-by-side with their 12th grade classmates sharing a moment of excitement about their school’s future – it says so much about the kind of community this is,” he observed. “I’m a different person because of Newark Academy, and I have always known that this was the opportunity I wanted for my children.”
big apple Some of Newark Academy’s legacy families have
connections to the school that run so deep and so wide, they are truly in a class by themselves. Current Trustee Rick Redmond ’77 and his family have had 13 members attend the school over two generations, including his nephews, Matthew ’13 and Charlie ’17 Bloom, who, almost surprisingly, are the only family members currently in the building. However, notes Redmond, the Hardin family may have claim to the deepest NA roots going back to the 1930s and encompassing 11 graduates. The forest of legendary legacy families is made thicker by the McGraw and Simon family trees, each of which have branches that include at least three generations and account for more than 15 NA alums between
Many current NA students share a proud bond with
them. Redmond notes that for his family and those
other generations of their families who have walked
of his fellow NA loyalists, having children attend their
these halls and, in some cases, learned from the very
parents’ (and grandparents’) school is a two way
same teachers as their parents or grandparents
street. “We love having our
before them. These legacy families are vital to the
kids there maintaining our tradition, but at the same
health of NA and are a tradition in themselves, one
time we expect them to give
that helps us as a school to understand more about
back and contribute to the
where we have been, and where we are going.
school community so that
NA
both sides walk away the better for having grown and learned together.”
Middle School
Max Whitmore ’14, William Ziefert ’14; Zachary Drobner ’12, Carly Gruenberg ’12,
Top (l-r): (grade 6) Natalie Edman ’18; (grade 7) Charles Bloom ’17, Hailey Buchalter ’17, Lauren Katz ’17, Chloe Kent ’17, Scott McGraw ’17; bottom: (grade 8) Daniel Edman ’16, Jonathan Holtzman ’16, Kimberly McGrath ’16, Noah Sellinger ’16, Jordan Zucker ’16
NA NEWS 26
Ripples in a Pond POLAND TRIP TEACHES ABOUT HISTORY AND HUMANITY Not many people — let alone teenage students embarking on spring break — choose to spend two weeks touring concentration camps and reliving the atrocities of the Holocaust. But for 12 Newark Academy humanities students, the choice to travel to Poland and Prague last March gave them the opportunity to change their worldview in a profound way, offering new perspectives on life, history and humanity.
S
tudents in grades 10 through 12 were led and chaperoned on this trip by Sam Goldfischer, Newark Academy’s business and finance director, and Amy Schottland, humanities faculty member. Together they visited old synagogues, the site of the Warsaw Ghetto, Oskar Schindler’s factory, forests where Jews were murdered, and concentration and death camps, including Auschwitz Birkenau, Treblinka, Majdanek and Therescienstadt. “The trip was designed to inform and educate our students about the causes and effects of the Holocaust and offer them a greater understanding of its impact,” Sam explained. “Students were able to experience the devastating legacy of the Holocaust firsthand. It is our belief that the students’ involvement on this trip will empower them as leaders of the next generation to combat prejudice and bias wherever they find it.” The non-denominational group included Jews and non-Jews alike. “This is not Jewish history,” remarked Kendall Fawcett ’12, a trip participant. “It’s world history. It’s important to learn about no matter who you are.” ........................................................................................ During the trip students and faculty wrote personal reflections to share with the Newark Academy community. The following three excerpts shed light on their experiences:
STEVEN WILF ’11
“I have always heard from my grandparents that I need to tell my grandchildren so that no one will forget the six million Jews that were killed from 1939-1945. Since I was aware of all of that, I felt like I knew everything I needed to know and going to Poland over spring break was not a necessity. Boy, was I wrong. For the rest of my life I don’t think I will ever be able to express the gratitude I have for my parents for urging me to participate on this trip because it was the most moving, influential and powerful experience I have ever had. Being able to see the camps was so unbelievable; I have trouble thinking of the right words to describe it. Looking back on it now, it just seems necessary that I had to go on this trip. I was in the presence of true horror and stood where millions of people were killed and I get emotional just writing about it now. That blue color on the walls of the gas chambers, the shoes, and that train track in Auschwitz will be embedded in my mind for the rest of my life.” JACOB ZACK ’11
“What the 12 of us experienced over the last spring break was unique, inexplicable in many ways, and personally life changing. I went into the trip with an optimistic outlook and a desire to learn more about a region of the world that I feel is often unjustly neglected
Steven Wilf ’12 (center) with his grandparents, Elizabeth and Joseph Wilf, both are Holocaust survivors. Mrs. Wilf generously shared her gripping and thought-provoking experience with NA’s Holocaust Studies class last fall.
It is our belief that the students’ involvement on this trip will empower them as leaders of the next generation to combat prejudice and bias wherever they find it.
}
in the study of world history. I also decided to attempt to observe the things we were seeing through a historical lens as opposed to a religious one; momentarily setting my obvious biases as a Jew aside and looking at things objectively. I found myself being shocked, literally shocked, over and over again at various things we would see or hear about. Just like all of you, I heard the number six million, I have heard the slogan “never forget,” and I have been conditioned to know the menacing implications of a swastika. However all of this was nothing compared to seeing a gas chamber, a square concrete room the size of an average Newark Academy classroom that 200 humans were crammed into before being murdered mercilessly. Feeling the bare walls covered with scratch marks of people trying to escape is a phenomenon that cannot be replicated.”
27
has outlasted the evil. Now it is up to us, adults and youth alike, to take the lessons of history and impact those we can. I relate to the students that we are all pebbles dropped into water; the ripples we create affect others.” NA
SAM GOLDFISCHER Director of Business and Finance, Humanities faculty
“The scope of the diabolical plan and the cruelty of the Nazis was overpowering. The vastness of this effort, where as far as the eye can see, there is only ‘camp’ and death. This – overlapping with the sense of ‘who cares’ – is very disturbing. How do people live in the shadow of death like the neighbors of Majdanek or outside Auschwitz-Birkenau? There is a personal feel: the taking of the vastness and narrowing it down to the one person. Feeling in the place, in the moment. One student shared that he stood in a place, like the ghetto street in Warsaw or the gas chamber at Majdanek, and felt that there were so many young people his age who perished in that spot. Feeling, heaven forbid, what that may be like. I felt that as well, but what most got to me was the kids; the intent of the Nazis to deceive the world using children. The story is not complete, though, without realizing that while only 500 Jews remain in Warsaw and 1,600 in Prague – Jewish life survives. The beauty
OUTREACH fall 2011
28
by Jeffrey Vinikoor, Chair, Humanities Department
NEWARK ACADEMY AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR On August 8, 1942, Russ Frederick ’39 waded toward the Laguna Point beach on the northern coast of Guadalcanal. He couldn’t have known then that one of his Newark Academy classmates would save his life later that day. When the United States entered the Second World War, Frederick, a top athlete at the Academy, heeded the national call to action without hesitation. His friends did the same. Frederick served in one of the first Marine landing parties that raided Japanese forces on the South Pacific island. Through densely moist air, two miles inland from the beach, Japanese machine gunners fired on Frederick’s platoon. Hit in the left knee, he fell to the ground. After fainting from pain and blood loss, Frederick found Al Haas at his side. Haas, who played with Frederick on the Academy’s football team only years earlier, served as a Private First Class in the elite Marine Raiders Battalion. Although Haas left the Academy before graduation, when he came across Frederick, wounded and semi-conscious, he did exactly what one would expect from a fellow soldier and Minuteman: He carried his comrade across mountainous terrain back to the American boats. Thanks to his former classmate’s bravery, Frederick emerged from the attack alive – one of only three survivors from his entire platoon.
RUSS FREDERICK ’39
29
30
WHILE THE STORY OF FREDERICK AND HAAS REFLECTS THE HONOR AND SACRIFICE OF A GENERATION OF AMERICANS – over 400,000 of whom died in the Second World War – it also serves as a reminder of the role that Minutemen of the “The Greatest Generation” played in securing freedom around the world. Along with millions of other people across the nation, scores of Academy alumni heeded the call to serve in order to ensure freedom at home and abroad. This December, as the nation commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the event that launched the United States into the Second World War, it seems appropriate to look back on how the war impacted Newark Academy and to honor those alumni who risked their lives in the armed services.
