Peddie Chronicle, Fall 2013

PEDDIE C

H

R

O

N

I

C

L

E

Fall 2013

Anew

New students, wearing the traditional new boy beanies, gather around the piano in the mid-1950s.

Can you identify these students?

Email editor@peddie.org.

Fall 2013

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Vol. 142, No. 1

4

“Quinnstallation” Peddie installs its 16th leader

PEDDIE C

H

R

O

N

I

C

L

E

Spring 2013

8 10

Teach for America Peddie alumni put kids first

Different Kind of Classroom Kuser ’95 creates the classroom of his dreams

Campus Plans for the Future

14

Reunion 2013

16

The Falcon sees the World

22

Wren ’82 Crosses Delaware Bay

A new land use master plan

Adventures of the Peddie mascot

Swimming for a cause

18 20 24 26 32

Center Campus New Faculty Falcon Feats sports Hall of Fame Class Notes

I really enjoyed the latest issue of the Chronicle, and I wish Peter Quinn the best of luck as Peddie’s incoming headmaster.

It looks like he’ll continue the tradition of strong, capable leaders with which the school has been blessed in recent years.

As a former Drama Club president (1971-1972) and inveterate nitpicker (1954-present), I have to point out a minor error in the write-up for the recent production of “Guys and Dolls.” It wasn't Jeff Holcombe’s maiden production at Peddie, nor was it done when there were all guys and no dolls at the school.

John Green Departs Peddie

12

To the Editor:

l

NJ Mayors Respond to Sandy

l

Faculty and Staff Stay Fit

“Harry” directed “Guys and Dolls” in the fall of 1970, when he was a ripe old veteran at Peddie, with at least two years of teaching and several Drama Club productions under his belt.

Since 1970-1971 was Peddie's first year of co-education after a long hiatus as an all-male school, “Guys and Dolls” was the first production in many decades to feature female Peddie students.

Beth Kalikoff ’73 made a fantastic Miss Adelaide, Liz Clark ’72 was Sarah Brown, and Rose Lipszic ’72 and Abby Notterman ’73, among others, played night club performers.

I worked behind the scenes on “Guys and Dolls,” but still remember the show with great pleasure. Looking at the photos of the recent production, it looks like Peddie has advanced light years in the dramatic area. Thanks for another great issue of the Chronicle, and for the opportunity to amble down Memory Lane.

Tom Keels ’72

Executive Editor: Deanna K.G. Ferrante Editor: Wendi Patella Contributors: Doug Mariboe ’69, Patricia O’Neill Design: Carter Halliday Associates Photography: Jim Inverso Printing: Prism Color Corporation

Peddie School 201 South Main Street Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349

2 Peddie Chronicle

The Chronicle welcomes your letters and comments on the stories we offer. We reserve the right to edit letters for space. Send your comments to editor@peddie.org or Chronicle Editor, Peddie School, 201 South Main Street, Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349.

Correction A story in the spring Chronicle incorrectly stated the previous recipients of the Thomas B. Peddie Award. Michael R. Armellino ’57 was the inaugural recipient of the award in 2007.

Tel: 609-944-7501 www.peddie.org/chronicle We welcome your input: editor@peddie.org

Throughout this issue, look for this icon for exclusive online content at peddie.org/chronicle

173 new Peddie students landed on campus with a splash to start the 2013–14 school year.

In celebration of our 150th anniversary, Headmaster Peter A. Quinn invites you to join him for Peddie Anew, Peddie to You, an interactive presentation showcasing our remarkable programs, faculty and students.

New York City

Atlanta

Thursday, November 14 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Penn Club of New York

Thursday, November 21 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Piedmont Driving Club

Boston Wednesday, December 4 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

The Union Club

For more details and to RSVP, visit www.peddie.org/peddieanew or contact Brian Davidson, Director of Alumni Relations, at (609) 944-7611 or bdavidson@peddie.org.

2014: San Francisco | Los Angeles | Florida | Beijing | Shanghai | Seoul | Hong Kong | Washington DC | Chicago | Philadelphia ... and more!

4 Peddie Chronicle

Board of Trustees Chairman Christopher J. Acito '85, keynote speaker Pearl Kane and Peter Quinn

Faculty member Claudio Middleton arrives to the installation

Peddie celebrates

“Quinnstallation” Peter Quinn was officially installed as Peddie School’s headmaster on Sept. 21, the 16th leader of the school since its founding 150 years ago.

During the installation, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Christopher J. Acito ’85 ceremonially offered Quinn the keys to the school, including an original skeleton key to Wilson Hall.

“He has the inherent personal qualities that we believe Peddie’s head of school should have: articulate, literate, moral, confident, innovative, humorous, inspirational, compassionate, accessible, and demonstrates the utmost integrity in everything he does,” Acito said.

Accepting Acito’s charge, Quinn challenged the entire Peddie community to continue in the spirit of past school leaders by “embracing the bold vision of Peddie’s future.”

“Our school has been inspired, rescued, sustained and finally endowed by people who dreamt of a school they would never see, and a faculty, staff and student body they would never know,” Quinn said.

Quinn, previously the headmaster of the Wakefield School in Virginia for 17 years, worked at Peddie from 1985–1996 as an English teacher, coach, dorm supervisor, college counselor and admission director. He led the admission office at the time of the historic $100 million gift of Walter H. Annenberg ’27.

Quinn and his wife Maryanne, who moved from the Peddie campus 17 years ago while expecting their first child, this year returned to Hightstown with their three children, Lucas ’15, Charlotte and Andrew. Quinn said it has been an emotional return. “When I was here before, I loved it. I wouldn’t have gone anywhere if Wakefield hadn’t called and said ‘We are in crisis.’ ” Quinn said.

“We were going to stay here the rest of forever.”

After leading Wakefield through unprecedented growth, Quinn said, the chance to return and lead Peddie was a dream job. “There’s a magnet that the school holds for me that is undeniable,” he said soon after arriving on campus in July. Although he lived in Virginia for the last 17 years, he said his return has felt like an “emotional and professional homecoming.”

Quinn, who taught at least one class every year he was at Wakefield, comes from a long line of educators.

He was introduced at the installation ceremony by his brother, James Quinn, chair of the history department at The Buckley School in New York.

“My brother stands at the leading edge of our family’s unbroken 118 years of successive years’ involvement in and commitment to independent education in the United States,” James Quinn said. “Our work and our experiences have spanned the 20th century and indeed for half the time this nation has existed.”

Fall 2013 5

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Christopher J. Acito ’85

Student body co-presidents Liam Wall ’14 and Megan Mooney ’14

“A headmaster must simultaneously balance the roles of CEO, visionary, administrator and — most importantly — educator.

It is his or her responsibility to lead and inspire both teacher and student.” — Liam Wall ’14 Quinn is a son of James H. McK. Quinn, headmaster of The Episcopal Academy from 1957-1975. His maternal grandfather, Rev. Albert H. Lucas, was the headmaster of St. Alban’s School from 1929-1949.

During his installation acceptance speech, Quinn said Peddie is blessed with extraordinary facilities, but he rejected the notion that the academic buildings alone lead to student success. “As if bricks could teach,” he quipped.

“I believe the sacred relationship between teacher and student has never been more important in education,” Quinn said. “And that the classroom, the field, the stage or the dorm are the best places where civility, reflection, analysis, courage and creativity can be taught and encouraged effectively.”

During her keynote address, Pearl R. Kane, Ed.D., Klingenstein Family Chair Professor of Education at Teachers College at Columbia University, said Peddie exemplifies the best of independent school teaching practices.

“One of the greatest strengths of independent schools, though seldom acknowledged, is the powerful relationships that develop between students and teachers,” said Kane.

“I've learned from talking to students that relationships at Peddie are truly built both inside and outside the classroom.

Multiple roles give teachers the power to know students in multiple ways.”

Likewise, in their speech, student body co-presidents Megan Mooney ’14 and Liam Wall ’14 said the headmaster must work in multiple roles. “A headmaster must simultaneously balance the roles of CEO, visionary, administrator and — most importantly — educator,” Wall said. “It is his or her responsibility to lead and inspire 6 Peddie Chronicle

both teacher and student. This is quite a serious responsibility, but after spending only a few weeks with Mr. Quinn, I can already tell that he will perform his duties with the cheerful school spirit that could belong to none other than a former Falcon.”

Mooney, who dubbed the headmaster ceremony the “Quinnstallation,” recounted meeting candidate Quinn for the first time last October, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when he was scheduled to visit campus for a final visit with the search committee. Hightstown, like much of the Northeast, was without power.

“This was a classic Peddie moment if there ever was one.

Students and faculty joined together and found solutions for problems ranging from general boredom to no power in several of the dorms,” Mooney recalled. “Mr. Quinn spoke about his days as a young faculty member living in Longstreet, how different Peddie was back then, and what he envisioned for Peddie’s future.”

Acito also remembered that visit — and the undeniable sign that Peddie had found its new headmaster.

