Spring 2013 by Newark Academy

outreach N E WA R K A C A D E M Y

S P R I N G

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What’s New at NA This Summer ? For 40 years, Newark Academy has been the place for excellent, innovative educational and athletic programming. But this year, it’s even better! GET A “JUMP START!” For children entering grades 1 and 2, the Jump Start Program is designed to maximize their potential and help prepare them for the challenges ahead. In addition to building and enhancing basic academic skills – enrichment activities such as art, computers, physical education and music provide young students with a dynamic, integrated learning experience. Faculty: Stacey Clark, Director, Jump Start Program; Learning Specialist, Newark Academy

PURSUE YOUR PASSION! Building on the strength of our reputation for academic excellence and creative curriculum, offerings this year will include an array of specialized workshops taught by Newark Academy’s talented faculty members. These workshops are designed to give students an opportunity to deepen their skills, pursue their passion and expand their intellectual and artistic horizons.

KSHOPS INCLUDE:

SPECIALIZED WOR

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JAZZ INSTITUTE rector, Large NEWARK ACADEMY , Newark Academy; Di tor rec Di z Jaz o, tin len Year, 2013 Faculty: Julius To quet Jazz Educator of the Jac is no Illi s; Kid e us Ensembles, Jazz Ho r, Visual Ar ts and IMPROV WORKSHOP ts Department; Teache Ar , air Ch ie, od Br e er, Nutty by Nature Faculty: Elain wark Academy; Memb Ne ry, lle Ga aw Gr Mc , Theater; Director Improv Troupe ILOSOPHY TRODUCTION TO PH IN / AR IN M SE S EA ipal; Teacher, IB GREAT ID D, Upper School Princ Ph , ca an Bi Di d ar ch Newark Academy Faculty: Ri , Philosophy Seminar, ge led ow Kn of ry eo Th Philosophy, E 21ST CENTURY LEADERSHIP IN TH / E UT IT ST IN S ON TI tions Advisor, MODEL UNITED NA rtment; Model United Na pa De th Ma , air Ch k, re llege, Columbia Faculty: Derek Kana Leadership, Teachers Co on ati uc Ed , low fel g hin Newark Academy; Teac ty Universi MIC BOOK ART Newark Academy CARTOON AND CO ics, Humanties Faculty, let Ath of tor rec Di , ath Faculty: Ted Gilbre

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Soccer, Newa RTFOLIO SEMINAR ts; Coach, Varsity Girls’ Ar l ua ‡ PO Vis r, he ac Te n, Faculty: Jay Torso

rk Academy

For details on the wide array of Summer Session Academics, Arts and Sports Enrichment Courses, Specialized Workshops and Summer Sports Camps,

visit www.newarka.edu/summer-programs

Newark Academy Summer Program 2013

CONTENTS SPRING 2013 1

FEATURES

4 Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy Provides Fuel for NA’s Future by Lisa Grider, Director of Institutional Advancement

11 30 The Next Chapter Newark Academy Announces its New Strategic Plan by Donald M. Austin, Head of School

ALUMNI PROFILE

44 Roads Converged 32 The Other CIA June Term Project Becomes Classroom Intern Association

The Intersection of Humanities and Medicine Dudley Charles ’10 and Rebecca Ellis ’11 by Stephanie Acquadro, English Faculty

by Marci Kahwaty, Communications Associate

DEPARTMENTS

3 Perspectives 11 NA News Faculty Focus

40 From the Archives 42 Alumni News 50 Class Notes

Sports Report Immersion Experience Advancement

On the cover: Bronze sculpture, “Rise & Flourish,” conceived and created by NA Arts Department Chair Elaine Brodie

outreach SPRING 2013 Donald M. Austin Head of School Lisa E. Grider Director of Institutional Advancement EDITOR Debra Marr Director of Communications A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R Marci Kahwaty Communications Associate CONTRIBUTORS Blackie Parlin Stephanie Acquadro Jacqueline Lipsius Fleysher ’93 Cody Reid-Dodick ’13 Ted Gilbreath Carly Stein ’13 Matthew Gertler ’90 Kristin Walpole BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jonathan D. Olesky ’74, Chairman Executive Board Patricia Budziak Nancy Baird Harwood ’75 Kim Hirsh ’80 Bobby Jett

Wayne D. Kent ’85 Joseph P. McGrath, Jr. ’81 David D. McGraw ’77 Jane Wilf

Trustees Donald M. Austin John Bess ’69 Betsy Dollinger Bernstein ’86 William Bloom Lawrence G. Cetrulo ’67 Jeffrey Cohen ’81 Samuel W. Croll, III ’68 Laura White Dillon Lauren Hedvat ’01 Jeffrey Kaplan

Kristen Kolek Philip McNeal Sandra Peinado Richard Redmond ’77 Mark Rosenbaum Ajay Sawhney Evangeline Tross Joshua Weinreich Larry S. Wieseneck 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 John Bess ’69 President Van Stevens ’65 Vice President Sean Allen ’03 Benjamin Purkert ’03 Neal Buchalter ’84 David Rattner ’03 Patrick Ciccone ’62 Jed Rosenthal ’93 Jacqueline Lipsius Fleysher ’93 Lara Samet ’01 Noah Franzblau ’86 Glenn Waldorf ’90 Lauren Jacobs-Lazer ’98 Arthur Williams IV ’81 Kathy Loesberg ’95 Arthur Wynne ’79 Brian Zucker ’84 Emeriti Lance Aronson ’74 J. Richard Beltram ’41 Richard M. Watson ’50 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

PERSPECTIVES by Donald M. Austin, Head of School

Springing Into Summer The confluence of two forces on our campus in Livingston is making for an especially active year at Newark Academy. First, we are in the midst of a comprehensive renovation of our physical plant that began with the opening of the Upper School Academic Center last fall, continues with the addition of a second turf field this summer, and will resume with the construction of a Middle School building in early 2014. The second major driver is the new Strategic Plan that lays out a series of initiatives designed to build on Newark Academy’s distinctive strengths and to set ambitious goals for the next five years. (See page 30.)

s you approach the campus from our main driveway, you see the new girls’ softball field on your left, an improved baseball field to your right, and the state-of-the-art Kacur Field beyond the tennis courts, equipped with field turf and lights for night play. Starting in May, we will begin construction on Coursen Field (also with field turf), a new track, and a much needed outdoor concession/restroom building. This final step in the improvement of our athletic spaces will elevate the quality of our outdoor facility equaling that of the much-admired Simon Field House. As we complete this important phase of our Campus Master Plan, we are also in the early stages of designing a new Middle School building to be located next to the McGraw Arts Center. More details on that project will be shared in Fall 2013. This spring we are looking forward to the second year of our nine-day June Term. Students in grades 9-11 will take a single course for six hours per day, delving into a range of topics with an experiential orientation. Nature Writing, 3-D Printing, Food and the American Identity, Constructing an Outdoor Environmental Sculpture and Political Cartooning are some of the courses that will be offered again this year. Students’ positive response to this initiative last year exceeded

faculty expectations, and the innovative spirit of June Term is spreading. One exciting example is a studentteaching internship program that pairs seniors with Middle School teachers. This program grew out of a June Term course and has been praised by Middle School students, teachers and the pioneering 12th grade interns. (See page 32.) In just a few weeks, the Class of 2013 will join the ranks of Newark Academy alumni at Commencement (June 9). As always, this time of year is bittersweet. The Class of 2013 has blazed a trail for future NA students – embracing the Immersion Experience requirement and inaugurating the June Term. Perhaps most important, this group of students has demonstrated a remarkable spirit – in the classroom, on the stage and athletic field, and in their interactions with one another and the world beyond NA. Having come to us before we were building new buildings or planning for the next five years, this group of seniors reminds me that the ultimate measure of Newark Academy’s success is not gauged by the number of buildings or the size of our budgets but rather by the extent to which we send our graduates out into the world as “engaged individuals instilled with a passion for learning, a standard of excellence and a generosity of spirit.”

OUTREACH spring 2013

Provides Fuel for NAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Future

“What we’re talking about here is a generational change in the life of this school and it’s very important that we do this as a community.”

With those words Newark Academy Trustee, parent and Campaign Chairman Jeff Kaplan officially launched Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy on January 12, 2013. The “generational change” to which Kaplan referred

Phil Kaltenbacher ’55 and one anonymous alum.

includes new academic, arts and athletic facilities and

According to McGrath, “These benefactors doubled the

increasing the Academy’s endowment by 50 percent

total number of $1 million+ gifts the Academy has ever

by 2015. Kaplan and members of a small, but dedicated

received – adding their family names to ones like Simon,

group of volunteers had been working quietly since

Kirby, McGraw and Silver that laid the foundation for

May 2010 to secure leadership-level gifts. That early

the Newark Academy we know and our kids benefit

effort was led by trustees Joe McGrath ’81 and

from today.” McGrath went on to note that 30 percent

Billy Bloom and resulted in $14.3 million in gift

of the early pledges made to Rise & Flourish were

commitments prior to the official launch of the

$100,000 or more.

campaign in January. At the kick-off event, McGrath acknowledged the leadership of the campaign’s

These early gifts have already, quite literally, changed

largest donors to date – Jane and Mark Wilf (parents),

the face of Newark Academy, both in terms of the

Billy and Ruth Redmond Bloom ’80 (parents),

physical plant and the student body. But, as Chairman

)

These early gifts have already, quite literally, changed the face of Newark Academy, both in terms of the physical plant and the student body.

Kaplan is quick to point out, it is much too early to

These volunteer leaders are in the process of forming

celebrate as there are pressing needs still to be met. “Our

committees (volunteers are welcome!) and will soon begin

Middle School deserves and desperately needs academic

inviting people to meet in small groups or individually

spaces of its own,” Kaplan said. “We also have to

to learn more about the plans funded by Rise & Flourish.

complete the work on our outdoor athletic spaces and

“The first thing we want to do is talk to people – and

then turn our attention to making sure the arts program

to listen – about what aspects of Newark Academy they

has the showcase it deserves through a renovation and

love,” Kaplan said. “We want to hear about what things

expansion of Rose Auditorium. These projects are true

at Newark Academy are most meaningful to that person

needs, not luxuries. Newark Academy has never been and

and, eventually, to ask them to consider a gift that is

will never be the kind of school that confuses amenities

right for them, for their family and for the future of

with substance.”

Newark Academy.”

Determined to meet these needs by 2015, Newark Academy

Over the next three years virtually every member of the

is seeking to secure a total of $30 million through Rise &

Newark Academy community will be asked to consider

Flourish. Given that nearly half that amount has already

supporting this effort and its impact on the future of

been committed, the effort is now changing gears –

NA. Building on the strengths of robust and selective

organizing a series of “campaigns within the campaign,”

enrollment, impressive outcomes as related to college

targeting specific groups. A vibrant and enthusiastic

placements of its graduates, an innovative and challenging

group of volunteers is leading this effort including:

curriculum taught by an outstanding faculty and a stable

• Current Parents – Erika Brown and Susan Ratner • Alumni (classes prior to 1987) – John Bess ’69 and Sam Croll ’68 • Young Alumni (classes since 1987) – Alex Senchak ’02 • Alumni Parents and Grandparents – Carrie and Ken Somberg and Phil Waldorf • Former Trustees – Will Green ’69 and Gary Rose • Faculty and Staff – Tom Ashburn, Sam Huber, Lydia Masterson and Amy Schottland

financial picture, the Newark Academy of the next 50 years will be influenced mightily by the initiatives being undertaken through Rise & Flourish. Chairman of the Board of Trustees Jon Olesky ’74 sees it quite simply – “We have all had a part in helping to give this historic and storied school the best reputation it has enjoyed in its history. It is a responsibility that we all carry – to keep a great school great.”

Touching All the Bases: Gifts to R&F Impact Every Area of Student Life Beginning in May 2010, gifts and pledges to Rise & Flourish: The Campaign for Newark Academy have helped revitalize NA in myriad ways. Having reached the halfway point of this effort to garner $30 million by the end of 2015, it seems fitting to review the impact made by the generous, early gifts to the campaign and to review the initiatives still to be funded:

THE NEWARK SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Described by Head of School Don Austin as “a challenging but achievable dream,” the Newark Scholars program is the centerpiece of the endowment portion of Rise & Flourish. Initially conceived as a program that would not be launched until the end of the campaign (due to the daunting task of raising $5 million to fully endow it), the Newark Scholars program captured the attention of a loyal NA alum who is passionate about finding solutions for the achievement gap that exists between New Jersey’s largest city and its surrounding suburbs. The alum, who has chosen to remain anonymous, fully embraced NA’s goals to maintain its link with its founding city by offering full scholarships to some of Newark’s best and brightest students. Distinguished through outstanding school work, test scores, extracurricular activities and drive, top students from Newark have typically accepted generous financial aid offers from the nation’s top boarding schools. One of the goals of the program is to enable these students to remain in their own community while benefiting from the outstanding educational experience offered by Newark Academy. Believing that the program was worth starting immediately, the NA alum made a $1 million gift that will cover all expenses related to the Newark Scholars Program while the funds to fully endow the program (ensuring its existence in perpetuity) continue to be raised. Thanks to this incredible gift, five stellar students entered Newark Academy in Fall 2012 as

the first class of Newark Scholars. The inaugural class includes a sixth-grader, a seventh-grader and three ninth grade students. Ninth-grader Asia Moore proudly shares that she is a Newark Scholar at NA. “This is such a great school and the Newark Scholars is a great program,” Asia says. “Being a Newark Scholar has given me the chance to pursue my educational goals under my own power. For me, it is like winning the lottery!” Asia notes that while the financial support is “amazing” her experience as an NA student has exceeded her expectations. “Several of my friends from Robert Treat Academy are now attending boarding schools. We stay in touch and not one of them is having as great an experience as I am having. Everyone at NA is so accepting of other people – regardless of their background. It was not a difficult transition at all for me – it feels like I’ve always been here. It feels like home.” To date, alumni, parents and friends of Newark Academy have contributed nearly $1.7 million in gifts and pledges toward the overall goal of $5 million.

