The Blue & The Gray (Poly Prep's School Magazine) Winter 2009-10 by Poly Prep Country Day School

T h e

BLUE & GRAY T h e

P o l y P r ep M a g a z ine

W in t e r 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

INSIDE

Glen Roven ’75 Comes Home to Poly Lower School Goes Green on Jamaica Bay The Flu the First Time: Poly and the 1918 Flu Epidemic

D i a hann Bil l ings-BuRf o rd

New York City’s first-ever Chief Service Officer, Diahann Billings-Burford ‘90, talks about her vision of volunteerism in the five boroughs

P OL Y P R E P B OA R D OF T R US T E E S 2009–2010 Chairman

Vincent J. Vigorita, MD ’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

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 Mr. Jeffrey S. Ferraro ’88 Susanna Furfaro, MD P’13, ’15 Karen E. Burke Goulandris, MD, PhD P’15 Mr. Richard L. Grand-Jean P’05, ’08 Mr. Andrew F. Gurley ’55 Mr. John S. Herbert P’03, ’05 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 Mr. Scott M. Smith ’75 Mr. Malcolm P. Travelstead P’93, ’96 Clifford Barr, Esq. ’48, Emeritus Harry J. Petchesky, Esq. ’55, Emeritus Nathan K. Trynin, Esq. ’48, Emeritus

Poly remembers those who served their country. Veterans Day 2009 ceremonies at Poly included a lowering of the flag to half-mast and the playing of “Taps” at the Oval.

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t h e blu e & t h e Gray

Contents Win t er 2009–2010

Letter from the Editor

Letter from the Headmaster

Featu res 18

Diahann Billings-Burford ’90: Change Agent Extraordinaire

Glen Roven ’75 Returns to Poly

A Lesson in Stewardship: Poly’s Lower School Develops Innovative “Green” Curriculum

Sometimes, History and Change Can Happen Right Before Your Eyes: Poly Students and Teachers at the Obama Inauguration

From the Poly Archives: Surviving Influenza, Then and Now

Alumn i Notes

Class Notes and Special Reunion Pictures

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T h e

F RO M THE E D ITOR ’ S D ES K

BLUE & GRAY T h e

Malcolm G. Farley, Director of Communications

Of bodies chang’d to various forms, I sing: Ye Gods, from whom these miracles did spring, Inspire my numbers with coelestial heat; ‘Till I my long laborious work compleat:

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Blue & Gray Goes Green!

Printed locally on 100% 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 D E SI G N

Amy Thesing photography

Cover: Diahann Billings-Burford ’90, courtesy of NYC Service Inside Cover: Veterans’ Day services at Poly, November 2009, by Brendan Hughes Back Cover: courtesy of Poly Prep Archives Inside Back Cover: Photo of Harlow Parker courtesy of Poly Prep Archives Courtesy NYC Service: pages 5–8 Courtesy Glen Roven: pages 9–11 Malcolm Farley: pages 12–15 Courtesy Shannon Cohall ’10: pages 16–17 Poly Prep Archives: pages 18–19

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 THE BLUE & THE GRAY

O vid ’ s M etamorphoses (B ook I)

ur theme for this issue is aptly: “change.” While it relates directly to both the new form of our magazine and the focus of our feature articles, change is a resonant theme for me personally, too. Currently in my “sophomore year” at Poly (I started just after Homecoming 2008), my prior job was at an HIV/AIDS community healthcare organization in Harlem. So, my move to an educational institution in Brooklyn represented a big shift. I still feel new to a school which is, after all, over 155 years old. Moreover, many of my Poly colleagues have spent most of their professional careers here. Many are Poly alums, Poly parents, or both. With 1,000 students on two campuses and a whopping total of nearly 7,000 parents and alumni, our community will take a long time to learn about and understand. Most of my prior career involved working in colleges and universities. So, a primary and secondary school was new to me, too. I am not sure I was prepared for how Poly would make me re-live my own school experiences during concerts (I was a cellist “back in the day”) or that I would feel again the vivid emotions of adolescence at major rites of passage such as graduation. Fortunately, Poly’s warm family atmosphere eased my transition. Faculty, parents, alumni, and students quickly welcomed me. Moreover, many in the Poly community have been happy to share their wisdom about our rich and varied past, our curriculum, and our arts and athletics. In addition, watching our gifted students—whether in Advanced Drawing, rehearsing The Tempest or practicing squash—can make me feel grounded and energized whenever deadlines loom. Meeting alumni and learning about their careers and families—and the ways Poly continues to enrich their lives—have also been moving. In any case, there are advantages to being new. Looking at Poly with fresh eyes, I can see how much our school—and the lifelong alumni relationships it fosters— form an oasis for those of us who learn, teach, and work at—or who have graduated from—Poly. I can also see how the school has preserved its commitment to character (an old-fashioned but precious value), while embracing a diversity that reflects both our city and the world we live in now. This edition of Poly’s magazine explores some of those changes… and valuable continuities, too. From our cover story on extraordinary alumna Diahann BillingsBurford ’90 to our look at the contrast between the 1918 flu epidemic at Poly and the effects of H1N1 this year, we have managed change as a community while retaining the best of the old. Communications is also proud to re-launch our magazine under a new name— The Blue and The Gray—that also harks back to Poly’s storied past. While preserving many favorite features of yore, such as alumni class notes, The Blue and The Gray is now a more feature-oriented publication, modeled on university magazines. Although extensive staff changes and a strategic re-assessment meant a long hiatus between the last issue of the magazine and this re-launch, we are already looking forward to our next issue, which will appear at the end of the spring term. We hope you enjoy reading The Blue and The Gray (and the changes it both chronicles and embodies) as much as we did producing it.