“Working with only intermittent cell phone coverage and no power, Peter somehow was able to make the trip from Virginia to Peddie,” he said. At the end of the day, after meetings with trustees and lunch with students was concluded, just as Quinn prepared to drive home to Virginia, the lights returned to Peddie.

“I don’t think you need to be an English major to pick up on that symbolism,” Acito said.

For the full text of remarks by Peter Quinn and others, visit www.peddie.org/Chronicle

Embracing the bold vision of Peddie's future

As you know, this year is Peddie’s 150th anniversary. On May 1, 2014, we will mark the actual birthday — the date on which, in 1864, Ms. Julia Gurr is reported to have started teaching classes on the second floor of the Baptist Church downtown. In those roots, this assembly and this year of celebration are grounded.

Over the intervening 149 years, this school has experienced some of the greatest heights of accomplishment and transformational experiences that a school can imagine. It has also faced and overcome serious challenges and times of extreme hardship.

Founded by an earnest group of forward-thinking Baptist churchmen, Peddie began under a different name. Like many universities — Yale, CarnegieMelon, Purdue, Washington and Lee — Peddie bears the name of an early benefactor. This must always remind us of the debt we owe to everyone who came before us, and it is with that feeling that I enter this office.

From those early founders and the original faculty, to Thomas B. Peddie, to great leaders and teachers who staved off bankruptcy, the Depression, the challenges of the 60s and 70s, to the names that resound in Peddie’s modern era — Caspersen and Annenberg

— through all of this our school has been inspired, rescued, sustained, and finally endowed by people who dreamt of a school they would never see, and a faculty, staff, and student body they would never know. At the same time, you can find in our archives, letters from several U.S. presidents, corporate magnates, distinguished college presidents, ordained ministers, and community leaders of all kinds attesting to the extraordinary success and character of Peddie students. There are leaders in commerce, law, education, science, the arts, engineering. There are also people who sought more quiet lives in smaller communities where they, nevertheless, practice what Ed Potter coined as the philosophy of “the more we accomplish, the more we dare.”

That host of people, that multitude of great servants, great hearts, and great adventurers are the founders of our school, the first heroes of its culture, and the enduring framework of our identity. So, Mr. Acito, I accept the challenge you offered, knowing that across the whole Peddie community worldwide are the people who will embrace the bold vision of Peddie’s future, so that on our 250th anniversary people will still be saying of our school that “those were the most formative years of my life.”

‘‘

‘‘

Excerpted from the address by Headmaster Peter A. Quinn

Fall 2013 7

Peddie alumni

Teach for america

Sara Armstrong ’87 remembers teaching El Principito (The Little Prince) in her high school Spanish class, an idea she took from Peddie’s curriculum.

“My students had never read a book in school and they were resistant,” Armstrong said. “In some ways, I saw myself like the Little Prince. He left his home planet in search of exposure and education. I’m not sure where my home planet is, but I had set out on this incredible adventure and, in the end, learned tons about myself.”

Armstrong spent two years after graduate school volunteering for Teach for America (TFA) in rural Louisiana, where she taught elementary special education and a high school Spanish class. Armstrong saw three of her basketball players quit in a year due to pregnancies. Another had an 8-year-old son. She visited a first grade student in the hospital after she had been stabbed by her second grade brother. She had a 12-year-old student who had never been in school before.

“It was the first time in my life that I was exposed to rural poverty,” Armstrong remembers. Seeing firsthand the struggles the small town faced — unemployment, school drop-outs, drugs, teen pregnancies, lack of resources — Armstrong recognized how fortunate she had been in her own educational experiences, and felt a strong compulsion to give back.

“I was absolutely raised with the idea that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected,’” she explained.

Armstrong is among several Peddie alumni accepted into the highly-competitive Teach for America since the nonprofit launched in 1990. TFA recruits, trains and supports college graduates who commit to teaching for two years in urban and rural public schools in underserved communities.

Drawing from the top colleges and universities in the country, TFA accepts only 14 percent of its applicants.

Ajarae Coleman ’98 said that her Peddie experience influenced her to apply for a TFA position. “I didn’t go to my local high school because my family knew students there weren’t receiving the experience they deserved,” said Coleman, who was raised in Orange, N.J. 8 Peddie Chronicle

“What about all of the other students from Orange, New Jersey and other depressed communities around the country?” she said. “They deserved an excellent education just as much as I did, and they didn’t have the privilege of going to a place like Peddie. And so I worked with Teach for America to learn more about the problem and the solution, to give back, and to help provide an excellent education for some students like me.”

Michael Cummins ’04 remembers the exact moment he made the decision to apply to TFA. He had just ended the winter term with five ‘Fs’ and a ‘D’ and he and his parents were called to school to discuss his status.

“Much to my surprise, the meeting between my parents and my teachers took a different tone than I thought it would,” Cummins said. “I wasn’t being asked to leave school, and I would be allowed to join my teammates on the lacrosse team that spring as long as I finally accepted the therapy, medication and support that I so desperately needed.”

Cummins said he will never forget the feeling he had when he left that meeting. “I was being given a clean slate for the spring term and an overwhelming message of ‘we’re here to help’ from each adult in my life.”

That day, he told his mother he wanted to teach high school and she told him about Teach for America. He said he ran to his computer to research the organization.

“I wanted to be like the teachers I had at Peddie, and I wanted to do it in an area where kids weren’t as likely to receive that kind of commitment, compassion and leadership from the adults in their lives,” he said.

Once accepted as a TFA corps member, participants begin with 30 hours of independent work and observation of experienced teachers, and attend a five-week training institute followed by a regional orientation to the schools and communities in which they will be teaching. Members teach in 48 regions across 35 states and the District of Columbia.

“I wanted to be like the teachers I had at Peddie, and I wanted to do it in an area where kids weren’t as likely to receive that kind of commitment, compassion and leadership from the adults in their lives.” — Michael Cummins ’04 Once in the classroom, corps members continue to receive support, with toolkits customized for their grade level. Instructional coaches observe their classrooms at least four times a year, and they meet with content-area and grade-level learning teams. TFA teachers also complete coursework toward full teacher certification and a master’s degree.

Many Peddie alumni who were TFA members said they also drew on their Peddie experiences for teaching support.

Caitlyn Yaeger ’07, who taught middle school in Memphis, Tenn., often thought about her Peddie teachers.

“When I thought about how to care for my students and support them socially, I thought about Mrs. O’Neill, Mrs. McClellan and Ms. Higgins. When I thought about teaching them, I remembered Mr. Clements, Mr. Gartner and Mr. Kraft — they went above and beyond to make the learning experience for their students a great one,” Yaeger said.

Stephanie Neves ’04 spent her two years as a TFA corps member in Washington, D.C., where she created her own version of Pat Clements’ “Journeys” course. “Our final project in Mr. Clements’ class was to create and lead our own journey through Philadelphia,” Neves said. “This was by far one of my favorite projects in high school, so I applied it to a museum field trip at the end of the year.

Pairs of students were asked to choose an animal and learn about its life at the Museum of Natural History, and then create a diary of that animal’s life.”

Neves received the teacher of the year award at her school after her first year of teaching.

Peter Park ’07, who was placed in Central High School in Kansas City, Missouri, as a middle school English teacher, channeled one of his Peddie teachers even during his mock lesson when interviewing for his TFA position.

“I picked up my copy of Life of Pi from my English class with Mr. Gustavson junior year. I remembered how his elective class explored themes of madness in literature and how much I enjoyed reading Life of Pi,” Park said. “So, in my ‘Ode to Gus’ sample lesson, I picked various moments throughout the novel where characters turned to various coping mechanisms to escape their terrible circumstance of being lost at sea, and then had a quick discussion during which my students gave various examples of escapism in the form of anything from personal anecdotes to historical references.”

Cummins, now finished with TFA but still teaching in a classroom, continues to strive to be like his role models at Peddie.

“There was never any question that my teachers at Peddie put kids first — and that is a lesson that I keep at the forefront of my heart and mind every day I step into a classroom,” he said.

Ajarae Coleman ’98

Falcons teaching for America sara Armstrong ’87 – Columbia University B.A. ’91, M.A. ’02 Served in Buras, Louisiana Ajarae Coleman ’98 – Harvard University A.B. ’02 Served in Compton, Calif. elizabeth maki ’03 – Oberlin College B.A. ’07 Served in Richmond, Calif. lauren Brophy ’04 – The George Washington University B.A. ’08 Served in New Orleans, La. mike Cummins ’04 – Brown University B.A. ’08 Served in Helena, Ark. stephanie Neves ’04 – The George Washington University B.A. ’08; American University M.S. ’10 Served in Washington, D.C. Peter Park ’07 – Northwestern University B.A. ’11 Served in Kansas City, Mo. Caitlin Yaeger ’07 – Dickinson College B.A. ’11 Served in Memphis, Tenn.

Alexandra Brown ’07 – Wellesley College B.A. ’11 Serving in Newark, N.J. Colin Antaya ’08 – Rhodes College B.A. ’12 Serving in Memphis, Tenn.

