The Blue & The Gray (Poly Prep's School Magazine) Winter 2010-11

T H E

BLUE & GRAY T H E

P O LY P R E P M A G A Z I N E



WINTER 2010–2011

THE WEIGHTS AND MERITS OF

LEADERSHIP I N S I D E

An Inter view with Author and Translator

Stephen Mitchell ’60 Backstage with the Nelson Family Band Admiral Mike Rindskopf ‘34: Leadership for All Ages

...and more!

P O LY P R E P B O A R D O F T R U S T E E S 2010–2011 OFFICERS CHAIRMAN

Vincent J. Vigorita, M.D. ’68, P’96, ’99 John B. Madden, Jr., Esq. ’72 Mr. David M. Womack P’14, ’16 Mrs. Grace M. Sawyer P’82

VICE CHAIRMAN TREASURER SECRETARY

BOARD MEMBERS

Mrs. Robin L. Bramwell-Stewart ’86, P’16 Mrs. Cynthia Capone ’88 Mr. Michael A. Correra ’87 Ms. Elizabeth Comerford P’09, ’11,’14 Mr. Charles M. Diker ’52 Susanna Furfaro, M.D. P’13, ’15 Karen E. Burke Goulandris, M.D., Ph.D. P’15 Mr. Richard L. Grand-Jean P’05, ’08 Mr. Andrew F. Gurley ’55 Ms. Jennifer Jordan Gorman ’99 Mr. Kristerfor T. Mastronardi ’95 Mr. Thomas H. Parker ’65 Mr. John J. Regan ’86 Mr. Robert G. Sabbagh ’87 Mr. Victor M. Samra, Jr. ’59 Ms. Phyllis Serino P’08, ’13 Mr. Scott M. Smith ’75 Mr. Malcolm P. Travelstead P’93, ’96 TRUSTEES EMERITI

Clifford Barr, Esq. ’48 Harry J. Petchesky, Esq. ’55 Nathan K. Trynin, Esq. ’48

Contents

leadership

the b lu e & t h e Gray

W i n te r 2 010–2011

2

From the Editor’s Desk, By Malcolm G. Farley

3

At the Helm, By David B. Harman

F e at ur e s

How a Leading Literary Light Got His Start At Poly, An Interview with Poet, Translator, and Scholar Stephen Mitchell ’60

6

11

14

Leaders of the Band, By Rebecca Grossfield

Seth Low: Servant of the People,

By Brendan Hughes

14

Leadership For All Ages,

By Mike Rindskopf ’34

18

Leadoff Literature,

By Josina Reaves (Form V Dean; English)

20

20

A lumni No tes

Class Notes and Special Reunion 2010 Pictures

6

22

34

Obituaries

11

18

P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

1

T h e

BLUE & GRAY T h e

Win t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

Blue & Gray Goes Green!

Printed locally on recycled paper using low-VOC vegetable inks, a chemical-free CTP production process, and renewable wind-powered energy.

Editor

Malcolm G. Farley Director of Communications A s s o c i at e E d i t o r

Brendan Hughes Associate Director of Communications S ta f f W r i t e r

Rebecca Grossfield Communications Associate D E SI G N

Amy Thesing photography

Cover: 8th Grade Physics Class

by Brendan Hughes Inside Cover: The Steinberg Athletic Complex

by Martyn Gallina-Jones Pages 4-5: Middle School Singers

by Malcolm G. Farley Pages 10-11: Leaders of the Band

by Jaime Bermudez Esteban Back Cover: courtesy of The Poly Prep Archives

The Blue and the Gray: Poly Prep Magazine is published twice yearly by the school’s Communications Office. It features news from the Poly community of alumni, faculty and students the world over, and from the school’s Dyker Heights and Park Slope campuses.

Inquiries and submissions are welcome; send to the Director of Communications, Poly Prep Country Day School, 9216 Seventh Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11228, or call (718) 836-9800.

2

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Malcolm G. Farley, Director of Communications

L

eadership is a notion whose boundaries are hard to map. One person’s bold chief is another’s misguided wimp. Psychologists, sociologists, historians, anthropologists, politicians, self-help gurus, and philosophers all use different—if sometimes overlapping—definitions of leadership. They also employ distinct vocabularies to describe it.

Then there is the “vision thing”—that curiously inarticulate and slightly derogatory characterization of a good leader’s ability to paint a clear, inspiring picture of the road we should take.

Can we meaningfully identify what a leader is—and do it in plain English rather than professional jargon? Look up “leadership” on Wikipedia if you want an example of lingo run amok. Or, like the philistine in a modern art gallery, should we each exclaim: “I don’t know what a leader is, but I know one when I see one”?

I am a great believer in looking at the origins and evolution of words (collectively known as etymology) to gain purchase on complex ideas. Words and their lexical journeys through time can help you grasp cultural concepts more concretely and chart how they grew.

For instance, The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) explains that the word, “leader” comes from an Old English verb meaning “To bring or take (a person or animal) to a place.”

Like many verbs for thought, emotion, and social activity, therefore, the idea of leading in human society came from a physical action in the real world. (Think about the literal sources of verbs such as “understand,” “grasp,” “ruminate,” and “debate.”)

Indeed, you can still see the Anglo-Saxon root at work in the noun, “lead,” as farmers and horse riders use it. For these folk, a lead is a rope or tether that helps you “persuade” an animal to amble from point x to point y.

Interestingly, “leadership” evolved much later than “to lead” and “leader.”

According to the OED, the first known written record of “leadership” occurs in 1821, whereas the verb is attested as early as 825 and “leader” first appears in 1300. But, is it a coincidence that the first two occurrences of “leadership” are in written accounts of the British House of Commons?

Perhaps the concept of being a leader—as distinct, say, from being a king, pope, or general—arose partly in the context of England’s expanding parliamentary system. Inherited, divinely appointed roles of command were in decline, while those who could motivate and cajole by other means—the mysterious secret ingredient of leadership—were on the rise. That is my theory, at any rate.

So, in the spirit of “I’ll-know-it-when-I-see-it,” this issue of The Blue and The Gray explores specific examples of leadership at Poly, rather than attempting windy generalizations. Poly is pre-eminently a can-do school, a place where faculty and students “dig” in and make things happen, intellectually, physically, and morally.

Our alumni, too, are distinguished by their professional success long after they leave college behind.

To answer why, we have looked at Poly leaders in widely different contexts— politics and literature, the military, music, athletics, and the family—across three different centuries. Poly’s history yields a rich crop of leaders who may surprise you!

Read, enjoy, and decide for yourself what students and alumni learn about leadership under our tall white tower.

at t h e h e l m David B. Harman, Headmaster

What The Koru Tells Us About Being A Moral Leader

I

n my office I have something called a “koru” from New Zealand. My koru is made of beautiful colored glass and was a gift from the Headmaster of Christ Church School on New Zealand’s South Island. His squash team presented it when they visited Poly last winter.

A koru is the emblem of New Zealand’s indigenous Mãori people, and is a spiral shape based on a new, unfurling fern frond. I admire the Mãori’s spirituality, reverence for nature and the symbolism they find in a fern!

For the Mãori, the koru is a symbol of three things: new beginnings, growth, and harmony. These values are also part of ethical leadership and global citizenship in the 21st century. Here at Poly, we strive to foster these traits and concepts in our students and alumni. Let me briefly explain.

We all start anew each day. The slate is clean; the canvas is bare. Feeling inspired by a sense of daily beginnings is vital to successful leadership. As we exhort Poly students: “Begin afresh today, start strong and work hard. If you struggle, seek help or advice. Take full advantage of all the opportunities and great challenges at our school.” When our current students become alumni, we hope they will continue to work hard, do their best, and strive for excellence every day.

This ideal came alive in a special way recently when Anni Zukauskas (Visual Art; Girls’ Lacrosse) told me about her visit last summer to the offices of New England Patriots, coach Bill Belichick. Anni noticed the coach had surprised his team by removing all the photographs of their prior championships, leaving the walls bare. He did this as a bold message to the team that their destiny lay ahead. Past glory was just that; it could not guarantee victory in the new season.

Growth is the second quality the koru represents. Growth can be physical, intellectual, or spiritual. We urge Poly students to become lifelong learners now, so that they will grow to be continually enriched by their education, far into adulthood.

My wife, Kristin, and I were in Turkey for two weeks this past summer. We learned a great deal by simply being in such a different country, far away from what was comfortable and familiar. Discovering the history of Turkey, the cradle of so many civilizations and empires and a country at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, inspired us. I feel I have grown to be better informed and truly enriched by my experience there.

A koru

Harmony, the last koru theme, is the most important. Not only does it sound like my name, but I really believe that Poly can and should be a harmonious place. Without harmony, growth and new beginnings are not possible.

By harmony, I do not mean everyone must agree. Rather, the word suggests inner peace, mutual respect, synergy, cooperation, and collaboration. (Our still young century surely needs these values more each day.) Harmony is really about the group, the team, or the cast in a play being more important than the individual. It means putting others first, celebrating diversity, standing up for the underdog, being a good person. Bullying, lying, cheating, and stealing erode harmony very quickly. These are not tolerated at Poly, nor are they qualities of ethical leaders or global citizens. We urge all Poly students to demonstrate moral leadership and celebrate diversity and tolerance in all they do or say.

We also hope that Poly alumni have kept that lesson, to value character above all else. Make a new beginning each morning, grow a little each day, and strive to bring harmony and team work in whatever you have chosen as your vocation. Find your own version of the koru. Let it remind you of these enduring Poly (and Mãori) ideals.

P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

3

Middle school singers signal their enthusiasm as they prepare to take the stage during our 2010 Winter Arts Festival.

P O LY I S T H E P E R F O R M I N G A RT S !

4

U ee & & ttHHee g grray ay t H e BB ll U

Po l yl yP rP e Po r pe pMMaaggaaz zi n i nee : : w wi inntteerr 22001100 –– 22 0 01 1

5

HOW A LEADING LITERARY LIGHT GOT HIS START AT POLY

L

An Interview with Poet, Translator, and Scholar Stephen Mitchell ’60 iterary translation can be difficult, thankless work—the translator, no matter how skillful, is often overshadowed by the original author. Stephen Mitchell ’60 is an exception to that rule. A leading poet and writer, as well as translator, Mitchell is widely known for his ability to make old classics thrillingly new, to step in where many have tried before and to create versions which have been called masterpieces, and definitive for our time. Born in Brooklyn in 1943, educated at Poly Prep, Amherst, the Sorbonne, and Yale, and, he writes, “de-educated through intensive Zen practice,” his many books include the bestselling Tao Te Ching, Gilgamesh, and The Second Book of the Tao, as well as The Gospel According to Jesus, Bhagavad Gita, The Book of Job, and Meetings with the Archangel.

He is married to Byron Katie and co-wrote two of her bestselling books: Loving What Is and A Thousand Names for Joy. You can read extensive excerpts from all his books on his website, www.stephenmitchellbooks.com.

Poly Prep: Where did you grow up? When and how did you first come to Poly?

A leading translator, Stephen Mitchell ‘60 is also an accomplished poet and novelist.

6

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

STEPHEN MITCHELL: In Borough Park, 49th Street and 13th Avenue. The neighborhood is heavily Hassidic now, but when I grew up it was mostly populated by secular and Reform Jews, with a sprinkling of Italians and Germans.

I began at Poly in 1952, in the fifth grade. There were about a dozen of us who spent eight years together at Poly and are still around to tell the tale. As for the how: with curiosity, a bit of nervousness at such exalted surroundings, and a good deal of exhilaration. I remember standing in line at the school bookstore the first day, just bursting with excitement at so many new things to learn.

PP: How would you describe yourself at that time in your life? Were you gregarious? Bookish? Were you impatient to leave home and strike out on your own?

SM: I wasn’t as gregarious as some of my classmates, but I wasn’t ill at ease either, as a nine-year-old. Bookish?

My ambition in life was to be Willie Mays. But I did love learning. One of my happiest moments as a young boy was getting my first card to the Brooklyn Public Library.

Here’s a little story about my first month or so in the fifth grade. In those days, every Tuesday morning, all Poly students, from the fifth grade up through the sixth form, attended a Protestant service in the school chapel.

We didn’t have a choice; attendance was compulsory.

This was my first exposure to Christianity. I liked the hymns. I liked the silences. I didn’t understand the Gospel stories and parables, which were read in a dignified, stuffy voice by our headmaster, J. Folwell Scull, Jr., a man for whom I had an instinctive respect and whose name seemed to me a kind of weird poem that contained all the mystery of upper-class WASP America. But the readings touched me. They made me wonder about this Jesus. They also made me feel guilty.

I knew I was Jewish (whatever that was), and I suspected that my response to these stories was some kind of disloyalty to my family. So I made a deal with God, or with myself. The deal went like this: it was all right for me to be attracted to Jesus as long as I didn’t recite the words of the Lord’s Prayer along with the other boys. If I kept silent, I wasn’t really betraying my family.

The deal worked, for five or six weeks. Then one Tuesday morning after chapel—it must have been

toward the middle of October—my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Commins, took me aside. (She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and I was in love with her.) She said she had been watching me in chapel during the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer. She had noticed that I kept my mouth closed, and she wondered why. I told her that I didn’t feel it was right for me to recite the prayer, because I was Jewish. “Oh,” she said, “but the words of Jesus are for all people.”

