Pine Crest The Magazine

CONTENTS TABLE OF

FEATURES

Pine Crest: A Growing School........................................4 The Dormies .....................................................................8

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Pine Crest: A Growing School

Chaplain McKee Retires...............................................10 Brianna Kahane ’20 (Small Star on a Big Stage) .......18

DEPARTMENTS President’s Message .......................................................3 Campus Highlights ........................................................12 Athletics..........................................................................22 Arts ..................................................................................26

Brianna Kahane

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ALUMNI Post the Dates ..................................................................2 Profiles.......................................................................30, 32 Alumni in New York.......................................................38 Alumni in Washington, D.C...........................................39 Remember When ..........................................................40

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Class Notes ....................................................................44

Kyle Mahowald ’05

Toni Marshall, Editor, Writer 954-492-4105 toni.marshall@pinecrest.edu Photography: Toni Marshall and Nick Crisafi Contributing Writer: Nick Crisafi Vice President for Advancement: Pat Boig Associate Director of Development: Susie Ledbetter Alumni Relations: Jennifer Burnstein

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Halsey ’92 & Kheel ’91

Proofreaders: Nick Crisafi, Evelyn Farner, Susie Ledbetter, Laura McDonald, Candace Moore, Joanne Pelton, and Jane Salimbene Layout and Design: D3 Advertising of Boca Raton Publisher: The Magazine is produced by Pine Crest School Development Office.

Special thanks to the Lower School Yearbook Committee for the aerial 75 photo on the cover.

Alumni Weekend 2009 April 17 & 18 ent Party All-Alumni Happy Hour/T Faculty Courtyard 00 p.m.

Friday, April 17, 6:00 – 8: umni Weekend Join us as we kick off Al Crest faculty. with old friends and Pine Alumni Family Picnic Faculty Courtyard and d Middle School Courtyar Saturday, April 18 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ding The picnic is a long-stan ere families Pine Crest tradition, wh tivities will enjoy a variety of ac and picnic fare. ses of 1959, Alumni Reunions - Clas , & 1999 1969, 1979, 1984, 1989 Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Saturday, April 18 7:00 p.m.

Celebrate your reunion with classmates.

Deadline for registration April 10, 2009 2

Register online at u/support/ http://www.pinecrest.ed p or alumni/fort_reunion.as call Jennifer Burnstein 954.776.2177 ” Check out “Class Notes online at u/podium https://www.pinecrest.ed

EDITOR’S NOTE ht to edit copy to fit Pine Crest reserves the rig cations. Please submit the standards of our publi photos. Photos should high resolution (300 dpi) and or .eps formats. be submitted .jpeg, .tif,

PINE CREST Spring 2009 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2009 Mark Gilbert ’74, Chair Walter Banks ’61, Vice Chair

Dr. Mae McMillan has been designated a 2009 Great Floridian, the highest honor bestowed on an

Marc Bell Richard Chestnov Michelle Mehallis Cibene ’84 Lourdes M. Cowgill, Ph.D. Bob Fishman Andrew Gumberg Jeff Hollander David Kantor Arthur Keiser ’71 Albert “Sonny” Kotite Caryl Mendelsohn Edward Pozzuoli Hiromi Printz Kevin Quinn Douglas Reynolds ’75 Jeff Roberts Sheri Sack Karen Schlesinger Dan Sheinberg Dennis Smith Peter Wittich Jordan Zimmerman

individual who has had a profound impact on our

Emeritus Directors Robert Friedman, H ’77 Theodore Friedt, H ’81 William H. Grimditch, Jr., H ’67 Richard Ingham John Leech ’56 William J. McMillan ’45 Paul Roepnack Henry H. Wheeler

Hoggatt ’56, a retired banker, came the furthest. He made the three-hour drive from

state, and in this case, on education. When I received the news about her honor a few weeks ago, I thought that it was a befitting salute to Dr. Mae and Pine Crest, especially during the School’s 75th anniversary.

“This award is presented in recognition of her unwavering devotion to education for all, regardless of race, religion or color,” read the letter, signed by Florida Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning. Dr. Mae will join the ranks of other Floridians who have helped to shape this state, some of whom are well-known to most of us: Congressman E. Clay Shaw; Senator Connie Mack; City of Miami founder Julia Tuttle; developer Henry Flagler; writer Zora Neale Hurston; educator and activist Mary McLeod Bethune; Governor Lawton Chiles; and writer and environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

For this great honor, each year a committee meets to nominate citizens of the state, living or deceased. It was esteemed Florida State University professor and former Pine Crest parent Walter Manley, father of Marjorie Manley Posada ’92, who nominated Dr. Mae. Our Development Office compiled the extensive information Mr. Manley needed and forwarded the data to Tallahassee.

Now 75 years after the founding of Pine Crest, in cities around the country, Dr. Mae’s legacy is represented by outstanding professionals. This was certainly reinforced by a recent trip to Chicago, where alums took the time to come by and express their appreciation. Phil Champagne/Urbana eager to reconnect with his alma mater and express what a difference Pine Crest has made in setting him on the path for a successful career in banking.

Another alum was on campus recently. Roland Foulkes ’74 returned at our invitation to speak with students in honor of Black History Month. Dr. Mae recruited Roland, the first African-American to graduate from Pine Crest. It was important to her that Pine Crest be a school where students from every faith and race learn and grow together. “I honestly don’t believe I would have stayed here without Dr. Mae," Roland told the audience. “I owe a lot of my success to Dr. Mae.”

Alumni Council Marcie (Berman) Bour Patron ’80 Elizabeth Camp ’94 Lucy Friedt Dublin ’72 Norma Martin Goonen ’65 Jeffrey Keiser ’73 Scott Masel ’84 Lara Osofsky Leader ’93 Jon Wiley ’79

Dr. Mae’s vision, mission, and purpose continue on after 75 years!

Lourdes M. Cowgill, Ph.D.

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By Toni Marshall The burying of the 50th Anniversary time capsule in 1984 closed the chapter of the School’s early years, yet offered a challenge to future generations to one day peel back the soil and compare the present to the past.

Founder Mae McMillan passed away the following year, but her optimism was easily implanted in her son and headmaster, Bill McMillan, who always had his sights set on expanding the 62nd street campus and acquiring other acreage to create another school. Within a few years, he realized his dream of expansion with the acquisition of Boca Raton Academy in 1987.

Meanwhile, Pine Crest continued to make its mark. The Institute for Civic Involvement, established by Robert and Eugenie Friedman in 1976, attracted world-renowned speakers. Drama, dance, instrumental, and choral programs claimed numerous awards and recognition, and the sports program gained local and national attention, with swimming leading the way.

It was time for new leadership to help meet the growing needs of the information era and the generations exposed to this new kind of progress. In 1988, Dr. Lourdes Cowgill was invested as headmistress while Bill McMillan continued as president of the Pine Crest Preparatory School Corporation. The new leadership roles would allow the school to flourish academically and focus attention on capital projects that would meet this exploding information and technology-based generation.

“It was an interesting time for schools, when I became headmistress,” says Dr. Cowgill. “We needed to embrace this growing ‘information era,’ plus hold on to the values and traditions on which Dr. Mae founded Pine Crest.”

That also meant reexamining the school’s curriculum and revisiting instructional classroom models in order to launch a technologically savvy generation. “Although I have always had a love for the classics in literature, I was glad to know that we had so many teachers who could have resisted change, but instead were able to couple the old with the new,” she says. The School realized most of

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these changes in the late 1990s, following Dr. Cowgill’s ascension to president in 1995 after Bill McMillan’s retirement. She would continue his and Dr. Mae’s vision.

“I think the School was very fortunate that when I was about to retire as the head – that there was total agreement between myself and the chairman of the Board who would follow,” says McMillan. “I think Lourdes Cowgill is a very intelligent and capable woman – and she’s carried things on.”

The growth experienced at Pine Crest over the next few years would not only attract top scholars, but would cement the School’s standing as South Florida’s premier educational institution. Pine Crest increased the number of Advanced Placement courses and consistently ranked among the institutions with the highest numbers of National Merit Scholars. Computers leapt from stationary centers to laptops, starting with seventh graders in 1998.

Smartboards replaced whiteboards and chalkboards. But a capital project would catapult the School’s visibility, literally.

Dr. Lourdes Cowgill is sworn in as President.

In 1998, the Huizenga Family Science Center and Bienes Courtyard was completed, housing the Egan Library, the Blosser Gallery, and the Gilbert Conference Room. The copper-domed edifice easily rivals collegiate media, science, and learning centers. Pine Crest School students in grades six through twelve make constant use of the Egan Library. The facility encompasses 12,000 square feet of working space. Its spectacular two-story reading/ reference area overlooks an outside landscaped patio. The library has seating for classes, small groups, and individual study. All tables and study carrels are equipped with task lighting and electric power. The library also possesses wireless technology. With more than 49,000 volumes and an extensive inventory of video tapes, DVDs, and audio tapes, all can be accessed via the electronic card catalogue.

Take the stairway to the upper levels to experience the advanced science and research center. “This transition from the old facilities to the new Science Center is like comparing the use of a razor blade to a laser scalpel in surgery,” said Jim Lansdale (then chair of the Science Department) in the Summer 1999 edition of Previews.

Students study in Egan Library.

The copper-domed edifice joins the bell tower as our School’s landmarks.

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Dance practice in the Karen and Ashley Palmer Dance Studio

The dining hall boasts a “no fry” zone.

Language lab facilities

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But the boom did not stop with the Huizenga building.

The Karen and Ashley Palmer Dance Studio was added three years later, and the Fort Lauderdale campus embraced a new Middle School in 2002 with a semi-open space design, team seminar rooms, and labs. The Kelley Boathouse also emerged in 2002, and the School gained a multi-story parking garage. Two years later came the Savage Family Sports and Athletic Complex with the Schlesinger Aquatics Center, the renovated Stacy Gymnasium, and a new health/fitness center. The Boca Raton campus added the Stevanovich Middle School which houses the TV studio and state-of-the-art classrooms. Pine Crest sold Camp Highlander in Henderson, NC in 2001 and closed its boarding program the same year.

The most recent change has been the Panther Café on the Fort Lauderdale campus. The Felicia Nutter Dining Hall was renovated and enhanced during the 2006 school year. The dining facility provides “no fry” foods and offers two full salad bars, as well as a “hot foods” station, to complement three serving centers.

As Pine Crest looks toward the future, the need for enhanced learning centers is inevitable. The Boca Raton campus broke ground in 2008 on a new LEED-certified Lower School and Administrative complex which will be ready for use in the fall of 2009. A new Upper School classroom building is on the horizon for the Fort Lauderdale campus.