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

Poly Prep and Managing Change

ow in my second decade as Poly Prep’s headmaster, I am pleased with many of the changes at our school in the last ten years. I think we have succeeded in helping Poly adapt to a world in constant flux while continuing to “prepare our students for college and for life.”

Our faculty is stronger than ever, and our commitment to their professional development remains strong, too. Our campus and our facilities—from our award-winning, landmarked Lower School to our recently renovated art studios in Dyker Heights—have never looked better. The Class of 2010 has the strongest average SAT scores on record. Their early decision/early action acceptance rate of 67% (one of our very highest) bodes well for the entire class’s final college results. The Class of 2010’s early decision/early action schools—including Brandeis, Brown, Bucknell, the University of Chicago, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Mount Holyoke, Poly would be undercut the University of Pennsylvania, Vassar, and Stanford—are among the if we had not also hewn most competitive in the nation, too. Our alumni continue to add to their achievements as leaders in business, theater, public service, science, and athletics—to name just a few of their areas of endeavor. But this good news about positive changes at Poly would be undercut if we had not also hewn to the bedrock values of “mind, body, and character” which have defined our school for more than a century and a half. The key to successful change is managing it well.

to the bedrock values of “mind, body, and character” which have defined our school for more than a century and a half.

Just as each of us must do, Poly needs to pay attention to its own moral compass. We need to steer to the school’s “true north.” So, I am pleased that we continue to demonstrate our commitment to “character above all.” We can see that commitment in numerous ways. From the building of New York City’s first LEED-certified school building (at our Lower School) to last summer’s construction of our greenhouse, and the innovative Nursery B “eco” curriculum (profiled in this issue of the magazine), Poly’s dedication to greening and sustainability sets an important moral example. Our students continue to evince character in countless ways, too. Some recent visitors to Poly’s Lower School— auditioning students there for a stellar opportunity to participate in an upcoming art performance at the Guggenheim— were pleasantly surprised when one of our students recommended her peer for his writing skills during a group interview. Our visitors mentioned that they had not encountered such generosity at any of the other schools they visited. As each of our three divisions responded to the recent devastation in Haiti after the earthquake there, the Middle School Student Senate moved rapidly to consider a partnership with a Haitian school in its rebuilding efforts as well as fundraising with Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, a Brooklyn non-profit with which they have worked in the past on community service projects. Moreover, in a stunning statistic that drives home our continuing community involvement, I note that, from 2007 until the present, the Class of 2010 has collectively volunteered a whopping total of 12,885 hours of community service. Finally, of course, in the profile of Diahann Billings-Burford ’90, New York City’s first Chief Service Officer, we see how Poly’s character education translates into inspired leadership and service on a very big scale, indeed. Please join me, then, in delving into this issue of The Blue and The Gray, as we explore the best of the new and the old at Poly Prep.

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Stay Connected with Poly! Join Polyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worldwide alumni network by attending Special Reunion or one of our many fun alumni events. N ew York R e gi o n a l A lu mn i E v e n t 3/10/2010 6:00 PM, T h e U n iv er s ity C lu b , N ew Yo rk C ity Special Reu n i o n 2 0 1 0 4/24/2010 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 Washing to n , D . C . R e gi o n a l A lu mn i G ath e r i n g 5/3/2010 Genero u s ly h os ted b y R ob Br is k m a n â&#x20AC;&#x2DC; 5 0 , a t th e C os m o s C l u b, Was h in gton , D . C .

To RSVP for these or any other Poly events, contact Lisa Della Pietra, Director of Alumni Relations and Alumni Annual Fund, at ldellapietra@polyprep.org, or call (718) 836-9800, ext. 6870.

