CAMPUS CONFIDENTIAL: INSIDE A NEW HISTORY OF DYKER HEIGHTS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2024
OFFICERS
Andrew Foote P’27, ’29
Chair
Laurie T. Rosenblatt P’23, ’26
Vice Chair
Kareem Raymond P’31, ’33
Treasurer
Jennifer Powers P’26, ’28
LOWER SCHOOL
50 Prospect Park West
Brooklyn, NY 11215
MIDDLE AND
UPPER SCHOOLS
1 Poly Prep Drive Brooklyn, NY 11228
Secretary
TRUSTEES
Indhira Arrington P’29, ’31
Michael A. Correra ’87
John Foley P’26
Hans Humes P’12, ’15, ’21, ’35
Thomas Iannelli ’82, P’18, ’19, ’24
Taek-Geun Kwon P’32
Michael Liburd P’21
John D. McPheters P’33
Elizabeth R. Schlesinger P’28, ’30, ’32
Irwin Simon P’18, ’22
Daniela Vitale-Howell P’20, ’23, ’25
Maxwell T. Wiley P’18, ’21
BOARD MEMBER, NON-TRUSTEE
Jared Hedglin ’09 (Pres. Alumni Board of Governors)
TRUSTEES EMERITI
Dr. Karen Burke Goulandris P’15
Harry J. Petchesky, Esq. ’55
IMAGES TOP LEFT TO RIGHT:
Jasmine Donald ’24 in The Prom; Kristen Palmer ’19 at a fencing competition; All-Ivy First Team member Brianna Robles ’24 on Oasis Night; Lower School students
ON THE COVER:
Lower School students, Jasmine Donald ’24 sings at the Vocal Concert; All-Ivy First Team member Karim Camara ’25 on Oasis Night.
FEATURES
4 From Hidden Gem to Radiant Beacon
Poly’s Excellence in the Arts program fully blossoms in year three, realizing an ambitious artistic vision.
10 Decoding the All-Ivy Honors
Lucas Basham ’24 explains the significance of First and Second Team
All-Ivy honors, while gathering insights from classmates and fellow athletes.
Behind the Screens
Former social media strategist Max Stossel warns of technology’s dark side, sharing insights and resources to help us interact safely online.
14 Beyond the Filter
Lulu McDonald ’24 assures us the Poly kids are all right and rooting for each other online with fun Instagram accounts.
16 Words Matter
A new pilot program in the Lower School provides anti-racist tools to build empathy skills and civic responsibility in a diverse community.
21 Campus Confidential: 12 Fascinating Facts about Dyker Heights
An excerpt from “Far Down on the Heights Called Dyker: A Photographic Journey Through the History of Poly Prep Country Day School.”
DEPARTMENTS
THE BLUE & THE GRAY is published by Poly’s Engagement & Communications Office. It features news from the Poly community of alumni, faculty, and students. Inquiries and submissions are welcome. Contact communications@polyprep.org.
For more information about Poly Prep, visit polyprep.org.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Jennifer Slomack
MANAGING EDITOR
Seanna Sankar ’24
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR
Opal Williams Law ’25
FEATURE WRITERS
Alex Basham ’24
Linda Busetti
Lulu McDonald ’24
Jordan Millar ’24
Amanda Volel
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
Sasha Londoner ’27
Uzochi Onunaku ’27
Brianna Sylvain ’27
DIRECTOR OF AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT
Jordan Millar ’24
DESIGN
Joseph Inglis
PHOTOGRAPHY
Linda Busetti
Rob Tringali
Coverd Photo
Stomping Ground
Poly Archives
DEAR POLY COMMUNITY,
Welcome to the spring issue of The Blue & The Gray, where we acknowledge our past as prelude to the present. In these pages we invite you to a history of our great institution’s evolution. Our traditions and memories inform the school we are today. Our students’ accomplishments echo all the great work that came before them.
In celebration of our new Poly Arts Center, Jordan Millar ’24 shines a light on one of our best kept secrets, Poly Arts, with an in-depth article on the burgeoning Excellence in the Arts program. Lucas Basham ’24 takes a break from lacrosse practice to explain All-Ivy honors and check in with his fellow athletes. Dov Weinstein Elul ’24 and Michael Gabriel ’24 bring us on a photographic journey through Poly’s past, uncovering fascinating facts about our beloved Dyker Heights campus.
We delve into the realms of social media, exploring both their potential and their perils, as we strive to equip students with the tools to navigate the digital landscape responsibly. We share the learnings from Max Stossel’s visit with Poly students and parents on how to stay safe online. Complementing this perspective, we celebrate the positive impact of social media through the lens of Lulu McDonald ’24 , who assures us that Poly kids are thriving and supporting one another in the virtual realm.
Empathy, diversity, and civic responsibility take center stage in our Lower School’s innovative pilot program, Words Matter, highlighting our commitment to nurturing well-rounded individuals prepared to make a positive impact on the world around them.
Finally, in "The Last Word," we conclude with the wisdom of Kristen Palmer ’19 , NCAA Woman of the Year finalist and MIT grad in “Secrets of a Champion.”
This spring issue is a testament to the enduring spirit of Poly Prep—a spirit that embraces tradition while fearlessly forging ahead, a spirit that unites us all as members of this remarkable community.
I hope you find as much joy and pride in these pages as I have, and that they inspire you to continue contributing to the rich tapestry that is Poly Prep.
Sincerely,
John Rankin Interim Head of School
JORDAN MILLAR ’24
Jordan Millar is the co-editor-in-chief of The Polygon and managing editor of the Poly Record. An aspiring journalist, she won multiple awards for her profiles on composer Angélica Negrón and The Ripped Bodice, a local romance bookstore, both published in The Blue & The Gray. She has worked as a reporter for Time for Kids magazine and as a film critic for Kids First! Media. Millar is an award-winning composer whose work has been performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Youth Symphony, New World Symphony, and Opera Italiana, among others. She heads to Columbia University this fall.
LUCAS BASHAM ’24
The breaking news writer for The Polygon, Lucas was also a featured Advanced Strings violist in the Spring Instrumental Concert and is a starter on the Varsity Lacrosse team. He spent his junior year abroad in Zaragoza, Spain, where he became fluent in Spanish and immersed himself in Spanish culture. This fall, Lucas is headed to Middlebury College in Vermont.
A first-time writer for The Blue & The Gray, Lulu McDonald is a co-president of Harmonics and student leader of the GSA. She writes for The Polygon once in a blue moon, but is better known to write occasionally funny things as the editor-in-chief of the more accurate publication, the Polygoon. She hopes to continue making music, writing humor, and avoiding sports in college. This fall, Lulu heads to England to attend Durham University.
MICHAEL GABRIEL ’24 P. 20
Throughout his 12 years at Poly, Michael has been active in many areas of school life. As a three-season athlete on the Varsity Cross Country and Track & Field teams, he has showcased his endurance and perseverance. Simultaneously, he has immersed himself in school publications, contributing his talents to the Polyglot, authoring an alumni profile published on polyprep.org, and starting his own Blue Devil comic strip in The Polygon that is currently at 20 installments. In the fall of 2024, Michael will continue his education at the College of William and Mary.
DOV WEINSTEIN ELUL ’24
Dov Weinstein Elul writes for The Polygon, reports for “The Morning Devil,” and is a photographer for the Polyglot. He conceived of and authors the “Get to Know” series on polyprep.org in which he interviews fellow students to reveal the fascinating people who make up Poly’s vibrant community. He also leads Poly’s Jewish Caucus, plays soccer for both Poly and the Manhattan Kickers Soccer Club, and enjoys playing guitar in his free time. In 2024, he won a Scholastic Gold Key for his photograph “Family” which is currently on display in the main building. This fall, he will attend Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
P. 20
From Hidden Gem to Radiant Beacon: Poly’s Journey in Artistic Excellence
By Jordan Millar
Instructor Sam Turner with an Advanced Dance class in the new dance studio.
The reporter, Jordan Millar ’24, works alongside IZ Nissan ’24 on a mural under the auspices of prominent artist Lee Quinones P’27 (not pictured).
As a school that has always been highly regarded for its robust athletic program and award-winning sports teams, it may appear to outsiders that the arts at Poly gets lost in the shuffle. Those on the inside know that Poly boasts strong visual and performing arts programs along with talented students. Since returning to Poly in 2018 in a new role, Head of Arts Michael S. Robinson, has been leading the charge to increase arts programming, faculty, space, structure, and just as importantly, visibility. While the most noticeable sign of this effort is arguably the Poly Arts Center, even prior to the new facility, Robinson has been striving to further Poly arts through an initiative that many might not be aware of: The Excellence in the Arts Program.
For the last four years, in order to fulfill their Upper School arts requirement, every Grade 9 student has been required to choose what Robinson refers to as an arts pathway: standard multidisciplinary, visual, or performing. This selection helps students commit to arts, exploring their current interests and new ones. But for those that aren’t heavily involved in artistic endeavors at school beyond this mandate, the Excellence in the Arts program might seem a
bit like a mystery. Aside from student spotlights on the @PolyPrepArts Instagram account or student participation credited on transcripts, the program and its inner workings can seem rather enigmatic.