H. PAUL ABBOTT
T
he history of the Academy on the eve of the
Abbott distinguished his administration by introducing
conflict and throughout the war reflects, above all
aviation and naval science courses into the curriculum –
else, a resolute commitment by students, faculty
courses that he, as an experienced sailor and pilot, taught
and alumni to ensure the success of the nation’s
himself. One can imagine looking through the windows of
military endeavors and, ultimately, the triumph of freedom.
the schoolhouse on First Street to find Abbott, an enthusiastic,
In 1942, the student editors of the The Minute Man implored
enterprising leader, teaching celestial navigation to a group
their peers to ignore the trifles of youth and instead to focus
of 16-year-old boys. Only weeks into his second school year,
on preparing to support the war effort. “In time of war,” they
however, Abbott abruptly resigned to accept a commission in
wrote, “there is no word for fun or play. There is no room
the Navy. Even from afar, he continued to instill in the boys
for ‘teen-age kids.’ We’re all men now, whether it’s too soon
the values of service and scholarship. In a letter to students,
or not; and as men, we must thrust ourselves into our tasks,
he urged them to stay
letting no second go by in which we haven’t accomplished
focused on their school-
something worthwhile.” They begged their peers to remember
work. “Finish your high
that “some moldy geometric theorem, a word or two of
school training and
German, a trick learned at football practice, may mean the
remember the only
difference between life and death.” Both intrigued and
passing grade in a
anxious, the students followed the conflict intently. Many
navigation problem
of their brothers, fathers, and cousins faced grave danger daily, some in the Mediterranean and
is 100 percent,” he wrote. “The fellow
Europe, others in the South Pacific, others
who is only sixty or
still on the shores of America’s oceans.
seventy percent right
The boys knew they too might be called
is the lad who cannot
to the colors.
find the airplane carrier he left.”
No individual embodied the wholehearted commitment to the war more than the Academy’s wartime headmaster: H. Paul Abbott. Appointed in 1940,
IN SERVICE: NEWARK ACADEMY AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR
Abbott, who did not return to the Academy after the
PAUL CHASE ’43
end of the war, schooled the students
watched as their parents faced the challenges of food and
in the classroom so that they could
fuel rationing.
31
best serve their country. Through it all, the students remained captivated by the war. Others in the school community similarly responded to the national call. Several young
Student leaders urged their peers to support the war effort by purchasing ten- and twenty-five-cent War Savings Stamps.
male teachers enlisted, and a handful of female teachers left
In an appeal to the students to support the purchase of
to follow their husbands. The Academy even saw one of
stamps, the editors of The Minute Man begged, “Is it asking
its own trustees, Jerome B. Wiss ’13, commissioned as a
too much to sacrifice some ice cream every day for a few
captain in the U.S. Army Air Corps. No student questioned
stamps a week?” By early 1943, the students surpassed their
that he too would adorn an olive drab shirt or a peaked cap
initial $1,000 fundraising goal – a sum equivalent at the
after graduation, although most boys sought to enter into
time to the cost of a new car!
officers’ training programs that would first require them to The students also honored their classmates
students interrupted their studies – some voluntarily, others
and teammates who died in defense of
after induction by the local draft board – in order to begin
the nation and its ideals. Almost every
their service. Still others graduated earlier than normal, in
edition of The Minute Man during the
the winter of their senior year, as the Academy allowed
war featured a front-page obituary
some seniors to take their final exams early so that they
detailing the loss of a young alumnus.
would not have to return to high school after the war. In
Those alumni included Captain Robert
December of 1942, six months before his graduation, senior
Andrae ’37, a noted athlete and editor of the
Paul Chase became the first Academy student called to
Polymnian, who represented the United States at the 1936
serve. A year later, The Minute Man reported that the average
Berlin Olympics and met his death in 1945 while returning
age of the Academy’s seniors – “sixteen years, eleven months,
to Berlin with the Seventh Army. Tom Allen ’41, a record-
and ten days” – was the lowest it had been since
setting track star at the Academy, died in a plane collision in
1918. Despite the loss of many seniors, the
Florida in 1943. And Ted “Corcy” Corcoran ’38, a baseball
Academy’s student population continued to
star and drama club member, perished in an Army bomber
grow during the war.
crash in 1942. An article in The Minute Man noted that Ted “died in the line of duty and Uncle Sam is proud of him –
The demands of war mobilization impacted
proud because he risked and lost his life in order that
student life in myriad ways. Food rationing and
others might live in freedom. Newark Academy too is proud
shortages challenged the kitchen staff to cook with
of her son. Indeed, while we mourn his loss, we take this as
limited access to sugar, butter, and most canned
an added incentive to help in every possible way the cause
products. Of course, there were certain foods the
for which he so gallantly died.” Twenty-five other Newark
boys didn’t miss. “All will probably be very sorry
Academy alumni also sacrificed their lives for that cause.
to hear that spinach is also difficult to obtain,” quipped The Minute Man in 1942. The shortage of paper, supplies, and manpower made printing the
Beyond its contributions to the Second World War, Newark
Polymnian difficult in 1943, yet the publication still
Academy holds a special place in the overall history of
made it to press. Outside of school, the students
our nation. The school was founded on the eve of the
THE MINUTE MAN, APRIL 24, 1942
TOM ALLEN ’41
enroll in college for three or four semesters. A handful of
NEWARK ACADEMY, FIRST STREET, NEWARK, 1935
32
Revolutionary War and was impacted by that conflict as well, as the British ignited the first school building after they discovered American troops using it as a barracks. As members of a community that has not merely weathered conflicts but has contributed to the ultimate triumph of freedom in this nation and abroad, we have a special obligation to remember our history. While almost 70 years have passed since the United States entered the Second World War, the memory of the conflict lives on. This is particularly true here at the Academy. In
is a magnificent symbol of the valor and devotion of his
their studies of 20th century American and world history,
fellow alumni who have made the complete sacrifice.” The
a new generation of students seeks to understand the events
plaque now stands in front of the Academy’s football field
that caused the war, the experience of Americans on the home
in Livingston, which is officially known as Coursen Field.
front, and the heroism of the soldiers who helped combat
And before every home game, each player on the Academy’s
tyranny. Students examine not only Churchill’s speeches and
team passes by and touches the stone monument in
Roosevelt’s Fireside Chats but also the stories of common citizens and soldiers: the
recognition of the courage and commitment that Coursen and so many others demonstrated.
diaries of fallen troopers and the stirring tales of men and women who lived
Each time students enter the Hawkes Memorial Library,
through the war. Students find the era
they are reminded of the sacrifice of Lieutenant Alan
haunting – a uniquely engrossing period
Steinberg ’42. As associate editor of The Minute Man
in American and world history.
during his senior year, Steinberg issued a stirring rebuke of the excessive confidence he feared would lead to an Allied
SAM COURSEN ’45
One can find memories of the Second World War
defeat. “Totalitaria works seven days a week,” he wrote.
and its legacy outside of the classroom as well. Although
“However paradoxical it might seem, it would be better that
he didn’t fight in the Second World War, Sam Coursen ’45
we have fear of our enemies than such bloated confidence
grew up watching boys a few years older than he risk their
to think that it will take little effort to crush them.” A local
lives in Europe, Africa, and Asia. At the Academy, Coursen
daily newspaper reprinted his piece. After graduation, and
served as president of his class and captain of the football
a brief stint at Brown University, Steinberg entered the
team. After his graduation, he attended the United States
Army Air Force. He died in action in France in late 1944.
Military Academy, West Point. He died in 1950 while
His picture still hangs on the library wall, along with a
defending his platoon in Korea, an action for which he
plaque noting his accomplishments. The memorial serves as
earned the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously.
a testament to his generation’s service, a reminder to today’s
In 1951, the Academy dedicated a playing field in his
students that the great sacrifices of their forebears make
honor. A plaque unveiled at the dedication read: “His heroism
possible the opportunities they enjoy today.
IN SERVICE: NEWARK ACADEMY AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR
AMONG ITS ALUMNI BODY, NEWARK ACADEMY BOASTS MANY MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY. Here are a few of the many who stand proudly in the Academy’s tradition of service. We thank them – and all of the alumni who have served – for their sacrifice.
NATHANIEL ROSENGARTEN ’35 Known for his humor and public speaking skills as a student at the Academy, which he attended for seven years, Nathaniel Rosengarten joined the U.S. Army several years after his graduation from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Rosengarten served in England, Belgium, and France. While working in the European Theater Headquarters in London, Rosengarten was surprised to find agents arresting his secretary one morning; unbeknownst to him, she had served as Heinrich Himmler’s secretary earlier in the war. After three years of active duty, Rosengarten returned to his family business. He currently resides in Colorado.
his Naval career as a Seaman Second Class supporting the Navy’s decommissioning efforts. A longtime resident of New Jersey, Hardin has seen 11 family members (including his sons, William ’71, David ’73 and Peter ’75, and his grandson, David ’07) graduate from the Academy.
JAY KISLAK ’39 The only student from his class to commute from Hoboken to Newark, Jay Kislak went to the University of Pennsylvania following his graduation from the Academy. There, he learned to fly under the University’s Civilian Pilot Training Program. Graduating from Penn in only three years, he enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and served in active duty as an aviator for three and a half years. He spent most of his time during the war testing and transporting airplanes.