UPPER SCHOOL ACADEMIC CENTER

Within a few short weeks of its opening on September 4, 2012, this newly constructed wing became a nexus of teaching, learning and laughter as students and faculty made themselves at home. The Center’s 18,500 square feet represents the first expansion of NA’s academic spaces since the opening of the Livingston campus in 1964. Kaltenbacher Hall – the Center’s multi-purpose room – plays host to an array of Academy events from extended essay presentations by IB candidates to alumni reunion dinners. One of the lesser known, but no less appreciated, features of the building are spacious and well-lit departmental offices for NA’s English and language departments. According to English Department Chair Lou Scerra, the new classrooms have made an “astonishing” difference in the teaching and learning environment. “There’s an unmistakable energy in these classrooms that has elevated the already high level of intellectual engagement in our English classes. Meanwhile, our new English office provides our department with the space and flexibility to both meet with students and collaborate with colleagues.”

The cost of the Upper School Academic Center was approximately $8 million and the entire amount was committed in gifts and pledges to Rise & Flourish shortly after the building opened.

KACUR FIELD

Rained-out practices and games called because of darkness are a thing of the past for Minuteman athletics, thanks to NA’s first artificial turfed and lighted sports

field. Replacing the former varsity soccer pitch, Kacur Field was dedicated on October 13, 2012 and hosted several well-attended night games during the season. Named by lead donors Joe ’81 and Christine McGrath, the field honors former NA soccer coach and faculty member Jeff Kacur. Beyond soccer season, Kacur Field is also home to early season lacrosse practices and an occasional foray by NA’s Ultimate Frisbee club. Gifts and pledges to Kacur Field covered the entire cost of the $2 million renovation.

COURSEN FIELD, TRACK AND RESTROOM / CONCESSIONS BUILDING 9

The next and final step in the improvement plan for NA’s outdoor athletic facilities, the installation of artificial turf, lighting, a new track surface and new spectator seating, is set to begin this spring. The project also includes the construction of a small building that will house restrooms (at last!), a concessions area for the Senior Grill and storage for outdoor athletic equipment. (For additional details on this project, see the story on page 19).

Director of Athletics Ted Gilbreath believes that the completion of improvements to the outdoor athletic facilities will be a high-water mark for Minuteman sports. “For many years, we’ve had outstanding indoor athletic facilities, but our outdoor venues were not on par with those of our peers,” Gilbreath said. “What we’ve undertaken is truly a once-in-a-generation effort and when it is completed this fall Newark Academy will have an athletic complex that is second-to-none.” Total cost of this project is approximately $3 million. Currently, gifts and pledges toward these improvements have reached $1.5 million.

A NEW HOME FOR THE NA MIDDLE SCHOOL

Responding to the need for dedicated space specifically designed for 6th through 8th grade students, Newark Academy intends to begin construction on a new Middle School by early 2014. NA’s Middle School program, led by Principal Tom Ashburn and a team of dedicated faculty members, is widely considered one of the strengths of the school. For many years, the program has provided a nurturing, yet challenging environment despite limited classroom size, a shortage of dedicated space and narrow hallways. “Middle School students have a great deal of energy and they benefit from having room to be active – even during class time,” Tom Ashburn notes. “Historically, we’ve been able to use existing spaces, originally designed to accommodate Upper School students, and have adapted them to the needs of our Middle School students. It has certainly worked, but at this point in the life of Newark Academy – the Middle School needs and deserves its own dedicated space.” Currently in the design phase, the new Middle School is being created with the help of a committee composed of Middle School students, faculty, administrators and members of the Board of Trustees’ Properties Committee. According to Trustee and NA parent Wayne Kent ’85, “The Middle School project is the next step in the

ongoing transformation of the entire Newark Academy campus. As we have done in the other building projects, students and faculty will be at the heart of the design team, which ensures that we create a facility that truly meets the needs of our students – those of today and those that will be joining us in the future.” NK Architects (formerly Nadasky Kopelson Architects) has been selected by the Properties Committee as the architectural provider for the Middle School. NK previously worked with Newark Academy through the design and construction of the Upper School Academic Center. The total cost of the new Middle School is expected to be approximately $8 million. Gifts and pledges totaling $4 million will be necessary in order to begin construction in early 2014.

ROSE AUDITORIUM 2.0

If traditions have an address, many of Newark Academy’s most beloved customs would have long ago put down roots in Rose Auditorium. The site of all-school Morning Meetings, the venue for NA’s Winter Musical and extraordinary concerts, the location for the Global Speakers Series and countless other activities large and small, Rose Auditorium is for many NA students and alumni the heart of the school. Built as part of the original building in the early 1960s, the auditorium today lacks space for the entire school to sit during Morning Meeting and other special assemblies. Further, the auditorium’s stage, lighting, acoustics and back-stage spaces can no longer meet the standard of excellence that NA’s performing arts students and faculty require. Choral music faculty member Viraj Lal is one of many advocates for the auditorium’s renovation. “We are fortunate at NA to teach exceptionally talented students who continue to raise the level of our performance groups. Our choral and instrumental ensembles are performing at places like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and NJPAC. Professional actors, dancers, and musicians are regularly invited to mentor our students through our Artist-in-Residence program. It is the right time for Newark Academy to build a performance venue that is representative of our students’ level of artistry and effort.”

Design for the renovation and expansion of the auditorium will get underway next calendar year with construction likely to begin in Summer 2014. Preliminary plans for this project include total costs of approximately $3.5 million.

Rise & Flourish at a Glance Campaign Goal: $30 Million Gifts & Pledges to Date: $15 million Needs to be met: $22.5 million in Capital Improvements $7.5 million in Endowment funding

Leadership & Executive Committee: Jeff Kaplan, Chairman Don Austin, Head of School Billy Bloom Rick Redmond ’77 Kim Hirsh ’80 Jeff Silverman ’82 Joe McGrath ’81 Gayle Wieseneck David McGraw ’77 Jane Wilf Jon Oleksy ’74 Suzanne Willian

The campaign’s name, Rise & Flourish, is taken from a 1792 speech by the Reverend Alexander Macwhorter, a founding Trustee of Newark Academy. Speaking at the opening of the Academy’s new school building, Rev. Macwhorter said, “May this Academy rise and flourish ... and diffuse far and wide the beams of that sun of liberty.”

NA NEWS 11

A PERFECT 10: NA COMMUNITY ART SHOW Each January, the Newark Academy Community Art Show showcases work by NA students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni. While other months feature professional and student exhibits, January is the time when NA comes together as a community to create works of art based on a common theme. This year was the 10th anniversary of the Community Art Show. With the number 10 in mind, NA embarked on developing the theme InTENtion. Artists found a number of ways to embrace the theme. Intention implies an aim, plan or a commitment of purpose and some artists created work along those lines. Some went more literal, including 10 elements in their compositions. Others developed concepts based on a word with the letters TEN embedded in it.

STRIKE UP THE GRAMMY BAND Coleman Hughes â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14 earned a place in the GRAMMY Awards Band for the second year in a row. Selected out of hundreds of applicants, Coleman was part of an 18-piece big band composed of some of the most talented high school jazz musicians in the country. During the week of the GRAMMY Awards in February, the band performed with GRAMMY winners and nominees, at jazz venues, and at GRAMMY Week events â&#x20AC;&#x201D; including the official post-GRAMMY celebration. Coleman and the band recorded an album at the famous Capitol Records and attended the GRAMMY Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

OUTREACH spring 2013

NA NEWS 12

ACCOLADES Newark Academy earned two Accolades awards in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II competition. The Accolades recognize and honor exceptional service and work from independent schools, community and four-year colleges in the district. NA earned bronze awards for:

‚ Best Practices in Communications: The Newark Academy Jam, the innovative online forum that informed our new strategic plan

‚ Four-color Magazine: “Outreach,” Fall 2011 and Spring 2012

FOR THE RECORD… NA is Pleased to Announce the 2013 Commencement Speaker Lanny Davis ’63 A distinctive voice in print, television and radio, Lanny Davis has been active in law and politics for more than four decades. He is a lawyer, legal crisis manager, consultant, author, weekly political columnist and television/radio commentator who counsels individuals, corporations and others under scrutiny on crisis management and legal and media strategies. His clients have included CEOs, sports celebrities, political leaders and public figures. From 1996 to 1998 he served as special counsel to President Bill Clinton and was a spokesperson for the White House. Davis has authored several books. The most recent is Crisis Tales – Five Rules for Coping with Crises in Business, Politics and Life. In addition to his work as political and legal analyst for MSNBC, CNN, CNBC, Fox News and network TV news programs, he has published numerous op-ed /analysis pieces in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and other national publications. Davis graduated from Yale Law School, where he won the prestigious Thurman Arnold Moot Court prize and served on the Yale Law Journal. He is a 1963 graduate of Newark Academy.

NEWARK ACADEMY

ODE TO AN ERA Winter Musical: “The Drowsy Chaperone” Billed as a “musical within a comedy,” The Drowsy Chaperone is a parody of 1920s-era musicals. As a man plays the record of his favorite 1928 musical, the show comes to life in his room as he wryly comments on the music, story and actors. The Drowsy Chaperone was performed to full houses and standing ovations in NA’s Rose Auditorium. Involving more than 50 students in grades 6-12, the production was a lightweight confection which paid tribute to the guilty pleasures of musical comedy. Directed by faculty member Scott M. Jacoby, the evening was a delight for all ages.

NA NEWS 14

JAZZ GREATS JOINED NA’S JAZZ GROUPS FOR A SPECTACULAR BENEFIT PERFORMANCE NA jazz musicians rocked the Rose Auditorium at an “Evening of Jazz” in April to benefit families in Newtown, Connecticut. The evening featured outstanding performances by NA student jazz ensembles and by jazz headliners Marcus Printup, trumpeter for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra; Steve Turre, trombonist with the Saturday Night Live Band; and Wayne Escoffery, tenor saxophonist for Tom Harrell’s Quintet and the Mingus Big Band.

ELSA, FRED & JARED Jared Gilman ’17 plays Michael in the upcoming major motion picture “Elsa & Fred.” The film is a romantic comedy with an all-star cast, led by Academy Award winners Shirley MacLaine and Christopher Plummer. The film is an English language remake of Marcos Carnevale’s box office smash SpanishArgentine film, “Elsa & Fred,” which also yielded a successful stage play. Above: Christopher Plummer, Shirley MacLaine and Jared Gilman ’17

Proceeds benefitted the families of Sandy Hook Elementary School and the Ana Grace Fund, in memory of one of the young victims. Ana Grace Marquez-Greene’s parents are dear friends of NA Jazz Director Julius Tolentino. “I thought it would be fitting to honor Ana’s memory with music,” said Tolentino. “This event was also an opportunity for the Newark Academy community to support another small community much like ours.”

See photos and ‚video from the “Evening of Jazz” at newarka.edu!

LET’S TALK! NA DIALOGUE SYMPOSIUM Newark Academy invited speakers representing various religious communities to speak to 9th grade students at the inaugural NA Dialogue symposium on April 4. The topic was the patriarch Abraham. Abraham Talks, An Interfaith Perspective welcomed founding members of the Newark Interfaith Coalition for Hope and Peace, a nonprofit organization that brings together religious leaders to develop community partnerships and improve resources for the residents of Newark. The event served as an open forum for candid conversation about the faith-based connections that transcend religions. Rabbi Matt Gewirtz, Temple B’nai Jeshurun, Short Hills; Imam W. Deen Shareef of Masjid Waarith ud Deen, Irvington; and Bishop Mark Beckwith of the Episcopal Archdiocese of Newark, all described their views on the role of Abraham in the history and evolution of Judaism, Islam and Christianity.

NEWARK ACADEMY

CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:

Encouraging Dialogue About Diversity Newark Academy recently hosted a New Jersey Association of Independent Schools forum entitled Cultural Conversations in the Classroom: Making the Most of Teachable Moments. Visitors from independent schools across the state joined NA faculty for the half-day event.

iversity expert and NA parent Tiffany TaylorSmith led the forum. Smith offered resources to educators to help them navigate sensitive cultural issues in the classroom and created a welcoming environment that encouraged candid discussion among the event participants. The topic of the forum echoed topics from the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color Conference in December, attended by a group of NA faculty members, administrators and students. (See page 40.)

The NA delegation returned from the conference with new strategies for incorporating perspectives on diversity and inclusion into the NA community dialogue. The group worked with faculty members to help them guide productive classroom discussions on topics including microaggressions – small but significant racial and cultural comments or gestures that may be delivered unwittingly but that can be infinitely harmful. These microaggressive behaviors preserve the cycle of oppression experienced by marginalized groups. During Black History Month, students and faculty members focused on community education, presenting at Morning Meeting on microaggressions and the cycle of oppression, and facilitating other discussion opportunities throughout the month.

Taylor-Smith offered examples of microaggressions during the Cultural Conversations forum, culled from responses to questions about microaggressions that had been posed to teens via Facebook: n

People call me “Mexican” when I tell them I’m Latino. I’m actually Dominican! There are other countries besides Mexico people! A co-worker told me I spoke very good English. I replied, ‘I have been practicing super hard for the last 30 years.’ (I am Vietnamese).

Taylor-Smith and the People of Color Conference challenged attendees to increase their own cultural competence to combat microagressions. Diversity Coordinator Marquis Scott summed it up, “What we learned from both events is that we need to keep learning: Don’t shy away from authentic dialogue about culturally sensitive issues. Embark on the tough, real conversations that pave the way for true cultural, ethnic and racial inclusion.”

WHAT IS A MICROAGGRESSION? Everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership. Race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and social class may reflect the manifestation of microaggressions.

OUTREACH spring 2013

NA NEWS 16

FEINBERG MULTICULTURAL ASSEMBLY BRINGS ONE MAN SHOW TO NA The 2013 Feinberg Multicultural Assembly welcomed Dr. Michael “Mykee” Fowlin to NA to perform his powerful one-man show, “You Don’t Know Me ... Until You Know Me,” which tackles issues of race, discrimination, violence, and personal identity. During his performance, Dr. Fowlin slips in and out of nine characters who share their stories in a way that is both funny and poignant. Fowlin’s characters speak directly to the audience, inviting audience members to get to know them, sympathize with them, and learn from them. The performance struck a chord with the NA community. The event got the community laughing, sometimes crying, and certainly thinking. The effects of Fowlin’s performance have been powerful and lasting. During his show Fowlin describes his admiration for the oyster — who creates the beauty of a pearl from the pain of an irritant. The analogy inspired the new Oyster Club at NA, whose mission is to encourage dialogue, openness and an ever more accepting NA community. The club created an NA Compliments Facebook page, a forum that allows NA students to compliment each other anonymously. And one day everyone found the note “You are beautiful” attached to their clip in the administration corridor. NA students took the Fowlin’s performance to heart and pledged to carry on his message in a way that is uniquely Newark Academy. More Than a Decade of Feinberg Speakers The Feinberg Multicultural Assembly was founded in 2001 through an endowment gift made by Peter ’78 and Margie ’78 Feinberg. Each year the assembly features speakers who address a wide range of national and worldwide cultural topics with the aim of exposing Newark Academy students to new ideas and issues. As Peter Feinberg explained, “There is a lot more diversity at the school today than when we were students here, but we still feel there is work to be done in helping the student body develop a deeper cultural awareness, whether it is about race, religion, socioeconomic backgrounds or other issues.” Passing the Baton After stewarding the program on their family’s behalf for the last 10 years, Peter and Margie have put the Feinberg Multicultural Assembly in the capable hands of sons Louis ’08 and Nate ’13, who will continue to work with the NA administration to bring important and enlightening programming to NA students.