At that moment something opened in my heart. I felt that I had been given permission by someone I loved and trusted to listen to Jesus. I wasn’t being disloyal to my family at all, and it was perfectly all right for me to be Jewish as I listened. Still, there was a lot in the Gospel passages that I heard on those Tuesday mornings that confused me or left me cold. I didn’t know if I believed the miracle stories, the walking on water, the loaves and fishes. When I thought about them, my reaction was: “Is this possible? Maybe, but so what?”

Of course, it would be cool to learn how to walk on water, but it would also be cool to learn how to water-ski. Anyway, the miracle stories weren’t what attracted me to Jesus. What I loved was his kindness and the beauty of his words. But I was more bothered by other things. For example, Jesus talked about forgiveness and loving your enemies. But many of his speeches seemed to be the words of a very angry man, condemning his enemies in violent terms.

Then there was the question of heaven and hell. If, as Jesus said, God loves everyone, even the wicked, how could God send anyone to a horrible punishment that would never end? And what was all this stuff about Jesus’ being “the only-begotten Son of God”? What did that mean? Did it mean that God had had sex with Jesus’ mother? And why did it matter whether I believed anything about Jesus? How could God reward or punish me for what I believed? In short, some of the Gospel teachings seemed very beautiful, even when I didn’t understand them. Others seemed kind of awful.

It was all very confusing.

P O LY P R E P M A G A Z I N E : W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

7

Many years later, this led to a book of mine called The Gospel According to Jesus, in which I tried to sort out the authentic sayings and doings of Jesus from the ones that were added later by the early church. It has been quite popular, though it is of course anathema to the fundamentalists, both Jewish and Christian.

PP: Were there any teachers at Poly who strongly influenced or shaped you—personally or professionally?

SM: Sure. Mrs. Commins in the fifth grade, of course.

Then there was Mrs. Bowler in the sixth grade, whom I adored; she came from Virginia and taught me a great deal about manners and courtesy. Her class was also my first exposure to Homer, as it happens; she had us trace Flaxman’s spear-carrying, negligee-wearing Athena onto drawing paper and color it in, and that was the beginning of my love of Greek culture. There were many other excellent teachers at Poly, including Mr. Lucas, who limped and taught Latin and kept generations of boys in abject terror with his insults and his booming voice, though he was always very nice to me; Mr. Desmé, who came from Caen, France, and called boys who displeased him “worms” and whose own pure French resulted in wonderful accents in those of his students who cared (I lived in France for a summer when I was sixteen, and the first time someone spoke to me, I was able to say, “Il n’est pas nécessaire de parler si lentement, madame”); and Dr. Kastendieck, who taught sixth-form English and was the advisor to the Polygon and whom we all deeply admired (his nickname was “the Penguin,” perhaps because of his rather formal geniality).

PP: You went on to Amherst and Yale—what did you study there? Do you feel that Poly prepared you well for college and graduate school?

SM: French, English, and Comparative Literature.

Poly prepared me very well indeed, but eventually, I discovered that becoming a professional academic wasn’t my interest. Eventually I dropped out of Yale before completing my doctorate, packed up my work on the Book of Job, went out to Berkeley, and settled into many years of intensive Zen training in order to unravel everything I thought I knew.

PP: When did you decide to pursue literary translation professionally? What drew (and continues to draw) you to translation work?

SM: I never decided to pursue anything professionally.

8

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

It was all decided for me. And translating was something I backed into. Here is (briefly) how it happened. When I was at Yale, my girlfriend dumped me, and for a year I was very distraught and confused. I didn’t know how to deal with the pain in my heart. During that time, I felt magnetically attracted to the Book of Job, because it seemed to me the place in the Western tradition (I knew nothing about Buddhism or Hinduism or the Tao Te Ching) that most deeply addressed the question of human suffering. I thought that if somehow I could understand God’s answer to Job at the end of Job, in the magnificent epiphany out of the Whirlwind, then I would understand the way out of my own suffering.

So I read Job many times in the King James Version. Then I decided that I had better learn Hebrew, in order to get closer to the poem. Then, after a year or so, I decided that I had better learn textual scholarship, because the Hebrew is in a good deal of disrepair. Well, one thing led to another, and all this time I was translating Job into English verse as a way of becoming more intimate with it. Fast-forward six years ahead: I was becoming quite pleased with the state of the translation, but one day it suddenly dawned on me that I was not one bit closer to understanding the answer from the Whirlwind, that I would never understand it from words on a page, however magnificent those words were, and that the only way to understand was to meet someone who had embodied that understanding in his flesh.

I decided to go to India to try to find an enlightened master, and I began to learn Hindi in preparation. But before I could even buy a plane ticket, a friend of mine said, “You should go meet this monk in Providence, Rhode Island. He came to America six months ago and he’s supporting himself repairing washing machines in a laundromat. He says he’s a Zen master. I don’t know if he is or not, but he has very strange eyes.” Well, I did go to see him, and as soon as I looked into his eyes, I was sure that he understood. He asked me to study with him, and after a year of very intensive training, in June of 1974, I found myself in the center of Job’s Whirlwind, and everything was dazzlingly clear. After that, I never had a doubt about the intelligence of the universe. It was just the beginning of a very long process of unlearning, but it was a good beginning.

What continues to draw me to translating the great poets and spiritual masters? It’s always the same: I fall in love with a consciousness, and I want to enter a deeper intimacy with that consciousness. It’s like marriage: you

fall in love with someone and you want to know her as deeply as you can, so you make a deep commitment. It’s an honor and a privilege.

PP: In addition to your work as a translator, you are also a distinguished writer of fiction, essays, poetry, and on spiritual and religious topics. Does shifting from translation to writing require a shifting of your intellectual gears? Or are they complementary processes?

SM: No, they’re quite similar processes for me. What is necessary is a great inner silence and an intense listening. What you want to hear creates what you eventually hear. I never choose a project; it chooses me. And it is always beyond my capacity when I begin, and somehow, by the time I finish, it has shown itself to be within my capacity.

PP: You have just finished a translation of The Iliad.

Are there added challenges to translating something so well known to so many people?

SM: No. Most of the books I have translated are classics: Genesis, Job, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tao Te Ching, Gilgamesh, and so on. They have been translated many times. When my Tao Te Ching came out, for example, someone did a little research and found out that it had already been translated 103 times into English alone.

But my version struck a chord and became a bestseller and has changed many people’s lives, so they tell me. I think that is because I was translating not the words, but something beyond the words, which I could intuit through my own experience of meditation.

If a book has been translated superbly, why would I bother? I wouldn’t make my own version unless I felt there was a real need for it. The Iliad, for example—I have always felt that our translations are woefully inadequate.

The story itself couldn’t be more gripping, and you can get a sense of that from even the most mediocre prose translation. But the oceanic music of the Greek—its splendor, its simplicity, the elegance of its language,

the speed of its movement, the vastness of the mind that created it—barely comes across in English, to my ear at least.

These last two and half years of working on it have been deeply satisfying and terrific fun.

PP: Can you describe how you approached Rilke’s poem “Spanish Dancer”? Did it have any particular challenges, and if so how did you overcome them?

SM: I really don’t remember the process of translating that particular poem, thirty-odd years ago. The challenge of Rilke in general is that his verse has a highly formal beauty to it—it is all strictly metered and most of it rhymed—and to give any feeling of its gorgeousness in the original, the translation has to approach or at least suggest that kind of formal music. My meters in English are a bit looser than Rilke’s because I like the sound of a more conversational iambic pentameter, and I use off-rhymes rather than full rhymes because that gives me more wiggle-room.

Rilke himself as a translator—he did marvelous German versions of most of Paul Valéry’s great poems—was quite free as to content, but he worked in formal patterns that were strictly equivalent to the originals.

PP: The “aroused and clicking” line, for instance, is translated very differently by other Rilke translators.

How did you arrive at this?

SM: Here is my translation of Rilke’s “Spanish Dancer”: As on all its sides a kitchen-match darts white flickering tongues before it bursts into flame: with the audience around her, quickened, hot, her dance begins to flicker in the dark room.

And all at once it is completely fire.

One upward glance and she ignites her hair and, whirling faster and faster, fans her dress into passionate flames, till it becomes a furnace from which, like startled rattlesnakes, the long naked arms uncoil, aroused and clicking.

P O LY P R E P M A G A Z I N E : W I N T E R 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

9

And then: as if the fire were too tight around her body, she takes and flings it out haughtily, with an imperious gesture, and watches: it lies raging on the floor, still blazing up, and the flames refuse to die--.

Till, moving with total confidence and a sweet exultant smile, she looks up finally and stamps it out with powerful small feet.

Your question is about the phrase “the long / naked arms uncoil, aroused and clicking.” The German says “die nackten Arme wach und klappernd strecken”— literally, “the naked arms stretch awake and rattling (clattering, clacking).” It’s a powerful image, in which we see the arms of the dancer clicking her castanets and also, superimposed onto the arms, a pair of rattlesnakes shaking their rattles. I used the word “long,” which isn’t in the German, because I needed an off-rhyme for “clicking,” since Rilke’s couplet rhymes. “Naked arms” is literal. My “uncoil” is, to my mind, a good, snaky way of saying “stretch out.” “Aroused” is a sexier way of saying “awake.” “Clicking” comes back to the castanets, where “rattling” was not a possibility for me, since I had already written “rattlesnakes” in the previous line. The whole line in English—“naked arms uncoil, aroused and clicking”—forms a quite classical iambic pentameter, and I may well have smiled when it came to me.

PP: What about the meter of the last part which seems to physically re-enact the stamping of “powerful small feet”? How did you arrive at this?

SM: Yes that worked out nicely, didn’t it? As for how I arrived at it: I don’t remember. Reading it again after many years, though, I notice that the German literally means “and stamps it out with small feet” and that the German line is a tetrameter—it has four beats instead of the five beats that all the other lines have. So it comes to an unexpected and rather shocking stop—an interesting Rilkean effect. I could have written “and stamps it out with little feet,” but that sounds quite feeble in English.

I must have liked the sound of “powerful small feet,” and to my ear the word “powerful” enhanced the image, or at least didn’t detract from it.

PP: Rilke is also a tremendously difficult poet to translate into English, since most of his later work is highly abstract and philosophical. The Anglophone poetic tradition is very different. What attracted you to Rilke?

SM: Tremendously difficult, yes, but in my 10

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

opinion not because his later work is “abstract and philosophical.” At least I don’t experience it that way.

I think it’s difficult because it is so compressed; he is writing at white-hot intensity, the way Shakespeare wrote in his late work, sometimes to the point of being almost unintelligible. (Note the “almost.”) I think that Rilke is rare among even the great poets in that he is writing about human experience from a wider and deeper perspective than what is available to most of us. His masterpieces, Duino Elegies and The Sonnets to Orpheus, are, for many people, the most profound works of twentieth-century literature, and part of the reason that they have such a large audience in the English-speaking world is that they speak from a place that on some level all of us are longing to connect with.

As for my attraction to Rilke: I discovered him in Paris, in 1962, during my junior year in college, when my girlfriend gave me a copy of his Letters to a Young Poet in French. (This is the same girlfriend who later dumped me, bless her heart, and set me on my spiritual path. Eighteen years later we met again, and when I told her the story of what happened after she left, she was appalled. It took her a few days to understand why I was so grateful to her.

We have been dear friends ever since then.) When I first read this book, I was amazed. I had never heard anyone speak to me so directly, with such wisdom, about love and poetry and solitude as a creative source. I had thought it was a kind of disease. I was so powerfully impressed that I decided to learn German when I returned to Amherst, so that I could read his poems in the original.

PP: Auden famously described Rilke as the “Santa Claus of loneliness.” How would you react to that statement?

SM: It’s witty but glib. On second thought, it’s not so witty, since I’m having trouble making sense of it.

Solitude is not necessarily loneliness. As for the Santa Claus image, really now, Wystan...

PP: Why is translation important?

SM: Without translation, most of us wouldn’t have access to most of the great works of spirituality and literature. We would be stuck in our own cultural provinciality. No Bible (though in some ways that would be a good thing), no Homer, no Lao Tzu, no Dante, no Spinoza, no Tolstoy, no Proust—for starters.

Our world would be very much diminished. 

Leaders of the

Band

W

Just What Is It About the Charismatic Megafauna?

By Rebecca Grossfield

hat is it about American family bands? Perhaps it is the natural harmony between family members that creates an irresistible synergy.

P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

11

In the 1850s, there were the Snowdens, an African American family of siblings who sang their way across rural Ohio. Upon nearing a settlement, they would play their unique combination of flute, banjo, dulcimer, and fiddle to announce their arrival.

Nearly 100 years later, another popular wave of family groups like the Everly Brothers and the Cowsills performed their hits at venues across the country.

American music is fortunate to claim these classic groups, and Poly has its own new and vital musical family: the Bilgers, whose family band is whimsically named Charismatic Megafauna.