BERNIE LEROE ’61 A football player during his three years at Newark Academy, Bernie Leroe went on to the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in finance and a commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy. His first assignment aboard the USS Lake Champlain brought him to the Sargasso Sea to receive the Gemini V astronauts. Leroe then completed a tour of duty in Vietnam, where he worked both in an operations unit in the Rung Sat Special Zone and as a River Patrol Boat captain. He left Vietnam to attend Damage Control School in the San Francisco Bay. Upon graduation, he returned to South East Asia as the Damage Control Officer aboard the USS Edson. In total, Leroe spent four years of active duty in the U.S. Navy and five years in the U.S. Naval Reserves. He estimates he traveled at least 44,000 miles at sea during his career. He now resides in New Jersey.
BILL HARDIN ’44 The son and nephew of Newark Academy graduates, Bill Hardin played football at the Academy with Sam Coursen ’45. After graduation, Hardin attended Princeton University for three semesters in order to qualify for the Navy Air Corps’ V-5 program. Because the war had ended by the time he finished his pre-flight school in August 1945, Hardin transferred out of the Air Corps and into the Navy. He spent
MICHAEL WAGNER ’66 As a student at Newark Academy, Michael Wagner, inspired by his experience in Blackie Parlin’s class, knew that he wanted to become a history teacher. Soon after his graduation from the Academy, however, at the height of the Vietnam War, he joined the United States Air Force, beginning a laudable 34-year military career, most of which he spent as an Officer Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special
NATHANIEL ROSENGARTEN ’35
JAY KISLAK ’39
BILL HARDIN ’44
BERNIE LEROE ’61
MICHAEL WAGNER ’66
33
WILLIAM KAPLAN ’69
RAJ BUTANI ’90
MICHAEL GREENBERG ’91
34
Investigations. As an OSA principally involved in counterintelligence investigations, he spent much of his career overseas including 13 years in the Middle East. He served in two wars and six major contingency operations. Several years after his retirement in 2002, Wagner earned his teaching certification. He now teaches history at Yokota High School at Yokota Air Base in Japan. Patti, his wife of 28 years, teaches at the same school, and together they oversee the school’s Model United Nations program. WILLIAM KAPLAN ’69 A member of one of the first Newark Academy classes to graduate from the Livingston campus, Bill Kaplan, a wrestler during his days at Newark Academy, enjoyed a long and varied career in the U.S. Air Force. After his graduation from the Academy, Bill attended Lehigh University, where he joined Air Force ROTC and earned an AFROTC scholarship. During his 25 years of service, he worked on a variety of projects, including the development of the F117 stealth fighter in the early 1980s and the Defense Support Program satellite system during Desert Storm. Bill retired as a Colonel in 1998 and was awarded the Defense Superior Service Medal by the Secretary of Defense. Currently, he operates his own knowledge management consulting company. RAJ BUTANI ’90 Raj Butani fondly remembers the good friends and the colorful teachers he had during his years at Newark Academy. A dedicated student and talented musician and athlete, Butani attended Lehigh University after his graduation. There, he participated in ROTC and completed a six-year BA/MD combined degree program with the Medical College of Pennsylvania (now part of Drexel University) in Philadelphia. He completed his internal medicine residency and gastroenterology fellowship training while stationed at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, from 1996 to 2002 and subsequently began his staff duty tour in 2002 at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he worked as an Army gastroenterologist. In August
IN SERVICE: NEWARK ACADEMY AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR
2004, he deployed to Iraq as a battalion surgeon and medical officer. After a one-year tour, during which he received the Combat Medical Badge and Bronze Star Medal, he returned to Hawaii to complete his active duty service. He subsequently relocated to Bellevue, Washington, where he is now a gastroenterologist in private practice with a multi-specialty group named Overlake Internal Medicine Associates. He is married to Mona, a dentist, and has two young sons. MICHAEL GREENBERG ’91 A talented scholar and athlete during his time at Newark Academy, Michael Greenberg played on the Academy’s tennis team for four years, during each of which the team won its conference championship. As a senior, he served as team captain. After graduation, Greenberg attended the United States Military Academy, West Point. In 1995, he was commissioned into the Quartermaster Corps, and today he continues to serve in the Army as a financial management officer. During his years of service, Greenberg has participated in three combat deployments and duty in many locations. He is currently the assistant chief of staff, comptroller for the 1st Theater Sustainment Command based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Past assignments include platoon leader, executive officer, company commander, comptroller, and instructor. A decorated officer, Greenberg’s awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army and Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, Pathfinder Badge, Airborne Badge, Air Assault Badge, German and Australian Jump Wings. NA
ALUMNI NEWS 35
MESSAGE FROM LEO M. GORDON ’69 President, Alumni Board of Governors It is an exciting time to be part of the Newark Academy community. The Alumni Association’s Board of Governors is hard at work to bring the alumni engaging new programs and events and improve existing ones to forge connections to and among the over 5,000 Academy alumni. Our efforts are designed to create binding ties to the Academy as we provide opportunities for alumni to come together to renew old friendships, network and build new relationships, and interact with today’s student body, the faculty, and the Academy itself. The Board welcomes its newest members: Jackie Lipsius Fleysher ’93, David Rattner ’03, and Glenn Waldorf ’90. These alumni have considerable experience and talent that will enhance the efforts of the Board of Governors to create a more dynamic and vibrant alumni community. We also
welcome Kristen Tinson as the Director of Alumni Relations. The Board looks forward to working with Kristen and drawing upon her extensive experience in alumni relations. The Board of Governors thanks everyone who helped make the 2011 Minuteman Golf Invitational a great success and looks forward to seeing you at the next Golf Invitational on May 21, 2012 (once again to be held at the Mountain Ridge Country Club in West Caldwell). Proceeds from the Invitational support the Academy’s endowed fund for faculy and is used to provide funding for masters’ and doctorate degrees, continuing education programs, and experiential learning opportunities through sabbaticals. More than $300,000 has been contributed to the Faculty Fund in the past seven years. Additionally, we appreciate the support from the many alumni who helped make the 2010-2011 Annual Fund a great success. Your contribution makes a difference in the daily life of the Academy. In the coming year, we look forward to seeing many of you at various alumni events in the greater New York area and at regional events as we join together to participate and connect in support of Newark Academy.
WELCOME KRISTEN TINSON! We hope the entire Newark Academy alumni community will join us in welcoming Kristen Tinson, NA’s new director of alumni relations. In this role, Kristen is spearheading initiatives to engage and strengthen connections to Newark Academy’s dynamic alumni community. “I love the idea of reconnecting people,” Kristen explained. “In the short amount of time I’ve worked at Newark Academy, the alumni have been extremely warm and welcoming. So many of them have such a fond nostalgia for the school, and a true appreciation for my efforts to help reconnect them.” Following an extraordinarily successful Reunion event in October, Kristen plans to concentrate her upcoming efforts on a series of networking opportunities, including Networking Night on January 5, 2012 in New York City. “It’s such a
valuable opportunity for young alumni who are looking for advice, guidance and connections, as well as more experienced alumni who are looking to network with peers,” she said. Prior to joining the advancement office at Newark Academy, Kristen served as associate director of alumni relations and annual giving at The Pingry School in Martinsville. She earned a bachelor’s degree in family studies and child development from Arizona State University. When she’s not planning events or facebooking Newark Academy alumni, Kristen enjoys traveling, gardening, reading and spending time with her husband, Eric, and adorable daughter Clara (age 2).
OUTREACH fall 2011
ALUMNI NEWS 36
NEWARK ACADEMY CELEBRATES THE WOMEN OF NA
D
uring Homecoming and Reunion, Newark Academy celebrated 40 years of coeducation at the 3rd Annual Women of NA Luncheon. On this occasion, when NA brought together alumni, faculty and students to celebrate a return to campus, the notable achievements of our prestigious
female alumni body were also recognized. The hard work and shared vision of these remarkable women have helped to shape NA into what it is today. Although girls briefly attended Newark Academy at its founding in 1774 and again from the late 1790s until 1859, it was an all-boys school from 1859 until 1971. The Women of NA Luncheon commemorated the 40th anniversary of coeducation in the contemporary era, honoring illustrious women graduates who have made lasting contributions in their chosen professions, as well as to the NA community through their generosity and dedication. The honorees were welcomed by Trustee Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 and Senior Class President Carissa Szlosek ’12, and enjoyed a fascinating keynote address
by Amy Einhorn ’85, publisher of the bestselling novel “The Help.”
HONOREES
ANNE ESSNER, Former Trustee
ANNETTE TOMAINO, Former Faculty
Anne earned a bachelor of science degree from
Annette graduated with
Skidmore College and received an MBA from Columbia
a bachelor of arts degree
University. Her son, Ben Essner ’08, enrolled at Newark
from Albertus Magnus
Academy in 2001, and in 2003, Anne joined the Board
College, and earned a
of Trustees. She served five years on the board, including
master’s degree from Seton Hall
chairing the marketing and communications committee.