Louis Feinberg ’08, Jon Olesky ’74, Michael Fowlin, Don Austin, Margie Feinberg ’78 and Nate Feinberg ’13

NEWARK ACADEMY

FACULTY FOCUS 17

Head of School Donald Austin is currently serving as president of the Board of Trustees of the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS). The mission of NJAIS is to foster the educational, ethical, and professional excellence of its member schools, while safeguarding their independence.

Nancy Celente (Science Chair) earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from the College of Saint Elizabeth.

Joe Ball (Humanities) attended a college reunion and returned home with an unusual souvenir. The plaque that

Benson Hawk (Humanities) received a grant from the Stanton Foundation’s “Innovation in Civics Education” program. The Stanton Foundation seeks to foster the exploration of experimental and imaginative ideas to teach civics curricula. Frank Stanton, founder of the Stanton Foundation, was president of CBS News from 1946 to 1971. An advocate of using technology as an “instrument of civic education,” Stanton was a part of the initiative to televise presidential debates for the first time.

accompanied the mason’s trowel that he won in a silent auction claimed that the trowel was made for Dwight Eisenhower to use to lay the cornerstone for the new Atomic Energy Commission building in Germantown, Maryland, in 1957. The blade, made of uranium to commemorate the mission of the building ceremony,

Manny Morelli (Humanities) attended an institute sponsored by the National Endowment of the Humanities called Religious Worlds of New York. The institute helps public, private and parochial school teachers teach more effectively about the everyday lives of American religious communities. Working to transform the study of religion in American schools and empower a new generation of Americans to bridge the divides between their religious worlds.

was deemed unsafe for the president to handle and the artifact remained in storage until Ball researched its origin and agreed to loan it to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to display.

Kaley Rode (Health) has earned a place in Pennsylvania’s Glen Brook Women’s Golf League. The league offers an opportunity for strong female golfers to achieve handicaps low enough to play in pro-amateur tournaments. The Glen Brook League made it to the championship this year, playing around the Eastern Seaboard.

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NA NEWS 18

A delegation of administrators, faculty and student leaders from Newark Academy attended the People of Color Conference (PoCC) and Student Diversity Leadership Conference, sponsored by

Marquis Scott, Director of Technology and Diversity Coordinator, was invited to participate in a panel discussion at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance at his alma mater, The Hotchkiss School. He shared his interest in providing workshops on diversity and inclusion to ensure academic and social success for students and faculty of color.

the National Association of Independent Schools. Administrators Richard DiBianca, Upper School Principal; Marquis Scott, Director of Technology and Diversity Coordinator; and Willard Taylor, Director of Admission; as well as faculty

Julius Tolentino, Jazz Director, was named Illinois Jacquet Jazz Educator of the Year by the Illinois Jacquet Foundation. Tolentino was presented with the award in Scottsdale, Arizona, at the Musical Instrument Museum during the Desert Winds Jazz Weekend. The Illinois Jacquet Foundation promotes the study and appreciation of jazz music throughout the globe. The Foundation, established in honor of the late jazz tenor saxophonist Jean Baptiste Illinois Jacquet, supports programs that inspire learning, leadership and personal growth. The organization empowers jazz music students to make a positive and powerful impact on the future of jazz; and brings increased awareness to the productive and critical role that music education plays in the success of students in all areas of study.

members Alexandra Mahoney and Candice Powell; and Admission Office Manager Imaani Sanders traveled to Houston for the 25th annual conference, whose mission is to provide a safe space for networking and a professional development opportunity for people, who, by virtue of their race or ethnicity, comprise a form of diversity termed “people of color” in independent schools. PoCC serves as an energizing, revitalizing gathering for people who experience independent schools differently.

Jeff Vinikoor (Humanities Chair) participated in Teachers as Scholars (TAS), a partnership between Princeton University and surrounding schools and districts formed with the objective of providing scholarly and intellectually engaging opportunities for teachers. Seminars are taught by faculty and staff from Princeton University and span a wide range of topics and subject areas. The English Language: What it is; How it got that way; and Where it’s going was taught by Joshua Katz, PhD, Professor of Classics and member of the Program in Linguistics at Princeton University. Vinikoor is also one of three 2013 recipients of Princeton University’s Alumni Council Award for Service. He was selected for his outstanding record of volunteer service on behalf of the University.

NEWARK ACADEMY

Upper School Principal Richard DiBianca; Coleman Hughes ’14; Alyssa McPherson ’13; Diversity Coordinator Marquis Scott; Taylor Smith ’14; Candice Powell, humanities faculty; Alexandra Mahoney, English faculty, at the People of Color Conference

SPORTS REPORT 19

Home Field Advantage NA’s outdoor athletic facilities are about to get a facelift — make that an extreme makeover. Beginning in the fall, NA sports including football, field hockey, lacrosse and track will play on newly laid turf on Coursen Field. And athletes and fans will benefit from new lights, seating and concession areas.

he project represents a revitalization of NA’s outdoor athletic facilities. The turf field will accommodate multiple sports. “This is an important and appropriate complement to our indoor athletic facilities, which are second to none,” said Jon Olesky, chair of the Newark Academy Board of Trustees and coach of the NA track team. COURSEN FIELD

In 1966, Newark Academy’s football field and track were dedicated to alumnus Samuel Coursen, a star athlete during his years at NA. After graduating in 1945, Coursen went on to West Point, graduating as a second lieutenant. He was killed in the Korean War in 1950.

His wife and infant son accepted his Medal of Honor after his death at the age of 24. The revitalization of the field reminds the school community of Samuel Coursen’s service and contributions to NA and to his country. The Coursen Field renovations will provide new facilities for track and field events including pole vault, which Newark Academy has not offered in decades. “For a track program that had grown stronger and increased in numbers, we need to offer pole vaulting to our athletes,” said Olesky.

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NA NEWS 20

Mariel Pressler ’14, who will serve as captain of the field hockey team for 2013-2014, describes the difference between playing on a grass field and a turf field. “Playing on turf is a different game,” she said. “We’re used to anticipating where the ball ‘might’ go on a grass field. Now we’ll be able to play better teams and our fans will come out and support us more often.” GET YOUR FRESH POPCORN!

One of the star facets of the renovation project offers resources off the field. Pretty soon fans won’t need to leave the Minutemen during games for a snack break. The outdoor athletic project will include a brand-new hospitality building. The 1,760 square-foot space will provide food and concessions, as well as restrooms for fans. Lighting and new seating on the home side will make it even more fun to cheer the Minutemen. And a press box will facilitate filming of our athletic events. “These venues are such a strong part of the visual identity of the Newark Academy campus,” said Olesky. “These enhancements

NEWARK ACADEMY

“ ” These enhancements will create a signature aesthetic element of our athletic program that will attract future student athletes. — Jon Olesky ’74

will create a signature aesthetic element of our athletic program that will attract future student athletes.” The total cost of the project is $2.5 million. Construction will continue through the summer.

Pressler explains that younger athletes playing on the new turf in the coming years will elevate the field hockey and lacrosse teams overall. “We’ll be much bigger contenders,” she said. And what about the experience of having the new outdoor athletic enhancements ready for play in your senior year? “It’s the cherry on the cupcake!” NA

Red Black A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY by Ted Gilbreath, Director of Athletics

Newark Academy has a storied athletic tradition, full of individual and team glories. When I took over as director of athletics this year, the program was already in very good shape and poised to improve. Many teams were doing well and ground had just been broken on the most exciting changes to our facilities since the construction of the Simon Field House. But the challenges for those in athletic administration today are varied and include: instilling consistently high expectations across the breadth of NAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sport offerings; generating increased support and participation from the entire school community; and challenging external perceptions.

NA NEWS

Red Black

GREAT EXPECTATIONS: INSTILLING CONSISTENTLY HIGH EXPECTATIONS The entrance to the Riegelman-Strand Great Hall is a monument to past Minuteman victories. Both the trophy cases and the observation boxes that gaze out at the championship banners in the Simon Field House reveal the large number of teams that have claimed conference, county, prep and state glories. But a closer examination reveals that the distribution of wins has been inconsistent. Some programs have risen and fallen, while others have yet to taste a championship. These observations suggest that, in the past, victories have been driven by individual coaches and athletes, and have not been the product of universally high expectations or consistently wellcoached teams across the spectrum of Minuteman athletic offerings. One of the challenges facing the athletic department is to ensure that all of our coaches are demanding the best from our athletes – that they share the same universally clear standards for excellence and that they are creating team experiences that athletes gravitate toward. TEAM SPIRIT: GENERATING INCREASED SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION Anyone attending the basketball games bookending the halftime induction of Russell Gimelstob ’97 into Newark Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame in February might have thought that they had accidentally stumbled into Duke’s famed Cameron Indoor Stadium, noted for its rabid student section. On that night the NA faithful were out in full voice, cheering both the boys’ and girls’

NEWARK ACADEMY

We should be a destination program for scholar-athletes.

}

basketball teams onto victory. That sort of community support is exceptional, and the athletic department is determined to make it the rule. Championing a vision of athletics as a celebration of community, the athletic department is determined to attract more faculty and student support at more games, to encourage more students to participate in athletics, and to get more athletes to play multiple sports. Newark Academy’s size is far and away the biggest hurdle to athletic excellence. Simply put, there are not that many kids to go around and those kids have a lot on their plates! For our programs to be successful, they need to have depth. Aside from the obvious fact that we are asked to compete against the teams of much bigger schools in the Super Essex Conference (a college equivalent might be Amherst facing the University of Florida), appropriate roster size has many benefits for our teams. It affords coaches the luxury of having both developmental (junior varsity) and competitive levels for teams and it makes competition for playing time more intense, which better prepares the athletes for game play. For example, a best case scenario roster size for football would probably be around 35-40 boys, but that would require that 20 percent of a grade’s boys were playing football! So one of the toughest challenges the athletic department faces is getting students to participate on one or more of our teams. This obstacle is made more difficult by a clear shift in perception of sport participation over the last decade or so. Rapidly fading is the ethos of participating for participation’s sake – or because a student wants to be with their friends, or because it might be fun. Instead, students are focusing on what tangible benefits they stand to gain from participation. They are focusing on whether they will start right away, or whether or not it will help them get into college. There is also a misperception that the time commitment that athletes make to their sports will have an adverse effect on their academic performance. (Actually, research shows that students who participate on an athletic team have equal or slightly better academic performance than their non-athletic peers.) As a result,

some students opt not to play, others are fearful about trying new sports for fear of sitting on the bench or looking foolish, while still others are focusing on a single sport because they view it as their best chance to enhance their college application. The challenge for the athletic department, then, is to champion the benefits of participation and to frame the experience in a way that highlights both the tangible and intangible benefits of playing. Think of the model as “old-school values” with “new school pedagogy.” Our coaches are challenged to remain focused on discipline, leadership, hard work, commitment, sportsmanship and teamwork, but to do it in a way that is fun and respectful and that engages our students. SUPPORT YOUR SPORT: CHALLENGING PERCEPTIONS Finally, the athletic department has to do a better job of spreading the word about all of the great things happening at Newark Academy. While NA is universally

recognized for its academics, its athletic accomplishments often go unnoticed. In many instances, perfect candidate students are opting for our peer schools simply because they might have a better recent history or because they have the mistaken perception that athletics are not that important at Newark Academy. While the athletic department is hard at work on branding its programs as the destination spots for the top scholar athletes in New Jersey, current athletes and their parents singing the praises of the great experiences they are enjoying in Red & Black will go miles in terms of challenging public perception about Newark Academy sports. With all that NA offers in arts, athletics, immersion, and unique academic opportunities, we should be a “destination program” for all scholar-athletes. Outstanding coaches, best-in-class facilities and great kids indicate a bright future for athletics at Newark Academy. With consistent effort, the support of the community and a universal focus on athletic excellence, Newark Academy is poised to establish itself as a powerhouse in the prep ranks. NA

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NA NEWS 24

SOCCER CAPTAIN NICK WILLIAMS ’13 SIGNS WITH WEST POINT Newark Academy senior Nicholas Williams

40TH TENNIS INVITATIONAL

had cause to celebrate on National Signing Day for college athletes on February 6,

NA celebrated a milestone event this year when it hosted 2013. Joined by family, friends and coaches, the 40th Annual Newark Academy Tennis Invitational. This tournament brings the best high school tennis teams in New Jersey to Newark Academy for a weekend

he signed his National Letter of Intent to play soccer for the United States Military Academy at West Point.

of exciting play. This year eight teams participated in the tournament including: • Delbarton School

Last fall, the best high school-age soccer • Millburn High School

• Haddonfield High School • Moorestown High School • Livingston High School

• Westfield High School

• West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North

players in the United States were asked to play for select teams instead of playing for their high school teams. For Williams, finishing his Newark Academy athletic career was so important to him that he

All of those teams were ranked among the top 20 teams in the state.

applied for a waiver to allow him to play for NA. He explained that he wanted to finish what he started when he came to

Many NA tennis alums also returned to

Newark Academy; and referenced how

campus to watch the Minutemen take to the

important his NA teammates are to him.

courts, then topped off the evening with a delicious barbecue.

Williams is looking forward to graduation in June and to playing soccer for the Black Knights and attending West Point.

NEWARK ACADEMY

WRESTLING JUNIOR PATRICK GERISH ’14

100th WIN

VARSITY GIRLS’ BASKETBALL COACH LIZ BONA

100th WIN

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: January 2014 NA’s 30th Wrestling Invitational

DON’T MISS A MINUTE WITH THE MINUTEMEN Visit Athletics on the Newark Academy website for information and schedules. Follow @NAMinutemen on Twitter for breaking news and game coverage.