If Poly ever had a house band, Charismatic Megafauna might be it. Singer Jen Nelson teaches music at Poly Lower School and advises A Capella at the Middle and Upper Schools. Two of her three children, Hans ’12 and Ruby ’14, have been at Poly since the 6th grade and the youngest, Evangelina, plans to start at Poly in Middle School.

The band derives its name from the family’s love of science. In zoological terms, The Charismatic Megafauna refers to giant animals with widespread popular appeal, such as polar bears and humpback whales. The Bilgers’ Charismatic Megafauna include Burkhard, the father, on guitar; Jen, mother and Poly teacher, on violin and accordion; son Hans on stand-up bass; daughter Ruby on vocals and percussion; friend and Burkhard’s former surfband-mate, Michael, on ukulele; and the youngest Bilger, Evangelina, jumping in whenever she feels like it.

A set list for a particular Megafaunic evening might include old-timey folk songs, novelty tunes, and rockand-roll classics, filtered through their own signature family style. “We play whatever we feel like playing, whatever we’re listening to at the time,” says Jen. They are a traveling band, and will play nearly anywhere.

The Charismatic Megafauna have even been known to dress in old-timey garb, when required, and have performed at family gatherings, weddings, and restaurants.

It is the experience of playing music for friends and family that motivates them. “It’s a unique and fun thing to 1 2 T H E B L U E & T H E GRAY

share and enjoy music together,” said Jen. “We don’t think of music as an individual activity. If we just played on our own it would seem kind of isolated, but instead it’s like bringing everyone together into this wonderful community,” Jen laughed. “In high school we used to perform for our families around holidays like Christmas. So maybe that was when we first started to perform and to enjoy sharing music.”

Even before high school sweethearts Jennifer Nelson and Burkhard Bilger left rural Oklahoma for New York City, they were passionate about music. Their range of musical influences is reflected in the diverse setlist the family might play on any given night.

The morning after the performance I attended, we met over coffee, and Jen and Burkhard discussed their varied influences. “I was really into the Velvet Underground, Nick Drake, Jethro Tull, and older bands,” said Burkhard.

“But I also like classical music, and I have an older brother and sister who introduced me to new wave and punk.”

“I guess I’d describe my taste as eclectic. I really like 1920s jazz, the Beatles, and crooner music like Frank Sinatra, the Inkspots, and the Russian Army Singers,” explained Jen. After high school, Burkhard attended Yale, then worked as a science writer for Discover magazine. He’s since published his own book, Noodling for Flatheads: Moonshine, Monster Catfish and Other Southern Comforts, and now explores science, nature, and culture as a staff writer for The New Yorker. And of course, he continues to play music.

Jen attended the University of Texas at Austin, and studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. She has studied with opera singers, performed recitals, done live music for a dance company, and worked in children’s theatre. Currently, she teaches music and chorus to Nursery-4th grade students at the Lower School and is faculty advisor to the a cappella group at Poly’s Upper School. When asked about teaching music at Poly, Jen responded: “What I love most about teaching singing is that every child is able to sing,” she says.

“I realized that everyone has more flexibility than they

think, you can really teach someone to sing back to you through singing and ear training,” she explained. She has worked with children of all ages, and especially enjoys the little ones.

“They are so perceptive.

They really mimic your movements. They’ll even breathe like you. And what I love about doing this at Poly is being part of a community that celebrates the arts. Nothing is set in stone. You can come up with an idea and just see what happens. For instance, last year we had this idea to bring A Cappella to sing at the Phillies game. We were actually able to make it happen!

To me, that’s what Poly is about.” (Visit youtube.com/ polyprepcds to see a video of A Cappella’s performance.)

For the Bilgers, music is a real family affair. “I picked up a bass the summer after 4th grade,” said Hans, who plays guitar, bass, ukulele, trumpet, shakers, xylophone, mandolin, and sings. But it all started with the bass. “I took upright bass lessons with Tim Wilkins and I loved it.”

In 8th grade, Hans joined the Blues Devils and the afterschool jam band. “I joined Jam Band because the saying is true: everyone needs a bass player,” he said. “I met my friend Eli, a former Poly student, and we started our own group, Men Who Shave, and we play all original music.”

Hans also performs with the Brooklyn Symphony Youth Orchestra (conducted by our very own Performing Arts department head, Nick Armstrong). He and a fellow Poly student were privileged to play in the pit of last year’s musical Oklahoma!, an honor typically reserved for professional musicians. “Mr. Armstrong gave us the music 3 months in advance and we practiced hitting all the cues and following the conductor. One of my big learning experiences was practicing sight-reading, something every musician has to do. Watching the professional musicians at work and being a part of that was a great experience.”

Hans also plays varsity squash and excels academically.

Two of his favorite classes are biology and Latin. “I love Latin as a language, for its beauty in structure and form.

My two Latin teachers (Mr. McGrann and Dr. Gini) have been really great,” said Hans.

“Ms. Swain’s AP Biology class last year was incredible. I’ve never had to assimilate so much information in a single year, but she makes it manageable because she knows how to make you succeed in that class,” he said. “This is probably the subject I want to study in college, along with music.”

Hans’ sister Ruby began 9th grade this year at Poly.

She pursues the arts both in and out of Poly, taking dance at Mark Morris on Saturdays, performing with the Church Choir at Old First Reformed Church in Brooklyn, and starring in last year’s Middle School musical, The Pirates of Penzance.

“That’s one thing that’s so great about Poly,” Jen said. “As a student, you’re not locked into any one particular thing and you have the freedom to be a well-rounded individual.”

Beyond their own interests, Ruby and Hans embody the spirit of leadership at Poly. On any given day, either of them might be spotted performing for their peers in morning Chapel. “Even if you don’t do plays or play music, being comfortable performing is important in lots of other areas, like public speaking and leadership,” Ruby said, noting that all students must eventually participate in the Bearns public speaking competition.

The Bilgers’ enthusiasm for music and performance has spread to other Poly families, too. “The thing about the family band is that it’s really fun,” said Burkhard. “We’ve started having block parties. Another Poly parent, Brian (“Buck”) McAllister P’15, started his own family band, a surf band called The Tiki Brothers,” he added. “Poly responds to music. This is a community of people who love music, and we love to play.”

Last summer, the Bilgers took a 6-week road trip, with stops at the Rochester Jazz Festival; Madison, Wisconsin; a drop-off of Hans at jazz camp in Kansas; Oklahoma and North Dakota. Naturally, they played music with family and friends along the way. With the entire family in tow (except the cats), the biggest concern was fitting instruments, luggage, and one another into the car. “But the thing is,” said Ruby, “we used to pack my trumpet on the roof. This year, I actually got a pocket trumpet to take on the road.” n P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

13

Seth Low:

Servant of the People by brendan Hughes

How the only man to serve as mayor of both Brooklyn and New York got his start at Poly

N

ew York has a tradition of fostering powerful political families. From the Rockefellers and the Roosevelts to the Vanderbilts and the Cuomos, certain renowned families in the city’s history have exercised great power over municipal and national affairs. Less known, however, is the Low family, and the career of Seth Low, Poly Class of 1866. He was mayor of Brooklyn, the second mayor of Greater New York, president of Columbia University, and an effective crusader for progressive causes.

While his story may have been underplayed in the history books, his legacy continues to shape New York City and inform Poly’s commitment to public service and leadership.

The Lows were one of America’s elite families. They came to Massachusetts from

14

U EE && TTHHEE GGRRAY AY T H EE BB LL U

England in the 1630s. Seth Low’s great grandfather fought at Lexington and Bunker Hill during the Revolutionary War, his grandmother descended from the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, and his grandfather, who left Massachusetts for New York in the eighteenth century, made a fortune importing goods from the Far East.

Seth Low ca. 1910 (Courtesy of the Poly Archives)

The growth of the Low family business mirrored the expansion of New York City. In 1825, three years before the Lows arrived in Manhattan, the Erie Canal opened, linking New York Harbor with the ports of the Great Lakes and the growing West. At the same time, merchants benefited from the opening of the port of Canton in southern China, and Low’s Fletcher Street shop (selling imported goods such as “myrrh and aloes from Africa, mush in pods, gum benzoin, peppers...

Bombay arrow-root,

[and] Mocha gum...”) quickly grew into one of New York’s largest wholesalers of Chinese goods.

Low’s father, Abiel Abbot Low, carried on the family business, and traveled to the company’s office in the Chinese port of Canton to learn the intricacies of trade in China. He later returned to America and founded A.A. Low and Brothers, which adopted the emphatic motto, “the foremost American house in the China trade.”

Like his father, Abiel Abbot Low became a pillar of the Brooklyn community, helping to found the Brooklyn Public Library, and serving as president of the Packer Collegiate Institute.

By the time Seth Low was born, on January 18, 1850, Brooklyn had quickly transformed from a sleepy town to a growing industrial city. Low’s grandfather had added real estate development to his portfolio, building houses on Concord and Washington Streets, along with Brooklyn’s first classical school.

Writing again to his sister, he said he felt in awe of his grandfather’s reputation as a businessman and leader of the community. “I feel I will have to struggle hard to be worthy of being called after such a man,” he wrote. “But with God’s help, I shall do my best.”

Although Low’s school records are lost to time, he reflected upon his years at Poly in a 1910 speech to students. In the 1860s, when Low was a student, Poly embraced what was known as the laboratory method of teaching—an educational philosophy that emphasized real-world experience and learningby-doing. In Latin classes, for example, students would learn by translating Catullus or Livy.

In addition, Poly had strict course distribution requirements, including Latin, literature, and the natural sciences. These requirements, as Low explained, were liable to change even after students matriculated.

In Low’s case, this meant that instead of graduating in 1865 as scheduled, he was forced to stay another year because of new requirements adopted “in the bond,” he said.

That zeal for education would stay with Low throughout his life.

As the son of one of Brooklyn’s leading families, Seth’s childhood was one of privilege, though not without some hardship. His mother died in childbirth, and an aunt raised him. A sickly child (not unlike his contemporary and fellow New Yorker, Theodore Roosevelt), he was held out of school until the age of seven and often accompanied his father on business trips to Europe. His half brother later recalled that Seth taught himself to read using wooden alphabet blocks.

“This circumstance reflected the fact that headmaster Dr. Cochran had the audacity to expect all the boys who had applied for a diploma to have fitted themselves in every subject which the diploma was supposed to cover,” Low told Poly students in his 1910 speech.

That zeal for education would stay with Low throughout his life. Although records from this period are scant, in 1861, he entered the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, as Poly was then known, on Livingston Street. Around that time he wrote to his sister that he was “doing splendidly in French,” where his average of eighty-nine and a half “puts me on the best merit roll and I think it will lead the school.”

While still a student, Low founded Poly’s first Young Republicans Club. He would later deploy his leadership skills to organize a Brooklyn-wide group of young Republicans, which would help to propel Low to the role of Brooklyn mayor at the young age of 31. Brooklyn then was one of the most strongly pro-Republican cities in the nation. While draft riots and talk of city secession smoldered in Manhattan, in Brooklyn, abolitionists such as Henry Ward Beecher, staunchly supported the Union, Lincoln, and the Republican Party.

As a young man, Low felt the pressure of his family’s expectations and his social position.

Low went on to Columbia College (as Columbia University was then known) and the State

Po lylyP rep aga zz in Po P repMM aga i ne e : : w wi innter ter 22001100 –– 22 0 01 1

15

University of New York at Albany, where he earned his law degree. He returned to Brooklyn to work for his father, but he was restless. “I am not clear in my mind that I wish to pass my whole career in business,” he wrote to his father.

By 1876, Low had tired of the counting house.

He left his father’s firm and went to work as a volunteer visitor for the County Commission of Charities, where he visited destitute families to verify their eligibility for charitable aid from churches and other non-governmental groups.

Walking the streets and back alleys of Brooklyn, Low witnessed not only the suffering of the city’s poorest families, but also saw the modest public welfare system corrupted by the city’s political bosses, who manipulated the cash payments meant for needy families. Low made it his mission to change the system.

Seth Low successfully lobbied for changes to the public welfare system (including founding the Brooklyn Bureau of Charities as a nonpartisan clearinghouse for the borough’s charity cases). In 1880, using the leadership and organizational skills he had honed at Poly, he founded the James A. Garfield and Chester A. Arthur Campaign Club.

He rallied more than 800 young Brooklynites to help Garfield win the borough, and go on to become the 20th President of the United States.

The 1880 campaign became Low’s entry into Brooklyn politics. No doubt drawing on the Young Republicans Club from his Poly days, Low organized a Brooklyn Young Republicans Club.

Its members, he wrote, would “utterly disclaim any sympathy with the current supercilious expressions of contempt for political positions and political war. We believe in the honorableness of public office. No station is higher or more to be esteemed than that of a servant of the people.”

The following year, Low was nominated as the Republican candidate for Mayor of Brooklyn.

Though he did not seek the nomination, Low’s reputation as a reformer and an independent voice in Brooklyn politics made him an ideal candidate.

16

U EE && TTHHEE GGRRAY AY T H EE BB LL U

Low ran against Hugh McLaughlin, a disciple of Manhattan’s infamous Tammany Hall leader William “Boss” Tweed. Low’s campaign literature took on the machine in almost messianic tones: “Men of Brooklyn,” read one pamphlet, “you are to be redeemed, regenerated, disenthralled…

SETH LOW upholds your banner. His heart is right; his head is level; his hands are clean…”

He was elected by a slim margin of some five thousand votes.

