Toaxnoes Summer 2017

Nichols SUMMER 2017

Celebrating 125 Years Page 34

Mission “Our aim is to train minds, bodies and hearts for the work of life, and to carry into all we do the highest ideals of character and service.”

– Joseph D. Allen, 1909 (second Headmaster of Nichols School) Jeff Meyer President, Board of Trustees William Clough Head of School Leslie Garcia Director of Development Jesse Baier ’05 Director of Marketing & Communications Editor: Nannie Clough Class Notes Editor: Blake Walsh ’98 Director of Alumni Relations

7

Design: Kelley Rechin, Duffy Moon Design Printing: WebbMason Contributors: Alexis Agnello ’98, David Alexander ’75, Michael Angelakos ’05, Stuart Angert ’58, Meg Auerbach ’99, Eric Berlow ’84, Lise Buyer ’78, Stephen Clement, III ’62, Bill Clough, Chris Cole ’78, Chelsy Collins, John Davis ’48, Kerry Docherty ’01, Bill Donaldson ’’48, Paul Errickson, A.R. Gurney ’47, Heidi Halt ’81, Tom Harriman ’38, Colleen Heidinger ’02, Kristen Kelley, Hijab Khan ’12, George Kloepfer ’68, Jeffrey Linsky ’59, Don Miller ’60, Gail O’Donnell RSCJ, Elisa Peebles ’08, Jerry Pratter ’59, Emily Regan ’08, Will Regan ’10, Mary Rech Rockwell, Sandy Smith ’93, David Strahan ’51, Chris Wadsworth, Blake Walsh ’98, Sarah Draper Washington ’08, John Williams ’47, John Wray ’89, Laura Yusick ’96

24

Photography: Simon Chabel, Tom Maynor, Jeffrey Linsky ’59, Emily Regan ’08, Sandy Smith, Brynn Wilkins Class Notes: bwalsh@nicholsschool.org All other alumni matters: alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org Published by Nichols School’s Marketing & Communications Office and Development Office for alumni, parents and friends of the School.

30

Nichols SUMMER 2017

F E AT U R E S

7 Commencement 14 An Olympic Dream Realized in Rio 24 Confessions of a Solar Eclipse Junkie 30 Water Through An Interdisciplinary Lens 34 Nichols Celebrates 125 Years D E PA RTM E N T S

14

4 Campus Clips

76 Derby Day Success

6 From Mitchell Hall

77 Reunion

12 Faculty Awards

82 Buffalo Business First: Power 250

13 Philip M. Schneckenburger ’32 Scholarship 22 Recent Nichols Alumni Sports Highlights

83 In Memorium 97 Class Notes

– means “that which is true” and is pronounced “taw alay théss.”

Nichols School 1250 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14216 Telephone: 716.332.6300 • Fax: 716.875.3931 • www.nicholsschool.org Nichols is an inclusive community. Admission granted to qualified students.

34

CAMPUS CLIPS

1

2 3

4 4

Nichols School

5

7

6

9

8 1. The audience cheers as the cast of The Crucible takes a final bow.

2. The Nichols Concert Choir performs at the Winter Concert.

3. Avery O’Carroll ’24 introduces herself to the 5th grade’s longtime slithery friend, Oz. Each year, the 5th grade meets Oz while spending a week at the zoo for their unit on ecosystems.

4. Middle School students make finishing touches on their Lego robot in preparation for an upcoming robotics competition.

5. As the first co-captain during the first year of the Nichols Sailing team, Meredith Ryan ’18 smiles while finishing a race.

6. The Varsity Baseball team warms up before a game.

7. Anne Najdzionek ’19 smiles as she goes Bald for Bucks to raise money for cancer research. In our tenth year participating in Bald for Bucks, our community raised more than $17,000.

8. An exciting broomball match between the senior and freshmen classes leaves Courtney Felle ’17 beaming with Vikings pride.

9. Caroline Hurley ’19 and Camryn Warren ’19 happily weed a garden bed, on the west side of Buffalo, at the Farmer’s Garden Patch for the annual Day of Service.

Summer 2017

5

From Mitchell Hall Head of School Bill Clough

This summer, as we mark our 125th year and set our sights on the next 125 years, excavators are pulling back the earth from the Mitchell Hall foundation to address drainage issues that have long-plagued the building. We can’t have water in our buildings, especially where people are, and we can’t worry every time it rains that we need to take up the rugs. The work is proactive, and it is necessary.

Of course, fresh water also permeates the media and our collective consciousness. We are learning about extreme flooding along our coastlines, wildfires and water bans in arid communities, and about water quality issues in nearby cities like Flint. There is much discussion about the water quality of the Great Lakes and a renewed impetus to clean up the rivers and tributaries that feed them. Locally, we are seeing more rain barrels, bioswales, and other evidence of green infrastructure. Our habits around water are also changing.

We are learning to see water as a vital resource, something with cultural, environmental, spiritual, and economical significance. We see evidence of this everywhere, including the emergence of Canalside, cleanup efforts in the Buffalo River and Scajaquada Creek, and growing volunteerism and entrepreneurship throughout the city. Farther away, the scarcity of fresh water, let alone the quality, is alarming.

6

Nichols School

Given our location, given that our region’s history was determined by water (likely our future will be too), and given that water is the focus of so much of our curriculum already, it makes sense that we should study it, and this is why water will be the academic theme next year.

As much as the air we breathe, water binds us, unites us, and divides us, and we take it for granted.

Seventh grade science teacher Sandy Smith ’93 will coordinate our thematic effort next year. She is the right person for the job because she already uses waterways as her classroom, partners with local organizations dedicated to cleaning and preserving water, serves on local and national organizations that focus on cleanup and preservation, and collaborates with teachers from other disciplines to bring her curriculum to life. Finally, her work (her passion) dovetails nicely with our strategic initiatives to blend disciplines and partner with our community. You can read more about this initiative on page 30.

I spent my childhood summers on a lake in New Hampshire, and the water was so clean we used to drink straight from the lake. I know this because at the start of every summer we would swim the water pipe beyond the shore and anchor it to the bottom. We don’t drink the lake water anymore; we drink from bottles bought at the grocery store.

We used to catch smallmouth bass, trout, and salmon; today, the trout and salmon have all but disappeared and rock bass have taken over. We worry about invasive plants, zebra mussels, and what was not scrubbed off of a visiting boat. In hindsight, we clearly took our water quality for granted. No more.

We hope that our water theme will catch our students’ attention and inspire them to think and act with urgency. We hope to help them understand why fresh water is a vital resource and what they can do to protect it. We hope to give them an appreciation for the complexity and diversity of opinions surrounding the topic, and we hope to inspire them to lend their own voices to this important discussion. n

CO M M E N C E M E N T

Honoring the Class of 2017 th at the 125 Commencement The Quadrangle was filled with beautiful sunshine and joyful smiles on Friday, June 2, as Nichols School celebrated its 125th Commencement and conferred diplomas to the 93 members of the Class of 2017. Head of School Bill Clough welcomed the community with opening remarks, commenting that the Class of 2017 is confident, grateful, and proud of their accomplishments, and has a strong foundation on which to build their bright future.

The commencement address was delivered by President of the Board of Trustees Jerry Jacobs Jr. ’81, co-Chief Executive Officer of Delaware North, who reminisced about his days in the halls of Nichols School.

He stressed the importance of humility, a sense of humor, and confidence in forging a successful life, then addressed the senior class directly, saying “know that when you step on this campus [as alumni], you will be welcomed...it will always be your school.”

Mikyle Hassanali ’17 served as the student-elected speaker. After listing the 8 countries represented by guests attending the 125th Commencement, Hassanali said that the senior class has “learned how to celebrate our differences...and has grown as academics, athletes, artists, and people.”

Alumni Awards During Commencement exercises on June 2, Nichols presented Distinguished and Honorary Alumni Awards to three worthy recipients.

Bill Clough presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Dr. Peter Boer ’57, President and CEO of Tiger Scientific Inc. Peter’s accomplishments include groundbreaking work forged in the everevolving field of science and an undying love and support for Nichols.

Peter is a dedicated supporter of institutions he loves, but is most importantly a devoted husband, parent, and grandparent who shares his love of learning with all. Clough remarked that Nichols is “incredibly fortunate to count you as one of our own, and as a friend and differencemaker in the world.”

Board of Trustees President Jerry Jacobs, Jr. ’81 presented the Distinguished Alumna Award to Annette Holzman Fitch ’82, President of Print Plus. As an alumna, parent, trustee, volunteer, donor, and vendor of choice, Fitch has worn many hats that have all helped push Nichols to new levels of success. Jacobs commented that Fitch has “given her heart and soul to Nichols...you are one of the strongest, most dependable and likable members this community has the pleasure to know.”

Bill Clough returned to the podium to present the Honorary Alumnus Award to Frank Witkowski, a member of Nichols’ Facilities Department for the past 34 years. Clough spoke about Frank’s “loyal and genuine approach to work and relationships with colleagues, students, and parents. [Witkowski] is the backbone to 1250 Amherst St., with an unparalleled sense of humor and contagious enthusiasm for life, and we can’t imagine this place without you.”

Summer 2017

7

Upper School Major Awards 2017 Senior Awards (VI Form)

Junior Awards (V Form)

Freshman Award (III Form)

Edmund Petrie Cottle, Jr. Award Myles Hervey

Dudley M. Irwin, III ’45 Award James Rauch

Christopher Wadsworth Award Noah Daniels, Dana Nigrin

Awarded to that member of the graduating class whose scholarship, achievement, leadership and influence based on character has been of greatest value to the school.

Presented to a junior boy who, by virtue of character and leadership, has assumed prominence in his class.

Presented to that member of the freshman class who, by scholastic performance, by participation in school activities and by character, has assumed a position of prominence in the class.

Faculty Prize Lorena James Awarded to that member of the graduating class who has contributed most to the school in activities other than athletics.

Williams Cup Leeanne Jones According to the inscription on the cup, is presented to the student with highest scholastic standing in the graduating class who has won a varsity letter at Nichols and exemplified the spirit of Nichols athletics.

McCarthy Prize Sam Witkowski Awarded to a student who has shown outstanding growth during his or her career at Nichols.

Head of School Award Hugh Brown, Tom Elia, Austin Ellis-Mohr, Mikyle Hassanali, Hailey Miller, Michael Nercessian, Sara Grace Newman, Kayla Sienkiewicz Presented to the student or students who have made outstanding contributions to the school and its life during the year.

Joseph L. Hudson, Jr. ’49 Award Maya Nigrin Awarded to a senior who embodies citizenship and virtue throughout his or her years at Nichols School, and emerged as an exemplary individual who has contributed to the Nichols community through his or her willingness to live with honor and without pretense or judgment. It is hoped that this award will not be given to a student who will also receive several other awards.

10

Nichols School

Nottingham Award Maren Geiger Presented to a junior girl who, by virtue of character and leadership, has assumed prominence in her class.

Harvard Prize Book Dora Paolini Presented to an outstanding member of the junior class who displays excellence in scholarship and high character, combined with achievement in other fields.

Williams College Book Award Hanna Prince, Nate Thompson Presented to a junior who has demonstrated exceptional academic achievement and intellectual leadership, and has made a significant contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.

Sophomore Award (IV Form) Yale Award Lindsey Haughton Presented to that member of the sophomore class who, by scholarship performance, by participation in school activities, and by character, has assumed a position of prominence in the class.

Cum Laude 2017 Bryan Bylsma Elizabeth Collins Courtney Felle Amelia Goodloe Mikyle Hassanali Kendra Jones Leeanne Jones Caroline Magavern Michael Malof Hana Mamnoon Spencer Maranto Julia McDonald Hailey Miller Michael Nercessian Sara Newman Maya Nigrin Kaela Parentis Parker Sanders Tong Wu

CO M M E N C E M E N T

Middle School Awards and 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony

2016-2017 Middle School Awards The Cornelia L. Dopkins Award: Giacinta Murray ’24, Malachi Doyle ’23, Rose Saperston ’22, Yamato Takabe ’22, Mackenzie Sucher ’21​ Named in honor of an extraordinary teacher, scholar, and Head of the Nichols Middle School on two different occasions, this award is given to 5th-8th grade students who have been nominated by their peers because they have demonstrated a genuine concern for others and for Nichols School. The recipient is a person who sees what needs to be done and does it with enthusiasm and without expectation of reward, a quality Mrs. Dopkins displayed throughout her lengthy career at Nichols.

The Henry D. Waters Award: Finn Balbach ’24, Avery O’Carroll ’24, Kate Coburn ’23, Molly Stewart ’23 This award was established to honor Henry D. Waters, who dedicated his life to his second career as a dean, advisor, English teacher supreme, Hall of Fame coach and athlete, and friend of middle school students for twenty-five years. It is awarded to fifth or sixth grade students who display the qualities Henry Waters valued most: a willingness to participate in all activities to the best of their ability; fair-mindedness; good sportsmanship; honesty; empathy; citizenship; and a positive sense of humor.

The Pliny H. Hayes III Award: Martina Kiewek ’22 This award was established to honor Pliny H. Hayes, III, former Head of the Nichols Middle School; a brilliant leader, counselor, classical scholar, and world traveler, Pliny was devoted to Nichols, its students, and its faculty. It is given to that seventh grade student whose commitment to and pursuit of excellence in all endeavors challenges others; whose enjoyment and pleasure in new experiences and learning stimulates others, and whose character and personal integrity inspires others.

The Bruce Anderson Award: Dean Parentis ’21, Michael Tuber ’21 This award is given by his eighth grade classmates of 1973 in memory of Bruce Anderson. It is awarded to an eighth grade boy who not only displays athletic excellence and a fine sense of sportsmanship but also contributes to the general welfare of his classmates through strength of character and leadership.

The Nichols Coaches’ Award: Emily Finach ’21 This award is given to an eighth grade girl who not only has displayed athletic excellence and a fine sense of sportsmanship, but also through strength of character and leadership has contributed to the general welfare of her classmates.

E. Webster Dann Faculty Award: Mariam Faruqui ’21, Steven Hall ’21, Zahra Khan ’21, Lauren Radford ’21, Sophia Vukas ’21, Julia Yohe ’21 These awards are given by the faculty in honor of E. Webster Dann, a long time dean, math teacher, and hockey aficionado, to 8th graders who have earned our special admiration and appreciation because of their positive contributions to life at the Middle School. With this award, we recognize various combinations of the following: positive leadership, sound character, persistent effort and growth, a true concern for others, and a helping nature.

The Charles I. Kleiser Award: Joshua Stead-Dorval ’21 This award was established in 1960 by the faculty to honor the memory of Charles I. Kleiser, a Nichols Junior School teacher for more than thirty years whose devotion to his craft and his students remains legendary.

It is awarded to an eighth grade student who has demonstrated qualities of positive leadership, sound character, and concern for others.

The Robert A. Gillespie-Vincent E. Walsh Award: Mariam Faruqui ’21 The Robert A. Gillespie-Vincent E. Walsh Academic Award was established by Allan J. Lerner, class of 1947, to honor two outstanding Nichols teachers. It is awarded to the eighth grade student(s) who has achieved the highest academic standing during his or her eighth grade year.

Summer 2017

11

FAC U LT Y AWARDS

William Nichols Award: Kerry Bennett The William Nichols Award was established in 1985 to recognize a member of the faculty or staff who has made a lasting contribution to the School. Kerry Bennett, III Form Dean and Upper School Latin teacher, joined the Nichols development office in 1992. Seeking more contact with students, she moved to college counseling and then to the Latin classroom.

Currently, she advises students and advises teachers on students. Each fall she shepherds 50 new students and 50 middle school students through the transition to high school. With a gentle blend of discipline and understanding, she supports adolescents and earns their respect. Kerry’s intelligence, generosity, and strength of character benefit others in countless ways every day.

Gannon Family Foundation Faculty Award Recipient: Christine Boddicker Roach The Gannon Family Foundation Faculty Award is awarded to a Nichols faculty member who is nominated by his or her peers for making an outstanding contribution to the education of students.

This year’s recipient is Christine Boddicker Roach, who has taught and coached in both divisions at Nichols for 21 years. An exemplary teacher and role model, Christine brings American history to life for her young charges, emphasizing causal relationships between the events on our historical timeline and weeding out the real from the fake in this complex digital age we live in today. Christine meets students where they are and encourages them to move beyond their comfort zones to explore the ever-evolving experiment that is our American republic. Her students respect her and work hard for her on a daily basis, reflecting the consistency and honesty she so tirelessly models for them. Also a valued colleague by so many, Christine keeps everyone on the right track by offering positive counsel that reminds us of what is essential and what is not.

12

Nichols School

Philip M. Schneckenburger ’32 Scholarship

By Laura Lombardo Yusick ’96

Nichols School is extremely fortunate to have many named endowment funds, known as need-based Named Scholarships, established by alumni and friends of the School to support our financial aid program. One such scholarship, established by the Schneckenburger family, has made a beautiful impact on our arts program. The scholarship is awarded to a student who qualifies for financial need and who shows a special interest in and propensity for talent in music. Our Schneckenburger Scholars are named as ninth grade students and remain so through graduation.

Philip (or Schneck as his fellow classmates called him) graduated from Nichols School in 1932. In his yearbook, the editor describes the strength of his football prowess and musical talent. Schneck played the leading role in the comic operetta and made a lasting impression on his peers.

During the 1930s, Buffalo, alongside the rest of the country, was experiencing the effects of the Great Depression. Following graduation in 1932, Philip sold typewriters door-to-door until he was employed by IBM. It was his technical experience with IBM that placed him with the Signal Corp during World War II. His job was to intercept and crack enemy codes. After his discharge, he invented and patented the first coin-operated gas pump and started Gasoteria Corporation with his father. He applied for the patent in January 1944 and while it was in production and being tested, he worked in the banking business and then eventually for American Express. In 1950, Philip married his wife Alice and together they had a daughter, Grace Schneckenburger Parker. They settled on a farmhouse in Connecticut, where he spent years renovating the property himself- from attic to outhouse.

He dug foundation, welded and read The Do-It-Yourself Reader’s Digest from cover to cover to use as a guide for his projects. According to Grace he would have loved all the DIY home improvement shows on TV today.

When asked about her father’s love of music, Grace said, “As was noted in his yearbook, he loved music and, having never taken a lesson, was blessed with the ability to play the piano by ear. I remember times when we would come home from a show and he would sit right down at the piano and recreate the music- by ear!” Grace said, Family gatherings were always a celebration when her father and her uncle, Richard Schneckenburger ’27, sat at the piano and performed. The scholarship is a tribute to his memory and love for music.

It is our hope that our Schneckenburger scholars contribute to the music program in various ways- join

orchestra, sing in our chorus, perform a musical moment, or perhaps play at our open house, jazz, band, or Cabaret.

This year, Victoria Krentz ’17 and Julia McDonald ’17, our current Schneckenburger scholars, graduated in June.

Victoria has always been a strong student, organized, conscientious and determined. She sets a high standard in the classroom and on the crew team. She has played clarinet in our Orchestra and is the lead tenor saxophone in Jazz Band. Victoria feels that Nichols provides opportunity, “There is something for everyone here.” She has enjoyed the personal lessons and flexibility with regard to our music program as she has tried playing other instruments to experiment with her musical interests.

Victoria plans on heading south for college.

Julia applied to Nichols excelling in Math and Music. She has been playing piano since age 5 and was an all-state Jazz pianist prior to her arrival at Nichols. Julia, like Victoria, is a strong student and learns at an advanced level. She is also a student that has embraced the opportunities Nichols has provided. At the gate, Julia immediately immersed herself in all aspects of Nichols life. Julia has joined our dance program, Chorus and Orchestra and plays with the Jazz Band. In addition to her musical pursuits, Julia has been a participant in both Science Olympiad, Robotics, and Student Council.

She has also taken part in our annual Leadership Symposium and Diversity Conference.

With the addition new faculty members, Daniel Basin (Upper School Orchestral Music Teacher and Orchestra Director) and David Hahn (Upper School Vocal Music Teacher and Chorus Director), we expect a great deal of energy and interest in our music program. We look forward to meeting candidates who have an interest in music and could be considered for the Schneckenburger Scholarship. To apply, students must complete the admissions process and the financial aid application to determine eligibility. Please contact Laura Yusick at 716.332.6329 about the need-based scholarship process. n Those wishing to support the Schneckenburger Scholarship at Nichols are encouraged to contribute to the fund, as it is a part of the School’s permanent endowment. If you would like information on establishing a new Named Scholarship in honor or memory of a family or loved one, please contact Leslie Garcia at 716.332.5151.

Summer 2017

13

An

OlympiC Dream Realized in Rio

14

Nichols School

Emily Regan ’06

, a member of the 2016 United States

Olympic team who competed in an eight-person boat, won gold in Rio last summer.

In September 2016, she and her teammates traveled to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the victory in the White House with former President Obama. The team’s gold medal victory was the culmination of years of dedication. Here, Emily recounts her journey.

Summer 2017

15

The Daily Grind For six long years, I dedicated myself to training for a long shot – the dream of one day representing my country as a member of the U.S. Women’s Rowing team in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Thinking about the Olympics until I actually made the team was overwhelming, so I often incorporated short-term goals to guide me along my journey.

Training at the elite level can feel like the movie Groundhog Day. We trained two to three times a day, six days a week. Our hardest workouts were always on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Usually, Sundays didn’t include an assigned workout, but I found over time that I needed to do something to perform my best.

All this training is exhausting and can easily strain relationships. My teammates are some of my best friends. But it can be very difficult to find the balance between competing for spots on the team, supporting each other, and just being friends.

Elite training creates an interesting dynamic between the women, but develops some of the strongest friendships as well.

The volume of training also places a huge strain on the body.

As rowers, we don’t have to deal with the same type of injuries that occur in contact sports, but overuse injuries are common, including rib stress fractures and back injuries.

I have been fortunate to avoid rib injuries but have dealt with my fair share of back issues.

Last spring, I hurt my back at what felt like the worst possible moment. Every year we have a National Selection Regatta. We race in a two-person boat and results have a critical impact on selection for the national team. This time, it was especially stressful as results would also play heavily in Olympic

16

Nichols School

team selection. I struggled with back spasms a few weeks out from the race, which took me completely out of practice. Physically, I knew my body would heal, but the mental game with injuries is the most challenging. I knew that I had to heal as quickly as possible if I wanted to race. Fortunately I did heal in time to race, but finished on the wrong end of two really close races. We lost to the same boat by a combined total of six hundredths of a second over two races and placed eighth overall.

This was my lowest point of the season. Following our result, I felt like I had ruined my path to the Olympic Games and that my dream was now going to be impossible to achieve.

But elite training teaches you to be resilient. Finding the inner resolve to bounce back in the midst of the lowest moments is a skill that ultimately leads to success. These skills take time to develop and are tested often. I’m naturally stubborn and won’t let myself quit when I commit to a goal. There were definitely more ups and downs leading into selection, but I challenged myself to be better.

I had three months left until selection following our National Selection Regatta, so I had to use that time to improve and show my coach that I would be an asset on the Olympic team.

Surviving the Stress of Selection Despite years of training, selection for the Olympics – or other major competitions, for that matter – is typically left until the last week before the final date when our team is officially named.

While we are evaluated throughout the year based on our performance on the water and ergometer, the selection process makes it feel like everything is riding on one week. Stress is high and practice becomes the easiest part of the day. At practice I have trained my body to row and compete throughout all of my years of training, but we don’t train for the waiting. The hardest part of the week is being at home where I often find myself overanalyzing everything that occurred during the previous practices and what those results might mean moving forward. Free time should be spent recovering and sleeping, but sleeping is difficult when your mind replays all of the potential outcomes of the week.

Team Announcement I had Monday, June 20 marked on my calendar the moment selection procedures were announced for the Olympic year. We had not raced in the eight or switched athletes since Friday. So, as each day passed between then and Monday, my nerves changed slowly into excitement. I woke up Monday morning with anticipation hoping to hear an announcement from my coach. Instead we had a normal practice in the eight earlier than the rest of the team who still had some selection pieces and Olympic places to fight for.

Nine women had a meeting with our coaches prior to our afternoon practice. I sat there tightly gripping Katelin Snyder’s hand, who was sitting next to me. There was so much anticipation in that moment.

We heard in between practices that the quadruple sculls selection had been confirmed by the coaches following their morning practice.

We awaited our own confirmation.

Tom, our head coach came in and sat across from us. He began by talking about selection before he officially announced that we were selected to the women’s eight at the Olympics. I had chills and a massive smile finally hearing those words from my coach.

The nine of us had a close bond throughout selection. We fought for each other every day, and I immediately felt we were capable of producing a special result.

Post Selection Following selection the anxiety and nerves that I felt leading up to team selection faded and the mood around the women on the Olympic team increased dramatically. The joy and excitement amongst my teammates was so fun to experience. Our team trains with uncertainty every day with one ultimate goal of making the Olympic team, an opportunity that we wait and train for years to accomplish. Taking away that anxiety made training become so much more enjoyable. However, I was surprised to find that it was still difficult to sleep once the final decision on the Olympic team was named. The sleepless nights transformed from

the fear that I would miss out to the excitement that I had accomplished such a huge life goal.

The end of selection also meant that some of our teammates that we trained daily with for years learned that their dreams were not destined to occur at this Olympics. It was a unique mix of emotions. I was elated for myself, but devastated for my teammates. I could only guess how I would feel on the other side of the equation. I’ve had low moments with training, but I knew the disappointment associated with falling short of the Olympics would surpass all of those moments combined. I felt terrible wondering what emotions those women were experiencing.

Summer 2017

17

Media Almost immediately, the anonymity of being an Olympic hopeful vanished when the team was named.

Suddenly, we were propelled into the media spotlight, which was a little bit shocking and overwhelming. I am generally outgoing, but tend to prefer being outside the spotlight in new situations. At first, I was nervous and critical of every answer I gave to the press. Luckily, the more you work with the media, the easier it is to relax. You’re often asked the same or similar questions, so you slowly become more confident.

Once our team was selected, we had an entire week dedicated to media, which was a fun change for a few days. During media week, we continued a normal training schedule, but we had press commitments between practices.

There were local and national TV

18

Nichols School

outlets, most of them chose athletes based on the article they were writing. Some wanted to interview Olympic veterans, others wanted the input of an Olympic rookie.

As a boat, the more extroverted athletes naturally turned into the spokesperson for the group.

I realized throughout media week that rowers are lucky to be able to focus on training without outside distractions on a normal basis. Media appearances can be exhausting added on top of training. It was fun to have the attention on our sport, but I’m glad that it’s not something we usually have to focus on.

Arrival in Rio Our team arrived in Rio with a legacy to defend – and competitors hungry to snap our winning streak.

The U.S. Women’s eight-person boat class is unbeaten at World

Championships and the Olympic Games since 2006. In an Olympic preview article that ran in Sports Illustrated, we were named “the unbeatables.”

These massive expectations, both our own and those of our country, along with the media’s focus on water quality issues, led to a few stressful days when we first arrived in Rio. Throughout the first five days in Brazil, our team did the best we could to find the best schedule to minimize any extraneous exercise, even walking, and maximize recovery time. At this point in our training we had done 99 percent of the work we would do for the Olympics, and the last few days were devoted to finetuning all of the fitness and skills that we’d built throughout the years.

The tension and worry amongst the women was palpable. My biggest fear entering Rio was that one of my

teammates or I would get sick from the water and not be able to race. We were all overly cautious when we first arrived. We avoided any fruits and vegetables that couldn’t be peeled and we used hand sanitizers every chance we had.

As the days went on, our schedule became more consistent and the water quality issues turned out to be overblown. This helped everyone settle down and relax a little as racing approached.

Heat: Our First Race In racing sports, there is a series of races that lead to the medal round.

In rowing and many other sports, the first race is known as the heat. The progression to the final depends on the number of entries in the event.

The morning of our heat I woke up extra early with nervous energy, but knew I was prepared and ready to race with my teammates. The previous day’s racing had been cancelled due to windy and unsafe water conditions. So we went the racing venue with the potential that the day’s racing could also be postponed, but conditions were ideal. At the start line, I looked up at the Christ the Redeemer monument that overlooked our venue and then all around me. I smiled; I was about to officially compete in the Olympic Games.

In the United States, we select our Olympic team much later than other countries, so this heat was the first full race that our boat competed in together. We made the commitment to each other that we wanted to stay completely focused inside our boat in order to find

the maximum speed that we could produce as a unit. We wanted to set the tone for our future racing and prepare ourselves in the best way possible moving forward. Our internal focus helped us jump out to an early lead and win our opening race by more than eight seconds, advancing directly into the medal final. When I caught my breath, I looked up to the girl in front of me and told her, “We can finally call ourselves Olympians.” I had dreamt of competing in the Olympics so often as a younger athlete, but until we finished our first race I couldn’t admit to myself that this experience was real.