The brainchild of Robinson, the Excellence in the Arts program, was the next step after launching the pathways structure in the Upper School. Designated for juniors and seniors, Excellence in the Arts offers a new level for those who are more interested or invested in one or more areas, from visual disciplines to music, drama, dance, speech, and debate. Upon applying and being accepted, participating students are expected to commit to at least a year’s worth of additional coursework in their artistic disciplines, but most, according to Robinson, are already going above and beyond that. “[Some] students involved right now are taking two or three qualifying, additional levels of art,” Robinson said with a laugh.
The certificate program also provides students with leadership opportunities and faculty guidance for the college application process, including portfolios and auditions. “In some ways, everyone who is part
Joey Littleton ’24 talks about the art installations with Laura Coppola ’95, P’29, ’35 in the Howard Aibel Lobby Gallery.
of the Excellence in the Arts becomes a cohort within their cohort, and that means that they get additional attention from arts faculty and me included,” Robinson explained. Overseeing all arts across divisions, the Excellence in the Arts program allows Robinson to connect with students at a deeper level. While the program is also credited on student transcripts and diplomas, it’s meant to recognize individuals who are involved in the arts, beyond simply a piece of paper.
At first, Robinson noticed that student accomplishments in the arts often flew under the radar. Therefore, he intended for the program to bundle “a student’s experience in multiple areas and tried to recognize, reward, and encourage leadership in all of those areas…. Most people know Poly as a big sports school, so I think the program has been doing a great job of showcasing students and their achievements.” Students representing the arts at Poly have seen and felt the program’s benefits.
Jasmine Donald ’24 , a member of the program, takes part in the Upper School musicals and productions, Advanced Concert Choir, Harmonics, A Capella, and a small student-run singing ensemble she founded with a few friends. Outside the walls of the classroom, Donald trains classically with a soprano and vocal teacher.
“I didn’t know about [the program] until Mr. Doughty came up to me and said ‘I think you should apply for the Excellence in the Arts program—You’d be a great addition to it.’ I didn’t know what it was or what it meant,” Donald explained. After looking into it further, she realized that as someone involved in the arts and interested in getting to know others with similar interests and passions, the Excellence in the Arts program was a perfect fit. “I have a whole group of people that I can reach out to if I ever need to bounce ideas off of [in terms of] music, or just asking for another opinion.” Donald also appreciated the program’s assistance with her college application process, noting specifically the connection it helped her to foster with Robinson as she worked on her singing portfolio for music programs. “I had no idea where to start with that, but because I’m in the program, it was easy getting in contact with him and making that happen.” Arts faculty guided her through getting a professional videographer to record student music submissions and getting quality materials.
“I feel confident in the work that I’m able to do because of the support that I have from people in the Excellence in the Arts program and the faculty members,” Donald added.
TOP: Jasmine Donald ’24 works on a number during the dress rehearsal for Curtains in 2022.
BOTTOM : Chris Benvegna oversees practice with Advanced Concert Band members
Andrey Bakulev ’24, Arthur Dieme ’24, and Eve Harris ’26 in the new music studio.
Zachary Udin ’24 , another participant in the program, attested to the faculty’s assistance as mentors moving students’ work forward, and overall efforts to bring greater awareness surrounding the arts.
“The faculty here has been amazing. Mr. Ianelli has been super helpful, giving me the opportunity to play in the pit for the musical, and just the [overall] support that they offer to me.” Udin plays for the jazz band, takes music theory and advanced music theory, and runs a music production club.
“Being here for four years, the arts has grown exponentially each year,” Udin added, praising “the great faculty, great facilities, [and] the students that are willing to put in the work for art classes” here at Poly.
Donald and Udin embody the artistic leadership that the program strives to promote—Donald has performed at school-sanctioned events including last year’s Senior Commencement, and Dr. Dicarlo’s Spirit Award
Ceremony at Homecoming, while Udin has offered his musical talents to student productions including this year’s Upper School musical The Prom
When he first stepped onto the Poly scene in the early 90s, Robinson recognized the vibrancy of the arts at the school: coming to the Dyker Heights campus after working at the Woodward Park School (now the Poly Lower School) as a drama and art teacher, Robinson served as a visual and performing arts teacher, Performing Arts Camp director, and a costume designer for school productions.
“My 90s experience was [that] there were really strong arts programs but they were in their own areas,” Robinson said, noting that the arts programs at Poly were not fully integrated beyond campus. In 2000, Robinson began working at the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, which would eventually lead to the Excellence in the Arts program here at Poly.
“When I applied to be the Head of Arts here, I talked about arts pathways and some sort of certificate program. I had started a smaller version of it at the Bryn Mawr School, so I knew I had a model,” Robinson explained. Noting Bryn Mawr’s very rigid academic schedule, it wasn’t until returning to Poly 18 years later that Robinson was able to realize the fuller vision of his idea that included recognizing artistic work during the school day to allow for student flexibility and outside of the school day to highlight students’ extracurricular artistic leadership.
It seems that Robinson’s model has been working. In the program’s first year, a total of 26 students participated, while last year, it doubled to 52. This year, Excellence in the Arts had a surge in student interest, garnering 82 applications and 77 accepted students, which, according to Robinson, is a great indication of the program’s success—students in Grades 9 and 10 are already expressing eagerness to join.
Vincent Iannelli rehearses with the Advanced Concert Choir in the new music studio.
“One of the things that is obvious is that students know that this is working for them and that there is a way in which it [Excellence in the Arts] helps them make sense of their Poly experience.”
However, the Excellence in the Arts program is still evolving, as Robinson and the arts faculty are constantly addressing the recurring question of ‘How can we pay more attention to what students need and help that become something accessible to more students?’ In the future, Robinson hopes that the arts can support more varied disciplines and encompass both current students and alumni, opening up opportunities for connection and even internships.
“One of the things that stood out when I got here six years ago was that individual students were doing for themselves the things that the Excellence in the Arts program is trying to do for a wider band of students and to help students understand that they can reach out for these things and have support both inside and outside the classroom,” Robinson said.
Fast forward to four years later, Robinson recalled the immense pride he felt as the program was finally brought to life.
“Two years ago at Poly, when seniors were walking across the graduation stage out on this magnificent field and after their name was [read] ‘Excellence in the Arts’ was announced if they had been participants in it, I felt like when I had been a younger teacher at Poly in the 90s. I don’t know that I could have imagined a time where Poly had elevated the arts in such an inclusive way,” Robinson said.
“I felt so proud of that first moment because I knew that just a couple years earlier we hadn’t understood the story of the Excellence in the Arts student until there was an Excellence in the Arts program and now I feel like we’re telling a story that was here already but we’re telling it in a better way.”
Follow @polyprepARTS on Instagram to see the Class of 2024 Excellence in the Arts graduates.
Sam Turner directs Olivia Sperling ’26 and Jasper Whiteley ’25 (top), and Eve Harris ’26 and Sophia Chamorro ’24 (inset) in the new dance studio.
DECLARE YOUR IMPACT
HOW DOES POLY INSPIRE YOU?
You can make your gift to Annual Giving even more meaningful by directing your contribution to the program or area that means the most to you. Declare Your Impact by June 30!
Decoding the All-Ivy Honors
Are you confused by All-Ivy? so were we!
Lucas Basham explains all.
As each season draws to a close and the atmosphere of tension gradually dissipates among Ivy Preparatory League coaches, they gather together, these days on a Zoom call. The most important task on the docket is far from simple: selecting the All-Ivy First and Second Teams. In other words, deciding who were the League’s best players.
The Ivy Preparatory School League, composed of Poly, Collegiate, Dalton, Fieldston, Hackley, Horace Mann, Trinity, and Riverdale, announces the teams a few weeks after the end of each sport’s season. Poly shares their All-Ivy athletes on the @PolyBlueDevils social media accounts.
Each sport has its own process. Some, like swimming, track & field, and wrestling, are performance based. Students qualify based on results at a meet or match. For others, coaches meet and discuss each candidate and then vote who will be on the First (the best) and Second teams. How do they keep it objective? “You can’t vote for your own players,” shared Coach McNally.
For athletic news, including this year’s All-Ivy honorees, follow @PolyBlueDevils on Instagram and visit our Wall of Fame page on polyprep.org.
Locker Room Talk...
Greatest Honor
“To be recognized in my senior season as a First Team All-Ivy athlete meant a lot to me.”
—BILLY ROBB ’24
Biggest Rival
“Definitely Hackley.”
—MAX MACKLER ’24
How We Roll
“To go to Van Cortlandt Park for track, we get a school bus and sometimes the Bronx schools get a Coach bus to go two blocks.”
—MICHAEL GABRIEL ’24
Best Plunge
“Hackley has the nicest pool for sure, but a trip to Hackley is an ACTUAL trip.”
—JASMINE GRANT-PHILLIPS ’24
Favorite Team to Play
“ Dalton is always a challenging match, pushing us to play our best. When we [won], it was all the more rewarding.”
—ANJALI BUDHRUM ’24
Does Poly have frenemies?
“I would say Riverdale… because we lost to them for 18 consecutive years in football. And then I became very good friends with their Athletic Director.”
—COACH JUNSCH ’71, P’94, ’95
What I’m Gonna Miss
“All my friends play for different teams and it’s great seeing them at matches and games.”