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NA NEWS 26

IMMERSION EXPERIENCE

On the Trail of Conservation Imagine living in a national park. For three weeks, your home is, say, the Grand Canyon. You’re weeding, digging, shoveling or laying stones all day. The work is tough and the accommodations may not be plush but the view that you wake up to every day and the knowledge that your work is preserving it for generations to come makes it all worth it. Carley Stein ’13 describes it like this:

‘‘

I first read about the Student Conservation Association (SCA) in a book I took out of the library in the hopes of finding an interesting summer program. I went straight to the SCA’s website to find out if a 14- to 35-day camping trip that was advertised as free of charge still existed. I had been on a few camping trips but I wanted a trip that you didn’t simply sign up for and I was drawn to the element of service in SCA trips. I learned that the SCA was modeled on the Civilian Conservation Corps (The Depression-era government organization that provided jobs and training for the unemployed through conservation and natural resources development work) and that the SCA works directly with the National Park Service to provide high school students with the opportunities to work on trails in national parks that are funded by the National Park Service and private donations.

Carley Stein (right) with friends

My first crew placement brought me to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for three weeks, a majestic site to introduce me to conservation work. My crew, made up of six students and two leaders, stayed in a private volunteers-only campsite at the park, and typically worked each day from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm removing invasive plant species from the park. During those three weeks we had three days for a recreational trip and two rest days. Our leaders took our crew “canyoneering” (traveling the canyon by hiking, climbing, repelling, swimming, etc.) in nearby Canyonlands National Park in Utah, an opportunity I never thought I would have. After such an incredible experience I was hesitant to re-apply for the following year. How could any crew possibly be as good as my Grand Canyon crew? But I did re-apply and the next year I was placed on an all-alumni crew on the Chimney Tops Trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. When I initially received my placement via e-mail I forwarded it to both my parents. My dad replied with, “I hiked the Chimney Tops Trail with your grandfather when I was nine, it’s a vertical climb - good luck!” That this trail held so much historical importance and even had a personal history within my own family amplified the importance of the work I would be doing: building stone staircases, naturalizing trails, and building drainage structures. I also found out that the Chimney Tops Trail was the most popular trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is also the most visited national park in the nation with about nine million visits a year. That effectively meant that I

would be working on the most popular trail in the most popular national park, the magnitude of which I still find difficult to fathom. The SCA strives to “build the next generation of conservation leaders and inspire lifelong stewardship of our environment and communities by engaging young people in hands-on service to the land.” In my opinion, the SCA truly lives up to their mission. Working with the SCA has profoundly impacted my life and the way I view the world. It has taught me the importance of conservation within our nation; if we do not care for this land that we’ve worked to protect, it could cease to exist within even one or two generations.

“I would be working on the most popular trail in The SCA blends two Newark Academy ideals: the most popular national park, the magnitude service and immersion, and provides students of which I still find difficult to fathom.” who may be financially limited or not skilled enough to go camping alone with the opportunity to learn about conservation and have a truly unique experience with other high school students in one of our glorious national parks. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to participate in these trips and hope that future Newark Academy students take advantage of this incredible program. NA

}

’’

NEWARK ACADEMY STUDENTS LOVE TO LEARN BY DOING, and the Immersion Experience provides them with opportunities for exciting, life-changing off-campus educational experiences that encourage full engagement in the world beyond the classroom. While most students voluntarily commit to a variety of real world, direct experiences, all Upper School students are required to participate in at least one significant off-campus immersion experience at some point during their high school years.

This summer, faculty-led immersion trips will give Newark Academy students the chance to:

• Improve their French language skills in Lille, France • Build homes in Guatemala • Tour the wilderness of the Southwestern United States • Work at the Four Springs Farm in Vermont • Camp and backpack in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine

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NA NEWS

ADVANCEMENT

Grandparents Rule! by Kristin Walpole, Director of Development and Parent Relations

Newark Academy is fortunate to have a loyal community of alumni, parents and alumni parents who provide leadership and support in numerous capacities. Joining them is a growing number of probably the proudest members of the NA community. Who are these enthusiastic individuals? NA grandparents, of course!

In the last few years, grandparents have begun expressing their support with financial gifts to Newark Academy in an effort to support the programs and activities in which their grandchildren are so engaged, as well as to meet specific needs in the community. One area that has particularly benefitted from grandparent involvement is the Annual Fund. It’s hard to believe that just three short years ago grandparent gifts were only occasionally received in the mail. Today, more than six percent of our current families have grandparents who support Newark Academy’s Annual Fund. Total annual giving by grandparents has more than doubled in the last year, going from less than $5,000 to more than $12,000. And the increasing popularity of NA’s Grandparents and Special Friends Day, which takes place each May and welcomes the grandparents of our Middle School students to campus for an afternoon, is a great indicator that these numbers will continue to grow. Ginger Iverson Michaels, grandmother of Tucker ’12, Kasey ’14, and Shane Iverson (who will be a member of the incoming sixth grade this fall), says it is important to her to support the school her grandchildren attend. She sees it as both a gift to the school and to her family.

NEWARK ACADEMY

“In my family there has been a tradition of sending children to private school. Then, as now, that tradition means financial sacrifice for young families. Schools do their best to keep tuition costs reasonable, yet the expense of the many offerings goes beyond that amount,” she explained. “And that’s where we, as grandparents, can step in to lend a hand.” Michaels has been supporting NA for years, becoming a member of the Ad Lumen Society – NA’s leadership giving society – in 2009. “The fact is that NA – just as any other independent school – relies on charitable gifts from families and alumni to enhance the day-to-day experiences of our grandchildren,” she said. “And I’m more than pleased to join my family in their philanthropic support of a school that has been such an important part of our lives.” Michaels is such a believer in this type of support that she reached out to fellow grandparents in a letter last year, asking for their participation in the Annual Fund and the response was strong. Miriam Bernstein of Villanova, Pennsylvania, grandmother of Isabel Young ’17, received Michaels’ letter and was happy to support the school with a gift.

“

Ginger Iverson Michaels says it is important... to support the school her grandchildren attend. She sees it as both a gift to the school and to her family.

“I have been so pleased by the experiences my granddaughter Isabel is having,” says Bernstein. “She absolutely loves the school program and I really believe in the way the Middle School promotes the independence of their students and provides great support to NA’s families. Isabel and my daughter Julie have been so happy with their experience and it’s my pleasure to be able to support the school.” GIFT OF PREPAREDNESS For Molly Lazar of Winnetka, Illinois, the community had a specific need and for personal reasons, she was happy to get involved. After the medical training of Newark Academy’s school nurse Pat Neary provided much-needed aid to her granddaughter, Molly Alter ’12, during a medical crisis, Lazar wanted to make that kind of training available to more people at the school.

”

according to Science Department Chair Nancy Celente, “Everyone walked away with an appreciation for the impact one person can have on saving a life.” About her gift, Lazar says, “I’m sorry the occasion for me to consider this kind of gift came up, but I’m very fortunate to be able to do it.” And NA is fortunate to have committed and generous grandparents like Mrs. Michaels, Mrs. Bernstein, and Mrs. Lazar who have made the decision to invest in the programs that comprise their grandchildren’s daily educational experience and the faculty members, coaches and mentors who guide them through it. NA

“I want healthy kids at Newark Academy and I wanted to honor my granddaughter who is very special to me,” she said. Through a gift of stock to NA’s anatomy club, Lazar funded a Child and Adult CPR/AED certification course free of charge to any faculty member or student who wanted the training. In total, 60 individuals received training and attained certification thanks to Lazar’s gift and,

Students practice CPR techniques

A Grand Tradition! NA’s Middle School hosted its annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day on May 9. Middle School family and friends participated in class activities, visited the art exhibit, enjoyed a reception and cheered for their favorite teams at Middle School athletic events. A great time was had by all!

‚ Visit our website to see photos and video from Grandparents Day activities.

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NA NEWS 30

The Next Chapter NEWARK ACADEMY ANNOUNCES ITS NEW STRATEGIC PLAN

DEEP CONNECTIONS: RELATIONSHIP-CENTERED LEARNING IN A TRANSFORMING WORLD

BY DONALD M. AUSTIN, HEAD OF SCHOOL Newark Academyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new strategic plan pinpoints the quality of human interactions as the single most important component of a Newark Academy education. In a world where superficial connections abound, we are deliberately focusing on relationshipcentered learning, carrying on a long tradition of exceptional connections between our teachers and students. While we certainly seek to harness the many opportunities provided by technology, our vision is above all to foster meaningful human connections, engagement in learning, deep understanding and skills.

ewark Academy will provide the conditions that allow for students and teachers to make the most of their time together. For faculty, we will maintain generous support for professional development, summer sabbaticals, and competitive compensation and benefits. We will promote a growth-oriented teaching culture that encourages inquiry-based instruction, collaboration and inspiring pedagogy adapted to the changing times. For students, we will seek to enroll exceptional young people with the character, ability

NEWARK ACADEMY

and motivation to contribute actively to our school community. Our pledge to sustain a diverse and inclusive school culture means an even greater commitment to financial aid. On the programmatic side, highlights of the new Strategic Plan include the elaboration of a superb science program, a broad institutional effort to exploit technology to enhance teaching and learning, and the promotion of a signature middle school experience. In addition to

improved laboratory spaces, our vision is that the sciences will integrate more opportunities for research in and outside of the classroom, as well as new elective courses. Our embracing of technology will include advancing the use of digital tools in the classroom and improvements in our infrastructure that will allow students and teachers to take advantage of online and blended learning opportunities. Our Middle School will continue to develop age-appropriate programs that build on initiatives begun recently to push that division to a new level of excellence. The bold design of a dedicated middle school building, innovative contributions by our grade-level teams, and the integration of experiential learning into the curriculum will be important steps in this process.

THE FOUR TENETS OF THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN INCLUDE: ‚ Deeply engaged learning begins with teachers and students: Cultivate a consistently highcaliber, dynamic faculty and student body

‚ Deep learning connections require program excellence and innovation: Expand program initiatives geared to 21st century challenges

‚ Deep community connections generate value on campus and beyond: Nurture an involved, multidimensional extended community

‚ Strong foundations deepen support for mission and values: Sustain Newark Academy’s

A final goal of the new Strategic Plan is to enhance Newark Academy’s role as a beacon in the community, a charge that harkens back to our motto Ad Lumen. Expanding connections with alumni, exploring ways to serve surrounding communities, and developing our ties with the city of Newark are some of the ways that we hope to strengthen our connection with the world beyond the geographical limits of our campus. Implementation of the plan is the next step. The trustees, administration and faculty are committed to bringing this plan to life on campus and work is

institutional strength

already underway to develop action plans. Expect periodic progress reports as the Newark Academy community works toward accomplishing the goals set forth in the plan. NA

VISIT THE WEBSITE TO READ ABOUT NEWARK ACADEMY’S STRATEGIC VISION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS — WWW.NEWARKA.EDU/STRATEGICPLAN

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the

OTHER CIA:

June Term Project Becomes Classroom Intern Association by Marci Kahwaty

the RECIPE Take an intriguing June Term project. Add some strong student leadership and faculty support and input. Mix well and if you’re lucky, you’ll have the Classroom Intern Association (CIA), an internship program launched this year that gave NA seniors the chance to intern in Middle School classrooms.

What better WAY TO BUILD CHARACTER than to have a POTENTIAL ROLE MODEL in the CLASSROOM?

During the 2012 June Term, the Leadership in the 21st Century course focused on the exploration and development of collaboration and leadership skills. Student groups developed leadership project proposals. Some chose to identify an area of opportunity within Newark Academy and propose an initiative that would address it and better the school.

One student group settled on the issue of strengthening ties between the Middle and Upper Schools. The group determined that putting upperclassmen in Middle School classrooms as interns would strengthen intra-school ties; and would offer role models for Middle School students, and leadership opportunities for Upper School students.

“In addition to academics, NA builds character. What better way to build character than to have a potential role model in the classroom?” said senior Dan Eatroff, one of the founders and the student coordinator of the program. “Student interns are potential role models for the Middle School students and faculty members are role models for the student interns.”

putting it TOGETHER In Fall 2012, the group picked up where they left off. Lydia Masterson, associate director of admission; and faculty members Derek Kanarek and David Griffin, who taught the Leadership in the 21st Century June Term course, helped the group put together a program that

would place seniors into Middle School classrooms to observe, learn and teach. “Dan did a great job networking with interested teachers in the early phases and also showed flexibility in adapting the program design in response to concerns raised by others along the way,” said Kanarek. Dan and Lexi Katz ’14, another program founder, presented the program to NA administration and department heads. Once they had their support, the newly coined “CIA” was off and running.

Applications were offered to seniors between the pressure cooker of fall semester and the more relaxed, post-college application spring semester. Nine seniors took on classroom assignments, interning for teachers in all subject areas – some interns had been students in their mentors’ classrooms back in Middle School.

“Seniors can be very disconnected from the rest of the school,” explained student intern Zoe Huber-Weiss. Bringing seniors into Middle School classrooms could go a long way toward forging strong, positive connections between the Middle and Upper School students.

The teachers that chose to bring seniors into their classrooms welcomed the interns’ dedication, fresh perspectives, and willingness to engage in and contribute to the classroom dynamics.

Faculty member Luis Gomez, who hosted Zoe Huber-Weiss in his Middle School Spanish class said, “At some point in your career as a teacher, you become the learner. To stay fresh and renew yourself as a teacher, you have to let your students teach you.”

Choral Director Viraj Lal said, “As a music educator I always hope that students have a good experience and then ‘pay it forward’. So for one of my current students to have a chance to get in front of the younger generation of singers, passing down her knowledge and passion for choral music was a perfect scenario. Once I found out that Clara Mooney, who is also the choral president for the Upper School, was the student interested in interning, I knew it would be a great match.”

During this pilot year, the program functioned as an experiment. In addition to classroom assignments, students tried out other mentoring models. One group

of seniors, for instance, worked with 6th grade students during their common period, acting out scenarios that illustrated life skills.

one of the GUIDING PRINCIPLES If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. – Albert Einstein

It’s one thing to know a subject and feel comfortable as a learner. To teach it is another skill entirely. Whether students are interested in careers in education, the ability to teach is valuable wherever the path may take you. Preparing, presenting and persuading are valuable skills in any profession.

Interns started out by observing their Middle School classes to learn about class structure and teacher leadership style. But the overall structure of the program was flexible, allowing the interns to contribute to the classroom in the way that the mentor/intern pair felt comfortable with. “You have the freedom to structure it as you and your host teacher want it,” said Zoe Huber-Weiss.