State-of-the-art Middle School on Boca Raton Campus

“I look forward with firm conviction to the prospects of expansion for Pine Crest,” Dr. Mae writes in her biography, My Life Plus a Hundred Years, about the move to the new 62nd street campus in 1965. “As we celebrate our 75th Anniversary, Dr. Mae’s words continue to ring true while we move forward with firm conviction to build facilities that will maximize learning opportunities for our students,” notes Dr. Cowgill. “In order to better educate our children in our highly competitive global society, we not only have to be good, we need to have foresight, and be both aggressive and progressive.”

The crew team’s Kelley Boathouse

Students work on computers in the library.

Science Department Chair Dr. Barbara Grosz helps students in the Huizenga Family Science Center.

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By Luis Olguin I remember one of the Emory University Deans giving a speech my first day of college about how the freshman class included students from 25 different countries and highlighting the class of 2002 as one of the largest and most diverse in Emory’s history. I thought to myself, 25 countries? I just came from a place with twice as many!

From kids whose commute from Palm Beach was too long to kids whose commute crossed several continents, the Pine Crest dorm was a unique melting pot of young people. From 1993 to 1998, I lived with guys from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, the Caribbean and Thailand (who could forget the Thai Scholars with their unpronounceable last names). The dorms truly added rare, early exposure to a rich diversity of cultures and people that touched anyone associated with them.

Everyone had a different experience at the Pine Crest dorm. For me, it started in eighth grade with big Chris Chen ’94 (Miami) pointing me to my room. As excited as I was about the new experience, being in that barren room for the first time was a bit shocking, and I wasn’t too sure about this bunk bed thing. That night we had a dorm meeting in the co-ed lounge and then prefect Andrew Wetenhall ’94 gave a speech, talking about the rules of the dorm…rules, roommates, study hall, dorm parents, shared bathrooms…that was a lot for a 13-year-old from Peru to handle!

Playing basketball later that first week I met Kush Parmar ’98 (Mexico), Andrew High (Turks and Caicos), and Wilson Wu ’98 (Hong Kong), the other eighth graders that year. While the first weeks may have been a bit tough, over time, that place did become a home away from home for many of us. I remember sneaking into my first R-rated movie with Christoph Look (Germany) and learning how to shave from David Asari (Saudi Arabia).

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For the younger guys, older “dormies” were like big brothers: they had cars, the corner rooms, and later curfews. For the older guys, we were probably not more than a nuisance. I can’t count the times Andrew Whitaker ’96 (Brazil), David St. Louis ’96 (Atlanta) or David Kozloff ’97 (New Jersey) drove us to grab food, saved us from the dreaded short bus ride to the mall, or spared us from the religious conversations with Sam Lin ’97.

I also recall always hearing Sandeep Chapalmadugu’s guitar, the arguments in Cantonese between Max ’96 and Wilson Wu (Hong Kong), Leslie Loggans ’97 trying to be funny, the time John Angelini ’97 fell from his bunk, Chi-Hung Jone’s ’95 (Saudi Arabia) unnatural vertical leap, Gordon Chen ’97 and Gary Whitehouse ’97 trying to put me in a wrestling hold, Nacho Larran’s ’96 (Canary Islands) power basketball game, and June Ro’s ’97 (Korea) lack of any game. Those days were a lot of fun, and it was the people at the dorm who made it special.

On a typical dorm day, I’d either wake myself up or my roommate would beat me to it - thanks for participating in crew Matt Drossos ’98 (Kentucky). Light sleepers probably were awakened by the splattering of the swimmers next door. For the hard sleepers, it was Mrs. Blanton banging on your door as she checked all the rooms every morning.

Once you were up, you’d inevitably have to wait for a shower since 64 boys shared 4 bathrooms and everyone tried to get those last precious minutes of sleep before first-period class.

Our school days were very similar to day students’, although the ability to take a mid-day nap back in your room was a sure positive. Most of us were involved in sports or afterschool activities. Imagine having 20 sons come back home with dirty football gear and combine that smell with the chlorine-soaked swimmers.

Dinner was served from 5:00 - 6:00 p.m in the cafeteria.

I especially remember the days of the breakfast-for-dinner or the left-over chicken patties. Mandatory study hall began at 7:45 p.m., but not without placing a food order to be delivered later that night; cafeteria dinners were inevitably not enough sustenance for growing young boys. It was a daily occurrence to have 10 pizzas and multiple orders of Chinese food and chicken wings delivered every night.

Study hall was a quiet, if not unproductive, time at the dorm. The older proctors and prefect would watch over the rest of the guys to assure some studying was being done. After study hall, most people would gather in the co-ed lounge or television rooms. We had ping pong and pool tournaments throughout the year. The dorm was closed at 10:05 p.m. every weeknight with staggered in-room curfews based on your grade and a daily good night from the dorm parent on duty.

Life in the dorm was clearly very different from life at home. Living with 63 other guys, having six “parents,” needing quarters for laundry, and having room inspections every Friday by Mr. Turner, Mr. Palmaccio, or Dr. Huebsch – dorm life taught us all responsibility, friendship, and tolerance. It was a maturing experience that we were all lucky to have lived through in our teens because, at the end, we were more than ready for college dorms and new friends from around the world.

Luis Olguin (right second row) with PC dormies

Luis Olguin (left back) reunites with dorm parents Dr. James and Susan Blanton, and fellow dormies Sheila Parma ’97 and Kush Parma ’98.

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By Toni Marshall and Sara Ganz ’10

Those close to Chaplain Ani McKee know that she cherishes the ritual of opening School programs with prayer. What may seem like words hastily scribbled on a piece of paper calm noisy chatter, and often bring a welcome pause to busy thoughts and crowded days. “The distance has just gotten too far for me to travel every day,” says Chaplain McKee, who lives in Davie and drives to Pine Crest to perform her duties as chaplain, teach Comparative Religion and Values, and oversee community service projects.

“I’ve been at Pine Crest for such a long time. I love it here, but it’s time for me to start a new chapter of my life.”

Chaplain McKee retires this year following more than 25 years at Pine Crest. When she arrived at our School in 1981, she was the only female math instructor on staff. A love of math and teaching had always been a part of her life, even during the days she spent living in a convent. Yes, Chaplain McKee was a nun.

One of six sisters whose family ran a sugar mill in Cuba until Fidel Castro’s government took over their business, Chaplain McKee graduated from high school in June of 1960, and two months later fled her birthplace for the United States with an early wave of refugees. “My parents wanted us to be free. Everything was left behind,” she says.

“My parents and two younger sisters came a few months after we did. We all thought we would be back in a few months.” A few months turned into decades. In fact, her sisters visited Cuba a few years ago to find the life-size portrait of her family still hanging in their home. The current occupants would not allow them to enter, but they could see it through a back entrance; family possessions remain untouched, as if placeholders.

Chaplain McKee arrived with her grandparents in Miami at the end of that summer in 1960 and stayed in South Florida to wait for her sisters to follow from Cuba.

Once her three sisters arrived, they headed north to Philadelphia to the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, a Catholic order with schools, health, and outreach

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Chaplain McKee was a nun for 16 years.

facilities. Chaplain McKee taught for three months and entered the convent in December of that same year. She was a nun for 16 years, attending Rosemont College for her undergraduate degree in math and then Lasalle University for her master’s in Religious Education. “I always taught math and religion, even when I was vice principal and principal of the Handmaids’ schools, both private and parochial,” she adds.

When Chaplain McKee left the convent, she went to her parents’ home in Milwaukee where she taught math and religion again. “Six months later the Pope dispensed me from my vows, and I got married.” The next year, her daughter, Alicia McKee Palelis ’96, was born.

With a move to South Florida, Chaplain McKee soon found her way to Pine Crest. Her sister, Cristina Sollosso, and Cristina’s husband, Juan, worked at Pine Crest.

“Mario Pen˜a was the Upper School Head, and he knew I taught mathematics at Madonna Academy,” she recalls.

She came for an interview and was hired to teach math.

The rest is history.

Ever committed to her faith, McKee embraced the chaplaincy position when it was offered to her. That position also included supervising the School’s Community Service program. “I had to stop attending many of the fundraisers because it got to be too much,” she laments. “Our students are involved in so many wonderful programs.” Those students have a lot to say about Chaplain McKee. Overseeing more than 20 programs, teaching classes, and presiding over an interfaith service on Friday mornings keeps Chaplain McKee very busy. “She is at the heart of all the Community Service Projects that have benefited our community for so many years,” says junior Ivana Masimore, who works with Love Out Loud’s Star Tree Project.

Junior Nadia Cajale calls McKee an amazing human being. “She is a genuine person who is always interested in helping others and puts their well-being ahead of her own.

I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with her and learn from her,” Cajale says. “She will be greatly missed at Pine Crest, not just as a teacher, but as someone who truly cares and wishes to guide students in the right direction.”

When Chaplain McKee locks her office door for the last time, students and colleagues say they will truly miss sitting on her comfy couch, chatting, and talking about life with a woman who has been part spiritual advisor, part counselor, and best friend.

Chaplain McKee works with students in her sixth-grade Values class.

“I have known Mrs. McKee for more than 25 years, even before I came to work at Pine Crest,” says Elena Del Alamo ’67, Vice President for Admission. “I have never known anyone like her. She has earned my respect and admiration even more as I have gotten to know her better.

Her faith, humility, and innocence are rarely seen in this world in our time,” she says.

Del Alamo has had conflicting emotions since hearing about Chaplain McKee’s plans to retire. “I am very happy for her because she has wonderful plans to enjoy her family and her life, especially with her daughter and grandchildren. We all wish her the best for the future,” she adds.

“On the other hand, we will miss her. She has consistently demonstrated her dedication to each task, to every colleague, to all students and parents who have sought and received her help and guidance. She has been everything that a Chaplain, a caring teacher, an insightful leader, and a good friend should be.”

Chaplain McKee will be missed, but her selfless legacy has transcended generations, putting Pine Crest on the map for hundreds of thousands of hours of community service.

“I guess my legacy is what is written outside my office: ‘I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I woke and saw that life is service. I served and knew that service is joy.’”