University. Annette joined the Newark
Anne sits on the boards of several
Academy faculty in 1970 as an Upper
nonprofit organizations, including The
School French teacher and advisor to
Great Swamp Watershed Association
newly admitted female students. She
and Deidre’s House, and has long
served in several important roles during
shown her passion for education
her time at NA, including teaching in the
through her service with such
Middle School, and serving as director
organizations as The Women’s Board
of admission and director of counseling.
of Pennsylvania Academy of Fine
Annette and her husband, Bruno, reside
Arts. Anne and her husband, Bob,
in Chatham, New Jersey.
live in Sarasota, Florida.
NEWARK ACADEMY
37
Keynote Speaker, Amy Einhorn ’85
“
In 2009 I published The Help by Kathryn Stockett about two black maids and a white socialite who take on the ‘Junior League set’ in Jackson, Mississippi in 1962. The book is approaching having sold 10 million copies in the United States which for publishing, where the average first novel sells 10,000 copies, this is a major achievement.
”
Amy chose to publish the novel that had been rejected by more than 60 literary agents. While she says she could write a book about why she thinks “The Help” has both caused commotion and has resonated with so many people, she believes the essence of the story reveals that categorizations are meaningless and that what really matters are the actions that people take that define their lives.
AMY EINHORN ’85
Amy is a graduate of Stanford University with a degree in English. She is vice president and publisher of Amy Einhorn Books, an imprint of G.P. Putnam’s Sons at Penguin USA. An editor for more than 20 years, Amy launched her imprint in 2009 and the first novel she published was “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett, the #1 “New York Times” bestseller that has sold nearly 10 million hardcover copies in the United States and is a worldwide bestseller. Amy is married to Matthew Futterman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist with the “Wall Street Journal.” They have three daughters and live in Manhattan.
OUTREACH fall 2011
ALUMNI NEWS 38
WOMEN OF DISTINCTION SUSAN KARLIN ’81 Susan is an award-winning, internationally published journalist who primarily covers science, technology, and the nexus of science and the arts. She has garnered
LOUISE KLEBANOFF ’76
more than two dozen awards writing for
Louise attended the University of
such outlets as “Newsweek,” “Forbes,”
Pennsylvania, graduating cum laude with a
“Esquire,” “Fast Company,” “Discover,”
biological basis of behavior major. Following
“The New York Times,” “NPR” and “BBC,”
Penn, she attended Georgetown University
and has appeared on numerous TV and
Medical School, graduating first in her class
radio shows. She has also traveled to every
with awards for excellence in physiology and
continent, reporting from such diverse
psychiatry. After interning at George Washington
areas as Vietnam, the
University Medical Center, she completed her
Arctic and the West
residency in neurology at Columbia Presbyterian
Bank. She is a graduate
Medical Center. In 1993, she joined Beth Israel Medical
of the University of
Center where, in January 2011, she became the first
Pennsylvania and the
female president of the hospital’s medical board.
University of Chicago. Susan lives in Los Angeles, California.
ANDREA LAUER RICE ’86 Andrea graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in journalism, and received an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business where she was awarded the Albert Bows Scholarship and, later, the Distinguished Alumni Award. She is the founder and CEO of Lauer Learning, an educational, multimedia company that creates innovative ways to teach children about history and culture, and is an author, game developer, public speaker, teacher and website strategist. She lives in Roswell, Georgia, with her husband, Barton, and two sons, Nicholas (8) and John Patrick (3).
NEWARK ACADEMY
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SHAKIRA BROWN ’91 Shakira is a 12-time award-winning public relations, corporate communications and marketing professional with an array of experience leading external and internal communications strategies for various corporations and professional services firms. She has been featured as an expert in “Brandweek,” “Woman’s World,” “Smartmoney.com,” “Black Enterprise,” “AOL Money & Finance,” among many others. Currently, she is director of corporate communications for Covanta Energy Corporation in Morristown. Shakira lives in Millburn with her son, Jaeme.
LAUREN HEDVAT ’01 SCHEHERAZADE TILLET ’96 Scheherazade is the co-founder and executive director of A Long Walk Home, Inc. (ALWH), a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that uses art therapy and visual and performing arts to end violence against girls and women. Since ALWH began in 2003, Scheherazade has educated more than 100,000 people about healing from, and preventing, gender violence in their schools and communities. Scheherazade earned a master’s degree in art therapy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003. In 2010, Scheherazade was nominated for “Glamour Magazine’s” Woman of the Year Award for her work to end violence against girls and women. Currently, Scheherazade is a board member of Prevention Forces, an HIV prevention organization in Chicago, and is the chair of community outreach for the Illinois Art Therapy Association.
Lauren earned a master of science degree in engineering, a bachelor of science degree in engineering, and a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania. Since finishing her dual degree and graduate programs in 2007, she has been working in investment banking in New York City at Barclays Capital. Lauren is also part of the Barclays’ Women’s Initiative Network steering committee where she has co-chaired events. Outside of work, Lauren serves as a volunteer for the Young Patrons of Lincoln Center Board, the Young Alumni Committee of the Penn Club of New York, and co-chairs three secondary school committees in New York City. Lauren recently helped establish the New York Chapter of 30 Years After, an organization dedicated to spreading political awareness and philanthropic endeavors in the Persian Jewish American community.
NA
OUTREACH fall 2011
ALUMNI NEWS 40
Newark Academy Hosts 3RD ANNUAL CLASS REP BREAKFAST at Homecoming/Reunion 2011
NETWORKING ONLINE
The breakfast was a great success with attendees representing classes from 1946 to 2011. Class Reps had the opportunity to meet with each other and the advancement staff, as well as hear updates on the Academy from Jon Olesky ’74, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Don Austin, Head of School, and Kim Hirsh ’80, Chair of the Annual Fund Committee.
The Newark Academy Networking Program is growing every day and now incorporates a job board on the alumni website at alumni.newarka.edu. The success of this program is due to the generosity of the members of our alumni community who are always willing to lend a hand to one another.
If you are interested in being a part of this important endeavor, whether by offering advice and mentorship, providing an internship, reviewing resumes, or making introductions within your company, we encourage you to contact ktinson@newarka.edu and get involved. It is a rewarding experience to help someone get started on a meaningful career path, and you can tell by the smiles
Congratulations to the Class of 1969, winner of the 1903 Cup. The 1903 Cup is awarded to the Newark Academy class that most embodies alumni generosity as measured by the percentage of the class that contributes to the Annual Fund.
1969
Leo M. Gordon ’69 and John Bess ’69
The Class of 1993 was the winner of the Ad Lumen Award. The Ad Lumen Award is presented in recognition of the class that posts the largest percentage increase in contributions to the Annual Fund in a given year.
1993
Kim Hirsh ’80 and Jed Rosenthal ’93
on the faces of those at Networking Night that everyone benefits from the connections they make!
NEWARK ACADEMY
Class Reps play an integral part in NA’s alumni outreach by keeping alumni connected to the school. If you are interested in becoming a Class Rep, please contact Alisa Laudicina, Assistant Director of Annual Giving at (973) 992-7000, ext. 322 or alaudicina@newarka.edu.
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ALUMNI AWARDS At Reunion 2011, we celebrated the achievements of several accomplished alumni. William D. Hardin, Sr. ’44 Inaugural recipient of the
BOARD OF GOVERNORS MEDAL Awarded for generosity of spirit and sustained long-term service to Newark Academy
J. Peter Simon ’71 FULTON MACARTHUR AWARD
Janet and Peter Simon ’71
Peter C. Papademetriou ’61 Adam Chase ’86 ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD John Limmer DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD For more information about the stellar achievements of our honorees, please visit alumni.newarka.edu
Congratulations
Peter C. Papademetriou ’61 and his wife, Tessa Namuth
William D. Hardin, Sr. ’44
Back (l-r): Paula Hardin, Kate Hardin, David Hardin ’07, Sarah Hardin front: William Hardin, Jr. ’71, William Hardin, Sr. ’44, Ruth Hardin, David Hardin ’73, Laura Hardin OUTREACH fall 2011
ALUMNI NEWS
REUNION 2011
42
CLASS OF 1961
CLASS OF 1991
CLASS OF 2006 CLASS OF 1976
NEWARK ACADEMY
43
CLASS OF 1971
CLASS OF 2001
CLASS OF 1986
CLASS OF 1981 OUTREACH fall 2011
from the
Archives
Memorials to anti-Soviet Freedom Fighters at the base of the statue of Saint Wenceslaus in Prague
by Blackie Parlin
44
The Case For Restrained Optimism CONDENSED FROM BLACKIE PARLIN’S ADDRESS TO THE NA COMMUNITY ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2011
The 9-11 attack forced Americans to consider more seriously the world of nations and America’s place in the world. Reflecting on terrorism, wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, and the suffering around the globe, some Americans have become very pessimistic about the prospects for human betterment. I confess that I am a restrained optimist.