Clara Mooney was able to choose a piece to teach the 7th grade chorus, rehearse with them, and finally conduct them at the Middle School Cabaret performance in March. After observing, Clara eased into the teaching by running warm-ups, but shortly after was in front of the class teaching the piece she had chosen for the class. When Clara wasn’t directing, she sat with the choral students, providing them with a vocal model.

In Gomez’s class, where students take oral quizzes as monologues, pairs or trios, Zoe Huber-Weiss was able to evaluate oral quiz groups according to a pre-defined rubric.

Sam Wohlforth got to re-live and re-study To Kill A Mockingbird while interning in Sam Huber’s English class. He designed focus questions for homework assignments and worked with students to improve their writing in workshops. Wohlforth also modeled and taught close reading techniques for poetry and created lesson plans around particular poems.

Zoe Kay had the opportunity to work with Middle School students to choose and choreograph a new piece of music. “Zoe has great teaching instincts,” said mentor Yvette Luxenburg. “She understands how to manage a group of students and how to adapt to what students are doing and saying in the studio.” Zoe is in the IB Dance program and had already had to choreograph others, a teaching experience in itself. But working with a Middle School class, maintaining their enthusiasm and gauging their skills, was a whole new experience that Zoe embraced.

more of a GOOD THING The committee that created and managed the pilot year of the CIA is transitioning the program to the next group of Upper School students, with Lexi Katz taking over Dan Eatroff’s leadership role in the program. Feedback from this year’s interns and mentors has been extremely positive and most mentors would welcome the chance to host another intern.

“All of the student interns have displayed the spirit of generosity we speak about in our mission statement,” said Middle School Principal Tom Ashburn. “They attended our Middle School and they are willing to give up precious free time to give back to younger students at Newark Academy.”

Students describe a greater awareness of what goes into teaching, and surprisingly, a greater self-awareness. “The students in Sr. Gomez class are so eager to learn,” said Zoe Huber-Weiss. “When he asks a question every hand in the room goes up to answer it. It makes me much more aware of how I am as a student.”

And what about the “disconnect” between seniors and other students in the school that she referenced? Now Zoe gets stopped in the hallways by her Spanish students to chat and ask her questions as they prepare for the next class.

As mentor Lou Scerra, English department chair, reflected, “This experience reminded me that some of the most inspiring educational opportunities occur when students learn from each other.”

All of the STUDENT INTERNS have displayed the SPIRIT of GENEROSITY we SPEAK ABOUT in our MISSION STATEMENT

on my EXPERIENCE IN THE CIA by Cody Reid-Dodick ’13

When mulling over whether I should apply for the CIA program, I almost decided against it. Giving up all of my free periods in the middle of basketball season sounded like a recipe for stress and sleep deprivation. I was also worried that my role would turn out to be hours of observation, with little action or feeling of

I ...used the OPPORTUNITY to hone my SKILLS as a CLOSE READER PUBLIC SPEAKER and DISCUSSION FACILITATOR

importance. Eventually, with some heavy nudging from my parents, I sent in my application with fingers crossed. Now, with my expectations far exceeded by my experiences, I can see how utterly wrong I was. My CIA class – Mr. Scerra’s 8th grade “Personal Journeys” English class – has turned into a consistent highlight of my week. Much of this can be attributed to Mr. Scerra, who has fully embraced the program, and immediately made me feel like a part of the family, as opposed to a staring outsider. His handouts are headed “ReidDodick/Scerra,” and he often refers to “Mr. Reid-Dodick,” when someone raises an especially difficult question.

After a hilarious “induction ceremony” that broke the ice (and required me to reveal my celebrity crush and dream job to the class), I spent two classes observing. I noted Mr. Scerra’s constant effort to stay enthusiastic and make every student feel like a valued contributor. He struck a perfect balance between guiding with his own insight, and letting the students dictate the discussion’s flow. Then my role in the class quickly increased. I began by acting as a member – making comments, posing questions, referencing passages in the text – and soon rose to a sort of “co-teacher” role, entrusted with chunks of class time to run discussions on certain themes. I tried to echo Mr. Scerra’s approach and used the opportunity to hone my skills as a close reader, public speaker and discussion facilitator.

Every time I walk out of class I feel energized. Mr. Scerra’s inclusiveness and trust in me makes me feel like a true member of his class, which is a fairly sacred place within the Newark Academy community. The students’ eagerness to learn from me makes me feel valued and their high-fives in the hallways are always appreciated.

Naturally, being transported back to Middle School is a wonderful, retrospective experience that I cherish as I approach the end of my time at NA. I’m glad to say that I couldn’t have been more wrong in my pre-application apprehension, and am thankful to all who made this unique and formative experience possible.

a NOTE from Mr. Scerra “Cody was my colleague, teammate, and co-conspirator for the duration of the CIA program. He’s a great English student, but he has so many qualities that would make him a terrific English teacher: wit, emotional intelligence, and passion for the subject area. His time teaching English 8 only affirmed the fact that the same thoughtful, committed, intellectually curious students fill both the Upper and Middle School English classrooms – some are just further along in their skill development.”

Inaugural CIA Mentors and Interns Choral Music Viraj Lal / Clara Mooney Dance Yvette Luxenberg / Zoe Kay Jazz Julius Tolentino/Nathaniel Okun

English Sam Huber / Sam Wohlforth Lou Scerra / Cody Reid-Dodick Science Laurie Mason / Eliza Huber-Weiss

Languages: French Debra Ronan /Alena Farber Languages: Spanish Luis Gomez /Zoe Huber-Weiss Math Scott Johnson / Dan Eatroff

Game Changer In December 2012, a group of students, faculty and administrators from Newark Academy attended the annual People of Color Conference (PoCC) sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. The following is a reflection on the conference from second-year faculty member Candice Powell:

“To say that the People of Color Conference (PoCC) was a “game-changer” is not hyperbole. What made the three-day conference – geared toward helping participants understand their roles in advancing equity and justice around racial and ethnic identity within independent schools – so moving, was not that I, a first-time attendee, met a group of people who looked exactly like me, or with whom I shared identical experiences. Rather, it was that I met so many different people with whom I shared a strong like-mindedness about issues of diversity and inclusion that made the experience so affirming. As a black female educator, I recognize that conversations related to issues of race, ethnicity, and class are rarely, if ever, neat, comfortable and easy. Instead, they are messy, awkward and, quite often, extremely difficult. Still, we must learn to become comfortable with the (potential) discomfort of these conversations, if we hope to ever engage in real dialogue about these issues in our independent schools and, in particular, at Newark Academy. Within the NA school community, we as educators must also be intentional about staying silent rather than embracing these valuable, albeit tricky, opportunities for conversation – whether in the classroom, outside in the halls, or on the athletic fields. Recognizing that silence (“not saying anything”) is also a statement we’re making to our students, we need to remember the age-old adage of our profession: our students are always watching. Therefore, perhaps, in some ways, on some days, what we are teaching when we’re “not teaching” matters more than the lessons we plan for each day in the classroom.” from the

Archives by Blackie Parlin

A group of teachers and students recently reported to the faculty on the People of Color conference. The report provoked a nostalgia trip for me because in the 1960s, faculty member Robert Graham and I took students to the annual NAACP Conferences in New York City.

hile the moral dynamism of the conferences then and now was similar, the context of the 1960s was very different with pictures of the murders of Malcolm X (1965) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968) still vivid.

In the 1960s there were still NA people who wanted the school to be an enclave for white, male students, some of whom had a feeling of entitlement. In the 1970s some

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teachers chose to leave NA rather than endure the trauma of facing girls in the classroom. And in the 1980s, the arrival of students of Indian descent caused some to object to the “polytheism” of Hindu dances performed in assembly. Each stage in the diversification of the student population has caused anguish for some in the community, but the sharpest emotions were aroused by the admission and role of black students in the 1960s.

The racial issues of the 1960s led some of us to make dramatic changes in our course materials.

}

The episode of my career at Newark Academy which causes me the most pain involved the issue of race. The setting was a meeting of teachers at which the admission of black students was being discussed. Knowing that a number of faculty colleagues had racist views, I said, “I don’t think Newark Academy is ready for Negro students,” by which I meant that the school should be purged of racism to create a receptive environment. A colleague, totally misunderstanding my meaning, quickly said, “You are right, Blackie, Newark Academy is not the place for Negroes.” (“Negro” was the polite term of the era, coming between “colored” in earlier days and “black” in a subsequent time period.) I came to understand better the emotions of those who did not want to have black students at the school from my experience in my apartment in East Orange. Moving to the area in September 1959 to be close to my new job at NA, my wife Joan and I took the first apartment we could afford – 376 Park Avenue. When we moved in, the renters were all white. The place was a bit run-down but livable. We met friends there. Then rumors started: “Blacks are coming.” When the first black family moved in, many of the white residents acted like proverbial pigs. Children urinated in the hallways and drew on the walls, and people literally threw garbage from the windows into an adjoining alley. The change in behavior was bewildering until I realized that the self-image of these whites had been destroyed by the presence of blacks. It wasn’t the rare contact with blacks at the doorway; it was the loss of the feeling of superiority that was so traumatic for many people. (A follow-up to the saga of 376 Park Avenue: More and more black families moved in. They were middle class professionals moving up in the social scale, and the apartment milieu became much finer than it had been earlier.) The racial issues of the 1960s led some of us to make dramatic changes in our course materials. I was shocked to learn that the standard text (Hutton Webster’s Ancient History) used in the 8th grade Ancient World course included a preface that stated that the world is made up of three races. The author went on to say that the Asian and black races have made few contributions and “the Caucasian race has made all of the great cultural contributions in human history.”

The battle over the continuation of the use of this text was quite acrimonious. I had recorded a 1958 speech made by Martin Luther King, Jr. to the National Council of Churches which I always played and analyzed in my history classes. My interpretation was that the black struggle for rights and dignity was inevitable, so the only question was HOW that struggle would be waged; King seemed to me to offer the moral means to wage the struggle. When The Autobiography of Malcolm X came out in 1964, I had students read long excerpts. I confess that initially I saw Malcolm X only as a perversion of the struggle for justice. Some years later a black student at NA led me to a more respectful understanding of Malcolm X. She said, “Malcolm X made me feel proud to be black.” Nobody ever said that I shouldn’t include King, Malcolm X and the Civil Rights Movement in my curriculum. But there was a counter-current that believed that all of this was a waste of time. And, when my classes encountered historian Kenneth Stampp’s introduction to his study of slavery (wherein he disputed the then widely accepted Dunning view of history, Stampp said – “I believe that innately Negroes are, after all, only white men with black skins,” some students who believed the races to be fundamentally different, were bewildered and uncomprehending. (As an aside, some black historians thought Stampp’s statement ignored the fundamentally different experiences that occur based on race.) Those who recently attended the People of Color conference have reminded us that we have more to travel before all people feel comfortable in our diverse society. But that humbling realization should not minimize the awesome changes that were made in the era of the 60s and 70s. I often jokingly say that in those years at Newark Academy there was a struggle between the Children of Light and the Children of Darkness. There were some grand and fine leaders like T.C. Abbey, but in some ways I admire most those who did not easily come to believe in social, racial, nationality diversification. Some of us were raised in environments where these values were taught and lived. Others, those to be most admired, came to the humanitarian values by re-examination, pondering and reflection. NA

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ALUMNI NEWS 42

THE NA CONTINUUM From Jacqueline Lipsius Fleysher ’93 As a first-term member of the Alumni Board of Governors, I thought I was returning to Newark Academy — but according to Pegeen GalvinScott, the current dean of students, I had never left. “It’s all a continuum,” she said, and shared her perspective that I was on a journey along on its trajectory and was not, as I thought, the student reunited. In many ways it feels like I never left. Each time I approach the driveway, visceral memories rush in and are very present. These memories I treasure, and perhaps they serve as the very fabric of “Galvin’s Continuum.” Part of what I love about the Alumni Board of Governors is that I can, along with my peers, make a difference in the way others experience their own version of this continuum. My most recent project involves the basic fabric of the school — the NA faculty. As a member of the Board of Governors, I am thrilled to be involved in its leadership as we explore new endeavors and new ways to connect with the school and with each other. Currently, we have taken on the task of bringing alumni and faculty together more often and in new and meaningful ways. During the process of researching and developing new and better means to connect us all, I have again had the privilege of receiving guidance from some of the Newark Academy faculty. Now, I am certain that Pegeen Galvin was right (again!). So many times in the past – as my English teacher, AP art history teacher, and unofficial counselor and mentor – she was right. Again, I see that I never really did leave the Newark Academy community. I owe much to the beloved teachers I have known at NA and deeply appreciate the years of inspiration, motivation, challenge and support I received.

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS MAY 30: NYC ALUMNI MEET-UP “Summer in the City” returns with a party at the Boat Basin. Sun, fun and friends! Hope to see you there!

JUNE 1: ALUMNI LACROSSE Get out your stick, get back in shape, and be the laxer you remember.

JUNE 9: COMMENCEMENT AND OLD GUARD RECEPTION Just before we celebrate the newest alumni, we honor our alumni of 50+ years.

OCTOBER 26: HOMECOMING AND REUNION Our annual trip down memory lane. Come home again to see what’s new and what never seems to change. If your graduation year ends in a 3 or 8, then save the date because it will be one to remember.

NOVEMBER 22: MORRISTOWN MEET-UP When you’re home for the holidays, come out and celebrate with fellow NA alums in Morristown. It’s local and it’s free.

NOVEMBER 23: ALUMNI BASKETBALL AND SOCCER The older we get, the younger we were. Join us for one of our mainstays of alumni events. It’s a good time whether you’re on the court or the pitch.

It is my intention that through this Board of Governors initiative, we can applaud those who have helped us define ourselves and our world with meaningful activities and experiences. I look forward to seeing how the BOG can shape alumni and faculty events in the future. I hope to see those of you in attendance who also share memories of times spent at NA, including those with our esteemed and wonderful faculty. I look forward, as well, to how the years will unfold before us together as part of “Galvin’s Continuum.”

NEWARK ACADEMY

Please visit alumni.newarka.edu for more events, details and updates!