Fall 2013 9

A different kind of classroom After 14 years of teaching, Brian Kuser ’95 is finally in the classroom he always dreamed of.

This summer, Kuser left his job at Montclair Kimberly Academy to work full time at his family’s Fernbrook Farms in Chesterfield, N.J. Kuser bristled when colleagues asked him how he felt leaving teaching. His new classroom, he explained, simply has no walls.

For nine summers, Fernbrook Farms Education Center has run a summer camp for 10 weeks, and now also has a year-round education center that offers field trips and weekly on-farm sessions for homeschooled children.

“Your kids might get a little dirty,” Fernbrook’s brochure warns parents. “To be honest, they are going to get dirty for sure, but that’s what happens when kids are truly active and experience nature firsthand.”

Indeed, campers walk out of Fernbrook each day filthy and exhausted but excited to return the next day.

At Fernbrook, campers perform daily chores without grumbling — not busy work like weeding the flower

10 Peddie Chronicle

A bug in a jar.

The wing of a gypsy moth.

An inchworm found on a nearby camper.

A stick. gardens, Kuser said, but experiences like collecting the eggs, harvesting vegetables and then taking them all to the camp kitchen to make omelets to share. “They see the sources of their food,” Kuser said. “In this generation, fewer and fewer kids are engaged with nature. They are less connected with the food they eat.”

Kuser said the mission of the farm is simple: get kids engaged with nature. “We bring kids down to the pond instead of lecturing about the life cycle of a frog,” he said.

“We give them the resources to discover the farm for themselves and allow them to create the questions.”

Kuser said the farm initiative that is the most heartwarming is its grant-funded urban initiative which brings scores of elementary students from Trenton to the farm for multi-day field trips. Some of the same students are then able to apply to come to the farm’s camp for free. “These are kids who pet a goat for the first time or it’s the first time they hike in the woods,” he said. “Some have never even seen trees like this before.”

There are many firsts for campers at Fernbrook: Picking a berry to eat. Building a dam. Holding a frog. Feeding a pig. Composting their lunch scraps.

The camp was started by his father, Larry Kuser, who is known to the campers simply as “Farmer Q.” He was a middle school math teacher until 1981, when he gave up teaching to begin a tree farm and nursery on land his family owned in Chesterfield. He continued to operate the tree farm, in the meantime sending his three children to Peddie: Megan ’93, Brian ’95 and Alexandra ’00.

Today, Fernbrook still operates the nursery and tree farm, plus the education center, a Community Supported Agriculture program, a bed and breakfast, and often... a venue in which to get married.

Brian Kuser, who followed a similar path to his father’s, said there are two things in his family blood — love of nature and a passion for teaching.

He attended Bates College in Maine and graduated with a degree in math. “But I always had more of a passion for nature and outdoors than for math,” he admitted.

His passion is clear as his campers gather for daily “roundup” and snack time — the snack harvested from the farm, of course — and they can’t wait to share their experiences.

A 6-year-old rushes Kuser as soon as she spots him.

“Mr. Brian, I went to the creek. I found worms and I holded them in my bare hands,” the young camper gushes, shoving her muddy hands up as proof.

And Kuser is suddenly surrounded, a line of patient campers forms, each waiting to tell him of their morning’s highlight. Some still hold prized possessions in their hands to show him. A bug in a jar. The wing of a gypsy moth.

An inchworm found on a nearby camper. A stick.

And Kuser studies each one. Asks them questions and listens intently as they discover the answers.

Because there are no walls on the classrooms at Fernbrook.

Fall 2013 11

Campus plans for the future At its winter meeting, the Board of Trustees endorsed a new Land Use and Landscape Master Plan to provide a manual for future campus initiatives.

The final plan identifies six major goals: clarifying and unifying the larger campus; strengthening campus connections; flexibly accommodating academic, residential, and athletic programs; defining campus entrances; building responsibly; and maintaining the essence of Peddie’s campus, including its “friendly, manageable feel.”

Peddie’s campus is a reflection of its culture, community, and mission, the plan states. Roger W. Swetland, Peddie’s longestserving headmaster from 1898 to 1934, agreed. Just a few years into his tenure, he drew up a master plan creating the central mall that is still the hallmark of the campus today. The grand view down center campus toward the Ayer Memorial Chapel is one of Peddie’s defining physical features. Impressively, many of his ideas have stood the test of time.

The time came to ensure that Peddie’s plans for the campus reflect the future of the institution, and even the future of education. The final Land Use and Landscape Master Plan was published in May, but the project began earlier in John Green’s tenure, with a strategic planning process that identified two specific physical needs that at that time were most pressing — the renovation and expansion of Peddie’s athletic facilities and the expansion of on-campus faculty housing options.

“We knew even then, however, that we needed to think more broadly about how our physical campus impacts the educational program we provide to our students,” Green stated in the introduction to the final master plan document. “We knew we needed a plan to guide us and make our future choices — the placement of new build-

The new land Use master Plan will guide future campus development and projects.

ings, pathways, and plantings — clearer. We needed to build upon the framework set out over a century ago by Headmaster Swetland.”

The process of creating this updated master plan fell to the Buildings and Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees, led by noted architect J. Robert Hillier. In October 2010, the committee followed a competitive bidding process to choose a landscape architect who would facilitate the planning process. The committee selected OLIN Associates, an award-winning landscape architecture, comprehensive planning, and urban design firm, known for their work on Bryant Park (earning them the 2010 Landmark Award from the American Society of Landscape Architects) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; the J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles; and the University of Pennsylvania’s Campus Development Plan.

“The resulting master plan is not meant to act as a shopping list of new building initiatives to complete in the near future, but rather as a far-reaching rubric to consult Headmaster Roger swetland’s master plan, developed about 1900, has endured for more than a century.

12 Peddie Chronicle

as needs arise and resources become available,” Hillier said.

“It outlines a phasing strategy that allows for flexibility but also takes into account the school’s current priorities and how those needs can be met over time. The Building and Grounds Committee is committed to a re-reading of the master plan at a minimum every three years to ascertain that it continues to meet the educational goals of the school and to adjust the plan as appropriate.”

According to Green’s introduction, “Our curriculum

and programs are bound to some extent by the physical framework of our campus, and our buildings and grounds affect the quality of our academic, athletic, artistic, and social lives. We need to ensure that we are thoughtful in our planning for future growth. This land use master plan will help us chart a course for the future, allowing us the flexibility to grow and enhance our campus in a deliberate way while honoring what makes Peddie unique.”

MEET ThE TrusTEEs

Jeff larsen ’93

Kurt Drstvensek ’97

Jeff Cruz ’86

Jeff Larsen ’93 is managing partner of Larsen MacColl Partners, which he cofounded in 2007. With his partners, he is responsible for sourcing, structuring and growing portfolio investments as well as for general firm management.

Kurt Drstvensek ’97 serves as director of development projects at Rockefeller Group Development Corporation (RGDC) in New York. He works primarily on future transactions for RGDC, on the company’s industrial property development in Charleston, and on due diligence for Mitsubishi Estate Company.

Jeff Cruz ’86 works for Weichert Real Estate.

He was formerly senior vice president of E.E. Cruz & Co., Inc., a construction firm specializing in infrastructure improvement projects founded by his father and uncle.

Prior to founding Larsen MacColl Partners, Larsen worked in the leveraged finance group at Goldman Sachs in New York City. He then moved to the equity side of acquisition finance, joining middle market private equity firm Chartwell Investments, also in New York.

In 2012, Larsen was named one of Philadelphia’s “40 Under 40” most influential young leaders in the city by the Philadelphia Business Journal. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Mann Music Center and sits on several corporate boards including Wall Brothers Glass, A&S Services Group, The Tin Roof, and Bills Khakis.

He graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics from Princeton University.

Larsen is a past chairman of The Peddie Fund.

He previously worked for CBRE Investors, CoStar Group Inc., The Bernstein Companies, and the New York City office of Deutsche Bank.

An Ohio native, Drstvensek entered Peddie as a 10th grade boarding student and was part of the Principio Program and was a two-year prefect. He played lacrosse, soccer, and golf.

Along with his wife, Heather Drstvensek ’97, he served as Peddie Fund co-chair from 2010-2012 and participated as a challenger for the 2011-2012 alumni participation challenge.

Cruz is also chairman and founder of Monmouth County Concours d’Elegance, an exhibition of classic 1900 to 1969 cars.

Since 2008, the exhibition of motorcars has raised over $400,000 for local charities.

Cruz attended Christian Brothers Academy for four years before coming to Peddie as a PG and playing soccer. An active alumnus, Cruz was part of the master planning committee in 2011 and participated in the interview committee for the assistant head for development this year.

A graduate of Clark University, he and his wife, Mary, live in Rumson with their four children, Michelle, Connor ’16, Taylor ’17 and Olivia.

The Drstvenseks joined the Young Alumni Leadership Group in 2007 to mentor young alumni leaders.