I
have seen startling, often unanticipated changes in the world. When I was in 8th grade, my best friend shocked me when he said he could not be served in the local tennis club because he was Jewish. Now, the real estate covenants and “gentlemen’s agreements” are gone. Hitchhiking across Mississippi in 1953 I was told by a well-dressed black man who gave me a ride that he would be killed if he went into a diner for a hamburger. Twenty years later in a Holiday Inn in Jackson, Mississippi, I was seated next to a black family in the dining room. Jim Crow was dead.
I have also seen unbelievable changes in the world. In 1946 Churchill said that an Iron Curtain from Stettin to Trieste had put all of Central Europe under Soviet tyranny. In 1991 Joan and I saw jubilant Czechs celebrating their freedom from Soviet oppression, entrepreneurialism spreading at the plinth of what had been a Stalin statue, and East Berliners hacking at the Berlin Wall with pick axes. Soon after, on a trip through Ireland and Northern Ireland, asking for explanations of the peace between Roman Catholic and Protestant, I heard people say, “We just grew tired of killing.”
I am not a Pollyanna with a foolish or uninformed optimism, but a restrained optimist who has seen many examples of human communities moving from hatred and killing to relative peace, if not harmony. Where there is education, economic progress, and great leadership of people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Anwar Sadat or Nelson Mandela, people with the ability to rise above the hatreds of the past and to envision a better world, then great beneficial change is possible. There is such a phenomenon as an idea whose time has come. I can visualize some of my collegial friends saying, “You must not be thinking about Israel and the West Bank, Jew and Arab.” While acknowledging the intransigence of what appears to be an intractable conflict, I affirm my optimism by saying, “If you believe Middle East conflict is inevitable and eternal, how do you explain the historic periods of the past in which Jew, Christian and Muslim lived in tolerable harmony?” The most remarkable period, when the three faiths not only lived in peace but interacted and culturally borrowed from one another, was in Andalucia in Spain for a quarter of a millennium after c. 750 A.D. If we know the history of Cordoba, Granada and Seville in that period, we know what is possible in interfaith living. Some people consider pessimism to be sophisticated. I believe pessimism to be dangerous because of the principle of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Believe that no progress can be made, and no one will take the steps which make progress possible. I stand with James Russell Lowell: “Truth crushed to earth will rise again.” NA
The fall of the Berlin Wall NEWARK ACADEMY
Halcyon border between Ireland and Northern Ireland
CLASS NOTES 45
1951 Class Representative Kelly Marx ’51 nanlowmar@aol.com
Lee Neuwirth’s new book, Nothing Personal, is available at Amazon.com. It focuses on the Vietnam War demonstrations at Princeton, 1965-1975.
George Brescher is a retired Circuit Court Judge in the state of Florida. For the past six years, Mitchell Spingarn has been an adjunct professor at Berkeley College for its School of Professional Studies, teaching law courses. He is also engaged in the general practice of law as a sole practitioner.
1962 Class Representative Bud D’Avella ’62 bdavella@comcast.net
Whitney Russell is working full time in the Northampton School System, trying to emulate the great teaching career of Blackie Parlin – one of his heroes. He is also happy
1952 Class Representative Bill Van Winkle ’52 billvw7334@aol.com
Bill Van Winkle has been appointed to the board of directors of Rumson-Fair Haven Bank & Trust Company. He also recently enjoyed getting together with Bill Wescott and Bruce Van Vliet in Sea Bright, New Jersey last August.
50 YEARS AGO… A Dramatic Win for NA Football Newark Academy–Delbarton (40-0) “Coursen Field on October 27, 1961 was our place and our time in the successful annals of Newark Academy athletic history,” recalled Whitney Russell ’62. Members of the 1961 NA varsity football team, along with Coach Robert Hendrickson, recently gathered at a reunion event hosted by Pat Ciccone ’62 at his home in Bradley Beach, New Jersey. Many teammates returned to reminisce, to reconnect and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their stunning victory over the formidable
1960
“Green Wave.”
Class Representative Frederick Katz ’60 katzjr@optonline.net
To read Whitney’s vivid account of that exciting game at Newark Academy on First Street in Newark, go to www.newarka.edu/alumni or scan this code from your
Roger Lowenstein writes, “This year the Los Angeles Leadership Academy opened its new elementary program, to go along with its middle and upper school. On August 29, 2011 there were 80 kindergarten and first grade students that began a dual language immersion program, Spanish and English, designed to create perfectly bilingual and biliterate students by fifth grade.”
iPad or mobile device.
1961 Class Representatives Curt Cetrulo ’61 Curt.Cetrulo@gmail.com Peter Papademetriou ’61 papadem@njit.edu Mac Simpson ’61 MacKinnon808@gmail.com
Back (l-r): Mickey Yaeger ’62, Dick Fowler ’62, Jim Aronson ’65, Coach Bob Hendrickson, Scott Russell ’65; middle: Whitney Russell ’62, Ken Gersten ’65, James Kennedy ’62; front: Steve Lozowick ’63, Pat Ciccone ’62, Peter Harris ’64, Van Stevens ’65, Ralph Pellecchia ’62
CLASS NOTES 46
to have celebrated the 50th Reunion of the NA football team’s great victory over Delbarton School in October 1961 by the amazing score of 40-0 at Coursen Field.
1964 Class Representative Michael Yogg ’64 michaelyogg@gmail.com
RUSSIAN REFLECTIONS Leo M. Gordon ’69 Last May, Leo Gordon’s professional journey to Moscow resulted in a deeply personal experience. As a
judge with the U.S. Court of
International Trade (CIT), Leo was asked to meet with representatives of the American Chamber of Commerce, Russian customs authorities and members of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development. His initiative was to provide information and advice that would help the Russian authorities create policy based on the U.S. system that allows for the peaceful resolution of customs disputes through the process of judicial review.
Months of planning and preparation for the trip led to a series of successful meetings at the Russian Ministry. During the intense discussions, Leo was impressed by the Russian delegations’ level of engagement, depth of questions and desire to explore further opportunities to gain a fuller understanding of the judicial review process for resolving customs disputes.
The trip was further enhanced through connections he made with several Americans. However, it was the open air market, the museums, the cafés, the synagogues, the churches, the Kremlin and, yes, even the traffic circles, that left an indelible impression.
Read all the details of Leo’s memorable journey online at www.newarka.edu/alumni or scan the box below with your iPad or mobile device for the full story.
Your class representative, Michael Yogg, has recently been in touch with Frank Stech through their sons, who are neighbors. Frank, who joined the class midway through his junior year, has been, in his own words, “totally out of the NA loop,” but claims his real education started with former faculty members James Manning and James Blake. Frank admits to boring children and the gullible with tales from his NA school days, and many feature Mr. Manning. After Dartmouth, Frank earned a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He has held a number of government and private sector positions in the intelligence field with recent work in cyber-deception detection, subliminal priming, counterdeception decision support, and other areas that would be even less comprehensible to the layman. He has taught at the U.S. Army War College, the Fletcher School (at Tufts), the Naval Postgraduate School, Carnegie Mellon, University of California and several other institutions. He is also a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Frank has four children and stepchildren and three grandchildren. He enjoys cigars and single malts in moderation.
47
1966 Class Representative Jonathan Epstein ’66 jonathan.epstein@dbr.com
Mike Wagner writes, “Patti and I are still at Yokota Air Base outside of Tokyo. The earthquake on March 11, 2011 is still fresh in our minds as there are daily aftershocks and virtually every week we have a quake of 6.0 as a not-so-gentle reminder. There is no danger from the Fukushima plant as that has been under control and the daily readings have been far below any level for concern. I resigned from my position at K International School Tokyo (KIST) and came on staff at Yokota High School this year. I teach AP U.S. history, world history and English language arts for 10th grade. Although I miss KIST, I do not miss the 100-minute each way daily commute; my commute on base is now eight minutes each way.”
1967 Class Representative Matthew Leone ’67 mleone@colgate.edu
Quarterback Larry (Duke) Cetrulo and halfback Wayne (The Count) Russell got together last July for three days of golf in Boston with some non-Newark Academy buddies. All scores and dollars exchanged are confidential and not for the public record.
It has been an interesting transition and experience. In addition to managing his own biodiesel feedstock company, he is currently running a 20 million gallon per year biodiesel refinery in Elizabeth, New Jersey for the Irish owned Corrib Oil Group. They produce biodiesel fuel from used cooking oil.
1974 Class Representative Lance Aronson ’74 lancetrezevant@aol.com
Bob Ziegler writes, “Ever have something go missing and decades later you still wonder about it? I think that has happened to just about everyone. In this case it was something that had special meaning to me. During our senior year we had a room that was called ‘The Music Room.’ The room was located at the end of the long hallway just past the auditorium and was always kept under lock and key. Valuable items, such as stereos and other equipment, were stored in there. I left a Traynor bass guitar amp for a couple of days and it ended up disappearing. I suppose there is a tiny chance that someone would remember it, and knows where it ended up. I thought I would see if anyone could help solve the mystery! If so, feel free to contact me at ZiggyDude7@gmail.com.”