The Waiting Game When you are racing at an Olympic Games or World Championships the training workload tapers off to help athletes reach peak speed at the right moment. Our coach controls the training plan to make sure that we can physically peak during our final. Our opening heat was Monday, and since we advanced directly to the final, we didn’t race again until Saturday – the Olympic final. That meant we had five free days until our final, and so the waiting game began – again.

In order to maximize the taper and limit distractions, our coach requested that we do everything as a team from the moment we landed in Rio until racing was completely finished. We did not attend the Opening Ceremonies, spend time with other athletes, or go to any other events that occurred during this timeframe. All of our free time was spent in our rooms at the Olympic Village. As a team, we spent a lot of time leading up

to and during race week napping, reading, or watching Netflix in our rooms. The only times we left our rooms were to travel as a group to the dining hall for meals and for practice. These rules and restrictions were established to limit distractions and keep our focus on the reason we were at the Olympic Games. In our coach’s words, “The second week of the Olympics would be a lot more fun with something heavy hanging around our necks.”

As the week went on I witnessed some of the fiercest races I have ever seen. Olympic veterans had shared stories about how much closer, more difficult and different racing is at the Olympics, but I didn’t truly comprehend this until I had the opportunity to watch Olympic racing first hand. My teammates, Ellen and Meg, competing in the women’s double in a different event, beat New Zealand, the defending World Champions by 0.05 seconds.

They advanced to the final with a chance to earn a medal and New Zealand did not.

Close racing continued, and I watched from the sidelines as many of my teammates missed out on medals during their finals. It feels horrible watching your friends narrowly miss out on fulfilling their dreams, sometimes by fractions of a second, but I know my feelings could never compare to what they felt in that moment.

Nerves naturally build throughout racing week, but seeing my friends and teammates miss out on their dreams made me feel like our boat had extra pressure to perform. We had to perform for every single woman that came through the training center throughout the entire Olympic cycle.

I knew exactly how much work these

Summer 2017

19

women had put in and how talented each and every single one of them is, so my racing nerves escalated to new levels leading in to our final.

Race Day I was surprised that I slept as well as I did the night before our Olympic final, but when I woke up, nervous energy consumed me.

One of my teammates had a dream that prompted her to play a few songs. The first song she chose was “If I Could Turn Back Time” by Cher. When I first started rowing at Michigan State, my roommate/ teammate would blast that exact song to wake me up for our early morning practices. Hearing it again the morning of our final made me feel like everything was coming together and significantly calmed my nerves.

Our final was on the last day of the rowing program at the Olympics. We arrived at the course early and the venue was empty.

Most of the other competitors had already packed up their equipment to ship home, so the only boats still remaining in the venue were the ones for the day’s racing. The last day of racing is always the best day for a practice row, a warm-up of sorts for the day ahead. It’s quiet and

20

Nichols School

calm on the course and you don’t have to compete for space with the other teams. The final practice row is always one of my favorite and also continued to sooth my nerves. In the quiet of the morning, we could focus our attention on the momentous task ahead without distraction. We were ready.

After the practice row, the venue started to come alive. Spectators and other athletes were arriving. We still had a few hours until our race time, so our boat found a quiet space to rest and make final preparations for our race.

The actual race is a blur, but I remember being down in the first half, but still having absolute confidence and trust in my teammates. I fully believed throughout the entire race that if we kept racing the way we were, we would win. Just after we crossed the 1000 m mark, our coxswain Katelin shouted, “We are the United States women’s eight.” That statement seems obvious, but it carried significant weight. It reminded us that we were racing for more than ourselves. This race was for every single woman that we trained with over the last four years and all of the women who had raced in the US eight before us who created a legacy for us to uphold. We took the lead and control of the race from that moment on. With just over 300 m left I could hear the British coxswain call her boat to go and I knew I had to dig in there. Great Britain had moved significantly on our boat during the sprint when we had raced them earlier in the year. I didn’t want to give them any hope at that point and wanted to move further ahead of them if we could.

We crossed the line in first place.

Immediately, I was filled with a tumult of emotions – from euphoria to tears of joy. Everything I had been through over years of training with my teammates had led me to this precise moment at the finish line of the Olympic Games.

Just before we walked to the podium for the medal ceremony, I was overcome with emotion again, realizing that my lifelong dream had come true. The moment was so much more than I ever could have imagined. I kept reminding myself to take everything in on the medal stand. Opportunities like that go by so quickly and I wanted to soak as much of the moment in as I could.

I will never forget the United Stated flag rising above the stadium with Christ the Redeemer just off in the distance, or singing the national anthem with my teammates as loud as we could.

Following the medal ceremony, my teammates and I ran up to the stands and hugged our families across the barriers. I can only remember thanking my dad over and over again and my brother James grabbing my hand. The last moments on the medal stand are a blur, but I will always cherish the short moment I had with my family.

Writing this now brings back some of that emotion. I would never have made it to this moment without the unwavering love and support of my family. They held me up when I didn’t have the strength to believe in myself. Their love, faith, and confidence in me never wavered. I can never thank them enough for helping me stay strong.

Post Rio Life My life changed dramatically when I returned home from the Olympics and I made sure to take advantage of the opportunities that came my way. I have lived with a strict schedule for my entire life and especially while training as an elite athlete. Training life is all about routine and throughout the fall, that routine was gone. When I made the Olympic team, I knew almost immediately that I wasn’t finished with the sport. Training did not begin again until January, so I often felt some anxiety without a schedule. My life was entirely about being as fit as possible for six years, so changing that mindset and allowing myself to take a break from daily workouts scared me. I was afraid of returning to team training out of shape and the impact that could have. I had to actively remind myself that a break was a good thing.

Physically and mentally I needed this time to recover from the workload I faced in the years leading up to the games.

For first month after the Olympics I was amazed by the amount of emotion I experienced. When I first arrived home I would cry almost every time I saw someone new in my family. I felt like an emotional wreck.

Looking back now I can understand

those reactions much better. I held so much in for the last six years. I had a dream and an ultimate goal. There were extreme highs and severe lows, but I don’t think I ever let myself truly appreciate the experiences I was having because I was always looking toward the next step along my journey. The Olympic final was the pinnacle and I suddenly could let out the emotions I had held in for so long.

Since Rio I have been jet-setting across the country. I always pictured the fall after the Olympic Games being a big vacation, but it surprised me how busy I was. I had so many new opportunities and I tried to say yes to as much as possible. I was honored by many of the communities I call home. I worked on my public speaking skills and shared my journey toward making the US Olympic Team and the messages that rowing has taught me. I also had the opportunity to join other Olympians and Paralympians at a White House visit in D.C. It was such an honor to meet former President Obama, former Vice President Biden, and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

As fall progressed I was able to spend more time at home relaxing with my family.

Starting Over Training officially began again at the beginning of January. Building fitness back is not an easy task, but I have found training to be a lot more enjoyable so far. The pressure and stress that I experienced leading up to Rio is gone and we have a fresh new group of athletes that are training. The new girls have brought a positive and fun atmosphere to practice that was occasionally missing last quadrennium as the pressure and intensity increased.

I chose to continue training for a potential second Olympic Games because I am still improving as an athlete. I have always trained with the mentality that I want to be the best I can be, and training in this environment provides me with that opportunity. I will keep training until I feel like I have reached my potential or I don’t enjoy rowing anymore.

Over the next few months racing season will start again. We have a National Selection Regatta in May, a World Cup in June, and the World Championships in September. It’s exciting and fun to be starting over and all I can do is work on improving every day. I’m looking forward to the new challenges ahead. n

Summer 2017

21

Recent Nichols Alumni Sports Highlights Hayley Scamurra ’13, Jacquie Greco ’09, Emily Pfalzer ’11 and Emily Janiga ’12.

Emily Pfalzer ’11

Andrew Poturalski ’12 Andrew made his NHL debut for the Carolina Hurricanes this year.

He played in two games before returning to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. Andrew led the Checkers in points (55 points in 74 games) this past year. His professional career follows two years at the University of New Hampshire, where he recorded 52 points on 22 goals and 30 assists in 37 games, was a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist, and was named to the AHCA/CCM Hockey All-America First Team.

22

Nichols School

Sean Malone ’13 Sean made his NHL debut with the Buffalo Sabres this season after finishing his college career at Harvard University, where his team reached the NCAA Championship game. Sean played in one game for the Sabres and returned to Boston to finish his degree. In his senior year, Sean recorded 42 points in 36 games, ranking second on the Crimson. He was selected as a Walter Brown Award semifinalist and earned a spot on the ECAC Hockey AllTournament team.

Emily wrapped up an exciting year by being named to the 20172018 USA Olympic team that will compete in South Korea this winter. Last year, Emily was a member of Team USA, which captured the Ice Hockey World Championship (her second) and captained the Buffalo Beauts to the National Women’s Hockey League Championship. In addition to these on-ice accomplishments, Emily and her teammates worked with USA Hockey to renegotiate contracts to help promote the growth of girls hockey in the United States.

NYSAIS Re-accreditation Update: Complete!

We are happy to report that the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) accredited Nichols School for another 10 years. This designation represents the culmination of an in-depth self-study that included an exhaustive internal and external examination of all aspects of the school community. A team of evaluators made up of teachers and administrators from other NYSAIS schools and led by Jim Dunaway, Head of Manlius Pebble Hill School, visited Nichols for four days this fall. They evaluated how well we are living up to our mission and core values and ultimately produced a report for review by a committee within the NYSAIS organization. The State of New York authorizes NYSAIS to accredit independent schools.

Many thanks to all who participated in the process and who attended many meetings and receptions during the visiting committee’s campus stay. The committee commended us for “creating a school culture of inclusivity, engagement, safety, and creativity where students develop a passion for learning and are proud to represent the mission and core values of the school.” They also recognized our “passionate faculty, staff, and administration, [who are] dedicated to fulfilling the mission of the school through a student-centered learning environment where student-adult relationships are positive and rewarding.” We look forward to responding to the recommendations of the committee as we move into the 2017-2018 school year.

Head of School Bill Clough paid a fall visit to Charlie Banta ’34, Nichols oldest living alumnus, at his home in Williamsville, N.Y. Charlie turned 100 years old on October 26, 2016. A World War II veteran, proud father and successful brokerage businessman, Charlie has remained loyal to Nichols and to The Hotchkiss School (CT) who similarly celebrate a 125th anniversary this year and the fact that Charlie is their longest tenured alumnus!

Summer 2017

23

24

Nichols School

After seven enjoyable years at Nichols in the class of 1959, I became an astrophysicist, which is a fancy word for an astronomer who uses physics to understand the universe.

What do you think a professional astronomer does in his limited free time? Like the proverbial bus driver on a busman’s holiday, I have been observing one of the most spectacular astronomical phenomena that nature has to offer – total eclipses of the Sun. Perhaps on a whim, I traveled to my first eclipse in Maine in July 1963 as I was beginning my graduate work in astronomy, though I was totally unprepared for the experience. I became instantly hooked on this observational phenomenon that is closely related to but not exactly the subject of my subsequent research. Even though clouds partially obscured the Sun, my first view of the solar corona and the changing environment all around me made a deep impression. Subsequent eclipses observed under perfect conditions in remote places reinforced the joy and privilege of experiencing these incredible events. My wife Lois quickly acquired the passion for traveling to and experiencing these events. We have now seen eight eclipses together, and she is eagerly planning for the next ones.

Solar eclipses occur when the Moon moves in front of the Sun for a short period of time. At any place on the Earth total eclipses are rare events, but a total eclipse usually occurs somewhere about once a year. The path of totality is generally thousands of miles long and about 100 miles wide. Outside of the path, the Moon will only cover a part of the Sun, producing a partial eclipse.

The location of an eclipse path is determined by the orbit of the Moon and not by our desire to observe the eclipse from a nearby comfortable site. In fact, the best eclipses in terms of duration and clear sky often occur at very remote locations. While I have seen nine eclipses around the world, Svalbard (latitude 78 degrees between the North coast of Norway and the North Pole), Easter Island (the most isolated island on the Earth), and the Sahara in Libya qualify as very remote places, while some of the other locations are far from airports and familiar cities. One must travel to where the eclipse and cloud gods dictate, and be there at the right time.

Lois and I have had the privilege of observing many total eclipses, most with perfectly clear sky and excellent visibility but some with clouds obscuring part of the time during totality. We have been incredibly lucky to see totality between rain showers in Finland and on the beach in Australia where people half a mile away saw only clouds.

Not far away from us in Shanghai it rained all day, but we saw most of the eclipse near Hangzhou, China. The prediction for the eclipse day in Svalbard was clouds, but we had three perfect days of sunshine.

Summer 2017

25

Traveling to very remote places has many benefits.

We observed the June 21, 2001, eclipse about a three hours drive East of Harare, Zimbabwe, in a remote area near the border with Mozambique on the Ruya River.

We saw a beautiful total eclipse in the yard of Maname School. What an interesting time talking with the teachers and students in English (Zimbabwe had been a British colony). They could not stop describing their school – they were very proud. The students wanted to know what our children learn in school and what kind of work we do. They were amazed to see people coming from very far away to their school. That evening back in Harare we saw on television President Mugabe and family watching the partial phases with eclipse glasses from the State House lawn, but they missed the great event not that far away.

On that trip we explored the world-famous Victoria Falls and historic Great Zimbabwe.

This last March we traveled to Indonesia to observe a three-minute eclipse from the Sultan’s palace on Tindore, one of the Spice Islands that rarely sees any western tourists. We showed children and adults how to image the partially eclipsed Sun by making a small hole between four fingers. They then did the experiment themselves.

This trip provided many opportunities to talk with Indonesian people who loved seeing Americans and taking pictures together. We had a long talk with a high school chemistry teacher who had never met an astronomy professor and wanted to know what American universities are like. We also visited a number of the islands in this large and very diverse country. Visiting places with different cultures and talking with local people (both highly educated and not) away from the guided tours is a great way of understanding our culture and values from a different perspective.

Here in the United States, there has not been a total eclipse since July 1963, when the eclipse path traversed central Maine, or July 1991 when the eclipse path crossed the big island of Hawaii. The next total eclipse is being

26

Nichols School

called the Great American Eclipse, because on August 21, 2017 the eclipse path will cross the U.S. from Salem, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina, including Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, St. Louis, and Nashville.

A word to the wise – don’t expect to drive to anywhere in the totality path on the morning of the eclipse because you will likely be caught in huge traffic. Our bus never made it to the center of the totality path on March 29, 2006; the first-ever traffic jam in the middle of the uninhabited Sahara desert stood in our way. Many millions of people live along the totality path and many more will travel to see the total eclipse in all of its glory.

My wife and I plan to be in Jackson Lake, Wyoming, to see the event. In the Buffalo area, the eclipse will be partial with a maximum of only 77 percent of the Sun obscured by the Moon. Partial eclipses are not spectacular events like total eclipses.

What to Expect What can you expect to see during a total solar eclipse?

Totality is preceded by about 80 minutes of partial eclipse as the Moon gradually covers the Sun. During this time the air cools with less sunlight to heat it, and shadows take on an unusual appearance as illumination by a sliver of the Sun produces shadows that are much sharper than usual. As the Sun dims, birds become quiet, and twilight appears in the West as darkness rushes toward you at more than 1,000 miles/hour. Just before totality begins, you may see shadow bands that look like bright and dark snakes running across the ground. For a few seconds before second contact, small beads of sunlight called “Bailey’s beads” peek through low areas at the limb of the Moon.

Totality begins as the Moon now completely covers the Sun. Take off your dark eclipse glasses and look directly at the Sun. Notice the clumps of red light at the solar limb which is emission by atomic hydrogen in solar

Right: Total solar eclipse on October 10 2012 when the Sun was very active. The red emission at one edge of the Sun is due to hydrogen gas in the solar chromosphere. This emission can be seen during totality with the naked eye and better with binoculars. The white light surrounding the Sun is sunlight scattered by hot electrons in the Sun’s million degree corona.

TYPES OF ECLIPSES: Eclipses are total when the Moon is relatively close to the Earth and is, therefore, slightly larger than the Sun. Annular eclipses occur when the Moon is further away from the Earth and too small to occult the entire Sun, leaving a narrow ring of sunlight around the dark Moon.

ECLIPSE PHASES: The term “contact” is commonly used to identify the different phases of a solar eclipse. First contact refers to the time when the Moon first begins to cover the Sun. Second contact refers to the time when the Moon first completely covers the Sun. Third contact refers to the time when the Moon last covers the entire Sun, and fourth contact is the time when the Moon completely uncovers the Sun. Totality is the time between second and third contact. The partial phases are between first and second contact and between third and fourth contact.

OBSERVING PARTIAL PHASES: Buy inexpensive eclipse glasses with their very dark plastic lenses because normal sunglasses are too transparent for observing the partial phases. With eclipse glasses you can directly observe the partial phases safely. If you want to photograph the partial phases without destroying your camera or cell phone, put a very dark filter in front of your camera’s lens. You can see multiple images of the partially eclipsed Sun by holding a strainer or sieve from your kitchen above a white cloth or shirt on the ground.

Jeffrey and Lois Linsky at a sign warning of polar bears outside of the town of Longyearbyen in Svalbard Norway.

SHADOW BANDS: This strange effect occurs a few seconds before second contact when light from the thin sliver of the Sun shines through the Earth’s turbulent atmosphere, producing light and dark bands that rapidly move across the ground. The effect is similar to looking at a distant light through the steam rising above boiling water, except that the light is a line not a circle and the boiling water is moving through your line of sight. Shadow bands are best seen by looking at a white cloth or shirt placed on the ground when there are no clouds in front of the Sun.

Summer 2017

27

structures called prominences. Above the solar limb on all sides, you will see the solar corona as a white envelope that may have a few spike-like structures called streamers extending well above the limb. Look at the sky away from the Sun. If the sky is clear, you will see a few planets, probably Mercury and Venus but perhaps also Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Look to the horizon and you will see multicolored twilight in all directions, a phenomenon that can only be seen during total eclipse.

Now the two to five minutes of totality is almost gone at the fastest rate you will ever see time fly. At the end of totality, bright sunlight emerges above a crater at the Moon’s limb, producing the spectacular diamond ring effect for a few seconds. Totality is now over, the sequence of partial phases reverses, and the world returns to normal. The loss of sunlight produces noticeable cooling.

(Note: During the Svalbard eclipse the temperature dropped from 0 degrees to -14 degrees F.)

28

Nichols School

Recommendations for Eclipse Chasers Don’t waste your time taking a photograph of the totality.

The time during totality is too short to play with a camera. Experts can obtain far better pictures than you can and great pictures are available on the internet. The best use of your time is to look with your unaided eyes or with binoculars at everything that is going on around you. Definitely wear eclipse glasses with very dark lenses if you look at the Sun during the partial phases, but take off these glasses during totality, as the eclipsed Sun is no brighter than the full Moon.

Travel to near the center of the eclipse path to get the longest duration of totality, but go a day before to avoid the traffic. Finally, think through what you will do just before and during totality as the sequence of events goes very fast and there is no opportunity for a repeat

performance until the next eclipse, which could be in a remote location and perhaps very cloudy.

For more information, including exact times and locations of future eclipses, go to https://eclipse2017. nasa.gov. You too may become addicted to eclipses. No telescope or any expensive equipment is required, but you must be at the right place at the right time and know what to look for.

Finally, to those who prefer delayed gratification, there is another opportunity to see a total eclipse at a very convenient location for many in the Nichols community, but you will have to be patient. On April 8, 2024, bring your portable lawn chairs and some liquid refreshment to the front lawn of Nichols School. You will then be at the center of the eclipse path. Many other people may also enjoy the experience as the eclipse path cuts across

North America from southern Texas to Newfoundland including Dallas, Indianapolis, Cleveland, a large area around Buffalo, Rochester, and central Maine. Pray for clear sky. n Jeffrey Linsky is a Research Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado in Boulder. He graduated Nichols in 1959 and then went to MIT and Harvard where he received his PhD in Astronomy. He has been an astrophysicist in Boulder since 1968 specializing in the outer atmospheres of stars, the gas between stars, and most recently the effects of stellar radiation on the atmospheres of planets now being discovered in orbit about these stars. He is now officially retired but works full time. Since many of his former students are faculty members at different universities, he keeps meeting previously unknown grand-students and their students at scientific meetings.

Setting up equipment before the eclipse on Easter Island July 11, 2010 under the watch of a friendly Moi statue.

Summer 2017

29

WATER Through An Interdisciplinary Lens

By Sandy Smith ’93, seventh-grade science teacher

WATER:

it surrounds us in Western New York and is the anchor of our city’s history and the centerpiece of its current renaissance. The Laurentian Great Lakes contain nearly 20 percent of the world’s surface fresh water, with water from the upper four lakes flowing past our city. We go to the water for reflection, for solitude, with family, for beauty, out of necessity, to cleanse, to drink, for solace, and to feel more connected.

There is nothing that doesn’t relate to water – literally, metaphorically, scientifically. It is a part of our history. It represents change and evolution, division and connection. None of us have the same

30

Nichols School

individual relationship to our water, but water unites everyone in Western New York, the rest of our Great Lakes basin, and our global community. Our global water resources should inspire all of us to serve as stewards.

Rivers connect to other rivers and connect us to lakes and oceans. Water tells centuries-old stories of civilizations, industry, degradation, and rebirth. Water flows as ideas do.

Twenty years ago, one of my first thoughts as a seventh grade science teacher at Nichols was to use water as a lens to introduce the principles of chemistry via an interdisciplinary approach. My passion for the Great Lakes inspired me to follow my desire to learn about water and all the ways that it connects us as citizens of the Great Lakes and as global citizens. By exploring and deepening my connection

with water, I have deepened my connection to my city, to my colleagues here at Nichols, to current research and resources, and to experiential and place-focused education. In the process, I’ve also learned a lot about myself.

My curriculum continues to evolve. I am fortunate to work with a special group of colleagues who have been willing to be a part of the journey, sacrificing time and energy because they see the value and the depth that comes from understanding waterway. From puppet shows featuring invasive species, to crafting found poetry and creating “in situ” art sculptures on our local shorelines, to rewriting Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” to tell the story of Scajaquada Creek, our seventh-grade team of teachers is proof that learning doesn’t have to happen in isolation in discrete subjects and individual classrooms. It can be messy, but in the end we are all richer for the experience and more connected to our curriculum, where we live, our resources, and one another. Along the way, this work has been supported by colleagues in our wider community,

including but not limited to, individuals at BuffaloNiagara RIVERKEEPER, New York Sea Grant and the Center for Great Lakes Literacy, the Niagara Greenway Commission, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College, Trout Unlimited, the Forest Lawn Group, Black Rock Historical Society, and artists James Prosek and Alberto Rey. The work done connecting students to water and community in seventh grade has rippled outward within our Nichols community, and many faculty members hope to inspect bonds between their curriculum and water resources. George Mauser approached me early in the fall about doing stream work with his upper school calculus class. We took the group to Scajaquada Creek, gathered data, and George created a lesson using streamflow and discharge as a context for learning calculus. It wasn’t perfect but it has already led to more ideas for work with George’s class next year. My seventh graders gathered streamflow data at Ellicott Creek this spring

Summer 2017

31

to be used by George’s classes in the future. The capacity for these ripples to continue outside of our community is seemingly limitless, helping us to widen our idea of community to encompass our local, regional, and global neighborhood.

My experiences and conversations with colleagues led me to approach Head of School Bill Clough with the idea of piloting a theme of water at Nichols. Together, the school community could use the context of our global and local ties to water to foster an initiative that creates and encourages a culture of innovative interdisciplinary, collaborative, and experiential learning.

Bill was supportive of this idea and encouraged me to reach out to faculty. Initial conversations included connecting with Ramone Alexander, Caitlin Crowell, Thomas Michaud, and Kevin Powers. Their wealth of knowledge and passion for inclusivity, social justice, global and national water rights and issues, service learning, advocacy, community building, and facilitation has helped us to engage in important and timely conversations in the early stages of this initiative.

Ongoing dialogue reveals endless ties between our Nichols community and water. The vision of this initiative is to explore our place and the myriad connections that we have to one another, our local and global communities, and our most precious resource by tying all of the departments – arts, literature, mathematics, science – into the theme by encouraging cross-division and crossdisciplinary projects, and promoting meaningful service learning and stewardship work in the community.

We don’t have to change what we’re doing to think about shifting the lens to one of water and community. As we engage with all of the work in Western New York to restore the health of our water and re-connect with our waterfront, manage high water levels in Lake Ontario, and read about rivers in the Yukon changing direction, it is impossible to look in the paper without seeing something related to water. It is front and center, for our local, regional, and global community.

The question is how will we understand and react to it.

As part of this new initiative focused on water, the paradigm for professional development and faculty meetings will shift to a more experiential model, getting faculty out onto the water and into the community, together in diverse cross-divisional groups to create more opportunities for conversation, planning, and innovation.

The vision includes bringing speakers to talk about local, national, and global water issues, as well as servicelearning projects that are water focused. Leveraging existing partnerships with community stakeholders and forging new ones will be critical, and will be supported and facilitated.

This vision also comes with a request to the extended Nichols community to engage in this effort with us.

We ask you to reach out to contacts and help us to further engage with one another and our resources on all levels. I’m humbled and excited to partner with my colleagues to offer this important and timely opportunity to the Nichols community to help collectively focus our attention on our most important resource and our relationship to it. n

AS PART OF THIS NEW INITIATIVE FOCUSED ON WATER, THE PARADIGM FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND FACULTY MEETINGS WILL SHIFT TO A MORE EXPERIENTIAL MODEL, GETTING FACULTY OUT ONTO THE WATER AND INTO THE COMMUNITY, TOGETHER IN DIVERSE CROSS-DIVISIONAL GROUPS TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONVERSATION, PLANNING, AND INNOVATION. 32

Nichols School

Summer 2017

33

Nichols Celebrates 125 Years

1892191019251957196419721982199219941997200120102017

34

Nichols School

“125 Years of Nichols School in Buffalo” means many different things to many different people. Throughout the yearlong celebration of this milestone anniversary, feedback from students, faculty, alumni, parents, and community friends has run the gamut.

“Congratulations!” “That’s it?” “What was the tuition in 1892?” “The student body has come a long way.” “Same clock tower?” And some even let out a yawn.

While change at 1250 Amherst Street is often measured by new buildings, enrollment statistics, campaign successes, and program offerings, Nichols is ultimately defined by the people who have graced our hallways. Our students and families are our heartbeat, faculty our guides to success, and alumni our backbone.

Every member of the Nichols family contributes to our collective successes, both on campus and around the world. Our challenges and solutions demand collaboration and a true team effort. In the end, every voice matters, and we could think of no better way to honor our 125th anniversary than to share just some of those voices in the pages that follow.

Summer 2017

35

Tom Harriman ’38 Retired Business Executive

“In the Dartmouth freshmen class contest for highest grade-point total of best four in each delegation, we clobbered the other country day, prep, and renowned public high schools. Exeter and Choate had contingents of 20; others like University School, New Trier, Boston Latin, maybe six; Nichols, just us four — Cornell Gurley ’38, Ray Wattles ’38, Jack Harriman ’37, and his baby brother (me).

Best of all, of course, was the training and motivation infused by Herb Kenyon, Doc Kleiser, Bob Gillespie, Bill Davis, Ted Fellows, Carlos Baker, Frans Thomsson, Bernie Pierce, Tracy Tuthill, Doc Walsh, Ray Verrill, Don Waterman, Ray Schiferle, Headmasters Henry Gilland and Phil Boocock (who later became my tennis doubles partner and general mentor), and Heads of Lower School Bucky O’Neill and Pliny Hayes.”

September 26, 1892 – Opening of Nichols School in the Westminster Church Sunday School rooms. Later in autumn, school moves to new house at 35 Norwood Avenue.

36

Nichols School

1910

1892

1909

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Amherst campus purchased for $87,500.

Construction begins on Albright Hall and the old gymnasium (now the new Middle School building).

School establishes country-day philosophy, fostering academic, athletic, and moral growth of students.

January 11, 1910 – First day of classes on the Amherst campus.

Verdian (yearbook) first published.

A.R. Gurney ’47 Playwright, Novelist “I went [to Nichols] for four years, and did fairly well academically, but was kind of young for my class, because I had skipped second grade at the old Franklin School. In any case, my parents shipped me off to St. Paul’s School in 1944, saying I needed ‘buffing up.’ What I missed most about Nichols were Lower School ‘recesses.’ In bad weather, we learned to play chess or improve our penmanship, but if we could go outdoors, there were always lively competitions, such as horse and rider, where we’d create two-man teams to wrestle each other, or Mumbletypeg, where we carved out competing territories by anchoring pocket knives in flat ground, or practiced walking the dog with our yo-yos. At St. Paul’s School, we also devised elaborate improvised outdoor competitions such as tossing and retrieving tennis balls off its gabled roofs, but I think Nichols may have found more appeal and variety in its recess activities.”