—MADDIE RUGGIE ’24
BEHIND
THE SCREENS: MAX STOSSEL ON THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA
INTRODUCTION BY AMANDA VOLEL
STORY BY LINDA BUSETTI
Are our kids using technology or is technology using our kids? Since their birth in the early 2000s, social media platforms and mobile apps have ballooned to serve hundreds of millions users today. And for many of us in recent years, creating social media accounts, swiping a finger, sharing comments, photos, and videos, is inexorably tied to everyday life. It can be a demanding presence that is inseparable from the material world in which they live. How do we ensure that these devices in our pockets of great convenience and access to new social paradigms aren’t dominating our attention and promoting unhealthy habits, unrealistic pressures of perfection, and negative self-images?
In October 2023, we got a peek from behind the tech curtain with guest speaker Max Stossel , who started his career as a social media strategist for multinational brands and later worked on designing
the very notification structures about which he now raises awareness. With 45% of teens saying that they are “online constantly,” he shared why it’s important to realign technology with humanity and to educate ourselves on the impact that social media has on our lives and health. Technology is always evolving and while social media can assist us in positive ways such as connecting people across distances through a common purpose or interest, and keeping up with news and the latest viral trends, we have also seen an explosion of disinformation, cyberbullying, decaying online privacy, and other less positive aspects take hold. How do we protect our children and ourselves from the darker side of social media? To that end, we seek out experts who study the massive impact social media has on modern society. Their insights and resources can help us to manage the negative impact it may have on us and teach students how they can interact safely online as they grow and develop.
Did you ever think of social media as being like a casino slot machine? Stossel made that analogy in his presentation to Upper School students on October 23, 2024. Having worked in social media, he said it was the work of “growth teams” “to get you to spend more time” on social media like slot machines in a casino. For developers of social media apps, he said, “the more of your time [they] can take, the more money [they] make.”
SOCIAL MEDIA: ADDICTIVE BY DESIGN
The Upper School and Middle School presentations and a Zoom meeting with Poly parents was very timely in that on the next day, October 24, New York State Attorney General Letitia James along with 32 other attorneys general sued social media giant Meta “for knowingly using features on Instagram and Facebook to hook children to its platforms, even as the company said its social media sites were safe for young people.”
A smartphone is “a magical device in our pockets,” said Stossel. “How can something so awesome make such a mess?” He noted apps such as TikTok and SnapChat are “meant to dominate your attention.” He called Fortnite “literally a slot machine for kids.”
“Think about what on social media you are doing because you want to and what you are doing mindlessly,” Stossel told students. He called the developing of apps the “gamification of our social lives” and advised, “Turn off notifications and leave on only those that are from ‘human beings.’”
In a slide he presented, Stossel asked the students to think about when they felt “most alive, free, and connected to the people you love.” Then he asked students to raise their hands if that was when they were on social media. Only one student raised a hand.
He asked students to consider, “Am I using technology or is technology using me? How does it make you feel afterward?”
Social media is not anything remotely close to real life, Stossel said. About people editing their photos or using filters, he asked, “What is the message we are telling ourselves?” He continued, “It’s never been easier to run from ourselves.... We’re not learning to be with ourselves. We are looking at ourselves through the lens of social media.”
MENTAL HEALTH IMPACT: SO WHAT CAN WE DO?
Stossel noted an increase in mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety since social media became popular around 2012.
Middle School counselor Tynesha WrightLindo said, “While Max acknowledged the benefits of social media, he also boldly shared the crafty ways media strategists entice people to stay online longer without considering the real life effects. Research shows that prolonged use of apps and social media platforms has been connected to a decline in mental wellness. It’s important to understand the risks involved with something so prevalent in our daily lives in order to maximize its potential.”
So what can we do? Stossel advised:
• Turn off notifications that are not from people.
• Unfollow accounts that make you feel bad.
• Delete toxic apps. How does the app make you feel?
He also suggested using OneSec, an app which he uses to delay any distracting apps and websites that are designed to draw a user in. Stossel advises replacement behaviors such as personal communication, exercise, and activities. On their site, OneSec states its goal is to “… break those habits. By making you wait longer for social media to open, your brain loses interest in those (destructive) short-term dopamine hits.”
Afterward, Director of Student Support Juliet Moretti said she hoped the students took away from the presentation “ the importance of intention and impact when they engage with social media.” She added, “I thought Max did a great job of explaining how the businesses behind social media don’t always align with the consumers’ best interests, but that with thought and consideration, we can all protect ourselves from some of the more damaging aspects, while still enjoying some of the benefits. We can all start by just asking ourselves ‘How do I feel when I’m using this app? How do I feel afterward?’”
Wright-Lindo added, “I hope the students took away how helpful it can be to regularly reflect on their relationship with social media. I hope that rather than just comply with what a social media platform asks one to do, students can consider their intent for being on that platform and what they’re hoping to receive. I hope students pursue joy and connection from various sources that could include social media and also things like in-person interactions, nature, and adventures.”
BEY ND THE FILTER: SECRET SOURCES OF STUDENT POSITIVITY
BY LULU MCDONALD
If you’re a kid, you’ve probably been told by a parent or a teacher about the copious dangers of social media. Perhaps you’re an adult and you’re guilty of this warning. Sure, AI is taking over the world, creativity is dead, and social media is rotting our brains. We get it! But all that catastrophizing and gloom is sooo six months ago. It’s time to see the stupid, funny ways that kids are using social media. Grab your Urban Dictionary, adults!
If you’re in Poly’s Instagram sphere, you probably follow all the official accounts: @polyprep, @polypreparts, @polybluedevils, etc. However, many students have created their own unsanctioned Poly accounts alongside these. Whether it’s stirring up spirit for a particular student organization, celebrating our accomplishments, or just having fun, these accounts are made for students by students. They’re proof that the kids might be alright after all. And nothing screams “kids being kids” quite like the wholesome memes of Student Life Director Jared Winston.
Student Service Board (@polyssb) *formerly @polyprepssb*
This fun account uses popular meme formats to promote Student Service Board initiatives like blood and coat drives. It’s a lighthearted way to promote events “without bombarding everyone with emails that many don’t even read,” says SSB head of events Sophia Chamorro ’24. I, personally, would much rather see a meme of Drake reminding me to donate than a boring email. (And if you’re wondering, Nikash Khanna ’24 is the genius behind the SSB memes!)
@polyalmostfriday
Inspired by @almost.friday on Instagram, Poly students have followed this trend by posting silly photos of students every Thursday overlaid with the words “Almost Friday.” Students can DM the account with photos of themselves and their friends to be featured. According to its anonymous owner(s), the simple yet sweet purpose of @polyalmostfriday is to “brighten students’ days with funny photos of their friends.”
@polyseniors2024
The Poly Class of ’24 account is known for its gorgeous graphics, adorable baby pictures, and corny, yet fun captions. A tradition for many schools, senior accounts are made every year to celebrate students’ college decisions. The comments beneath each new announcement are always filled with positivity, which provides “a great support network,” says account owner Zeke Wise ’24. “When I posted my own college acceptance, the comments were flooded with such kind things that made me feel great.”
@polyspeechanddebate
Another long-running account, @polyspeechanddebate is dedicated to updating followers about the doings of, you guessed it, the speech and debate team. From celebrating wins to silly photo dumps from tournaments, this account is an entertaining way to keep up with the team. Account runners Bryce Trent ’24 and Rani Green ’25 comment, “We try to keep it as fun as possible and add personality, so a lot of our captions and posts aren’t too serious.”
The Importance of Teaching Students About Hate Speech From a Young Age
By Amanda Volel
During the Words Matter sessions with Grade 3, students sit crossed-legged with early childhood educator and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Coordinator Olugbala Williams alongside them on the carpet to complete the circle. There is intention behind even the smallest details of this initiative and how it is presented to students. Each detail points toward student agency and “employing the muscles of empathy.” Within these circles, students grapple with new frameworks to contextualize the imperfect world of inequalities and social injustice and their responsibility as young community members of a diverse school.
Words Matter isn’t just the title of a new initiative in the Lower School; it is cautionary and a reminder that our words are powerful and shape the everyday realities around us. Language—the words we use—reinforce the invisible systems that govern our society. And using language as a tool, we can either perpetuate systems of harm or we can expel them. We must be mindful of our words and their impact, especially with the people we care for and who are part of our community.
BUILDING EMPATHY
At the Lower School, Williams asserts the importance of shaping responsible students into empathetic community members who are comfortable with differences as early as possible. “We want students to use respectful language, to understand why hateful language is not permissible in any space, especially in a school. Furthermore, we want students to recognize how language can not only be used to demean, but also how it is entrenched in power, privilege, and oppression–to begin to see how hateful language is directly tied to the marginalization of people, and hateful language’s impact on history.”
“WORDS MATTER” IN ACTION
The Words Matter initiative encompasses three sessions. In each session, students are reminded of community guidelines to respectfully challenge one another while remaining kind, to actively listen, to be present when silent, to share their experiences or “tell your own story,” and more.