HALL OF FAME 2013 ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE RUSSELL GIMELSTOB ’97 Russell Gimelstob was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game against Glen Ridge on February 22, 2013. The award was presented by his brother and former Hall of Fame honoree Justin Gimelstob ’95. The Alumni Association presents the Athletic Hall of Fame Award each year to students, teams, coaches, administrators and athletic directors who have distinguished themselves in athletics through their accomplishments, sportsmanship and leadership during their time at Newark Academy. At Newark Academy, Russell Gimelstob was captain of the tennis team in 1995, 1996 and 1997. He was a member of four state championship teams and three teams which won the Tournament of Champions. He received All State selections all four years. After graduating from Newark Academy, Gimelstob attended Cornell University where he was a four-year singles and doubles starter for the men’s tennis team and was named captain his senior year. He was undefeated in Ivy League doubles competition during his sophomore year and represented Cornell in the NCAA National Doubles Tournament. He also received Academic All-American and Academic All-Ivy awards each of the four years he attended Cornell.

Congratulations

ALUMNI NEWS 44

ALUMNI PROFILE

Roads Converged THE INTERSECTION OF HUMANITIES AND MEDICINE FOR TWO YOUNG ALUMNI: DUDLEY CHARLES ’10 AND REBECCA ELLIS ’11 by Stephanie Acquadro, English Faculty

Unlike the roads in Robert Frost’s famous poem, “The Road Not Taken,” two roads have recently converged as two Newark Academy graduates, Dudley Charles ’10 and Rebecca Ellis ’11 head into the prestigious Mount Sinai Humanities and Medicine Early Acceptance program. This very competitive program receives hundreds of applications from elite colleges throughout the country and admits fewer than 50 undergraduates each year. The fact that two students from Newark Academy were among those accepted is extraordinary.

harles, currently a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, will take the first formal step toward his matriculation this summer when he begins an eight-week program at the world famous hospital, spending three hours of his afternoons studying how to critically evaluate scientific and medical literature and his mornings on clinical rotations. This step is a year away for Ellis, currently a sophomore at Harvard, but she has already had first-hand experience at Mount Sinai. Before her senior year at NA, she had the opportunity to shadow physicians in the obstetrics/gynecology department and last year, she served as a research assistant to Rosamond Rhodes, associate program director and professor of bioethics at Mount Sinai. During her interview for early admission to the program, Ellis said she was asked a question that has stuck with her since: “Who do we learn for?” In college, we learn for ourselves, she explained, but in medical school, “we learn for our

NEWARK ACADEMY

patients.” Both Charles and Ellis became familiar with Mount Sinai’s program from different sources, but both extolled its emphasis on taking care of patients, and not just illnesses. Perhaps this mutual appreciation for Mount Sinai’s value system comes from each student’s current major at college. Although the two are focusing on different areas, their courses of study share a unique connection. Ellis, studying philosophy, said she is “used to dealing with uncertainty” in her readings and that’s a quality that’s often present in the study of medicine. Charles, an anthropology major, with an emphasis on medical anthropology, has been studying about the intersection of the human experience and medical experience. How, for example, does one’s ethnic, geographical or vocational “DNA” affect one’s life? In one study about risk-perception, one that Charles found fascinating, he got to know a group of firefighters – the most amazing people he’s ever met – and he learned how the firefighters balanced their fears of charging into burning buildings with the adrenaline they experience at the prospect of saving lives. In other words, Charles and Ellis are both currently studying the mysteries of the human condition, but from different perspectives – one from the cerebral, the other from the practical and real. Both agree that their undergraduate education at college will offer them a valuable advantage in their medical studies.

Charles and Ellis are both currently studying the mysteries of the human condition, but from different perspectives — one from the cerebral, the other from the practical and real.

Mount Sinai Humanities and Medicine Early Acceptance program is unique in several important ways, boasting qualities that appealed to Ellis and Charles. For one thing, admission to the program does not require MCATs, the brain-crunching admissions test most medical schools consider mandatory. For another, fewer classes are taken so that more time can be spent cultivating the human connection lacking in so many areas of medical care. Charles, in particular, sees these flexible requirements as a plus because he says so many of his peers are intimidated by the sometimes overly demanding stipulations of medical school that they turn away from a calling to practice medicine, even though there is a shortage of qualified physicians. During an internship this past summer at the Healthcare Research Center held in conjunction with UPenn’s medical school and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Charles learned first hand how key ethnic groups, like African-Americans, are simply overlooked by the medical profession. The urban setting of Mount Sinai appealed enormously to both Ellis and Charles. Ellis feels that New York City will offer her invaluable exposure to a diversity of medical experiences and patients. Charles values the proximity to Harlem, where he feels he can best be of service. Both cited the world-class stature of the hospital as another key reason why the program is so remarkable – it’s both a hospital and a university. Both students were effusive about the education they are currently receiving at their respective schools and had a

hard time containing their enthusiasm for how their perspectives have broadened in college, but when asked about NA, Ellis exclaimed, “I love NA! I miss it.” As wonderful and challenging as the academic atmosphere at Harvard is, she admitted that she was surprised to find how alike the academic dialogue at college was to NA’s. She had taken it for granted that everyone at Harvard had attended high schools like Newark Academy where academic rigor was routine, in and out of the classroom. “NA was always so fun and intellectual,” Ellis said, lamenting a bit, that she may have taken that kind of atmosphere for granted when she was in high school. “I mean, even morning meetings were about subjects and ideas!” With fondness, she remembers Dr. Ungaro’s Fibonacci presentations. She credits Dr. Hobson for his remarkable teaching, complaining that he is far too modest about all he offers his students. She also cited Mr. Limmer for teaching her physics. (She believes Mr. Limmer was “relentless”.) Ellis also loved her Theory of Knowledge class with Dr. DiBianca. She and Charles enthused about Math Teacher Arky Crook. “I killed my math exam as a college freshman because of him. He’s an artist,” declared Charles. Another great mentor in the math department, certainly is Mrs. Pursell, both students agreed. When Charles spoke about the impact Newark Academy had on him, he grew particularly reflective: “I was such a different person coming in than I was going out. NA was a transformative experience for me. It made me really want to stretch my mind. I like knowing. I crave it.” Ellis closed by saying that NA has “character.” As these two alums converge on Mount Sinai to begin their road toward a medical career that places the emphasis on people and not just disease, it is hard to dispute that these future physicians have character as well.

OUTREACH spring 2013

ALUMNI NEWS

Young Alumni NA

SOCIETY

Join the Club MINUTEMAN CLUB – YOUNG ALUMNI SOCIETY “I remember pre-season on the soccer team my freshman year. It was my first interaction with the diversity of NA students and it was a pleasant surprise to see so many different personalities come together for one common goal (no pun intended). It was also a very humbling experience. No one knew if I could actually play or if I was physically fit, so I remember having to impress coaches and upperclassman in order to gain respect and in turn more responsibility. It’s a similar feeling to starting your first job or internship; you have your past achievements that helped to get you in the door but it’s going to be everything you do going forward that keeps you in the building.” – Sean Allen ’03

Remaining connected to Newark Academy came easy to or Sean Allen ’03 and Justin Silver ’05, Newark Allen because of soccer. In fact, the alumni soccer game on Academy is more than just a school; it is a place the Saturday after Thanksgiving has become a tradition where they grew intellectually, physically, and for him. “Just having a couple hours to share stories from emotionally. That is why they chose to stay involved with our time on the team with old the Academy beyond teammates was a nice change graduation as co-chairs of pace from school and now of the newly formed I give because I know my own experience a nice change of pace from Minuteman Club. The was helped through other’s giving both work,” said Allen. Minuteman Club was money and time. I simply wish to do the established to recognize same for current students at NA. Giving back to NA is really recent graduates of Newark important to NA’s Minuteman Academy who understand Club co-chairs. According to the U.S. News & World Report, the importance of supporting their alma mater. These alums 8 out of 10 young alumni do not see a need for giving play an important role in the continued growth and success donations to their alma mater, but Silver and Allen’s of NA’s mission. philosophy bucks this national trend. They consider alumni giving the ideal way of saying “thank you” to the school For Silver, getting involved with Newark Academy was that has done so much for them. “I really enjoyed NA and a no-brainer. Unlike his peers, he joined Newark Academy appreciate everything the school has done for me. Giving during his junior year. Despite enrolling later in his high my time and money is my opportunity to show my gratitude. school years, Silver felt an immediate sense of community I understand that as young alums we can’t make large gifts when walking the halls of NA. He remains engaged with in size but I think making a smaller gift, even if it’s just a the NA community because of the atmosphere, the strong few bucks, goes a long way,” said Silver. friendships he made, and the quality of his education. Silver hopes that by encouraging his peers to remain “I give because I know my own NA experience was helped connected to the Academy they will understand that through others giving both money and time. I simply wish although the halls and walls of the schools could change, to do the same for current students at NA.” said Allen. the spirit of NA will remain the same.

“ ”

NEWARK ACADEMY

The Minuteman Club recognizes that your NA connection doesn’t stop at graduation. If you graduated from Newark Academy between 1998 and 2012 then you are considered one of our young alums and make up more than 30 percent of the entire alumni population. Be sure to visit alumni.newarka.edu/events to keep current with upcoming Newark Academy affairs. One of the more popular gatherings among the young alumni is the cocktail event in New York City. This year’s cocktail party will be held at The Boat Basin on May 30!

THE MISSION OF THE MINUTEMAN CLUB IS TO: • Create a greater sense of community for alums who graduated within the past 14 years • Help recent graduates stay connected and engaged with their alma mater • Increase Newark Academy’s alumni giving participation level to 25 percent

MEET THE MINUTEMAN CLUB CO-CHAIRS JUSTIN SILVER ‘05

Justin Silver is a second-year law student at the University of Michigan Law School, and is executive editor of First Impressions for the Michigan Law Review. He is also the co-founder and the current president of the Society for Space Law and the Law of the Sea. This summer, Silver will be a summer associate at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York City. Prior to attending law school, Silver worked for Morgan Stanley for two years in New York. He attended Tufts University, including a year spent abroad at University College London, and graduated in 2009 with a B.S. in Psychology.

• Help young alums understand the value and importance of giving in order to advance and continue the mission of Newark Academy THE MINUTEMAN CLUB GIVING LEVELS ARE AS FOLLOWS: Red & Black Circle* $500+ Partners $250 – $499

SEAN ALLEN ‘03

Sean Allen is currently a financial planner at Ernst & Young, LLP. After graduating from Newark Academy in 2003, he attended Lehigh University where he received a degree in finance and marketing in 2007. He sat on NA’s Athletic Director search committee in 2011 and currently serves on the Alumni Board of Governors. In addition to being the co-chair of the Minuteman Club, he is the head of the Young Alumni Engagement Committee.

Friends $100 – $249 Supporters Up to $99 *Alumni who become members of the Red & Black Circle are given “Ad Lumen” status, which includes a gift and an invitation to an annual cocktail event for NA’s leadership donors.

CELEBRATE SUMMER IN THE CITY! The NYC Boat Basin Café is the place to be on Thursday, May 30. Join us for cocktails and an evening of fun at an event hosted by the NA Alumni Board of Governors: West 79th and Riverside Drive New York City www.boatbasincafe.com / alumni.newarka.edu/events OUTREACH spring 2013

ALUMNI NEWS 48

Take NA With You NEWARK ACADEMY LAUNCHES THE NEXT GENERATION OF ALUMNI NETWORKS

The phrase “at your fingertips” is used to describe a lot of things these days. But now you can say that your alma mater is truly at your fingertips. Newark Academy has launched an app that allows alumni to connect with the NA community directly from their smartphones. Powered by EverTrue, the app gives users all of the resources of a traditional printed directory and then some.

NEWARK ACADEMY

SO WHY GO DIGITAL? The ability to network and stay in touch while on the move is becoming increasingly important to NA alumni. Static print directories can’t meet that need. Newark Academy Alumni Mobile, which will replace the traditional printed directory, gives each alum a direct line to NA. From one icon on a mobile device, alums can keep contact information up to date, find other NA community members who live and work nearby, learn about upcoming events, and expand and enhance contact networks.

HOW IT’S DONE

•Visit the app store from your mobile device •Search for Newark Academy •Download the NA Alumni Mobile app and follow

instructions to receive your login approval via email. You’ll need to retrieve your login information from your mobile device to successfully access the app.

•Once you log into the NA community, you can sync

the app with your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts to connect with all of the online communities dedicated to NA alumni.

MANAGING YOUR INFORMATION Newark Academy Alumni Mobile allows you to manage the profile information displayed in the app so that you can control what others see. Users can also update their information so that changes of address don’t keep you out of the NA loop.

WITH NA ALUMNI MOBILE YOU CAN: • Search the electronic alumni directory by name, class year, college, industry or company • Sync your NA Alumni Mobile profile with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter • Choose the events you’d like to attend from the Alumni Events Calendar • Stay up to date with the latest Newark Academy news • Support NA by making your Annual Fund gift And it’s all in the palm of your hand, whenever you need it.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Moving from a printed alumni directory to Newark Academy Alumni Mobile means that it’s easier than ever to contact us with your updates and feedback. • Contact us via email directly from NA Alumni Mobile • Suggest updates to profiles of other alums you know • Comment on or get more information about events and happenings

OUTREACH spring 2013

CLASS NOTES 50

1930 Last November, Bob Busse was given the prestigious Diamond Helmet award from Delta Sigma Pi for 75 years of service. Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity organized to foster the study of business in universities. Only four other such awards have ever been given.

1933

country, far from the escalating war. The graduating class of 1940 looked forward to four years of college life – not so! Many of us were called to serve during our sophomore or junior years. Sadly, several in our class did not return. I was lucky to return after two years in Italy. That said, I would love to hear from any of my classmates and their stories after graduation.” Contact Jerry at jerome.bess@gmail.com.

80th Reunion Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

1943 70th Reunion

1937 Charles Moffatt is a snowbird in Green Valley, Arizona, but is “headquartered” in Lenox, Massachusetts. He reports that his preferred mode of travel between his winter and summer homes is his Pleasure Way motor home. Along the way, he enjoys visiting family and other points of interest. His hobbies include golf, bridge and choir singing. He has not heard from classmates for some time but enjoys reading Outreach.

Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

1948 65th Reunion Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

William Stern reported that this granddaughter, Sophia, was valedictorian at Washington International School and entered McGill University as a sophomore. His grandson, Jacob, graduated from Stanford, third in his class, and now works at Boston Consulting.

1938 75th Reunion Contact: Paul Busse 732.785.7785

1940 Recently, Jerry Bess reflected on his time at NA: “Our class graduated as Hitler’s German army began their swift march through Europe. The United States was still an isolationist

1951 Mercer Blanchard wrote, “It was an honor for me to share memories of former Headmaster Bob Butler at a celebration of his 99-year life in Vinalhaven, Maine, last summer. I also spent five wonderful summers with Bob when he was a head counselor at Camp Timanous in Raymond, Maine.”