A.R. Gurney passed away shortly after we received this quote. Refer to page 83 for further details.

Summer 2017

37

John Williams ’47 Retired Business Executive

“I can remember the name of every teacher and athletic coach at Nichols from the fifth grade on. The greatest were Albert Sutter in Spanish and Edgar Anderson in Science. I can still speak Spanish after 70 years. All I remember from my college years at Yale were the athletic coaches. I had enough credits to graduate as a junior with a B.S. and was elected into Tau Beta Pi. I took electives, like Chemical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, instead of easy courses. Phil Boocock had me return to Nichols to give a student talk. I guess it could be summed up with my statement that the cake was baked at Nichols, and they only added the frosting at Yale.”

John Davis ’48 Retired Physician

“Cheers from Cooperstown to the stalwart members of the class of 1948 who are fortunate to still be here, and when possible are still leading active and productive lives. Of my many memories of my four years of high school at Nichols, one that always comes back to me was when I was called into Phil Boocock’s office to admit that I had marked someone present at chapel who indeed had skipped out. I learned a lot from that experience, which included two subsequent weeks of raking leaves on the campus lawn. And of course, what a fantastic general education I – and all of us – received from the superb Nichols faculty!”

38

Nichols School

Bill Donaldson ’48

Former Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

“I guess the most appropriate answer to the question ‘what did Nichols do for you’ is to say that today, more than 70 years since I first arrived on the campus, I remember vividly and happily my years there. I could fill many pages listing what I got from Nichols, but then there would be no space for others who want to reply. I made lifelong friendships and began a formal education process that led me through college and graduate school.

Aside from the rigors and challenges of learning algebra, my most vivid memory was when along with classmates Chet Dann ’49, Vic Williams ’49 and Dave Schnatz ’49, we won the first Lawrenceville Hockey Tournament in our senior year!”

April, 1925 – Mitchell Hall, housing the Rand Dining Room and the McNutt Library, is opened after three days of celebration.

1929

1925

1926

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Potter Field acquired.

Chapel is built in Albright Hall.

Summer 2017

39

David Strachan ’51 Retired Nichols Faculty

“I graduated by the skin of my teeth. Mr. Boocock told me I was going to a small New England college called Middlebury College in Vermont. I asked if I could play hockey there, and he saw no reason why not. I went! Four years later I graduated and went on to graduate school at Harvard along with a brand new wife. From there I took up teaching at a suburban New Jersey school system around New York City. In those days Nichols had an alumni luncheon at the Christmas holiday time. My wife and I drove up to Buffalo for the holiday, and I went to the luncheon. I think I was the only member of my class as most of my classmates had been drafted or enlisted in the various military services. I was temporarily deferred as a teacher. Mr. Boocock tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘What are you doing next year?’ I told him I had a job in New Jersey with a two-year contract. ‘Break it!’ he said, ‘I need you here in September.’ I broke the contract and thus started my Nichols teaching career in the fall of 1957. The rest is history!”

40

Nichols School

David Strachan ’51 and lifelong friend Kim Kimberly ’47

Summer 2017

41

Stuart Angert ’58 Entrepreneur

42

Nichols School

“As I reflect on my days at Amherst and Colvin, my fondest memories do not flow from the academic rigors of the curriculum, but rather from that which I would define as extra-curricular activities. It is important to note that Nichols was not coeducational at the time. Moreover, the dynamic of the interaction that existed between student and faculty could be fairly defined as one of command and control – stiff and militaristic, akin to the environment of prison life. That adversarial relationship formed the catalyst for behaviors that would make headlines in today’s world, a world in which events are disseminated in real-time. Parenthetically, the physical and mental punishment meted out by certain members of the faculty would never be tolerated today. But back then, there was no recourse. If you were thrown across the room like a discus, you deserved the punishment. Parents supported the teacher’s action. I provide this background to frame the environment in which we navigated – one of fear and trepidation. One had to live by one’s own innate sense of survival – or natural selection would take its toll.

I had perfected the art of procrastination and was no stranger to all-nighters. On one memorable occasion, a chemistry test loomed over my head. I came to the stark realization that my brain would be unable to absorb the complexity of the materials for the following day’s test.

I commiserated with a classmate who found himself to be in the same dire circumstance. We conspired. How could we avoid the exam without placing ourselves in a compromising position – one in which we could expect to be the beneficiaries of great bodily harm at the hands of the administration, a group that never smiled, and could abide no deviation from the dictated and stringent norm? Ahh, it was winter, the winter of our discontent. Albright and Mitchell were heated by coal furnaces. A mechanical arm swept coal from the bin into the combustion chamber – I am unable to reconstruct in my memory of how we knew this intricacy of the operation, but we did. That evening, under the cloak of darkness, the two of us surreptitiously crept into the bowels of the building, and wedged a wrench into the fulcrum of the arm that fed coal to the furnace. We were secure, equipped with the knowledge that on the next day, mayhem would define Nichols.

When we arrived at school, we were totally unprepared to take the test, but confident in and comforted by the perceived outcome of our nighttime escapade. Mr. Anderson, our chemistry professor with eyeglasses as thick as the lens of the Hubble telescope, stood in front of the class, donned in his camelhair coat, blowing on his hands, water vapor steaming from his mouth and nostrils. ‘Boys, school has been cancelled.’ The temperature in the building was equal to that of the ambient outside temperature – 38 degrees. Subsequently, we studied for the test under the auspices of a modified timeline. As I recall, I achieved

a grade that was, from my perspective, reflective of my true ability. In retrospect, as I reflect on that event, I now recognize that had we initially invested that much time into studying for the exam, we would have aced it.

So, what was the cumulative outcome of years of our misguided youth? I, along with my sidekick who aided and abetted our furtive, covert and, at times, overt activities, were in the same boat. We had accumulated demerits in the high double digits. We ‘worked off’ seven demerits every Saturday in detention. As is the case today, Nichols conducted classes Monday through Friday. However, the two of us were on campus six days a week, including Saturday, in detention, painting, raking, mopping, shoveling, dusting, and scrubbing. Each Saturday seven demerits were expunged from our criminal records.

In the spring of our senior year it became apparent that there were not enough Saturdays remaining prior to graduation to work off all of our demerits – and as the Nichols Handbook stated most benevolently, ‘A student may not graduate until all activities related to misconduct are satisfied in detention.’ Therefore, we would not be able to graduate! We had been accepted by colleges, but we would have no high school diploma.

The administration found a bit of compassion in its icy heart. We were assigned the task of painting the iron rim that separated the infield from the ¼ mile track – two sides – do the math – ½ mile of painting the rim in forest green – on our knees with a four-inch brush. When we received the news, our eyes glazed over. Of one fact we were certain: We would need to introduce creative problem solving into the equation.

Our history teacher, Doc Kleiser, was the warden of detention – and meted out punishment with a sense of pleasure. Early on my fellow inmate and I agreed that we would not feed his appetite for self-satisfaction. When the day of reckoning arrived, we drove up on campus in a pick-up truck, provided by a family acquaintance. In the truck bed was an air compressor to which we attached a paint spray gun. Additionally, we had secured a chair to the tailgate. The faces of our audience, which consisted of Doc Kleiser and a host of students and other faculty members, exhibited emotions that ran the gamut from mirth to consternation.

‘Open the gates.’ I, the driver, slowly circled the track as my fellow perpetrator, sitting in a relaxed posture in the chair, spray gun in hand, applied the paint. Within onehalf hour, the mission was successfully completed – which, I must say, produced a most professional result.

We graduated. We attended college, and our lives were spared a career that would otherwise have required solely a strong back. There were other escapades – a term that I use loosely to describe what others would define as deeds that pushed the margins of the law. But in those days, ‘I didn’t know, I am only a student,’ was a valid excuse.”

Summer 2017

43

Jerry Pratter ’59 Attorney

Sandlot to Diamond “‘Oh no. Not again!’ One of my Public School 64 pals had smashed a ball through our neighbor’s window.

Dad had warned me the next time we broke a window, all of us would pay to fix it. That afternoon he announced, ‘Boys, you cannot play baseball on our vacant lot ever again. You have to move, now.’

That weekend, two of us rode our Schwinns to the nearest open field, behind Elmwood Franklin and Nichols. We had explored that grassy area before.

Pushing a section of the fence at Edge Park and Knox just enough to open a small gap, we pedaled along the dirt path on the top of the embankment that paralleled the railroad tracks. The school yards below became our new sandlot field. Our pickup games continued from the day of the last broken window until our 1955 graduation from PS 64.

During lulls in a game, one of us, including me, might silently gaze at the manicured baseball diamond just to the north. Some days we crept closer, just to watch the older boys practice. If a game was in progress, we might quietly mock the Nichols ‘rich boy’ teams in their sparkling white uniforms trimmed in dark green. None of us ever imagined we would become one of them or play on a real diamond.

One day when I came home from eighth grade, my mother surprised me with an application to Nichols. She sat across the table while I carefully completed the forms. Weeks later, the acceptance letter arrived. Mother was so excited she immediately phoned Dad. That evening our family celebrated with dinner at Oliver’s.

Over the summer, I said goodbye to my friends since kindergarten. I had no idea what was coming next. For my first day at Nichols, I walked along unfamiliar sidewalks. Alone, sad, and scared, I stopped at the entrance. Boys were laughing as they raced past.

A loud clanging bell startled me. A taller, older boy asked, ‘Are you lost?’ I nodded. He kindly showed me to the Chapel. Mr. Boocock, the Headmaster, was at the podium welcoming everybody, especially the ‘new boys’ like me. I do not remember anything else Mr. Boocock said. When he paused, I searched for a familiar face but found none.

By spring my initial stumbling adjustments to Nichols were easing. I even got to practice on one of the diamonds I had long admired with awe.”

1957

1937 Philip M.B. Boocock ’22 named the seventh Headmaster.

Ushers in a period of academic strength, rising enrollments, financial stability, improved facilities, a growing national reputation, and institutional self-confidence.

44

1963

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Nichols School

New gym opens.

Moot Science building is completed at a cost of $250,000.

Don Miller ’60

Retired Physician

“I was a student in Norm Pedersen’s history class as a freshman at Nichols in the fall of 1956. I graduated in 1960. I am now a 72-year-old retired physician and can remember Norm as if it were yesterday! I came to Nichols from PS #23 on Buffalo’s east side, where I was at the top of my class. I promptly flunked Norm’s course during the first two marking periods. I had never flunked a quiz much less a marking period, but, you see, I had never seen an essay question before Nichols. It’s as much a credit to Norm Pedersen as to Nichols’ small class size that I didn’t self-destruct. He quickly realized that I really didn’t know anyone at Nichols and that the entire experience was a culture shock. He was kind and caring, and he was instrumental in getting me acclimated to life at Nichols while at the same time helping me learn course material. By the end of the school year, I had managed to get a B in his course. I eventually went on to Hamilton College and a successful and fulfilling medical career. I have since had two sons and three grandchildren attend Nichols. I mention all this because I still think fondly of Norm and remain convinced to this day that had he handled my early time at Nichols differently, I might not have stayed. He was the consummate gentleman and an excellent teacher. I actually mentioned my experience with him at a recent Nichols Board of Trustees meeting, on which I currently serve, as an example of the type of excellent faculty that Nichols has always had and that help make and keep Nichols a very special place!”

Summer 2017

45

Stephen M. Clement, III ’62

Former Headmaster, The Browning School

“Believing Ahead of the Evidence” “As I look back on my boyhood in Western New York, I often feel as if I grew up on the Thruway. I remember early driving trips to Boston with my family on Route 20, thinking the rise and fall of the road was like ribbon candy. And the trip seemed endless. When the Thruway first opened on June 24, 1954, (my 10th birthday and the year I entered Nichols), a new age dawned. Both of my parents had deep roots in New England, and suddenly all of our cousins were only eight hours away.

A course at Nichols in the sixth grade in New York State history made the drive across the Empire State much more interesting, and planted a seed of lifelong interest in history. From the smooth concrete ribbons, I observed the Montezuma Swamp near Syracuse, longed to try Herkimer cheese, and knew why Gloversville was called Gloversville. By the locks of the Erie Canal we sang “Low Bridge, Everybody Down” as we made our way from Albany to Buffalo. Although I remember at times at Nichols we were told with raised eyebrows that the state legislators in Albany required the course be taught, I still loved it. Ironically, in my career of leading independent schools in New York State for close to 40 years, we have fought vigorously to resist any curricular intrusion. Although I carried New York State observations with me for the rest of my life, the most lasting legacy of five years at Nichols has been its master teachers. Three great men are with me always.

Mr. Broome, a Welshman who taught English in Form I, gave me a metaphor for writing that I find useful to this day. Think of paragraphs as islands, and use bridging sentences to get you from one thought to the next.

Mr. Hayes, my Latin teacher in Form II, was also Head of the Lower School. One day at the end of class he quietly asked me to come to his office. Getting straight to the point he observed I had become a bully to a classmate. He expected better of me: end of story. That brief conversation was a life changer.

Mr. Ohler, quite simply, is the best teacher I have ever had.

Initially his exhorting gruffness scared me, and I remember walking with fear outside his classroom as a new fifth grader. As a quiet, shy boy how would I ever cope with English in sixth grade? The next year Mr. Ohler gave me the tools, taught me to love poetry and to write, and instilled the gumption to stick to my beliefs. In Form I he drew back the curtain on the stage of global geopolitics, and for my term paper directed me to the Life magazine series on “The World’s Great Religions.” I wrote on Pakistan. Later an older friend, who had survived the magnum opus experience of the year before, told me that Mr. Ohler said my paper was one of the best in the class.

Mr. Ohler grew up in New Hampshire and drew on the poetry of Robert Frost. Frost had a wonderful phrase which applies to all great teachers. Rather than judging girls and boys as they are now, great teachers point to what their students can become. In their teaching at Nichols in the 1950s, Broome, Hayes, and Ohler all ‘believed ahead of the evidence.’”

46

Nichols School

George Kloepfer ’68 Nichols Middle School Faculty

“When I was asked to write something about my time as a student at Nichols to help celebrate this year’s 125th year for our beloved school, I decided, as is my wont when faced with a Herculean task, to do some mathematics.

Upon reflection, I ascertained that except for four years of college and one year of chasing my future bride around the Connecticut Valley (successfully, I might add…and without any stalking charges being filed), I have been at Nichols since 1960. Fifty-two years – the first eight as a student and now in my 44th as a teacher. But my math was not done. I have experienced six Headmasters… er…Heads of School and seven Middle School heads… er…Division Leaders. Based on my extremely careful calculation, I have been present for 41.6% of the school’s history. The fact that you are reading this essay today is a testimony to my bride’s prescient removal of all sharp implements on which I might have thrown myself after completion of the aforementioned mathematics work.

In the fall of 1960, I started school at 1250 Amherst Street as a fifth grader. How the adorable child in the 1961 Verdian turned into the hulk writing this piece is a question for the ages, the answer to which lies in a combination of factors involving processed food and bionic parts. But I never would have been at Nichols if another kid hadn’t shown up at Nichols in 1938. John George Kloepfer, Class of 1942, my dad. Just looking at the basketball fashion from 1938 is evidence enough that Nichols is a way better place than it was 78 years ago.

During my dad’s senior year, Nichols was celebrating its 50th birthday. But there was something more significant afoot. That December of 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. declared war on the Axis powers shortly thereafter. He couldn’t enlist until he was 18, which wouldn’t happen until the fall after his graduation, so he did his first semester at Princeton, turned 18 in October, enlisted in January 1943, and became a proud member of the 4th Infantry Division, 29th Field Artillery Battalion, Battery D. So two years after leaving Nichols, dad was involved with D-Day (third wave at Utah Beach), the Battle of the Hurtgen Forest, and the Battle of the Bulge. For a moment, forget about the current political climate and the never ending War on Terror that is the crack cocaine of cable news channels. Imagine that situation in 1942, Nichols seniors.

It’s mind-boggling. My father’s experiences will inform another piece of my story later. But the relevant part of

the story here is that national issues loomed large over the graduates of 1942. They make what is going on today on the national scene seem pretty petty, not to mention shrill.

Oh…and there was no senior thesis imposed on the students in those days either…but I digress.

Now back to the cute fifth grader in 1960. I had been perfectly happy at St. John the Baptist in Kenmore, goofing around and earning a 99 or so average in mathematics (obviously), religion, and handkerchief (yes, in the 1950s Catholic schools, one received a grade

Summer 2017

47

dealing with handkerchiefs). Let’s just say that after I started at Nichols, I didn’t see another 99 ever again. An honors grade at Nichols in the 1960s was an average of 80 with no grade below 75; highest honors was an average of 90 and no grade below 85. There might be some nervous breakdowns with grades like that today.

As a fifth grader, I hated Nichols. I didn’t know anybody in the school. Most of the boys had come from Elmwood Franklin School (EFS), which was co-ed through fourth grade, when all the boys then switched to Nichols (that order of the universe was forever upset when Nichols went co-ed in 1973…and allow me another digression here… that monumental decision to go co-ed and the subsequent development of our vibrant arts programs represent the two major reasons that Nichols is a far better place that it was in the 1960s). Back to fifth grade. I had no friends. I didn’t like the homework. I didn’t like diagramming sentences (something the EFS students seemed to be able to do in their sleep). I didn’t like carrying around books from class to class and then to home and back to school again. I didn’t like naked swimming (no lie, naked swimming). Disturbing, thy name was Nichols 1960. My dad would drop me off in front of Albright Hall, I’d walk in the door by what is now Mr. Desautels’ room, and I would feel like crying all day.

But then something magical happened. One classmate, an Elmwood guy – Jackie O’Shei – helped me with my

48

Nichols School

lock one day and generally started being really nice to me. Jackie was one of the most affable, outgoing, and enjoyable souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

He offered his friendship when I needed it most; he took a moment to make an outlier feel welcome and accepted.

It would have been easy for him just to ignore me, and I am forever grateful to him for not doing so. He made a difference, and it didn’t take much to do it.

Thus, we get to lesson no. 1: Reach out to people around you, particularly folks new to the community. You have no idea the positive impact you can make.

But that fall of 1960 was a tumultuous time, too, as there was a contentious presidential election that saw Democrat John Fitzgerald Kennedy defeat Republican Richard Milhouse Nixon in one of the closest elections in American history. As a fifth grader in the fall of 1960, I can remember parroting my grandmother, saying, ‘Damned democrats!’ and being scolded by one of my teachers for using such language…and probably getting a couple of demerits in the process (six demerits earned a student a Friday after school detention…no excuses). I had no idea what democrats were, but the woman who

made the greatest homemade potato chips ever said they were ‘damned’ so I figured they had to be. Some of the crazy talk of that time involved the United States becoming a pawn of the Pope and the Vatican because JFK was Roman Catholic. Conspiracy theories were only beginning to become the norm in America and would be permanently established in the American mindset when President Kennedy was assassinated in November of my eighth grade year. This was the first of a series of palls that would be cast over the country that decade as the country lost its inspiring young leader at a time when it was immersed in a Cold War with its nuclear rival, the Soviet Union. Dann Memorial Rink was constructed in 1963 and had a Civil Defense shelter symbol on it until the late 1990s (yes, the hockey rink was going to save us from nuclear fallout). Vietnam was just beginning to escalate. It was a scary time.

But some hope arose in early 1964 when The Beatles arrived in America. The joy that is music presented a welcome respite to the youth of America. Three friends and I put together a band, later to be named, quite cleverly, we thought, The Fourbidden, a name that became problematic when we added a fifth member.

(I wasn’t as committed to mathematics then as I am now.) The star of our band, Ken Sullivan ’69, singer and keyboardist extraordinaire, remains one of my best friends on the planet. A lifetime love affair with music had begun for me.

Lesson no. 2: Find your passion, the thing that connects you to your best self. Here at Nichols, you have the opportunity to do that every day – in classes, on teams, and in all the available clubs and organizations offered.

In 1963, Nichols integrated…very slowly. And I became a lifelong friend of Al Thompson, who joined the class of 1968 in the fall of ’64. We were teammates in football and basketball, and Al was a captain of a very successful track team our senior year. I understand that our girls cross country team met Al over by Hoyt Lake in mid-September.

After I had heard about the encounter from Coach Potter, I spoke to Al, saying that I had talked the team out of getting a restraining order against him. You don’t want to know what he said to me in response. He was thrilled to meet some young athletes from his alma mater, of which he is a very proud graduate. Being in the vanguard of change at Nichols couldn’t have been easy for Al, but he was smart, he was a terrific person, he was a great teammate, and he loved music. That was all that mattered to me. He and I were among about a hundred people who saw Sly and the Family Stone at the long gone Inferno in Williamsville weeks before their famous hit record ‘Dance to the Music’ made them stars. At the Big Green Celebration at the end of September, Al and I had more than a few laughs reminiscing about the glory days.

Dann Memorial Rink opens.

Knox Squash Courts are inaugurated.

First minority students admitted.

1972

1969

1964

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Christopher Wadsworth appointed eighth Headmaster following retirement of Philip Boocock.

Acquisition of Nottingham Academy is approved by Trustees.

Summer 2017

49

In the fall of 1965, I was one of two sophomores chosen to start for a senior-laden football team with high hopes. Our football coach, Bill Fitzhenry, was one of the most intimidating men I had ever met. He famously scorned sophomores, opining once at practice, ‘The good Lord gave us two horrible things…the common cold and sophomores…but you get over a cold.’ He also claimed that a team lost a game for every sophomore it started.

So, it appeared that 6-2 was the best we could hope for.

But an incredible senior class, the class of ’66, took me under their collective wing and taught me, supported me, and helped me not freeze in the face of the Fitzhenry steely glare. Among that great group of senior leaders were Hank DePerro, Dick Oleksiak, Grant Hennigar, Jon Wright, George Kreiner, John Stanley, Chris Greene, and the late Chip Coley. I have spent a lifetime as a teacher/advisor talking about them and their leadership, particularly their helping a 175 lb. sophomore defensive back feel like a part of the team. But their leadership was severely tested, and the ’65 season was in jeopardy before it even started when a tragedy occurred. In the final minutes of a scrimmage with Cardinal Dougherty High School, Dougherty’s star fullback, John Rittling, caught a pass in the left flat, and as he turned up field, he was hit by three Nichols tacklers. John broke his neck and died two days later in Kenmore Mercy Hospital. We were devastated. Our families were devastated. My mother wanted me off the team immediately. My army veteran, D-Day/Battle of the Bulge surviving father calmed my mother, explaining what a fluke the hit was and that

he had complete confidence in the coaching staff and the school and how they would treat their beloved first born. I was allowed to continue playing, something I did through college at Amherst, and I always took with me the leadership of those seniors, who overcame that tragedy and channeled their extensive talents into the undefeated season they achieved. The importance of team building and camaraderie had been instilled in me forever.

Lesson no. 3: Working together successfully toward a common goal is one of the great feelings in life.

In looking through old alumni magazines, I found something my late dad wrote in 1992 for the 100th birthday edition, below a picture of me and my two oldest children, Sarah and John, who were in seventh and fifth grades respectively. My dad wrote, ‘To my mind, the greatest strength of Nichols has always been its faculty, dedicated men (and now women, but not 50 years ago) who are able to influence and guide young heads full of mush. The following come to mind: Phil Boocock, of course, Ray Verrill, ‘Doc’ Walsh, Bob Gillespie, Don Waterman, Bernard Pierce, Austin Fox, Ray Schifferle, Frans Thompson, and many more. And never forget the dietician, Mrs. Minthorne, who made the best gravy in Christendom.’ Note that as important as his reverence for his teachers is, Dad pays special tribute to the gravy-making Mrs. Minthorne. I have no doubt but that her gravy would fail to earn a Sage Kitchen ‘Green’

Nichols becomes coeducational.

50

Nichols School

1981

1973

1974

Nichols School Historical Timeline

The Class of 1974 is Nichols’ first co-ed graduating class.

Peter W. Cobb appointed tenth Headmaster.

As we celebrate our quasquicentennial this year, my hope for our students today is that they will all find their passion, find friends, reflect on the past, engage the future – and always reach out beyond themselves to welcome the new folks into our community and into our lives here at Nichols. certification; nevertheless, Mrs. Minthorne joins the pantheon of kitchen staff and facilities workers who work so hard to make this place run at top efficiency and who are such important members of our community. Now it’s my turn to throw some names at you from my time as a student.

My senior year, 1968, was something singular. We had been guided during our time at Nichols by some terrific teachers and coaches: Dick Ohler, Pliny Hayes, Kim Kimberly, Andy Anderson, Norm Pederson, Bill Fitzhenry (who, I must add, became a mentor and friend in all the years since I first met him in 1965), Dave Strachan, Ed Williams (who taught me how to write; I still have every paper I ever wrote for him), Austin Fox, Al Sutter, Sue Shapiro, Fritz Zeller, Millard Sessions, and Mr. Boocock, our headmaster in the second last of his 32-year reign (I could never call Mr. Boocock ‘Phil,’ not even 40 years after his passing). But it was our turn, as seniors, to lead the school. Great teammates and classmates like Al, Greg Conrad, Dan Phelan, Don Tracy, ‘Charley’ Jacobs, Deke Karzon, Paul Tarlowski, Max Davis, Harvey Goldstein, Tommy Ernst, Will Botsford, Joe Gosney, Scott James, Chris Stanley, John Addington, and Arnie Berman were senior leaders as Nichols won the only Interstate League Athletic Supremacy Title in our school’s history that year, winning championships in football (undefeated and setting new WNY scoring records), basketball (171), baseball, and tennis (the great Austin Fox’s only undefeated team and only Interstate championship). We had a lot to be proud of.

But just like in 1942, huge issues were dominating the national scene. The Vietnam Conflict was escalating out of control. In early April of 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis. After his murder, cities across the country were swept by fiery riots. I mentioned music earlier…James Brown, the godfather of soul, through his music and powerful persona, single handedly prevented a second night of riots by playing Boston Garden and allowing the city to broadcast that concert live via the local public television station. Crime

in Boston that Friday night was lower than any other typical Friday night in Boston, let alone following a previous night of violence, thanks to the power of music.

Mr. Boocock called my pal Al Thompson into his office and said to him, ‘Al, please don’t riot.’ After assuring Mr. Boocock that he wouldn’t ‘riot,’ we had a pretty good giggle in the senior lounge as Al regaled us by trying to imagine with whom he was going to riot at Nichols. But those times were scary. America was being torn apart, racially and politically. The night before our graduation in 1968, Robert F. Kennedy, the former President’s brother, who was running for the Democratic nomination for President, was assassinated at a victory rally for the California primary. A numbness came over us all. I have absolutely no recollection of my graduation from Nichols – none. I assume I received a diploma. At that moment, graduation just didn’t seem all that important.

We went off to college and into a world of strife and the universal draft and war and uncertainty, about as bizarre a collection of college years as can be found in the history of the nation.

Lesson no. 4: There will always be times of uncertainty, and these are the times when students lean on their mentors, those voices from the past, as they move through the challenges of life in the present.

As we celebrate our quasquicentennial this year, my hope for our students today is that they will all find their passion, find friends, reflect on the past, engage the future – and always reach out beyond themselves to welcome the new folks into our community and into our lives here at Nichols. I hope that they can have a Jackie O’Shei (or, better still, be a Jackie O’Shei), or have a group of positive student leaders like the class of ’66, or a solid core of dedicated teachers to impact their lives…just as I had the opportunity to experience all those years ago, and as my father did before me.”

Summer 2017

51

Chris Wadsworth

Former Headmaster, Nichols School “One of my Headmaster colleagues wrote an autobiography entitled Partial Recall. The title would be an appropriate one for these comments because four decades have a way of blurring recollections. Some memories are quite clear, however.

I began my Headmastership at Nichols in 1969 at age 29 accompanied by Lori and two young boys. I came to the job with precious little school experience. To be precise, I had spent one year as a rookie teacher at Phillips Academy and six years at Harvard College where I held middle level administrative positions.

Accordingly, I needed a great deal of advice and support as I started the job. Happily, I received it from a remarkable

52

Nichols School

group of adults who knew and loved the school. Pliny Hayes, Fritz Zeller, and senior faculty members provided sensible guidance about the inner workings of the school. New Board President Dann Stevens and other key trustees provided advice and enthusiastic support regarding matters financial and other areas of trustee concerns.

Happily, we worked well together as a team. It was not long before Sister Gail O’Donnell joined the group.

The late 60s and early 70s were a time of social unrest and campus protests. (During one of my first weeks at school, we received a bomb scare which required our vacating the buildings. As I watched students assemble in the oval, a senior faculty member who felt that hockey had become too important at Nichols, sidled over to where I was standing and whispered, ‘I hope they put it in the hockey rink.’) In those days, running the school day to day would have been challenging enough for this rookie but we plunged into a long-range planning process which lead to major changes in a school that had operated successfully for decades. Committees were created to study (1) the size and composition of the student body, (2) the finances of the school, (3) the facilities (including a possible move of the campus out of the city), and (4) the program for students – academic, extra-curricular, and athletic as well as the overall impact of the school’s program on the ethical development of its students.