As mayor, Low upheld his promises of reform. He instituted strict civil service requirements, property tax assessments, and improved Brooklyn’s public schools. Indeed, few priorities ranked higher than education. Low regularly toured schools and sat in on classes. He made textbooks free to all students and, perhaps most remarkably, he racially integrated the city’s school system. “Patronage,” the New York Times wrote in October 1883, “has been abolished in Brooklyn.”

But Low’s independence, his disdain for machine politics and the backroom deal, cost him.

As mayor, he alienated other politicians and segments of the community who depended on patronage. In 1884, in his second term as mayor, he supported Grover Cleveland, a Democrat for president over the Republican James G. Blaine, and many in his own party never forgave him.

In 1886, he retired from public life at the age of 36, content to work for favored causes such as housing reform.

Had his career ended there, Seth Low might have been a footnote in the history of New York City and the Progressive Era. But in 1890, Low was suddenly in the spotlight when he accepted the presidency of his alma mater, Columbia College.

Columbia then was a small, struggling institution.

Located in Midtown Manhattan, the school had a reputation, one historian wrote, of “indoctrinating an elitist group with the orthodox socio-political, economic and moral values of the society, and not [challenging] or [questioning] those values.”

Low turned the floundering college into a competent university, moving the campus

uptown to its current Morningside Heights location, emphasizing research, public service and the sciences. He used European universities as an organizational model.

Low’s success at Columbia brought him back into the political fold once again. In the years since he had served as Brooklyn’s mayor, the Progressive Era had blossomed and Low’s trailblazing positions on issues such as civil service reform were considered mainstream by the turn of the twentieth century.

Another sea-change in municipal politics lured Low back into public life: in 1898, after more than a decade of debate, New York City annexed Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island, which, with Manhattan and the Bronx, formed a consolidated Greater New York.

civil service, improved schools, and worked to root out corruption and waste, but in the process he alienated groups who depended on corrupt political patronage (particularly Irish immigrants, who were the base of the Tammany Hall political machine), and he lacked the charisma of reformers like Theodore Roosevelt. Lawson Purdy, a contemporary of Low and fellow progressive reformer said that Low “didn’t mix well with people who were not of his own upbringing.”

George B. McClellan, who defeated Low in the 1903 mayoral election, was less charitable: “Seth Low was entirely devoid of any sense of humor,” McClellan wrote in his memoirs. “With all his good intentions he never won the public, which, by the end of his term was thoroughly tired of him.”

The visionary causes (Low) championed were far ahead of their time.

Consolidation was a contentious issue. William L. Strong, New York’s mayor before the consolidation, suggested holding a funeral for the city instead of the planned gala celebration. But progressives such as Seth Low saw consolidation as necessary to the efficient operation of city government. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, Brooklyn had become the third largest city in America, and Queens was growing quickly. Three cities sharing the same harbor, and the same roadways and bridges, Low believed, was a recipe for chaos and waste.

In 1897, he ran for mayor in the first election after the consolidation. But even with the support of writer Mark Twain, who campaigned with Low and drew huge crowds, he lost. Low ran again in 1901 on a “fusion” ticket. Both the Republican Party and the Citizen’s Union, a government group that opposed political patronage, endorsed him. This time he won.

Low’s term as Mayor of New York was marked by many of the same reforms as his term in Brooklyn twenty years before. He established a

Yet Seth Low never tired of public service. From the time of this final defeat until his death in 1916, he worked tirelessly for progressive causes, serving as president of the National Civic Federation, which worked to improve relations between labor and business interests, and as chairman of the Tuskegee Institute, a historically African American college in Alabama.

More than a century after his single term as Mayor of New York, and 130 years after his service as Mayor of Brooklyn, Seth Low has receded into the fabric of the Progressive Era. Today, Low’s career may seem unremarkable. But the visionary causes he championed—the establishment of a civil service, the integration of public schools, and the audacity of a municipal government that serves all of its citizens—were far ahead of their time. And while Low may have lacked the charismatic fire of more successful politicians, the substance of his leadership and commitment to the common good are clear. Those qualities were the foundation of Low’s career as a public servant, and they are the same qualities that form the foundation of a Poly education today. n

Po lylyP rep aga zz in Po P repMM aga i ne e : : w wi innter ter 22001100 –– 22 0 01 1

17

Before He Commanded a Submarine in the Pacific Theater, Admiral Mike Rindskopf ’34 Laid the Foundation for Leadership at Poly

Leadership For All Ages

BY MIKE RINDSKOPF ‘34

I

love to discuss leadership at any time, but the chance to present it in a personal way to the Poly community is an incredible opportunity.

leadership qualities. I played football with young men who were not less than three years older than me, and at that age, the difference is significant.

But let me start at the beginning. I came to Poly in 1928, accepted after a short interview with Dr. Joseph Dana Allen, the Headmaster. I was 10 and must admit that “leadership” was not in my vocabulary.

Fast forward six years when I graduated in the top 5% of my class, with letters in football and basketball, cum laude, and a member of OASIS, but I was not yet, even at 16, a leader.

Looking back, I offer you “Lesson One” on the way to successful leadership: be an enthusiastic public speaker whenever the microphone is offered. I realize now that participation in Poly’s debating society, declamation contests, (maybe even theater) and the like would have started me on the road to leadership.

My age—at 16, I was among Poly’s youngest graduates that year—was relevant to my own development of 18

U Ee & & TtHHEe G gRrAY ay Tt H Ee BB Ll U

At the U.S. Naval Academy, I was again one of the youngest members of my class. In those days, leadership was not a topic in the curriculum, although every midshipman had a chance to lead his peers as head of

a squad, platoon, or company. Yes, there were leaders like the quarterback of the football team or the class president, but I was not amongst that elite group.

However, things changed with the advent of World War II. I chose to enter the Submarine Force because I was told that was an opportunity “to become a big fish in a small pond rapidly”—and indeed it was! As I was rewarded with ever-increasing responsibility, it became increasingly clear that technical competence, an ability to impart my knowledge to others, a calm demeanor under fire, and an intense interest in the well-being of the sailors on my team constituted “leadership”.

The spark that led me to move forward with confidence, however, originated at Poly, and specifically with my Latin teacher, Dr. Hiram Austin Tuttle.

Dr. Tuttle was Poly’s assistant headmaster and head of the Latin Department. He also taught Greek when my father attended Poly in the late nineteenth century. Dr. Tuttle not only taught us why Ovid wrote as he did, but also imparted an understanding of how Ovid and all the other sages of that day lived and made a mark on history.

full backing of every officer and crewmember with some commenting “this is the best ship I have ever served in”. This suggests that “Lesson Three” is “consistency,” performing day-to-day and year-to-year at a level that exceeds the expectation of superiors, peers, and subordinates.

After retirement, opportunities to do good for your fellow citizens are limitless (although sage advice from your wife that you should sometimes say “no” is to be heeded). Over a period of some 20 years, I have served community associations, a country club, county and state library boards, and my class at the Naval Academy.

In each of these situations, without seeking the honor, I ultimately became president of the organization.

This, then, is “Lesson Three:” that a solid reputation as a leader brings more opportunities to serve in a significant capacity. Accept the challenges and leave each organization better than when you arrived.

Dr. Tuttle took a personal interest in each of us, thus ensuring that we got the most out of being in his presence. His interest in me did not cease on graduation, but carried through at least to the end of World War II. While I was driving a submarine into the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean (returning to port to retrieve mail every 60 days), I regularly received from Dr. Tuttle words of encouragement for duty performed and exhortation to continue my efforts in defense of our country.

Finally, let me tell you a story of the most significant leadership experience I have enjoyed. In 1983, my Class of 1938 at the Naval Academy met to discuss an endowment gift to the Superintendent as a fiftieth reunion expression of appreciation for the all the Academy did for each of us. There was a heated dialogue between those favoring a “bricks and mortar” memorial and those espousing a “living memorial”—something that would outlive the last surviving member of our class. Fortunately, the latter group won out and a sizable gift was made for such leadership initiatives as the Superintendent saw fit. That this transpired well before there was a Department of Leadership and Ethics at the Naval Academy is more to be praised.

So, here is leadership “Lesson Two:” mentors are vital to your success. Simply defined, mentors are seniors who have seen hidden potential, and are willing to expend time and energy imparting their knowledge and expertise on your behalf. In my case, I was blessed with four commanding officers who did just that over a period of about three years. Then, in a flash, I became a mentor when I became Commanding Officer of the submarine U.S.S. Drum at age 26. I was charged with leading my troops and nurturing the best in every one of them. To reiterate this lesson: seek out a mentor and learn as quickly as possible, because tomorrow you may be the mentor.

In 25 years, a one-day seminar for some 30 midshipmen has grown to a three-day Forum, widely acclaimed in academia, for some 100 midshipmen and 150 or more cadets from six military institutions, and 35 leading colleges and universities throughout the country. In 2010, the conference title was “Leadership Under Stress—Transforming Crises into Opportunity.” At each of these conclaves, I have had the pleasure of describing the origin of the conference, but I always conclude with a heartfelt expression of envy because the participants are embarking on careers where the appreciation of leadership will take them far even as the Class of 1938 inexorably departs the scene.

I have found that leadership, once acquired, is easily sustained. In subsequent commands I always had the

This, then, is “Lesson Four” of leadership: try it, you will like it. n P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

19

e

LEADOFF LITERATURE Upper School English Teacher Josina Reaves Reflects on America’s Pastime and a New Addition to Poly’s Summer Reading List

By JoSina reaVeS

B

efore the cool of last spring rolled away, I had already turned my attention to left field. The grounds crews at Yankee Stadium had snipped and rolled the grass to perfection, and the boys of summer were warming up the field, cleats cutting into the dirt, balls carving paths into gloves. Baseball leapt into the calendar lightly, with presidential firstpitches that barely crossed home plate and off-key anthems sung by heroes and pop stars and high school glee clubs. But it was a long season, so I paced myself with newspaper box scores, trying not to get caught in the press and march of night games and day games, the home stands and the road trips, and the soundtrack of scores and highlights on AM radio.

Best known as the inspiration for the film Field of Dreams, Shoeless Joe follows Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer who hears a voice out of the blue one night that tells him, “If you build it, he will come.” As most of us know, the “it” is a baseball field, and “he” is Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ray’s lifelong, long dead hero.

A member of the disgraced 1919 Chicago White Sox baseball team (known as the “Black Sox” because they intentionally lost the 1919 World Series to win bets placed against them), Shoeless Joe never got to complete the career he was so elegantly made for. Ray manages to bring Joe’s ghost back by creating a perfect left field for him to play in. That supernatural success inspires Ray to embark on a mission to bring his other baseball heroes home from the Great Beyond and back to this homemade ball field.

This past year, the Poly English department decided to add Listening to the voice once again, Ray drives from America’s pastime to the summer reading list of eleventh Iowa to New Hampshire to find J.D. Salinger—Jerry, grade American Literature in the as he prefers to be called—to form of the novel Shoeless Joe, by take him to a ball game. The W.P. Kinsella. There are plenty two become unlikely buddies of great summer books we could on a road trip to finish the have added to the list, but this unfinished business of ball was the one I not-so-secretly players of the past. Turns out had to have. “Summer” and the great voice from out of the “American” scream “baseball” to blue speaks to Jerry, too, and me—hot dogs, ice cream sundaes between them, Ray and Jerry in upturned batter’s helmets, and commit to filling in the blank grown men and women on their spaces in the record books of feet shouting, high-fiving, and baseball for players of both jumping with actual joy. Kinsella major and minor league caliber. captures the lightness of that The road trip adds an element joy perfectly, then layers in the of the geographical truth of weight of meaning that comes America to what is otherwise a with any national identity, any personal view of these men and search for perfection, and any their histories. pursuit of a hero. As preparation for the junior year reading list of Maybe that tracing of the American classics, I thought this SaFe at HoMe: Upper School english teacher country is part of why I am was a transition we would all Josina reaves in the dugout at Harlow a. drawn to this book. My initial Parker Field. benefit from. love of baseball was built 20

t H e B l U e & t H e g r ay

EXCELLENCE ON THE DIAMOND: In 2010, Poly softball made history by winning their fifth consecutive state championship, while baseball captured the Ivy League crown and advanced to the state championship game

on geography. From my bedroom window at my grandparents’ apartment in the Bronx, I could see three flagpoles in the distance. Every summer through my childhood, while I waited for my grandmother to take me to summer camp at the community center she ran, I would watch those flags wave, wondering what was happening beneath and beyond them.

Then one day, when I was about ten, we drove past Yankee Stadium on the way to Jones Beach, and I saw the flags that ringed the top of the stands. That was it!

My vision, my flags! So that became my stadium, and the Yankees became my team. When I left New York for boarding school, I would stop in the library on my way to classes in the fall and spring to check the scores in the Hartford Courant, invariably watching the Yankees sink farther and farther in the standings as the year progressed. It didn’t matter.