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Pine Crest Fort Lauderdale Names New Lower School Head

Christine Khachane has been appointed Head of Lower School for the Fort Lauderdale campus and will begin her tenure this fall. Currently, in her role as Assistant Lower School Head, she has proven to be a passionate administrator whose abilities eclipsed other candidates pursuing the Head position. Khachane replaces Barbara Hollowell, who has graciously served as Interim Lower School Head for the past two years. Hollowell is the parent of two Pine Crest graduates - Suzanne Hollowell McCawley ’90 and Caroline Hollowell Showers ’94 - and the grandparent of first grader Sam McCawley. She has and will continue to be an invaluable asset to the School as she returns to her position as Assistant Lower School Head. Khachane, a Klingenstein Fellow (Columbia University) with teaching and administrative experience at Hackley School, holds an undergraduate degree from William Smith College, an M.A. degree in Reading/Writing/Literacy from the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently finishing a second M.A. degree at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Students, Faculty, and Alum Help Autistic Children Ivana Masimore ’10 and Alicia McKee Palelis ’96 recently teamed up to help bring joy to students with autism at a Miramar Elementary School. Masimore is the leader of the community service project called Love Out Loud. During the month of December, the members of the project made stars with the names of children with autism and the wishes they had for the holidays. The stars were placed on the Giving Tree in the Upper School Office. Upper School students selected a star and bought gifts which were then given to the autistic students at Coral Cove Elementary in Miramar. Palelis works as an autism coach at the school.

Ivana Masimore ’10, Alicia McKee Palelis ’96, and Pine Crest Psychology teacher Elizabeth White

NASA Mom Lands at Pine Crest

NASA Engineer Kimberly Slater

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NASA Engineer Kimberly Slater recently visited physics teacher Naeemah Owens’ Science Topics class to talk about the U.S. Space Program. Slater, a project engineer who has two children, Jackson (k) and Max (pre-k), on the Boca Raton campus, spoke about why we go to space and the benefits of the Space Program. Slater shared a video that gave us an inside look at NASA training and projects.

Coast Guard’s Rear Admiral Visits Varsity Football Team Rear Admiral Tom Atkin of the United States Coast Guard took time out of his busy schedule to speak with our varsity football team this past fall. Admiral Atkin played tight end and defensive and offensive tackle for the Coast Guard Academy under Pine Crest Athletic Director Jim Foster.

Making the trip from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Atkin said, “What a great honor it is to speak with you about football.

This sport will mean so much to you for the rest of your lives.

Today, in my career, when I have to send out people for one mission or another, I want football players. They know how to get a job done, they know what it means to take care of the small things. There are four things to remember: always take care of your teammates, take care of your family, be committed to the best job possible - that comes from your heart and soul, and have fun.”

Rear Admiral Tom Atkin gives a “pep” talk to team.

The Real Frank Abagnale If you saw director Steven Spielberg’s thriller Catch Me If You Can a few years ago, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as a 16year-old con artist who posed as an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer, then you know the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr. Pine Crest students met the real Abagnale, 60, during a morning assembly. Abagnale, who now works for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, spoke about his days of forging checks and changing identities until he was captured by French authorities at the age of 21. He served time in both French and Swedish prisons and was then remanded to federal authorities in the United States where he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. However, he served only four years and spent the remainder of his sentence working with the FBI in their fraud division. Abagnale did not glamorize his life on the run, as it was portrayed in Spielberg’s blockbuster, but gave students an eye-opening account of the world of fraud and the dangers of living without fear as a teen. “I always knew I would get caught,” he said.

Abagnale left Bronxville, New York and ended up a con artist after his parents divorced. Speaking about the repercussions of his actions, he is sure several employees probably lost their jobs because of the things he did. And

Frank Abagnale’s story captivates listeners.

sadly, his father died when he was in that French prison.

Through check forgeries and posing as an airline pilot on flights (free flights), Abagnale stole more than $2.5 million.

Most of the money was kept in safety deposit boxes and was ultimately confiscated by authorities. The money he spent, roughly $500,000, he repaid over the years. Today, he stresses the importance of sound ethics and good morals.

Abagnale is one of the world’s most respected authorities on the subjects of forgery, embezzlement, and secure documents. He resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has three sons, and has worked for more than 30 years for the FBI. A special thanks to the Read family for bringing one of the more poignant speakers in years to Pine Crest.

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Pen ˜a Wins Photography and Essay Contest

Pine Crest Returns to Edinburgh This Summer

Senior Ilana Pen˜a won first place in the 2008 Hispanic Heritage Local Photography and Essay Contest sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services and News in Education. For this contest, she took a photograph representing Hispanic culture and heritage and wrote an accompanying essay about its significant impact on her life. The contest was open to students across South Florida.

Ilana entered through the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Pine Crest students will return to Scotland to participate in the celebrated Edinburgh Fringe Festival. From August 10 to 23, more than a dozen students will travel to Scotland to perform in the famed arts exposition. “We are currently working on writing an updated, jazzed-up musical version of the old Medieval Morality play Everyman. We are calling it EveryChild,” says Drama Director James Patrick. Participants include Faith Connor ’10, Meredith McGowan ’10, Jacob Schwartzwald ’10, Melissa Stephenson ’11, Morgan Weiss ’10, Meredith Brown ’10, Hanna Colin ’10, Anna Kerr ’11, Olivia Fabre ’11, Anthony Tranakas ’11, Diana Chen ’12, Elisabeth Crane ’12, and Martina Fouquet ’12.

Ilana Pen˜a

Deputy Consul General of Israel Congratulates Students for Fundraising Efforts Upper School students Caroline Epstein ’11, Sarah Reitman ’11, and Danielle Rosen ’11 wanted to make a difference and help the people of Israel. They were familiar with the vital work of Magen David Adom – the name of Israel’s national emergency medical disaster, ambulance, and blood bank service. The students organized a fundraising dance. This vital organization touches the lives of every Israeli.

Paul Hirschson, Deputy Consul General of Israel, with students Danielle Rosen ’11, Caroline Epstein ’11, and Sarah Reitman ’11

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A busy street in Edinburgh

Pine Crest visits Edinburgh in 2006.

Pre-Primary Playground

Student Cultural Arts Series

Our Pre-Primary students have a new playground! The fun started right after Pine Crest President Dr. Lourdes Cowgill cut the red ribbon. It took about 15 minutes of free play for our students to test the equipment and figure out that their new playground is better than okay. It’s fabulous!

“This has been such a long-time coming,” said PrePrimary Director Shelley Huff-Schultz. She has spent months working with project managers and contractors.

“I wanted something that takes into account child development,” she said, acknowledging that getting the right equipment was far more than just ‘child’s play.’

It meant having a design which would appeal to children’s senses; something with bouncing, spinning, and moving surfaces. Huff-Schultz also wanted equipment that improves bilateral co-ordination. Therefore, several climbing walls were built for the use of hands and feet. “The new equipment also helps to promote better balance and spatial relations and allows students to become more in tune with the senses of touch and sight, their reflexes, and flexibility improving coordination,” said Huff-Schultz. “Without good sensory integration, learning and behavior are more difficult, and the child often feels uncomfortable about himself or herself,” she added.

Park Structures designed the shaded playground, which includes a set of swings, a climbing wall, several slides, a kid-friendly suspension bridge, a spinning seat, a button bouncer, and lots of fun. This great new outdoor space was partially funded by a gift from the Pre-Primary and Lower School Mothers’ Club.

This year’s Fall Play was a huge success! Kudos to Jim Patrick and our fine actors: George Fournier ’09, Katelyn McGuirk ’09, Leen Massillon ’09, and Juliana Musheyev ’10.

They performed in The Back Porch Gang, a comedy by Ben Scranton of Springfield, MA. Befriending Bertha, a schoolyard drama by Kerry Muir of Los Angeles, California, featured Kris Allen ’10, Meg Baker ’09, Kelsey Flynn ’09, David Manella ’10, and Ilana Pen˜a ’09. Whitney Bachow ’09, Gabrielle Mogul ’09, and Jacob Schwartzwald ’10 brought us Reid MacCluggage’s The Tutorial, while White Stardust, by Joanne Koch of Evanston, Illinois, featured Samantha Frankel ’09 and Pernell Myers ’10.

Sibling team Aaron ’09 and Sara Ganz ’10 directed the Fall Play Chorus with guitar by Jordan Pollack ’09 and the voices of Faith Connor ’10, Ashley Giorgi ’09, Samantha Topper ’12, Meg Baker ’09, Caroline Walker ’09, Jennifer Seibert ’10, Martina Fouquet ’12, Tiffany Stromer ’12, and Nicole Steinberg ’12. Three of the four playwrights visited classes before the show and mingled with guests during the Founder’s Council Friday evening reception.

The Fall Play features the works of four playwrights.

Dr. Lourdes Cowgill opens the playground.

This year’s Fall Play electrifies audiences.

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1985

Dr. Mae McMillan passes away on April 10, 1985

1987

Purchase of Boca Raton Academy

1988

Dr. Lourdes Cowgill is installed as Headmistress

1989

Student Services Center opens

1995

Dr. Lourdes Cowgill adds President title when Bill McMillan steps down as President

1998

Laptop computers for all seventh graders

1998

Completion of the Huizenga Family Science Center, Egan Library, and Bienes Courtyard

2001

Karen and Ashley Palmer Dance Studio opens

2001

Selling of Camp Highlander

2001

Boarding Program closes

2002

Fort Lauderdale Middle School Campus Complex dedication

2002

Kelley Boathouse opens

2003

Zimmerman Family Athletic Complex dedication

2004

Boca Raton campus adds the Stevanovich Middle School and the Mazer Family Dining Room

2008

Varsity Boys’ Basketball team wins its first-ever State Championship

2008

Dale Smith is appointed Head of School for both campuses

2008

Boca Raton campus breaks ground on new Lower School

By Toni Marshall A cabbie drives around New York City seeking to pick up his next fare. The unsuspecting passenger scoots in and the meter ticks. In this cab, the passenger gets paid, if he or she can answer a series of trivia questions.

Oddly, coming up with questions for such a wild ride gave Pine Crest alum Brian Greene ’97 his first Emmy Award - writing for the Discovery Channel’s hit show Cash Cab. “Working on the show was fun, and it was a little bit tedious,” says Greene, whose major credits include MTV’s Total Request Live and head writer for YouTube Live, a celebration of the best viral videos.

“When I first started, the writers were responsible for 30 questions a day, later 25. It was a lot of pressure coming up with that many questions.”

Pine Crest had a lot to do with his writing success, he adds. “More than anything else Pine Crest always put an emphasis on making sure that we had the best writing skills,” says Greene, who gives English teacher Ann Birr a lot of the credit.

“I don’t know of any other school that would have had such a wide array of topics through high school,” says Greene, who notes such electives offered a great foundation for a show like Cash Cab. “If I had gone to a public school, I don’t know if other schools would have offered Art History or Ethics classes or music classes that would have given me such a breadth of knowledge.”