There were countless meetings on weeknights and weekends, revealing the extraordinary dedication of the faculty

and trustees involved. Board members worked tirelessly under the leadership of Board Chair Dann Stevens and the Long-range Planning Chair John Williams. Faculty members of the Program Committee worked diligently under the leadership of Albert Sutter. My wife Lori never complained, but the intensity of the schedule hit home one weekend afternoon as I left our home on Tillinghast Place for yet another meeting.

My son, then five years old, asked me, ‘Dad, why is it that you always go to school and play with the other boys?’

The long-range planning process was an energizing exercise that changed the school in important ways.

Inevitably, it led to a need for many short-range changes.

The implementation of coeducation, which involved negotiations with three schools, was achieved ultimately by our collaborating with Nottingham Academy. (The process was described by one observer as ‘Protestant boy marries Catholic Girl.’). The expansion of the arts program and other curricular modifications required the addition of staff and the redesign of facilities. The change to being a two-campus school for more than 700 students required logistical solutions that taxed those creating the class, athletic, and transportation schedules. Complementing these changes was a funddrive led by trustee Ernie Montgomery. The name chosen for the drive was appropriately ‘New Directions.’

Just as the school headed off for new directions in the 1970s, it has done so since and will continue to do so in the future.”

Gail O’Donnell RSCJ

Former Headmistress, Nottingham Academy of the Sacred Heart “45 years ago! In 1971, James Dillon ’51 was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Nichols School and also of Nottingham Academy, a Catholic School run by the Religious of the Sacred Heart on Nottingham Terrace – and had children in both schools. Jim knew that Nichols had decided to go co-ed and advised me (the Headmistress of Nottingham) and our Board of this. I called Chris Wadsworth, the Headmaster of Nichols at that time, and invited him over for a chat in Nottingham’s parlor. That was the beginning of a ‘courtship’ and eventual ‘marriage’ between the two schools.

After many secret meetings (secret because Buffalo Seminary was also interested in a merge), much discussion, and a final decision-making gathering of the Nichols Board of Trustees, Dann Stevens ’44, Chairman of their Board, called me and reported that ‘White Smoke is coming out of the chimney!’ (a reference to the way the Catholic church announces the good news of a new Pope).

The first year post-merger, the Nottingham girls stayed on their own campus but the freshmen took a number of classes on the Nichols campus with the freshmen boys.

The following year, the high school girls and their faculty moved to the Amherst campus and the Nichols Middle School joined the Nottingham girls and their faculty on

the Nottingham Campus. The newly co-ed Student Council elected Kerry Sayres ’73 as their first female head of the Student Council.

It turned out to be a win-win situation for both schools. Nottingham brought to the college prep- and athletically-oriented Nichols a greater emphasis on art, music, drama and dance, and class offerings in religion, philosophy and social relations.

The continued presence of the four Nottingham nuns, Sisters O’Donnell, Conan, McMichael and Brady, plus many of Nottingham faculty and staff (including Grace McKendry and Nancy Clucas, who stayed on for many years), gave continuity to the transition from all girls to a co-educational institution.

Another big factor in the success of the new school was that the Administration Team of Nichols’ Chris Wadsworth, Fritz Zeller ’47, and Pliny Hayes ’35 shared the same basic values as those at Nottingham. Longtime Nichols stalwarts Bill Loweth ’63 and Karl Spangenberg ’65 were also major players in the transition.

Student enthusiasm for the co-ed institution was evidenced by the approximately 300 applicants for the new school. And of those applicants, girls outnumbered boys. Co-education at Nichols had begun and has thrived ever since.”

Summer 2017

53

David Alexander ’75 “September 1968 was a turbulent time in America and in Buffalo. My first days at Nichols were in the midst of antiwar demonstrations and urban riots ignited by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But there I was, a kid from the east side of Buffalo, entering 6th grade at the elite Nichols School. Just being admitted to Nichols was a big deal. Nichols did not admit African American students until 1966 and I was one of the first 12 or so black students to attend. In retrospect, I had every right to be a little nervous during the first days and weeks of school, but the fact is, from the moment I stepped on campus, I felt accepted and included, as though I belonged. Maybe I was too young or naive to sense any pushback. Maybe my upbringing had instilled enough self-confidence that being different was not a factor at all. I felt as though I was in the right place at the right time, and there was no reason to expect anything other than to succeed and excel. My experience at Nichols helped prepare me for the opportunities and challenges that lay ahead academically, professionally, and in my personal life. I am grateful to have had teachers who inspired me, coaches who helped guide me, and friendships that are as meaningful now as they were in 1968.”

Chris Cole ’78 Investment Management

“Almost 40 years since leaving Nichols and many memories are clear as day: being thrown around the mat by “Jungle” Jim Waltz; having Ed Williams tear my essay apart; young women joining us in class [when Nichols went co-ed in the early 70s]; and of course many not appropriate in this space. Nichols challenged daily and rewarded effort occasionally – a good life model. So to those I spent eight years with, thank you. I am a better person for your friendship and stewardship.”

54

Nichols School

Lise Buyer ’78

IPO Consultant

“I was very unenthusiastic about being sent to Nichols.

I had a perfectly fun time in the public school system and had no interest in being separated from my friends. In fact, having been ‘sentenced’ to a one-year stay, I couldn’t wait to complete my freshman year and end it at that. Then something really important happened in, of all places, the classroom.

Mrs. Dopkins’ history class was a real turning point. It was terrifying and really, really interesting. To this day I remember specific test questions that made me think about history in an entirely new way. No longer was history class about memorizing dates to squeak through an exam, it was now a fascinating walk through the past to better understand the road ahead. That most important lesson, that clues about what will be can readily be found in what has already transpired, has been useful over and over and over in my career. For that, I owe Mrs. Dopkins an enormous thanks.”

Foreign exchange programs with France and Spain began.

Nichols Centennial is celebrated throughout the school year. Athletic Hall of Fame established.

Dr. John Sessions ’62 authors Nichols School: A Century of Tradition and Change, 1892-1991.

1994

1982

1992

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Richard C. Bryan appointed eleventh Headmaster.

Campus renovations undertaken.

Summer 2017

55

Heidi Halt ’81

Founder & Executive Director, Neglia Ballet Artists

“There is no doubt that Thea Maronian, the ballet teacher at Nichols from time I was in grades 5-11,was the biggest influence on my career. She was so passionate and professional in how she put our productions together. She thought of every detail – costumes, music, sets – and would even have the actual scores for our performances. Even though it was a school production she demanded that everyone involved in the production took whatever role they had very seriously and respect for the art form was of utmost importance. I’ve always loved the sheer physicality of dance, but also loved being able to express myself through performing. I was a really shy kid and am still somewhat of an introvert so being on stage or choreographing a dance work has always been a great source of freedom for me.

What I am grateful for are the deep friendships I made while attending Nichols for eight years. Many of my Nichols classmates are still my dearest friends and a few have served on the Neglia Ballet Board, including Tom Maynor ’81, Todd Brason ’76, and Sam Magavern ’81. The success of Neglia Ballet is due in great part to my connections at Nichols. I did not go to college because I chose to pursue a career in dance as soon as I graduated. This was not something that Nichols looked upon favorably at the time. I am first and foremost an artist, yet I am somehow able to balance a budget, write grants, fundraise, and negotiate successfully with much larger organizations. The excellent education I received at Nichols gave me many of the skills it took to build a business from the ground up.”

56

Nichols School

Summer 2017

57

An interview with Eric Senior TED Fellow, Ecologist : Where did you go to college? What are you up to now career-wise?

Eric Berlow: First, the easy part, college: I went to Brown University then did my Ph.D. in Marine Ecology at Oregon State University. At Brown, I officially majored in Biology but was more intellectually influenced by my friends who studied Semiotics and by my summer jobs as a field ecology research assistant.

Now, the hard part, career: I just turned 50, but my career is still actively evolving, and I honestly don’t know what’s next. My career seems to take a major turn about every five years. After graduate school, I switched from marine ecology to researching alpine ecosystems in the Sierra Nevada mountains. I then spent five years as the founding director of the first University of California Science Center in Yosemite National Park. During that time, I also did research with the United States Geological Survey on endangered species in the Park.

In 2011, I left academia to explore work in the private sector. I wanted to see if I could apply my background in researching complex ecosystems to other problems in society. I did contract work for companies like Shell, Intel, and Red Bull on topics ranging from energy security to personal data/privacy to Middle Eastern conflict and even human creativity. This work led me to cofound a start-up (Vibrant Data) with a few friends to build technology that helps people see invisible patterns in complex data. Our company was just acquired last summer by Rakuten, Inc. – the “Amazon of Japan.” So interestingly, I started as an ecologist studying food webs (which are networks of “who eats whom” in an ecosystem), and now am applying some of the same statistical methods to understand economic ecosystems (or networks of “who buys what”). For the next phase of my career, I hope to leverage my recent experiences with big data to help address problems related to social and economic inequality.

T: What specifically from your time at Nichols inspired your career path? What motivated you to get involved in this line of work?

EB: Two things from my Nichols experience stand out as having had a huge impact on my career. First, I felt immersed in a culture of success. It went without saying that I would go on to college, and that I could achieve anything if I worked hard enough. It’s a subtle but very

58

Nichols School

powerful privilege to be taught that you deserve to be successful. This feeling empowered me to take some big risks in my career, and to do so with a deep belief that I could somehow make it work for the best.

Second, I always felt encouraged to be a curious and independent thinker at Nichols. This ethos of intellectual curiosity has driven me to pursue what interests me rather than what others told me I should do. Whenever I’m told how something should be done, my first gut reaction has been to ask, “Why? Who says so? Is that the only way?”

T: What would you say to young Nichols graduates as they start a new life chapter?

EB: Don’t worry about what to pick for your college major or what will be your first job out of school.

Focus what interests you and on learning how to think.

Whatever area that is, develop transferrable skills, remain curious, and be receptive to new opportunities. Your career will evolve in amazing ways you never could have anticipated. As a Nichols graduate, you are already among those with a privileged advantage to actually have a choice in your career. Don’t get stuck in a rut doing something you don’t like but hoping it will pay off later. You’ll quickly find yourself at 50 wondering where your life went.

T: What is your favorite Nichols memory?

EB: Here are a few random Nichols memories, in no particular order.

Painting with Grace McKendry and her wonderful free spirit. I will never forget her shouting, “When I die, I want you to all stand around my grave and sing “Amazing Grace” real loud!” She once took us to New York City for the day to visit the Whitney Museum – where I spent an hour mesmerized by Chuck Close’s portrait of Philip Glass.

The frenetic and challenging pace of AP Biology with Phil Titus. I still quote his joking mantra, “Press on, regardless!”

Berlow ’84

Summer 2017

59

AP Calculus with Mr. Cockerill. In particular, I remember he would put extra credit questions on tests that were based on an upcoming lesson he had not yet taught. It was the first time I realized I had the capacity to leverage what I learned to invent/derive something I had not yet learned.

Being incredibly challenged outside my comfort zone by Richard Stratton in English class – many times. I survived by sheer will and determination. Later in college at Brown, I continued to struggle with reading and writing and was officially diagnosed as Dyslexic. That is in part why I went on to major in science – I assumed it would require less reading and writing.

Freshman hockey. One memory in particular sticks out: when Frank Sacheli taught us the remarkably elegant 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team breakout plays.

Years of soccer with an amazing crew of people who are still close friends. The non-verbal communication we developed through eight years of playing together is hard to replicate.

T: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

EB: I’ve always made a conscious effort to conflate work with hobby and hobby with work. Humans spend more time working than doing anything else (including time with family, loved ones, friends, or even sleeping). Hobbies, no matter how personally rewarding, easily get sidelined by work priorities. It’s always been

my philosophy that you are much more creative and productive at work if you’re having fun, and that plans for fun stuff are much more likely to materialize if you can prioritize them as work. If you wake up early because you’re so excited about work you can’t sleep, is it work or is it hobby?

How does this look for me in practice? For starters, when I have the choice of what to work on, I ask myself three questions: 1) Is it fun? (e.g., Will this be an excuse to spend time with close friends?); 2) Is it interesting? (e.g., Will I wake up in the morning so excited that I’m literally dreaming about a novel solution to this problem?); 3) Is it potentially impactful? (e.g., Could this somehow help solve a social or environmental problem I care about?). I also of course ask myself: Will I make enough money to live? But I think too many people focus on maximizing the money part of the equation without realizing it can unintentionally have a negative impact on their overall happiness or their contribution to society. I for sure have forgone potentially higher paying work to work on things I care about – but if it means that I work on things that are fun, interesting, and potentially impactful, it leaves me feeling richer in the end. Similarly, I have a hard time working tirelessly on something with social impact if it means sacrificing all my personal relationships or other things that make me happy. I need the balance to fuel my creative energy.

Foreign exchange program in Costa Rica began.

60

2001

1997

1995

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Nichols School

Glen and Awdry Flickinger Performing Arts Center is dedicated in February.

New Middle School and Scully Athletic Complex open on consolidated Amherst Campus.

A couple more examples: I love hiking in the mountains. Like many people I could say that hiking is my ‘hobby’. But then I’d be lucky if I went on one week-long camping trip a year. Instead, I actively chose a research project that required I spend time in the backcountry. Every summer for the past 20 years, my ’work’ requires that I visit extremely remote areas of Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks to survey alpine meadows and endangered amphibians. My hiking experience is enriched because I have a fun ‘mission’, and it takes me to beautiful places I never would have thought to visit. Even in times when there was strong pressure from my other work to stay home, I could say, “Sorry team, I have to go. I’ve committed to this for work.”

Meanwhile, as I’m hiking in the mountains, my mind wanders and after a week away, I return energized with a new idea for solving a problem in my other work. In fact, the core ideas for both of my talks on TED.com were composed while I was hiking in the mountains. So, is hiking a hobby? Is it work? I don’t know.

I love to ski. I could call skiing a ‘hobby’, and go skiing 7 days in a year. But instead I have tried to turn ski trips

into research projects. A few years ago a close friend and research colleague organized a ski trip to Kamchatka to advise the Kamchatka Ecotourism Society on developing a low impact sustainable ski tourism program. I never could have done this trip without a ‘work excuse’. Meanwhile the trip was more meaningful than just skiing because we felt like we were giving something back to our hosts.

Later we did the same thing in the Arctic, and I had the chance to ski first descents of untracked powder – all as part of a work project which eventually led to us publishing a research paper on business tourism networks.

On those trips, we had many discussions that sparked yet more rewarding work collaborations. So, is skiing a hobby? Is it work? I don’t know.

I realize that I have been extremely privileged to even have the choice to work on things that are fun, interesting, and potentially impactful. Going to Nichols was part of that privilege – as it was the beginning of an education and a ‘pedigree’ that afforded me opportunities that many others don’t get. I consider that privilege a responsibility to choose work that nourishes (rather than sacrifices) my relationships with people I love and that hopefully contributes something positive to society.

Summer 2017

61

Alexis Agnello ’98

Vice President, M&T Bank

John Wray ’89 Award-winning American Novelist

“The question of how Nichols has shaped me is impossible to answer – how has Buffalo shaped me? How has the English language shaped me? How has being a Bills fan (and then, to be honest, an ex-Bills fan) shaped me? – unless I restrict myself to specifics. I came to Nichols late, as a sophomore, and when I arrived I was close-minded, even more depressed than most 14-year-olds, and totally uninterested in school. To the best of my recollection, I had never read a single book, as part of a class, that had moved me or excited me. Over the course of the following three years, in the classrooms of Larry Desautels, Bill Morris, and Richard Stratton, this would change radically.

Nichols wasn’t able to make a biologist out of me, or a chemist, or a mathematician (no one can work miracles, although Mr. Alger tried his damndest), but I graduated with a clear and powerful sense of myself as a reader. And this, more than anything else, is the identity that has given my life meaning.”

62

Nichols School

“For me, Nichols started in 1990. Shortly after arriving on campus, Mrs. Gardner, my 5th grade history teacher, sat me down and said, ‘Alexis, we are going to start focusing on your mind and not your blond hair.’ That was when my educational journey began.

One thing that has remained constant over time is that Nichols is incredibly challenging, yet nurturing. There is something so special that happens on the Nichols campus and in the Nichols community. I have to imagine it stems from our remarkable teachers and their commitment to the student and appreciation for thought. They are our ‘special sauce’.

At Nichols, students are encouraged to spread their wings and soar. Throughout flight, students have the unwavering support from teachers and advisors, and while we all hope the landing is graceful, sometimes it’s not – and that’s ok. The point is to challenge yourself so that when it is time for college and beyond, you are a contributing member to the community in which you live and fulfilled in all that life has to offer.

Today, I have the opportunity to be back at Nichols as a Trustee working with Bill Clough and his amazing team. The commitment and devotion everyone collectively has for the student is palpable. I love when the robotics class presents their recent invention, or learning about the diversity conference spearheaded by students and open to the community at large, or watching the entrepreneurial studies class plan for and pitch their business plan, or attending a fabulous presentation made by a fellow alum who has gone on to become an accomplished author, producer, executive, physician, etc. This is a very small sampling of who Nichols is and what Nichols has to offer.

Along with my family and career, Nichols defines me. Today, I can appreciate the commitment my parents made to send my brother and me to Nichols. I sincerely hope to provide my children with the same opportunity afforded to me – Nichols.”

Colleen Heidinger ’02

Director of Events and Programming, 43North

“I didn’t know that my attention to detail and finely crafted Excel spreadsheets for 2002’s yearbook would mean anything, but that’s where my career path started. We spent way too many hours on the top floor of Moot Hall in the small computer lab on Saturday mornings in the fall of 2001, when photos were taken on single-use cameras. I also truly enjoyed my time assisting the Development Office with the Derby Day Auction. As an advisee of Ms. Gurney, we really didn’t have a choice!

I recently joined fellow alumna Katie Campos ’04 on the Founding Board of Advisors of Teach for America, Buffalo. I also sit on the Nichols Alumni Board and chair the Advisory Council for Girls Education Collaborative with Ali McPherson ’92. We opened a boarding school in Tanzania in January 2017 after years of planning. It’s a magical feeling to know that Buffalonians (and Nichols alums) are the reason for success stories such as these.”

Kerry Docherty ’01

Founder, Faherty Brand Clothing Company

“Nichols taught me to ‘Try it. Then get better.’ I’ve clutched this lesson tightly since graduating from Nichols in 2001. Since then, I’ve never waited to be ‘good’ at something before pursuing it, yet once the pursuit began, I worked hard. In 2011, Mr. Desautels invited me back to Nichols to speak at morning meeting, which was an honor I will never forget. The invitation came at a difficult time: I had just left my financially stable law career, was debating moving from NYC, and in the thralls of starting my own company. Despite all my fears, in the speech I stressed the importance of taking risks and embracing our own ‘enoughness,’ or the belief that no matter what we do or don’t achieve, we are already, at our core, enough. The current world needs less success and more bravery; less obedience and more civil unruliness; and less smartness and more wisdom. My hope for Nichols is that it continues to emphasize enoughness in each of its students, as it did for me so many years ago. It will be the true educational gift that keeps on giving.”

Summer 2017

63

Michael Angelakos ’05 of Passion Pit sits down with Kristen Kelley, Chair of the Nichols Arts Department.

64

Nichols School

Summer 2017

65

K: What are your favorite Nichols memories?

M: Do you remember when I was a dog in Animal Farm?

K: Of course! You and Bill Griffin.

M: That’s a high bar right there. My co-dog was one of the greatest actors I’ve ever worked with. I remember thinking, “What’s my line? Oh right. I’m a dog.”

K: You both stole the show.

M: And then I remember my role in Museum being the ultimate. That was my Larry David moment. My arms flailing. . .

K: I know – you got to use your signature physicality. I really didn’t know who I would cast as the security guard until you auditioned. You showed me how loose and athletic you could be, you made it very physical.

M: Yeah, I remember dragging my body across the stage. So fed up and at my wit’s end. It was my life! That was the beginning of art reflecting my life. Pretty accurately. Which is amazing to have that in high school.

K: And you were only a sophomore when you took on that role, and I remember thinking there might be backlash because it was a younger kid in this central role.

M: I didn’t know! When I was doing theater here, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I wanted to do everything! But I did feel like the older kids were supposed to get the parts. I remember when Dan Wiedenhaupt got Macbeth and I was really jealous. But he was better for the role. I couldn’t have pulled that off. And I actually really enjoyed Malcolm. That was a lesson in and of itself. I was jealous of him, and thought I had a right because I was older. Is that still something you deal with, that the kids think older kids get bigger parts? It doesn’t make sense.

K: Yeah, but if the kid who’s cast pulls it off, and shows early on in rehearsal that they’ve got this, the other kids drop the resentment and rally around the kid. That’s what I remember about Museum. Everyone eventually was like, “Who else could play that part?” You were involved with a lot here. You were so involved with the theater program, and you were playing with jazz band.

You were part of the film program. I thought you could have been an actor if you chose to be. So I’m wondering how you decided to make music your focus.

M: You don’t really decide – it decides for you. And by the way, that means a lot, coming from you, that you think I could have been an actor. But I should say this though. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t act. Because when you do an interview, or when you go on stage, or when you are perceived in a certain way as an artist, you are not you. It’s this thing that’s bigger than life.

I get to act all the time. That’s the thing about being part of this industry. You have to believe in it. You can’t fake anything. People can smell that. You have to be convincing. There are people who just can’t sell what they do. And we don’t hear about those artists. What I learned from theater was not how to fake something, it’s taking an emotion and actualizing it in a way that could possibly lead someone to connect with you in a way that they wouldn’t be able to if it were just discourse. That’s how I employ acting still. I still get very jealous of actors. I guess I’ve acted in some of my music videos. But that’s me just being the Passion Pit guy. Which can be very exhausting.

66

Nichols School

K: And you act through your songs.

M: Yeah. And that’s something people don’t understand. When you’re singing a song you’re playing a character. You know how I came to the sound of the Passion Pit vocal?

You know the movie 400 Blows, a Truffaut film? I saw that here, with Ms. Wood in French film class. I remember watching this one scene when the kids are on the playground.

And you hear these kids playing and the shrill shriek of all these children playing hits the recorder, because the recorder’s very sensitive, so it was kind of distorting it, but back then this was all analog equipment so it’s this warm, softening type of compression. So what would, if it were digital, sound like hell, sounded like the most harmonic, beautiful, shrill shriek I’ve ever heard. I remember thinking to myself, “I love that sound.” And then later in college, I was recording on my computer, and I had so little equipment. I didn’t have any money in college. I had a laptop and microphone with this 1/8th inch jack that went into the computer, back when you could do that. And I had no idea how to use this program that I got for free, it was called Ableton, which is still the program I use today. And I had no idea how to mix it right, so I kept stacking the vocals. But I kept singing really high also to pierce through the songs because I just didn’t know how to mix. And I kept thinking of that scene where all of those kids were screaming. I remember thinking when I was bouncing that song, it was “I’ve Got Your Number”, the first song on Chunk of Change, thinking this sounds like those kids in the park in 400 Blows. I wanted to sound like a bunch of kids in the park shrieking.

K: Wow, I’ve never heard that story.

M: I recognized I had that higher range. I have four octaves. I didn’t actually have that during high school because puberty is a real thing. My voice was lower in high school. But around 17 or 18 I started exploring it a little bit. I was singing like Nina Simone versions of these songs, trying to emulate her voice. I kept thinking of characters when I would do this. That voice has always been a character. That’s the fun of it. Who wants to be themselves all the time?

You’re going to come through the music anyway.

didn’t exist. We had to create our own jobs. I was always kind of under the impression that a job was not associated with the arts department. That it was this dream world. So the dream world being like you feel kind of embarrassed that it’s not in line with a profession that makes money. You associate money with success, and I think we are seeing some transition into a world where people are starting to accept that there are other worlds you can go into after graduating from Nichols. I do think the world has changed a lot since I’ve graduated. It really has, in a way that’s, like – a pride flag wouldn’t have gone up while I was here. And it would have helped me if it had. But I do really think that there’s a certain kind of reality that people in the administration and the teachers have always been fighting for, because they see it, but there’s a push and pull between the old world and the new world. And that’s a beautiful

K: I like to be different people too.

M: Ha! You were always acting a lot.

I saw you in that Bernard Shaw play.

K: You Never Can Tell at Irish Classical.

M: Yes. You have a very classic, golden age, Hollywood thing going on, you know that?

K: Yeah, I was stuck in that for a while.

M: You say stuck.

K: Yes. I enjoyed those roles, but I had trouble breaking that type through my 20s and into my 30s, I was only playing those women in corsets who were kind of repressed.

And it wasn’t until my late 30s and 40s that I got to play more contemporary and complicated women.

M: Ok, I want to talk about that for a second. Getting stuck. In high school, there’s that dichotomous thing where everyone’s like, “Do what you want, but here’s what we think you’re good at” and you have to kind of play both roles. “I want to do this, but they’re telling me to do this.” It’s hard for anyone at a school like this that was built for an economy that doesn’t exist anymore.

We graduated into a job market that

battle that happens at a place like this. Because the old world enriches and contextualizes, but the new world is what the old world affords. They have to accept that their job is to usher in the new world. And I guess that’s what I like about the school, is that people have been trying, since I was in school here, and they’re trying even harder now, to have these conversations. So I guess the hardest thing is to figure out what an alum can do, to turn what is discourse, but mostly behind closed doors conversation, in to leading by example. That’s it. You just show them how it works. So if I were to come in and do a project like Merry Christmas Mr. Fields, what you’ve been talking about for 15 or 20 years, is just there, and it’s like, ‘you see’! You can’t explain certain things.

There’s an old world that makes this place so wonderful and magical, but it’s used to a certain way of doing things, which is a good thing and a bad thing.

Summer 2017

67

K: Who specifically are you talking about?

M: I don’t know, board members?

People I’ve never met. Important people. I think kids should know more about what a board does. I think as kids you assume adults have all the answers. You and I both know, and so do all the adults here, it’s the wonderful thing about teaching, that they, the kids, also have answers.

You’re getting them at an amazing age, and you have the ability to help guide them to a place where they can usher in change and do things in a way that you wish you could do.

When I went here, we didn’t know who was fighting for what, what we were supposed to be doing, and when we got out of school, was there anything other than ‘we gotta make money’? That’s it. I don’t believe that’s the only thing the school believed in, I just think that at the end of the day, that’s what school is. But a school as special as Nichols doesn’t have to be like that. Money will come, change will come, if you just follow what you’re best at, and what you’re good at, and what you believe and love.

K: So that’s what you’ve been working toward? The idea that if you follow what you love, what you’re passionate about, success will come?

M: Well, passionate? I could be really passionate about chess. But I might not be good at it. What the school taught me was to understand what I’m not good at. I don’t like the idea that kids can do anything. No, you want to be given the ability to do anything, but you want to be in a world where it’s okay to fail. And when I failed here, it wasn’t the end of the world. It hurt, but it helped me to narrow my path. This is a great place to fail. It’s not about successes.

I think people emphasize success too much, it’s all about failure. I failed so much here.

68

Nichols School

K: But you felt like it was safe to fail here?

M: Yes, that’s it. Safe to fail. It’s creating a world where you can try and do things. It’s not about passion. What are you focusing on? Why is your brain going there? If it’s going there it must be going there for a reason. Not just because you don’t want to focus on schoolwork. Follow that. I’m not going to be the lead in the play, I’m not going to be great at math, but I can figure something out with it. I ended up making a career out of synthesis. Synthesis!

K: It’s interesting to me that you’re focusing on the failures. Because in my mind I felt like you were setting an example for a different kind of success.

You were creating all the time, it was your own voice, and everybody could see you working through it, the struggle and the process were all very transparent. That was really valuable for other students to see.

M: I think I always liked to show every bit of it. You got to see the making of it.

K: Yeah, you wore that on your sleeve.

M: I like the idea of a place where I can include all of the mess. Life doesn’t sound pristine. And when people play music live, there’s a thing now, where people are playing live and it sounds weird, because they’re just pressing play.

Yeah, so you say you could see my process. It was a way of explaining myself. If I included the process, I didn’t have to explain myself. And most of my friends saw it that way, too. Karl Hohn, John Barlog. That’s my generation.

K: Yeah, you had a great group of collaborators in your class.

M: Yeah, it was okay to be, like, I don’t know why I’m doing this, but I’m going to do it. And that’s what I want kids to know. You don’t need to know why. Leave that for the psychoanalysis you’ll do 15 years later. Because I’m telling you, what you do now, in high school, the music you listen to, all of your passions, will shape your loves and disdains for the rest of your life. You will carry it. You’ll hear it in my music. All the things I worked on in high school. It was such a breadth of music. We were super lucky.