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co ver story

Diahann Billings-Buford ’90, Change Agent Extraordinaire New York City’s First Chief Service Officer Faces Big Challenges with Vision and the Determination to Make A Difference By Malcolm G. Farley

n Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (Simon & Schuster, 2000), he worried that Americans’ civic engagement had reached an all-time low. Drawing on extensive research, he claimed that “we sign fewer petitions, belong to fewer organizations that meet, know our neighbors less, meet with friends less frequently, and even socialize with our families less often.” Diahann Billings-Burford, a vivacious, frank, and charismatic Poly alumna, wouldn’t entirely agree. In fact, her latest career move suggests Putnam may be wrong… in a big way. On June 9, 2009, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg appointed Billings-Burford as New York City’s first Chief Service Officer, heading the city’s efforts to recruit more people to volunteer and serve their communities. “People are really stepping up to the plate, even people who are working,” Billings-Burford told Poly’s The Blue & The Gray after she assumed her new position. “There’s a real desire in this city to help others in need.” Warming to her topic, Billings-Burford noted: “In fact, one of the initiatives I’ll be overseeing, the NYC Civic Corps, received 800 applicants last year.” She added meaningfully, “These are full-time unpaid positions for AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers.” Still, in her groundbreaking leadership role, BillingsBurford has a daunting task. She is “charged with leading NYC Service—the city’s initiative to promote a

On June 9, 2009, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, at right, appointed Diahann Billings-Burford ’90 as New York City’s first Chief Service Officer.

new era of service and volunteerism in New York City.” Moreover, she must “…make New York the easiest city in the country [in which] to volunteer,” as the city’s press release modestly explained. During the press conference announcing her appointment, Mayor Bloomberg upped the ante further: “The NYC Service program is the first of its kind in the nation, and our Chief Service Officer is the first job of its kind in any city in the nation. We believe we’ve found the perfect person for this unique job—Diahann Billings-Burford—and I look forward to working with her to achieve our goals.” Given the stakes and her high profile position, you can understand why Billings-Burford would tell Essence (in a June 23, 2009 interview) that “…sometimes it feels like there’s a lot to be done and really high standards to meet, P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

At NYC Service, Billings-Burford drives volunteer activity to the entire city’s most pressing needs: “strengthening communities, helping neighbors in need, education, the environment, public health, and emergency preparedness.”

but it’s an awesome responsibility because I feel like I have the opportunity to make a real impact here.” She also noted in the same interview, “If you want to make a difference, we’ll provide you with what you need to give in a way that matters. I really would love service to become the definition of what it means to be a citizen in this country.” Billings-Burford was well prepared for her new mission. Born and raised in Brooklyn, she was a Prep

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for Prep participant, a program that selects New York’s most promising students of color for placement at independent schools. She joined Poly in eighth grade and graduated in 1990. (She still lives in the borough with her husband and two children.) “My time at Poly definitely had an effect on my career,” Billings-Burford said. “Prep for Prep gave me a big boost, of course. But I also took on leadership roles at Poly. I learned to use the gifts I was given. I worked with peers to set goals and found opportunities to achieve them.”

NYC Service: List Of Initiatives, Current & Future

Billings-Burford reminisced about being president of student government and working with its faculty advisor, Poly Master Teacher Paul Raso. One of her first challenges as a leader involved a school dance scheduled during what turned out to be a torrential downpour. She made the decision to hold the event, anyway. As she grew as a leader, she faced bigger decisions at the school, helping to found the Umoja organization for African-American students at Poly. As she recalled, “Bill Williams and some faculty were skeptical about its role and necessity. But we convinced them. I learned to argue respectfully. Poly pushed me to state what I wanted and believed… and then work for it.”

Strengthening Communities Initiative Block Beautification Underway Block Watch Launching in 2010 It’s My Park Day Underway Police Auxiliary Unit Underway Show and Tell Launching in 2010 Helping Neighbors In Need Initiative Adopt a Food Program Underway Financial Empowerment Underway Language Services Launching in 2010 Legal Services Launching in 2009 Support Our Troops Underway Telephone Reassurance Launching in 2010 Time Banking Launching in 2010 Education Initiative Middle School Mentors Underway Serve our Schools Underway Environment Initiative Carbon Footprint Reduction Online Toolkit Underway Million Trees NYC Underway NYC Cool Roofs Underway RelightNY Launching in 2010 Health Initiative Blood Drive Launching in 2009 Flu Fighters Underway Shape Up Underway Walking School Bus Launching in 2010 Emergency Preparedness Initiative American Red Cross Launching in 2010 Reserve Program CPR Training Underway Ready New York Underway Ready Schools Underway

After Poly, Billings-Burford attended Yale University. She later obtained a JD from Columbia University’s law school. In addition, she worked as a middle school history teacher, a curriculum developer, and a corporate attorney.

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Early in her career, she completed a stint as a White House intern during Bill Clinton’s first term. Placed in the Office of National Service, she noted that the experience was the “…first time I saw service and volunteering on a national scale.”