He received his M.A. degree from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland in 2000, graduating in three years.

Drstvensek lives in New York City.

Fall 2013 13

U rEuNION

2013

(left to right) John sprout ’42, Bob Zenker ’43, Charlie Ash ’53 and sam Boynton ’53 exchange greetings.

14 Peddie Chronicle

ed Apy ’56 (left to right) and George entin ’56 meet their golf partner, erik Hanson ’83.

The Class of 1988 celebrates their 25th Reunion.

Dressed in formal attire are (left to right) Chuck Belmont ’98, ed Rosina ’98, Forest Rall ’98, John W. Rosina ’98, Phil Besler P’98 ’04, Jon Besler ’98, Von Besler ’98 John e. Rosina P’96 ’98 ’98 and luke Popko.

Fall 2013 15

The Falcon sees the world‌in style To celebrate its sesquicentennial, Peddie School re-introduced a long-ago pastime with a Paper Doll Falcon, mailed to alumni and friends this summer.

The Paper Doll Falcon, along with a starter set of clothing, arrived in a valise similar to the leather varieties once sold by benefactor Thomas B. Peddie. Additional seasonal outfits will arrive throughout the 150th year.

Since arriving in mailboxes in August, the Falcon has been spotted all over the world.

Paper dolls were first manufactured in London in 1810 and gained in popularity throughout the 1800s, according to the Original Paper Doll Artists Guild.

At the time Peddie was founded in 1864, paper dolls were already a popular toy. In 1859, a paper doll first appeared inside the pages of a magazine, and in the early- to mid-1900s, paper dolls were routinely offered in magazines including Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping and McCalls.

As a birthday present to our readers, The Chronicle is bringing back the trend.

PEDDIE C

H

R

O

N

I

C

L

E

Fall 2013

Anew

16 Peddie Chronicle

The Falcon swam with dolphins at the Dolphin Research Center in marathon, Fla., where mary stella ’75 works.

The Falcon traveled to Athens with Parker Barnum ’00.

Kyle miller ’11 and the Falcon visited Katoomba, New south Wales, Australia.

The Falcon stopped by the office of sara Fusco ’04 to take in the view of Newark, N.J.

When in madame sandefer’s classroom, the Falcon dons his beret.

The Class of 2014 played “mermaid” with the Falcon during a trip to the beach this fall.

The Falcon shared the cockpit with David samuelson ’81

Palmer mcGrew ’54 and the Falcon relax on the deck at Palmer’s home.

Did you spot the Falcon sporting the latest fashion or visiting an exotic location? Send your photos to editor@peddie.org.

See more Falcon sightings at peddie.org/chronicle or on Pinterest at pinterest.com/peddieschool

Fall 2013 17

center campus rock solid tradition restored

The Peddie News now an online news source

When newly-hired Director of Athletics Jim Domoracki first walked into his office inside the Ian H. Graham ’50 Athletic Center, one of the first things he noticed was a rock, painted blue and gold, propping open the door.

The Peddie News, the student newspaper for more than 100 years, began the school year with a transition to an online publication.

It was there, he was told, when Marc Buchner ’92 sat in his office, and when Susan Cabot, Geoff Harlan and John Mackey all sat there before him. According to faculty member Patrick Clements, the rock was painted a quarter century ago by varsity football player Salvatore Leale ’89, who used it as a “trophy” that he personally awarded to one of his teammates each week.

Domoracki, during the first community meeting of the year in September, carried the rock onto the stage in the William MountBurke Theater and restarted that old tradiDaniela Kelly poses with her “Rock Solid” tion. Dubbing it the award outside Avery Dormitory.

“Rock Solid” performance award, Domoracki awarded the stone to varsity soccer player and team captain Daniela Kelly ’14. It was the first time the rock was awarded to a female athlete and the first time it went to someone other than a football player.

Kelly, who held the rock for the week before it was awarded to a new recipient, used it as a door stop in her bedroom in Avery Dormitory.

Kelly was chosen for the inaugural award based on her hard work during pre-season, during which she mentored several younger varsity players.

“I knew coming into this season with a new coach as well as many new young players it was going to be a challenge and that I was going to have a bigger role on the team than last year, being that I am a senior,” Kelly said.

Although her prize was little more than holding a rock for a week, she added that it meant a great deal to her.

“I am honored to be part of this tradition because I am the first female recipient of the rock. Small traditions like this are what really make Peddie such a special place,” she said.

18 Peddie Chronicle

The switch to an online format allows the newspaper to publish weekly, as opposed to fewer than once per month when it was in newsprint.

Rachel Sacco ’14, the editor-in-chief of The Peddie News, said the newspaper staff recognized that its primary audience is students, who increasingly access news in digital formats.

“Transitioning The Peddie News from a newspaper to an online news source acknowledges that we now live in an online world,” Sacco said. “Whether in line at the grille, walking back from sports practice or waiting in the health center, Peddie students shop, read, view photos and even socialize on their devices.”

The Peddie News’ focus on online content is consistent with trends in both scholastic newspapers and the mainstream press. According to Pew Research, in 2012, only 23 percent of Americans said they read print newspapers, compared to 47 percent in 2000. Fifty-five percent of New York Times readers say they view the newspaper on a computer or electronic device, rather than paper.

The online news site is available at peddienews.org.

ralph honored for going “beyond the call of duty” Longtime school groundskeeper Jim Ralph was the inaugural recipient of a unique award created to recognize the extraordinary efforts of Peddie’s non-teaching staff.

The “Beyond the Call of Duty Award” was endowed by John Green and Alison Zaeder and allows the recipient to direct a cash stipend toward a campus initiative of their choice.

Ralph, who worked 25 years keeping the Peddie grounds beautiful, directed his stipend to re-landscape the front of the Coates-Coleman Alumni House. “Coates-Coleman is a highprofile building and I always hated the way it looked outside,” Ralph said, adding that the building is in direct line of sight as people stand on the steps of Annenberg Hall.

After retiring last year, Ralph returned to campus this fall to work with his former colleagues on a new landscaping plan to beautify the front of the building. The overgrown plantings, some from the building’s dedication as the school library in 1957, were removed and a variety of new plants were installed.

Ralph was presented with the award during the 2013 Commencement, where he was lauded for tending to the grounds in every way he was asked — and many he was not asked.

“He treated Peddie as if it were his school home,” said Assistant Head for Finance and Operations Michael McKitish.

“Much of the magnificent landscape you see today bears the imprint of his years of work beyond the call of mere duty.”

The “Beyond the Call of Duty Award” will be bestowed annually to one staff member whose distinguished service represents the school’s shared community values.

studying art education in Israel Art teacher Eric Drotch traveled to Israel for four months as a Fulbright Distinguished Teacher, studying the state of art education there.

Drotch said he wanted to explore the education system and discover why, in recent years, Israeli artists are gaining prominence. “What I found is they are having success despite the education system,” said Drotch, who received a grant from the Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program.

Drotch visited nine schools in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Haifa, as well as administrators of the Israel Ministry of Education.

Israeli artists, he found, face numerous challenges both as students and professionals.

One of the biggest challenges, he said, is the fact that all students must enlist in military or national service upon graduation from high school — two years for girls and three years for boys. There are very few opportunities to study visual art while in service, Drotch said.

As a result, high school students with an interest in art often don’t pursue it. “They know they’ll have to give it up,” he said.

Drotch spent time at the Israel Art and Science Academy, an art-intensive high school where students are able to dedicate extended time in the studio. A unique program that is a specialized school offered by the state, the school is difficult to replicate on a wide-scale basis. Like in the United States, Drotch said, funding for arts education has been cut in Israel.

In Israel, high school students take matriculation exams that guide their careers after their service. Emphasis is on math, science, technology and engineering.

“Typically, if you’re not going to take the matriculation exam in art, you can’t take art,” Drotch said.

Jim Ralph admires the new landscaping outside Coates-Coleman Alumni House

Drotch said he discovered many parallels between American and Israeli art education and his research reaffirmed his belief that schools in both nations need more robust art programs.

“My eyes were opened to an education system that shares some similarities with our own, but that also has significant differences,” Drotch said. “This experience has made me appreciate how fortunate I am to teach in a supportive private school.”

Fall 2013 19

New Faculty melissa von stade | Assistant Head for Development Von Stade previously worked for the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine as assistant dean for advancement, alumni relations and communications. She also worked at Morris Arboretum; as a vice president at the Wayland Group, providing strategic planning and capital campaign counsel for non-profit organizations; and at Harvard University’s development office. She is a graduate of Taft School and Denison University.

Jim Domoracki | Athletic Director Domoracki joined Peddie from Annapolis Area Christian School, where he served as director of athletics. He previously served as the director of athletics at Westminster Christian School in Miami, Fla., and The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio. A graduate of Brooks School, Vassar College (B.A. in psychology) and the University of Massachusetts (M.S. in sports management), Domoracki started his professional career as associate athletic director and basketball coach at Rivier College. Domoracki was named the 2011-12 Basketball Coach of the Year in Anne Arundel County.