The first game I ever saw—Yankees versus Rangers— had four grand slams in it, and I never looked at another team again. The thrill of that stadium with the lights and the noise, where pitchers got driven from the bullpen in kicky little sports cars and where Reggie Jackson waved his cap at the stands every time he hit a home run, that was the feeling that carried me. I remembered the way my thighs hurt from jumping to my feet so often and felt the stinging smell of spilled beer in my nose whenever I thought about why I loved that stadium, that game, and that team. Baseball was part of my landscape of memory.

As it turned out, years later—about twenty-five, to be honest—I realized that my geography was wrong, and that I had been looking at the flags on top of the Grand Concourse Post Office from my bedroom window, instead. It was too late, though. By then, it was in my blood, and I was as committed to my heroes as any Iowa farmer might have been to his.

But there’s more to this novel than geography and heroes; there is also the lyricism of Kinsella’s voice. Early in the story, as Ray sits in his corn field watching Shoeless Joe catch fly balls in left field, Kinsella writes: I swear the stars have moved in close enough to eavesdrop as I sit in this single rickety bleacher that I built with my unskilled hands, looking down at Shoeless Joe Jackson. A breath of clover travels on the summer wind. Behind me, just yards away, brook water plashes softly in the darkness, a frog shrills, fireflies dazzle the night like red pepper. A petal falls.

“A breath of clover”? “Red pepper”? Not bad. But the verb “plashes” distinguishes this passage. “Plashes” is not a typical verb for the movement of water; most of us would use the more common “splashes.” Emily Dickinson opted for “plashless” in “A bird came down a walk…” but that only adds to the wonder. Dickinson and Kinsella—who would have put those two together?

When the juniors studied Dickinson in the fall, that was the first page I turned back to, perhaps to draw the sense of summer back into the classroom and into poetry in a way my students couldn’t forget.

Kinsella’s love affair with language is self-reflective, as well. When Ray presses Salinger about why he doesn’t talk about writing as they bounce along the highways of middle America, Salinger sums it up finally by saying, “[If ] someone asked my occupation, I’d say writer, even if I’d never sold a word. Writers write. Other people talk.”

And Kinsella is part of that sacred clan: the baseball writers. He wants to do more than tell a great story about a great game; he writes the fabric and the truth of baseball and America, folding the eras together with ERAs, RBIs, and heroic saves in left field. I’ll never be a baseball writer—after all these years, I still don’t know the lingo—but nothing will ever keep me from watching left field, from the stands, or the radio or the page. n P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

21

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

Stay Connected to Poly!

Join Poly’s worldwide alumni network by attending Special Reunion or one of our many fun alumni events.

Spec ial Reu n i o n 2 0 1 1 Apri l 30, 2 0 1 1 Po l y Prep C ou n tr y D a y S c h ool Dyker H ei g h ts C a m p u s Washin g to n , D . C . R e gi o n a l A lu mn i R e c e p ti o n May 3, 20 1 1 6:00 PM to 8 : 0 0 PM Genero u s ly h os ted b y R ob er t D . Br is k m a n ‘ 5 0 at the Co s m os C lu b , Wa s h in gton , D . C .

TO RSVP for these or any other Poly events, contact Maria DiNaso, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at mdinaso@polyprep.org, or call (718) 836-9800, ext. 3090.

You can RSVP for all Poly alumni events on our Facebook page at facebook.com/polyprep.

22

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

1934

Rear Admiral Maurice H. Rindskopf lives in an assisted

living community in Annapolis, Maryland. On March 23, his wife Sylvia passed away (see Obituaries, page 34). Admiral Rindskopf’s essay on leadership appears in this issue of The Blue and The Gray.

1935

Dr. Bruce A. Harris, Jr. was

recently named a “Legendary Obstetrician” by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Just old, retired, and love the South,” he writes. He reads a great deal, especially history and Medieval English.

Dr. Henry W. Riecken has had

a long career in psychology: he was a professor of behavioral science at the University of Pennsylvania from 19721989, vice president of the Social Science Research Council from 1970-1972, and associate director of the National Science Foundation from 1958-1970. He is also a recipient of the Medal of Honor from the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, of which he is a charter member.

1938

Wilton G. Fritz practiced as

an OB-GYN in Brooklyn for twenty-five years. He moved to Satellite Beach, Florida in 1975 and lives Poly wants to hear from you!

Please submit class notes for the spring 2011 issue of The Blue and The Gray to Maria DiNaso, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at mdinaso@polyprep.org.

Special Reunion Class of 1945: (left to right) Donald B. Louria, Saul Brusilow, Bernard L. Spence.

in a retirement community there. His wife, Anne Louise, passed away in 2007.

Dean M. Hatheway is re-

tired and lives in Stamford, Connecticut. He writes: “Since our Poly Glee Club years, under director ‘Uncle Frank’ Hancock, I have enjoyed singing in church choirs and especially the Barbershop Harmony Society, both chorus and quartet—and I’m still at it!”

Donald Ottenstein is a psychiatrist in Boston, Massachusetts.

He attended medical school at Columbia University and has practiced at various hospitals and clinics in Boston since 1948, most recently at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He has contributed articles to many journals, and served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to1955. He and his wife Leah have four children, Paul, John, Beth, and Daniel. In his spare time he enjoys collecting art and playing tennis.

Dr. Arthur S. Rasi writes:

“Swim 3 days a week, 4 days for golf, and last week I shot my age for the first time ever—not because I’m getting better but because I’m getting older! And my appetite is getting better with age.

William M. Williams is head-

master emeritus of Poly Prep, where he served from 19702000. He is former chairman of the board of the Strafford School in Vermont, a regentat-large in the Cum Laude Society, and is currently chairman of the board of the United Church of Strafford.

He lives with his wife Linda in Strafford, Vermont.

1940

Carl H. Zinn, Jr. stays busy

“keeping the acres mowed and in reasonably good shape.” He occasionally visits Newport and Block Islands, but writes, “No more Florida.”

1945

Dr. Donald B. Louria retired from medicine in July 2008. His most recent book, reTHINK: A Twenty-First Century Approach to Preventing Societal Catastrophes, was published in November 2009. The book examines several critical issues, including epidemics, life extension, the militarization of space, health promotion, and biofuels, and shows how problem solvers can tackle any issue by using systems-based

approaches. Dr. Louria served as chair of the Department of Preventative Medicine at New Jersey Medical School for 30 years. Now retired, he enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, and eight grandchildren, of whom he writes, “Soccer is getting to be a family tradition—I played at Harvard, my son Charles was an All American at Ohio Wesleyan, and four of the grandchildren are pretty good players (the oldest, a freshman at Connecticut College, made varsity).”

Lewis A. Miller is a found-

ing partner in WentzMiller Associates, providing continuing medical education (CME) consulting services across the globe. He also founded two major medical publishing companies, Miller & Fink Corporation, and Dowden Health Media.

He was recently inducted into the Medical Advertising Hall of Fame. For more, see www.wentzmiller.org.

A graduate of Princeton and Columbia University School of Business, Miller remains active in Princeton alumni affairs, and enjoys playing tennis.

Dr. Marvin L. Sears writes that

he is “enjoying life, children, grandchildren, playing lots of tennis, working outdoors, chess, and travels.” He is very active in rasing money and recruiting for Yale University, his alma mater. “I remember the Poly faculty very well,” he writes. “There were several members who were absolutely instrumental and influential for my career.”

1946

Howard J. Aibel had major back surgery in December 2009.

He writes, “While my recuperation is proceeding as expected, I still have a ways to go.”

P oly P rep M aga z i ne : w i nter 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

23

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

a badly deteriorated corner of Manhattan’s Riverside Park.

Shortly thereafter he was invited to the White House to present a copy of the statue to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton. He is a member of the Lotos Club in New York.

He writes of a favorite Poly memory: “In a much more innocent time, I remember a loud gasp from the assembly students on seeing a classmate in a play, publically smoking.”

Special Reunion Class of 1950: (left to right) front row: C.R. Lonshein, Charles Landesman, George J. DiRaimondo; back row: Robert D. Briskman, Richard T. Gallen, Gery W. Sperling.

1948

Dr. Alan Roland is guest editor and contributor to the April 2010 issue of The Psychoanalytic Review, on “Politics and Paranoia: The Political Exploitation of Paranoid Anxiety.”

1950

Peter Guesnon has traveled extensively over the years with his wife. “I have been in 135-150 different countries— depending on how strictly we define a country.” They have two daughters, one of whom graduated from Sydney University and the other from Dartmouth, and four grandchildren. He serves as an officer of the Engineering Societies of New England and as president of the Greater Boston Chapter of the Acoustical Society of America.

William G. James, Jr. writes:

“If I’d worked as hard in Poly and college as I did in my professional life I might have made Oasis or Phi Beta Kappa!

My smartest move was marrying [my wife] Jaz—smarter and better looking than me.

Nicer too!”

24

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

Charles Landesman, Jr. is professor emeritus of Philosophy at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

In 1992, he was awarded a Fulbright grant to lecture in philosophy at Ben-Gurion University in Israel. His upcoming book, Leibniz’ Mill: A Challenge to Materialism will be published by the University of Notre Dame Press in 2011.

Mr. Donald Ross III was the first Poly alumnus to graduate from Stanford University. He has been an active fundraiser for Stanford for the last 40 years, earning the prestigious Stanford Associates award. He was an Infantry Officer in the 5th Marine Regiment, First Marine Division of the United States Marine Corps. His favorite tradition at Poly: the Omega Alpha Pi fraternity, of which his was the last member class.

Mr. Herbert Zohn worked for AARP for many years. After retirement, he opened an art gallery on Columbus Avenue in New York City, and then founded and co-chaired, with Franklin D. Roosevelt III, an organization that designed and built a monument to Eleanor Roosevelt in

1952

Curtis S. Reis had a kidney

transplant this summer—his wife was the donor. They are both in good health and is saddened he could not attend the California regional reunion at the home of Richard

Perry ’60.

1955

Paul M. Brown has been

practicing law since 1963.

He is a former councilman of Worcester, New Jersey; a former trustee of Northern Valley Regional High School in New

Jersey; and member of the New York National Guard. He has two children (Stephanie and William), and enjoys golf, reading, and being outside.

Frank X. Giustra, Jr. spent 20

years as an educator, and 20 years as a small business owner. As an educator, he taught math, served as K-12 curriculum coordinator, and department chairman. He has three daughters and nine grandchildren—seven boys and two girls. He writes: “For the last 17 years my main interest has been Masters swimming.

I am still competing in the 70-74 age group that is setting Maine and New England Masters records. My most recent record is in the 200m free relay for ages totalling 280340. This was a New England SCM relay record with a time of 2:42.00.” He continues: “I am at total peace with my life here on my 100-acre farm in North Waldoboro, Maine. I cut and split my own wood (eight cords) to keep my three wood stoves going during the winter.”

Special Reunion Class of 1955: (left to right) front row: Joseph Stella, David Youngblade, Andrew F. Gurley, Lawrence Lefkowitz, Kenneth M. Howie; back row: Robert S. Field, Peter G. Stone, Kenneth C. Lessall, Leslie H. Larsen, Paul M. Brown, Harry J. Petchesky.

c

Andrew F. Gurley and his wife

Joanna are the proud parents of four sons: Drew (Andrew Jr.), Bruce, Scott, and Jamie (James). They have seven grandchildren. Having retired in 2008 as managing director of the UBS Investment Bank board of directors, he is a trustee of Poly, Gettysburg College, as well as the Connecticut Sports Foundation. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Poly Alumni Board of Governors Distinguished Achievement Award, the Connecticut Sports Foundation Man of the Year, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Municipal Forum of New York. He is also recognized for professional contributions to the states of Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont.

He writes that his favorite Poly tradition was the Poly vs. St. Paul’s football game—the second oldest high school rivalry in the U.S.—as well as the Blue-Gray contest and Camp Hawthorne.

l

a

s

s

court judge, an acting superior court judge, and a judicial hearing officer during his 40+ year legal career. For the last ten years, he has had a second career as a comedian: “When I show up I get $250. When I don’t show up I get $1000 dollars!” When asked his favorite Poly tradition, he responded: “Sending my daughter, Sabrina ’89, to Poly.”

Joseph Stella remains active as

an architect/artist, often physically constructing the work himself. His website, www. josephsstella.com, features photos and news of recent projects. In 2003, he received SARA (Society of American Registered Architects) Awards for Design Excellence in three distinct disciplines: architecture, landscape design, and architectural sculpture.

John B. Swift, Jr. spent four

eventful years on active duty in the U.S. Navy Flight Program

n

o

t

e

s

from 1960-64, serving on the USS Independence from 1962-1964, during the 1962 Cuban Blockade, and the 1963-64 Cyprus Insurrection.

He returned to Brooklyn where he became president of the Brooklyn Board of Realtors and Bay Ridge Lions Club. He enjoys spending time with his 4 children and 11 grandchildren, and he talks to Harry Petchesky ’55 quite often.

He writes: “The class of 1955 was described as either the best or the worst class in Poly history depending upon who was asked. Our 50th reunion was great… I think we all stayed out of jail!”

Dr. Robert P. Younes has two children, ages 21 and 25. He is treasurer of Saints Peter and Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Potomac, Maryland, and fondly remembers playing lacrosse, cross country, and track at Poly.