In the first and second sessions, students’ prior knowledge is activated with questions like “What is power?” and “Power means you are able to do what?” Or, “What is the difference between teasing and hate speech?” Through class discussion, students build a common vocabulary and share personal stories of how words create a stronger school community. In the third session, students are taught action steps to take when they witness or encounter hateful language: interrupt, echo, question, or educate.
With new knowledge and tools comes empathy and understanding. Students in the circle discussed how encounters with hateful language made them feel, what values they want to see in their community (like empathy, not just sympathy), and things they could say when they hear hateful language. These tools teach students how to redirect or transform conflict positively into a learning opportunity and are a reminder to a classmate that they are supported, or simply, to put an end to a moment of verbal harm.
SUCCESS IN FORGING CONNECTION
AMONG STUDENTS
Williams shared that the sessions with students have been successful in part because ultimately the work of making our Lower School student community safe and equitable among our youngest scholars is simple: the children have strong desires to authentically connect. A successful part of the workshop was when the children connected with one another by exchanging words of affirmation and encouragement.
Students at the Lower School are eager to learn about the historical structures that divide them and the language that reinforces that division. With this knowledge and learning the tools to counter this, they understand how to come together. Their enthusiasm in each Words Matter session is evidence that they welcome independence and responsibility; they are willing to share with others language that has hurt them and how they’d like to speak or be spoken to in the future.
“The most thrilling part for me, as a teacher,” said Williams, “was seeing the level of engagement and thoughtfulness the children brought to this work.
The students had so much to say about how to use uplifting language, making the distinction between positive and negative language, and what values are needed to foster positive language. You can see their intelligent list in the Lower School’s lobby.”
In Words Matter sessions, students aren’t just learning about what hateful language is, they are learning tools that help them to self-advocate, become upstanders, and be good gatekeepers of their community values. This becomes especially evident in the older grades where they may start to experience conflict among classmates and friends for the first time. Initiatives like Words Matter provide students with preemptive strategies to address difficult social situations in ways that allow them to build confidence and social emotional intelligence.
THE START OF
WORDS MATTER
Initially, the three-part workshops were created to prevent the use of harmful epithets, mostly directed at people of African descent. Williams has taught at Poly for over 25 years, witnessing the evolution of the school and its generations of young students who have walked through its doors. Williams reminds us that teachers are also witnesses to students’ experiences in school. He keeps a close eye on all his young charges to ensure that his classroom remains a site of respect, equity, and liberatory practices.
Generally, schools, as institutions, are a microcosm of the larger society which perpetuates racism, homophobia, sexism, and other forms of systemic oppression and violence. And it is from this reality that Lower School faculty and administration create responsive, anti-racist programming to ensure our
school’s values are met with integrity. Additionally, to avoid further insult and repeated injury, it is important that students know that they are worthy of apologies and communitywide actions to address incidents when they have been hurt by hateful language.
THE FUTURE OF WORDS MATTER
Building empathy and understanding with initiatives like Words Matter is part of a multi-faceted approach Poly’s DEIB team has brought to our community. Recent programming includes the Counteracting Ideologies of Hate , professional development and facilitated conversations within the Middle and Upper Schools led by international leadership development organization Seeds of Peace, and powerful assemblies and student-led Service Learning Team presentations of research-based histories and social issues. Additionally, Upper School History Talks which have included topics such as “Asian America: Shaping Communities & Identities” and “New York City’s Asylum Seeker’s Crisis,” are also opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate and engage in meaningful discourse. Expanding Words Matter to the Dyker Heights campus is a goal of the DEIB team. “We plan to continue this initiative next year, by going deeper and teaching it in the older grades, “ said Williams. “The vision is to see this format be used in Middle and Upper School, where hate language is more prevalent and the harm resonates in a profound way.” Students at Dyker Heights have been working this year within their affinity groups to educate the community on their cultures, sharing their experiences at Poly, as well as offering opportunities for schoolwide improvement. Programs like Words Matter are indicative of faculty and administration’s desire to collaborate with students on a shared vision to empower students and provide them with tools to safely and responsibly navigate the world.
YOUR LEGACY. YOUR WAY.
Planned Giving is simpler than you think, especially at Poly Prep. If your goal is to conserve your estate, create life income, or reduce future tax liabilities for heirs, it’s time to consider the Joseph Dana Allen Society.
Named in honor of Poly’s longest-serving head of school, the JDA Society recognizes donors who have named the school as a beneficiary in their will, insurance policy, or retirement account. Charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and the donation of non-cash assets are also practical options for alumni and friends.
Working with your financial planner, we can structure a legacy gift that will memorialize the values most important to you, maximize your philanthropic giving, and make a smart plan for the future. If you’ve already included Poly Prep in a bequest or other planned gift, please let us know so we can express our gratitude and recognize you for your generosity as a member of the JDA Society.
We’re happy to help you get started on a legacy gift to Poly Prep. Go to polyprep.mylegacygift.org or contact:
Keith Wiggs
Senior Director of Advancement kwiggs@polyprep.org
James Cappabianca Director of Major Gifts jcappabianca@polyprep.org
Erin Hughes
Associate Director of Major Gifts ehughes@polyprep.org
BY DOV WEINSTEIN ELUL AND MICHAEL GABRIEL
For the past several months, Dov Weinstein Elul ’24 and Michael Gabriel ’24 have been delving into the school archives, immersing themselves in Poly history to assemble a photographic chronicle of the school’s evolution. The culmination of their efforts is a meticulously crafted 177-page bound book, “Far Down on the Heights Called Dyker: A Photographic Journey Through the History of Poly Prep Country Day School.” This literary gem not only encapsulates their findings about the Middle and Upper Schools’ physical plant, but also serves as a testament to their dedication and passion for Poly’s rich history. While the book will eventually find its rightful place on the shelves of the Joseph Dana Allen Library, the authors have generously shared a handful of interesting facts from their work.
The Student Center was the original gymnasium, until what is now called the Legacy Gym was built in 1930.
Charring from a fire in 1970 can still be seen in parts of the main building.
Artifacts from Poly’s original home on 99 Livingston Street can still be seen in places around the school.
Poly was originally proposed to be on a different plot of land on 86th Street and Gravesend Avenue. 1 2 5 6 3 4
Before the Legacy Gym was built, what stood there was an open-air gymnasium where student-athletes practiced.
Old heavy-duty fire doors are hidden between many of the old doorways around the school.
When the school opened in 1917, it did not originally have a chapel. The chapel was built in 1925. 7 8
The original plans for the Marks Center for Science & technology were to include it as an extra wing of the main building, connected to Commons.
The cornerstone of the building was laid on December 2, 1916 and is located off the Malkin Terrace at the entrance to the Tower Gallery. Supposedly it’s a time capsule.
During Poly’s earliest years in Dyker Heights, the hockey team would practice on the pond when it froze over in the winter.
There used to be an avenue, Warehouse Avenue, that cut what is now the backfields in half. In 1925, Poly proposed to the government that they build through this plot of land and create a similar street slightly further back. This street is now Poly Place. 9 11 12 10
The ceramics studio occupies the space that was once the site of a rifle range where Poly’s rifle team honed their marksmanship skills.
WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO AND WATCHING
Ava Duvernay’s “Origin”
Arnelle Williams
English faculty
Free. Freedom. Freeing. In every sense of the word, Ava Duvernay’s noteworthy and profound film, “Origin” asks the audience to seriously consider what does it mean to be free? How are our freedoms measured and by whom? “Origin” is about an American journalist, author, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Isabel Wilkerson’s journey to writing her award-winning book “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents” (2020). Throughout her journey, we get an intimate look at Wilkerson’s brilliance, played by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, of decoding an operative caste system that examines the historical plight of Black people in America, Jews in Germany, and Dalits in India. Connecting the dots between American slavery and Jim Crow laws, Nazi laws and the Holocaust, and the
literal caste system in India, Wilkerson makes clear that oppression can be learned and replicated globally. It isn’t solely based on race, but rather something more sinister—the very idea that a group of people are deeply inferior while another group is inherently superior. Why this idea transcends racism is because even when there is a “singular” race, humans fueled by power, greed, and fear still choose to dehumanize the other based on notions of inferiority and superiority. Choose, because how low must humans go? Those notions breed generational violence, terror, and the kind of death that is lethal physically and emotionally.
In fact, Wilkerson experiences deaths—her husband, mother, and cousin—individuals she fiercely loved, and who had varying degrees of freedom within the caste systems they navigated. Her white, beloved husband who defended and supported her before his untimely death. Her mother who spoke of a segregated past with her Tuskegee airman husband, and her cousin who spoke of a segregated present. Wilkerson also confronts the segregated truth of Trayvon Martin’s death.
Duvernay takes Wilkerson’s story and delicately uses vivid, captivating cinematography to flash us back to specific time periods, the Jim Crow Deep South, the Holocaust in Germany, and the life of Dalit leader, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, to illuminate the hidden stories of anthropologists, professors, and everyday people, in order to keep us presently looking forward. So the switching, or rather the ubiquity of time,
makes individuals who fought against rigid oppressive systems and those who didn’t have the tools to fight, real to us. We can no longer say “this was so long ago.” Duvernay situates actors as people from history and from our neighborhood; this duality helps us understand an immersive freedom cry that Duvernay brilliantly writes from beginning to end.