Greene is one of roughly a half-dozen students to come through Pine Crest’s theater arts programs during the 90s - a core group of students who danced, sang, and

Brian Greene ’97 (center) withTotal Request Live VJs Damien Fahey and Vanessa Minnillo

acted from almost tot to teen. At Pine Crest, he was in the musical both his junior and senior years. He also sang in the chorus with Mr. Mullin. “I’ve always had a strong music background, which may have helped me get my start with MTV,” he says. He was in How to Succeed in Business and Hello Dolly. His sister, Jordin Greene ’93, who was in the musical for three years, spent years as a theater actress but switched careers a few years ago. She is now Director of Marketing for Todd English, a celebrity chef. Living in New York, Brian keeps in touch with Mark Ledbetter ’96, Amir Arison ’96, and other PC professionals in the fields of theatre, film, and television.

Greene’s success came after some very smart moves following a strong internship. He left Pine Crest for the University of Pennsylvania and later snagged an internship in the Development Department at MTV during his sophomore year. When he graduated, he returned to MTV to write for Total Request Live. “After three years of introducing videos, it got to be repetitive. I gave notice and decided to go freelance. Through an associate, he heard they were looking for writers for Cash Cab. He had to submit sample questions. One season turned into three seasons. He was working on another job when he heard about the Emmy.

“It was funny getting an Emmy for something I wasn’t working on at the time,” says Greene. The Emmy, which is a lot bigger than he thought, rests on his bedroom dresser until he can figure out another place for it.

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By Nick Crisafi

Eyes closed, foot tapping, her fingers deftly dance up and down the violin’s neck while the bow bounces and slides along the bridge. The resulting sound pours forth with the unyielding grace and energy of a seasoned virtuoso, yet the musician is only 7.

“I love playing the violin because it makes other people happy and lifts my soul,” says first-grader Brianna Kahane.

“It’s like a singing voice.”

At such a young age, Brianna has already made a name for herself with Palm Beach County cultural and arts aficionados. “I’ve seen people crying after watching her perform or just laughing from sheer delight,” adds her mother, Karen Kahane. It would be easy to chalk up such a sentiment to the expected gushing of a proud parent, but her mother is hardly exaggerating, especially after Brianna’s premiere in January when she was featured on three different television shows in less than a week – the result of a video post on YouTube of some of Brianna’s violin performances.

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She appeared on NBC’s Palm Beach county affiliate WPTV during its morning and evening newscasts, was interviewed by Kelly Craig of NBC 6’s South Florida Today Show, and performed for a live studio audience (as well as millions of viewers) on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. DeGeneres was blown away by her performance (Brianna played the first movement of Vivaldi’s Concerto in A minor).

“I’m not one for labels,” admits Kahane. “There are a lot of people out there saying she is a prodigy, others say it’s too early to tell. I think her ability, talent, and performances speak for themselves. When Brianna performs, she touches people. That’s all that really matters.”

Brianna’s passion for music and the violin began when she was just a toddler. At about one-and-a-half, she used to watch Baby Einstein videos. “She was mesmerized by the artwork, vibrant colors, and beautiful classical music that played throughout all of those videos,” recalls her mom. “I remember being in a department store with her and hearing a classical song being played, and she looked at me and told me she recognized the song from Baby Einstein. She not only told me the name of the video in which she had heard the classical piece, but also the picture that she had seen on the screen while that song was playing. At that moment I thought, ‘Wow, this kid really has a gift.’”

From there, Karen and Robert Kahane began taking their daughter to various musical events because she loved listening to music, especially classical pieces. One evening, when Brianna was two-and-a-half, they took her to a Yanni concert where she was enthralled by the concertmaster, Karen Briggs, an extremely talented violinist known for her improvisational skills and cross-genre appeal.

“As soon as she saw that performance,” says Kahane, “Brianna told us, ‘I want to play the violin like that.’”

After repeated requests to play the instrument, the Kahanes finally gave in when Brianna turned 3. They purchased a 1/16-sized violin for their daughter and enrolled her in lessons at Lynn University’s Conservatory

Brianna on stage at Pine Crest

of Music, one of the few places in the area which accommodates children as young as Brianna. Soon after she began violin lessons, it was apparent that she not only possessed a photographic memory, but also “perfect pitch” – the rare ability to identify a musical note without the benefit of a known reference. As a result, Brianna can easily commit to memory and perform lengthy and complex violin concertos in a very short period of time.

At the age of four, she was accepted to Pine Crest as a pre-kindergarten student and began playing in the fifthgrade orchestra on our Boca Raton campus. It was at Pine Crest that she received further musical instruction from Strings Co-Directors Karen Evans and Martha Schimelpfenig, as well as strings instructor Debbie Spring.

“Pine Crest has been amazing in nurturing Brianna,” says Kahane, “both through the Middle School Orchestra and Lower School program. Martha, Karen, Debbie, [Fine Arts Chair] Larry [Mellone], and the whole [Fine Arts] Department have really brought her along and given her a lot of opportunities to express her talent.”

Schimelpfenig, who has been a professional musician and music educator for over 20 years, believes Brianna is quite unique. “She’s very focused, has a tremendous amount of physical dexterity, technical proficiency, and the foundation to be a career violinist,” she says. In addition to being a professional pianist and bassist, Schimelpfenig also accompanied Brianna on the piano when she appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “If I play a piece a certain way, Brianna responds musically to the manner in which I play, which is extremely rare for a child to do at such a young age. However, she’s also a typical first-grade kid.”

To ensure Brianna remains “typical,” the Kahanes have been careful not to allow too much exposure too fast.

“Brianna is very much a normal kid in every sense of the word,” explains her mother. “She loves [her teacher] Mrs. Savoca, she loves her classmates, she loves riding her scooter, playing with her friends, and having play dates. I would only be concerned about the exposure she’s receiving if Brianna seemed rattled by it, but she loves performing and has really enjoyed the opportunities that have been presented to her.”

When asked to name the things she really likes other than playing the violin, Brianna spouts off about pizza, rock n’ roll, running around on the playground, and her cat (a picture of which was even on The Ellen DeGeneres Show) – pretty routine stuff for a 7 year old. However, her musical talent is undeniable.

In addition to performing with the Lynn University Conservatory and Pine Crest’s Lower School Strings Program, Brianna is Pine Crest’s first-ever Lower School student to regularly share the stage with the Middle School Orchestra on the Boca Raton campus. She is also a member of the acclaimed Florida Youth Orchestra and enjoys singing, acting, dancing, and playing piano.

When speaking with her, it’s apparent that she possesses a maturity in regard to her music: “When I play, I usually see bees, butterflies, things of nature, especially when I’m playing the concertos.”

It’s refreshing to see that Brianna keeps from taking her talents too seriously. “I like all the songs I play – the easiest one for me is ‘Over the Rainbow.’ You’ve probably heard me play it a million thousand times,” she blurts out with a smile and roll of her eyes.

For now, the Kahanes are grateful to have Brianna settle back into her life as a student (although Ellen’s show wants to invite her back and there’s been expressed interest from Oprah’s producers and a Broadway agent).

So Brianna will continue with her school work, playing with her friends, and, of course, practicing her music. It seems her future, though, holds the promise of greater things yet to come.

“The fact that Brianna is very musically responsive to her environment is quite profound,” explains Schimelpfenig.

“That is the sign of a musician – not just technical mastery, but the ability to interpret the notes and imbue them with your own emotions and personality. Brianna has that and that’s what makes her special.”

To learn more about Brianna or to view some of her performances, simply visit her Web site at www.briannakahane.com.

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By Nick Crisafi

Puzzle wizard Kyle Mahowald ’05 is a 2008-09 Marshall Scholar.

As a student at Pine Crest, Kyle Mahowald ’05 was known for creating crossword puzzles. Now a senior at Harvard, the clever cruciverbalist (fancy name for a crossword creator) will soon be heading to the United Kingdom after graduation to further his study of linguistics as a Marshall Scholar.

Sponsored by the British government, the scholarships offer a select number of outstanding students from the United States an opportunity to take graduate-level courses in a field of their choosing at any university in the United Kingdom.

Similar to The Rhodes Scholarships, the Marshall Scholarships are highly coveted awards reserved for students of distinguished academic merit and accomplishment. The primary difference between the two is that Rhodes Scholars are selected from an international pool and must attend Oxford University.

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Kyle, who will receive his bachelor’s degree in English this spring, will be studying linguistics through the program. Although he doesn’t know at which UK university he will be enrolled (he’s hoping for Oxford), Kyle is excited about the prospect of studying overseas.

“One of the main goals of the Marshall Scholarship program,” says the Fort Lauderdale native, “is to foster British/American relations. So the program encourages students to travel around the United Kingdom as well as Europe, which I’m really looking forward to.”

As one of approximately 40 Marshall Scholars selected this year, Kyle will receive two fully-funded years of study in the United Kingdom where he hopes to continue exploring the complex science of languages, primarily English – a subject about which he seems to know a thing or two.

Last summer, Kyle received a Harvard College Research Fellowship which he used to study Middle English literature, Chaucer, and Derrida’s theory of the gift and Deconstruction. This year, his senior thesis will examine the origins, literary evolution, and cultural significance of Shakespeare’s Queen Mab, a mercurial figure who has popped up in various literary incarnations throughout history.

“Queen Mab is a really interesting character,” explains Kyle. “She shows up in a lot of different writers’ works.

She’s a horse in Sense and Sensibility, a chapter title in Moby Dick, so there are all these different, seemingly unrelated ways in which her character appears. I’d really like to trace her prevalence throughout literary history and why she’s taken on so many different manifestations.”

Kyle Mahowald ’05 (center) with Andrew Malcolm ’05 and Caitlin McAuliffe ’05 - Presidential Scholars at Pine Crest in 2005

Not all of Kyle’s studies are quite so esoteric. In fact, one of the classes he enjoyed most this year was called Wordplay, which challenged students’ lexical doctrines by turning the English language on its head each week. One assignment had students read a passage, take out all the nouns, and then replace them with the nouns that come seven words later in the dictionary – Harvard’s own version of Mad Libs. “It was fun,” recalls Kyle, “a chance to do something a little more creative than just concentrate on the usual academic approach.”

Where, though, does this wizard of words see himself beyond his studies in the UK? “Probably involved in academia,” he muses. “Maybe a professor.” As expected, Kyle spends much of his free time (what little he has) reading for recreation. The last novel he consumed was Richard Yates’ Revolutionary Road, recently adapted to film and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

According to Kyle, the read was “dark, sort of depressing, but good.” Even though he buzzed through the book fairly quickly (“you have to be a fast reader in college”), Kyle found himself picking apart the sentence structures and words within the fiction, a habit he calls “perpetual, but not to the point of distraction.”

While his passion and intensity for English is palpable, don’t think that Kyle’s nose is buried in books year-round amongst his Crimson classmates. He founded and is the president of the Harvard College Crossword Society, is an active member of the school’s Oak Club, plays club tennis and intramural sports, and has spent a significant amount of time volunteering with a group called H-LIFE (Harvard Lifestyle and Fitness Education) which teaches health and physical education to a local, Boston-area middle school (and happens to have been founded by alumnus and current Pine Crest faculty member Joshua Cohen ’03).