1956

George Marks is pursuing his passion for photography. He and his wife Bette will be displaying at an art show in Poway, California, and on his website, www.georgemarks.com.

1960

Alan T. Andersen retired after a career at Honeywell (formerly Allied Signal) in 2006.

He and his wife Patricia have two grown children, “both of whom are working with health insurance (can’t be any better).” He enjoys playing softball, golf, boating, and trips to Atlantic City. Remembering his favorite Poly tradition, he writes: “Shooting pool at Judas’s with Lary O., Vinnie, and Caldy. Expensive way to learn the game!”

Dr. Michael Cagan retired from radiology in 2007. He

Dr. Stuart Mackler returned

from his second tour in Haiti in mid-July. Traveling with a surgical group from Norfolk, Virginia. He worked at a hospital at an orphanage—Love a Child—30 kilometers east of Port au Prince. The team completed many surgeries and skin grafts in hot and exhausting conditions. Because of the continuing need for medical care in the country, Mackler plans to return in the near future.

Dr. Roland M. Nesi writes: “After 35 years of dermatology, I did not need anymore money so I retired and became a cook.” He enjoys traveling the world with drawing pad and felt-tip pens.

The Honorable Eugene L. Schwartzwald served as as-

sistant district attorney for Kings County, a criminal

Special Reunion Class of 1960: (left to right) front row: A. Jeffry Robinson, Richard F. Rosenberg, Thomas L. Gould, Stephen Mitchell, Alan S. Lane, Nicholas L. Schenck; second row: Seth J. Kaufman, Michael Cagan, Jeff Stone, John Romans, John T. Magliocco, Dennis Gladstone; third row: Richard H. Berg, Richard Perry, Lawrence J. Olsen, Alan Anderson, George J. Khouri, Michael R. Groothuis; fourth row: Charles E. Panoff, Richard Mizrack, Bruce Jeffer, Julian J. Ferayorni, Michael W. Marcus, Stuart W. Heymann.

P oly P rep M aga z i ne : w i nter 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

25

c

writes: “I was often accused of getting unfair academic help from my phantom ‘cousin,’ a man trying to earn a living as a musician while studying for a masters degree. He did help me just once (as a senior, with my physics homework, and he then went on to become Head of the Mathematics Department at the University of California Irvine). The results of that one episode, however, forever endeared me to my physics teacher Mr. Kotsalis, who became my mentor and who wrote several wonderful letters of recommendation on my behalf. I owe them both a lot!” His eldest son, Jon, just graduated with a D.P.T. from Physical Therapy school in St. Augustine, Florida, after spending nine and a half years in the U.S. Navy as an SARrescue swimmer, taking two trips around the world, and getting a B.S. from San Diego State University.

Thomas L. Gould retired from

the real estate business ten years ago and now lives with his wife, Barbara, in Boca Raton, Florida. He tries to play golf five days a week, he writes, “and getting worse—up to a 16 handicap.” They travel frequently and spend a month in Europe each summer.

Dr. Seth J. Kaufman retired

from his plastic surgery practice in 2004. He enjoys golf and hiking. His daughter, a trauma surgeon, recently went to Haiti to assist in medical relief efforts there.

John N. Romans spent a career

as an aviation lawyer for the airline TWA, and was involved in legal proceedings associated with almost all the terrorist incidents involving TWA. He has also argued and won a case for TWA in the U.S. Supreme Court.

He and his wife Caroline enjoy cruising on their sailboat, Freya,

26

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

and John is a first tenor in the University Glee Club of New York City. He writes, recalling a fond Poly memory: “At Poly, I played cousin Hebe in Gilbert & Sulivans Pinafore (yes, a girl’s part), and Nanki Poo in The Mikado, (a man at last).”

Dr.

Richard

F.

Rosenberg

spent 35 years teaching radiology and is the author of numerous published papers in the field. He and his wife have two children and a “gorgeous grandaughter.” He keeps in close touch with Richard Perry ’60, and Richard Berg ’60. He writes: “Loved every minute of Poly. Consider it the greatest time of my life prior to marriage and children.”

Ronald S. Scheinman and his

wife Karen live in New Jersey.

In 2003, their son Aaron graduated from West Point, served two tours in Iraq, and is now studying medicine. Their son Lynn recently re-enlisted in the U.S. Army Special Forces, where he served in Africa and Afghanistan. Lynn lives in Stuttgart, Germany with his wife. Their daughter Lauren is an attorney in Lexington, Kentucky. He writes: “My career has taken me from academia (Assistant Prof. of Government and Law, Lafayette College), to the UN, where for seven years I served as regional program officer for the high commissioner for refugees in Geneva, and later in Kinshasa and Dakar in Central and West Africa. In 1979, I was appointed by President Carter as director of the refugee policy research staff of the U.S. Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy. With the advent of the Reagan administration, I joined the private sector in management consulting.” He has worked at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Bridges & Tunnels since 1998, managing the back

Special Reunion Class of 1965: (left to right) front row: Thomas H. Parker, Michael Chesner, Harrison Bush; back row: Patrick T. Burger, John A. Artise, Jeffrey Rubin.

office contract for EZPass, the largest electronic toll collection system in the world. He enjoys the outdoors, having completed two Outward Bound courses, including kayaking off the coast of Maine. He earned his private pilot license at 63, and recently added a seaplane rating. He writes, asking, “Does anyone know what became of Peter Jensen?”

area. He writes, “Rosann and I enjoy occasional travel and seeing old Poly pals like Chuck Lapp ’65 and Bob Ratzen ’65.” They enjoy doing glass work, reading, and travel. He also writes: “I was saddened to hear of Harlow Parker’s passing. He and Assistant Headmaster John Carter were instrumental in keeping me on the right path.”

1963

Dr. Michael Chesner is practic-

Stewart Rahr was the president and CEO of Kinray, the largest privately-held pharmaceutical distributorship in the world, which he recently sold. He recently volunteered at Hope for Haiti, a celebrity telethon to benefit the victims of the Haitian earthquake.

Rahr has also continued to donate millions to charities, most notably the Make-aWish Foundation (of which he is a board member), and the Robin Hood Foundation.

1965

Patrick T. Burger’s son Terence

recently graduated from Penn State University and is working in the Washington, D.C.

ing dentistry in Manhattan. He and his wife, Ellen, have two children, David and Jaclyn.

Dr. Alan M. Kantrow is pro-

fessor of management and director of the Infrastructure Research Center at the Moscow School of Management.

1968

Steven D. Throne recently re-

tired after serving 13 years as assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and pupil personnel services in the Pine Plains (New York) Central School District. He then worked in an interim position: assistant superintendent with the Hyde Park CSD for the 20092010 school year. He lives

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

in Hopewell Junction, New York, and The Villages, in Florida. He writes: “My son Aaron, 36, works for UPS, while my daughter Nisha, 35, has been a special education teacher for the past 11 years. She is the mother of my gradsons; Carlito, 13, and Damian, seven. They reside in the Kingston, New York area.”

1970

Ronald J. Couri is President

and CEO of Couristan, the carpeting and flooring company that has been in his family for more than 80 years. He has five children, three of whom are still in college. He enjoys travel and skiing.

1971

Mr. Alan E. Feinberg retired from the Federal Government after a distinguished 34½ year career. Before he left, Alan was awarded a Career Achievement Award by the Federal Aviation Administration. Alan is now working as the director of safety assurance and business development for Systems Enginuity, an engineering firm in the Washington, D.C. area, and still resides in Rockville, Maryland.

Alan E. Feinberg ’71

Special Reunion Class of 1970: (left to right) front row: Samuel B. Parker, James N. Dreyfus, Robert A. Arcaro, Ira Orchin, Michael Zarou; second row: David H. Nelkin, James R. Stirn, Richard C. Koven, William W. Lutz, Ralph J. Harreros; third row: Andrew A. Wittenstein, A. K. Saal, John Ferrari, Johnathan M. Kay.

Keith R. Fisher has been se-

lected as the reporter for the American Bar Association’s new Commission on Ethics 20/20, which is embarking on a review and potential overhaul of the rules of legal ethics as these have been affected by globalization of law practice and rapid technological evolution.

His article, “Towards A Basal Tenth Amendment: A Riposte to National Bank Preemption of State Consumer Protection Laws,” was cited by Second Circuit Judge Cardamone in Cuomo v. The Clearing House Association, LLC, and, when that case was heard by the Supreme Court, Keith filed a brief amicus curiae on behalf of the North American Securities Administrators Association.

The article had previously won second prize in the Peterson Prize National Writing Competition (open to professors of law, history, political science, and related disciplines nationwide) and was published in 2006 by the Harvard

Journal of Law & Public Policy.

Shortly after publication of the article, Keith was appointed a special assistant attorney general for the State of Maryland in order to file an amicus curiae brief supporting state consumer protection laws on behalf of the Maryland banking commissioner. Another of his articles, “Repudiating the Holmesian ‘Bad Man’ Through Contextual Ethical Reasoning: The Lawyer as Steward,” was selected by the Center for Professional Responsibility as part of the centennial celebration of the ABA’s 1908 Canons of Professional Ethics. Keith, who used to practice at Hogan & Hartson in Washington along with (now Chief Justice) John Roberts, also was the principal drafter of both of the ABA’s Supreme Court amicus briefs last year in Caperton v.

Massey Coal Co., involving a West Virginia high court judge who refused to disqualify himself even though his election campaign had received over $3

million from Massey’s CEO. As an outgrowth of that pro bono work, Keith was appointed as reporter for the Judicial Disqualification Project conducted under the aegis of the ABA Standing Committee on Judicial Independence. He now spends most of his time in Chicago and would welcome hearing from Poly friends in the “Second City,” where they really don’t know how to make good pizza.

1975

Dr. George D. Bittar and his

wife Debbie have three children: Jonathan, an engineer in Washington, D.C.; Christina, a senior at Emory University; and Catherine, a freshman at Duke. He is a practicing cardiologist at Medstar Cardiology in Baltimore, and Debbie is a pediatrician. He writes: “My professional interests center around interventional cardiology, but for fun, I love to travel with family and friends,

P oly P rep M aga z i ne : w i nter 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

27

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

cook, collect watches and cocktail shakers, and occasionally ‘tend bar’ for local fundraisers (certified bartender degree framed in the office next to my diplomas!).” Among his favorite Poly memories: “I will forever remember my time in Doc K’s English class... and those spot quote quizzes! Mr. Miller was yet another memorable teacher with a unique teaching style. And then there was Mr. Vytautas Bromislavas Kazimaris Radzivanas, who put up with our antics and still got us to learn algebra. Poly definitely developed a sound academic and social foundation which not only helped me in my college years but throughout my adult life.”

Robert s. maloof, along with his wife Luanne, owns BobbyLu Vending Service, which they started in 1996. Their website is www.bobbyluvending.com. glen p. Roven writes: “Musical

slave! I get up, I write music or conduct—30 years of it.” He has recently returned to Poly

SPEciAL REUNiON cLASS OF 1975: (left to right) front row: Richard J. DeFuccio, Steven i. Froot, Kenneth G. Simurro, Glen P. Roven, Scott M. Smith; second row: Robert J. Soiffer, Elliott S. Rebhun, ira R. Feldman, Robert S. Schlossberg, Peter H. Blum; third row: David M. Schlecker, Eric L. Lewis, Robertson T. Park, Michael B. Adesman, Harold L. Theurer.

quite frequently, hosting the 2010 Arts Auction and speaking to Poly students in Chapel.

He has won four Emmy Awards and has recieved 12

nominations, “but my proudest is Outstanding Alum of ’75 (or something like that).”

(Roven received the Alumni Distinguished Achievement

Award in 2005.) Roven asks: “Where’s John miller?” the Reverend Kenneth g. simurro, Jr. is currently lead

C o M e H o M e t o P o Ly f o R

SPeCiAL ReuNioN! Special Reunion will be held Saturday, April 30, 2011. if you graduated from Poly in a year ending in “6” or “1”, this is your opportunity to come back to Poly, catch up with old friends and reminisce about the good old days beneath the white tower. want to attend? want to help organize your class delegation or activities at Special Reunion? Contact Lisa Della Pietra, Director of Alumni Relations and Alumni Annual fund, at ldellapietra@polyprep.org, or call (718) 836-9800, ext. 6870. we look forward to seeing you at Poly for Special Reunion 2011!

28

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

Miata Class). “Very fun, except when we wreck,” he writes.

“Haven’t stayed in touch with many alums since I’m so far away,” he writes, “ but occasionally with Ron Jabara and Phil Paty, who is also a vascular surgeon in Albany, New York. I remember well the old-school teachers early in my career, like Mr. Feldman, Mr. Thompson, and Mrs. O’Donnell.”

1985

Dr. Demetrios M. Gabriel has Special Reunion Class of 1980: (left to right) front row: Alexis E. Te, Ronald B. Jabara, Philip Paty; second row: Carlos Berlanga, Thomas Piccirillo.

chemistry teacher at New Dorp High School in Staten Island.