Bob Busse ’30 receives award

1952 Bill Van Winkle reflected on Homecoming and Reunion last fall: “The Class of 1952 set an all-time record for attendance at a 60th Reunion – 11 classmates! Newark Academy pulled out all the stops – providing a private room for us to hold a class meeting, and cocktails and dinner with the Class of 1962 in a private dining room with a continuous display of pictures from both classes. Just before we entered the dining room, movies were playing of football, baseball and basketball games from our years – we were even able to recognize some of our classmates! During our class meeting, Al Levin presented Jack Gansler with a genuine Newark Academy varsity letter sweater! Howie Reynolds spoke about his days at NA and afterward, Tom Swatland said he really wants to stay in closer contact with all of us. The next morning, six of us had brunch together at the Westminster Hotel, where we were staying. Those who attended Reunion included: Jack Evans, Paul Forman, Jack Gansler, Norm Grossblatt, Al Levin, Hal Levitt, Howie Reynolds, Tom Swatland, Bruce Van Vliet

For information on our upcoming events or to submit class notes, log on to the alumni community at alumni.newarka.edu. There you can share your news and photos, update your information, register for events or simply network with fellow alums. We want to hear from you!

HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY! In June, Bob Busse ’30 will celebrate his 100th birthday. To put that in perspective, Busse entered Newark

(who made a Herculean effort to be there), Bill Wescott and myself. Most of us were accompanied by our lovely spouses. We all agreed that we don’t want to wait five years to get together again.”

Academy when it was located on Hyde

1953

Street and finished on First Street

60th Reunion

as a member of the first graduating

Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

class at the new location. Wilson Farrand was still the headmaster. Last November, Busse was honored

1958 55th Reunion

for 75 years of service to Delta Sigma Pi, a professional fraternity

Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

organized to foster the study of business in universities as well as encourage scholarship and social activity which inspires action. His affiliation with that organization began during his study at the University of Newark which would later become Rutgers-Newark. Busse has also been an active member of the Rotary Club in Atlanta, and served as a volunteer for the Presbyterian Church community along with his late wife Dottie. In addition, he has been an avid supporter of the Georgia Special Olympics. As a token of their gratitude, they renamed their annual charity golf tournament in his honor, The Bob Busse Classic. Indeed Bob Busse has achieved much in his 99 years, but he still has goals. We wish our “soon to be centenarian” continued happiness and success!

1961 MacKinnon Simpson recently had dinner with Sandy and Tony Mascia. Mac also reported that Scott Hunt is retiring from the Endocrine Society at the end of this year and Mac hopes to see Scott and Pamela soon after. Mac added, “Weed Leroe’s varsity jacket looked great on Blackie Parlin on the cover of the fall issue of Outreach.”

1962 Those from the Class of 1962 who attended their 50th Reunion reported that it was a most memorable and enjoyable occasion. Between Thursday at Rutt’s Hutt, Friday at the home of Elaine and Bud D’Avella, and Saturday evening in the beautiful new Kaltenbacher Hall at Newark

Academy, no less than 25 classmates and 16 spouses were in attendance. That number is significant, given that the graduating class consisted of 38 members. Attending Reunion were: John Bauder, Gerry Caruso, Pat Ciccone, Jim Cundari, Bud D’Avella, Rick Firtel, Ken Fischer, Dave Gulick, Livingston Hinckley, Carl Ill, Tom Keith, Henry Lesher, Dan Lovallo, Brian McCabe, Frank McCabe, Jim McWilliams, Jim Ozol, Ralph Pellecchia, Ralph Rosamilia, Whitney Russell, Joe Scarlett, Walt Seelig, Steve Sotkin, Mike Winick and Mickey Yaeger. They came from California, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina and nearby states. Bud wrote, “We hadn’t seen Bauder and Hinckley in 50 years! Now that we’ve passed this milestone we have to find more and more reasons to see one another.”

1963 50th Reunion Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

1964 Pepperdine University School of Law has appointed Mark Belnick as Distinguished Practitioner in Residence (with the rank of Visiting Professor of Law) and Director of the Law School’s Appellate Advocacy Clinic for the 2012-13 academic year. Professor Belnick graduated with honors from both Cornell University and Columbia Law School. He is a university lecturer at Princeton.

We are looking for a few good men and women to serve as class representatives. If you’re interested, then NA wants YOU! Contact Karissa Feiton at kfeiton@newarka.edu or call her at (973) 992-7000, ext. 322.

CLASS NOTES

We Fondly Remember John C. Selvage ’33 May 17, 2012

Leroy Long ’38 December 16, 2012

Dyer Brainerd Holmes ’39 January 11, 2013

Donald Pyle, M.D. ’40 November 20, 2012

Harry H. Bristol ’41 November 20, 2012

John Shepard ’44 March 14, 2013

Davis Luxner ’45 January 28, 2013

James Seton Stanley ’48 January 22, 2013

William Stroh III ’48 February 3, 2013

George May ’50 October 24, 2012

John F. Murray ’52 January 22, 2013

William Galbraith ’72 January 25, 2012

1966 Michael Wagner continues to teach AP U.S. history at Yokota High School in Tokyo. Last November, he and his wife, Patti, enjoyed a marvelous weekend at the Armed Forces Recreation Facility at Tama Hills in Japan.

1967 Finally retired, Bruce Barton enjoys riding his Harley. He and several other veterans started a riding group called Teufelhund Veterans Group, Inc. that actively supports charities such as Toys for Tots, Paws and Effects, and English River Outfitters Wounded Warrior Life Skills Program. You can follow their efforts at www.teufelhundemc.com. Larry Cetrulo wrote, “Just when I thought that I was entering the final stretch, I decided that 17 years was quite enough of the “Cetrulo & Capone” partnership, and I

reorganized as “Cetrulo LLP,” in the same location at the Boston Seaport District, with 40 attorneys, 30 paralegals, and enough trial work to keep us busy for decades. It looks like I will be chasing witnesses and serenading juries for the foreseeable future.” Larry recently joined the Board of Trustees at Newark Academy. He is also on the Board of the Harvard Varsity Club and is a member of the University Corporation at Northeastern University School of Law. The Cetrulo Family has endowed fencing programs at both Newark Academy and Harvard. At Northeastern Law School, a scholarship fund was established that provides tuition aid to five students (Cetrulo Scholars) who are graduates of Harvard College. Larry and his wife, Lynn, live in the Fresh Pond area of Cambridge, about one mile from Larry’s freshman dormitory. He enjoys playing golf at his club in Plymouth and has even

“SPACE IS THE FUTURE OF MAN” Dyer Brainerd Holmes ’39 Dyer Brainerd Holmes passed away in January. He was NASA’s first director of manned space flight, served as president of the world’s largest supplier of guided missiles, participated in the design of the Patriot anti-missile system and served as chairman of Beech Aircraft. Holmes joined NASA in 1961 where he led the national effort to go to the moon and directed government and industry efforts in manned space flight, including the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. He was featured on the cover of Time magazine in 1962 for an article outlining President Kennedy’s call to action in pursuit of the moon. After successful completion of the Mercury program, Holmes joined Raytheon as a director and was named president in 1975. When Raytheon acquired Beech Aircraft in 1982, he assumed the role of chairman of Beech Aircraft. Prior to joining NASA, Brainerd worked for RCA, most notably serving as manager and designer of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, which protected the United States and allies for more than four decades, one of the longest running and most successful cold war projects ever constructed. He also served on the board of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History.

Towada Ito, Ahlia Bethea ’13, Taylor Smith ’14, Jocelyn Willoughby ’16, Scott Newman ’73

Adrien Wing ’74 with her portrait

made trips to Ireland and Scotland to try out his swing there. Larry and Wayne Russell took in a round recently and would like to invite any other golfers from their class to join them.

and Gettysburg College, which makes the Montana experience even better for him.

Bob Good recently published two books. The first, The Reincarnation Strategy, is the second in a science fiction trilogy. The other book, The Science of Reincarnation, supports the trilogy and is based on science. Bob has also applied to teach a course on the science of reincarnation at the Lifelong Learning Center at Florida Atlantic University. Details on both books are available on the website www.thescienceofreincarnation.com. Tom Kilmurray’s daughter, a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts, is studying at the University of Cape Town for a semester and loves the experience. Since 1986, Wayne Russell and his wife, Leslie, have lived in Atlanta with their golden retriever, Reilly, and their tabby cat, Bopper. In December, Wayne concluded a 28-year career with the Federal Reserve System where he was managing director of community bank supervision in the sixth district, responsible for approximately 20 bank examiners and 500 regional and community banks and bank holding companies. During his tenure, there were about 200 bank

failures between 2008 and 2012 in his district. Ready for a change, Wayne is now employed as a caddie at the world renowned East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta (home of golfing legend Bobby Jones and home to the FedEx PGA Tour championship). Jerry West has a passion for photography and has been developing and perfecting his photographic skills for the past 10 years. He is currently taking his 16th photography course and has earned an advanced photographer certification with plans to pursue a master photographer certification. Having moved to Montana nearly two years ago, he has added beautiful locations to his nature and landscape photography. Jerry’s neighbor is Carl Andersen, a friend from both Newark Academy

1968 45th Reunion Contact: Stephan G. Kravitz sgk@prodigy.net Franklin C. Phifer, Jr. fphifer@hecht.com

1973 40th Reunion Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

Scott Newman serves as the chief operating officer at St. Phillips Academy in Newark where he also teaches math. He stopped by Newark Academy in February to watch his

HAVE SOME STORIES FROM THE GLORY DAYS AT NA?

We are always adding to our archives. Plainly put, we love stories told from the perspective of those who were there. We especially like hearing about those First Street days. Share your stories and anecdotes about classmates and teachers. E-mail your contributions to Matt Gertler ’90, mgertler@newarka.edu or mail them the way we used to do it, to NA in care of the Director of Alumni Relations.

CLASS NOTES 54

SLOW DOWN? Francey Kanengiser Burke ’76 Doesn’t Know the Meaning Francey Kanengiser Burke just became a grandmother for the first time, but don’t think she is slowing down anytime soon. If riding a bike 30 miles a day in all kinds of weather wasn’t enough, how about a 300-mile adventure with son Ryan last July along Hadrian’s Wall in Great Britain? If you follow that up with a 12-mile hike through King’s Canyon in September, that might be a solid year of accomplishments — if your name isn’t Francey Burke. For years, Burke and her husband, Dave, have been members of the Mid Jersey Cape Rotary Club in Middle Township. Together, they own a car dealership and use the business and the club as a springboard to a bevy of philanthropic activities. Burke Motor Group has supported many local organizations; partnering with Cape Regional Medical Center, Volunteers in Medicine, The United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and The Wetlands Institute, to name just a few. That is in addition to the college scholarships and capital projects they fund annually in their area. In 2005, Dave, Francey, and her brother Andy ’69 coordinated an effort to bring badly needed relief to Picayune, a town in Mississippi devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The money for such undertakings is raised through golf outings, galas, and not surprisingly, bike-a-thons. Burke admits that she frequently thinks back to her days at Newark Academy and believes that the basis for her hard work, dedication to community service and perseverance have largely come from the foundation she had in high school. “I think that some of my teachers saw things in me that I did not see in myself until years later. I have very fond memories and appreciation for such a solid foundation,” Burke recalled. As busy as she is, Burke has a number of new expeditions on the horizon. She plans to bike along the Great Allegheny Passage this summer and hopes a European excursion is not far off. These adventures aside, her next adventure of playing grandmother to her new granddaughter, Mallory, promises to be the most exciting one yet.

former students play in the Prep B championship game. The NA girls basketball team won 62-30.

1974 Mark Rachlin is a patent litigation lawyer for GlaxoSmithKline in suburban Philadelphia. Mark, his wife, Erica, and son Jonathan live in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Adrien Wing was recently recognized for 25 years of service as a professor at the University of Iowa Law School. A portrait, painted by her partner, James Sommerville, will hang in the building in perpetuity.

1976 Mari Shuster sadly reported that her mother and former faculty member, Betty Shuster, passed away on January 11, 2013, after a battle with cancer. After she retired from Newark Academy in 1982, Betty and her husband moved to Ocean City, Maryland. Mari recalled that her mother had fond memories of NA.

1978 35th Reunion Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

Katherine Weiss DiSabito is proud to announce the graduation of her son, Anthony, from Westfield State University with a degree in business administration.

1981 Susan Karlin wrote: “One of my Fast Company articles – about surveillance technology themes in CBS’ Person of Interest – was reprinted in the coffee table book, The Human

Jessica, Deanna, Nicholas and Jon Wolf ’90

The Morrison family: Paiute, Andrew ’91, Gabriella, Oscar and Terra

Face of Big Data, published by the folks who do the Day in the Life book series.”

1990

1983

Mike Mitchell and his wife, Lynn, welcomed son Patrick Charles Mitchell on December 7, 2012. He joins sisters, Charlotte and Meredith.

30th Reunion Contact: Matt Gertler ’90 mgertler@newarka.edu

1988 25th Reunion Contact: Melissa Dollinger Shein msheinus@yahoo.com

1989 Don Stroh and brother Bob ’85 are sad to report the death of their father, alumnus and avid NA supporter, William C. H. Stroh III ’48, who died peacefully on February 3, 2013. Bill’s dedication and love for his alma mater will surely be missed.

Max Cure, the foundation that David Plotkin established to fight pediatric cancer, has raised more than $900,000 to create a cell-therapy research lab at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York. David is now expanding his charitable work by creating events across the country that raise money for needy families whose children are undergoing cancer treatment. The events combine fitness and fundraising. In March, David’s foundation organized the Be Brave N’ Fly national cycling event. Participants at cycling gyms signed up for a class that began and ended simultaneously at multiple locations across the country, with all proceeds benefitting the foundation’s initiatives. Jon Wolf recently celebrated 15 years working at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut. After producing the evening edition of SportsCenter for three years, he was promoted to coordinating producer in 2011. Jon now oversees planning and coverage for SportsCenter and manages

Mike Mitchell’s ’90 joys: Meredith and Patrick Charles

reporters and producers across the country. This position allows him to travel to many different sporting events including the Super Bowl which he attended in February. The center of Jon’s world remains his wife, Jessica, and two children, Nicholas (7) and Deanna (4). Jon and his family enjoy traveling, including visits to brother Gary ’88 and his family in Yardley, Pennsylvania.