In addition to being named a Marshall Scholar this year, Kyle was also selected to Harvard's Phi Beta Kappa chapter as a junior, our nation’s oldest undergraduate honors society. While such achievements are humbling to Kyle, he is no stranger when it comes to awards and recognition. As a student at Pine Crest, he was named a Presidential Scholar (along with friends Andrew Malcolm ’05 and Caitlin McAuliffe ’05) – one of our nation’s highest honors for a high school student – and at the age of 17 became the youngest person ever to have his crossword puzzle published in the Sunday New York Times.

“I’ve probably had about a dozen crosswords published in the Times now, but I’m not the youngest anymore,” admits Kyle. “I think someone recently broke that record.”

However, he’s been known to complete the Times’ puzzle himself in less than four minutes and still provides Spirit Airlines with its crossword puzzles, a challenge he’s enjoyed since he was a Pine Crest student.

The unparalleled education and excellence of the faculty at Pine Crest is what Kyle cites as a vital resource in regard to his accomplishments at Harvard. “Pine Crest definitely laid the foundation for me in terms of preparation and success. There are a lot of students here who are the first in twenty years to attend Harvard from their particular high school, but there are a total of five [Pine Crest students] just from my class alone.”

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Pine Crest:

Building Our Sports Program

By Nick Crisafi Who would have thought the seeds for Pine Crest’s athletic program sprouted from a tragedy that occurred almost 100 years ago on the vast plains of South Dakota? It was there, in the summer of 1912, that 15-year-old Lawrence Horn drowned while swimming with some friends. His sister, Mae, two years younger, tried frantically to revive him using artificial respiration. However, she couldn’t bring her brother back.

Twenty-seven years later, when Mae Horn McMillan acquired the property that served as the original Pine Crest School campus, one of the first things she noticed was the sizeable pool. It was rare for a school to have such a feature during that time. However, she was determined to prevent any family in her care from suffering the same, heartwrenching fate that befell her.

So began our look back at Pine Crest’s athletic history in the previous issue of our magazine. Born of that painful loss was Dr. McMillan’s commitment to swimming education, a focus that eventually produced what is arguably the greatest high school swim program in the

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(Continued) history of Florida. In fact, much of the success of Pine Crest’s athletic program throughout the School’s first 50 years can be attributed to legendary swim coach Jack Nelson and Athletic Director Bill Munsey.

However, as our School moved into the ’80s and ’90s, more and more of our athletic teams were beginning to develop their own winning traditions, adding to the overall scope of success which began to spread throughout our athletic program. While Pine Crest continued its dominance in swimming, our Panthers also won regional and/or district titles in boys’ and girls’ cross country, golf, tennis, track, boys’ soccer, girls’ basketball, girls’ volleyball, baseball, football, and softball.

In addition, when Pine Crest added the Boca Raton campus to its fold in 1987, the program received a boost as a result of the broader talent pool and highly competitive Middle School teams annually generated by the new campus. Under the direction of Boca Athletic Directors Geoff and Jennie Falbey, Boca’s physical education program and staff of coaches have produced more than 50 league titles in 10 sports since 1991.

Yet, while Bill Munsey may be the one who expanded Pine Crest’s Athletic Department into a bona fide, competitive program, current Athletic Director Jim Foster has made the Panthers an all-around athletic force and brought the program into the twenty-first century.

In Foster’s seven-year tenure, Pine Crest has won seven state championships in four different sports – boys’ basketball (2008), boys’ lacrosse (2002), cheerleading (2001, 2004) girls’ volleyball (2001-03) – and nabbed numerous regional, district, and conference championships. In terms of multi-sport success, this has been Pine Crest’s most accomplished era in our School’s history. According to Foster, it was his three-pronged approach that has allowed the athletic program to flourish across the board.

“When I came to Pine Crest,” he recalls, “I wanted to implement a very specific plan: upgrade the athletic facilities, hire the best coaches we could find, and attract top-notch athletes who were also outstanding academic students.”

Foster set to work right away with the first part of his proposal as he oversaw the renovation of Stacy Gym, the addition of lights on the football field, the construction of the Savage Family Foyer, Elliot track, and renovation of Lane Hall, the latter of which includes a spacious locker room facility, state-of-the-art weight room, and meeting rooms equipped with digital projectors to study game film. Not only did these additions make Pine Crest more impressive to prospective students, but they also allowed the campus to host more regional meets.

“The new facilities have provided us with the opportunity to invite other schools from the area to come to Pine Crest for various meets and competitions, whether it’s basketball, swimming, or track and field,” says Foster.

“For example, every spring we hold the Panther Relays on our track where 800 to 900 high school athletes from all over the region come to compete. It allows students from these other communities to see our campus and what Pine Crest has to offer.”

Then came the work of hiring outstanding coaches.

Foster wasted no time as he brought in people such as Jim

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Pletcher, Denise Sylvester, Pepe Lopez, and Miguel Martin who brought immediate success to the football, volleyball, and girls’ and boys’ soccer programs, respectively. Foster’s newest hire, Douglas Shanahan, is coaching the boys’ varsity lacrosse team. When it comes to lacrosse, there seemingly isn’t anything Coach Shanahan hasn’t done. A professional lacrosse player, he was twice selected to the U.S. Lacrosse Team and was also named both the Best Mid-Fielder in the World and Best and Fairest Player in the World.

Shanahan’s counterpart on the girls’ side, Eileen Pliske, is also a part of Pine Crest’s new corps of coaches. Her Lady Panthers have won three straight district titles and last year’s squad produced our School’s first All-American player in Sterling Champion ’08. Furthermore, The Miami Herald named Coach Pliske last season’s Coach of the Year.

According to her, the kind of athletes she sees at Pine Crest are unique in comparison to those she has coached at other schools. “The girls at Pine Crest are easier to coach because they’re smart and they’re disciplined,” she says.

“Also, Pine Crest is producing the complete package.

Because our girls can compete and have success, we are producing true student-athletes who can be successful in the classroom and on the field.”

David Beckerman agrees. Another Coach-of-the-Year winner last season who was also hired by Foster four short years ago, Coach Beckerman directed the boys’ varsity basketball team to our School’s first-ever state championship last winter. “Pine Crest is becoming more successful in terms of its athletics, but it’s not doing so by sacrificing its academic integrity,” he affirms. “Academics and athletics are not mutually exclusive entities – there’s no dilution of standard here. All the basketball players on the team can cut it academically, and when a student has the chance to play competitive basketball while getting the best education in the state, how can you pass that up?”

A testament to that fact is Brandon Knight ’10, one of Coach Beckerman’s players. The highly touted guard from Coral Springs is currently ranked as the nation’s number two junior and was the key factor in bringing Pine Crest our state title last year. However, his academic abilities

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are just about as sharp as his basketball skills as he’s one of the best students in his class.

Students like Brandon Knight were a big reason why Aquatics Director Jay Fitzgerald came to Pine Crest. “In coming here, the School’s high academic standard appealed to me,” he admits. A U.S. Olympic and Pan-American Games Coach, Mr. Fitzgerald is in his thirteenth year at Pine Crest. He has coached several Olympic swimmers during his tenure here, and his Lady Panthers’ team was ranked #2 in the nation in 2008.

“Coming from the West Coast, I saw how successful Stanford was, and I felt Pine Crest could imitate the Stanford model in striving for excellence in academics, athletics, and the fine arts.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by Mr. Foster and so far, his formula has worked quite well. “It’s all about life after sports,” he explains. “No matter how great an athlete you are, you will at some point hang up your cleats. Then the question is, ‘What are you going to do with your life?’

That’s why it’s all about education.”

It’s easy to believe that if Mae McMillan were here today, she would say the same thing. It was her love of learning and desire to educate children that allowed her dream of an enriching, academically exceptional school to become the reality that is Pine Crest. In the same way, our School’s long, rich history in regard to athletics sprang from her desire to teach, to provide students with a complete education, one that provided positive experiences in academics, athletics, and fine arts. When it came to sports,

she simply wanted – at the most basic level – to empower students with the ability to swim, not to just merely survive, but to grow and thrive.

Through 75 years, Pine Crest’s connection with athletics has evolved exponentially, like the rippling circles from a swimmer’s sudden entry into the pool. Its reach has enveloped all manner of sport, stretching across the breadth of the 60-plus teams on both campuses. There have been countless successes, many of which seem to come and go rapidly, like the quickening pace of a measured stroke slicing through the water.

Yet the one constant has always been the character and leadership of the coaches and administrators who work with the student-athletes every day. Their primary goal is not winning, but teaching. Their ability to guide, mentor, and educate the young people they come in contact with is the true measure of success, and it’s not hard to imagine Dr. McMillan being pleased to know Pine Crest’s legacy – whether on the field, on the stage, or in the classroom – is still very much intact.

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The next generation of Pine Crest’s performing and visual artists would prove to be the most prolific in terms of numbers of students to make it “big.” Most of them performed in musicals and plays at Pine Crest; many received the coveted Founder’s Council Award for Excellence. Jeff Marx ’89 led the pack as co-creator of the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q. He starts the list of a handful of Pine Crest alums who sing, dance, write, perform, and create works from Tinseltown to the Big Apple. The Pine Crest troupe includes film producers Mike Lerman ’90 and Alyson Latz ’91, screenwriter Kate Kondell ’91, filmmakers Julian Mark Kheel ’91 and Brett Halsey ’92, theatre actor Jordin Greene ’93, film producer Brie Neimand ’96, television writer and producer Curtis Kheel ’94, Broadway actor Mark Ledbetter ’96, film, stage, and television actor Amir Arison ’96, Emmy Award winner and writer Brian Greene ’97, filmmaker and producer Paul Germaine ’00, Broadway actor Frank Grande-Marchione ’01, and sibling actors David ’97, Lynn ’00 and Daniel Abeles ’03.

According to Myrna Feldman, Pine Crest’s Drama Club Director during the late 1980s to early 1990s, many of these actors, directors, producers, and filmmakers were part of the Actors’ Frat. She recalls her memories of those days here...

Cast of Guys & Dolls, 1993

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Compiled by Toni Marshall It all began in the mid 1980s. I had third graders then and was loving every minute of it. The Lower School music teacher wanted to do the Disney version of Cinderella with my class. Why Lynn Feely chose that particular class I’m not sure, but I was certainly glad she did. We had great fun doing it and held several performances in what used to be a small student lounge (about the size of two classrooms ) in order to give every Lower School class a chance to see it.

The next year I was teaching fourth-grade math, and Lynn came to me and asked if I wanted to do another.