1975 Class Representative
1969 Class Representative Leo Gordon ’69 gordon43b@gmail.com
Five years ago Peter Behrle went into the renewable fuels business.
Eric Williams ’75 estonewilliams@aol.com
Valerie (Missy) Sims Willard is alive and well living in post-Katrina New Orleans. She survived the storm and teenage years of her children, Jordan (23) at Bard college and
We Fondly Remember Eugene H. Kummel '39 June 25, 2011 Dudley Coles ’40 June 4, 2009 Seymour Gross ’46 January 26, 2011 Jeffrey Taylor '69 June 19, 2011 Austin Hoffman II ’72 April 24, 2011 Paul Pellicano ’86 August 17, 2011 Gregory Ross ’94 July 6, 2011 Todd Wharton ’01 July 17, 2011 Robert M. Butler, Former Headmaster September 23, 2011 (see page 11)
Jillian (20) at the University of Texas-Austin. She still has one to go – Jenna (11). If you are in New Orleans, look her up. She currently works at the Louisiana Supreme Court.
1977 Class Representative Tommy Hennigan ’77 tom@pr-omotion.com
During summer break, James Garofalo took a trip to Napa with his wife, Terri. They have two
CLASS NOTES 48
BENDING LIGHT Vic Offray ’74 Exhibits in the McGraw Gallery Artist Vic Offray exhibited a body of work on the NA campus in the McGraw Gallery in October, 2011. The exhibit, entitled “Bending Light — Recollections and Reflections,” was a retrospective of photographs taken from the early 1980s to the present. Vic has traveled extensively and the collection included images from New York City, Prague, Paris, Italy, Amsterdam and Mexico.
“I try to keep a fresh perspective on things by constantly striving to see familiar places as if for the first time. It is easy to build up filters and assumptions rather than remaining alert to new visual nuances,” he said.
Vic’s compositions offer the viewer a passageway to follow into the scene, through actual roads, walls and fences. Often the pathway appears through the use of implied lines that can appear as a stream of light or
daughters, Jessica (8) and Lauren (6), and they live in Colorado. The family went to Yellowstone and Grand Teton in July. Anyone planning a trip to Colorado should give Jim and Terri a call or send an e-mail for ideas!
1978 Patty Cronheim writes, “I’ve just returned from a 100 km backpacking trip through the Altai region of southern Siberia. Last year my first jazz CD, comprised mostly of original tunes, Days Like These, was released and made it onto the jazz charts. It’s been very rewarding and I’m looking forward to recording the next one! I’ve been performing in New York and Philadelphia, and have enjoyed the occasional local concerts when fellow NA friends like Tommy Hennigan ’77, Ilene Antelman, Chris Tomaino ’79, Art Wynne ’79 and former faculty member Tom Behr stop by!”
a shadow. He refers to these avenues as the line of infinity, which he discovered when studying such Bauhaus artists as Oskar Schlemmer and Andre Kertesz.
1980 Class Representatives
The art exhibit was on display in the McGraw Gallery during Reunion 2011 and was visited and enjoyed by many alumni.
Kim Hirsh ’80 khirsh@ujcnj.org Jane Florin Langendorff ’80 jane@mundiwestport.com
Brian Ricklin formed the Social Action Committee at NA in the spring of 1978. The Minuteman shortly thereafter published “the Social Action Committee’s degree of success will be directly proportional to our degree of integrity as a school.” It is with great pride and joy that Brian looks at NA’s amazing social agenda today and the many local and global accomplishments of its staff, faculty and alumni. The world has come full circle for Brian as he recently transitioned his 25-year real estate and investment management career
49
Susan Karlin ’81 “at work”
with extensive philanthropic experience to the full-time leadership as CEO and Executive Director of Creative Arts Workshops for Kids, serving 2,000 children a year in Harlem and northern Manhattan through the use of the visual, performing and multi-media arts. The Epoch Times just named Brian a “Harlem Youth Champion.” Visit the organization’s work on Facebook or www.caw4kids.org.
1981 Class Representatives Andy Mulvihill ’81 amulvihill@crystalspringsbuilders.com Artie Williams ’81 artiekid@aol.com
Susan Karlin writes, “I have been writing some fun stories for Fast Company, Scientific American and IEEE Spectrum this year. (See the picture of me in a bunny suit in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory clean room in front of the new Mars rover, Curiosity, that launches this fall.) One story reconnected me with Jay Moore when I interviewed him for IEEE Spectrum. I also covered and ran a panel at the San Diego Comic Con and returned to Burning Man with Brian Stroehlein ’80. Seriously, are we really the only NA burners?”
1984 Siobhan Creem exhibited four photographs at the Mayo Performing
Emma and Max, children of Jonathan Kurry ’86
Arts Center in Morristown last June in their colorific photography exhibit. Her father also had photographs in the show.
Emma, and was recently named General Counsel of the Turnberry Group of Companies.
1987
1985 Class Representative Kim Griffinger Wachtel kgwachtel@gmail.com
Summer was busy for the Hinson family. Eli Hinson saw his daughter Laura (12) fly off to New York for a Broadway tour with her middle school drama group. Eli Rea (10) continued to work at his drawing hobby and played baseball with the Klein, Texas All Stars team. Cindy and Eli had a little less fun at work but still managed to escape for a week at Grand Lake, Oklahoma, and a week at Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. They wish all the students and NA teams the best of luck this year!
1986 Class Representative Betsy Dollinger Bernstein ’86 bdb1@mac.com
Jonathan Kurry lives in Miami Beach with his son Max and daughter
Lesli Ligorner was named one of the “2011 Attorneys Who Matter” in the Labor & Employment category by the Ethisphere Institute for the hard work and commitment to advancing corporate ethics and compliance and was named in The International Who’s Who of Management, Labor & Employment Lawyers 2010. She welcomes any NA grads to contact her if they pass through Shanghai. John Van Emden lives in St. Louis with his wife Soledad. They have two daughters Margaret (9) and Abigail (6). John has been working in consulting for three years with clients like Edward Jones, Express Scripts and Wells Fargo. He has not made it back for reunions, but hopes everyone is doing well and sends a big wave. He would also be very happy to talk to any NA college students who are in St. Louis, or who plan to head out that way for school.
Come shop with us online at the new NA Spirit Store! Visit www.newarka.edu/store to see our entire lineup of NA clothes and gifts.
CLASS NOTES 50
Little Travis Riley, son of Franz Keller ’89
Ryder Rosenthal, son of Jed Rosenthal ’93
Reena Shah ’95 performing with “My Pet Dragon”
1989
Sammy Patel and son Jaiden (5). She is a neonatal nurse practitioner in New York.
Kim Ritter Kassnove, her husband Peter, and daughter Alice moved back to New Jersey last July. After 10 years of living in Brooklyn, they have relocated to South Orange. The Kassnoves are enjoying grilling, playing in the backyard, and listening to the crickets at night. Kim works in the field of education, and her primary focus is professional development.
Franz Keller writes, “My wife Christine and I welcomed the birth of our second son, Travis Riley Keller, on March 28, 2011. Our son Ryan is enjoying being a big brother. We’re living in Morris Township and doing well. We were delighted to find out that Von Rollenhagen lives in our neighborhood. We might have to dust off the old lacrosse sticks one day!”
1991 Class Representative Richard Worth ’91 richardworth2001@yahoo.com
Charles Limmer and his wife Kateri had a son, Charles Schroeder, in November 2010.
1993 Class Representatives Timothy Herburger ’93 burgermac@mac.com Jed Rosenthal ’93 jedrosenthal@gmail.com
Michael and Piper Lawrence Magera recently welcomed a baby girl. Audrey Rita was born on March 16, 2011 at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey. Michael’s practice is in Hoboken, and Piper is taking time off from teaching to start a family. Meenal Mehta lives in Springfield, New Jersey, with her husband
Hallie and Jed Rosenthal are proud to announce the birth of their son Ryder, born June 17, 2011. They currently reside in New York City.
1995 Class Representative Rasheea Williams Hall ’95 rasheea@hotmail.com
1998 Class Representative
Reena Shah has been performing alongside her husband, lead singer/songwriter Todd Michaelsen, in their five-piece rock band, My Pet Dragon. They recently released their record, Mountains and Cities, via iTunes/Amazon/Bandcamp on Gimme That Sound Productions and toured throughout the Northeast this fall (free download at www.mypetdragon.net). Reena continues to pursue her acting career in between touring with the band. She played the supporting role of Chandini in Ajay Naidu’s (Office Space, Bored to Death) directorial debut, Ashes, which screened at the London Asian Film Festival and the New York International Latino Film Festival.
Lisa Shah Sen ’98 lisashahsen@gmail.com
Evan Michelson and his wife Ilysa welcomed a baby girl, Mira Hope, on July 8, 2011.