1991 Scott Algeier has his own consulting company focusing on cyber security and homeland security issues. Last January, the industry publication, Homeland Security Today, published an online profile of Scott and a nonprofit organization he oversees. Scott has appeared in other print publications, in addition to radio and television discussions of cyber security issues. Andrew Morrison and his wife, Gabriella, recently moved from Oregon to Colorado to support their son Paiute (16) in his dream of becoming a professional hockey player. Paiute is currently attending Fountain Valley School (FVS) and is playing U18 AAA hockey. His team secured first place in the conference

Get your Newark Academy gear and gifts at NA’s online store. Visit www.newarka.edu/store.

CLASS NOTES 56

NA’S BIGGEST FAN: JOCKEY HIMELSTEIN A Reflection by Jake Cecere ’78 You could usually find him on the sidelines of an NA sports Written by Salamishah Tillet ’92

contest (smoking his pipe if it was outside) or sitting at Mr. Kacur’s desk in the old phys. ed. office that was tucked in between the “little gym” and the old pool. Casually perched there to survey approaching individuals, preparing a tailored witticism once his failing eyesight permitted him the recognition. He was a white-haired, wrinkled, little gent with a Brooklyn accent and a Brooklyn sense of humor to match. Imagine the stature of Danny DeVito and the delivery of Rodney Dangerfield in an NA windbreaker and baseball cap. Abel “Jockey” Himmelstein came to Newark Academy in 1965, through a friendship with Dr. Fred Gangemi, father of four NA alums. His official position was athletic equipment manager and trainer. His real influence was that of friend, confidant, ardent supporter through thick and thin, and giver of sage advice — Brooklyn style. Jockey was the omnipresent NA fan. Rumor had it that the small door in the screen divider separating the big and little gyms was built by Bob Hendrickson just so that Jockey could watch simultaneously occurring basketball and

going into the play-offs. Their daughter, Terra (13), started competing in Interscholastic Equestrian Association horseback riding shows and placed first in her last appearance. She will attend FVS as a freshman in the fall. Andrew and Gabriella continue to teach people how to build straw bale houses all over the world with classes in Australia, Europe, Canada, and throughout the U.S. Their business at StrawBale.com is booming and they continue to expect great things moving forward. They recently bought six acres near Ashland, Oregon (their true home base) and plan to build a home there when their children leave for college.

wrestling contests, and then easily cut through the athletic office to catch a swim meet. True or not, Jockey was every NA athlete’s biggest fan and supporter. If you were injured, Jockey slapped on the “hi-droc-ya-lay-tah” to soothe aching muscles. If you needed a ride to watch an away contest, Jockey and his Dodge Rambler were always available. He was usually more than happy to let a licensed upperclassman drive because (as long as I knew him), Jockey could barely see. He somehow made it to campus from his home near the shore. It had to be divine intervention that got him to and from campus safely because his love for NA and its students was fervent and unconditional. When you won, Jockey was there to congratulate you and remind you not to let it go to your head. When you lost, he could cut through the “devastation” by putting a smile on your face. I know that his memory elicits a smile on the faces and in the hearts of the NA family members he knew and loved. Not a bad legacy for a little guy from Brooklyn.

Steve Rothman is the founder and CEO of ShopCube, the world’s first Tournament Shopping website. After a long time in development, the site opened its doors to the public in March. A former lawyer, turned entrepreneur, Steve created ShopCube with the goal of marrying two of the most popular online worlds – gaming and shopping. Steve leads the business team from the company’s Manhattan office and has full time development teams in Jerusalem and Cape Town. Steve welcomes you to check out the site at www.shopcube.com. NA alums can receive some free “cubes” (chances to win) by registering and then emailing Steve their site user name and NA class year at steve@shopcube.com.

Jason Granet ’96 welcomes Matthew Stark Granet

David Kimowitz ’97 with comedian Artie Lange

Jackie Ko-Dillon’s ’99 daughters Mila Ling and Kali Mae

1992

1994

1996

Salamishah Tillet is an assistant professor of English and Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. To mark the beginning of Black History Month, Dr. Tillet spoke at the University of Missouri about her book Sites of Slavery: Citizenship and Racial Democracy in the Post-Civil Rights Imagination which was published last July. The book examines why and how contemporary African American artists, writers, and intellectuals portray antebellum slavery within post-Civil Rights America.

Chloe Yelena Miller’s first book of poetry, Unrest, was published by Finishing Line Press in January. Unrest illustrates the experience of loss through food, foreign language, travel, visual art, and more. Visit chloeyelenamiller.blogspot.com for more information.

Jason Granet announced the birth of his second child, Matthew Stark Granet, on November 25, 2012. The family currently resides in London and loves it. They have traveled all over Europe and are taking advantage of the opportunities living abroad can offer. He writes that “Aunt Lindsay Granet Rosen ’99 and Uncle Adam Rosen ’99 are very pleased to now have two nephews to chase after!”

1993 20th Reunion Contact: Timothy E. Herburger burgermac@mac.com Jed S. Rosenthal jedrosenthal@gmail.com

Michael Rosengart was the strength coach and assistant football coach at Santa Monica College and helped his team score a 9-1 record and a Conference Championship. He also authored and illustrated the Prehab Exercise Book for Runners which involves Prehab techniques and drills to help runners prevent injuries, improve body mechanics and lower their race times.

1995 Nihal Mehta is currently CEO of LocalResponse, Inc., a company he co-founded known then as buzzd. LocalResponse helps marketers respond to real-time consumer intent. Prior to LocalResponse, Nihal founded ipsh! in 2001, one of the first full-service mobile marketing agencies, which he then sold to Omnicom in 2005. Last February, LocalResponse was named one of Forbes Magazine’s most promising American companies. Jillian Northrup and her husband, Jeffrey, run an architectural designbuild company in Oakland, California, called Because We Can. They recently received some international press for their “cat-tube,” or CTS (Cat Transit System) which was part of a larger interior renovation job they recently completed for a client in San Francisco. Check out past projects and follow their blog at www.becausewecan.org.

1997 David Kimowitz has been managing comedians and running a production company called CH Entertainment. Last September he opened The Stand Restaurant & Comedy Club in the Gramercy neighborhood on Third Avenue between 19th and 20th Streets in New York. The venue includes a restaurant upstairs and a comedy club downstairs.

1998 15th Reunion Contact: Lisa Shah Sen lisashahsen@gmail.com

Neil Rome and his wife, Erin, announced the birth of their daughter, Jade Madison, on October 29, 2012.

CLASS NOTES 58

1999 Adam Kaswiner reports that ChefKas LLC, his culinary venture, is growing rapidly. He is now the executive chef of Daily Kitchen in Las Vegas and has partnered with the Lev Restaurant Group. In addition to recent appearances on The Taste and Ex-Wives of Rock, he is also practicing and teaching the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira which he began nine years ago. NA alumni visiting Vegas should give ChefKas a shout. Jackie Ko-Dillon and her husband, Greg, welcomed their second child, Kali Mae, on November 26, 2012. Mila Ling (3) is enjoying being a big sister. The family of four currently lives in Irvine, California. Jodi Luciani and Ryan Cohen were married last November. The couple resides in Edgewater, New Jersey.

Ben Purkert ’03 featured in The New Yorker

Bride Jessica Jacobowitz with Eric Weinberg ’04

2001

in Boston where Rumena graduated from Harvard Business School and now works for Blackstone in the tech advisory department.

Josh Mallalieu and his wife, Michelle, welcomed a baby boy, Jude Salvatore, on October 16, 2012. Jude joins big brother Noah (3) and sister Emory (18 months). Josh continues to work at Universal McCann in New York as partner in portfolio management, specializing in digital communications.

2002 Alex Senchak married Rumena Manolova on October 6, 2012 in Grace Cathedral after meeting in San Francisco in 2008. Alex works for Graham-Pelton as a senior consultant

FEELING SOCIAL? Connect with NA on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn newarka.edu/socialmedia

2003 10th Reunion Contact: Lauren Anderson lauren.h.anderson@gmail.com David Mazzuca david.mazzuca@gmail.com Evan Sills evan.sills@gmail.com

Jeb Banegas has been editing Oddities on the Science channel, and Counting Cars and Pawn Stars on the History channel. His short film, City Limits, recently finished its festival run with screenings at the Big Apple Film Festival, The Golden Door Jersey City Film Festival and the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival. Ben Purkert was named to the Best New Poets list for 2012, a competition for emerging writers. Additionally, one of Ben’s poems was published in a recent issue of The New Yorker magazine.

2004 Last May, Jamie Cohen graduated from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is currently a pediatric resident at the Chris Evert Children’s Hospital of

Megan Shand â&#x20AC;&#x2122;06 married Philip Wasserman

Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. Jordan Hauer launched a company in December called Tangent Data Services. They offer real-time data analysis on consumer e-commerce transactions. This information provides investors with actionable insights on public companies. He is very excited about this new opportunity and has had very positive reactions from current and prospective clients. Go to tangentds.com for details. Michael Kirwan moved to New York last October to start a new job with the Robin Hood Foundation. He was hired to manage their povertyfighting grants to early childhood programs (preschools, home visiting programs, therapeutic interventions, and other programs for young children). He is also responsible for identifying agencies in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut to receive funding raised by the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief, which the Robin Hood Foundation spearheaded to raise more than $50 million for people in need.

Massachusetts. Jessica is an attorney and Eric is a dental student at the Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine.

2005 Daniel Deraney is working for a police misconduct litigation firm in Woodbury, New Jersey, telecommuting from Boston where he is in his last semester of law school at Suffolk University. He will be returning to New Jersey in May after graduation to take the New York and New Jersey bar exams and will be looking for a position in criminal law, civil liberties, labor law or employment law. Aside from school and work, Daniel has embarked on a journey in starting an exclusive e-mailing list that he writes himself about events

going on throughout Boston. The current membership is about 250 people and it is called the #YesPeopleBostonGroup. He sends all of his subscribers an e-mail with art gallery openings, festivals, restaurant openings, musical and acting performances, concerts, sporting events and much more. Along with Aviad Haimi-Cohen, who recently left the area for San Francisco, Daniel spreads the word among the NA alums and many different social circles. Last November, Eva Olesky and Brian Ostrowsky were married. Due to Hurricane Sandy, they had to change venues only three days prior to the ceremony, but Eva reports it was a fabulous event. She is currently teaching 6th grade history at The Pingry School, where she also coaches JV field hockey, JV lacrosse and middle school basketball.

2006 Last September Megan Shand married Philip Wasserman in Tiverton, Rhode Island. Faculty members Amy Emelianoff and Elaine

SEND US RECOLLECTIONS OF YOUR TEACHERS Newark Academy Alumni Relations is compiling stories of teachers from the most trusted source, the students they taught. If you have an anecdote or simply wish to put into words the impact your teachers had on your life, we want to hear from you. If you would like to contribute to this vital piece of Newark Academy history,

Eric Weinberg married Jessica Jacobowitz on August 2, 2012 in Los Angeles. Paul Cobuzzi, Michael Wagner, and Bernd Wilms served as groomsmen; Jayson Uppal, Larissa Shnayder, and Stephane Slotten also flew in to celebrate. Eric and Jessica live in Boston,

send an e-mail to Matt Gertler at mgertler@newarka.edu or mail them to the Newark Academy Alumni Relations office.

CLASS NOTES 60

Giulia Mercuri ’10 and Jordyn Luks ’10 in Madrid

Brodie were in attendance, as well as fellow graduates Tracy Jacobson, Sam Berlin, Sarah Marcus, Matt Brodie and Max Jacobson ’09. Congratulations to Tracy Jacobson and the other members of the chamber music group WindSync who won the prestigious 2012 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh International Competition. According to the guild, “These five virtuoso players specialize in creative, engaging and interactive concerts that inspire audiences of all ages. Critics and audiences alike rave about performances that expand the wind quintet repertoire to include newly commissioned works written for the group and a wide array of original arrangements of classical masterworks.”

2007 Samantha Massengill lives in San Antonio, Texas, and works as an electrical engineer, applying digital signal processing to solve complex problems in the defense industry. Last spring, she published an awardwinning magazine article in High Frequency Electronics on interference mitigation in WiFi networks. Sam loves everything Texas has to offer – new experiences, bright stars and an amazing community – and is looking forward to buying a house in the near future.

Matt Lara ’12 with his host mother in Spain

2008 5th Reunion Contact: David Frank dfrank5@u.rochester.edu Alexa Gruber alexa.gruber@richmond.edu Lynn Olesky lynnolesky@gmail.com Maximilian C. Staiger Mstaiger@Bowdoin.edu

2009 Samantha Lara made the dean’s list at Bucknell University last fall.

2010 Blake Alex recently returned from a semester abroad in Vienna. In addition to his studies, he was able to travel to many countries in Europe. Fellow NA grad and University of Chicago classmate Jennifer Xia also returned after participating in the same program. Jesse Friedman is a junior at Tulane University. Last fall, he spent four months studying Cuban history, culture and political theory at the University of Havana. In addition, he spent considerable time traveling throughout the island. In January, Jesse was cast as Alan Strang in Equus with the Promethean Theatre Company in Kenner, New Orleans.

Rex Macaylo, a junior at Columbia University, is interning with the BBC in New York in the strategy and research department during the spring semester. Last fall, Giulia Mercuri and Jordyn Luks studied abroad together in Madrid, Spain. Throughout their travels, they were able to meet up with fellow classmates Ali Howarth, Evan Golombek, and Rex Macaylo. Alex Ratner was recently accepted into the Whiffenpoofs of Yale, the world’s oldest and best-known collegiate a cappella group. Only 14 seniors are chosen each year. If you were once a Whiffenpoof, Alex wants to hear from you.

2012 Rahul Kaul received the Mortara Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which is offered to only three freshmen from Georgetown University’s School for Foreign Service. Rahul will conduct research in various areas of intellectual interest and potentially co-publish through the SFS and Mortara Center by his junior year. Matt Lara spent his first semester at Colby in Spain as part of the First Semester Abroad program. He stayed in the city of Salamanca with a host family, taking classes at the University of Salamanca. He studied Spanish language and writing as well as Spanish political history and cinema.

SAVE THE DATE HOMECOMING AND REUNION â&#x20AC;˘ OCTOBER 26, 2013

HOMECOMING

Make noise for the Minutemen! Start the day with a 5-K run, athletic events, tailgating and activities for the whole family.

REUNION

Attention 3s and 8s: Meet up with old friends in new venues! This year, NA will host several reunion events geared to specific class years. Stay tuned for details.

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