K: So there was this really amazing culture while you were here, and I wondered if it would be that way permanently after you left.

What can we do to cultivate that more actively instead of just waiting for the right kids to come along?

M: I think it’s unfair to put that much pressure on yourselves. It’s a mutually beneficial, synergistic phenomenon. You can’t just bring that out of people, or expect students to just be triggered by something you supply. You can’t plan it.

K: Well, what about the culture allows for creativity?

M: I think it’s about limitations. When I look at the most successful periods in my life, when I’ve had the greatest breakthroughs, personally or professionally, it wasn’t about what I had, but what I was working against. We had a lot of limitations here. We had the idea that we could do anything, but there was a structure. The classes, technology, time. I think the more you say, “here’s the creative block,” the more you name it, and say “this is now the time to be creative,” the less students will be creative. And when you’re a kid, half of what you’re doing is rebellion. You need a structure and limitations to rebel against. How much do you give, and how much do you leave off the table? You

have to be able to seek something, it can’t be handed to you your whole life. If you’re handed things, you’ll breed a generation of people who do what’s easiest.

We clearly struck a chord with you that you were emotionally tied to in that moment. We were in it together. It was so special. You want to build on it.

But the reason why things happened a certain way was that we weren’t paying attention to it.

K: You can’t manufacture it.

M: No, but this is a very fertile environment. The hardest problem is solved.

The place is 100% capable of working within a fluctuating world. It’s a question of whether everyone – parents, teachers, students, board members, administration – is able to not idealize a certain year, but pay attention to the moment. It’s a small enough school where I think that could happen. And if people say ‘I love you more’. Trusting people and loving people will breed that type of acceptance by allowing people to be weird or gay – the things that were so…when I was in school you did everything not to be gay or weird.

And eventually I owned my weirdness and quirkiness. And my flakiness.

K: We were all very weird.

M: Yeah, but my flakiness was a thing. I apologized to Mancuso recently, I said, “I’m sorry I didn’t hand in so much work.” And she said, “It was the process. You were processing. You were doing a version of what I asked you to do.” She played a huge role in my life. The people here have lived with me the entire time since I left school. My brain formed here. And that’s the thing. An alum can’t come back and say this is the thing I need to see happen. What I’m doing, and how I think about giving back, is not to be prescriptive, not to just give money, but to show and involve people in something. Not just talk about something, but show them what it looks like and feels like. That’s the arts department. The arts department is experiential. You ask me if I act, I act every day. I find ways to use drama to communicate in a better way than language can. All of these things are tied together.

K: When you think back on your time here, are you able to feel proud of the things you did do?

M: I remember recently finding an old hard drive with my old SeeArtRun performance.

K: You did performance art with John, we had never seen that before.

M: We were obsessed with hacking and disrupting and using our brattiness to do something different. And we knew how lucky we were by the way. We totally did. It was so magical. And in terms of what I’m proud of, my collaborators, Brent and Hana, listen to my music. We’re fans of each other’s work. I would show them the records that I made as a 13- through 18-year-old. And I think I was a better writer then. I was so exploratory and so excited. And I could only record so many tracks with a built-in microphone. And I used a built-in microphone for all that stuff on Hush. It sounds pretty good!

K: It really defined that production.

When I heard the music, I thought, yes that’s the essence, the spirit of the play. It lifted everyone up.

M: It was dreamy and pretty. And that’s my thing. And I started recently becoming OK with that. That’s what I get. And the proudest moment for me is listening back and realizing how much I have in common with the kid I was in high school. All that pain and development and weird stuff that happened to me was so worth it. I look back at these albums, we just found this album that Karl and I did together, that we made when I was 16, The Mirror and the Target, a seven-song EP, we found the masters, and we’re going to release it. And I found this EP from when I was 17, called Thus Come One, and I’m going to release it. My manager is like, “This stuff is amazing.” And that’s a product of this community, you are what you’re surrounded by.

I lived a charmed life in a way, but I understood how lucky I was. I just recently figured out you’ve got to share that with people. And that’s it.

This whole empathy thing. I think it’s hard for teachers and students to let down their guard, but we’re all human.

K: I find it a privilege to teach what I teach because the focus is on empathy and human connection.

Looking at each other. Trying to understand someone who is different from you.

M: Yes. Do you know how scary it is to look at each other? And be vulnerable in front of someone else?

When I was here. . . you don’t get to what you’re supposed to learn in history class by just going to history class. It’s also what you’re doing in theater class, or talking about in the hallway. And look at you!

You’re in the basement. You don’t have any natural light. I don’t think anyone intentionally wants this for

Summer 2017

69

you. But theater and performance takes time and energy, it’s intrusive.

You can’t put that in the hallway.

But there’s a way to make it more central. There is. By making people understand that what happens here is so important. Whether I left here an actor or not, what it did for me, it is, empathy. It starts here. We had the best conversations. Sometimes we wouldn’t have class. Those were the best classes. That’s what I remember.

And I’m proud of this school when I talk about this stuff. I had a group of teachers that were willing to hear us out. That doesn’t happen everywhere.

It can’t, there’s no room. So if people were willing to accept that this type of study has an output, in terms of life with a career or future, and that this was part of it, not in an ancillary way.

K: It wasn’t extra.

M: I don’t like that it’s extra. As an alum, I’d like to say that this school was amazing, but it totally knows what else it can do. And that’s why I love it.

K: As arts teachers, we know what we’re doing is not extra, we know that no matter what your job is, that what happened here in our arts classes is playing some role. In life there are external forces that don’t understand that. Colleges.

We’re often told colleges won’t accept recs from us. When we fill out the common application we have to choose “other” as our discipline.

M: I think that’s my point. If you continue to propagate that, things will never change. If people simply subscribe to the fact that arts is not extra, it will change. Colleges are having to change for the students.

My old college has changed so much since I left. It’s a completely different school. They had to change because of who was applying.

70

Nichols School

K: So if we say as a school we value the arts, eventually the college culture will change?

M: Semantics is everything though. I wouldn’t even reduce it to “we value.”

You don’t say, “we value history.” So then to say that something has value is still to place it in that additional box and place it to the side, and it can’t be that!

It is important and enriches all the other programs at the school and could do even more for these programs, for people understanding of the subjects. It’s not about the discipline, it’s about the way the material is taught, the way you’re using your brain. It’s part of the world. You know, when businessmen say, “I’m not going to give money to the arts. There’s no money in the arts.” Let me tell you, I make a lot of money in the arts. I don’t know what they’re talking about!

I work really hard! I didn’t just get lucky. And I know how to market it and sell it. Stop lumping arts into a separate part of the world. That you even have to be The Arts Department. It’s crazy. It’s part of the world. It’s in everything. This is the stuff. It’s not about taking away other stuff. Taking away Math…

K: No. It’s all connected. If you learn math in an artistic way…

M: Yes, that’s it. And if history were taught in the same way as arts I probably would have done more homework. Because I would have thought about it in a different way. It will help your brain be flexible. If you want your world to be at the forefront, it’s such a simple little shift. I swear. It’s so simple. The kids are all ready for it. Partitioning is absolutely ridiculous. The world doesn’t work that way. When multidiscipline is the only discipline. . .It’s changing not just the situation, it’s not just about having windows in your classroom, it’s treating arts like everything else. I didn’t like that my whole world was considered extra. It made me very confused as a child. The one good thing that came of it was that it became my fuel for wanting to make things happen. I had to keep proving myself to people. So you take what I’m doing now. I’m an artist that works a lot and makes a lot of stuff and I came back to work at this school.

I didn’t do it to make a point. I love that it just happened and the narrative pops up later. That only happens when you do it out of love and you’re doing it because you have to. And that happened because of the school’s limitations.

So I want to always understand that it’s not making everything accessible, it’s about changing. . . there’s no level, there’s no tier system, it’s all integrated.

K: I think we’re on the verge of moving in that direction. There’s a lot more talk about experiential, project-based, inquiry-based, cross-disciplinary learning. Emphasis on lab and studio, learning by doing.

M: I see that. I think that’s the steppingstone. You plant the seed, and the student has to pluck it. You have to instill the drive. You have to be so driven to exist, to do what you love. If that’s what the school is trying to do, say ‘do what you love’, you have to instill that drive. But you can’t fight. You just have to show. And that’s hard, because I like a good fight. Your job keeps getting more and more interesting. Not harder, just more interesting.

Sarah (Draper) Washington ’08

Associate Attorney, Connors LLP

“My Nichols experience opened many doors for me that I know otherwise would not have opened, and for that I am forever grateful. The rigorous course load coupled with extracurricular activities like orchestra and playing on the tennis team instilled the values of multi-tasking, prioritizing, and scheduling at a young age, and those are skills that have allowed me to become a successful young professional.

Attending Nichols made me a well-rounded individual and exposed me to many different aspects of life – interacting different socioeconomic statuses and cultural backgrounds, traveling to Spain during my junior year, traveling across the country to attend diversity conferences, learning to play ice hockey in fifth grade – the list goes on. During high school, I was a member of Students United for Multicultural Awareness (SUMA) and that was where my passion for raising multicultural awareness developed. The leadership skills I developed during SUMA were skills that I took with me as the President of the Black Law Student’s Association (BLSA) during law school at University at Buffalo School of Law and now as a member of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York. The Nichols community gave me a family I knew I could always count on. No matter what profession I went into, I knew I could always reach out to fellow alumni for support and guidance. I made friends at Nichols that I graduated from middle school with, went on to high school with, lost touch in undergraduate with, reconnected in law school with, and am now proud to call my colleagues. Nichols alumni and parents of alumni really do look out for one another, and the sense of community Nichols provides is unyielding to any other I have seen in school settings in Western New York.”

United Church Home property is acquired, which adds 6.4 acres of adjacent land.

Fourth induction ceremony for Athletic Hall of Fame.

2010

2007

2003

Nichols School Historical Timeline

New athletic turf fields are completed.

Class of 1963 Center for Science and Mathematics opens.

Exchange with Wuhan, China begins. nicholsfuture.org campaign finishes over goal at $24.3 million.

Summer 2017

71

Elisa Peebles ’08

Senior Strategist at AKQA

“I’ll always cherish our extracurricular activities, from student-body governance to affinity groups, and of course the arts program. There’s a real importance in empowering students to be individual thinkers, creators, and leaders. At Nichols, I not only cultivated my leadership skills, but also absorbed the values of a community that upholds strength in character, pursues excellence, and promotes a collective responsibility to social progression. This is what makes Nichols the gift that keeps on giving. My curiosity about Kristen Kelley’s Refugee Project led to me developing the Buffalo Myth Project with her senior acting class a few years later. Both of these things have come full circle in my professional life. Currently, I’m speaking with the UN about an awareness campaign on the refugee crisis. When they asked us how we could shape the experience to fit a classroom, I immediately reflected on my experience watching Nichols students gain empathy for people radically different from them, as well as the testimonies of the Refugee Project participants. I’m using these insights to shape the potential development of a product that will impact hundreds of thousands of lives. That’s how Nichols has shaped me: It taught me to recognize my power to change the world.”

Renovation of Albright and Mitchell Halls completed, creating Upper School fine arts studios and new student spaces.

Endowment passes $25 million.

72

Nichols School

2013

2011

2012

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Moot Hall is demolished.

William P. Clough appointed twelfth Head of School.

Summer 2017

73

Will Regan ’10 Former NCAA Division I Basketball Player “Fifteen years ago, I started a journey that has shaped who I am today. In the fall of 2002, I didn’t know what was in store the first time I walked into the fifth grade space. The reality? I was in a situation that was going to challenge me academically, socially, and athletically. Learning how to manage my time was the most important skill Nichols taught me, as the time I spent on the hardwood made it difficult to prepare for the assignments the next day. I’ve since learned that the demands of managing my time haven’t changed over the seven years since graduation. If it wasn’t for the daily grind Nichols put me through, I would not have the opportunities that I have today.”

74

Nichols School

Hijab Khan ’12

Project Coordinator, ATLAS Program, Roswell Park Cancer Institute; Candidate, Master of Public Health “The Nichols community has been a steady source of support and mentorship in my life. I am particularly indebted to my teachers, who taught me to wholeheartedly pursue my interests by demonstrating their own.

Of many fond memories, one stands out: Mr. Stratton picking up the skull in his classroom and acting out Hamlet’s soliloquy: ‘Alas, poor Yorick!’ If I remember correctly, he warned us that only he would be reciting those lines – no one else. That particular passage was reserved for him. I loved his display of fondness for Shakespeare, and seek that level of passion in my own work.

I was lucky to attend Nichols and benefit from the wisdom of its faculty, staff, and student body. Few have that privilege. I hope that Nichols continues to build on its history of inclusivity and participation in the wider Buffalo community. I was thrilled to meet Dr. Ramone Alexander this past month, who recently joined Nichols as the Director of Inclusivity and Community Building, and will be supporting the school as it works toward these goals. I am incredibly grateful for the experience that I had at Nichols, and look forward to supporting the community as it passes this 125th year milestone.”

2016

2015

2014

Nichols School Historical Timeline

Eighth induction ceremony for Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Nichols Fund surpasses the $ 1,000,000 goal for the first time.

Nichols celebrates its 125 academic year.

Robotics team added to curriculum.

Summer 2017

75

Derby Day 2017 To all the parents, faculty, alumni, donors, sponsors, online bidders, and volunteers who participated in our 40th annual Derby Day Party on Saturday, May 6, thank you for making it a tremendous success. The event brought in nearly 300 of our community members under one fun-filled roof and sold more than 195 auction items.

Your generosity, energy, and commitment helped make this event truly amazing.

For the first time, we put our Derby Day silent auction online. Select auction items were posted for virtual bidding on Friday and closed one day later at

76

Nichols School

the event. This format proved to be a great success for the lucky winners and for the Nichols community. In addition to the silent and live auction, attendees “raised the paddle” for financial assistance, showing tremendous support for our students.

We are thrilled so many of you came out to support our school, and we are grateful to everyone who donated their time and energy. Here’s to another 40 years! Mark your calendars now for the 41st annual Derby Day Party on May 5, 2018.

Reunion 2017 On Friday, June 2, more than 450 Nichols alumni, parents, faculty and friends packed into the Quad to celebrate 125 years of our school. Coinciding with Reunion Weekend and held under a clear blue sky, the night proved to be a memorable capstone to an exciting school year!

SAVE THE DATE! Reunion 2018 For those who will celebrate a reunion next spring (classes ending in “3” and “8”), now is the time to get involved! We welcome your help in planning events for your class reunion. Email us at alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org. Save the date for Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2, 2018.

1952

1992

1997

Summer 2017

77

78

Nichols School

79

80

Nichols School

Summer 2017

81

BUFFALO BUSINESS FIRST:

POWER 250 Western New York’s

Most Influential People in 2017 Buffalo Business First recently published its annual list of the 250 most influential people in Western New York. Nichols is happy to congratulate the following 49 people who share a connection to our School as alumnus, current/former parent, grandparent, or trustee.

NAME Howard Zemsky Jeremy Jacobs Chris Collins Chris Koch Barry Snyder Robert Gioia Carl Montante William Gisel ’70 Darius Pridgen Jeremy Jacobs, Jr. ’81 Carl Paladino Clotilde Dedecker Billy Paladino ’89 John Koelmel Bob Rich, Jr. ’59 Gerald Bucheit Michael Montante Gale Burstein ’82 Nick Hopkins ’61 Thomas Kucharski Jim Newman ’79 Jordan Levy Donna Fernandes Rocco Termini Peter Marlette ’76

82

Nichols School

RANK 1 3 7 11 12 15 17 21 22 25 29 37 41 45 46 49 50 62 64 65 73 77 98 102 107

AFFILIATION Former Parent Former Parent Former Parent Former Parent Grandparent Former Parent Grandparent Alumnus Former Parent Alumnus Former Parent Former Parent Alumnus Parent Alumnus Former Parent Parent Alumna Alumnus Former Parent Alumnus Former Parent Former Trustee Former Parent Alumnus

NAME Matthew Enstice ’91 Kevin Hogan Jack Walsh ’63 Thomas Montante Alan Elia Buford Sears Terrence Connors Lou Jacobs ’82 Scott Friedman ’76 Michele Trolli Anthony Gioia Ross Cellino Steve Barnes Dan Bylsma David McNamara Jonathan Dandes Kathleen Sweet Robert Stevenson ’69 Rick Smith ’79 Elad Levy Dave Pietrowski Mike Shatzel ’90 Shelley Drake Dave Schutte

RANK 112 116 118 128 131 133 137 147 163 164 172 173 173 174 182 184 190 198 213 229 235 238 244 249

AFFILIATION Alumnus Former Parent Alumnus Former Parent Parent Former Parent Former Parent Alumnus Alumnus Parent Former Parent Former Parent Parent Parent Former Parent Former Parent Parent Alumnus Alumnus Parent Parent Alumnus Former Parent Former Parent

I N

M E M O R I A M

A. R. “Peter” Gurney ’47 [Edited for length from the New York Times obituary, 6/14/17]

A. R. “Peter” Gurney ’47, a prolific playwright who dissected the fading folkways of the Northeast’s traditional white Anglo-Saxon Protestant society, of which he himself was a member, in plays like “The Middle Ages,” “The Dining Room” and “The Cocktail Hour,” died on June 14, 2017 at his home in Manhattan. He was 86. His agent, Jonathan Lomma, confirmed the death but did not give a cause.

With its focus on the quirks and barely concealed anxieties of the privileged class, Mr. Gurney’s work was often likened to that of the novelist John Cheever and the playwright Philip Barry. His settings were often the stately homes of the well-to-do. His characters included self-satisfied corporate executives, crusty academics, imperious dowagers and bewildered teenagers on the cusp of adulthood. In his hands, the conventions of the drawing-room comedy became the framework for social analysis. His astute observations were leavened with tart humor, and he was adept at using misunderstandings, either accidental or willful, as fuel for drama.

Albert Ramsdell Gurney was born on Nov. 1, 1930, in Buffalo. His father was a successful business executive who ran a tight ship at home. He graduated [from Nichols in 1947,] Williams College in Massachusetts, served for several years as an officer in the Navy, and then enrolled in the playwriting program at the Yale School of Drama.

After graduation he taught English at a private school and then joined the faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he taught American literature and the humanities for many years. Mr. Gurney, who acquired the nickname Pete because his mother liked the sound of it, married Molly Goodyear in 1957.

She survives him, as do their four children, George Gurney, Amy Gurney Nicholas, Evelyn Gurney and Benjamin Gurney. He is also survived by an older sister, Evelyn Gurney Miller, a younger brother, Steven Gurney, and eight grandchildren.

By the mid-1980s, Mr. Gurney had left M.I.T. and moved his household from Boston to New York, where he soon reached what he described in an article in The Times in 1986 as “some sort of a creative high.” It resulted in an

outpouring of new plays, sometimes two in a single year.

Mr. Gurney turned to politics with “The Fourth Wall” (2002), an indictment of the mediocrity that he felt was engulfing American society. In “O Jerusalem” (2003), he looked at the turbulent Middle East through the eyes of an American oil company executive who is frustrated by the region’s many problems.

Domestic politics came to center stage again in “Mrs. Farnsworth” (2004), in which a well-to-do woman barges into with her true-or-false story about a long-ago affair with a very prominent politician; in “Screen Play” (2005), set some years in the future, when liberal Americans have begun fleeing to Canada; and in “Post Mortem” (2006), another lament for a society that has become politically and artistically bankrupt.

Mr. Gurney was also the author of three novels: “The Gospel According to Joe,” “Entertaining Strangers” and “The Snow Ball.” Almost from the start, he was keenly aware of the driving force behind his work. “What seems to obsess me,” he once said, “is the contrast between the world and the values I was immersed in when I was young, and the nature of the contemporary world.”

His childhood in Buffalo, which he described as “the city time forgot,” remained his primary source of inspiration. It was all about “continuity that went back three or four generations,” he told The New York Times Magazine in 1989.

Early on, he said, “I sensed the comforts of civilization — but also its discontents, what you give up. The emotions are carefully trained, ultimately honed, tamped down.” He devoted his life to bringing those feelings to the surface.

Summer 2017

83

I N

M E M O R I A M

A LU M N I Robert Kruger ’56 – June 20, 2016 Robert M. Kruger of East Amherst died on June 20, 2016, at Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. A banker, stockbroker, and addiction counselor, he was 77. Born in Williamsville, he attended Nichols on a football scholarship and also played on the basketball team.

He went on to postgraduate studies at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he played football and majored in English. He graduated from Colgate University, where he studied English and history. After graduation, Mr. Kruger was hired as a stockbroker by Seymour Knox III at Dominick & Dominick and went on to become a vice president at M&T Bank. In the early 1970s, he was hired to start a countywide program for impaired physicians and attorneys. He later established Employee Assistance Programs for numerous companies and organizations, including the Williamsville School District. He went on to help others with addiction problems through his private practice, Robert M. Kruger & Associates. He was a former board president of St. Rita’s Home and the Cantalician Center, the Eating Disorders Association of Western New York, and local chapters of the Epilepsy Association and the Epilepsy Foundation. He was a former board member of the Ransom Oaks Community Corp. and the local chapter of the American Heart Association. He was a longtime member of Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and Gam-Anon, a support group for Gamblers Anonymous. He also was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Mr. Kruger collected rare books and enjoyed golf, fishing, and boating. He also entertained friends with the harmonica. Survivors include his wife, the former Patsy Cunningham; a daughter, Kelly Hayes-Raitt; and a sister, Carol Larson.

Anne Desbecker Sofarelli ’77 – July 3, 2016 Anne Louise (Desbecker) Sofarelli lived from April 4, 1959 to July 3, 2016. She attended Nichols from 1974 to 1977. She was a loving daughter, wife, and mother to her father, John Desbecker ’43, husband, John Sofarelli, and three children, JJ, Rachel, and Becca, respectively. She is remembered for her kind spirit and unending dedication to serving others. She spent much of her time mentoring and providing scholarships to students at Jones High School in Orlando, Fla. She was also an active supporter and volunteer at many Orlando educational charities, including United Way, UCP/BETA, and CECO.

84

Nichols School

Margaret “Peg” Ramage ’66N – July 10, 2016 Margaret Elizabeth “Peg” Ramage was a beloved sister, aunt, and devoted friend to many. She passed away peacefully on July 10, 2016, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Peg,” as she was known, was born and raised in Buffalo, one of seven children of the late Robert William and Margaret Howell Ramage. She attended Nottingham and SUNY Buffalo, where she graduated in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

That same year, Peg joined the staff at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston as a licensed registered nurse.

She subsequently completed two master’s degrees, one in nursing at Boston University and another in health care administration at Simmons College. Peg spent more than 37 years working at Mass General, much of that time as a clinical nursing supervisor in various areas of the hospital. She remained truly dedicated to the hospital, even beyond her retirement in 2008 due to illness. Peg was the proud owner of the first home on This Old House, a noted historic Victorian in Dorchester that in 1979 was profiled in the book and original PBS television series.

She meticulously maintained this well-known property for more than 35 years. Despite numerous medical problems in more recent years, Peg’s spirit and determination remained strong. Until recently, she continued to enjoy her favorite activities such as traveling, shopping, and spending time with family and friends. She especially enjoyed frequent trips to Cape Cod. Peg is survived by her longtime devoted friend, Ruth Ann Barber. She is also survived by her five siblings: Florence Anne Ramage, Kathryn R. (John) Hutcheson, Carol R. (Robert) Abrams, Mary P. Szymanski, and Robert W. Ramage Jr. Her brother James H. Ramage died in December 2016. Additionally, she is survived by many nieces, nephews, and their children in whose lives she took great interest and delight. Peg was a woman of faith who was a caretaker and giver to so many. She will be forever remembered for her kindness and generosity of heart.

Hazard Campbell ’46 – July 27, 2016 Son of J. Hazard Campbell and Marjorie Knox Campbell, Hazard passed away on July 27, 2016, in Buffalo. Hazard grew up in Buffalo, attended the Franklin School and Nichols where he was a member of the Class of 1946.

He graduated from the Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Conn., Class of 1947. From November 1947 to May 1949 Hazard crewed on the fourth world cruise of the Brigantine Yankee. He then attended Colorado College before joining the Navy in 1951. After the Korean War, Hazard was employed by the Marine Trust Company of

I N

Western New York. In the early ’60s, he joined Dominick & Dominick, which merged into Kidder Peabody in 1973. Hazard was actively involved in the Mitchell Boys Club, the Fresh Air Mission, the Buffalo Museum of Science, the Elmwood Franklin School, the Erie County SPCA, and Forest Lawn Cemetery, where he has been a trustee since 1964. He is a past president of the Nichols Alumni Board, and director of the Bond Club of Buffalo, Studio Arena Theater, and the Seymour H. Knox Foundation from 1955 to 2016. Ducks Unlimited was Hazard’s greatest passion. He devoted thousands of hours to the conservation of wetlands and waterfowl.

The various conservation organizations that Hazard was involved in included serving on the Board of the Waterfowl Research Foundation, the Finger Lakes & WNY Water Fowlers Association, and he was a research associate of Long Pointe Waterfowl. He was past director of the Erie County Fish & Wildlife Advisory Board.

Prior to becoming President of Ducks Unlimited from 1986–1987, he was Western New York chairman, regional vice president, senior vice President, and chairman of the executive committee. Hazard was instrumental in starting the first Ducks Unlimited Chapter in Long Point, Ontario, Canada. He was the longest serving member of the Ducks Unlimited Canada board from 1978 to 2016. Hazard’s local clubs included the Saturn Club, the Pack Club, and the Buffalo Tennis and Squash Club. He was a founding member of the Crag Burn Golf Club.

Hazard has been a member of the Turkey Point Company since 1938. Hazard was recently predeceased by his wife, Gina, of 64 years. He leaves his three children, Melissa C. England, Hazard K. Campbell, Jr., and Benjamin K. Campbell; four grandchildren, Joseph H. Campbell II, Benjamin W. Campbell, Payton H. Campbell, and Kathryn K. Campbell; in-laws, Sanford H. England and Karyn W. Campbell; and step-grandchildren, Andrew G. Castle and Charles B. Castle.

Robert Raiser ’60 – July 30, 2016 Robert “Bob” Eagen Raiser died peacefully on July 30, 2016, after a long illness. He was born on July 7, 1942, in Buffalo to Sheldon and Alta Mae Raiser. At Nichols he was president of his senior class and an accomplished athlete on the football, squash, and track teams. In the 1960 Verdian, he was respected by classmates as “diligent, persevering, and dedicated.” Bob graduated from Dartmouth College in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in history. Later he earned a master’s degree in plant and soil science from the University of Vermont and a master’s degree in education from St. Michael’s

M E M O R I A M

College. Bob’s professional career spanned four decades, three states, and a variety of fields and interests, including landscaping, teaching, and 15 years as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the State of Vermont. He was a devoted family man who met his beloved wife, Judy, while hiking in California. He and Judy blissfully spent the last five years of his life biking, hiking, and traveling in their RV and appreciating each day together. He was a loving, dedicated father who took great pride in the accomplishments of his only child, Becca, to whom he provided unflinching support and unconditional love.

He doted lovingly on his grandchildren and took great joy in simple family activities, like playing at the park, swimming, and art projects. Bob is survived by his wife, Judith Brantner; daughter, Rebecca Raiser; son-in-law, Ethan Bindernagel; grandchildren, Rose and James Bindernagel; sister-in-law, Molly Raiser; niece, Skye Raiser; step-son, Russell Amidon and his wife, Livia, and their children, Kaylie, Brigette and Garrett; and stepdaughter, Linda Amidon, and her son. Robert Bench. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, C. Victor Raiser II; and nephew, R. Montgomery Raiser. Bob was loved immeasurably and will be terribly missed by his family and friends.

Jerry McGrier ’73 – Oct. 23, 2016 Jerry McGrier Sr., a former assistant Erie County district attorney and assistant state attorney general, died October 23, 2016, in his Buffalo home. He was 61. Born in Dallas, Texas, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the College of Wooster in Ohio in 1977 and his juris doctor degree from the University at Buffalo Law School in 1980. Mr. McGrier began his career as a staff attorney for Neighborhood Legal Services and in 1982 joined the Erie County District Attorney’s Office, where he served for eight years, two of them as chief of the City Court Bureau. In 1990, he became an assistant state attorney general and later was an administrative law judge for Erie County Child and Family Services. He was retired at the time of his death. He was a former chairman of the Minority Bar Association of Western New York and a member of the board of directors of Grace Manor Nursing Home. He was honored with a Special Faculty Award from UB Law School in 1989 and the Lawyers Service Award from the Minority Bar Association. He was listed in “Who’s Who Among African Americans” in 2004. Survivors include his wife of 34 years, the former Doris Jones; a son, Jerry Jr.; three brothers, Darren, Damon and Terry; a sister, Avis; and a granddaughter.