What “Origin” gets right is calling people to find the hunger to uncover the truth about history beyond the textbook and beyond the school curriculum. What about the histories in books sitting on shelves in the libraries or the histories stored at the museums? Return yourself to those places yet still keep asking questions. Don’t settle for the status quo or the injustice you see. Don’t deny yourself the pleasure of seeking answers because it can be the gateway to your freedom or someone else’s.
Since “Origin” is available in AMC select theaters, whether deliberate or not, Duvervnay takes us out of our current comforts—streaming and easy access—by demanding us to be inconvenienced, to get up and go see the film for ourselves.
“Tick, Tick… Boom!”
Danielle Rauch Math faculty
I consider myself to be a theater appreciator; I especially love a good musical. Since becoming a new mother, my opportunities to see the plethora
of new Broadway shows have been limited, but on a recent trip to Washington D.C., I had the pleasure of attending a limited production of the musical “Tick… Tick… Boom!” at the Kennedy Center. I was drawn to this show for my love of Jonathan Larson (the writer) and Neil Patrick Harris, who directed this production. You may know Larson as the writer of the musical “Rent.” Its predecessor, “Tick… Tick… Boom!” tells the story of Larson’s life as a struggling playwright in New York City. The show is a tale of many challenges: from recognizing when a relationship needs to end, to facing disappointment over a failed work endeavor, to figuring out how to manage a work-life balance, and all under the pressures of the New York City cost of living—this show has a lot to relate to. I also think the music is fantastic and definitely has a similar vibe to the rock musical that is “Rent.” Although this was a limited engagement, you can watch an excellent rendition of this musical on Netflix, which I highly recommend!
“Cowboy Carter” by Beyoncé
Danielle Jason ’24
“This ain’t a country album. This is a Beyoncé album.” Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” is an ode to family, heritage, and the South.
On March 29, 2024, Beyoncé Knowles released her eighth album, “Cowboy Carter,” the second installment of her trilogy project following “Renaissance.” In an Instagram post, Beyoncé stated that “Cowboy Carter” had been “over five years in the making… born out of an experience that [she] had years ago where she did not
feel welcomed.” Many fans have assumed that this post was in reference to her 2016 performance at the Country Music Association Awards, where she performed her song “Daddy Lessons” off her 2016 album “Lemonade” alongside The Chicks.
This prompted Beyoncé to deeply explore the origins of country music and what it means to be a Black woman in the predominantly white genre. She collaborated with legendary country artists like Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and Linda Martell, the first successful Black female country artist. Beyoncé also worked with younger Black women in country, including Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, and Reyna Roberts. During the songwriting process, she drew inspiration from films across genres, such as “Five Fingers For Marseilles,” “Urban Cowboy,” “The Hateful Eight,” and “The Harder They Fall.” Two singles preceded the album launch: “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages,” with the former making Beyoncé the first Black woman to debut at #1 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
On “BLACKBIIRD,” Beyoncé covers The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” tying into the album’s exploration of finding a place for Black women in country music. The duet “II MOST WANTED” with Miley Cyrus, inspired by “Thelma and Louise,” became the third single and touches on themes of youth and enduring relationships. Throughout the album, Beyoncé questions what it means to be a country artist, blending country with genres like trap, rock, and blues. On “SPAGHETTII,” Linda Martell speaks about the confining nature of genres, while “YA YA” references economic hardships faced by Black Americans and celebrates Black culture.
The listener of “Cowboy Carter” is taken on an auditory journey throughout history, exploring what it means to be a Black singer in the music industry across decades. The album’s 27 tracks can be seen as snippets into Beyoncé’s experience reclaiming country music for herself and her community as well as defining what it means to be a multifaceted artist in the 21st century.
“Barbie”
Watching Greta Gerwig’s take on Barbie was like stepping into a whole new world of storytelling. Gerwig’s direction breathed fresh life into the iconic character, infusing depth and complexity into Barbie’s narrative. The film, while still retaining its trademark charm and whimsy, offered a nuanced exploration of themes like identity, self-acceptance, and societal expectations. Gerwig’s signature style brought a sense of authenticity to the characters, making them relatable and compelling. The cast’s performances were stellar, with Barbie portrayed as a multidimensional protagonist grappling with real-life struggles and triumphs. The cinematography was visually stunning, capturing both the fantastical elements of Barbie’s world and the emotional depth of her journey. Overall, Gerwig’s “Barbie” film transcended expectations, offering a poignant and thought-provoking cinematic experience that resonates with audiences of all ages.
Lucy Goldberg ’26
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RECIPIENTS OF THE
2024 ALUMNI DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD!
Otis Pearsall ’49
Apart from a two-year stint as a prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York learning his craft, Otis’ career as a litigator defending major corporations from New York to California spanned 46 years from 1956 through 2002, first for 34 years with Hughes, Hubbard & Reed and then with Arnold & Porter until his retirement.
Thereafter, he continued to office with the firm for several years pursuing his civic and charitable passions as a member of New York City’s Art Commission, now known as the Public Design Commission, as a trustee of the Brooklyn Museum and of the Green-Wood Cemetery, and as a preservationist with the Municipal Art Society and the Brooklyn Heights Association. Per Otis, of greater lasting importance than his law practice, however, has been his commitment to the historic preservation of New York City’s architectural heritage. Starting in 1958, he and his wife Nancy, led a seven-year effort on behalf of Brooklyn Heights to achieve the New York City Landmarks Law and designation of the Heights as the City’s first historic district (of which there are now 156).
These efforts have been recognized in the published history, Preserving New York, and by the Environmental Action Coalition’s 1989 Green Star Award, the New York Historic Districts Council’s 1993 Landmark Lion Award, the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s 2000 Lucy G. Moses Preservation Leadership Award (with Nancy), the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s 2007 Forsythia Award, the Green-Wood Historic Fund’s 2009 DeWitt Clinton Award (with Nancy) and the New York Preservation Archive Project’s Preservation Award. Most recently, in 2022 Otis and Nancy were recognized as Pillars of New York by the Preservation League of NYS.
Stellene Volandes ’89
Stellene Volandes ’89 is the editor in chief of Town & Country, the oldest continuously published magazine in America. In 2016, she became the second female editor in chief in its 177-year history. Under her leadership, the magazine has become a leader in coverage of lifestyle, craftsmanship, the arts, travel, and philanthropy. The brand’s unofficial motto is “Live Well, Give Well.” This year, The T&C Philanthropy Summit will celebrate its 10-year anniversary. Stellene has been integral to its evolution and success. In 2020, she also became the editorial director of Elle Decor
While at Poly, Stellene was an active member of the arts community singing in Glee Club and Concert Choir and played a lead role in Anything Goes that opened the Richard Perry Theatre. She was also the recipient of the Walter B. Clark Drama Award. After Poly, Stellene graduated from Vassar College with a major in English, and earned a Master of Arts in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University. She began her editorial career at Vogue Before Town & Country, she was the style director at Departures magazine.
Stellene is the author of two books on jewelry history and is recognized globally as an expert on the subject, headlining a series of jewelry lectures at The 92nd Street Y. In 2022, Stellene was a featured Poly Context speaker presenting a lecture about researching and writing her book, The Jewels that Made History: 101 Stones, Myths, and Legends. She has been awarded the Leadership 100 Prize and The City of Hope Spirit Award and is frequently cited for her vocal support of New York City and the arts.
Dan Fogler ’94
Dan Fogler is an American actor, comedian, and writer. In 2005, Fogler made his Broadway debut as William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.
Dan has appeared in numerous films including Balls of Fury, Fanboys, Mars Needs Moms, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore and numerous others. He has done voice acti ng for Kung Fu Panda, Horton Hears a Who!, and other animated television series such as American Dad and Aqua Teen Hunger Force He also appeared on The Walking Dead as Luke, The Goldbergs as Uncle Marvin, and played Francis Ford Coppola in the biographical drama series, The Offer. He can be seen playing opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the upcoming Netflix limited series, Eric. Dan is the creator of multiple graphic novels including Brooklyn Gladiator, Moon Lake, and Fishkill
Even with his busy professional schedule, Dan always finds time for Poly. In 2020, he returned to perform in an alumni and parent production of Eric Ulloa’s 26 Pebbles. Dan also generously shared his time as a panelist about The Argument, the subject of discussion in an installment of the innovative Poly on Film series featuring alumni working in film and television. Dan also took time to advise Zeke Wise ’24, who played Mr. Barfée in the 2023 production, about playing his character.
David Koven ’69
David Koven ’69 enjoyed his years at Poly, though he found that many of the lessons he learned during that period did not reveal themselves until later in life. While some guiding principles came from teachers and coaches, many were imparted by his classmates, sometimes in “real time” during the 1960s, and often during conversations at reunions over the past 55 years. Though he was president of the Student Advisory Council and captain of the soccer team, he takes far more satisfaction in having made long-term friendships with many classmates. In 2024, he earned Poly’s Alumni School Service Award.
David devoted most of his career to community development work, specializing in affordable housing development. He also assumed a consulting role with community-based nonprofits and collaborated with for-profit developers, equity investors, and public sector lenders. He completed about 50 residential developments, totaling over 3,000 homes, mostly in the BostonCambridge area. Now semi-retired, he serves on nonprofit boards, mentors young professionals, does political work, and picks wild oysters.