At NYC Service, Billings-Burford and her team must help drive volunteer activity to address the entire city’s most pressing needs: “strengthening communities, helping neighbors in need, education, the environment, public health, and emergency preparedness.”

Billings-Burford also made clear that service was a deeply personal choice as well as professional one. Despite her degree and her work for a major firm, she realized the law was not for her. “My mother had passed suddenly in my third year of law school,” she explained. “That experience caused me to re-evaluate. I wanted to lead a good life. For me. Some might define that as a corporate job. But I asked myself: ‘Am I doing what I was supposed to do on this earth?’”

To succeed, she will have to partner successfully with other city agencies, charities, and schools. Recognizing that necessity, Billings-Burford was enthusiastic about her agency’s plan to build management capacity among nearly 60 public and nonprofit agencies throughout the five boroughs, helping them to use more volunteers and use them more strategically.

Committed to her vision of service, Billings-Burford returned to the Prep for Prep program for much of her career, where she served in various capacities, including Director of College Guidance and Director of Leadership Development Opportunities. She also served as the Director of External Affairs for Achievement First, a charter school management organization, and then as Deputy Executive Director of External Affairs for City Year New York, an organization engaging young people to volunteer in New York City’s schools. Setting aside her compelling story, however, some might wonder if volunteerism can ever effectively substitute for publicly- or privately-funded social services. “No, of course not,” she replied with refreshing candor. “But we can’t keep spending money we don’t have. Budget cuts are happening right now, but folk can’t go without education, healthcare, and a clean environment. We are experiencing a difficult economy, but children can’t go hungry. We must still take care of all members of our community. People must be responsible for the communal good.”

You may have seen NYC Service’s public service announcements on bus kiosks, during TV spots, or on social media. In addition, Billings-Burford’s agency has a website at www.nycservice.gov and a Facebook Fan page at www.facebook.com/nycservice.

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Moreover, NYC Service must monitor its own progress against clear goals and be accountable for results. “People want to know that they’re not wasting their time,” Billings-Burford said. “Effectiveness is key.” Most importantly, Billings-Burford must inspire New York City’s residents to volunteer and help out. Her Middle School Mentors program, Support The Troops initiative, and a plan to paint the roofs of New York City buildings white in order to increase their reflectiveness and reduce energy costs—for example—will all depend on her agency’s ability to motivate ordinary Gothamites. Indeed, NYC Service has already launched an advertising campaign entitled “Use your BLANK for good!” Exemplary volunteers from all walks of life will testify that “Time is my BLANK,” for instance, or “Organizing is my BLANK,” and provide inspiring stories of service. At Poly, we know Billings-Burford will be using her own BLANK for good, too. (We might fill in her BLANK with words such as “vision,” “passion,” or “determination.”) But one blank is certain: Diahann Billings-Burford is a force for positive change. Indeed, Billings-Burford has joined a long tradition of Poly alumni who lead and serve others. As she noted, herself, “Poly is interested in the whole student. You don’t have to choose just one part of yourself. That’s the great thing about our school. It’s a place for people who are go-getters to be educated.” Inspired by her example and Poly’s emphasis on character, many of our currently enrolled “go-getters” will, we suspect, follow in her footsteps. n

Alumni Spotlight:

Glenn Roven ’75 Returns to Poly After 34 Years and Finds Change: in Himself and his School By Joshua Mehigan

rtists, especially young budding ones, are proverbially dissatisfied with the state of things. Glen Roven ’75 admits he was typical in that regard. In the 1975 edition of The Polyglot, beneath the future Emmy Award winner’s name, there appear some lines written 400 years ago by the embattled courtier and poet, Walter Raleigh:

Go, soul, the body’s guest, Upon a thankless arrant; Fear not to touch the best; The truth shall be thy warrant. Go, since I needs must die, And give the world the lie. The poem goes on to single out human foibles that the author, and presumably the Poly senior, believed should be exposed as decadent and dishonest.

Four-time Emmy Award-winner Glen Roven ‘75 has proven himself the rare artist who works with equal skill in both classical and popular music.

The photograph above the poem—that of a boy with soft features and a faintly self-conscious look—is difficult to reconcile with the poem’s worldly theme and jaded message. But then, it is no less difficult to imagine that the near-child pictured there was already the pianist for the Broadway show Pippin, or that a couple of years later he would become the all-time youngest conductor on Broadway and musical director for the Mickey Rooney–Ann Miller hit, Sugar Babies.

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Where does an artist who is already mature at 18 go from there? How does he grow and change?

who works with equal skill in both classical and popular music. And, along the way, he won four Emmys.

In many respects, “up” is the correct answer. It is even an understatement if you consider Roven’s long and successful career in the intervening years. But “up” omits something important about Roven’s experience, and perhaps about the lives of all serious artists. In a Polygon profile from 1981, Roven described his nascent career by saying he was “living out his fantasy.”