“Would I? Yes!” I exclaimed. This time all third and fourth graders were invited to become members of the Drama Club.

Each consecutive year another grade level was added until Drama Club included fourth, fifth, and sixth graders (dropping third due to the size of the group). Rehearsals were after school. We did musical productions for the most part: Robin Hood, Cinderella, Tom Sawyer, Davy Crockett, etc; and often holiday skits for assemblies. One play, Fairy Tale Court, was written by the young thespians themselves. What fun that was - especially when the frog sued the witch!

Then, when the sixth graders were ready to move on to seventh grade, Jim Mullen, the Upper School Chorus Director, came to me and suggested I expand Drama Club to seventh and eighth graders as well because there really was no theater for that age group. I had to check it out with Tad Harrington, the Upper School Drama Director. He strongly encouraged me to “go for it.” We also got an “OK” from Kathy Pickrel, my Lower School Principal.

Everything was now legal and ready for takeoff.

So, we formed Actors’ Frat, a name suggested by one of the students. We would do a play in the fall and a musical in the spring - no “Mickey Mouse” stuff - real Broadway plays and musicals like Grease, Damn Yankees, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Man Who Came To Dinner, Oklahoma, etc., with real choreography (Kim Travis) and everything.

Some of my philosophies included the following: ■ Give everyone a chance: If you tried out, you were in. Understandably the ones who had been in Actors’ Frat longer were given first crack at lead roles. Understudies got to do one performance that performance to be chosen by the lead actor.

■ Theater is work: Students worked together on sets, costumes, flats, clean up, etc. I thought it was important for them to know theater was more than just walking out on stage and saying lines. All these kids were great at that.

■ Every rehearsal is important: All members were expected to be at every rehearsal because I wanted them to see that every part is important. I did make rehearsal schedules with acts, scenes, and times so that one did not have to stay for the whole time, just the scenes they were in.

■ Theater is teamwork: I tried for a team atmosphere - a sharing of good times and responsibility.

■ Theater is FUN: We laughed during every single rehearsal. We had great times after Friday’s opening night performances at TGI Friday’s (of course).

Funny things happened all the time - ask Amir Arison about opening night of Arsenic and Old Lace.

We were proud that we did our own sets and playbills; we paid for all the productions ourselves. We had bake sales, sold ads in the playbill, and sold tickets. I composed and printed the playbill with students writing their own bios and contributing pictures. What a great group!

Myrna Feldman and the cast of Arsenic and Old Lace

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Mrs. Feldman never allowed us to make excuses. She made us commit to these productions and be at every rehearsal. There were no breaks or exceptions, no matter how large or small your part. Everyone was in it together, creating and contributing to every aspect of the production. She created such an ensemblefull company approach to these productions, and no one ever felt left out or that they weren’t an integral part of telling the

Amir Arison, Patrick Drigger, and Mike Becker in Arsenic and Old Lace

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story and creating the show. The things I learned in those early years were truly priceless. That aspect of teamwork and watching my peers and seeing what they did has continued to serve me in the professional world as I continue to work with my fellow actors and learn from their choice performances.

But most importantly, Mrs. Feldman introduced us to the joy of the theatre - the joy and love of playing a role, telling a story and doing it all with your friends. To this date, I consider Amir Arison to be one of my closest friends and, although we have not shared the stage since our days at Pine Crest, we continue to work together in preparing for auditions, and I have certainly learned so much from watching and working with him. If you don’t truly love the work both on and off the stage, and sharing the experiences with your fellow actors and members of the community - from the auditioning all the way to the closing night - you couldn’t succeed in the business.

I am immensely grateful for the Drama Club, Actors’ Frat, Mrs. Feldman’s productions, Mr. Harrington’s musicals, and for all of the people with whom I shared the stage, working and learning from them all. I have fond memories of those shows and times, and still laugh when I think of it all.

Truly priceless!

Mark Ledbetter ’96

Mrs. Feldman treated me like an adult, and really believed in me, all of this furthering my confidence and excitement for acting, heading into Upper School and beyond. Mark Ledbetter and I still talk about shows we did from grade school and high school and laugh about them. When I was younger, doing non-lead roles, Mrs. Feldman used to say keep working hard and you’ll get your chance. I played my first lead in the sixth grade, doing My Robot Buddy, and I must say it really confirmed that this is what I love to do, and started me on the path for doing comedy as well. I had felt the encouragement and confidence to make bold choices, but then I started getting laughs on stage, which is addictive, especially to a young performer.

With Arsenic and Old Lace and Bye Bye Birdie, I still remember the scenes, lines, happy accidents, and songs. I can tell you stories and anecdotes from those shows as if they were yesterday. We were like a repertory company: anticipating who would play what parts in shows the next year, planning

productions around the students, growing each year to the next, and I still remember the hug Myrna Feldman gave me after our senior year musical production of How to Succeed in Business… Her pride was that of a parent, and that stays with you. And my bond with Mark and others is etched in history at the Stacy Auditorium, the ICI, the band room, Mr. Mullen’s chorus room, Myrna Feldman’s classroom, Tad Harrington’s classroom, the backstage dressing room and hallways, the quad where they posted show casting, the pit, the AV room, etc. The support of the Pine Crest community like Founder’s Council was so special; Mr. Jaswinski sent me a detailed note after every production from Lower School through Upper School.

I consider myself extraordinarily lucky to have my parents, Pine Crest’s faculty, and Myrna Feldman’s early drama school program - their encouragement truly helped to create my love for theatre arts. I currently reside in New York and act in film and television as well, but consider myself a theatre artist first.

Amir Arison ’96

Left to right: Dean Gockel, Chrisine Conte, Amir Arison, Mark Ledbetter, and Mike Becker

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By Brett Halsey ’92 and Julian Mark Kheel ’91

In the winter of 1991, we each decided that in lieu of taking up our usual winter sports we would audition for the Pine Crest musical, Anything Goes. Anything Goes is a silly comedy that remains a classic because of its magnificent Cole Porter songs. We had previously sung in church and danced at bar mitzvahs. It is a testament to the talent and dedication of our instructors that we eventually learned to sing and dance well enough in Anything Goes to keep the audience from fleeing the auditorium.

Tad Harrington was the director, Jim Mullen was the musical director, and Stacy Donovan was the choreographer/costume designer. All three made us feel as though we were professionals putting on a professional show. In a sense we were, because at the time the Pine Crest musical was the major cultural event of the year.

The auditorium was always full, and if you managed to put on a good show, you knew it would be appreciated.

The essentials were to get the laughs, hit the right notes, and keep things moving.

Our era at Pine Crest was notable for an abundance of creative talent. Jeff Marx ’89 went on to create the enormous Broadway hit Avenue Q. Kate Kondell ’91 became a successful screenwriter. Mike Lerman ’90 and Alyson Latz ’91, both of whom were outstanding Pine Crest actors, now have impressive careers in film production. Dan Goldman ’92 is a widely-read comic book artist and illustrator. Mark Ledbetter ’96 and Amir Arison ’96, who were also in our production of Anything Goes, are now prolific professional actors. Curtis Kheel ’94, another Anything Goes alum, is a television writer and producer. These are only the first names that come to mind – no doubt more have been mentioned in this magazine. We took our early creative work seriously not only because we wanted to impress our teachers, but also because of the people we were surrounded by and those we knew were in the audience.

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Brett Halsey on his way to stardom

Our first video project was a montage of rehearsal footage from Anything Goes set to that 90’s classic, Robert Plant’s “Ship of Fools.” We followed that with some video sketches for the Senior Skits, the goal of which seems to have been to thoroughly humiliate ourselves and any faculty members who were willing to join us. Soon we were running around Fort Lauderdale with our friends shooting whatever came to mind. There were short documentaries that addressed the question of whether one could pass a lobster through an airport x-ray machine, or if we could order a raw Whopper at Burger King. The most sophisticated project we made during this period was a three-minute music video called Home Alone about the hijinks we pursued at a friend’s house while his parents were out of town. Looking back, it seems our first videos were not only creative experiments, but also minor grasps at freedom. We were studious and well-behaved Pine Crest kids who thought the rules evaporated whenever someone hit the “record” button on the video camera.

To some degree this early work also set the tone for everything that followed. Growing up in the golden age of MTV and Saturday Night Live, we naturally loved to cut images closely to music, and we had a healthy appreciation for the absurd. The results were very similar to what you might see on YouTube today, but with about a tenth of the production value. At the time there was no instant,

live-streaming video, no $99 digital video cameras, no iMovie. In fact, computer-based editing systems were restricted to people with multi-million dollar studio budgets. Julian edited most of our videos using two VHS tape decks in a little room at the back of Video Workshop in Pompano, where he had a part-time job.

We continued to work together after Pine Crest in between our semesters at various places of higher learning.

Julian had a job at a stock footage house in New York where we could edit our projects at night. The time we spent there, surrounded by thousands of films of every era and type, made a significant aesthetic impression on both of us, as evidenced by our first professional-level short, Exceed. In addition to having our usual broad humor and wall-to-wall music, Exceed made much use of stock footage and ostensibly incompatible formats for comedic effect.

After premiering Exceed at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, where it won Best Comedy Short, we continued to the Montreal Comedy Festival and elsewhere, eventually landing at the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center. The relative success of Exceed gave us the opportunity to sign with agents in Los Angeles, and so we left New York to work in Hollywood.

But after spending a couple of years with various projects in development at various Hollywood companies, we became impatient to return to production. At the time we had been kicking around a simple idea for a heist comedy: what if three teams of criminals all conspired to rob the same place on the same night? Exceed had left us excited about the possibility of combining very different formats

Bill Bymel ’93 and Julian Kheel ’91 working A/V.

in one film, so we decided that each team of criminals should be shot as though they were in an entirely different genre, and when they arrived together at the scene of the crime, their genres would clash along with everything else. This became the basis for our first independent feature, Capers, which premiered at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival in November 2008, winning Best Comedy in its category.

Capers cost around $1 million to make, a pittance for a modern movie, but a lot more than we had to make the Senior Skits. Still, our aesthetics and approach to production haven’t changed much since we began in Anything Goes. We take what we do seriously without taking ourselves - or the world at large - very seriously at all. Get the laughs, hit the right notes, and keep things moving.

Halsey and Kheel (center front) with the cast of their movie Capers

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When Brittany graduated in 2006, the theme of her Graduation Ceremony was ‘to those who much has been given, much is expected’ (paraphrased).

The students were urged to take the wonderful education they had been privileged to receive at PC and go out and do some good for the world.

This paper is a reflection of that sentiment.

Brittany initially went to California Institute of the Arts as a percussion major in her freshman and part of her sophomore year. She has changed paths and is now a junior at Global College which is a division of Long Island University. She spent her first semester in Taiwan and Thailand. Brittany has also traveled to India, and will next travel to Turkey...