Joining the teaching faculty are (left to right) Stefanie Graefe, Taylor White, Jay Jaski, Caitlin McDermott and Jennifer Terhaar

Kevin eaton | Director of Technology

Caitlin mcDermott | science

Eaton came to Peddie from Pennington School, where he served as director of technology for 12 years and as director of residential life. A graduate of Houghton College and the University of Rochester, Kevin studied philosophy and literature as an undergraduate and earned his M.A. in secondary English and elementary education.

McDermott graduated from Mt. Holyoke College, where she majored in biology with a minor in English. She received the Laurel Fellowship for her study abroad in Australia, where she studied the foraging behavior of an ant species. She also was awarded an “Excellence in Teaching Award” for her teaching assistant work in the biological sciences. McDermott has worked for Kids Music n Motion and for Mt. Holyoke, overseeing and training students involved in event planning and the student life program.

stefanie Graefe | History Graefe joined Peddie after teaching at Central High School in Philadelphia. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2012 from American University, where she double-majored in history, and law and society. She recently completed a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Pennsylvania. As an honors undergraduate research fellow, Graefe researched the women’s rights movement, focusing on women in Washington, D.C.

Jennifer Terhaar | science Terhaar teaches biology and anatomy and physiology. She received her M.A. in education and biological sciences and her B.A. in science from Rutgers University. She previously taught biology at West-Windsor Plainsboro High Schools North and South.

Jay Jaski | Theater

Taylor White | spanish

Jaski worked in New York and Chicago for a decade before pursuing his M.F.A. in theater arts and dramaturgy from Columbia University. Jaski has directed Tony Award-winning performers and helped produce summer shows for 60,000 people at Chicago’s Millennium Park. He has worked in musical theater in New York, on shows including 9-5, Ever After, and Death Takes a Holiday.

After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in business administration and Spanish, White traveled through Spain and Italy, where he taught English, danced salsa and acted. He worked at the Middlebury Vermont Language program for three years.

20 Peddie Chronicle

Alumni artists exhibit at Mariboe Gallery In celebration of Peddie School’s sesquicentennial, the Mariboe Gallery of the Swig Arts Center will feature the work of alumni artists throughout the year.

The works of Libby Rothfeld ’08 and the late Doug O. Pedersen ’48 were shown at the first exhibition of the year in September and October.

A graduate of New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, Rothfeld creates her art with items that have been culturally overlooked, neglected, or discarded. She often makes use of recognizable corporate identities and media imagery, but infuses them with new and unexpected meaning.

After graduating from Peddie, Pedersen attended Princeton University for two years before heading to the University of Manchester in England to take the first course ever offered there in American Literature. A cum laude graduate of Allegheny College, Pedersen was awarded a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to Princeton to study art and archeology. He earned an M.A. in painting from New Mexico Highlands University.

Pedersen lived in New York City, as well as artist colonies in New Mexico and Colorado, where he often exhibited his

Libby Rothfeld ’08 discusses her work

paintings along with those of his wife, Kelsey. He died in 2007.

Other alumni artists who will exhibit at the gallery this year are Kerry Adams ’00, Laura Britton ’07, Timur Babakol ’06, Zara Stasi ’08, Lynnette Hesser ’76, David Bair ’76, Paige Stoyer ’89, Kelly McCallum ’97 and Julie Sutherland ’83.

THE BEGINNING OF A TRADITION: First established as the Loyalty Fund in 1945 by 877 devoted alumni, today the Peddie Fund is the primary avenue for alumni, parents and friends to provide unrestricted financial support annually to the school.

Journal entries for the first Loyalty Fund include a line for a $25 gift from Walter H. Annenberg ’27, whose participation in the fund helped start a tradition of annual giving.

Please honor Peddie’s 150th year by continuing this tradition of giving. Support the Peddie Fund today.

Continue the Tradition Every gift counts. All gifts make a difference.

Give online at my.peddie.org/give

Fall 2013 21

swimmer crosses Delaware Bay In a 13-mile crusade to raise awareness for the Delaware Bay communities, Meghan Wren ’82 became the first person to swim from Delaware to New Jersey in August.

Although others have swum from Cape May, N.J., to Lewes, Del., no one had attempted the 13.1-mile crossing in the opposite direction.

The bayshore communities in Wren’s home county of Cumberland were hit hard by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, and her swim was meant, in part, to advocate for additional resources and aid. She raised nearly $24,000 with the SWIM Delaware Bay campaign.

To cross the Delaware Bay, the 48-year-old Wren was in the water for 8 hours and 45 minutes. She promised her doctor she would take her vital signs every 30 minutes, during which time she also sipped on a combination of fruit juice, water and ibuprofen.

“I had myself all psyched out and thought I hadn’t trained well enough. It wasn’t like I took a leave of absence from my job to train,” she said. “I wasn’t breaking any speed records so it really felt like a series of half-hour swims.”

She knew there would be stinging jellyfish, so she coated herself with Vaseline and zinc. Still, she stopped counting after the eighteenth sting.

She was also surprised to learn from a marine expert soon before the swim that “just about every shark species has been found in the Delaware Bay.” “I have an 8-year-old son and plenty of things still on my to-do list so I wasn’t trying to do anything life-threatening,” she said.

The five-page logistics plan she developed with colleagues called for the conditions in which she would be pulled from the water with — or without — her permission. Lightning and threatening marine life were included.

But on the day of the swim, although windy and a bit rainy, things went smoothly.

She left the secluded Port Mahon beach at 7 a.m., hitting Fortescue, on the New Jersey side of the bay, at 3:45 p.m.

Supporters cheered her on in her final approach to the shore.

“By the time I could get close enough to see the beach, I couldn’t see the beach because there were so many people there,” she said. Newspaper and television reporters and photographers covered the event, garnering the media attention that Wren hoped the bayshore would receive.

Wren said she conceived of the plan to swim across the bay for awareness and fundraising after discovering that Cumberland County residents were not eligible for federal assistance after Superstorm Sandy because Cumberland was not declared by the governor to be among the nine hardest hit counties. Because most of the rural county — and its

22 Peddie Chronicle

Meghan Wren ’82 celebrates her swim with husband, Jesse Briggs, and son, Delbay.

population centers — is inland, the percentage of residents affected is low. But for those along the bay, the damage was catastrophic. Forty families completely lost their homes.

Because the disaster declarations were made county-bycounty rather than by municipality, the county as a whole did not qualify for federal aid. That meant residents in the hardhit towns along the bay cannot apply for assistance, she said.

“The swim gave the people of the bayshore something to rally around that was positive,” she said. “I’m still working in hopes it will translate to additional resources for the people of the bayshore.”

“It’s very hard to tell a family who lost their home that they weren’t impacted enough to be eligible,” she said. “These aren’t big places and now these communities are in jeopardy of being lost for good.”

Wren said the local fishing economy, already weakened, has been affected by the storm. The bay was not dredged of storm debris until August, effectively missing the summer season.

“This has the potential to be the death blow for these communities that are just holding on,” she said.

Working on behalf of the bay is nothing new for Wren.

Twenty-five years ago, she founded the Bayshore Center at Bivalve, a non-profit organization that promotes the area’s history, culture and environment.

The organization bought and restored an oyster boat, the schooner A.J. Meerwald, and turned it into a floating classroom and museum dedicated to the bay.

“It isn’t easy to run a non-profit in the poorest county of the state,” Wren said.

Bivalve, once a one-industry town filled with oyster sheds, declined quickly after the oyster industry crashed in 1957.

But after seeing the suffering of the people in her community, she said, she sought ways to bring attention to the problem.

Plans to swim across the bay were soon made.

She had only ever done one long-distance open water swim — about four miles in 2004.

After a 2009 back surgery, Wren said, she started training for triathlons to keep her back active. She ran a marathon in February and plans to participate in an Ironman competition next year.

Wren, who started swimming competitively when she was 7, said Peddie is where she learned how to train hard.

“Peddie was definitely my first experience with having serious coaching,” said Wren, who swam under Coach Jeff Lowe.

“I saw huge improvement and it was the first time I felt as though I had a coach who believed in me. That set me up for a mindset of pushing myself in the future.”

E TH

BELL SOCIET Y

PEDDIE SCHOOL

Wren swam from Port Mahon, Del. to Fortescue, N.J. in 8 hours, 45 minutes.

REMEMBER PEDDIE ANEW: TELL US ABOUT YOUR BEQUEST INTENTION •

Ensure that your legacy will benefit Peddie far into the future.

•

Enjoy special thanks and invitations to gatherings for members of the Bell Society.

•

Enhance your knowledge of charitable gift plans for you and for Peddie.

•

Enjoy the personal satisfaction of knowing that you can help Peddie change lives by joining the Bell Society.