The list of greats he has worked with reads like a stroll down a contemporary walk of musical fame: Julie Andrews, Ray Charles, Placido Domingo, Ella Fitzgerald, Renee Fleming, Gregory Hines, Bob Hope, Whitney Huston, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Diana Ross, and even Kermit the Frog.

Asked in 2009 if this description is still true, the composer has a somewhat more complex response. “I’ve been in show biz for thirty years,” he says. “I have some scars.” But he is quick to add, “Every time I’ve wanted to quit, I end up saying to myself, ‘OK, just try this,’ and it usually works. I guess I’m a writer and musician, and a musician makes music.”

He has worked in theatre, television, film, and dance. His compositions and arrangements have been featured in productions such as Patti LuPone on Broadway, Christopher Isherwood’s A Meeting by the River, John Guare’s and Louis Malle’s Lydie Breeze, and the TV hit Desperate Housewives.

He has conducted for the National Symphony, the L.A. Philharmonic, the After its premier in 2008 at Carnegie Hall, Roven Munich Philharmonic, and performed The Runaway Bunny at Poly with the Brooklyn In 1975, Roven clearly for three presidential inauSymphony Orchestra. already felt, and performed, gurations. With Armistead like a musician. At a pre-coed Maupin, he has also coPoly, in the shadow of the then controversial Verrazanowritten the musical Heart’s Desire, recently performed at Narrows bridge and in a time and place where the focus the Shaftesbury Theatre in London. was sometimes more academic and athletic than artistic, Roven strove to nurture his burgeoning musical talent. His work for children includes, among other productions, a Broadway musical based on Dr. Seuss’s 5000 “Poly was a very different school then,” says Roven. Fingers of Dr. T., music for HBO’s The Babysitter’s Club, “All boys. Small. Great academics, but very little in arts. and The Runaway Bunny, based on the children’s book That was what I was interested in, not really sports or by Margaret Wise Brown. academics, so I had to look elsewhere for that.” The Runaway Bunny has proven to be one of Roven’s greatHe found it. est commercial successes, with SONY/BMG issuing a 2008 recording that features violinist Ittai Shapira and the Royal An immediate success in the notoriously unforgiving Philharmonic Orchestra. Brooke Shields narrates. Millions New York performing-arts scene, Roven has gone on to across the country have heard the piece on the radio. garner many honors and awards and much international praise over a still-young, quarter-century career as a But for those of us at Poly, The Runaway Bunny has a much composer, lyricist, conductor, producer, and writer. He more personal significance. It is ultimately what brought has proven himself to be one of the rare musical artists Glen Roven back to his alma mater after 34 years away.

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In April of 2008, Poly headmaster David Harman attended the concerto’s world premiere at Carnegie Hall, performed by the American Symphony Orchestra, with Glenn Close as narrator. “David suggested to Nick Armstrong, the chair of Poly’s performing arts department and the conductor of the Brooklyn Symphony, that we perform it at Poly, too,” Roven says. “My old classmate Harold Theurer had already recommended the piece to Nick. It was just a confluence of events, and I said ‘Fantastic!’” So, on March 8, 2009, the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, led by Armstrong, presented a concert featuring The Runaway Bunny in Poly’s Richard Perry Theatre. It was a tremendous success, one of the school’s finest performances in recent years, and a memorable occasion.

“I saw a lot of change,” Roven says of his return to Poly. “It knocked me sideways. What really blew me away was how much more the school has to offer in the arts. I saw the ceramics class, the dance studios, the Richard Perry Theatre—all that stuff didn’t exist when I was at Poly!” Of course, Roven has been joined in the arts by a whole host of Poly alumni, ranging from Laura Beiles ’95, now an Associate Director of Education at the Modern Museum of Art, and Nick Poe ’03, painter and artist, to Noah Aberlin ’00, who just completed a stint as the Scarecrow in a recent revival of The Wizard of Oz. And this list doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Poly’s alumni who have achieved remarkable professional success as artists. “It was probably always one of the greatest schools in the country,” he continues. “But today, it’s like a theme park for kids, in the best way possible.”