Summer 2017

85

I N

M E M O R I A M

Edward “Ned” McGrath ’57 – Nov. 1, 2016 Edward W. McGrath of East Aurora, a retired labor relations specialist, died November 1, 2016, at Hospice Buffalo following a lengthy illness. He was 77. He was born unexpectedly in Erie, Pa., while his mother was accompanying his father on a business trip. He attended Nichols as a member of the Class of 1957 and graduated from Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, N.H. Ned attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, where he played hockey and football and sang with the Singing Saints. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration/labor relations from the University at Buffalo and was a member of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a first lieutenant stationed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. He was director of labor relations at Service Systems and then for 25 years at Delaware North.

Ned moved to East Aurora in 1966 and became active with his five children in youth sports, especially football.

Through the next four decades, he coached kids, including his own sons and grandsons, and served on the board and as commissioner of East Aurora Little Loop Football and Cheerleading. During his tenure as commissioner, East Aurora began the practice of having players on the field for a minimum of eight plays per game, built an announcer’s booth at Hamlin Park, the location of the town’s football field, and established a weight room for Little Loop and high school players. In 2009, the Edward McGrath, Sr. Field in Hamlin Park was named in his honor. He was known for his sense of humor. He was also known for his diverse interests including reading, Civil War history, music, movies, puzzles, bridge, and fantasy football. He is predeceased by his wife of 13 years, the former Carol Buscaglia; his daughter, Susan Reger and son, Christian; and survived by his wife of 37 years, the former Carol Dahlin Maeder; three sons, Edward Jr., Daniel and Jonathan; stepchildren, W. Erik Maeder, Karl Maeder, and Rebecca Doll; eight grandchildren; six stepgrandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Laura Scirri Dudley ’85 – Nov. 5, 2016 Laura Scirri Dudley of East Aurora died on November 5, 2016. She was the beloved wife of Patrick A. Dudley; dear mother of Caroline C. Dudley; dearest daughter of Andrew and Caroline (nee Monaco) Scirri; sister of Lisa Scirri DiGate, Andrew Joseph Scirri and the late Marisa Lynn Scirri; daughter-in-law of Richard and Martha Dudley; sister-in-law of Rebecca (Michael) Pascal, Nathaniel (Laura) Dudley and Richard (Kalyn) Dudley, Jr. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

86

Nichols School

Howard Arbesman ’62 – Dec. 16, 2016 Vance Luedeke ’52 – Dec. 23, 2016 William Paul Vance Luedeke, 82, died December 23, 2016, in Hohenwald, Tenn., after a long decline. Born in 1934 to William Paul and Margretta Ruth (nee Stacy) Luedeke in Buffalo, Vance attended Nichols, where he was on the football, hockey, and track teams, and graduated with the Class of 1952. As a boy, he spent many happy summers as a camper, and later as a counselor, at Winona Camp for Boys on Moose Pond in Bridgeton, Maine.

He continued to play hockey at Williams College and graduated in 1956. He served in the U.S. Army from 1956–1959 and. He was stationed in Germany and remained there for a year afterward to run his own touring company. He married Melanie (nee Henke) Luedeke in Buffalo in 1960, and they moved Greenwich, Conn., where Vance taught sixth grade English at Greenwich Country Day School. He was privileged to play in the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1967 with the U.S. Men’s Field Hockey Team. In 1970, Vance moved his family to Denmark, Maine, where he built a house on his beloved Moose Pond, and they raised their family there. He helped his daughter, Lisa, found the Denmark Girls Softball team, which he coached from 1972 to 1977. He got sober on December 7, 1974, in Alcoholics Anonymous and helped many other alcoholics on their path to sobriety. He was a teacher and an alcoholism counselor for a number of years. In later years, he lived in Waterville, Maine, and then Pensacola, Fla., where he was a member of Cokesbury United Methodist Church.

He suffered from depression and bi-polar disorder, and in his later years, from dementia. He is survived by halfsister Gretchen Luedeke DeBartolo of Pittsfield, Mass.; ex-wife Melanie Luedeke of Pensacola, Fla.; daughter Stacy Reed and son-in-law Tom Reed of Hohenwald, Tenn. and granddaughter Michelle Cruz of New Orleans, La.; daughter Lisa Luedeke, son-in-law Putnam Ercoline, and granddaughter Lily Ercoline of Peterborough, N.H.; son, W. P. Vance Luedeke Jr. and daughter-in-law Naida Luedeke of Maui, Hawaii, and grandchildren Brandon and Amber Luedeke, both of Goodyear, Ariz. A memorial service will be held in August 2017 in Denmark, Maine.

I N

Richard Nilson ’60 – Dec. 24. 2016 Richard D. Nilson of Buffalo Grove, Ill., died on December 24, 2016, at the age of 74. Born on December 18,1942, in Buffalo, he graduated from Nichols in 1960, where his classmates described him as a “gentleman and a scholar” in his senior yearbook. As a student, he was noted for his effort in Glee Club, Math Club, and as a writer for the Nichols News. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1964 and retired from the Naval Air Reserves August 1984 as a Captain. Husband of Jacqueline (nee Carlson) for 50 years; father of David (Beth) and Melissa Bennett; grandfather of Tony and Cody Raine, Daneye Parsons and Travis Nilson; great grandfather Jaxon and Ryleigh Raine; son of Hazel (Buddy) and the late Herbert (Swede) Nilson; brother of Robert M. (Nancy) Nilson and uncle of Sarah (Joe) Cox, Robert M. (Holley) Nilson Jr., Elizabeth (David) Pennino and Matthew Nilson.

James Ramage ’77 – Dec. 24, 2016 James Howell Ramage was a beloved father, brother, uncle, and devoted friend to many. He passed away suddenly at home in Westfield, N.J., on Saturday, December 24, 2016. Jim, as he was known to all, was born and raised in Amherst, the youngest of seven children of Robert William and Margaret Howell Ramage. He graduated from Nichols in 1977 before matriculating to Hobart College, graduating in 1981 with a bachelor’s in English. Jim had a long and successful career in banking, rising ultimately to become a Managing Director and Group Head/Senior Credit Executive in the Investment Banking Division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. He earned a MBA degree from Fordham University.

In 2010 he joined Standard Chartered Bank in their New York Branch serving clients in the global metals and mining businesses. In 2014 he joined Santander SA in their New York Branch continuing to serve global metals and mining clients throughout the world. He leaves behind three grown children in whom he took great pride, Ellen, Megan, and Thomas; his devoted partner, Sue Walsh; a brother, Robert W. Ramage, Jr.; four sisters Florence Anne Ramage, Kathryn R. Hutcheson, Carol R. Abrams, and Mary P. Szymanski; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and one uncle. He was predeceased by his sister Margaret Elizabeth ’66 N. His large extended family was a source of great happiness to him and there was nothing he liked more than entertaining family and friends on his sailboat, sailing crisply down the Hudson River or out to Long Island Sound for extended overnight trips. He was a member of Plainfield Country Club. For many years he was actively involved with the American

M E M O R I A M

Red Cross in northern New Jersey and served as a member of the Westfield/Mountainside Chapter’s board of directors.

Patrick Hodgson ’58 – Dec. 26, 2016 Patrick Hodgson, one of the longest-tenured members of the M&T Bank Board of Directors, died on December 26, 2016, at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto following a sudden and severe stroke. Pat was a member of the Nichols Class of 1958, and a 1962 graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

From 1964 to 1989, he was the owner and President of London Machinery Co., London, Ontario. He served as a director of M&T Bank of Buffalo, N.Y., from 1984 until the time of his death. Pat was also a former Chairman of both Scott’s Hospitality, Inc. of Toronto and Todd Shipyards Corp. of Seattle, Wash. Pat joined the board of M&T in 1987, having joined the board of its subsidiary in 1984. He was a member of the Audit and Executive Committees of M&T, and of the Examining, Executive and Trust and Investment Committees of M&T Bank.

“Mr. Hodgson’s dedication and service to M&T Bank extend back more than three decades, and he helped to guide the transformation of our company from a local bank in Western New York into a leading regional bank with operations across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.,” said M&T Bank Chairman and CEO Robert G. Wilmers.

Pat was predeceased by his parents, Patrick H. Hodgson of Doncaster, England, and Wilhelmina Schoellkopf of Buffalo, and by his sister Nina Spier of East Aurora. He is survived by his wife Camille, and by his daughter Sayre (Chris), his son Patrick (Kate), and three grandchildren.

Calvin Rand ’47 – Dec. 31, 2016 Calvin G. Rand escorted Queen Elizabeth II to a dinner and play in his role as founding director of the Shaw Festival in June 1973. That summer, Rand and his wife Patricia hosted two prime ministers, Indira Gandhi and Pierre Trudeau, at their Niagara-on-the-Lake summer home. And in the mid-1980s, Rand was so impressed by a dramatic reading delivered by three young actors from Dublin, Ireland who had moved to Buffalo that he wrote a sizable check the next day to support the “newest theater company in town” – which became the Irish Classical Theatre Company. A longtime UB philosophy professor and art philanthropist, Calvin died in his sleep on December 31, 2016, at age 87. Born in Buffalo on May 15, 1929, Calvin attended Nichols for eight years, graduating in 1947. A member of the football, hockey, and tennis teams, he also served as

Summer 2017

87

I N

M E M O R I A M

Student Council President. The Nichols dining hall is named for his nephew, Calvin Rand ’24, who passed away in 1923. Calvin ’47 earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and studied philosophy at Columbia University. He never left academia, making a huge impact on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

Besides his work as a UB philosophy professor, he also founded the Niagara Institute for International Studies in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1971. The institute’s main goal was to improve understanding between Americans and Canadians. Its first three-day conference in 1971 featured former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson and other luminaries who met in a home torched by American forces during the War of 1812. It’s now known as The Niagara Institute. Rand also served as president of the American Academy in Rome, a residential community of American scholars and artists. During his four years as president, from 1979 to 1983, Rand was credited with strengthening the academy’s board and turning its operating deficit into a surplus. Despite his connections to world leaders and contributions to the arts community, his was not a household name in Buffalo. That may be because the unpretentious benefactor didn’t seek the spotlight. More than 50 years after Rand began investing heavily in the Niagara Frontier’s cultural jewels – with his checkbook, energy, entrepreneurial spirit, and time – a long list of cultural gems owes a huge debt to him and his family. Those include Buffalo treasures such as the Irish Classical Theatre, Studio Arena Theater, Kleinhans Music Hall, Burchfield Penney Art Center and AlbrightKnox Art Gallery. “When something positive happens in the local arts community, there’s a good possibility that Calvin G. Rand had a hand in it,” Canisius College stated in awarding him an honorary doctorate in 2010. “He has devoted more than five decades to the enrichment of the cultural landscape on both side of the U.S.-Canada border.” Even in his last days, Rand remained active on some of the several dozen cultural boards that he had served over the years. One of his greatest wishes was that younger generations would share his desire to give back.

“His life was committed to philanthropy,” said Jayne K. Rand, his niece and close friend. “His legacy would be to inspire others to do more than just write a check. He was concerned how we could instill those true values in younger people. How are the arts and culturals going to be sustained in the next generation?” Rand learned those values from his own family. His grandfather, George F. Rand, founded the Marine Trust Co., which became Marine Midland Bank under the leadership of Calvin’s father, George F. Rand Jr. The younger George Rand also

88

Nichols School

founded the Buffalo Foundation (now the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo). Rand also served as visiting professor at the Center for Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University. But his key legacy remains the Shaw Festival. From its humble origins, the Shaw Festival grew to the point that Queen Elizabeth officially opened the new theater on June 28, 1973, on her tour of Ontario. Also creating a huge buzz that summer were the appearances of Gandhi and Trudeau. “We owe our very existence to Mr. Rand and his prescient colleagues,” Executive Director Tim Jennings stated. “The Shaw was established during the formative days of the non-profit theater movement, but it did not come easily. There were early detractors and many obstacles.” Throughout his life, Rand either chaired capital campaigns, made major donations, or served on the boards of dozens of not-forprofit organizations, most of them in the arts. Among his major awards were an honorary doctorate from Canisius College, the Red Jacket Award from the Buffalo History Museum, and the Walter P. Cooke Award from UB. Until his death, Calvin directed funding for the Rand Chair at UB, which funds a connection between Chinese business executives and the Buffalo business community.

He also served as director of Rand Capital Corp., which was founded by his brother, George F. Rand III. Calvin Rand was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, the former Patricia Andrew, who died in 2001. Surviving are five daughters, Robin Ellis, Melissa Robb, Jennifer Griffis, Lucinda and Elizabeth; 10 grandchildren, including Nichols alumna Ashley Robb Lewis ’00; and eight greatgrandchildren.

Allen Short ’43 – Dec. 31, 2016 Allen Short, 90, of Jamestown, died December 31, 2016, in his home after a lengthy but valiant battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was born in Buffalo on March 27, 1926, at Buffalo General Hospital, the son of the late Myron and Winifred Allen Short. He attended School no. 22 from kindergarten through sixth grade, and then attended the School of Practice at Buffalo State for grades 7, 8 and 9. His high school years were completed at Nichols School, where he graduated in June of 1943 and was awarded the Lehigh Cup for sportsmanship in athletics and shared the Alumni Cup for best athlete. In July of 1943, he entered Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y. in their first World War II class that had 55 freshmen. Allen was drafted to serve in the armed forces during his freshman year and was accepted in the U.S. Marine Corps. After boot camp at Paris Island and further training at Hadnot Pt. in North Carolina, he was assigned

I N

to the V-12 program to prepare as a platoon leader. That program was available at Colgate where he stayed and graduated in February 1947. While at Colgate, Allen was a four-letter athlete with four years of varsity golf, four years of varsity hockey, one year of varsity football, and one year of varsity soccer. He co-captained the varsity hockey team in the 1946-47 year, when the team was named national champions by the college and university ice hockey coaches. Allen moved to Jamestown in 1947 to work in sales for Laco Roofing and Laco Applicators.

He married Sylvia Rohrer of Buffalo and they settled in Lakewood, N.Y. Together they had four children: Thomas Allen, Pamela, Diane, and Catherine Alison. After five years with Laco, Allen became a life insurance agent with Northwestern Mutual and remained in that career for 62 years until his retirement in June 2014. Upon his retirement, Allen was awarded a Key to the City of Jamestown by Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi, who also presented Allen with a proclamation declaring “1926 through 2014 as the Allen Short Years” and calling upon all residents to “reflect upon and follow his dedication to and love for this wonderful community.” Allen was involved in several civic activities for many years, including The United Way where he served as campaign chair for one year; Jamestown Community College where he was a charter member of the JCC Foundation and served as chair for two years; and Chautauqua Institution where he served on their foundation board for two years and worked for more than 50 years raising money for the annual campaign. Allen received Man of the Year awards from Jamestown Community College in 2004 and Chautauqua Region Community Foundation in 2010, as well as from WCA Hospital. When Links Charity was founded in 1991, Allen was named Executive Director and served in that capacity for 19 years. Under his leadership along with Mary Blair and Sandy Anderson, the founders of the tournament, more than $800,000 was raised in support of the Cancer Treatment Center at WCA Hospital. Allen also served as co-chair with Peter Sullivan on the hospital’s capital campaign. He was a member of The Sportsmen’s Club where he was a board officer for many years and president for two. He was also a member of Moon Brook Country Club where he served on the board for two years and was President in 1960, and was also Club Champion in 1960. Allen was a lifetime member of the New York State Golf Association.

Allen is survived by his wife, Elaine whom he married in 1981; a son, Thomas Short of Panama, N.Y.; and two daughters, Pamela (Maury) Ahlman of Gilbert, Ariz., and Diane (Roland) Swanson of Brockport, N.Y. He is also

M E M O R I A M

survived by two stepsons, Jeffrey (Francesca) Amann and Kevin (Josy) Amann, all of San Francisco, Calif., and is the proud grandfather of 12, great-grandfather of 19, and uncle to eight nieces and nephews. Allen was preceded in death by a daughter, Catherine A. Short; and three sisters, Winifred (Adam) Wyant, Jean (Bud) Hudson, and Susanne (James) Brown.

Richard “Rit” Moot ’38 – Jan. 29, 2017 Richard E. “Rit” Moot, a practicing attorney in Buffalo for 62 years and a third-generation attorney in his family, died January 29 in his Cheektowaga patio home. He was 96. A Buffalo native, Rit graduated from Nichols in 1938, where he played hockey and was voted by fellow seniors as “most argumentative – thus it is not surprising to find him an aspirant to the Harvard Law School.” The Moot Hall science building (1963 – 2010) at Nichols was named for the generous philanthropic support provided to the school by Rit, his brother Welles ’38, and the Western New York Foundation.

Rit was so intent on defending democracy in World War II that even before the United States entered the war, he wanted to join the Canadian Air Force, the fastest way to enter combat. His family persuaded him to join the U.S. Navy. As a Navy signal officer, guiding pilots landing on aircraft carriers at night, he designed a flight suit with fluorescent stripes for the officers, to help the pilots. The “Moot Suit” soon became standard dress for landing signal officers, and Rit also won a Bronze Star during the war. Later in life, Rit entered the political arena, offering a key endorsement that helped ensure the victory of Democrat Frank A. Sedita in a hotly contested race for mayor in 1969, after Rit had lost the Republican primary. And as a longtime attorney, Rit argued two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court and represented the Attica Correctional Facility superintendent in the long-running Attica civil trial in the early 1990s. Among his many accomplishments in the community, he was a founding trustee of the Western New York Foundation, which has made thousands of grants totaling more than $11 million over the last 65 years. “In all his endeavors, Rit was a tireless, colorful and outspoken competitor, a passionate defender of his clients and causes, and a tough taskmaster ... while at the same time extremely generous and supportive,” said Chris Greene ’66, a longtime law partner in the firm now called Barclay Damon. “You always knew where you stood with Rit; there was no ambiguity.” Rit earned degrees from Harvard College, the U.S. Naval Academy Postgraduate School of Aeronautical Engineering, and the University of Virginia Law School.

Summer 2017

89

I N

M E M O R I A M

After enlisting in the Navy and working as a landing signal officer in the Pacific Theater, Rit survived several harrowing incidents while guiding planes onto the deck of the USS Intrepid. Lt. Moot once spotted a Japanese kamikaze coming straight at him. The incoming fire missed him, but the plane crashed through the flight deck, starting a huge fire in the hangar deck. Rit quickly wielded a hose to cool down the live ammunition. Was he afraid? “You had no time for that,” he replied in a 2012 Buffalo News profile. After the war, in 1949, he joined his father Welles V. Moot’s law firm, Moot & Sprague, before leaving four years later to join the U.S. attorney’s office, where he became a first assistant U.S. attorney. Rit left that office in 1957, when he joined the precursor to Damon Morey, remaining with that firm almost the whole time until he retired in 2011 at age 91.

In his last years there, he concentrated on elder law. As an attorney Rit continued a family tradition dating to the 19th century, following the career path of his father and his grandfather, Adelbert, who began practicing law in 1877. One of Rit’s top accomplishments was successfully arguing the case of Bethlehem Steel Corp. employees before the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1980s, helping win $121 million worth of health care and life insurance for some 20,000 company employees. Earlier, he had argued another case before the Supreme Court while representing the Bell Aerospace Co. in 1974. But Rit probably was best known for his long-running role in the stormy, contentious Attica civil trial, when he represented prison Superintendent Vincent Mancusi. One reporter called Rit a “feisty little bulldog.,” and family members recalled his nickname of “Mad Dog Moot.” “He was fair but tough,” said one of his sons, John. “He didn’t back down.” In 1969, Rit, considered a moderate Republican, sought the GOP nomination for mayor as an independent. After he lost to the more conservative Alfreda W. Slominski in the primary, he opted to cross party lines and endorse Sedita, the incumbent Democrat, in the general election.

“The future of the city must always come before the welfare of any local political party,” he told the Buffalo Evening News. “The magnitude and importance of urban problems today far outweigh the hackneyed call to party loyalty of the past.” As John Moot said of his father, “He was a Rockefeller Republican through and through, very progressive on social issues, very conservative on economic issues.” Among his many other community contributions, accomplishments, and hobbies, Rit was a devoted supporter of both the Western New York Foundation and the Buffalo Urban League;; a 50-year member of the Buffalo Yacht Club and an avid sailor who still went out solo on his beloved boat, Soubrette, into his early 80s; a

90

Nichols School

longtime trustee of Nichols School; a lifelong member of Trinity Episcopal Church; and a fellow of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers. Even in his last days, Rit enjoyed his time with the Rascals Lunch Club, over his very dry Plymouth martinis, straight up with a twist.

Rit was preceded in death by his wife of almost 67 years, the former Barbara Spence, who died last April. Surviving are four sons, David, Michael, John, and Andrew; five grandchildren; and one sister, Mary Buerger.

Bill Irwin ’51 – March 1, 2017 William “Big Bill” Irwin died peacefully in his sleep March 1. Bill was born and raised in Buffalo and graduated from Nichols in 1951. He was described by classmates in his senior yearbook as witty and pleasant, a true friend to all in the class. A major contributor to the varsity football and hockey teams, he was also a threeletter winner and captain of the baseball team. Bill went on to graduate from Williams College in 1955 where he captained the hockey team. He served in the U.S. Navy as a radar man. Bill went to work for Taft Broadcasting eventually managing both WGR AM and WGRQ FM in Buffalo and went on to manage radio stations in Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Colorado Springs, and Albuquerque.

He retired to Tucson, Ariz., in 2002. He was President of New York Broadcasters Association and Buffalo Radio Association Group; Director of North Carolina and Albuquerque Radio Broadcasters. He was always active in the community as Director of the Greater Buffalo Development Foundation, Western New York Association for the Blind, American Heart Association of Western New York, and Albuquerque Economic Forum. He was a Vestryman for Trinity Church in Buffalo, and was on the Executive Committee for the Charlie Pride Senior PGA Golf Tournament and Tim Horton Memorial Gold Tournament. A lifelong hockey player and fan, he was an ardent supporter of the Buffalo Sabres. His warmth and humor was at once disarming and genuine. He touched many lives young and old. He loved his family, martinis, grilling, hockey, and his native city of Buffalo. Bill is survived by his former wife Barbara of Colorado, daughter Midge of Arizona, son Dudley (Tania) of Colorado, daughter Dede (David) Bennell of Maine and son Wick (Sheila) of California as well as his nine grandchildren: Kelsee, Madison, Jocelyn, Katharine, Ryder, Jesse, Hayden, Morgan and Grayson.

I N

Spencer Wolfe ’62 – March 4, 2017 Spencer Watson Wolfe of Grand Blanc, Mich., died March 4 at the age of 73. Spencer was born September 11, 1943, in Buffalo, the son of Spencer Munson and Natala (Watson) Wolfe. He married Laura L. Nelson on September 28, 2009, in Ann Arbor, Mich. He proudly served as a Captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from 1967–1972. Spencer was awarded multiple Purple Hearts, the Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star, and numerous other commendations. He was a member of the Flint VFW Post 822, the Grand Blanc American Legion Post 413, and the Military Order of Purple Heart. He graduated from Hillsdale College. Spencer was the owner of the Grand Blanc Branch of Management Recruiters, Inc. until his retirement. He enjoyed traveling, fishing, military history, and was an avid reader. Spencer is survived by his wife, Laura; three children, Heidi Hunter, Spencer E. “Trae” (M. Cherish) Wolfe, and, Devon Wolfe; six grandchildren, Breeyan Hunter, Shelby Hunter, Jaden Wolfe, Kira Wolfe, Gage Wolfe, and, Kinsley Wolfe; sister Linda (David) Fox. Spencer was preceded in death by his parents, and grandson, Brett.

Gordon Gannon, Jr. ’50 – March 7, 2017 Gordon Gannon, Jr. died on March 7. Gordon He was a resident of Hamburg, N.Y. He is survived by his beloved wife Suzanne Gannon; his children, Gordon (Bonnie) Gannon, III ’74, Elizabeth (Martin) O’Malley, Kevin Gannon, Annie Laurie (Chris) Chelovitz, Gregory (Sheila) Gannon, and Jennifer (Emilio) Pintado, William Green; his siblings, Peter (Shirley) Gannon and Susan Gannon-Haas; his 15 grandchildren and several greatgrandchildren; and his nieces and nephews. A true friend to Nichols in his 67 years as an alumnus, Gordon was best known to faculty on campus in recent years for his annual presentation of tThe Gannon Family Foundation Faculty Award (formerly the Olive R. Ringo Award), which was established to recognize outstanding contributions by members of the Nichols faculty to the education of Nichols students. Since the award is accompanied by an endowed prize, a faculty member may receive the award only once. Gordon was co-trustee of the Olive R. Ringo estate, and headed the family foundation.

Robert Oshei, Jr. ’62 – March 12, 2007 Bob Oshei, a retired company president and chief executive officer who led Fibron Products, died on March 12 at his home in Franklinville in Cattaraugus County. He was 72.

Born in Buffalo, Bob attended Nichols for a number of years as a member of the Class of 1962, ultimately leaving Buffalo and graduating from Hoosac High School. He

M E M O R I A M

earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at Hobart College, where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Fraternity. Bob worked at Fibron Products, a former Buffalo manufacturer of laminated wood for the cutlery and hardware industries, for 35 years,.He retired to a home he had in Franklinville.

He was a grand-nephew of John R. Oishei, the founder of Buffalo’s Trico Products. Mr. Oshei belonged to the Buffalo Club and the Saturn Club. He enjoyed fly-fishing, hunting, and played squash and pool. Mr. Oshei enjoyed jazz and was a musician. After he retired, one of the things he liked to do was write short stories. Survivors include his wife, the former Molly Magee, who he married in 1974; two sons, Robert C. III and Jonathan; three daughters, Estelle, Lissa, and Claire; a brother, William; a sister, Mary E.B.; and two grandchildren.

Albert Laub ’53 – March 24, 2017 Al Laub, of Naples, Fla. and Boston, Mass., passed away on the morning of March 24 in his home surrounded by family after a long and courageous battle against lung disease. Born to Raymond and Margaret Laub in Amherst, Al was a graduate of Nichols, where he was Editor of the Verdian, an honors student, and selected for the All Interstate Soccer Team in 1952. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and embarked on a 45-year career in the investment securities world. Starting first as a stock and bond broker, Al became a co-founder of a new investment firm where he continued his retail business and began building an institutional department based on the firm’s research and trading capabilities. In the mid-seventies, Al was recruited by Cowen and Company to build its institutional equities business while managing all sales, marketing, and trading personnel. By 1980, he became a General Partner of Cowen which specialized in high technology and healthcare research for U.S. institutions. In the mid-eighties, Al started the firm’s international division which led to the opening of new offices in London, Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Tokyo, and Toronto. The firm prospered throughout the ’80s and ’90s and eventually was purchased by a major French bank, Societe Generale. Shortly after the sale in 1999, Al retired and became a resident of Naples after spending his adult life in Pittsburgh, and then, Boston and New York. Al has been the loving husband of Gail for the past 33 years. He is the father of three children by his first wife –Susan O’Leary (Charlie) of Santa Fe, N.M.; Craig Laub (Elizabeth) of Marblehead, Mass.; and Eric Laub (Tammy) of S. Natick, Mass.; and the stepfather to Gail’s three children – Frank Masterson (Susan) of Palm City, Fla.; Laura O’Brien (Denis) of Portland, Maine; and Robert Masterson (Deborah) of Toms River, NJ. Al is the proud grandfather of eight super grandchildren – Caroline,

Summer 2017

91

I N

M E M O R I A M

Laura, Freddie, Nick, Joe, Mary, Victoria, and William.

He is survived by his sister and two brothers – Patricia Laub Finck of Tarpon Springs, Fla.; David C. Laub of Buffalo; and Richard A. Laub (Donna) of Cumming, Ga. During his retirement years, Al’s interests and activities centered on golf, travel (55 countries), financial markets, boating, and reading. He was involved for many years in a number of startup companies and charities. As a member of the Moorings Presbyterian Church, he headed up the fundraising efforts that led to the building of their new Church. Many of his best memories were a result of his membership at Royal Poinciana Golf Club where he had many friends, golf buddies, and social acquaintances.

For Al, RP was the place to be. In closing, Al had a great retirement thanks in large part to his wife, Gail, who he considered his best friend and no. 1 supporter.

Charles Holland ’74 – April 17, 2017 Beloved husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend, Chuck passed away on Monday, April 17 at the UCLA Santa Monica Hospital. He was 60 years old. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Chuck was the oldest son of Charles Bampfield Holland-Moritz and Jacqueline Koifman Holland. He attended Nichols and later the Hill School (PA). He later lived in Lake Forest, Ill., where he attended college. He then moved to Cottonwood, Ariz. It was in Venice, Calif., where Charles met and wed Janice Radavich.