Beginning with the bequests for the endowment of Thomas B. Peddie in 1889 and his widow Sarah A. Peddie in 1893, planned gifts have built a foundation for the school’s continued excellence. Since then, over 200 alumni, parents and friends have followed in the Peddies’ path by establishing planned gifts for faculty support, financial aid, and academic programs at the school.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE GIFT PLANNING OFFICE:

phone 800.322.1864 | email bellsociety@peddie.org | online peddie.plannedgiving.org

Fall 2013 23

Falcon Feats / Peddie athletes in college action Air Force Academy

Bucknell University

Men’s Lacrosse

Baseball

Chris Allen ’12 played in all 14 games with seven starting assignments at midfield and netted 18 goals on 61 shots while collecting five assists. He was named the ECAC Lacrosse League Rookie of the Week after scoring a hat trick and at the annual awards banquet, Allen nabbed the team’s Rookie of the Year award. The Falcons ended the 2013 campaign at 7-7 overall and 2-4 in the ECAC.

Tom Hrabchak ’10 switched to pitcher from catcher in 2013 and emerged as a bullpen contributor for the Division I Bison.

He made six appearances with no decisions and struck out nine batters.

The United states military Academy at West Point Women’s Swimming Molly Mucciarone ’12 broke three academy records at the Patriot League Championships with a gold in the 50 free (23.03), a silver in the 100 butterfly (54.88) and a first-place finish in the record-breaking 200 free relay. Her sixth-place finish in the 100 free (51.16) notched the second-fastest time in academy history. Mucciarone's effort in the pool helped her team to their highest point total since 2001 to capture fourth in the standings.

Babson College Men’s Track and Field Brian deLeon ’10 set a new program record in the 3,000 meters (9:51.91) and was a member of the record-setting 4x800 relay team (7:58.89). He qualified for the NCAA New England Championships in the 10,000 meters and the 4x800 relay.

Chris deLeon ’12 competed in the mid-distance events and produced team points on a regular basis in his specialty, the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

Boston University Women’s Crew Marissa Borchardt ’11 sat in the fifth seat for the second varsity eight boat that placed sixth in the C Finals at the 2013 NCAA Championships. She captured second in the same boat at the Colonial Athletic Association Championship and took home the bronze at the Grand Finals of the Eastern Sprints.

Bowdoin College Women’s Lacrosse Carolyn Gorajek ’09 earned her second All-American selection after a record-breaking regular season at attack. Gorajek not only set career highs with 68 points and 23 assists, but her 45 goals during the regular season ranked her second among NESCAC goal scorers. Gorajek led the Polar Bears in scoring for three consecutive seasons and sits atop Bowdoin’s career list with 171 goals, 69 assists, and 240 points.

Women’s Crew Kumari Lewis ’11, a member of the first-ever Bison varsity eight to beat Penn in a head-to-head race, was named Bison Athlete of Week. She sat in the seventh seat of the second varsity eight that placed third at the Patriot League Championship and capped the season by being named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association National ScholarAthlete.

Allison Raplee ’12 was a member of the freshman eight that won the Murphy Cup bronze at Cooper River in Cherry Hill, N.J. She also placed sixth in the Knecht Cup Grand Final on the Cooper River.

Colgate University Women’s Lacrosse Lauren Gorajek ’12, a three-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week, started all 15 games and finished third on the team with 19 goals and first in draw controls with 38. She recorded three hat tricks during the season.

Cornell University Men’s Lightweight Crew Tyler Nebel ’10 rowed in the third varsity eight that won the silver medal at the 2013 Eastern Sprints Regatta held on Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester, Mass. During the regular season, the third varsity eight earned victories over Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Yale and Dartmouth.

Duke University Women’s Lacrosse Gabby Moise ’10 started all 20 games as defender and notched a team-high 26 caused turnovers to help the Blue Devils hold opponents to 8.95 goals per game. Moise was one of five players tabbed for All-South Region honors.

Fordham University Men’s Golf Connor Monaghan ’09 completed his career in fifth place all-time for the lowest scoring average with 78.0 strokes for 42 rounds. He earned a spot on the prestigious Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

lehigh University Men’s Lacrosse Kyle Stiefel ’09, the Mountain Hawks' senior midfielder, posted 17 goals in his final season to end his college career

24 Peddie Chronicle

with 38 goals in 45 games. A pure shooter, Stiefel’s shot has been clocked at over 103 mph. He led the team with 14 man-up goals the past two seasons, helping the two-time defending Patriot League Champion to its second straight NCAA Tournament.

Navy Men’s Swimming Brendan Walsh ’11 received an automatic 2013 All-Patriot League first-team nod by winning the 100-yard backstroke (48.71) at the conference championships. He placed fifth in the 100 butterfly (49.34) and swam the lead-off legs of the winning 200 and 400 medley relays. Navy rolled to the team title for the 10th consecutive year.

Tom Duvall ’12 was named Patriot League Rookie of the championship meet. Duvall touched second in the 500 free (4:21.94) and 1,650 (15:21.74) and placed third in the 200 free (1:37.56).

Rutgers University Women’s Lacrosse Taylor Pennell ’12 saw action in 10 games as a freshman, with her first starting assignment coming against Princeton.

She collected 10 ground balls, grabbed two draw controls, and caused three turnovers for the season.

stanford University Women’s Crew Bailey Yuro ’11 was a member of lightweight crew and part of the eight that captured the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national title in June with a four-second victory over Radcliffe. Yuro was named to the IRA's All-Academic Team.

stevens Institute of Technology Men’s Tennis Chris Rosensteel ’09 is the school’s all-time leader in career singles (81), doubles (80) and combined (161) wins. He ranks third with a .771 singles win percentage and .727 doubles win percentage. Ranked as high as the No. 8 singles player in the Northeast Region, he was twice named the Empire 8 Player of the Year.

susquehanna University Men’s Track and Field Brendon Albaugh ’10 received Second Team honors from the Landmark Conference as part of the 4x400 meter relay team.

At the conference championships, Albaugh took fourth place in the 400 dash with a career-best time of 50.89. He logged a personal-best 1:55.99 in the 800 at the 2013 Bison Outdoor Classic.

Tufts University Women’s Lacrosse Gabrielle Horner ’10 was sidelined by an injury for five games, but still managed to net 19 goals in 11 games while adding 12 assists. In her first game back, she potted four goals to lead the Jumbos past Williams, 12-5. Horner has 82 career goals and 21 assists for 103 points.

University of Florida Men’s Swimming Connor Signorin ’10 garnered Honorable Mention All-America in the 400-yard individual medley after posting a time of 3:43.96 at the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. He also swam a personal-best time of 1:42.64 in the 200 back to claim 24th at the NCAAs.

University of mary Washington Women’s Lacrosse Jenna Petrucelli ’10 missed several games due to injury, but led the Eagles with 47 goals on 87 shots for a shooting percentage of 54.0. She also collected a team-high 50 draw controls and earned second team all-region honors by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association. In three seasons, Petrucelli has 95 goals in 51 career games.

University of Rochester Women’s Soccer Bridget Lang ’09 spent every minute of her senior year in net and finished her career with a 22-24-6 record with 11 shutouts. She was named to the NSCAA Second Team All-East Region, with 17 starts, a 1.37 goals against average, and 112 saves while playing in 15 one-goal decisions. The NSCAA also recognized Lang as an NSCAA All-Region 4th Team Scholar.

University of Richmond Women’s Track and Field Kelly Bailey ’12, during her rookie campaign, posted her season-best time of 4:39.15 in the 1500 meters at the Larry Ellis Invitational and helped the 4x1500m relay clock a season-best time of 18:26.50 at the Penn Relays.

Ursinus College Men’s Lacrosse Adebayo Adeyemo ’11 played all 14 games as a longstick midfielder, scooping up 14 groundballs and causing 14 turnovers. In a 7-3 win over Eastern, Adeyemo recorded his first career point with an assist.

Washington College Men’s Soccer Tyler Cabot ’09 was the 2013 team captain and played every minute in goal as a senior. He posted a 1.49 goals-against average, and five shutouts en route to Most Valuable Player honors awarded at the annual athletic awards ceremony.

Wofford College Baseball Brandon Yarusi ’09 ended his collegiate pitching career with 56 appearances and 33 starts while picking up eight wins.

He struck out 209 batters in 238.3 innings. His career strikeouts rank seventh all-time at Wofford.

Fall 2013 25

SPORTS HALL OF FAME William “Billy” Dey ’88

William “Billy” Dey ’88 soccer One of the best all-around Peddie athletes of his era, William Dey earned the Evans Hicks Soccer Trophy, was a gritty defensive force for the hockey team, and was an accomplished golfer.

“It is interesting that Billy gravitated to defense,” said Sean Dailey ’88, a close friend of Dey. “By his very nature, he didn’t need to score goals or get the glory.”

Dey became one of the top soccer defenders at the United States Naval Academy, completed aviator training and flew combat missions in Kosovo and the Persian Gulf. A straighttalking, highly respected pilot, Dey was selected for the Navy’s prestigious Tomcat F-14 demonstration team.

Tragically, he was killed in an air-show accident on the first Fathers’ Day he was to have celebrated with his wife, Deb, and their baby daughter, Kamryn. In his final moments, according to the Navy, Dey is credited with saving the lives of a playground full of children attending the air show.