On the face of it, this homecoming might never have happened. On a personal level, Roven adds: But, in retrospect, Roven real“Since the performance, the izes he took a great deal away school has been so kind and has Roven recently returned to Poly for the first time from his Poly experience. “The reached out to me like crazy. I since his graduation in 1975: “What really Language Department was fancan’t wait to get more involved. blew me away was how much more the school tastic... When I first started conThe possibilities are endless.” has to offer in the arts.” ducting orchestras in Europe, I was in Luxembourg and they said ‘You’d better speak Poly agrees wholeheartedly. Indeed, the school looks French,’ and I said, ‘OK, I speak French.’” forward to involving Roven and other Poly artistsalums in further expanding Poly’s arts curriculum in He fondly remembers legendary English Head Miles dance, theater, music, writing, and fine arts. We also Kastendieck, namesake of the now annual Poly lecture hope they will nurture the next generation of Poly stuseries. He remembers Latin with John Miller, his favordent artists and alumni. n ite teacher, whom he calls “a life counselor.” But when Roven left Poly after graduation, his bond with the school was not as strong as it could have been. With the passing years, he and Poly followed their own separate tracks into the future. “None of my teachers were at Poly anymore,” he says. He lost touch with the school. Then again, it is precisely the changes both Roven and Poly have undergone that brought them together again in 2009. After all, Roven and Poly have grown considerably and transformed themselves over the years.

Join Poly at Carnegie Hall! Join us for an alumni reception prior to Glen Roven’s May 19, 2010 Carnegie Hall Concert. Time and location of the reception will be announced in The Polycam, Poly’s monthly alumni newsletter—if you don’t already subscribe, email Associate Director of Communications Brendan Hughes at bhughes@polyprep.org to sign up!

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A Lesson in Stewardship:

Poly’s Lower School Develops Innovative “Green” Curriculum A Trip to Jamaica Bay Becomes a Primer in Ecology and Preservation for Poly’s Youngest Students

t is low tide in Jamaica Bay, the thirteen thousand-acre tidal wetland in southern Queens, New York. Under an overcast, slate gray sky, two neat lines of Poly Prep Lower School students, members of the Nursery B classroom, and their first grade buddies led by teachers Leonie Bolles and Irwin Tawil, walk a dirt path among the mud flats and cat tails, through tangles of prickly pear and wild shrub rose, stands of wormwood, goldenrod, and scrub grass of the Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

By Brendan Hughes

Bolles and Tawil believe that exposing children to the wetland will help them to forge an intellectual and emotional connection to the environment. Traveling to the refuge twice each year, the children observe birds and sea life, see first-hand the wonders of the tidal wetland, and the many ways in which it is threatened.

In the not-quite-spring light, the bay is the color of heirloom silver, the monochrome of water and sky broken only by the tentative green of the grass and by the brightly colored clothing of children in search of wildlife. This is no ordinary field trip. For the last two years, Bolles and Tawil have led trips like this one to Jamaica Bay—thirty-odd nursery schoolers and first graders in tow—turning the fragile ecosystem into a classroom. In the process, the teachers have crafted a new and unique curriculum that has turned these three- and four-year-olds into young explorers, artists and urban ecologists, emphasizing both environmental awareness and developmental growth. “Children in America don’t have enough exposure to the natural world,” Tawil says. “Now more than ever before, they sit behind a desk and learn abstract things for long periods of time. Exposure to the natural world is crucial to their development.”

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Taking their observations and discoveries from these visits, Nursery B students (along with their firstgrade buddies) create a field guide to Jamaica Bay, with sketches and descriptions of wildlife. Each year’s guide is then handsomely bound and placed the classroom library.

Blue Tree Swallows like this one are common to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.

Bolles also helps students create life-sized models of the birds they study, using paper bags and stuffing. “It’s reinforcement of what they learn in the field through art-making,” Bolles says. What distinguishes this curriculum, however, isn’t the bird models or the field guides, it is the complete immersion of these very young students in the natural world—a curriculum that asks three and four-yearolds to see a threatened local environment as their own. “This is all about stewardship,” says Tawil. “We want to show the children the natural world. We want them to become its preservers and protectors.” The idea of using Jamaica Bay, the largest saltwater marsh in New York City and a stopover for migrating birds along the Atlantic Flyway, first came to Tawil three years ago, when he received

Students from Nursery B and first grade with parent chaperones at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. Irwin Tawil and Leonie Bolles have designed an environmental education program for Poly’s youngest students.

a professional development grant from Poly Prep to kayak and photograph the bay, documenting its precarious ecosystem. “I have a personal interest and passion for the outdoors,” says Tawil, a Brooklyn native. “Both Leonie and I feel very strongly that children need to have firsthand experience in the natural world.” “Jamaica Bay is losing more than forty acres each year,” says Bolles, Tawil’s co-teacher. That figure is conservative. In a 2002 report in the Gotham Gazette, state environmental officials said fifty to sixty acres per year is a more likely number. “We will lose it completely if we don’t care for it,” Bolles says. While it remains one of New York’s most beautiful places, Jamaica Bay has long been among the city’s most environmentally debased. The bay’s eastern quarter was filled during the construction of John F. Kennedy International Airport, and factories dotted

its western and northern shores for nearly a century. (One of Jamaica Bay’s inlets is known as Dead Horse Bay, from the horse carcasses that washed up on shore, discarded by local glue and gelatin factories.) Even today, the wetlands remain in jeopardy. Four sewage treatment plans dot its shores, discharging treated waste-water. When rain overtakes the system’s capacity, raw sewage is discharged directly into the bay. Some experts believe that this sewage discharge is contributing to erosion by creating year-round, algal blooms, which kill plant life on the bay’s bottom, loosening soil. Jamaica Bay is a complex place with complex problems, but Tawil and Bolles strongly believe that even the youngest Poly students have much to learn by interacting with the local environment. “Allowing children to have this experience in the field enables them to use their bodies, their senses,