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I’ve been in Thailand for the past month now. For the first three weeks, I felt like I was in a stationary place; I felt no “change” taking place over me that usually happens in travel (though, of course, I know it does subconsciously). But then last week we went on a “Wat Suan Dok Meditation Retreat.”

So this “meditation retreat” did not end up being about meditation at all; we probably meditated at most 20 minutes a day. But what we did see were refugee camps on the Thai and Burmese (Myanmar) border. Visiting one of these villages was an “eye-opening” experience - seeing how these people are being mistreated.

There has been a lot written about the Burmese army raping, pillaging, and killing ethnic Burmese groups. To no avail, the Shan has its own army who fight against a Burmese regime that maintains tight control over the country’s ethnic groups.

Many Burmese have fled to Thailand and are now “stateless.” Essentially they have no Thai citizenship and have no rights. They aren’t allowed to leave their villages, they can’t work any jobs, can’t send their children to schools, and are basically helpless. But between staying in Burma and living under the terrible oppression of the Burmese Army, or living in gross poverty but safely in Thailand, these people choose Thailand.

The monks have done the most amazing job in this particular village. They have built huts for a village of around 400 people, provided them with food and secondhand clothes, and either help the people locate jobs or pay them for simple tasks.

I have, for the most part, been against missionary work after hearing of stories in Africa where children aren't allowed to eat if they don’t accept Jesus as their personal savior.

But after seeing the situation on the border, I realize I don’t care if the monks are spreading the word of Buddha.

At least they’re helping these people.

The first day we toured the village, a senior monk took us to meet some of the local people. He took us into a hut that was inhabited by a man with his three sons, ages 13, 9, and 5. We were told that their mother was raped and killed by the Burmese army, and the kids barely had enough to eat. They were all thin and frail. The father and oldest son looked so sad, but the two small children were innocent and smiling, happy we were there to witness a part of their lives.

The senior monk told us he was worried about their future. He told us that the monks helped institute a “one-baht-a-day school” where each child could get an education for one baht a day - but it is still too much for some people (40 Thai baht are roughly equivalent to one U.S. dollar). He told us how hard it was for the adults to find jobs, and if they were lucky enough to get a job for the day, at the very most they only made 50 baht.

At this point, I just wanted to pull out my coin purse and press my 1,000 baht bill into this father’s hands. To see the terrible hardship they had to endure, the living situation of their hut, and the meager dinner boiling on their stove made my stomach turn. Every human being should have the basic right to eat food and not go hungry.

Every human being should have the basic right to be able to sleep with a roof over his or her head and feel safe, to be able to work a job, and to be clothed. I looked around this village, and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for these people if the monks hadn’t helped them. So, during my short stay I contributed in any way that I could: I taught English to two classes in the refugee camps.

I taught one class how to say “I am jumping!” “I am laughing,” “We are eating,” and made them laugh while I acted out each verb. Kids who volunteered to do these actions received candy. I taught the more advanced class how to say, “That’s cool,” the difference between “weird” and “normal,” and “whatever.” It wasn’t much, but it made them laugh. I made them laugh, but they made me grow.

I learned more about them - discovered that the Burmese (ethnic Shan and others residing in these border villages) are not recognized as refugees by the Thai government; they are “displaced people temporarily living on monk lands.” When I was able to access the internet, I looked up the Shan and discovered there are about six million, most of them having fled the Burmese Shan states most of them living in Thailand in statelessness.

How many people know about this situation? Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this? I understand there are so many problems in the world, so many people need help, but I had not known anything about this situation until now.

Could the Shan’s plight get any worse, I wondered. I soon discovered it could when I encountered children in the village, innocent victims of war.

The sad evidence of war lingered with the children we met. Some were without arms, some had their faces completely blistered and disfigured horribly. Their wounds were the result of landmine accidents following major disturbances on the Thai and Burmese border six years ago.

What I felt over and over again as I looked at these kids was outrage and sadness, and once again the chilling realization of uneven distribution - that some people are so rich that they can own 50 cars, and then there are children who are literally starving to death.

The fact is this village is one of the good ones. Yes, people can’t find jobs, yes, they go hungry, but the monks have helped them a lot. I can’t imagine the villages where there hasn’t been any help at all.

The abjectness reminded me of my trip to India last spring with Carpe Diem International, an educational, international youth program. I also saw extreme poverty around me; it made me wonder (to more of an extent) why was I born into such a privileged life, with more clothes, food, and material possessions than one person could ever need? Why was I the lucky one chosen to live such a carefree life while others starve and suffer?

The only thing I can do is to look at it and know that I must have been put in such places to help the ones who are starving and suffering. It doesn’t really matter how I assist them, or to what extent, as long as I can help.

Again, Calcutta came to mind where I learned that making a small step can have a big impact, although those who we helped may never remember who came to their aid.

My visits to Thailand and India have made me look at the plight of others and realize that someone has to step up and try to make change. And as small as my efforts may seem, I can make a difference - whether it’s working on statelessness, world hunger, education, sex trafficking, or anything I can do that will help provide humans their most basic needs.

So thank you, Wat Suan Dok Meditation Retreat, for reiterating what my needs are – to be the change that I want to see in the world.

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Calling All Memories!

Is there a PC teacher you’ll never forget?

What class changed the way you see the world?

The next issue of The Magazine will feature the stories you share with us.

E-mail susan.ledbetter@pinecrest.edu by May 1, 2009

Please forward your e-mail address today to ensure that you receive all the latest information about Pine Crest alumni news and events.

Send your e-mail address to: alumnioffice@pinecrest.edu Please include your name and class year in your e-mail.

Thank you for helping us go green!

Pine Crest School Alumni Office 954-492-4122 You can now go green with your gift to PC! Visit our website to give online: www.pinecrest.edu/support/fort/give.asp 34

Friday, April 17 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

All-Alumni Happy Hour Pine Crest Faculty Courtyard Adults only, please Saturday, April 18 11:00 a.m - 3:00 p.m.

All-Alumni Family Picnic Faculty and Middle School Courtyards Games, Arts and Crafts, and Plenty of BBQ Alumni Reunion Cocktails and Dinner 7:00 p.m.

Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Classes of 1959, 1969, 1979, 1989, & 1999 Adults only, please To register online visit: http://www.pinecrest.edu/support/alumni/ fort_reunion.asp Class of ’59 Committee: (not pictured): Leslie Price Fain, Jerry Kreiser, Susan Altwater Kreiser, Joann Wides LaVan, Stuart Lowenthal, Kathie Lindemann Schulz, and Lee Skidmore Wenthe Class of ’69 Committee: (not pictured): Debbie Boardman Anderson, Bob Jones, Janice Krauser, and Betsy Seligson Class of ’79 Committee: Front: Bobby Klassen, Karen Quinlan, St. George Guardabassi Back: Jeff Steele, Dave Cundy, Jon Wiley, Jim Jeu De Vine, Class of ’89 Committee: Jeff Blostein, Sara Knapp Medrano, Dave Pascuzzi, and Michelle Smith Santarelli Class of ’99 Committee: Ashley Palmer Lindsay, Greg Tabor, Jesse Tomalty, and Ashley Pierce Clawges

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The Alumni Row was held over Thanksgiving weekend and featured fun races between current and past rowers, as well as a breakfast. Alumni parents also attended the event.

Photo: Back Row: Coach Jim Richardson (’99-present), Ross Lande ’08; Sean Singh ’08; Charles Snyder ’05; Matt Scheer ’07; James Wilde ’07; Jason Bernstein ’07; Erin Sperry ’07; Adam Boutin ’07, and Sam Stevens ’07 Standing Center: Becca Gelwicks ’07. Kneeling: Coach Liza Dickson (04-Present); Gabe Goncalves ’07; Taylor Jordan ’07; Elizabeth Levine ’08; Coach David Fisher (’06-present) Not Pictured: Veronica Krantz ’07, Lindsey Brown ’08, and Julian Morrison-Sass ’07

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President Barack Obama, Dani Gilbert ’04, Nancy Gilbert, Liz Gilbert ’07, and Pine Crest Trustee Chair Mark Gilbert ’74 at the Presidential Inauguration.

Ann Serrano Lopez ’79 and her family campaigned for Barack Obama across the United States. This photo was taken in New Mexico. (L to R) Actor George Lopez, Maya Lopez, Ann Serrano Lopez ’79, and then-presidential hopeful Barack Obama

YOLO restaurant served as the perfect gathering place in Fort Lauderdale for Pine Crest alumni this past holiday season. Roughly 30 alumni and guests schmoozed, chatted and reminisced amongst YOLO’s urban contemporary décor. While tales of yesterday monopolized many conversations, today's happenings piqued even more interest.

Robert Morse ’86 and Dr. Lourdes Cowgill

Sean Thompson ’94, Scott Rostock ’92, and Jason Weil ’94

Glenn Fields ’96 and Heather Geronemus ’97

Jack Cummings ’58 and Dianna Collier-Warner ’60

Miles Medrano ’90, Sara Knapp Medrano ’89, and Caridad Wellington Perri ’93

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Alumni from the greater New York area recently gathered at Whiskey Park, a sleek, modern, and cozy bar, in the Trump Park building on Central Park South. Nearly 100 alumni from the classes of 1976 to 2006 traveled down memory lane and exchanged nostalgic moments about Pine Crest while catching up on the latest news.

Pine Crest President Dr. Lourdes Cowgill, Vice President for Advancement Pat Boig, Lower School Head Barbara Hollowell, and guidance counselors Estes Carns and Mary Mathews were greeted with a lot of hugs.

“What a reception! It was great to hear what our students have been doing over the years. Many of them are still in contact with each other,” said Carns, who shared a lot of laughs with former students and got the scoop on careers and families.

The evening would not have been a success without our great host James Trezza ’90. Thanks again, James, for another memorable New York alumni gathering. We look forward to seeing you all again next year and spread the word because our alumni made this such a fabulous event!

Michael Pittari ’85, Lydia Shure Korff ’85, and Greg Beesch ’85

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Dr. Lourdes Cowgill and Amber Bianchini Leach ’90

Rachel Nathanson ’03 and Ali Kantor ’03

Will Kluczkowski ’99, Jeff Housman ’00, and Bryan Rubin ’00

Jessica Berkowitz ’97, Gillian Christian ’97, Katherine Nigen ’97, and Melissa Extein ’97

Pine Crest students and chaperones with former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson

A group of Upper School students and faculty recently spent three days in our nation’s capital exploring politics, the media, the arts, and meeting with Pine Crest alums.