1997 Class Representative Amanda Rubinstein Black ’97 amandahblack@gmail.com
Mira Hope with proud dad Evan Michelson ’98
51
Award winning magician Brad Ross ’99
Lisa Podell writes, “I’m proud to share that last year I started my own tutoring company called Lisa Podell Tutoring. We have an office in Manhattan but will also travel to the homes of elementary and middle school students. For more information, please visit www.lisapodell.com.” Anup Shah is now working as a urologic surgery resident at the University of Washington and is in his chief resident year of training. He previously graduated from Duke University as an undergraduate and Stanford University for his medical degree. He is happily married to Tanvi Shah and has two young daughters, Anissa (2) and Maya (4 months).
1999
Jacob Wolff and Lauren Mirchin ‘99
Brad Ross just completed his sixth consecutive year starring in the world tour of Disney LIVE Presents Mickey’s Magic Show. This last leg of the tour covered 35,154 miles criss-crossing the United States – 200 shows in 87 cities, 32 states on a 34-week tour! Over the course of the tour, Brad said the magic word “Abracadabra” more than 5,200 times! Recently honored by the International Magicians Society (the world’s largest magic organization with 37,000 members worldwide), Brad was presented with the prestigious Merlin Award and named “Best International Family Entertainer.” The award ceremony took place in Newark, New Jersey, at the Prudential Center with Mayor
Corey Booker present along with the producers of Disney LIVE Presents Mickey’s Magic Show. Even the big cheese himself, Mickey, was on hand to cheer on his co-star! Brad has also just finished writing a children’s book, Hocus-Pocus Al-I-Mi-Choo, now available in stores. You can keep up to date with Brad at www.BradRoss.com and by searching BradRossMagic on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.
2001 Class Representatives Colin Griggs ’01 cgriggs13@yahoo.com Brian McGaughan ’01 bmcgaughan@gmail.com
Class Representatives John Gregory ’99 Jcg681@gmail.com
NEWARK ACADEMY ALUMNI WEBSITE IS A BIG HIT!
Asha Talwar ’99 asha.talwar@gmail.com
On October 10, 2010 Lauren Mirchin and Jacob Wolff were married at the Harmonie Club in New York. Their wedding was warmly attended by several Newark Academy alumni. In 2010, Lauren, her husband Jake, and fellow Fordham law graduate Josh Gelb, launched hitchswitch.com, a website designed to facilitate the name changing process. Hitchswitch.com is headquartered in New York.
Hundreds of alumni have logged in and registered on the alumni website at alumni.newarka.edu. HAVE YOU? Now you can sign up for events, participate in surveys, submit class notes, update your profile information, and much, much more. What are you waiting for? Go to alumni.newarka.edu today and be part of this growing online community!
CLASS NOTES 52
Skadden Arps Law Firm, after graduating from UCLA Law last May. Elliot Schottland started medical school at Stony Brook University School of Medicine in the fall. Jacob Appell ’02 with Joe Ball at NA. He recently co-authored a book with Yale economist, Dean Karlan, “More Than Good Intentions: How a New Economics is Helping to Solve Poverty.”
2003 Class Representatives
In 2010, Misa Dikengil Lindberg earned a master of education in teaching English as a second language at The College of New Jersey. During the summer Misa and her husband, Colin, took a four-month-long road trip exploring the country while camping in the back of their pick-up truck (with their dog). They are now settled in Vermont, where Misa is an elementary English language learner teacher in Burlington. Brian McGaughan has left his Manhattan law firm and has taken a new job with RVM, Inc. as a litigation support hosting analyst. RVM provides litigation technology consulting services for law firms and other e-discovery related support. His wife, Mary, is working for the Albert Ellis Institute doing rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). She just finished her third year as a PsyD student at St. Johns University.
Brian and Mary traveled to Barcelona last summer for vacation and were happy to attend the wedding of their good friend and NA classmate, Michele Scotto, in July. Tanvi Parikh graduated from Weill Cornell Medical College in June 2010 and is currently a dermatology resident at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Becca Schwartz and Gabe Tramiel were married on October 31, 2011 in New York. Dana Cash, Rachel Klinghoffer, and Lara Samet were bridesmaids. Becca and Gabe live in Toronto, Ontario.
2002 Class Representative Alex Senchak ’02 asenchak@comcast.net
Jeffrey Goldfarb is working in New York as a first year law associate at
Newlyweds Jyothi Vynatheya ’03 and Akshay Oberoi ’03
Lauren Anderson ’03 lauren.h.anderson@gmail.com David Mazzuca ’03 david.mazzuca@gmail.com Evan Sills ’03 evan.sills@gmail.com
Arielle Goldfischer is engaged to Jonathan Newcomb. Arielle lives in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn and is a marketing and communications coordinator for Kasowitz, Benson, Torres, and Friedman, LLP in New York. Jonathan lives in Park Slope and works for Loeb and Troper in New York. Their wedding is planned for June 3, 2012 in Livingston, New Jersey. Akshay Oberoi and Jyothi Vynatheya were married on March 24, 2011. They currently live in Bombay where Akshay is pursuing a career in the film industry (his first film was released last December). Jyothi is working on an Earth Institute maternal and child health project in rural India. They miss their NA days very much and look forward to visiting next time they come home to New Jersey. Symon Perriman was recently promoted to lead Microsoft’s technical marketing for all Private Cloud products as the company’s primary technical evangelist. He trains and presents to tens-of-thousands of IT professionals worldwide, and has filed several virtualization and clustering patents. His side business,
53
Shannon Hedvat ’03 and Mariam Subjally ’03 at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law
FanWide Technologies, has released more than 70 mobile apps in the past year, including MobileQs, the top trivia game for BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7. Symon continues to live in downtown Seattle with his girlfriend. Kylie Taylor is teaching English in Newark at Newark Collegiate Academy (a Team High School) after working for Teach for America for the past three years. Kylie was married last summer. Harold Liss has recently changed jobs and is currently working for TripIt in the Mission District of San Francisco as a senior software engineer. TripIt is a company that simplifies the Internet travel experience.
NA alums at the wedding of Louise Ball ’04: James Ball ’02, Lillian Ball ’99, Joe Ball (faculty), Louise Ball ’04, Abby Krumholz ’04, Janine Cowell ’04, and Jessica Kaswiner ’04
After earning a master’s degree in human development at the University of Maryland last winter, Mike Kirwan started his first “real job” in June. He is now living in Cambridge and working as a project coordinator for the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, a multidisciplinary organization that generates, translates, and applies knowledge in the service of improving life outcomes for children in the United States and throughout the world. He is really enjoying the work so far. It is both challenging and rewarding, and while there are a few too many Red Sox and Patriots fans around, he is enjoying the Boston area.
Kathryn Pagos ’04 katie.pagos@gmail.com
Last summer, Samuel Zief left his position at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in New York to pursue a master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, D.C. He will be joining the Class of 2013 and concentrating in international conflict management and international economics.
Stephanie Reingold ’04 simma.reingold@gmail.com
2005
2004 Class Representatives Louise Ball ’04 louisehira@gmail.com Danielle Grunebaum ’04 dlsimon85@gmail.com
Class Representatives
Jessica Kaswiner writes, “This past August I was appointed program manager of the Arts & Education Exchange, an initiative of the Arts Alliance Illinois. I love being a part of the vibrant arts community here in Chicago!”
Jonathan Allocca ’05 jonathan.allocca@gmail.com Bridget Duffy ’05 bridgetpduffy@gmail.com Gabriel Gaviola ’05 gcg9@georgetown.edu
Molly McGaughan ’05 molly.mcgaughan@gmail.com
Kimberly Goldfarb stopped in to visit at Newark Academy after completing her first year of law school at the University of Michigan. She interned with Judge William Martini at the federal court in Newark over the summer. Last summer Daniel Deraney interned for Michael Ravin ’74 in Essex County Criminal Court in Newark. Daniel recently completed his first year of law school at Touro Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in Central Islip, New York. He is now in the Boston area attending Suffolk University Law School for his second year. He writes, “My internship with Judge Ravin was a wonderful experience and now I look forward to applying what he has taught me.” Emily Li Mandri is the founder and designer of the fashion label Natty Paint, which she established in May 2009 upon graduating from Johns Hopkins University. Influenced by artists such as Peter Max and Salvador Dalí, and art movements such as Minimalism, Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, and Art Deco, Emily has combined her favorite art form, painting, with her interest in sophisticated fashion to create a unique bold line. In September, Emily held her first New York City Fashion Week event to promote her summer/spring 2012
CLASS NOTES 54
2007 Class Representatives David Doobin ’07 doobind@gmail.com Catherine Pfeffer ’07 kpfeffer3@aol.com Harold Liss ’03, Tracy Jacobson ’06, David Weitzman ’03, Megan Shand ’06, Matt Brodie ’06 and Sam Berlin ’06 together in San Francisco.
Emily Simon ’07 simone@lafayette.edu Andrew Somberg ’07 asomberg@gmail.com
line “Psychedelic Beach.” For more information, check out Emily’s website at www.nattypaint.com. Molly McGaughan is now an account executive with Bite Communications, a global public relations firm which deals exclusively with new technology. Scott Simontacchi is teaching high school math at The Storm King School, a boarding school in Cornwall-On-Hudson, New York.