2024 ALUMNI SCHOOL SERVICE AWARD
40Last fall, our Advancement team members visited Poly community members in the Boston area. Among those people they visited was Jonathan Aibel, son of the late Howard Aibel ’46. Lawyer, conservationist, philanthropist, and passionate arts advocate, Howard Aibel instilled in his family a sense of generosity and a willingness to support efforts to improve life for others. Through his excellent financial planning, Aibel left a significant family foundation that continues to support his interests today.
At Poly Prep, The Howard and Katherine Aibel Foundation has named the Lobby Gallery in the new Poly Arts Center. Everyone at Poly Prep is grateful to the Aibel family for their generosity and vision that expands our Dyker Heights campus and provides a home for exhibitions of visual arts by students, faculty, and alumni.
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Alan Newman ’58 My board game “Sun Tzu” will likely be republished in a new deluxe version in 2025. Originally titled “Dynasties,” the game has been in publication since 2005, was nominated as the best two-player game for the 2006 Golden Geek award and was a finalist for the 2011 Lys Passioné.
60
We met with Dr. Eric Ruby ’64 in October 2023 to set the stage for planning a successful 60th reunion for the Class of ’64. Thanks to his tireless efforts of keeping the class engaged and connected since graduating, Poly ’64 enjoyed a meaningful reunion weekend.
Rev. Terry O. Martinson ’65 Terry is now “mostly” retired from ministry, but still enjoys invitations to preach from local congregations. Terry regaled heartfelt stories about his brother, Robert Martinson ’59, who passed away in 2022, and who provided a transformative gift in support of new lighting and sound for the Chapel and Theatre. He hopes to see everyone at Reunion in 2025.
Jonathan Aibel
Howard Aibel ’46
Dr. Robert Jacob ’68 In October 2023, we caught up with Rob Jacob at his office in the Department of Computer Science on the campus of Tufts University. Rob leads a research group studying a new generation of “implicit” brain-computer interfaces that are often applied to technologies aiding the disabled. He remembers his time at Poly with fondness and sends his best to his classmates.
Joel Rush ’72 received the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics
(AOAO) Donald Siehl Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 AOAO Annual Fall Meeting at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. This award is presented to an AOAO member who, in the opinion of the Board of Directors, has made a major contribution and commitment to the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics during their professional career. The Donald Siehl appreciative award is the highest award granted by the Academy and is given only upon meeting the above criteria.
We closed out a great New England regional trip with a visit to the home of David Koven ’69. After a career specializing in affordable housing development, David is now semi-retired; serving on nonprofit boards, mentoring young professionals, and picking wild oysters. David was awarded the Alumni School Service Award at Reunion 2024.
Richard Rosenblum ’69 and David Walensky ’69 reconnected over lunch in Boynton Beach, FL—they haven’t seen each other since their 45th reunion ten years ago!
David Troyansky ’72 is delighted to announce the publication of his latest book, “Entitlement and Complaint: Ending Careers and Reviewing Lives in Post-Revolutionary France.” (Oxford University Press, 2023).
Scott M. Smith ’75 , presented his novel “The Spy and the Seamstress” at the Greenwich Historical Society in October 2023. The alumni office arranged for Poly alumni in the area to attend. Joining Scott at the book signing were Interim Head of School John Rankin, Peter Malkin ’51 and Isabel Malkin, Arthur Delmhorst ’56, Ron Wilson ’59 and Winifred Staniford.
In February 2024, Peter Poulakakos ’94 hosted fellow Poly alumni living in South Florida at his newly opened restaurant, Adrienne’s Pizza Bar in West Palm Beach. (pictured in photo: Mark Groothuis ’58, Howard Siegel ’58, Peter Poulakakos ’94)
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We caught up with Maria Sciolto Alvarez ’01 in Coral Gables on our South Florida Regional trip. After a career in law, Maria shifted in 2022 to focus her energies on teaching yoga and leading fitness retreats. She lives in the Miami/Coral Gables area with her husband Jaime and rescue pups Jackson and Richie.
Da niel Green ’02 is doing well in Miami as founder and CEO of Greensports Management, representing primarily basketball players. He’s looking forward to connecting with alumni at the next regional event.
David Mash ’05 and his wife Lizzie welcomed son Charlie Hudson Mash in October 2023. Their French Bulldog Palmer has taken quite the liking to him and is very protective.
Laura Wacker ’09 My husband Sean and I welcomed our first two children—fraternal twins—Julian (b) and Naomi (g) this past July! We are all doing great, living in Somerville, MA and can’t wait to come down for the reunion next year.
Jake Small ’15 Si nce graduating from Poly in 2015, I’ve completed my undergraduate degree from SUNY Oswego in 2019 and my Master’s of Education from the University of Vermont in 2021. Now, I’m setting my sights toward pursuing doctoral study with a research focus on the matter of Black boys as a persistence tool through the American education system. I endeavor to respond to the widening opportunity gap for Black men in this country. Check out my TEDx on this topic set to be released late summer ’24. Professionally, I serve in an inaugural role with Leadership Brainery, a Bostonbased nonprofit organization focused on education access. Independently, I offer equity and leadership consulting services through imjakesmall.com and have worked with over 100 individual clients to operationalize social justice; among them are 20+ Fortune 500 companies. And finally, I’ve recently joined the Board of Directors for QT Library, a queer and trans focused lending library and sober community space in Boston, MA. I’ve called Boston home for 3 years now and hope to stay in this area for a while. Reach out when you visit Bean Town!
20A trip to the Sunshine State is not complete without checking in with our recent grads at the University of Miami! Harrison Packer Lewan ’20 and Mikhal Akhund ’20 look forward to graduating this spring, while Poly served Ariana Rodriguez ’23 and Charlie Plym ’23 well as they are successfully managing their sports and academics in their first year. We also wish Ariana the best at the Olympics in Paris this summer when she competes on the Dominican Republic’s National Women’s Volleyball team.
A Legacy of Giving
Periodically, Poly Prep Country Day School receives contributions, above and beyond annual giving, that help transform our campuses and strengthen our school. Three recent planned gifts exemplify the generosity and vision of our valued alumni.
Dr. Saul Brusilow ’45 was a renowned pediatrician and biochemical geneticist who developed groundbreaking therapies to treat the complications of rare and often fatal genetic defects. The son of Russian immigrants, Dr. Brusilow was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1927. After graduating from Poly Prep Country Day School in 1945, Brusilow enlisted in the Navy in 1945. He graduated from Princeton University in 1950, and received his medical degree from the Yale University School of Medicine in 1954, where he began his training in pediatrics.
For more than 50 years, Dr. Brusilow was on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University where he earned an international reputation in the field of Pediatric Inherited Diseases of Metabolism. According to his colleagues, the chemical therapies developed by Dr. Brusilow “saved the lives of thousands of individuals—mainly children—who would have died or suffered brain damage from unrelenting ammonia toxicity.” For his work in this area he received the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation International Scientific Research Award in 1995, and the National Urea Cycle Foundation Award. His work was recognized in 1997 by the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). At its award ceremony, the Kennedy Foundation noted that Dr. Brusilow “is almost unique as a scientist to have discovered the defect, figured out how it functioned, developed the treatment, manufactured the drug in his laboratory because no drug company would, and standardized the treatment worldwide.”
As a teenager at Poly Prep, Saul Brusilow was the captain of the track team, and set a new school record for the 440-yard run. His transformational bequest of $1 million supported several capital projects on Poly’s Dyker Heights campus including the recent renovation of the athletics fields. A bronze plaque acknowledging his legacy is located adjacent to the running track.
The son of a doctor and a nurse, Robert Martinson ’59 was born 1941 at the Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, and was the oldest of three children. As an early teen, it was clear that Bob was destined to be an engineer, repairing radios and other electrical equipment for friends and neighbors. He loved a challenge and was rarely stumped while working in the basement of the family’s home where he oversaw all sorts of projects, electrical and otherwise. While at Poly Prep, Robert was well known for his talent for solving wiring issues throughout the school, and for supervising lights for Chapel and countless school theater productions. Also, He was a devoted member of the Ham Radio Club and the Science Club.
The Spring Dance Concert in April, under the artful illumination of the new cutting-edge lighting system, helped to transform the stage into a breathtaking canvas of movement and color.
After graduating from Union College in 1965, with a degree in electrical engineering, he worked for GTE (General Telephone and Electronics), spending his entire career with the company. His work took him around the world as a project manager, installing highly classified communication satellite systems, which at the time were revolutionary. Due to the confidential nature of his work, his family did not always know the country or continent where he was working. Among his proudest achievements was supervising the satellite link for the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea.
After 35 years with GTE, Bob retired to Waltham, MA. When his health began to decline, he decided to liquidate his condo and split the proceeds between Union College and Poly Prep. His $500,000 gift to Poly, made during his lifetime, supported the installation of state-of-the-art digital LED lighting in the Chapel and Richard Perry Theatre. Robert Martinson passed away in 2022. Reflecting on his brother’s career, Terry Martinson ’65 says, “Robert was rightfully proud of the work he did during his thirty-five-year career with GTE. He was a loyal employee, a hard worker, and was always 100% focused on the project at hand.” Poly Prep remains deeply grateful to Robert Martinson for his foresight and generosity.