“It is a delight to teach in the same school (and have lunch with) as a life-long friend and Poly classmate, Paul Presti ’75.” He is also part-time pastor at a Brooklyn church where he works as a clergy liaison with the NYPD. In March, his mother passed away at the age of 91. He writes: “Paul Presti has garnered over 30 major awards with his New Dorp Virtual Enterprise teams (a national business competition among high schools).”

and writes, “still working full time to pay for tuition for a school as good as Poly.” He still windsurfs and scuba dives on occasional trips to Hawaii, and is active in wheel-to-wheel racing in the Sports Car Club of America (racing in the Spec

been married almost ten years to his wife Kali, with whom he has two children: Michael, four and a half, and Stavrala, three. He has a private pediatric practice in Brooklyn, and enjoys travel, golf, wine tasting, and spending time with his family.

Dr. Robert H. Pass is the di-

rector of the Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore-Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he is also director of pediatric cardiac electrophysiology. He performs invasive heart procedures on infants and children with a goal of diagnosing or treating cardiac disease which is predominantly congenital in nature. He writes: “I enjoy my work immensely, and still live on the Upper West Side. I am still great friends with Bradley Artel ’85, and Helaine Boosin Packer ’85. I am also quite friendly with Jill Sigman ’85, Demetrios Gabriel ’85, and Michael Vitale ’85. Best regards to all my Poly friends!”

Jill Sigman recently performed

at New York’s Museum of Modern Art with artist Marina Abramovic in the acclaimed show “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Present.” For photos and more information, visit Sigman’s website at thinkdance.wordpress.com.

1980

Dr. Jeffrey E. Goldberg has

three children: Abby, nine, and Ben and Sara, five.

Dr. Michael D. Ingegno at-

tended medical school at SUNY Downstate and did his residency at the University of Southern California Irvine, followed by a fellowship in vascular surgery at the University of Florida Gainesville. He practiced in Miami for six years, and in Northern California for the last eight. He has two children, ages five and eight,

Special Reunion Class of 1985: (left to right) front row: Deborah G. Paul, Steven J. Schuster, Jennufer L. Solaas; second row: John Culmine, Alyssa S. Juros, Joy Campanelli, Peter J. Ciaccio, Terry Maltese; third row: Andrew H. Schupak, Leslie F. Tseng, Mary Jean Ely Bonadonna, Louise Imbesi, Ilise D. Lombardo, Kimberly A. Berkus, Derrick I. Ades; fourth row: Demetrios M. Gabriel, Robert H. Pass, Kenneth J. Fitzpatrick, Christopher V. Della Pietra, Harold Berneri, David M. Kulick, Arthur L. Aidala.

P oly P rep M aga z i ne : w i nter 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

29

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

1986

Mr. Kenneth A. Ades married Dr. Elizabeth Manheim in a ceremony at the Ritz Carleton on Amelia Island, Florida, in October 2009. Dr. Manheim is a clinical embryologist at the Ronald O. Perlman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/ Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Ades is vice president at the New York office of Markit, a financial information services company, which has its headquarters in London.

Paul Ippolito lost his father,

John, in October 2009 (See Obituaries on page 35).

1990 Dr.

Zachary

W.

Bohart

is living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with his wife and two children. He is a physician in private practice.

Adam Lamb returned to New

Special Reunion Class of 1990: (left to right) front row: Danielle Kelly, Gina M. Bondinello, Jennifer J. Hitchcock; second row: Orlando G. Bishop, Robert L. Sena, Carl M. Gambello, Raquel M. Manning; third row: Yashana F. McAuley-Parrish, Christopher McIlraith, Danielle Basso, Michael Cuite, Emmalee D. Billings-Burford, Kunio Sulker, Dana M. Whitfield; fourth row: William J. Sharp, John A. Merhige, Eric Klaussmann.

York City in 2001 and opened his private chiropractic practice, Lamb Chiropractic, after attending college and medical

school in Vermont, Georgia, and California. He has been involved in many volunteer efforts, most notably at the

Calling All Alumni Have you moved recently?

Changed your name or email address? Let Poly know!

Send your current contact information by emailing Associate Director of Alumni Relations Maria DiNaso at mdinaso@polyprep.org, or call (718) 836-9800, ext. 3090.

30

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

World Trade Center site after 9/11, and more recently in Haiti. He writes, recalling a Poly memory: “Ah, senior year, when everyone got to drive their brand new cars on campus and I had to make do with my ’73 Celica—now that was fun!”

1995

Mark A. Ahasic relocated to Boston in 2008, following the completion of his MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and joined a boutique aviation consultancy. He was recently married to Dr. Amy Nurenberg, and Poly friends Steve Lee ’95 and Matt Hamlin ’95 were members of the wedding party.

Carol Notias Kotsinis is an

associate attorney at Schnader Harrison Segal Lewis, LLP in Manhattan.

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

Giovanna M. Guarnieri Macrina is a mental health

clinician at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Kristerfor

T.

Mastronardi,

a Poly trustee, and his wife Dasha are the proud parents of Alexander Thomas Presto Mastronardi, born on May 15 at 5 lbs., 6 oz. Mother and baby are both in excellent health (see photo). He writes: “We gave Baby M the extra name of Presto for both arriving early and delivering in record time!”

Special Reunion Class of 1995: (left to right) front row: Ada Anon, Francesca Lisk, Elizabeth Pili, Reem J. Jaber-Iqbal, Lisa Taliercio; second row: James Vaccarino, Stephen Lee, Monica Ortiz, Carol Notias, Anthony A. Tortora, Kristerfor T. Mastrondari; third row: Anne M. Sforzo, Laura Coppola, Sharon O’Day, Mary Vouyiouklis, Stacey Kupperman, Virginia DeLuca-Markovich, Lori Anne Brogdon, Joyce M. Kassouf; fourth row: Kesu J. James, Aamir A. Rehman, John Krasner, Jason G. Basso, Mark L. Lakin, Wade E. Saadi, Matteen Tehrany.

1996

Simon L. Keller and his wife Amanda welcomed their daughter Alexa Grace on September 15, 2009.

1997 Kris Mastronardi ’95’s wife Dasha and newborn Alexander Thomas Presto Mastronardi.

Michael Allegretti ran for

U.S. Congress to represent New York’s 13th District,

encompassing Staten Island and Brooklyn. Michael served as Senior Advisor for U.S. Policy at The Climate Group, an international non-profit that crafts partnerships between businesses and governments to address climate change and economic growth.

At The Climate Group he advised Fortune 500 companies and leaders around the world,

including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

He has also served as a consultant to the World Economic Forum and the Presidential Forum on Renewable Energy.

In 2007, he brought together mayors from the world’s 40 largest cities and CEOs from 15 of the world’s most influential companies for three days of dialogue related to

G o G r e e n wi th Poly!

To receive a copy of The Blue and The Gray via email instead of a printed copy, contact Associate Director of Communications Brendan Hughes at bhughes@polyprep.org, or call (718) 836-9800, ext. 3740.

P oly P rep M aga z i ne : w i nter 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

31

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

Program.

Christian was notably mentioned by NYU president John Sexton in his address at Poly’s 153rd Commencement. He writes: “I could not have made it this far without the support from my family and friends but especially Sandy Bornstein, Dr. Vincent J. Vigorita ’68, Dr. John Evangelista ’68, and Dr. Joseph F. Fetto P’05.”

2005

Sara D. Bailin graduated from

Special Reunion Class of 2000: (left to right) front row: Kristina Hernandez, Martha Consor, Raymund J. Lansigan, Jasmin I. Rivera, Jacqueline Kirsch; second row: Stephanie Fox, Matthew Murumba, Wilson S. Calle, Ralph Roiland, Johanna Rodriguez; third row: Lia C. Minkoff, Nadine Jamal, Guy Maldari, Karnika Bhalla, Alexandra Maresca; fourth row: Clifton Coker, Daniel Quinones, Antoinette Perrotta, Dylan Giordano, Mark Bhupati.

global energy challenges. Last year, he was invited to become a member of the prestigious British-American Project, a trans-Atlantic public policy organization. Michael is currently residing in Staten Island.

Leah Horowitz appeared on Broadway in White Christmas from November 13 through January 3rd at the Marriott Marquis Theatre.

1998

Stella Koutros recently re-

ceived her Ph.D. in chronic disease epidemiology from the Yale School of Public Health, and was honored by the American College of Epidemiology for her research paper on the link between pesticides and cancer. Currently a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute, she continues to work in the areas of occupational and environmental cancer epidemiology.

32

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

2000

Nadine Jamal is a practicing optometrist in Manhattan, focusing on binocular vision disorders, vision therapy, and specialty contact lens needs.

2002

Rob Brown is starring in HBO’s

much-anticipated new drama Treme. Created by David Simon (creator of The Wire), the show tells the story of life in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Brown also recently had a role in the film Stop Loss.

John Elefterakis and Kirsten Ludvigsen were married in Brooklyn on November 7, 2009. Members of the wedding party included Anthony Cacace ’01, Rob Brown ’02, Jared Banner ’03. Ms. Ludvigsen is a registered nurse with Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. He is an attorney with Avanzino and Moreno in Brooklyn.

Christian Zaino graduated valedictorian of his class last year at New York University School of Medicine. He was elected class president for four years, received the Alumni Association Award in Professional Excellence as well as the Faculty Council Student Leader Award. He will be continuing his training at the NYU Langone Medical Center Surgical Residency

Christian Zaino ’02

Lehigh University last year with honors. Before graduating, Sara received a grant from the French embassy to be an assistant English teacher. She is currently living in Lyon, France.

Justine M. Benanty recently received her M.A. in anthropology and for the last three years has been working at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. This summer, she is interning at the British Museum, and will travel with the Smithsonian’s anthropology department chair to Mongolia to survey ancient fortresses and palaces. This follows her work on an archeological dig in Israel in 2006. She has earned her pilot’s license and enjoys travel and researching agent-based computer simulation modeling on inner Asian pastoralist societies over 1000 year periods, in order to project climate change adaptations for the future. A fond Poly memory, she writes: “Spending time in the ceramics basement with some friends and Mr. Randall.”

Bragging opportunity: “Joseph Berenblit ’05 is now serving in the Israeli Army after joining this past fall.”

Juliette Pannone has been cast in the Broadway national tour of the musical Annie

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

Special Reunion Class of 2005: (left to right) front row: Christine O’Leary, Brittany A. Sugarman, Julia DiMant, Amaany Clarke, Monique A. Wilson, Jamila K. Williams, Mena A. Cammett, Juliette Pannone; second row: Pamela Lehrman, Alexandra Tubio-Cid, Rachel K. Jonas, Megan S. DeGraff, Lynnea A. Midland, Keith Hernandez, Danica R. Noel, Cristina J. Cote, Katherine Lapham, Elizabeth Ross, Katherine M. Murphy; third row: Nicholas Goldberg, Francis Florio, Rita Gallina, Kelly C. Powers, Jessica Weeman, Leonard E. Belvedere, Michael D. Weiss, Vincent DiSalvo; fourth row: Rudolph V. Pica, Joshua Talton, Matthew J. Peitroforte, Dominique R. Zaino, Anne Herbert, Michelle Romanelli, John S. Kefer, Olujimi A. Tommasino, Paul S. Lehrman; fifth row: Richard Marrone, John P. Panik, Daniel C. Manning, Peter Ajayi, Salvatore F. Demarco, Colin M. Hart, Jason Bell.

where she will be playing the “Orphan Swing” role, covering five of the seven orphans.

The four-month tour began in Ohio in late November and may be extended to Asia.

She writes: “I would like to thank all of you for your help and support over the years.

This is especially directed towards those of you who have had me as an acting or voice student, always inspiring me, encouraging me, and teaching me so much. I am so proud that I was able to land such a great job right out of college, especially after having undergone vocal surgery just a little over a year ago—I owe this accomplishment to many of you.” For more information,

visit the show’s website, www. annieontour.com.

2006

Eric Olsen was selected by the

Denver Broncos in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft.

With his selection, Olsen becomes the first Poly football player in more than 40 years to be drafted. Olsen, an offensive lineman and native of Great Kills, Staten Island, played college football for Notre Dame, where he started 31 games.

Elizabeth A. Semmens was named the 2009 Ivy League Player of the Year for her outstanding season on the

University of Pennsylvania volleyball team. Leading the team with 388 kills in 2009, she was also one of three unanimous selections to the All-Ivy first team.

2009

Stephanie Caso was named

Honorable Mention All-Ivy softball team for the 2010 season. The University of

J.J. Franco ’10

Pennsylvania freshman and Brooklyn native led her team with 44 hits and batted .336 for the year.

2010

J.J. Franco led the Poly baseball team to an Ivy League championship this year. He was drafted by the New York Mets in the 42nd round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft. A pitcher and shortstop, Franco was 8-0 on the mound this season, and batted .472.

His father, John, pitched for the Mets from 1990 to 2004.

Heavily recruited by a number of national collegiate baseball programs, Franco started at Brown University last fall.

P oly P rep M aga z i ne : w i nter 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

33

c Ob l a is t su

Herman Elbert Schroeder ’32 died November 28, 2009

at Stonegates, in Greenville, Delaware. He delighted in family, friends and colleagues worldwide, nature, photography, and exploring other cultures, but above all, science. He explained, “forces which impel me are largely the compulsion to look for the new, to change for the better, be it by finding better ways to do things or by inventing products to make the world function better. Gratifyingly, these often make the world aesthetically more pleasant and sometimes cleaner.”