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“We don’t just want to teach to a test. Birdwatching is an incredible skill for young children. It’s unstructured playtime—play without props and toys. They exercise their bodies and their imaginations.” –N ursery B Teacher Leonie B o ll e s

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

Nursery B Teacher Irwin Tawil. He and Leonie Bolles are exploring the possibility of expanding the Jamaica Bay curriculum to other classrooms.

and their cognitive skills,” Tawil says. “Kids need to see real things—Jamaica Bay is local and real, and we can visit it. “We don’t just want to teach to a test,” says Bolles, a 35-year veteran of the classroom, speaking of Poly’s mission to develop the mind, body, and character of each student. “Birdwatching is an incredible skill for young children. It’s unstructured playtime—play without props and toys. They exercise their bodies and their imaginations.” As the Nursery B students build bird models and assemble their research in a field guide under Bolles’s guidance, they chose either a bird or crustacean to work on. They also choose their roles. They can work either as artists, building models, or as researchers, finding facts for their field guide. Life-sized, paper-and-paint representations of blue herons, ospreys, and terns decorate the Nursery B classroom, and the field guide includes photographs of the real birds and the students’ models. Along with imagination, Bolles and Tawil’s students learn classroom-ready skills, too. From visual and

auditory observation, to motor and language skills that come out of creating the wildlife models and accompanying field guide, Nursery B students participate in activities that have a lasting impact on their academic success at Poly. Bolles and Tawil are now exploring the possibility of expanding the Jamaica Bay curriculum to other classrooms. Already, one first grade class has accompanied Nursery B on a trip to the bay, and Bolles has led trips to nearby Prospect Park. There, the class has “adopted” a tree, building a paper model of it and changing the model to reflect the tree’s seasonal changes. “We would love to see Jamaica Bay as part of a school-wide curriculum,” Bolles says. For Tawil, the success of the curriculum—as a growing number of students and parents have participated in and embraced the program—is a testament to the school’s commitment to educating the whole person. “Poly doesn’t just educate kids from the neck up,” Tawil says. “Nature is the best teaching tool for the whole child you can have.” n

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Poly Students and Teachers Attend the Inauguration of President Barack Obama

Sometimes, History and Change Can Happen Right Before Your Eyes By Rebecca Grossfield

olitics aside, there is no question that Barack Hussein Obama’s election was a momentous event in American history. Whether you voted for the McCain-Palin ticket, the Obama-Biden slate, or stayed home on November 4, 2008, Obama’s election as President—the nation’s first African American to hold that office—will merit a highlight in history books to come. Less talked about, however, is the connection he forged with young Americans—a connection that many Poly students and teachers keenly felt. “Completely surreal,” graduating senior Shannon Cohall ’10, called her experience at the Inauguration of President Obama. For many Poly students and teachers, Obama’s campaign slogan “Change You Can Believe In” resonated and his win prompted a journey from New York to Washington, D.C., for the January 20, 2009 event. At Poly’s two campuses in Park Slope and Dyker Heights, students followed the election all year. Studying the election and electoral process in history courses, they also discussed it daily. Lower School children took to the streets, surveying local residents and reporting the results. At the Upper and Middle School campus, students began the year with a mock presidential debate in Chapel.

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Senior Kyle Wynter-Stoner ’09 addressed his peers in Chapel after the nomination of Barack Obama. “For the first time, I feel like an American,” he said. “That really struck me,” said Cohall, recalling WynterStoner’s address. “At the beginning of the campaign, I did a lot of research on Barack Obama,” said Cohall. “I found his politics inspiring and his belief in this new era of American politics spoke to me.” Initially intrigued by Obama’s conception of politics, she added, “He also really appealed to young people by integrating technology into his campaign. You felt like you were a part of it.” Obama famously transformed campaigning during his primary battle with Hillary Clinton and again during the general election by utilizing social networking tools, like Twitter and Facebook, as ways of staying connected. “The entire election period, I had ten different Obama shirts that I kept rotating. Everyone knew who I supported. On Election Day, I was so excited, I couldn’t concentrate all day,” Cohall laughed. The election of the nation’s first African-American president was not merely a history-in-the-making moment, but an emotional experience for many, too.