Herbert Zohn ’50 was born in Brooklyn in 1933 to Dr. Benjamin Zohn, an allergist and founder of AARP, and his wife, Beatrice. While at Poly Prep, Herb demonstrated a talent for art, winning the art and oratory medals; attained the highest scholastic honors; and managed the cross country team. After graduating from Poly, Herb attended Yale University, and served in the United States Army in Germany. For many years, he was on the staff of AARP, and then had the opportunity to follow his dream of opening the ZOMA art gallery.
Along with this longtime partner— designer, filmmaker, and sculpture Hely Lima—Herb supported many emerging and highly regarded international visual artists. Together, they developed a reputation for their excellent taste, hospitality, and warmth, particularly among family and close friends.
With the help of Franklin D. Roosevelt III, Herbert worked for 10 years to have the statue of Eleanor Roosevelt, whom he greatly admired, erected at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive. Herb proved to be a formidable fundraiser; on Feb. 21, 1993, he produced a benefit concert, “First Ladies of Song,” at Alice Tully Hall hosted by then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Proceeds supported the installation and landscaping around the Eleanor Roosevelt sculpture. The performers included stars of theater, cabaret, opera, and popular music such as Joanne Woodward, Barbara Cook, Judy Collins, Lena Horne, Julie Wilson, Rosemary Clooney, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Marilyn Horne, and Shirley Verrett. This monument transformed a dilapidated entrance to Riverside Park and reinvigorated that entire area surrounding the Park.
Herbert Zohn passed away in 2023, leaving a legacy of adoring family and friends. His contributions to his community and to the cultural life of New York City are many. In addition to his $100,000 bequest to Poly Prep, Herbert established a scholarship at the Yale School of Art, supported the Metropolitan Museum, New York City Ballet, Yale University, and other cultural and educational institutions.
1940S
Richard A. Debs ’48 passed away in the early morning of Sunday, January 28, 2024 at his home in Providence, RI. Born in Providence in 1930, he was the son of Syrian immigrants who relocated to Brooklyn in his early childhood, at the height of the Depression. He was raised in a large and loving extended family—this early experience gave him the ability and desire to engage in a wide and diverse social world. A graduate of Poly Prep, Debs received a BA Summa Cum Laude from Colgate University (’52), a Ph.D. from Princeton University (’63), and an LLB from Harvard University (’58). As a Fulbright scholar, he studied in Cairo. His experience in Egypt was his introduction to the Middle East, which evolved into a
lifelong understanding of and commitment to the welfare of the people of the area. In 1960, Debs joined the legal department of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; he later became Secretary of the Bank and ultimately First Vice President. In 1976, he became the Founding President of Morgan Stanley International, a role which demanded familiarity with diverse cultures and the ability to engage with people across many different societies. Debs dedicated himself to board service for many organizations. As Chair of the American University of Beirut, he demonstrated his belief in crosscultural communication and served during a period of critical rebuilding after Lebanon’s Civil War. He was an ardent supporter of the Bretton Woods Committee, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, the
Barenboim-Said Orchestra, the New-York Historical Society, the Brooklyn Museum, Visual AIDS for the Arts, the Providence Public Library, and many more. In these organizations, he saw the potential for improving the human condition through education, the arts, and public policy. His great joy and achievement was his marriage to Barbara Knowles Debs, his love and equal partner in life for 65 years. As described by a former naval officer, “they were like two big gray battleships steaming together side-by-side up the harbor.” He was a dedicated and engaged father, and an even more doting grandfather. He is survived by Barbara Knowles Debs, his two children, Elizabeth Anderson Debs and Nicholas Abraham Richard Debs, and his two granddaughters, Isabel Sophia Turner-Debs and Zoe Justine Turner-Debs.
Art by Sammy Menkes ’26
William B. Field ’43 passed away peacefully in his home on July 19, 2023. Bill was born in Brooklyn, NY in October 1924. He was a graduate of Williams College. He also studied sculpture at the Silvermine School of Art. He became an award-winning sculptor, with many different sculptures to his credit. He also liked plants, especially his cacti. Bill was preceded in death by Mary G. Field, his wife of 50 years. He is survived by his brother, John H. Field, and his son, Michael D. Field.
Walter Jacob Foster ’48 passed away on December 18, 2023. He was born in New York, NY on April 19, 1931. He graduated from Poly Prep and Lehigh University, then served in the US Army from 1953 to 1955. Walter was married to Julia Randolph from 1955 to 1995 and had three daughters. He enjoyed a fulfilling career at the Continental Can Company, retiring in 1987 after working his way through manufacturing and general management to become Vice President of Manufacturing and Technology. After retirement, Walter rekindled his love of theater and performed in over 15 community theater productions in Connecticut, Maryland, and Florida. In 1999, Walter married Rita McCarthy and was pleased to welcome her children and grandchildren into the extended family. They remained happy together until his death. Walter’s twin sister, Marguerite Foster Garlick, predeceased him in 2018. He is survived by his daughters, Sarah Erickson, Marguerite Foster, and Susan Kelly Foster, and grandsons, Nicholas Erickson and Andrew Erickson.
Don Antaky ’48 of Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, passed away on November 9, 2023. Don attended Holy Name Grade School, Poly Prep, and Fordham University graduating in 1954. He played football at Fordham and competed against West Point before the program was discontinued. At the beginning of the Cold War, Don worked with the Strategic Air Command in London and Spain for the U.S. Air Force. While there, he met Larry Hagman, who recruited him to set up entertainment for those who served around Europe. After college, Don worked with Pepsi,
Addressograph, and IBM in sales. He honed his skills to become one of the top salesmen in the industry. He eventually went into clothing manufacturing. He built up a small contracting company on Jay Street in Brooklyn and turned it into a successful manufacturing company on Madison Avenue. He met his wife, Lillian, whom he married in 1957. They were married for 61 years before her passing in 2018. Don was exposed to a Renaissance style education. He understood business, history, and literature. He could recite poetry at the “drop of a hat.” Mostly he will be remembered for his smile, his enigmatic personality, and his laughter. Almost everyone will remember a funny story, joke he told, or his booming laugh. Don is survived by his four children: Donald Jr., Louise (Wayne), Douglas (Karin), James (Christina), and seven grandchildren: Derek, Allison, Matthew, Luke, Douglas, Layla, and Mark, and many nieces and nephews.
1950S
Charles Hedberg ’50 passed away on October 2, 2023. Hedberg, the youngest of four, was born in Brooklyn on January 28, 1933, to Marie (Mueller) and J.O. Viking Hedberg. He attended Poly and studied mechanical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. He was a naval aviator and flew submarine chasers (S2-F’s) off the USS Yorktown (CV-10) in the Pacific. Hedberg’s family summered in Westhampton, where he met his wife, Margareta “Greta” Johnson, as a teenager. He proposed to her on the beach at Dolphin Lane in East Quogue. They married in 1958 and headed to California where he was stationed. Their first child, Victoria, was born in December 1958, and their son, Viking, in 1961. Hedberg’s career included managing cooling systems for high energy physics research
Art by Nyjáh Harrison ’24
at Brookhaven National Laboratory and test engineering for Grumman Aerospace. However, his passion was the protection of the environment and social justice. His many efforts included protecting Long Island salt marshes, preventing offshore oil drilling, establishing recycling activities, and supporting reproductive health rights and racial equity. He found solace in the ocean and typically would swim daily from May through late October. With the wonderful support of the staff at Rogers Beach, he was able to swim through 2022. He was also an avid sailor and, in winter, could be found skating on local ponds or cross-country skiing. Upon retirement, he continued the property maintenance business that he had started with his son. Sadly, his wife developed Alzheimer’s and he cared for her at home until her death in 2014. He was known throughout the community for his enduring love of his wife, for being spotted in his “rusty green truck,” his pilgrimages to Dolphin Lane, and his passion for the ocean. He lived independently until the age of 89 and with the support of family, friends, his church, and a wonderful group of caregivers, he was able to live out the rest of his life in his home. Hedberg is survived by his daughter, Victoria Hedberg, and her partner, Karl, his son, Viking Hedberg, and his wife, Katie; his granddaughters, Laura Ceruti and her partner, Tim, and Carolyn Ceruti and her partner, Justin, all of Eastport; his
grandsons, Andrew Hedberg and his wife, Dana, and Woodrow Hedberg and his wife, Jacqueline, and his three great grandchildren, Alex, Anthony, and Adrianna.
Mr. George J. Raimondo ’50 , a long-time resident of Darien, CT, passed away peacefully on September 25, 2023, his 92nd birthday. Born to George and Anna (Albanese) Raimondo, he was raised in Brooklyn, NY, where he graduated from Poly. George received a Bachelor of Science degree from Hartwick College and a Master of Business Administration degree from New York University, before working in the field of energy and mineral exploration, from which he retired in 1996. He served for two years in the United States Army during the Korean conflict and was an avid reader of U.S. and world history and economics. He was predeceased by his wife, Fannie (Mormando) in 2020, and his sister, Constance. He is survived by his sons, Jeffrey and Douglas (Deborah), and his beloved grandson, Matthew. His brother, Michael, also survives him.