Born in Brooklyn in 1915, he graduated from Polytechnic Country Day School 1932, Harvard AB 1936, AM 1937, PhD 1939. After joining DuPont in 1938, he developed the first practical adhesive for bonding rubber to nylon for B29 bomber tires, discovered light-fast dyes for cotton, led development of dyes for polyester and acrylic fibers, and served as DuPont’s director of research and development for synthetic rubbers and plastics from 1963 to 1980.

He held 37 patents, published 40 papers, and edited treatises on thermoplastic elastomers.

He served on advisory groups for the British High Polymer Institute, Harvard University, the Industrial Research Institute, the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers, the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, the Textile Research Institute, the University of Delaware Research Foundation, the US Armed Forces, the US Department of Commerce, and the Winterthur Museum.

To help preserve art treasures for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he gave technical advice on chemical reactions and their detrimental effect over time. He was honored by the International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers, and received the Charles Goodyear Medal from the American Chemical Society. DuPont awarded him the Lavoisier Medal for Inspirational Research Leadership in 1992. Beloved wife, Elizabeth, and daughter and son-in-law, Nancy Carolyn and Dennis Tarczy, and dear sister, Rose Brady, predecease him. Survivors include two sons Edward Schroeder (wife, Carol), Peter Schroeder (wife, Linda) and daughter Martha Lewis (husband, Charles), seven

an ro i t e e s s

grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, nephews, nieces, and many dearly valued friends.

Sylvia L. Rindskopf, wife of Admiral Maurice H. Rindskopf ’34, died March 23

throughout his life, Mr. Kubert graduated from Yale in 1940 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He returned to New York after the war and became CEO of the Paper Sales Corporation. His two children, Kate Hubert Puls of New York City, and Bruce Clark Kubert of Eugene, Oregon survive him.

of congestive heart failure at Bay Woods of Annapolis retirement community. Mrs. Rindskopf was married in 1941 to Maurice H. “Mike” Rindskopf, who was the Navy’s youngest submarine commander in World War II. She joined him on overseas assignments in Panama and Italy and at naval bases throughout the U.S., where she mentored other Navy wives and volunteered with the American Red Cross and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Sylvia Edith Lubow was born in New London, Connecticut, and was a graduate of what is now Connecticut College. At Bay Woods of Annapolis, where she had lived since 2003, Mrs. Rindskopf wrote for the newspaper, the Breeze. A son, Peter Eric Rindskopf, died in 1971.

Survivors include her husband, of Annapolis, a granddaughter, and two great-grandsons.

in Scarborough, Maine. A Brooklyn native, Peterson attended Dickinson and Bowdoin College. He went to medical school before serving in the US Navy during World War II. He met and was outranked by his wife-to-be, Eleanor Hunter, a chief yeoman in the Waves, when they were both stationed in New London, Connecticut.

He worked for NE Telephone as a district manager and lived in Natick, Massachusetts, where he raised three boys. His family will warmly remember him: three sons and their wives, five grandsons, and two great granddaughters. (His and his wife’s ashes will be scattered at sea, as they wished.)

Bruce Lee Kubert ’36 died

Harold Ellis Rhame ’43 died

on May 30 surrounded by his family. A proud Poly alumnus and supporter of the school

Subscribe to the

Polycam: News in a Flash

and get the latest Poly alumni news delivered to your inbox monthly.

Featuring alumni profiles, the latest campus news and event listings, it’s a great way to keep in touch with all things Poly.

To subscribe, email Associate Director of Communications Brendan Hughes at bhughes@polyprep.org.

Winfield Peterson, Jr. ’38 died on September 10

on April 22, 2010 in Fairfield, Connecticut. Rhame graduated from Princeton and George Washington University Medical School, beginning his medical practice in Bridgeport Hospital, and later at Yale University Medical School. After his retirement from medicine in 1986, Dr. Rhame earned a law degree from the University of Bridgeport in 1991. A longtime sailor, he was a member of the Pequot Yacht Club. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Joan Williams Rhame, daughters Lucy S. Rhame and Ann Rhame Coffin, and son E. Williams Rhame, as well as many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Warren B. Cook, Sr. ’48

died on March 25 at the age 34

T H E B L U E & T H E G R AY

c Obi l a s tsu

an ri o te es s

including his attainment of the North Pole in 1908.

J o n at ha n Wa i te

Artist, Teacher and Chairman Emeritus of Visual Arts

J

onathan Waite, a New York City painter whose work is in the collections of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Chase Manhattan Bank, and Robert Rauschenberg, among many others, died on November 18, 2010 at his home in Manhattan.

He was 68 years old. The cause of death was cancer.

Chairman Emeritus of the Visual Arts Department at Poly Prep Country Day School, Waite was also a beloved mentor and teacher to generations of students.

Educated at the University of Iowa (B.F.A. 1964, M.A. 1966), Yale University, London’s Slade School of Art (P.G.C.F.A. 1968-69), and the Cranbrook Academy of Art (M.F.A., 1972), Waite taught painting and drawing at Poly Prep for 32 years.

He also maintained art studios in Manhattan and Southampton.

An allegorical landscape artist in an era when conceptual art and photography seem dominant, Waite’s originality was always apparent in his witty, magical narratives.

Recent paintings were entitled “Art Handlers Delivering the DeKooning Gouaches” and “Miro Confronts The Dreaded Strawberry Sundae Hoo-Doo.” But Waite’s paintings were never merely surreal or of 79. After graduating from Poly, Mr. Cook attended Hobart College and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He worked

said when he retired from Poly in 2009. “We took art and culture very seriously,” he added.

whimsical. One of his final works, “Self Portrait X 4,” is powerfully imbued with a sense of mortality and retrospection. In this piece, Waite depicts four versions of himself, each younger than the last, in a desert landscape under a gorgeous blue sky. Purchased by Poly Prep parents, Waite’s moving valediction now hangs in Alumni House on the school’s Dyker Heights campus.

As a teacher, Waite was both caring and rigorous.

Samantha DiGenarro, one of Waite’s former Poly Prep students, commented, “Mr. Waite always found a way to “keep it real,” but he did so in a loving and fatherly way.“ Waite grew up in Minnesota and he maintained a fondness for the Midwest, even after 34 years of living in New York City. “I was lucky enough to grow up in Fergus Falls, Minnesota,” he for the Continental Insurance Companies before establishing his insurance agency, Cook Insurance Associates Inc. of Ridgewood, New Jersey. Mr.

At Poly, Waite was a constant and persuasive advocate for the visual arts. He taught painting, art history, and sculpture during his long tenure, and many of his students have gone on to study at prestigious art schools, such as the Rhode Island School of Design, and become successful visual artists.

David B. Harman, Poly’s Headmaster, spoke for the entire Poly community when he said that: “We truly mourn Jon’s passing.

He was a wonderful artist and an inspiring teacher.

I’m so grateful that several Poly families generously donated one of Jon’s last works to the school. It will serve as a reminder of his achievement here for generations to come.”

Waite is survived by his wife Dr. Sandra Kraskin, Director of the Mishkin Gallery at CUNY’s Baruch College and daughter, Genevieve Waite ’01, a Poly alumna who is currently working on her masters in French literature at New York University.

Poly Prep will hold a memorial gathering in Waite’s memory during its annual alumni reunion at its Dyker Heights campus on Saturday, April 30, 2011.

Cook was also president of the Frederick A. Cook Society, which recognizes the polar exploration accomplishments of his great-uncle, Dr. Cook,

Ellis R. Mottur ’48 died on September 3 at the age of 79.

An authority on science and technology policy, Mottur was a top aid to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and served as a senior official in the Commerce Department. A true rennaissance man, Mottur was the author of A Poetic Journey: From Fear—Through Love—To Faith and Felicity, a book of poetry recently published by the Dorrance Publishing Company.

Dr. John Ippolito father of John ’75, Raymond ’80, Loretta ’81, Barbara ’85, and Paul ’86, passed away in

October 2009. Dr. Ippolito and his wife Vivian’s involvement as Poly parents spanned two decades, during which time he formed many close friendships.

Stephen

Vella ’93 passed away on January 30 after a courageous battle with cancer. A recipient of the Poly Cup at his graduation, Poly was a very important place to Stephen, and he kept in touch with teachers and staff over the years. An historian specializing in the British Empire, Stephen was a graduate of Princeton and Yale, and was an assistant professor of history at Wake Forest University. He is survived by his parents, Ann and James, and his sister, Susan Vantuyn.

Peter Gelles ’94 passed away in August 2010. A successful filmmaker, Peter was a graduate of the AFI Conservatory in Los Angeles. His film “Crenshaw Nights,” of which Peter was both director and a writer, was released in 2008. Peter is survived by his mother, Mary June Bayuk, his father and step-mother, Jeremiah and Laurie Gelles, and his brothers, Jacob and Sean Gelles.

P o ly P r e p M a g a z i n e : w i n t e r 2 0 1 0 – 2 0 1 1

35

c

l

a

s

s

n

o

t

e

s

Poly needs You! Once, I Was A Poly Leader.

Who Will Be Po ly’s Leaders Now?

M r s . H a r r i e t L. Pa c k er,

I

n 1854, after Brooklyn’s only girls’ school burnt down, Mrs. Harriet L. Packer (yes, she helped found another school) took a courageous step— especially for a woman in the 19th century.

She became a Poly leader.

Would you like to know how? With $65,000, Harriet rebuilt the girls’ school, but only if prominent Brooklynites set aside funds to found a boys’ school, too. That school became Poly.

A P oly L ead er

Today, Harriet’s gift would be worth about $2 million. Without her generosity and foresight, Poly would never have graduated the thousands of alumni who have become leaders in the arts, business, science and medicine, government, athletics, and community service.

That’s over 155 years of success, in case you’re counting.

Poly needs leaders. Now, more than ever, Poly needs your gift to the Poly Fund.

Make a gift to THE Poly FUND, which benefits every student and supports essential school programs. Our new FAMILY OF FUNDS enables you to direct your gifts to areas that interest you. For more information, visit www.polyprep.org/fundfamily.

Poly Needs Leaders.

Poly Needs You! Joseph Dana Allen, Headmaster 1917-1949

Questions?

3 6 T H E B L U E & T H E GRAY

Lisa Della Pietra ’86

Director of Alumni Relations and Alumni Annual Fund ldellapietra@polyprep.org (718) 836-9800 ext. 6870

make a gift

today!

Use your credit card and give to the Poly Fund on the web here: www.polyprep.org/give

P O LY P R E P B O A R D O F G O V E R N O R S 2010–2011 EXECUTIVE BOARD

Mr. Hal M. Rose ’74, P’04 ’09 PRESIDENT, ALUMNI BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Mr. Paul Zola ’53 VICE PRESIDENT, ALUMNI BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Mr. Matthew O. Walsh ’92 CHAIR, AWARDS COMMITTEE

Mr. Nicolas Gravante ’78, P’20, ’23 CHAIR, FUNDRAISING COMMITTEE

Mr. John Artise ’65 CHAIR, NETWORKING AND MENTORING COMMITTEE

Ms. Nadia Mastromichalis ’94 CHAIR, NY EVENTS COMMITTEE

Mr. Gilbert H. Feldman ’42 , P’83, ’85 VICE PRESIDENT EM ERITUS

MEMBERS

Ms. Eileen Ahasic ’01 Mr. Mark A. Ahasic ’95 Mr. Steven Andersen ’71, P’13, ’22 Mrs. Danielle Sabbagh Basso ’90 Mr. William Basso ’89 Mr. Harold Bernieri ’85 Ms. Marianne Bertuna ’94 Mr. Timothy W. Boardman ’04 Ms. Nicole T. Bonica ’93 Mrs. Robin L. Bramwell-Stewart ’86, P’16 Mr. Andrew T. Brandman ’87 Mr. Lawrence S. Brandman ’78 Mr. Francis J. Castellano ’84, P’16 Ms. Shannon Cohall ’10 Ms. Lisa M. Della Pietra ’86 Ms. Samantha L. DiGennaro ’88 Mr. Lawrence F. DiGiovanna ’69 Mr. Gary E. Hanna ’84 Mr. Raymund Lansigan ’00 Mr. Daniel Lempert ’09 Ms. Anne Levine ’09 Dr. Peter S. Liebert ’53 Ms. Alexandra Maresca ’00 Ms. Courtney Nolan ’08 Mr. Lawrence D. Patton ’82 Mr. Wade Saadi ’95 Mr. Gerald I. Scher ’49 Mr. Andrew Schrijver ’07 Mr. Martin E. Valk ’81 Mr. John Verzosa ’00 Dr. Vincent J. Vigorita ’68, P’96, ’99 STUDENT MEMBERS

Mr. Qadir Forbes ’11 Ms. Ayisha McHugh ’12

P OLY PREP C OU N T RY D AY SC H O O L MI DD LE A ND UPPER SCHO O LS

9216 Seventh Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11228 LOWER SCHOOL

50 Prospect Park West Brooklyn, NY 11215

Non–Profit Org. US Postage

PAID

Brookyn, NY Permit No. 944