From start to finish the weekend was a wonderful mix of learning, fun, and fascination in Washington, D.C. Certainly the highlight was a specially arranged tour of the U.S. Department of Treasury and a most unexpected meeting with former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Later, a guided tour arranged by Pine Crest alum Beth Powers Provenzano ’98 took the students to the floor of the Senate, the Senate Cloak Room, and even the Marble Lounge. On Friday night, the group met up with Pine Crest alums at the Hard Rock Café. Saturday and Sunday were spent exploring the Newseum, Spy Museum, Phillips Collection, Arlington National Cemetery, The National Gallery of Art, and the National Portrait Gallery. Students on the trip included Nadia Cajale ’10, Caroline Epstein ’11, Ashley Giorgi ’09, Harrison Lieberfeld ’09, Jaime O’Connor ’11, Nicole Russell ’09, Morgan Stemmer ’09, and Ed Waite ’09. The Chaperones were Philip Consuegra, Susan Ledbetter, Barbara Smith, Elizabeth White, and Barbara Zisk.

AP Art History teacher Susan Ledbetter with Beth Powers Provenzano ’98

Social Science Department Chair Barbara Zisk and Roberto Coquis ’89

Left to right: Marc Aaron ’96, Jesse Rosenbaum ’96, Kimberly Schuster Wynn ’97, AP Art History teacher Susie Ledbetter, Riki Swanson ’95, and Juliana Meek ’99

Anthony Belotto ’03 and AP Art teacher Barbara Smith

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Test your memory and pop culture knowledge of years gone by.

Take a look at some world events and happenings from the year that you graduated: 1959

The Barbie doll debuts.

Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state.

Hawaii is admitted as the 50th U.S. state.

The United States recognizes the Cuban government of Fidel Castro.

Pantyhose are introduced by Glen Raven Mills.

1969

The lunar module Eagle, part of NASA’s Apollo Program, lands on the lunar surface. The world watches in awe as Neil Armstrong takes his historic first steps on the Moon.

The Everly Brothers, Pat Boone, Chuck Berry, and Little Richard tops the charts, and Connie Francis becomes the leading female vocalist.

Walt Disney releases Sleeping Beauty.

Led Zeppelin I, an album considered by many to be one of the first in the heavy metal genre, is released.

Golda Meir becomes the first female prime minister of Israel.

A chartered plane transporting musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper goes down in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all four occupants.

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The Woodstock Festival is held in upstate New York, featuring some of the top rock musicians of the era.

Sesame Street premieres on the National Educational Television (NET) network.

1979

The Susan B. Anthony dollar is introduced in the United States.

The Chrysler Corporation asks the United States government for $1 billion to avoid bankruptcy.

The first Apple Macintosh goes on sale.

The Simpsons’ first full-length episode premieres on FOX.

The 1984 Winter Olympics close in Sarajevo.

Madonna’s single, “Like a Prayer,” topped the music charts.

The movie Terms of Endearment wins Best Picture at the 56th Annual Academy Awards.

1999

The Cosby Show premieres on NBC. Dell Computers is founded as PC’s Limited.

The Euro is established.

The Entertainment Sports Programming Network, known as ESPN, debuts.

The eradication of the smallpox virus is certified, making smallpox the first, and to date only, human disease driven to extinction.

China becomes the first nation in the world to register a billion people, while during the same year implementing the One Child Policy.

Apple Computer releases the first iBook.

Band Aid releases the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

1989

Off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, a plane piloted by John F. Kennedy, Jr. crashes, killing him and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette.

George H. W. Bush succeeds Ronald Reagan as the 41st President of the United States of America.

Disco reigns supreme in 1979, with several No. 1 hits from The Bee Gees and Donna Summer.

Napster, a music downloading service, debuts.

World population reaches six billion people.

Rain Man wins Best Picture at the 61st Annual Academy Awards.

The television show Seinfeld premieres.

1984

Britney Spear’s single “Baby One More Time” tops the music charts.

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1959

After much deliberation, I have decided to relive two of my “best-ever” memorable times at PC, if my memory I have a vivid memory of being in the solarium of our serves me right: both involve nighttime at the girls’ dorm. dorm where “Charm School” was held. We young girls As the residents in both dorms knew, the girls were not were practicing sitting and walking with books on our allowed out after sunset during the school week, so we heads so we would have proper posture. We had to learn had to be innovative, unique, fun to be with, and make to bend and swoop in a ladylike position without dropping our own parties. I don’t remember our Friday and Saturday the books. What a laugh! nights out. Back to the past and Ms. [Edith] Herrington, Then came tea pouring somewhere in the middle of remember that name. I don’t think we would have been so learning good manners. These were some long, agonizing devilish (in a good way), if Ms. Herrington hadn’t been afternoons, I do recall. My parents insisted I needed to our dorm mother with her sweetness and love. take this class. It was not mandatory at Pine Crest.

Fondest memory…I can remember many nights after The day came when we were to hold our tea party. Our homework and brushing teeth, teacher felt we were ready the girls gathered on the cold for the big event…Mrs. linoleum floor in the atrium McMillan was our guest of and danced and sang while honor. Why I was selected records played in the backto pour her tea, I will never ground, e.g. White Sportcoat and know. I just recall picking a Pink Carnation. PJ tops, short up the teapot and as the bloomers, and bare feet were spout leaned into her cup, I the dress of the evening – heard a PLOP! The lid fell much laughing and merriment into it. I forgot to hold the surrounded us. Noel, Leslie, and tip of the lid with my other Dorm Directors Suzy were usually my partners hand. Always graceful, I say! because I liked to lead, and they were shorter than me.

Mrs. McMillian was gracious, as usual. She whispered Second fondest memory…It probably happened only into my ear, “My dear, just pick it out, no one will ever once, and I consider it to be a brash experience involving notice.” I wanted the earth to engulf me at that moment.

Leslie and me. There might have been other participants, I did as she said and continued to pour her cup of tea. She but I don’t remember. One starry night after the front never missed a beat and smiled all the way through it. It door was locked at the dorm, and Ms. Herrington turned felt like an eternity until her cup was full. Somehow I off the lights and said good night, we snuck out managed to get through this fiasco of the day. and went to the corner drugstore, but I don’t know what Later I told my friends how embarrassed I was. I just we were thinking, if we were thinking. Thank goodness wished I had been asked to mix a Manhattan. I was used we did not get caught by Ms. Herrington, as the to mixing drinks. This tea pouring thing was just not my consequences would not have been pleasant. cup of tea...

What wonderful friends and times were had by all in that I told my parents the story. I let them know that all the single-story block building with the screened-in atrium we charm schools in the world just would not make me called our home away from home. As I have said before, charming. They definitely did not get their money’s worth what a wonderful life then and now. I’m looking forward out of that class. to a wonderful reunion weekend with all who will be able To this day I will make anyone a drink, but don't ask me to come and enjoy...Joan Wides LaVan ’59. to pour tea...Kathie Lindemann Schulz ’59.

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1969 As our FORTIETH(!!!) reunion approaches, the teacher I recall most fondly is Mr. Barry, who taught math and was my teacher for both sophomore and junior years. He was a cross between Mr. Chips and Professor Kingsfield in the movie The Paper Chase. While he was a little gruff, there was always a twinkle in his eye, and underneath he was a softie. He gave frequent quizzes that he called “dailies.”

He never used our first names, but would call the males “Smith” and the females “Miss Smith,” making us feel older than high school students. When we started to use the trigonometric tables, he taught us how to look up sine and cosine, etc. by going down the vertical column on the left and then moving across to the correct column. He wanted to be sure we did not use a pencil as a guide, thereby marking up the text book…Betsy Damon Seligson ’69.

1984 It was a golden year for Pine Crest. Dr. Mae celebrated the school’s 50th anniversary by taking a ride over the campus in the Goodyear blimp. Below, she saw 700 students in the formation of the number 50.

1989 Dr. Lourdes Cowgill is sworn in as Headmistress.

1979 Homecoming Week was filled with excitement. Who will be selected as the Homecoming Queen? What will classmates wear for dress-up day? Nancy Pond was crowned Homecoming Queen. Bill Wynn and Allison Kurki dress-up as a “Super Couple.”

1999 Remember when the black olive tree in the senior quad was mysteriously cut down?

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Mentor/Intern ship Program Volunteer - are you willing to offer our grad uating seniors and college-a ge alumni opportunities to intern or serve as a men tor in your field E -mail:

susan.ledbett er@pinecrest. edu

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We’d love to hear from you. Upcoming issues of The Magazine will focus on the arts, humanities, sciences, and math, and we look forward to highlighting alums and their career paths. E-mail the following information to susan.ledbetter@pinecrest.edu.

Full name Years at Pine Crest/graduation date Contact information (address, phone, e-mail) Career Summary (include research projects, books published, etc.)

I N M EMORIAM Bob Nixon ’68 passed away in May 2008 after a lengthy battle with melanoma.

Marta Rottman ’72 passed away in September 2008.

Cate Cummings ’72 passed away in January 2008.

Philip Keidaish ’79 passed away in September 2008.

P INE C REST S AYS G OODBYE

TO

Stephanie Feldman Aleong ’90 passed away in October 2008.

T WO F ORMER T EACHERS

Gilbert Keith Gregory of Spokane Valley, WA passed away December 4, 2008 from complications of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia; he was 41. Mr. Gregory was employed as a Middle School science teacher from 2003 to 2006. He also coached baseball, soccer, and cross country. Mr. Gregory earned his undergraduate degree from Clemson University. He also held a master’s degree from the University of Kansas. Mr. Gregory worked as a teacher in Texas, California, Japan, and Florida, and as a park ranger in Maine, New Mexico, and California. He worked in Executive Placement in Japan and Hawaii, and most recently as a placement officer with Jivaro Inc. at their office in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Mr. Gregory is survived by his wife, Keiko; his six-year-old son, George; his parents, two older brothers, and many cousins, aunts, and uncles. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be Gilbert “Gil” Gregory made to the American Leukemia and Lymphoma Society or the American Cancer Society.

1967-2008

Patricia Purinton, 80, passed away Thursday, October 2008 in Ocala after a short illness. She enjoyed her 22 years spent at Pine Crest teaching kindergarten from 1968-1990. She will be missed by many, including her loving, husband, Paul, sons, Greg and Steve ’73, and three grandchildren.

Pat Purinton 1927-2008

Corrections and Clarifications in the Fall 2008 edition of The Magazine: Dr. Mae McMillan passed away on April 10, 1985.

The large spotted cat featured on page 21 is not a panther. Save the Panther Day is the third Saturday in March.

With the exception of the picture of the large spotted cat, photos were taken by Robert Repenning in the “Panther Saving Panthers” story.

Jeff Marx ’89 is the creator of the Broadway musical Avenue Q. 45

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