The Naval Academy’s Lt. William J. Dey Leadership Award is now annually presented to a varsity soccer player who exhibits some of the same leadership qualities with which Dey is remembered.

steven Totten ’98 soccer A consummate midfielder with a commanding presence on the pitch, Steve Totten racked up an impressive list of accolades as a four-year starter.

Whether it was by stopping the opposition from scoring or providing the offensive spark that leads to a goal, Totten etched his place in Falcon lore as a midfield maestro. Few players could match his technical skills when it came to passing, possessing the ball, or tallying brilliant goals from set pieces.

During his sophomore soccer season, Totten set a school record with 29 goals, received his first of three All-American nods from the National Soccer Coaches Association, and garnered Trenton Times recognition as Player of the Year.

He gained international experience playing with the U.S.

26 Peddie Chronicle

Steven Totten ’98

Under-17 National Team, and capped his Peddie career by earning a spot on the Parade All-American Team.

Steve brought his soccer magic to the midfield at the University of Virginia, where he was a three-time captain and twice the Cavaliers’ Most Valuable Player. Starting in 85 matches with UVA teams that ranked in the top 10 nationally during each of his four seasons, he lit up the scoreboard with 22 goals and 19 assists, while registering three game-winners.

After graduating with a degree in economics, Totten was drafted by the Chicago Fire with the first pick of the third round in the 2002 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

Christopher Totten ’93 Track and Field Chris Totten was a vital component of the indoor and outdoor track teams during his outstanding athletic career, the only “trackster” in Peddie history to be chosen by his teammates to be their captain both as a freshman and as a senior.

As a sophomore, Totten took silver medals in the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the Prep State Championships, recording a personal best 10.9 seconds in the 100. By his senior year, he had won gold at both the Prep State and Mercer County Championship tournaments in the 400 dash. His sizzling 49.7 finish at the county championship established a new school record.

Totten went on to an impressive track career at Princeton University, where his best performances rank in the Tigers’ All-Time Top 25 in the 200-, 300-, and 400-meter individual events. He was a member of the Princeton mile relay team that shattered the Ivy League record at the 1997 Heptagonal Indoor Track Championships by almost two full seconds, setting a new mark that still stands today.

Following graduation, he earned his undergraduate and J.D. degrees from Georgetown University. Totten is an associate professor at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, where he teaches criminal justice to undergraduate and graduate students.

Christopher Totten ’93

Whitney Douthett ’03

Whitney Douthett ’03 soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse A twelve-time letter winner in soccer, basketball and lacrosse, Whitney Douthett led all three sports to Prep A State Championships in her senior year.

In addition to being team captain, Douthett served as the field general for each of her teams. She commanded excellence from her position as sweeper on the soccer pitch, as point guard on the basketball court, and as a two-way midfielder on the lacrosse field.

Although she never played lacrosse before arriving at Peddie, Douthett was a heavily-recruited midfielder. At Dartmouth College, she was honored as a Division I All-American three years in a row and earned three All-Ivy nods. Her 201 career points made her the third-highest scorer in Dartmouth lacrosse history, and her 98 career assists established a school record. She was also named All-Ivy in soccer as a junior, and served as co-captain of both the soccer and lacrosse teams in her senior year for the Big Green.

2003 Girls' Lacrosse Team

The only loss in the team’s 15-1 record came in a 14-13 overtime defeat at the hands of Lawrenceville in what the Trenton Times called the game of the year. But vengeance came swiftly one week later with a 10-6 win.

In the Prep A final, Peddie outplayed an Oak Knoll team to win 7-5 and was ranked seventh in the state.

At season’s end, Douthett, Peetz and Shirah Hamor ranked among the top area scorers. Goalie Besler and co-defenders Giusto and Palilonis posted the region’s lowest goals-against average. Six Peddie players were selected for first or second team All-State honors. And the major New Jersey newspapers named Douthett and Warner as Player and Coach of the Year.

Perhaps equally impressive is that among the 16 players on this team, six had never played lacrosse before learning at Peddie, 13 lettered in at least one other varsity sport, and nine went on to play collegiate athletics, five at the Division I level.

Douthett spent several years playing lacrosse for the U.S. National Team. At the 2009 World Lacrosse Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, her five goals, one assist, and eleven groundball pickups were critical in powering the team’s impressive 7-0 sweep, culminating in a gold medal for the USA.

2003 Girls’ Lacrosse Team The Peddie girls’ lacrosse program began in 1975, but 28 seasons would go by before a Peddie team would win its first Prep A State Championship.

2003 Girls’ lacrosse team at the 2013 Sports Hall of Fame ceremony

In the years leading up to the 2003 season, the Peddie girls were already knocking at the door. Many had played several seasons together. Their defense was solidly in place. But despite the steady growth in depth and experience, they still hadn’t been able to advance beyond the state semi-finals.

Under the guidance of coaches Alli Warner (Treese) and Jan Pittas, this team was determined to make history. Their potent offense was led by goal scorer Whitney Douthett and junior Kat Peetz was considered one of the county’s best playmakers. The clamping defense of Brittany Besler, Laura Giusto and Emily Palilonis was credited as being key to Peddie’s undefeated success at mid-season.

Fall 2013 27

SPORTS HALL OF FAME MARKS 25 YearS

By Dick Joslin ’60

F

or the past century and a half, Peddie’s most exceptional athletes and coaches have brought acclaim and honor to the school. Twenty-five years ago, Edward “Skip” Masland ’49 proposed a way to honor them in return — with induction into the Peddie Sports Hall of Fame.

With this year’s 25th anniversary induction ceremony, the Hall has now paid tribute to more than 150 individuals and teams.

Some literally hit the ground running, like Bob Felver ’52 who gathered in the opening kickoff of his first game at Peddie and galloped 90 yards to the end zone. It was the beginning of Peddie’s first undefeated gridiron season since

Varsity baseball, 1885

28 Peddie Chronicle

1929, during which the legendary 1950 football team bested the all-time team scoring record with 204 points in seven games.

Some had hearts to match their feats, like Bobby Fine ’67 who, “with his charismatic personality and great athletic skills,” Hall of Fame Coach Dietrich von Schwerdtner once said, “led the lacrosse team to far greater success than anyone could have imagined.”

And like Peddie’s first African-American student, Horace Brown ’51, whose magnetic team leadership and goaltending genius limited an entire season of soccer opponents to just five goals — and who once launched a soaring kick the full length of the field into the opposing goalie’s net.

Many dazzled us with their brilliance in academics as well as athletics. On the way to graduating at the top of her Peddie class, world-class swimmer Amy Balcerzak Field ’96 competed in events from sprint to mid-distance freestyle and individual relay, blitzing the field with her recordsetting time in the 100 yard breaststroke at the Eastern Championships and starring on Peddie’s nationally numberone-ranked 400 relay team. Another Peddie valedictorian, Larry Kelley ’33, made Dean’s List all four years at Yale where he also found time to catch 15 touchdown passes and become the second-ever winner of the Heisman Trophy.

Then there was Yusef “Joe” Javeri ’54 who arrived from Pakistan at age 13, pinned his first wrestling opponent in 20 seconds, won two varsity letters, got elected president, and gave a valedictory speech — all before he graduated from junior school.

Others paired their passion for winning with an unfailing sense of sportsmanship, like Mark Nesbit ’80 who excelled in tennis as number-one singles player all three of his years at Peddie. Nesbit’s intensely competitive spirit “was always under control,” Athletic Director Henry Oxford said during Nesbit’s induction ceremony. “I have seen him call his opponents’ shots ‘in’ when they could have easily been called ‘out’ without question,” Oxford said.

Some are remembered for their storied strength. Mike Wilcox ’71 possessed a slap shot of such force it broke the facemask of the Hun School goalie. Hall of Famer Phil Lyons ’51 called his classmate, Warren Mantz ’51, “the strongest guy I ever saw,” and recruited him to fill an empty heavyweight position on the wrestling team. Despite zero experience on the mat, Mantz — who was nicknamed “The Cheetah” for his power, speed and agility – pounced on the opportunity. He completed his rookie season with eight victories and then joined Lyons in capturing fourth place for the Peddie team at the National Prep Championships — a remarkable feat considering they were the only Peddie wrestlers who competed at the meet. Two decades later, another Peddie grappler, Brian Dougherty ’73, squeezed the most out of his senior season with what teammate Mark Hanna called “the vise of his extraordinary legs” — compiling a spotless 18-0 record and winning the National Prep Championship at 141 pounds.

Basketball, 1944

Geiger Gym

T

he Hall is home to entire bands of heroes, like the 1990 boys’ and girls’ swim teams, each an ideal balance of speed, endurance and depth in every stroke and distance. Both were overwhelmingly victorious at the Eastern Interscholastic Championships, and both produced a future Olympic gold medalist — Nelson Diebel ’90 who won in the 100-meter breaststroke and 400 medley relay in Barcelona in 1992, and Barbara “B.J.” Bedford ’90, whose stellar backstroke leg launched the U.S. Women’s 400 medley relay to a new world record at the 2000 games in Sydney.