2006 Class Representatives Julie Appel ’06 appel.julie@gmail.com Jennifer Errico ’06 errico.jenniferN@gmail.com Ilana Mandelbaum ’06 ilana.mandelbaum@gmail.com Sarah Marcus ’06 sarahcmarcus@alumni.upenn.edu Asia Stewart ’06 asiamstewart@gmail.com
Sam Berlin, Matt Brodie, Tracy Jacobson, Megan Shand, Harold Liss ’03, David Weitzman ’03, and Tim Hwang ’04 enjoyed meeting up in San Francisco this past summer.
University of North Carolina biology and marine biology MS graduate student Inga Conti-Jerpe trained as an alternate aquanaut for a mission to spend 10 days in the Aquarius habitat at 50 feet below the sea on Conch Reef, off Key Largo, Florida. This group of aquanaut candidates were the first to train with full facemasks that allow voice communication during dives (which last six hours at a time!). Learn more about their work at http://aquarius.uncw.edu/missions/ 2011/06_2011/expd. Molly Dunn completed her studies in science and culture at NYU. She is currently teaching voice lessons and has decided to pursue a master’s degree this fall at NYU in voice pedagogy. Ben Taylor graduated from Colgate and is working in New York with Patagonia Sur, a for-profit conservation venture which comprises several green businesses, including an exclusive eco-retreat membership club and forestry carbon offsets. When he is not working, Ben has a band called Beecher’s Fault and has released a CD. Check out their website, www.Beechersfault.com.
Go to alumni.newarka.edu and log in to the vibrant, new alumni community — share your news and photos, register for events, and network with fellow alums!
Karishma Katti stopped by Newark Academy before leaving for Chennai, Southern India to work for two months in two hospitals, one private, one charity. In September she began her second year in medical school as part of George Washington University’s seven-year medical program.
2008 Class Representatives David Frank ’08 dfrank5@u.rochester.edu Maxx Frost ’08 maxxaf@gmail.com Alexa Gruber ’08 alexa.gruber@richmond.edu Lynn Olesky ’08 lynnolesky@jhu.edu Max Staiger ’08 Mstaiger@Bowdoin.edu
James Bannon interned this summer at Chicago Mercantile Exchange in their New York office of sales and marketing. Maxx Frost is a senior at Princeton University and is majoring in economics with minors in finance and political economy. Additionally, he studied finance and financial markets at the London School of Economics, which was a tremendous experience. He continues to be very active on various university councils as well as in community service.
55
As a junior, Maxx was required to do academic research, and he focused on studying the federal budget deficit. In his work, he argued that the reported value of the deficit (which is a nominal value), though accurate in an accounting framework, is inaccurate in an economic context since dynamic macroeconomic factors (such as inflation, interest rate, and monetary base changes) actually change the real value of the deficit over time. Ultimately through econometric analysis of the last 50 years, Maxx found that this adjusted, real value of the deficit was a more accurate predictor of future economic performance than the standard, reported value. His research was published by the Undergraduate Journal of Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles. It was published in Volume 2, Issue 1 in June. He is also very proud to announce that he worked with Morgan Stanley in their public finance division this past summer. The foundation of his work was in municipal bond analysis, and he was very excited to get started and gain exposure to this business from the selling side.
for jobs in the fields of public health, international education and outdoor education. Any advice and/or connections are always welcome!”
George Carotenuto held an internship with the Environmental Protection Agency this past summer.
Shannon Lam ’09 capecodangel@embarqmail.com
Scott Garfing traveled with the University of Rochester Soccer Team to Germany, Munich and Cologne, and competed against German club teams with very intense fans! He did an internship over the summer in Washington, D.C., working for a healthcare accreditation firm in the government relations branch. He returned to Rochester as a political science major this fall.
Max Arnell was the head of Waterfront at Camp Winnebago in Maine this past summer.
Last summer, Samantha Lara did an internship at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston. She was also
2009 Class Representatives Andrew Binger ’09 abinger@drew.edu Christina Colizza ’09 christina.colizza@mail.mcgill.ca Rebecca Curwin ’09 rebecca.curwin@gmail.com
HAT TRICK FOR HAYES ’10 Maya Hayes notched her first career hat trick and 20th in program history as Penn State women’s soccer won the inaugural Pitt Soccer Classic on September 4, 2011. Hayes scored five goals over the tournament weekend and was named Pitt Soccer Classic’s MVP. The hat trick by Hayes was
Meghan Henshall writes, “I am currently in my senior year at Kenyon College. I am spending time between classes playing on the Ultimate Frisbee team and working on my culminating exercise that will be on comparative community-based health care models. I spent the summer working on campus in the Center for Global Engagement implementing a new online system for off-campus study and led a pre-orientation hiking and rafting trip for incoming first-year students. Since graduation is just a few months away, I am starting to search
the 20th by a Penn State women’s soccer player and the first since October of 2010.
“We are not surprised in the least by Maya’s success at Penn State,“ said NA Athletic Director Ed Manigan. “In addition to her outstanding athletic ability, Maya always demonstrated leadership, respect and sportsmanship as a player at NA. We knew she would carry that with her to Penn, and we are so proud of her.”
While a student at Newark Academy, Hayes was named to “Parade” Magazine’s all-America Soccer Team and placed on the roster of the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Soccer Team.
CLASS NOTES 56
awarded a grant from the Bucknell Public Interest Program to support the internship. Allison Gibson interned at MTV 44 1/2, the video billboard in Times Square. Shanel Mehta is on track with her pre-med studies and has been working with the pediatric surgeons at NYU Langone Medical Center. In the fall, she joined the emergency department at Bellevue Hospital. She has also transferred to The Gallatin School of Individualized Study within NYU, in hopes of studying economic development in third world countries. Shanel continues to dance for two collegiate dance teams, NYU Nasha and NYU Raas Malai, and is thrilled to start competing and performing again this year. Jamie Neiman is currently studying psychology in college and interned with a Columbia University professor last summer, reviewing diagnostic criteria in the psychology section of the fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM V), to be published in 2013.
2010 Class Representatives Lisa Fischer ’10 lfischer@gwu.edu Patrick Kelly ’10 kellyzl@mail.bc.edu Brian McHugh ’10 mchughb1@msu.edu
Mickey Fried won the Division 2 Roller Hockey National Championship for the University of Miami as a (you guessed it!) goalie. Alex Ratner is studying abroad in Sienna, Italy.
Brian Tross returned from a gap year working first at Ninety Acres in New Jersey, then traveling in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tanzania and Thailand – through Rustic Pathways. He experienced game drives on the Serengetti (Big 5: rhino, lion, elephant, leopard, cheetah); community service in an
orphanage in Thailand for four weeks; and visiting the site of the filming of the Lord of the Rings in New Zealand, plus other adventures including sky-diving from 16,000 feet and bungee jumping from 437 feet. He missed the earthquake in Christ Church, New Zealand, by just hours.
Newark Academy Alumni
CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS NA NETWORKING NIGHT IN NYC January 5, 2012 | 6:00 p.m. BREAKFAST CLUB: SMALL BUSINESS NETWORKING Newark Academy | February 14, 2012 | 8:30 a.m. ALUMNI BOOK CLUB Newark Academy February 23, 2012 | 7:00 p.m. BREAKFAST CLUB: SMALL BUSINESS NETWORKING Newark Academy April 3, 2012 | 8:30 a.m. ALUMNI BOOK CLUB Newark Academy April 5, 2012 | 7:00 p.m. MINUTEMAN GOLF INVITATIONAL Mountain Ridge Country Club West Caldwell, New Jersey May 21, 2012 YOUNG ALUMNI COCKTAIL PARTY New York City | May 31, 2012 ALUMNI LACROSSE Newark Academy | June 2, 2012 OLD GUARD RECEPTION AT COMMENCEMENT Newark Academy | June 10, 2012
Please visit us at alumni.newarka.edu for more details and updates!
SAVE THE DATE NEWARK ACADEMY Join us for
NETWORKING NIGHT Thursday, January 5
•
6:00-9:00 p.m.
The Penn Club 30 West 44th Street New York, NY 10036 Panel Discussion Complimentary Beer, Wine and Appetizers
VISIT ALUMNI.NEWARKA.EDU FOR MORE DETAILS!
YOUNG ALUMNI DINNER Kingston Station, Boston October 19, 2011
Michael Kirwan ’04 and Haley Douds ’06
From the Class of 2011: Jimmy Damiano, Jennifer Mandelbaum, Katie Bu, and Eric Li
Ashleigh Davidson Reade ’04, Chris Reade, Alex Senchak ’02
Newark Academy 91 South Orange Avenue Livingston, NJ 07039 Phone: 973.992.7000 Fax: 973.992.8962 www.newarka.edu E-mail: outreach@newarka.edu Return service requested
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