They celebrated their 29th wedding anniversary just prior to his death. They have two sons, Charles Michel and Jean-Pierre, both residing in Los Angeles. Charles was a true Renaissance man, who some described as being “larger than life.” Not only was he fluent in several languages, he also was an amazing chef, organic gardener, photographer, sportsman, and loved animals. He was also a philanthropist. One year ago, he earned his third degree black belt in the martial art of Aikido and he taught weapon training. Chuck had a passion and respect for all things Japanese. He traveled to Japan several times to visit temples and to absorb the culture. He spoke a respectable amount of Japanese, which was greatly admired by those he met on his travels. This passion brought him to the Japanese Pavilion of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where Charles and Janice enjoyed their position in the Japanese Acquisition Group. The Holland Family shared many passions. Another was the Vertebrae Paleontology Department of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, where they were honored with a newly discovered Dino-bird genus, Hollanda, named after their family. Chuck was always interested in cars – fast cars.

As a young man he raced open wheel cars in the Sports Car Club of America. He was branded to all things BMW

92

Nichols School

and was a lifelong member of the BMW Car Club of America. He loved driving fast and could be often found at the Laguna Seca racetrack on the Monterey Peninsula in his M5 or another of his BMW cars. For the last six years, Chuck was a partner of TC Kline with a shop located in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Hilliard, Ohio. Chuck is survived by his wife and two sons, as well as his younger brother, Michael John Holland (Buffalo, N.Y.) and his two children, John and Alexandra Holland. Chuck is an uncle to nine and a great-uncle to 20, through his Radavich union.

Chuck was loved and respected, and will be greatly missed by his family and many friends.

Whitney Washuta ’10 – April 18, 2017 Whitney Jade Washuta of Youngstown, N.Y. helped foreign students improve their command of English. She died on April 18 in West Hollywood, Calif. She was 25. Born in Buffalo, the granddaughter of Steve J. Washuta, the late founder of the Modern Corporations, she attended Stella Niagara School, where she was an outstanding swimmer.

She began high school at Nichols, where she played on the varsity field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball teams. She studied Spanish and took part in a study-abroad program in Costa Rica. She went on to graduate from LewistonPorter High School, where she excelled in many advanced placement classes and studied abroad in Spain. She then attended the University of Vermont, studied abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico, and earned a bachelor’s degree in global studies with a minor in Spanish in 2013. After graduation, she moved to California and tutored students in English.

A lover of the outdoors, she enjoyed the beach and spent many winters snowboarding on slopes around the world.

A music fan, she was an enthusiastic concertgoer. Survivors include her parents, Richard H. and Gail E.; two sisters, Joleigh ’05 and Colbie; a brother, Broc; her grandparents, Sonia Washuta and Joseph and Madeleine Zucco; and aunts, uncles, and cousins.

George Phillips ’50 – May 18, 2017 George F. “Nick” Phillips Jr., a distinguished investment manager for more than six decades, died May 18 at Buffalo General Hospital after a short illness. He was 85. Born in Buffalo, George was the namesake son of George F. Phillips Sr., an early partner in Phillips Lytle LLP, and Mary Weston Phillips. He was a graduate of Nichols and Groton School, and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1954, the same year he entered the U.S. Army. George left the military in 1956, having achieved the rank of 1st Lieutenant in the Army Transportation Corps. He then began his long career as an investment manager, working well into his ninth decade. George was a past president and secretary

I N

of DeGraff Memorial Hospital’s Board of Directors, a past president, vice president and treasurer of the Buffalo Museum of Science board, a former finance chairman of the local SPCA, and a former chairman of the United Way of the Tonawandas. He also served on the boards of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Shaw Festival, and the Saturn Club of Buffalo, of which he was also a former dean.

His roles in the community reflected his interest in the arts and history. He also enjoyed skiing, hiking, photography, and travel, and he grew orchids George and the former Carin Wyckoff were married in June 1982. In addition to his wife, he is survived by stepsons, Robert, Stephen, and Carter Kohlmeyer; his sister, Lydia Laub; one brother, Westy Phillips; and five grandchildren.

FO R M E R

FAC U LT Y

Edwin “Andy” Anderson, Jr. – Oct. 22, 2016 Edwin “Andy” Anderson, a Korean War veteran and 39year Nichols School teacher and coach, died October 22, 2016, under hospice care in Hudson, Fla. He was 87. Andy became involved in sports when he played basketball during his senior year at Canisius High School.

He also played basketball for an Army Special Services team. He was an all-star baseball player for the University of Buffalo and later was named assistant coach.

He played professional baseball in the St. Louis Cardinals’ minor league system. In 1956, Andy was hired at Nichols, where he taught English and coached basketball, baseball, and golf for the next 39 years. He served on the preOlympics committee selecting amateur high school and college students to compete in the games. He also was president of the Western New York State Referees Association. Andy’s family said he was known for engaging in spirited arguments with officials, something his former students and athletes at Nichols can attest to! Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Eleanor; two sons, Brian and Christopher; two daughters, Elizabeth Burtness and Lucille; three grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Andy was inducted into the Nichols School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. His induction citation is included here: You were a superb 8th grade English teacher, putting emphasis on both grammar and various writing styles. Your accuracy with an eraser, winged at a recalcitrant back row student, is legendary. You kept your classes lively, and your students in order, with constant threat of being banished

M E M O R I A M

to Coventry. You coached 8th grade soccer, and constantly urged your attack to “follow, follow” after every shot on goal. But your great contributions to Nichols lay in varsity arenas of basketball and baseball. Who can forget watching you as you instructed the basketball referees in the finer points of the game. As you guided them through the basics of basketball, you reminded them of many obscure rules and interpretations, while your players used the valuable timeout to regain their strength and composure. Your patience, vast knowledge of the game and deft handling of fragile personalities enabled you to coach countless winning teams, often made up of less talented players than your competition.

Your basketball prowess was recognized and admired by your peers in the Western New York athletic world. Ask any of your former players and they will remember your high personal involvement in their lives because of what they learned about basketball, and life, from you. Baseball, your other passion, cemented your place in the Hall of Fame. How many batters did you teach to “see the seams” of the ball as it came from the pitcher’s hand? How many players heard you reiterate the fundamentals of baseball – run, throw, catch – with all the finer points constantly at the ready? Local coaches and major league scouts alike admired you for your ability to bring along a fine player and make him great. Umpires learned at every game rules that they had forgotten, or had never even heard of, from your persistent lectures at the plate or at the mound, coincidentally, always to the advantage of your team. For the coaching and training of the many athletes who were privileged to play for you and learn from you; for the love of hard work, team play, and sportsmanship that you taught and espoused; for all of your contributions to Nichols School athletics, we take great pride in inducting you, Andy Anderson, into the Nichols Athletic Hall of Fame.

Anne Clauss – Jan. 4, 2017 Dr. Anne R. Clauss, esteemed Nichols English teacher from 1981 – 1998, colleague and friend passed away on January 4, 2017.

Anne joined the Nichols faculty as an English teacher in 1981. During her 17 year tenure, she gained the respect of students and colleagues alike. Known for her spirited intellect and natural curiosity, teaching was a way of life for Anne both inside and outside of the classroom.

She sought to guide others toward their own pursuit of wisdom. Following her retirement from Nichols, Anne lived in Buffalo and spent summers at her home on the Canadian lakeshore with friends and family.

Anne was the beloved sister of the late James T., Charles J., Sr. Audrey Clauss RSM, Paula R. (late Albert) Brinkman and David F. Clauss; dear sister-in-law of Imelda, Geraldine and Patricia; also survived by many

Summer 2017

93

I N

M E M O R I A M

nieces and nephews including David Clauss (Allison E. Prince ‘75), Ann “Scotty” Clauss Thompson ‘73, Eric Clauss P’10, Christian Clauss ’78 and John Clauss ’82.

Anne’s commitment to Nichols, her efforts to encourage and inspire students through education and literary study will be forever recognized. Please see our tribute to Anne and learn about her generous gift to Nichols in the upcoming Report on Giving, arriving this fall.

Barbara Wagner – Feb. 17, 2017 Barbara L. (nee McCarthy) Wagner, a musician, teacher, and choral conductor, passed away after a long illness at the Garden House Nursing Home in Getzville on February 17.

She was 80 years old. A longtime resident of Buffalo, she was born in Lockport and graduated from Lockport Senior High and the University of Buffalo. She was the daughter of the late Richard and Flora McCarthy. Barbara was the former Minister of Music at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo, in her 50th year of service when she retired in 2012. She also taught vocal music at Nichols School for 25 years and later taught at Buffalo Seminary.

She was the first artistic director for the Buffalo Gay Men’s Chorus, leading the group through their first rehearsal on the tragic occasion of September 11, 2001, and continuing as their conductor for 10 years. Additionally, she served as the Music Director at Temple Beth Am for 12 years and as the conductor of the Orchard Park Chorale for five years.

In addition to conducting the Unitarian Universalist Choir and numerous BPO musicians and other instrumentalists on Sunday mornings, she led the church choir on two European tours, the first to Germany, Australia, and Czech Republic and the second to Great Britain. Under her direction, the choir recorded for American Public Radio, and performed locally with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Amherst Saxophone Quarter, and the Arts Nova Chamber Orchestra. Under her direction, the UUCB Choir was well known throughout Western New York for its dozens of acclaimed concerts, productions of operas and oratorios, Music Sunday performances, and, more recently, a Fall and Spring Bach Cantata Series, featuring her 60-voice choirs and chamber orchestras of BPO musicians, all performed in the Churches sanctuary. Most notable among her many career achievements was conducting her church choir in the world premiere performance of a Requiem with text by Kurt Vonnegut and music by Edgar David Grana in March of 1988. Later that year, Ms. Wagner was the conductor for the Peace Odyssey Tour of Hungary and the Former Soviet Union with singers from across the United States. Ms. Wagner earned a BFA degree from the University of Buffalo, where she studied organ with Squire Haskin and did graduate work at Westminster Choir College. She did advanced organ study with Karl

94

Nichols School

Richter at Munich Conservatory (Germany) and studied advanced conducting with Raymond Harvey, the former Assistant Conductor of the BPO. She was a member of the American Choral Director’s Association, the Erie County Music Educators Association, the American Guild of Organists, the Chromatic Club, and a founding member of the Unitarian Universalists Musician’s Network. She was awarded the Erie County Music Educator/BPO Award for excellence in Choral Education in 2002. She is predeceased by her husband, the Rev. William G. Wagner. Survivors include her daughters, Carrie Martin of Hamburg, and Molly Wagner of Sydney, Australia; grandchildren, Jay and Evan (Jenna) Wopperer, Cheri (Matthew) Pritchard; and Erica, Rachael, and Gideon Heller-Wagner; and a sister Jeanne (Ronald) Gunby; sisters-in-law; Susan Dull and Libby Wagner; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

E. Webster Dann ’47 – March 21, 2017 Web Dann, an alumnus and longtime Nichols faculty member, coach, and local historian, died March 21 in Mercy Hospital after a short illness. He was 87. Born in Buffalo, he graduated from Nichols in 1947 where his senior classmates described him in the Verdian as “Nichols personified.” He later graduated from Lehigh University, where he played varsity hockey. Web worked for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, before being drafted into the Army and served two years at First Infantry Division Headquarters, Germany. After the Army, he taught seventh- and eighth-grade math at Governor Dummer Academy, now known as the Governors Academy, in Byfield, Mass. He was a longtime friend of Boston Bruins star Bobby Orr and the two maintained this relationship via correspondence after Mr. Dann returned to Buffalo. Web taught at the Park School and at Nichols, where he coached hockey and soccer for 30 years. He also was active in youth hockey, coaching, and sponsoring the Tonawanda Lightning for many years.

He maintained friendships with a great many of his former students and players, stretching back to the beginning of his teaching career. Web enjoyed collecting Buffalo memorabilia, especially from the era of the Pan-American Exposition. He was a passionate coin collector and also enjoyed solving mathematical puzzles. Web was committed to preserving Native American History and was a charter member of the Native American Museum in Washington.

For the last seven years, he sponsored and corresponded with a Navajo teenager, on the Navajo Reservation outside of Albuquerque, N.M. Survivors include several nieces and nephews.

I N

FR I E N D S Joseph Augustine – Feb. 24, 2016. Father of Paul ’84 and Mark Augustine ’87.

Connie Walsh – Sep. 12, 2016. Wife of Jack Walsh ’63; mother of Kyle ’95 and Blake Walsh ’98.

David Tiftickjian – Oct. 1, 2016. Father of David ’78, Dick ’80 and Chris ’83; grandfather of David ’07, Will ’11 and Kristen Tiftickjian ’14.

Ruth Kahn Stovroff – Oct. 21, 2016. Mother of Ken ’58, Steven ’60 and Richard Kahn ’62; grandmother of Brad Kahn ’88.

Irving Brott – Oct. 24, 2016. Father of Megan Brott Sullivan ’82 and Gordon Brott ’92.

Sheila Walsh Parizeau – Oct. 26, 2016. Sister of Jack Walsh ’39 and Edward Walsh ’43.

Jiyuan Yu – Nov. 3, 2016. Father of Norman Yu ’13; husband of Yajie Zhang (faculty).

M E M O R I A M

Phyllis Pierce – Jan. 7, 2017. Mother of Ted Pierce ’73; grandmother of Meaghan ’96 & Emily Pierce-Delaney ’00, and Caroline ’09 & David Pierce ’11.

George Barrios – Jan. 28, 2017. Father of Kurt ’89, Karl ’91, Erik ’96, and Katrina Barrios ’98.

Charlotte Yerkovich – Jan. 29, 2017. Mother of Eric ’72, Carl ’75, Laura ’76, Edward ’80, and Sarah Yerkovich ’84; grandmother of Delilah ’98, Brendan ’03, and Gunnar Burke ’07; Luke ’12, Will ’15, and Alec Yerkovich ’16; and Sylvia ’20 and Leif Anthony ’22.

Robert Cotsen – Feb. 11, 2017. Father of Brenda ’79, Sarah ’82, Mimi Saker ’82, Adam ’81, and Ted ’90.

Laurette Oak – Feb. 17, 2017. Grandmother of Kayla ’12 and Eliza Oak ’15, and Gavin ’17, Lucas ’19, and Travis Goodin ’19.

Timothy Daley – March 6, 2017. Brother of Monica Jones (Trustee).

Jules Midlik – Nov. 8, 2016. Father of Erich ’81 and Tara Midlik ’85; grandfather of Tristan ’19.

Jeanne Locke – April 9, 2017. Grandmother of Michael Angelakos ’05, Matthew Angelakos ’10, and Meg Angelakos Kaimakliotis ’02. Mother of Stephanie Angelakos (staff).

Margaret “Maggie” Hoeltke – Dec. 2, 2016. Mother of Bob Shuttleworth ’05.

Vinnie Barrett – April 21, 2017. Father of Maggie Barrett ’04 and Mac Barrett.

Thomas Nesselbush – Dec. 3, 2016. Brother of Donna Nesselbush ’80.

Larry Levite – April 26, 2017. Former Trustee.

Father of Adam ’85 and Josh Levite ’88.

Ann (Boocock) Coburn – Dec. 6, 2016. Mother of Phil Coburn (faculty); sister of Roger Boocock ’52; daughter of Phil Boocock ’22.

Louis Lazar – April 28, 2017. Father of Eliot Lazar ’74.

Grandfather of David ’00 and Allyson Miller ’01, and Samantha ’17 and Audrey Lazar ’19.

David Wolski – Dec. 18, 2016. Father of Claudia O’Keefe (faculty).

Helen Lenahan – May 19, 2017. Grandmother of John Lenahan ’13.

John Clarey – Dec. 28, 2016. Husband of Jennifer Clarey (staff).

Philip Passafiume – June 28, 2017. Father of Nick Passafiume ’15.

Jonathan Miller – Dec. 31, 2016. Father of David ’00 and Allyson Miller ’01.

Syde Taheri – July 5, 2017. Father of Paul Taheri ’80.

Bruce Merrifield – Jan. 1, 2017. Former Trustee; father of Robert Merrifield ’71.

Summer 2017

95

I N

M E M O R I A M

Remembering Barbara Wagner

By Kate Olena, Middle School Faculty

One lone voice in the darkness of the Nottingham gym sings Hodi-i-e. A growing light of dozens of candles warms the stage. I’ll be your candle on the wa-ater. More than 100 joyful voices rise in a chorus. Hey look me over. Lend me your ear…

Barbara Wagner helped hundreds of children find their voices. Her 5th grade class was her commercial for the choral program, her “hook.” She found silly songs, sports songs, lyrical songs, classic songs, gospel songs, and pop songs to inculcate a love of music in the most unlikely of little hearts. Participation in chorus was the norm, not the exception. Yet, the concerts were exceptional.

The spring concerts linked songs to a play that an 8th grade student or a committee of students wrote.

Marge Gardner created costumes, from an Oscar Meyer Weiner to E.T. to Baloo, depending on the theme. The children learned dances and “riser choreography” that made them feel those songs from their toes to their heads and delightedly donned sun visors, baseball caps, and deely boppers (think bug antennae) – quite a spectacle on a hundred heads!

Barb created song and dance groups: The MiddleMen, The MiddleWomen, The MiddlePeople, Les Femmes – and found music that fit each one, even the two-note range of changing voices. She challenged her kids and herself to broaden their horizons in music from many

96

Nichols School

cultures. I remember one year, she was about to give up on getting the chorus to sing an Indian raga, when I reported overhearing a boy singing it as he headed to the locker room before sports. The raga went back into the program!

Barbara Wagner recognized that the new alma mater composed by David Shire was a love ballad for Nichols School. She taught it to every student, and spirit days included students and teachers having to stop and sing it to her as they walked across campus. She insisted that “America the Beautiful” included not with brotherhood but with humanhood, setting a standard of inclusivity at Nichols School.

Some of her students posted their memories on my Facebook page: “She definitely taught us more than music.” “She brought me out of my shell.”

“She believed in me when I felt most didn’t.” “I remember her bouncing at the piano beneath us, mouthing the lyrics, and always a huge smile on her face at every concert.” “She helped me find my voice.”

Now the angels sing a little sweeter than even they thought possible.

C L A S S

NOTE

If you would like to serve as a Class Agent, please contact the Alumni Office at 716-332-5151 or alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org.

46

Frederick J. Batson, Jr. ’46 FBatmanJr@aol.com

Bill Kinkel received the first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award given by the American Society of Neuroimaging (ASN) at its 40th Annual Meeting at the UCLA Luskin Conference Center on January 21. Bill was one of the founders of the ASN, which was started in Buffalo in 1976. Bill brought the third-ever CT scanner to America, which was only the fourth in the world. He has been passionate about teaching fellows to read the images created ever since. Dr. Kinkel still teaches residents and fellows how to read and evaluate CT, PET scans, MRIs, MRAs, and other types of images at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Former students from around the world still send him scans. His lifetime of experience has helped him diagnose many complex cases and to change the diagnoses of many less-experienced clinicians.

The field has grown exponentially in the last decade because of sports injuries and war wounds. In 1963, Bill founded the Dent Neurologic Institute in Buffalo. He developed the first Neuroimaging Fellowship Program in the world at the Dent.

Later, he developed a second fellowship program for UB at Buffalo General Hospital. These two neuroimaging programs are two of only six such programs in the United States. Every medical student who wishes to obtain board certification in the subspecialty of neuroimaging must complete a one-year fellowship in a program approved by the United Council of Neuroimaging Subspecialties. Students come from allover the globe to study

with Dr. Kinkel and, in turn, train future neuroimagers. Many of them go on to treat patients at the Dent, which is now the largest neurologic clinic in the world, seeing more than 800 patients daily.

47

50

John R. Bray ’50 68 Bridle Path, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Nothing to report. Please send news.

51

David G. Strachan ’51 kbunkport@roadrunner.com

H. Ernest Montgomery II ’47 41 Saint Georges Sq., Buffalo, NY 14222

Nothing to report. Please send news.

48

70th

Malcolm Strachan II ’48 272 Rivermist Dr., Buffalo, NY 14202

Nothing to report. Please send news.

49

Russell Baker ’49 rebake@verizon.net Bernard D. Wakefield ’49 197 Bering Ave., Buffalo, NY 14223 Reginald V. Williams, Jr. ’49 suggiewil@aol.com Charles L. Yeager ’49 33 Gates Cir Apt 1-C, Buffalo, NY 14209

Steve Gurney won gold in eights, coxed fours, and quadruple sculls for rowers over age 75, and silver in double sculls, single sculls, and again in quadruple sculls for rowers over age 80, in the National Masters Rowing Championships in Worcester, Mass., in August. He notes that of 2,100 master rowers, only five are competing beyond age 80. He and they fully agree that making it to the starting line now matters more than who gets to the finish line first.

Carolyn and Dave Schnatz and Suggie and Vic Williams enjoyed a dinner together in Florida in September 2016. Dave and Vic were defense partners on the hockey team at Nichols, winning the first Lawrenceville Tournament, and later played together on two championship teams at Princeton University.

Summer 2017

97

C L A S S

NOTE S

52

Charles L. Abell ’52 lee_abell@ml.com Jack A. Karet ’52 53 Danbury Ln., Kenmore, NY 14217 E. Dennis McCarthy, II ’52 buffalowireman@aol.com

Roger Boocock writes: “I was delighted with the article about my father (former Head of School, Phil Boocock) in the summer issue of . He carried the school through the depression and World War II, and then built a fine academic institution. When he died I received hundreds of letters extolling his warmth and care for everyone. I was equally pleased to see the article about my nephew, Philip Hamilton ’81.

He has become one of the major experts in right whale research. And to know that Phil Coburn, our nephew, follows in his grandfather’s footsteps teaching at Nichols is wonderful. I thought your readers might be interested to know that our daughter (and Phil Boocock’s granddaughter), Melissa Boocock Soderberg, is now in her fourth year as Head of School at Columbus Academy in Columbus, Ohio, a co-ed K–12 school with about 1,085 students. Melissa is the third generation in our family to head an independent school. And she seems to enjoy it!”

53

65th

Henry F. Goller ’53 HFG35@msn.com James J. Herlan ’53 jherlan35@gmail.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

54

Roger W. Putnam ’54 rogerputnam911@aol.com Frederick D. Turner ’54 fturner@brownkelly.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

98

Nichols School

55

Jim Warner ’55 jgramps37@gmail.com

George Lockie of Escondido, Calif., is still enjoying full-time pediatric practice with 17 other physicians in various medical fields.

56

David C. Laub ’56 davidclaub@aol.com

Tom Trimble writes: “Two and a half years ago, I was totally paralyzed with a broken neck in a terrible skiing accident. I am so pleased that I can tell you I have recovered to about 80 percent of normal. We would love to visit with any class member here in Lake Tahoe, Calif., but medical conditions prevent me from flying to Buffalo. My best wishes to all.”

57

George C. Morris ’57 gcm@jdcousins.com Charles A. Smith II ’57 chicsmith1033@aol.com James M. Wadsworth ’57 jwadswor@hodgsonruss.com

Alan Oestreich and his colleague Meg Caré have published a new book, “Recognizing Child Abuse in Radiology.” Published by Springer International Publishing, the book is a personal review of experience in the diagnosis of child abuse and its differential diagnosis. Al is emeritus pediatric radiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and he goes to work nearly every morning when not traveling.

58

60th

Stuart H. Angert ’58 stuart.angert@roadrunner.com Howard T. Saperston, Jr. ’58 htsaperston@hotmail.com

Stuart Angert, under the auspices of the Coleman Foundation, has been named Entrepreneur in Residence for Canisius College’s Richard J. Wehle School of Business. The college is developing an interdisciplinary program in which a component of entrepreneurship will be embedded in academic curricula.

Ultimately, the initiative will be one of collaboration with several of the WNY organizations that have coincident entrepreneurial missions.

Stuart will coach and mentor students in Canisius’ incubator, with the goal of assisting them in the conceptualization, creation, funding, and launch of their business plans.

59

John W. Henrich ’59 johnhenrich@msn.com Daniel J. Kraft, Sr. ’59 krafty@legacyagency.com Jerry Pratter ’59 jbearstl@gmail.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

60

Donald E. Miller ’60 donmil43@gmail.com

Norman Ernst writes: “It is with sadness that I report that Bob Raiser, president of our senior class, passed away on July 30, 2016, in Cameron Park, Calif. Bob is survived by his wife, Judy, a daughter, Becca, and two grandchildren. I participated in the memorial service in El Dorado Hills, Calif., on September 17, where it was evident that he was loved and respected by all. Bob will always be remembered as a great guy.”

61

Richard B. Adams ’61 rba@richardbadams.com Frederick B. Cohen ’61 fcohen@fbcesq.com

Ken Neil writes: “Since it’s been quite a while since I’ve written about my marathon adventures (and misadventures), I thought I’d send along an update. Yesterday [April 17], I ran and finished the Boston Marathon, my fourth run after my untimely start in 2013 when the tragic and pointless bombing took place. Boston is one of my most favorite events because it is the world’s oldest marathon, you only get entry based on meeting tough time standards (which are mercifully relaxed for the gray haired set), and it has insanely supportive crowds (with first prize for zaniness routinely awarded to the Wellesley ladies). I try to run four marathons a year, and I’ve settled into a schedule of Boston (April), Seattle (June), Berlin (September) and New York City (November). Alas, my master plan for 2016 was thwarted by a bad cold that developed into pneumonia, which caused me to miss both Berlin and New York. When I was ready to hit the pavement again, there was a new roadblock – Seattle’s rain! As luck would have it, our son and his family moved to Los Angeles in 2016.

Cookie and I have made numerous trips to visit, and I was able to run frequently on the Santa Monica beach path that extends for 6.5 miles from lower Venice through Santa Monica up to Pacific Palisades. I love it. But back to Boston: Yesterday, the running conditions were a bit difficult because the day started out warm, with clear skies and an intense sun so that it felt pretty hot. Fortunately, clouds arrived mid-race to save the day. (Boston weather conditions are variable as I learned two years ago when I ran in sleet for two-thirds of the race.) The continuing bane of my existence is leg cramps. I’ve

tried everything to avoid them but with little success. Sunday was a Big Problem day. At one point I thought I’d have to either drop out or walk to the finish line (a long haul when the cramps began at mile 14). Around mile 21, things died down so that I could finish in a decent time for a 74-year-old. (For you statisticians, my time was 4:16, which easily gets me guaranteed entry into next year’s race.) Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I’ve now set a goal of running the Boston Marathon when I’m 80 (six years away). Five guys aged 80+ did it this year, so it’s not impossible.

I’m running about 350 miles per quarter. Fortunately Seattle is soon to enter its normally lovely summer period so that I can run a lot more in dry weather. My favorite running path is the Burke Gilman Trail that extends for 20+ miles through Seattle along a former Burlington Northern Railroad right of way. Pretty cool.

Also, if you want to know about a new product to conquer cramps, read on. Salvation may have arrived in the form of a new product named HotShot, a creation of a Nobel prize winning neuroscientist who also happens to be a cramp-prone kayaker. His product is a very spicy drink, which is supposed to neutralize misfiring nerves. His theory is that the problem is not cramping muscles, but misfiring nerves. I have been “field testing” HotShot for about a month. I had intended to drink this before [Boston] but forgot in the midst of pre-race chaos, then lost the container. Crisis! How stupid!

Back at the hotel after the race, with my muscles still twitching and cramping, I downed some HotShot.

Two minutes later my cramping had stopped completely and stayed that way for about six hours. Pretty amazing. I am a convert.”

62

David H. Desmon ’62 david_desmon@ml.com

David Desmon and his wife Janet received the Endowment Leadership Award from the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies in October.

This award is the highest honor the organization annually bestows and it is awarded in recognition of the recipients’ extraordinary service, generosity, and commitment to the Buffalo Jewish community. Excerpts of the award citation read as follows: “David served as President of the Buffalo Jewish Federation from 2012 to 2014. He served on the Board of Temple Beth Zion for more than 20 years, including a term as President.

He is on the Board of the WNY Planned Giving Consortium and the Leave a Legacy Program of WNY. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of MusicalFare Theatre and the WNED Foundation. The Desmons were honored with the Community Relations Award by the Buffalo Chapter of the American Jewish Committee in 2004. David and Janet have been generous donors to the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies for decades, establishing endowment and charitable funds for the benefit of a wide variety of causes. Their significant contributions to our community will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”

Summer 2017

99

C L A S S

NOTE S

63

55th

Warren B. Gelman ’63 warren@mcgee-gelman.com Charles F. Kreiner, Jr. ’63 charles.kreiner@ubs.com

66

Jonathan R. Wright ’66 jonathan@niagara.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

64

University. He recently started a new project called Dr. Rich Golf: a blend of Eastern philosophy, psychiatry, and performance psychology. Want to make that breakthrough in your golf game? Check out the website (drrichgolf.com) or follow @ DrRichGolf on Twitter.