Harlan F. Stone, II ’53 , born January 13, 1935 in New York City, passed away on January 31, 2024, peacefully in his home in Massachusetts at age 89. Harlan attended Poly Prep Country Day School. He graduated from Princeton and received a master’s degree from Harvard. He was
the Director of Education at the Philatelic Foundation in New York and also served as the editor of the Postal History Journal. Harlan was a renowned philatelist and authority of Swiss postal history. He enjoyed running marathons and collecting stamps. Harlan was the son of the late Lauson and Jane Hunter Stone. He is survived by his beloved wife of 33 years, Helen Galatan-Stone, her son Albert Galatan (Ilana), and daughters Joelle and Talia. He is also survived by his son Christopher (Angelica), granddaughter Sophia, and by his loving extended family and his daughter Emily.
Peter Wells ’56 passed away on December 12, 2023. Peter was on the front line of Poly’s Ivy Championship football team of 1955. Magician John Malhame at the end of the line opposite Peter, Bunsick, Purpura, Captain Siriana in between, and Bob Schoenemann in the center. Peter played with his sleeves pushed up and bony elbows exposed. He was a tough and intense competitor. He also co-captained, with Bob, a champion wrestling team; closing the season by winning Poly Prep the school nationals at Lehigh—then, and perhaps since, the only Poly wrestler to do so. He annually pitched for the Grays in the intramural game, and gleefully brushed back—a euphemism—Blue batters.
Art by Hank Ford ’25
Art by Selena Wu ’25
1960S
Caspar Sylvester Jones Jr., ’66 was born into a large family on August 9, 1947 in Brooklyn, NY, and passed away on February 5, 2024. He was the second child and only son of Elsie Sweeney Jones and Caspar S. Jones. He was part of a versatile, international family, which included his maternal grandparents of Nova Scotia, Canada and Montserrat, and paternal grandparents from Barbados. He grew up in Bedford Stuyvesant, living in a multigenerational, multi-family brownstone with his immediate family and aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmother. He attended P.S. 161 (The Crown School), Poly Prep Country Day School, and Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. Caspar worked for Salomon Brothers, UBS investment bank, and Smith Barney. In a 2023 article that appeared in Poly Prep’s The Polygon, Danielle Jason noted that Caspar, who started in the sixth grade in the late 1950’s, was the first Black student to attend Poly Prep, integrating the school founded in 1854.
Caspar followed his interest in finance, and worked on Wall Street at Salomon Brothers and UBS Investment Bank. In time, he met and married Linda Carter and to that union were born two daughters, Felicia Alane and Melanie Darlene Jones. Caspar later joined Smith Barney which eventually became part of Citigroup. In the late 1970s, he married Mary A. Turner and she and her daughter Karen Lynn and his daughters blended their families. Caspar spent four decades in his field and was Director in Options Trading and Strategy when he retired. He was a man of great character with strong values, an unwavering sense of loyalty, and was extraordinarily engaging, approachable, and easy to be around. His love for fast cars is not to be forgotten—and he was always a recognized visitor at the annual auto shows. He enjoyed music, particularly jazz, classic rock, and world music; and Tina Turner at a Sag Harbor performance blowin’ him a kiss from the stage. He loved mountain-bike riding and traveling. Caspar is survived by Mary, his loving wife of 46 years; daughters Karen
Turner, Felicia (Olufemi) Falebita. Melanie (Zivago) Bunting, grandchildren Kandyce A. Turner, Alexandra (Philip) Grillo, Jessica ‘Casey,’ Jeffery II and Maxwell Sylvester Lanier, Omolara and Olufemi Sylvester, Sade and Olamide Falebita, and Ahjanay Biscombe, great-grandchildren Juniper Ardizon, Kaelynn Brown, Kaleb Barclay, Gemma Grillo, his sister Nancy J. Scott Whiting (Curtis Reaves), nephews and nieces James L. Scott, Daniel L. (Bridgette), Ashley and Brandon Scott, Laurence C. (Donna), Christopher Whiting and Courtney (Anthony) Nelson, his brotherin-law Norman Keizer, niece Annette Keizer, nephews Myles and Nicholas (Jan) Keizer, and a host of other family members and friends who were touched by him and loved by him. He was gentle, humble, a man of impeccable character, a Man for All Seasons.
George T. Simon ’65 of Evanston, IL, passed away on August 22, 2022, at age 74. George was born in Albany, NY, the younger of two children of George and Carol Simon who predeceased him. He graduated from Trinity College and received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1972. He then entered the law profession working in New York City as an associate in corporate and securities law. He moved to Washington, DC for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission where he worked for five years rising to the level of Associate Director. Following a move to Evanston, IL, George worked for Coffield, Ungaretti, and Harris & Slavin as a partner in their securities practice for
10 years. In 1991, George went to work for the Foley & Lardner law firm as a partner in the Chicago office where he remained for the next 25 years. He founded the firm’s Securities Enforcement & Litigation Practice and was a member of the firm’s Management Committee for a number of years. In addition, George was a frequent lecturer and author on securities regulation practice. Throughout his career, George was a mentor to numerous colleagues who mourn his passing. After his retirement, George was active as a coordinator and student in Northwestern’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. George was married to Lynne Simon (née Martin) whom he married on May 30, 1975. George was the loving father of Mark (New York, NY) and Andrew Simon (Chicago, IL), and was active in numerous civic and charitable organizations including The Lakeside Singers and The Remy Bumppo Theater. George enjoyed cooking, photography, theater, music, and spending time with friends and family. In addition to Lynne, Mark, and Andrew, George is survived by his sister Margaret Simon and her husband, David Weisbrod of Greenwich, CT, sisters and brothers-in-law, Bill and Sue Martin of Indian Trail, NC, Peter Martin of Marietta, GA, and Donald Wright of Mazatlán, Mexico.
1970S
Sam Parker ’70 passed away on Nov 24, 2023.
2000S
David Cohen ’05 died on July 16, 2023. After graduation from Poly Prep, David attended Berklee College of Music, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2008. He and his wife Mariann Uleberg, also a Berklee graduate, formed EQ Guitars, where they created custom instruments. Most recently, David was asked to be the guitar tech on a 31-city tour of Animals as Leaders. He passed away during the band’s engagement in Billings, Montana.
SECRETS OF A CHAMPION:
KRISTEN PALMER
Kristen Palmer ’19 shares the secrets behind her success as a NCAA Woman of the Year Finalist, recent graduate of MIT, and software engineer at Google.
THIS INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED BY AMANDA VOLEL FOR POLYPREP.ORG AND EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY.
Her Early Years as a Fencer
My mother was my first inspiration to begin fencing. She enrolled me and my brother into a program that my god sister was in, and in that fencing club, I found community. Other fencers supported and inspired me to deepen my practice and commitment to the sport.
How to Become a Champion at Your Passion
Fencing has opened new doors and forged exciting connections. As a two-time Northeast Fencing Conference Sabre All-Star first-team honoree, conference Fencer of the Year, 2020 Rookie of the Year, and Most Valuable Play that same year, I took every opportunity to grow in my skills. I found people who were better than me and used the matches against them to learn from my opponents and receive constructive feedback afterwards.
In my growth, I balanced academics with sports. I took a bus into Manhattan three times a week to practice fencing, often not getting home until 9:00 or 10:00 PM. My philosophy during those busy days was that if you spend enough time on something, you’ll become an expert.
World-Class Community at Poly
At Poly, I received a well-rounded education. I worked with cool equipment like laser cutters and 3D printers in Poly’s Maker Space. I learned coding languages, some of which I now use in my day-today work at Google. One of my biggest advocates as I was applying to college was Mr. [Charles] Polizano P’18, who teaches computer science classes at Poly. In his classes, I was nurtured, surrounded by students who after three years of being in the same science courses together, became friends; no one was shamed for a wrong answer; we were all empowered to make mistakes as part of the learning process. As a co-founder of Girls Who Code (GWC), I’m glad that I had a supportive network of women before I headed to college. Being part of GWC under the guidance of Ms. [Jean] Belford, I gained confidence to forge ahead in STEM.
I cultivated a passion for languages, different cultures, and travel at Poly. I took Latin and Mandarin, and went on a trip to Italy. Last summer, I traveled with a friend and fellow Poly alum through Southeast Asia and although I didn’t speak the [local] languages, I was usually able to find locals who spoke Chinese.
On Mentorship and Leadership
At Poly, I learned that one of the most important things about being a leader is how to connect with people and make spaces that people wanted to return to. I sought leadership positions and became a leader in the activities I gravitated towards. At Poly, I was mentored by Mr.
[Runako] Taylor and Mr. [Douglas] Wong as fencer, and Mr. [Charles] Polizano and Ms. [Jean] Belford in computer science. Outside of Poly, I am part of the Peter Westbrook Foundation, which is a great source of inspiration for me and all my teammates. My coaches and older fencers always looked out for me. I even had a next door neighbor who was also an alumni of MIT who I could go to for career advice. I am where I am because of the people who volunteered their time, energy, and money to support me and help me succeed. This is the nature of the mentor I’d like to be.