The swimming pool

Fall 2013 29

Cross Country, 1973

Some surpassed all expectations by becoming greater than the sum of their parts. Hall of Fame Coach Carl Geiger attributed the “marvelous” season of the 1944 basketball team to their extraordinary teamwork: “The squad was more than a quintet; it consisted really of seven interchangeable boys whose coordination was outstanding,” he said.

S

ome blazed new trails for future heroes to follow.

Barbara Paul ’90 played every match of her fouryear varsity career from the men’s tees against male golfers, helping capture the Mercer County Championship and liberating the links for Peddie girls ever since. The 1982 girls’ track and field team was the first to send a foursome to compete in the prestigious Penn Relays. And during the 1982 Peddie Relays, three of the four hurdlers on the “boys” shuttle team were actually girls, taking the silver medal and sending squads of opposing male hurdlers home shaking their heads in frustration and admiration. The 1980 girls’ swim team was a similarly surprising precedent-setter.

After crushing perennial powerhouses Germantown and Mercersburg, the team capped an 11-0 season by winning the Atlantic Seaboard Championship and then dominating the inaugural girls’ Easterns.

The Hall has honored countless “firsts.” Half a century before the Peddie pool produced its first Olympians, the “terrible tub” in the basement of what is now William Mount-Burke Theater produced our first National Prep Championship swimmer. If you can picture training in a tiny 14 by 50 foot puddle of water, you can imagine the odds against Paul Murray ’43 winning that title in the 100-yard breaststroke, let alone shattering the national prep record in the process. George Entin ’56 became the first Peddie eighth grader to earn a state championship crown when he brought home the 103-pound wrestling title. He won his second as a 127-pound freshman, his third as a 141-pound junior, and

30 Peddie Chronicle

his fourth as a 164-pound senior — compiling a 107-3 career record overall. Sophomore Lauren Kokotajlo Grace ’99 clinched Peddie’s first basketball state title in 11 years when she sank a miraculous buzzer-beating three-pointer and set the girls basketball program on a trajectory from relative obscurity to national prominence. “Kooks” then led the Falcons to two more titles in the 14-year state championship streak that continued through 2010.

There were many other Hall of Fame teams who completely overwhelmed the competition. The undefeated 1948 soccer team outscored the entire season’s opposition 41-4. Likewise, the 1973 boys’ cross country team swept the top five or more places for perfect scores in six of their 15 dual-meet victories, then ran away with the state title with a record-breaking margin of nearly 50 points. The multichampionship 1973 basketball team racked up 22 straight on the way to a 24-1 season, the most successful in Peddie boys’ hoops history. And the 1994 girls soccer team swamped an 18-game slate of opponents by a 103-7 margin. “They played so well as a unit,” said Hall of Fame Coach Ray Cabot, “they intimidated other teams.”

H

all heroes have gone on to make us all the prouder by proving their mettle as professional athletes. George Case, Jr. ’36 made it to the majors, playing outfield for the Washington Senators and Cleveland Indians, and leading the leagues in stolen bases for five consecutive seasons. But he was hardly the last. Fernando Perez ’01, a member of the Hall-inducted 2001 Baseball Team, followed in Case’s fleet footsteps, stealing bases for Tampa Bay and helping the Rays reach their first World Series by scoring the winning run as a pinch runner in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series against the Boston Red Sox. Will Hunter ’54 pitched a season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, then two with the New York Mets. In a 1964 Mets-Cubs doubleheader, Hunter earned the win as a reliever in the first game, then came back in the nightcap to do it again — the quickest pair of wins for any pitcher in major league history. Brian Meyer ’82 was a three-year starter for the Houston Astros. And Peddie teammate Erik Hanson ’83, brought his big breaking, downward-sloping curveball to the Seattle Mariners, posting a career high of 18 wins.

At 6'9", All-State forward Doug Kistler ’57 led the Hall of Fame 1957 basketball team with 24 points per game, and was drafted by the NBA’s Detroit Pistons as the 26th overall pick and then played the 1961-62 season with the New York Knicks. And Falcon football All-American Brian McConnell ’69 played tight end with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League before being traded to the Houston Oilers and closing out his career with the Miami Dolphins.

May the next 25 years be as proud and joyous as the first!

What I Learned in Bangalore executive that “there’s nothing you can do there that we can’t do cheaper here,” the fact is that there are jobs that can only be done in the United States: jobs that require creativity and critical thinking — areas in which the best-educated I was recently privileged to lead a group of intrepid American students still have the upper hand, at least for Falcons on a trip to South India, a trip that started in now — as well as jobs that require face-to-face interaction Bangalore. Bangalore is a city that I have a long relationship or culturally-specific communication skills, and of course with: my father lived there while working for Habitat for government-related jobs that can’t be outsourced because Humanity India, and I spent a lot of time there towards the they’re too sensitive to entrust to foreign nationals. The end of the last century. At that time Bangalore was a small good news is that there will continue to be good jobs in the city known for its mild climate and relatively advanced United States in the 21st century for students who have the technology, mainly due to the role it played in India’s creativity, communication skills and high levels of education aerospace industry; it reminded me a bit of the San Diego necessary to qualify for them, and our young Falcons are I grew up in, with flashy Bombay overshadowing it like an well-situated to land these jobs.

Indian version of Los Angeles. By Indian standards, it was a What did these high-level executives mean, then, when quiet and relatively unimportant city. they said that there’s no such thing as an “American” job?

Fast-forward two decades, past Y2K and the expansion What they meant is simply this: in the 21st century, all of globalization that Tom Friedman chronicles so well in jobs are global. With the rise of outsourcing and global The World Is Flat, a book that begins in Bangalore. For me, manufacturing, there are very few jobs remaining that don’t stepping off that plane last March was like stepping into a require interaction and collaboration with people from different India altogether. Having added roughly five million different countries, and many jobs now require at least some new inhabitants since I left, not to mention India’s first free degree of travel. Everyone at Oracle, even an American wi-fi zones, sleepy Bangalore had become the center of employee based in the U.S., has to be able to work effectively India’s technical world. Dubbed “India’s Silicon Valley,” with colleagues from many other countries, and there is an Bangalore had become a fast-paced entrepreneurial mecca expectation that all Oracle employees should be ready In our 150th year, Peddie is well-situated to help our students to travel if necessary. “The take advantage of the new realities of the 21st century. important thing is that you have the ability to work with  people from anywhere in the world and travel to or live for Indians trying to plug into Friedman’s flat world, and anywhere in the world,” said Satya Bhandary, an Oracle vice a global hub for the outsourcing industry that has driven president. The worst thing you can possibly say in an Oracle much of India’s recent growth. In a brief twenty years, heated interview? “I don’t like to travel.” arguments about Indian politics at the local chai shop had Of course, Peddie has been preparing students for global turned into animated conversations at Starbucks about the collaboration for many years: we have been teaching foreign latest tech start-up. languages and cultures, taking students abroad, and giving Given this, it’s not surprising that it was the globalizationstudents the skills they need to function in a globalized related visits that were truly eye-opening for our world for decades. In addition, let’s not forget the critically group. Courtesy of Siby Vadakekkara, father of Antony important role played by our international students, who Vadakekkara ’13, we became the first high school group allow all Falcons to practice global collaboration in their to ever visit Oracle India, one of the heavyweights of the own classrooms and dormitories. In recent years, we have outsourcing industry. (Haven’t heard of them? They’ve added new elements to this; for example, the Modern Global heard of you: Oracle stores the data for all of Facebook’s one History course that’s required for all sophomores, the Asian billion users.) We were treated to an interactive presentation Studies Program, partnerships and exchange programs with and conversation with Oracle India’s executive team, a schools in other countries, and a whole host of trips and presentation that was quite literally life-changing for some electives that are designed to help our students develop a of our students in the sense that they decided, on the spot, more global perspective. that some of the career paths they were considering weren’t In our 150th year, Peddie is well-situated to help our realistic given new global realities. We followed up this students take advantage of the new realities of the 21st conversation with a similar presentation at Marlabs, century, and I can only imagine where the next 50 years Mr. Vadakekkara’s tech firm, where the same message might take us. I have a feeling that our recent trip won’t be was echoed loud and clear: there’s no such thing as an the last time a Falcon lands in Bangalore.

American job.

Of course this doesn’t mean that there won’t be jobs in the United States in the future. Despite the claim by one Indian

By Brad Nicholson Co-coordinator, Asian Studies Program

Fall 2013 31

60 Peddie Chronicle

New students, participants in the Freshman Musical, gather around the piano in 2013.

PEDDIE SCHOOL 201 South Main Street Hightstown, NJ 08520-3349

4

NoNproFIt orgaNIzatIoN U.S. poStagE paID CINNamINSoN Nj pErmIt No. 579

8

12

16

10

14

18

26