P. Jeffrey Birtch ’64 jbirtch@ChasonCOS.com Howard L. Schweitzer ’64 howschweitzer@gmail.com

Michael Dyett writes: “Still working part-time and serving on a regional theatre board, but also doing photography in far-flung places, such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, and the Myanmar highlands. Also doing some upland bird hunting, too.

Heard Tom Harriman ’64 did a nice around-the-world trip! Classmates should call if they pass through town.”

Phil Brennan visited Nichols in November 2016 to graciously donate his family’s long-held collection of James Fenimore Cooper first-edition novels (33 books in all). Cooper was a prolific, popular writer who wrote historical romances of frontier and Indian life. He is considered to be the first true American novelist. The donated set is no. 27 of only 66 sets ever published. The collection is considered the finest available of Cooper’s writings. The Nichols community thanks you for your generosity, Phil!

65

Bruce N. Keiser ’65 bnk@carterfinancialmanagement.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

Rich Goldberg is still working in healthcare as senior vice president of psychiatry and behavioral health at Lifespan in Rhode Island and as professor of psychiatry at Brown

100

Nichols School

Dick Oleksiak’s daughter Penny ’16 received the Lou Marsh Trophy from the Toronto Star in December as Canada’s Athlete of the Year for 2016.

Penny, a 2016 Olympic swimmer for Canada at the games in Rio, won gold in the 100-meter freestyle along with a silver in the 100-meter butterfly and two bronzes in the women’s freestyle relays. She also served as Canadian flag-bearer at the closing ceremony at Maracanã Stadium. She added four more medals at the short-course world championship in December 2016 in Windsor, Ontario. Penny edged out Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby for the Marsh Trophy, which is named after a Toronto Star sports editor. Other finalists for the award included sprinter Andre De Grasse, golfer Brooke Henderson, Paralympic swimmer Aurelie Rivard, tennis player Milos Raonic, and high jumper Derek Drouin. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price took the honor last year. Penny is the first swimmer to win the trophy since Mark Tewksbury in 1992.

69

John J. Cordes ’69 jcordes@irdprojectmanagers.com Arthur W. Cryer ’69 art.cryer@fnrm.com

serving as an assistant professor of mathematics at Monroe Community College. Tim also reports just having completed his second Marine Corps Marathon (and his 11th marathon overall) this past October through the streets of Washington, D.C.

71

No Class Agent

Nothing to report. Please send news.

72 Victor Ehre has recently published a motivational book, “The Three Legged Table”, which is offered in both paperback and ebook format. As described on the book’s back cover, “The Three Legged Table challenges the reader not to accept things in their lives as they are, but presents the three principles in every person’s life and how one can affect the changes needed to redirect them towards the goals they seek.”

Thomas E. Caulfield ’72 tecaulfield@roadrunner.com Roland L. W. Hayes ’72 rhayes@legalaidbuffalo.org

70

Michael K. Walsh ’70 mwalsh@walshins.com

67

George O. Bergantz ’67 gbergantz@benchmarkgrp.com Dale B. Haidvogel ’67 dale@marine.rutgers.edu

Dan Rapalje is still enjoying retirement after 34 years of teaching high school English and American history. He writes, “I hope our class will turn out in significant numbers in June of 2017. Be there!”

68

Back on Homecoming Day on October 1, members of the Class of 1969 gathered to commemorate Phil Faust who passed away on December 5, 2005. There to remember and honor him at the on-campus site of his commemorative stone were Jad Cordes, Dick Coley, Art Cryer, Greg Pauly, Andy Rich, and Ken Sullivan.

50th

John M. MacCallum ’68 964 Parkside Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216

Nothing to report. Please send news.

Tim McNamara continues his postretirement second career as a private K–12 math turnaround specialist, helping educators nationwide improve their students’ classroom performance. Most recently, he has contributed to schools in rural middle Georgia, seeing as much as 30-point increases in achievement scores on the state’s annual Milestone math examinations for grades 3–10. Tim retired from full-time education in 2007 after a 32-year career that included seven years on the Nichols faculty (1986–1993) and recognition as the 1993 New York State recipient of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He then left Buffalo to work in the Rochester area as K–12 math supervisor for the West Irondequoit Central Schools before

On September 16, 2016, the South Buffalo Knights of Columbus held their annual 5K race to memorialize Ryan Purcell, whose life was tragically cut short by a hit and run driver in 2011. Tom “Te” Caulfield was presented with the Tim O’Neil Good Samaritan Award at the race, while Maureen Griffin Tomczak P’14 ’15 ’17 and her siblings received the Michael J. Diggins Community Service award. Te is pictured here with Erin Hart ’03.

Summer 2017

101

C L A S S

NOTE S

73

45th

Seymour H. Knox IV ’73 SHKIV@aol.com Theodore B. K. Walsh ’73 bwalsh@walshins.com Henry D. Waters, Jr. ’73 hwatersufs@aol.com

Marc Reinhardt was featured in the Sports section of the October 16 issue of the Buffalo News for his career accomplishments in racquet sports. Marc played squash and tennis at Nichols as a one and two seed, and played as the one seed for the Williams College squash team as a senior. He later went on to win seven Buffalo City Squash Doubles titles in his career between 1982 and 2001, and he earned runner-up distinction in City Singles for five straight years from 1978 to 1982.

74

William T. Jebb II ’74 wtjebb@aol.com Peter M. Jones ’74 pmjones55@gmail.com Gregory D. Stevens ’74 maplewoodgreg@yahoo.com Joseph A. Trimboli, Jr. ’74 bhtrimboli@yahoo.com

Debbie Raines was honored with the Isabel Hampton Robb Award for Outstanding Leadership in Clinical Practice from the National League for Nursing in September 2016.

This year, Greg Stevens and 20 of his biking brotherhood from China went to the Tibetan Plateau, entering from Western Sichuan, China. They spent eight days mostly pushing their bikes up toward the four sacred peaks and riding down vast yak inhabited valleys.

102

Nichols School

The Greenway Challenge was a collaboration between the Niagara River Greenway Commission and Nichols students in the Geology and Entrepreneurial Studies Elective courses. Jeanne Leccese (Executive Director) and Greg Stevens (Commission Chair) asked the student team to create an innovative exhibit for the proposed Thruway Visitors Center on Grand Island that would engage and connect millennials to the Greenway. During the brief five-week project the teams built their innovative pitches and prototypes fueled in part by visits to NYPA Vista Center, a tour of Grand Island with local officials, and a design charrette with Johnson Hehr Associates Inc. On April 24, the students were joined by 14 community leaders from local, regional, and state agencies and non-profits for presentations and lively Q&A sessions. These guests included Carol Jasen Sampson, the Community Relations Representative for the New York State Power Authority, and Greg Stevens (pictured with the 22 Nichols seniors). We hope some of the concepts will be further developed by the Greenway Commission and ultimately incorporated in an interactive exhibit in the new visitors center.

75

Hon. Thomas P. Franczyk ’75 tfranczy@courts.state.ny.us Charles L. Gurney III ’75 cgurney@gbbourne.com Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75 Elizabeth.Gurney@fnfg.com Brad F. Randaccio ’75 brandaccio@lippes.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

76

Todd W. Brason ’76 tbrason@willcare.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

77

John C. Farmelo ’77 jcfarmelo@yahoo.com Wende A. Mix ’77 mixwa@buffalostate.edu M. Grosvenor Potter III ’77 gpotter@buffnews.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

78

40th

Hugh M. Russ III ’78 hruss@hodgsonruss.com David D. Tiftickjian ’78 tiftrugs@aol.com

80

Kristan Carlson Andersen ’80 kcandersen@me.com William H. Gurney ’80 bgurney@couriercapital.com William D. Hibbard II ’80 bill@efacilitysolutions.com Ian W. Jones ’80 iwjones42@gmail.com

Kristan Andersen writes: “Here are three generations of Nichols graduates, showing off our chronological order: Noel ’13, Elizabeth ’16, Chick Carlson ’52 (my father), me, Lee Carlson ’76 (my brother).”

Molly Sanders Clauss and Mary Kenefick Kopp went to Desert Trip together in Indio, Calif., in October.

Three epic days of peace, love, and rock and roll!

79

Kristin Weber Somers ’79 kristin@tkii.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

Bill Hibbard started a not-for-profit called Society for Random Acts of Kindness (RAK’em) four years ago with classmate Ray Walter (who passed away in December 2014). It began as an anonymous act of giving to randomly selected cancer patients and their caregivers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. “Just a nice way of

letting people know that their neighbors in the Buffalo Community are thinking of them and the challenges that they face each day,” writes Bill. Twice a year they provided grocery and gas cards to five patients and their caregivers and families.

“Nancy Holiman is the administrator for gifts at Roswell Park and she helped us set up the program.” Bill’s son Teddy Hibbard ’24 and his classmate Truman Saperston ’24 (pictured) recently went to door-todoor in their respective neighborhoods and raised their own money for RAK’em. With Nancy’s help, Teddy and Truman delivered the gift cards with smiles all around.

81

Jennifer Jarvis Hamberger ’81 jsjh1988@gmail.com

May 18 marked the fourth Dancing to Live, an annual gala held at Nichols that features work by renowned choreographers and performances by internationally celebrated dancers. Dancing to Live benefits two seemingly different organizations: Neglia Ballet Artists and TargetCancer Foundation. The basis for the collaboration stems from the 30-year friendship between Neglia co-founder Heidi Halt and TargetCancer founder Paul Poth ’87. Their relationship was fostered at Nichols by a shared appreciation of dance in all forms. To honor Paul’s legacy after his death from cancer in 2009, Dancing to Live was formed.

By working collaboratively, both organizations raise funds to support rare cancer research and Neglia’s City Dance Educational Program. The event also brings world premieres of specially commissioned work to the Nichols stage. Both Heidi and Paul are examples of the best of Nichols – individuals who, when faced with challenges, created their own answers. When Paul realized there was no treatment protocol for

Summer 2017

103

C L A S S

NOTE S

84

his cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), he founded TargetCancer to fund innovative research. When Heidi and her husband Sergio realized that Buffalo was in need of a classical ballet company, they founded Neglia Ballet Artists. Together, Neglia Ballet Artists and TargetCancer celebrate what connects us all as human beings: creativity, innovation, compassion, philanthropy, and hope.

Debby Heath writes: “What a wonderful surprise to get a phone call from my former Spanish teacher, Steve Moscov, last fall! Steve had a huge influence on my life. Not only did I end up joining the Peace Corps because of his inspiration, but I also ended up becoming a high school Spanish teacher at an independent school. Here’s a picture of us during the first week of school this year. I was honored to have him as a guest in my Spanish class at Lakeside School in Seattle, Wash., where I´ve been teaching for 22 years.”

Ellen Hassett Cahill ’84 ellen@e-sagacity.com Gregory J. Castiglia ’84 drcastiglia@buffaloneuro.com Joy C. Trotter ’84 joyct601@gmail.com John P. Weiksnar ’84 jpw@roadrunner.com Valerie A. Zingapan ’84 vazingapan@yahoo.com

Ted Strachan (pictured with his son, Billy) is operations manager of the Biddeford Ice Arena in Biddeford, Maine. Pittsburgh Penguins player Brian Dumoulin played his youth and high school hockey at Ted’s arena and brought the Stanley Cup back to a massive Biddeford crowd over the summer. He is the first Maine native to win the Stanley Cup.

82

Nichols School

85

Mark J. Appelbaum ’85 mark@oehlerswelding.com Mark N. Roberts ’85 markroberts1@roadrunner.com

Annette Holzman Fitch ’82 afitch@printplus.us Stephen J. Joyce ’82 steve_joyce@verizon.net

Nothing to report. Please send news.

83

35th

Douglas J. Bradley ’83 doug@bradleymediaworks.com Wendy M. Pressman ’83 wmpress18@gmail.com Katherine B. Roach ’83 kkcl@roadrunner.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

104

Navy Veteran Commander Stephen Bray was honored at a retirement service on August 7 at the Navy Operational Support Center in Buffalo. Stephen was commissioned in 1988 after four years in the NROTC Unit at R.P.I. in Troy, N.Y. A graduate of Union College, Stephen received his J.D. from the University at Buffalo in 1997 following his active Navy career.

He currently practices law at Morris & Bray in Buffalo, where he lives with his wife, Karin, and their three children.

During his active duty, Stephen was deployed to a multitude of foreign waters, including the Persian Gulf during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Jeff Teach writes: “Happily relocated to St. Petersburg, Fla., after 20-plus years in Chicago. Have not looked back and thrilled to have signed up with Berkshire Hathaway selling real estate. Always welcoming visitors!”

86

Michelle Rosenberg Parentis ’86 michelleparentis@gmail.com

Dr. Kyle Bacon published his first research article based on his dissertation, “A Phenomenological Study of 8th Grade African American Males in Two Suburban Maryland Middle Schools.” In addition, Kyle presented his research at the International Conference on Urban Education in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November 2016.

exterior lawn care on Hertel Avenue.

Petrichor Flora provides a holistic approach of maintaining aesthetically pleasing environments inside and outside of the household. Tim does this by making sure that people have healthy and vibrant front lawns and landscapes, while Denis provides floral arrangements to residential and commercial clients. Pictured with Tim and Denis at the store’s grand opening in November are Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Laura Fulciniti, owner of Buffalo Paint & Wallpaper which co-occupies the multi-purpose Hertel storefront with Petrichor.

88

30th

No Class Agent

Andrew Feinberg, Eric Dobmeier, Tony Sugalski, and Chris Henrich gathered at Eric’s home in Seattle November 6–8 for golf and the Buffalo Bills Monday Night game.

Despite Andrew’s best attempts to stir up controversy, the Seattle fans remained cordial and welcoming throughout the weekend.

87

Joseph T. Vanini ’87 lavanooche@icloud.com

In November 2016, Tim Vanini (far left) and business partner Denis Guerin (far right) opened a new small business collaborative dedicated to interior floral home arrangements and

Director Nanette Burstein’s recent film, “Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee,” was shown at the Toronto Film Festival in September. It was later shown on Showtime on September 24. The film is a documentary about the bizarre and scandalous life of tech millionaire John McAfee – famed inventor of anti-virus software – who goes off the grid to live in Belize, building a compound and harem, becoming a drug lord, and developing an armed security force to guard himself against the police until he is a suspect in his neighbor’s murder and must make a great escape. In addition to the documentary, Nanette also received a Silver Lion Award at Cannes for her work on commercials. She created a commercial that aired during the Olympics and also worked on the HPV commercial that currently airs.

Carl LeVan was promoted to associate professor with tenure at American University. He recently returned from a 500-mile road trip through northern Nigeria, where he met with displaced persons, politicians, and rural pastoralists while researching his new book. He and Monica Arciga welcomed the birth of their son Emerson last year, who keeps his older brother Thoreau very busy.

89

Mary Giallanza Carney ’89 giallanzalaw@gmail.com

Drew Barzman writes: “All is well in Cincinnati. In late October, Newsweek published an article about my research to prevent school violence. You can find it online at: http://www.newsweek. com/2016/10/21/predicting-studentviolent-acts-508978.html.”

Summer 2017

105

C L A S S

NOTE S

90

W. Scott Saperston ’90 Scott.Saperston@morganstanley.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

91

95

Elizabeth Kreiner McCarthy ’95 betsy.k.mccarthy@gmail.com Matthew D. Miller ’95 miller@ruppbaase.com

Bridget McIntee Bartolone ’91 bridget0622@gmail.com B. Kevin Burke, Jr. ’91 kburke@lippes.com

Robin Gerstenzang recently retired from the State Police as a zone sergeant after having previously retired from the Army Reserve.

Daughters Emily, Abigail, and Hana are all well with Emily to graduate from Sacred Heart in 2017.

Nothing to report. Please send news.

92

Sarah Gelman Carney ’92 sarahgcarney@verizon.net Ryan J. Lucinski ’92 rlucinski@gmail.com Christine Leone Sabuda ’92 tsabuda@curbell.com Christen O’Mara Smith ’92 christenomara@aol.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

93

25th

Jodi Priselac de Riszner ’93 jodi@esacompany.com Elizabeth Constantine Janowski ’93 betsyc@cfgb.org Mark J. Travers ’93 markjtravers@gmail.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

Craig Swiech has been promoted to Assistant Vice President of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation.

He is now responsible for the day-today management of field operations for the regulated subsidiaries in New York.

Craig joined the company in 1993 as a management trainee, working in various departments. Since 2007, he had been serving as Superintendent of Operations responsible for the Utility’s construction and customer service, including meter reading and new services throughout the New York service territory. Craig holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University and resides in Williamsville.

106

Nichols School

94

Amity Lippes Mann ’94 amann@unyts.org

Nothing to report. Please send news.

Matt Miller was named to Business First’s annual 40 Under 40 list in August. More than 140 nominations were received this time around, and the class was selected by a six-person panel of former 40 Under 40 winners.

Matt is a partner at Rupp Baase Pfalzgraf Cunningham LLC in Buffalo and serves as President of the Nichols Alumni Board.

Randy Torgalski is currently residing in Horseheads, N.Y., with his wife, Robyn. They have three kids: Alyssa (11), Ben (8.5), and Owen (7). Randy is entering his ninth season as the head men’s basketball coach at Elmira College.

Regan Marsh is an emergency physician. She writes: “I wear a few different hats, but I work clinically at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital emergency department; am faculty at

Harvard Medical School; and work for a Boston-based global health NGO as the director of our clinical operations and medical infrastructure. At the end of it all, I work on health systems strengthening in low-income countries; and was most recently in Sierra Leone (during and after Ebola) and before that in Haiti. These days I am based mostly in Boston, which has been great for seeing family and friends.”

crew coach. On July 1, she bumped into current Nichols junior Andrew Jensen ’18 at MIT Sculling Camp on the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass.

96

Gregory F. Plumb ’96 gplumb@nicholsschool.org Jennie Brinkworth Ramsey ’96 jbrinkworth2222@yahoo.com Laura Lombardo Yusick ’96 lyusick@nicholsschool.org

Nothing to report. Please send news.

97

Elizabeth Walsh Keenan ’97 lizakeenan@gmail.com

Jaron Bruzgul and his wife Andrea Bruzgul had a baby girl, Sadie Jane Bruzgul on December 18, 2016.

98

20th

Alexis Muscato Agnello ’98 aagnello@mtb.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

99

Margaret Stevenson Auerbach ’99 megauerbach@gmail.com John T. Soron ’99 jtsoron@gmail.com

Meg Stevenson Auerbach and husband Corey welcomed a son, Nathan George Auerbach, on March 20, 2017. He joins older siblings Charlotte and Benny.

The Buffalo 48-Hour Film Project (48HFP) recently introduced Jordan Lema as their new Producer. Jordan previously worked with the 48HFP as a competitor and is bringing lots of great talent and energy to the project. Jordan is the owner of Lemur Studios, an award-winning video production company that creates media for PR firms and businesses.

He has competed in eight of the 10 Buffalo 48HFP with Team BeHoLD and Team Point and shoot. He’s the only repeat winner of Buffalo’s “Best Cinematography” award with five wins. In 2008, “Life Before Your Eyes” from BeHoLD won best film in Buffalo and earned a spot on the 48HFP’s Best of 2008 DVD among other international city winners. He also received the Most Promising Cinematographer Award at the 2013 Buffalo Niagara Film Festival.

Luke Copping has been elected to the position of Chairman of the National Board of The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). Founded in 1944, ASMP is one of the oldest professional organizations for photographers in the country and has boasted members like Arnold Newman, Richard Avedon, Mary Ellen Mark, Ansel Adams, film director Stanley Kubrick, and too many other legends to list.

Luke writes: “I’m so excited to be able to continue my work alongside Executive Director Thomas Russell Kennedy​and my fellow board members as we continue being advocates for photographers’ rights and helping image makers find new routes to sustainable careers in the business and art of photography.”

Amelia Booth Patton recently completed her ninth year as MIT’s assistant/novice lightweight women’s

Summer 2017

107

C L A S S

NOTE S

00

Robert C. Drake ’00 rdrake@mtb.com Ashley Robb Lewis ’00 alewis@skmgroup.com Patrick Lewis ’00 patrickzlewis@gmail.com

02

Andrea G. Ward ’02 andieward@gmail.com Jeremy J. Witt ’02 jeremywitt1@gmail.com

Alumni board members Colleen and Sean Heidinger ’07 hosted an alumni Thanksgiving Eve happy hour before the Sabres game at Lockhouse Distiller. Complimentary spirits and good times were had by all. Thanks to Colleen and Sean for organizing!

Carey and Haley Herrlinger (DeCarlo) welcomed Charlie Stone Herrlinger, on June 21, 2016.

Sarah Kirke (Ward) recently joined TripleTrack HR Partners, a local human resources consulting firm that specializes in assisting small- to midsize businesses, as an HR consultant.

She and her husband Ryan live in Orchard Park with their daughter Charlotte (3) and son Harrison (1).

01

Matthew S. Baldauf ’01 Matthew.Baldauf@gmail.com Jonathon W. Blumhagen ’01 jblumhagen3@hotmail.com Sarah Jane Burke ’01

Nothing to report. Please send news.

108

Nichols School

03

15th

Erin E. Hart ’03 erinhart03@gmail.com

Author and illustrator Falynn Koch has published a new work with the Science Comics series called “Plagues.”

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic – dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects for everyone from fourth graders doing a natural science unit at school to an adult with a secret passion for the given subjects.

Falynn graduated with a degree in Sequential Art from Savannah College of Art and Design. Science Comics “Bats” was her first graphic novel with First Second Publishing.

04

No Class Agent

Cece Boddice (née Butcher) and her husband Luke welcomed their first child, Imogen, to the world on May 22, 2016.

Billy Griffin plays Corporal Caleb Grant in Starz’s award-winning series, “Outlander” (Season 2, Episode 9, “Je Suis Prest”), and Davis in the new season of Charlie Brooker’s criticallyacclaimed “Black Mirror” (Season 3, Episode 4, “San Junipero”), now on Netflix.

05

Jane K. Arcadi ’05 jane.arcadi@gmail.com Jesse E. Baier ’05 jesse.baier@gmail.com Annmarie R. Cellino ’05 arcellin@buffalo.edu Patrick M. Hanley, Jr. ’05 patrick.hanley.jr@gmail.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

06

William S. Gurney ’06 William.s.gurney@gmail.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

07

Sean T. Heidinger ’07 heidinger.sean@gmail.com Matthew K. Parker ’07 mkparker@buffalo.edu Tyler J. Van Schoonhoven ’07 tyvanschoonhoven@gmail.com

09

10

Adele Jackson-Gibson’s article, “Why I Love My Natural Hair,” was published by Teen Vogue in February.

Here is an excerpt: “I’ve been fighting my curls since I was a little girl. Back then, my parents helped me to keep my little fro tame and neat. It was soft and broke off easily when a comb ran through it, and still it had to be detangled and braided for me to go to school. On Sundays, my two younger sisters and I would each get in the shower and calm the itchy follicles with shea butter conditioners. My mother would blow-dry our hair, then tease and weave all three of our tender heads. It was hours of whining and crying and Looney Tunes on TV.”

Jonathan Plotkin, Matt Angelakos, Andrew Toenniessen and Marissa Faso ’11 enjoyed a backyard BBQ in early June.

Joseph G. Trapp ’09 jgt853@aol.com

Siobhan T. Hanley ’10 siobhan.t.hanley@gmail.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

08

10th

Allison L. Todd ’08 altodd716@gmail.com

Charlotte Olena married Lucy Sedgwick on June 3 in Stockbridge, MA. Meredith Unger was her maid of honor, and brother Will Olena ’05 read a lesson from Song of Solomon.

Charlotte’s advisor Andrea Mancuso and theatre teacher Kristen TrippKelley attended as well.

Joanna Solis writes: “[Since graduating from Nichols in 2009] I have earned a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S. in Spanish from the University at Buffalo. I then moved out of state and I got my EMT certification and have been working on an ambulance in the streets of Aurora, Colo. I got engaged last April, and will be married on September 24, 2017, with our ceremony on a cliffside in Estes Park, Colo. I am marrying my best friend – we met at U.B. and both graduated in the Class of 2013. But most recently, I am so proud to say that I was accepted into Rush University’s College of Health Sciences Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, Class of 2019! I will be moving to Chicago this summer.

Yay! All the best, JoJo.”

11

Marissa Faso ’11 faso@roadrunner.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

12

Harrison C. Bacon ’12 hbacon26@gmail.com Michael D. Gates ’12 mdgates@bu.edu Jenna M. Herskind ’12 herskind.jenna@gmail.com Spring Sanders ’12 springin2it@aol.com Meredith M. Vivian ’12 meredith.m.vivian@gmail.com

Meredith Vivian recently reunited with Marce, the Costa Rican exchange student that stayed with her during Meredith’s sophomore year at Nichols.

Summer 2017

109

C L A S S

NOTE S

13

5th

Joel P. Almand ’13 joelalmand@gmail.com John F. Faso ’13 faso@bu.edu Lauren Randaccio ’13 randaccio.lauren@gmail.com Hillary A. Vossler ’13 hillaryvossler@gmail.com Coumba E. Winfield ’13 winfield.coumba@gmail.com

New England Conservatory of Music.

Along with the poetry of Homer and Vergil, Alex has taken many graduate philosophy seminars throughout his undergraduate career, focusing on the work of Jacques Derrida and G.W.F. Hegel. The Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences Dean named Alex a Dean’s Scholar in 2016 and a Sophomore Scholar in 2015.

former Buffalo Sabre, Ric Seiling. “She is an explosive forward who excels at every aspect of the game.”

14

Spencer C. Bacon ’14 spencerbacon@gmail.com Christopher B. Bean ’14 bean_18@gwu.edu Caroline M. Hogan ’14 caroline.hogan95@gmail.com Marie C. Zaccagnino ’14 zaccagnino@roadrunner.com

Nothing to report. Please send news.

15

Alexander Aylward performed with the Ars Nova Musicians Orchestra in Buffalo as the soloist in Beethoven’s magisterial Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” at Buffalo’s Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in November. The enormous “Emperor” concerto – so named by Beethoven’s publisher after the composer’s death – is Beethoven’s final and greatest work for piano and orchestra, composed in the tumultuous year of 1809 just as Austria declared war on Napoleon Bonaparte; the original autograph score is titled “Battle, Hymn of Jubilation, Attack ... Victory.”

Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto drastically enlarges the scope of the concerto genre, magnifying at once the dramatic presence of the orchestra and the expressive intensity of the piano.

A senior at Boston College, Alex was named a winner of the 2016–2017 Concerto Competition at the college in January. Alex, a Classics major, studies with Max Levinson, Chair of the Piano Department at Boston Conservatory and faculty member at

110

Nichols School

Hayley Scamurra agreed to a contract in March with the Buffalo Beauts of the National Women’s Hockey League for the remainder of the 2016-17 NWHL season. Scamurra was drafted 10th overall by Buffalo and recently completed her collegiate hockey career with the Northeastern Huskies. This past season, she won the Best Defensive Forward Award in Hockey East, selected by the conference’s coaches. “I am blessed to be able to continue to play hockey in the NWHL after my college career and am honored to turn pro for my hometown team,” said Scamurra. “I look forward to contributing to the Beauts in their playoff run for the Isobel Cup.” Scamurra hails from Williamsville.

Playing in all 32 games in her senior year at Northeastern, she ranked second on the team in assists with 21, and had a goal in the win over UConn that advanced the Huskies to the Hockey East semifinals. Over her last two seasons at Northeastern, Scamurra had 22 goals and 52 assists in 75 games. “We have kept a close eye on Hayley’s outstanding development over the last few years, and now we are looking forward to adding her to our team,” said Beauts GM and coach, and

No Class Agent

Sam Stark was recently named to Huffington Post’s “20 under 20 for STEAM and Innovation.” The write-up on Sam is as follows: “As captain of his high school’s robotics engineering program, Sam competed in robotics competitions, securing NASA grants and various sponsorships. He has since deepened his interest in STEAM to explore the intersection of education and tech, creating a company that incentivizes people to watch educational STEAM videos online, and co-founding the news website, College Reaction.” Sam, a sophomore at Williams College, writes: “One of the big reasons I was named to this [list] was because of the work I did at Nichols with robotics and science Olympiad … I have seen the [Nichols] robotics program taking off recently so I just wanted to let you know Nichols is always helping in big ways.”

16

No Class Agent

Nothing to report. Please send news.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE 2016-2017 NICHOLS FUND. Your contributions make it all possible. www.nicholsschool.org/give

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Buffalo, NY Permit No. 3658

1250 Amherst St. Buffalo, NY 14216

Classes celebrating at Reunion 2018 end in 8 or 3.

Save the Date

Homecoming

Alumni Holiday Gathering

First day of classes

Grandparents Day

Derby Day Auction

Green and White Luncheon

Reunion Weekend

August 31, 2017

Big Green Party

September 22, 2017

September 23, 2017 November 21, 2017 December 1, 2017

December 21, 2017 May 5, 2018

June 1 & 2, 2018

Save the Dates