On that November 4th evening, the Cohalls watched the television screen, cheering each time another state turned Democratic blue. “It was incredible,” gushed Cohall, who actually videotaped her family’s reaction to the results in anticipation. “I just wanted to see our faces. We were laughing and crying at the same time.”

For Cohall, that moment was about coming together. “Usually, you see a crowd of strangers and it’s a mess,” said Cohall. “This time, nobody was fighting, nobody was angry, everyone was just enjoying the experience.” Teachers Kutner and Catharine emphasized the same aspect of their experience. “I really felt that when we arrived in Washington, D.C., at Union Station, we were arriving at a venue for the biggest party in the world,” said Catharine.

Not surprisingly, as excited students celebrated in the Poly halls on November 5, some Poly educators also had strong reactions about the results. “I’ll never forget it. We were sitting in [Middle School foreign language teacher] Top: Shannon Cohall ‘10 at Barack Obama’s Catharine added, “The really inPaul Kutner’s classroom the day inauguration. Bottom: The Capitol on the credible part was the diversity of after the election,” said Middle evening before the ceremony. people in attendance. I actually School foreign language teacher spent the day before just taking Dana Catharine. “We were like, ‘We don’t know how, photos of strangers, with their buttons and their signs, but we have to be at the Inauguration’.” just to bring back to show Poly.” Hopeful, Kutner wrote his congressman about the possibility of getting tickets. “I was in California on New Year’s Eve when I got a phone call,” he said. “I had received five tickets to the Inauguration.”

The image was striking to Kutner, too. “There were people from all over the country and from all walks of life—rich and poor, young and old, wanting only to get a glimpse,” he said.

Ultimately, four Middle School teachers—Dana Catharine, Paul Kutner, Maite Iracheta, and Christy Hutchcraft, along with Cohall and many other Poly community members, joined the swarms of people at the National Mall on a cold Tuesday on January 20, 2009, to celebrate the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, as he was sworn in to office as the 44th president of the United States.

Yet just as Obama described his White House victory as a victory for all, sharing the experience with the Poly community was really momentous. “The most rewarding part was being able to teach that living moment,” said Kutner.

“After the Inauguration, I received emails from a number of students who attended and wanted to share what they felt,” explained Upper School Head Bud Cox. “Some of them actually sat near the Capitol steps and listened to the speech. Others were among the throngs of people soaking up the excitement and feeling the sense of hope and possibility,” Cox added. In all, almost a dozen Poly students and teachers attended the inauguration. During January Upper and Middle School Chapels, the Middle School teachers and Cohall brought history alive for Poly by sharing their unique experiences. Everyone concurred with Kutner: “It was part of being in the moment.”

Founder of the Republicans at Poly Prep club Katie McDevitt ’11 was also among those who found the inauguration a moving and historic event. “It was hard to admit defeat,” she said, “but for the United States, the election of a black president is a historical moment—it was groundbreaking and I certainly appreciated that, even though I disagree with many of his policies and views.” Cox said, “The election ultimately symbolized for Poly’s community what is essential in educating our students: helping them understand their roles as people with substantial obligations.” In truth, the Poly presence at this historical event was, according to Cox, a mere “extension of the work Poly does daily to produce responsible global citizens.” n P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

Fr om the poly archives:

Surviving Influenza, Then and Now How Poly Weathered the 1918 Spanish Flu and Has Fared with the H1N1 Flu of 2009

preventative measures such as washing hands and appropriate homestays for students who fell ill with flulike symptoms. This past December 5, all Poly students were offered H1N1 flu vaccine shots.

But comparisons between the 1918 and 2009 flu epidemics are not entirely unfounded. Like the Spanish Flu, early cases of H1N1 seemed to disproportionately effect healthy adults and teens, and complications included lung infections and pneumonia. Since the virusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial appearance and spread, however, for reasons still not entirely clear, H1N1 has not been nearly as widespread, or as virulent, as the 1918 epidemic.

By Brendan Hughes

hen a new, deadly strain of the H1N1 influenza virus began to spread northward from Mexico into the United States in early 2009, there were inevitable comparisons to the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic, which killed as many as 40 million people worldwide. While H1N1 has proven to be less serious than many initially feared, Poly responded with aggressive prevention measures. Headmaster Harman and the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nursing staff distributed frequent flu advisories and updates to Poly families, faculty, and staff starting in the 2009 spring term. The school tracked the changing flu guidance from public health officials and vigorously advocated

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The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate just under fourteen thousand H1N1 deaths in the United States in 2009. Historians estimate the total number of Spanish flu victims in the United States in the millions at the pandemicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s height in 1918 and early 1919. In another parallel with 1918, New York City in 2009 was one of the first U.S. cities to report cases of the H1N1 virus. However, the catastrophic outbreak many feared never came to pass. In both 2009 and 1918,

New York’s rate of infection remained relatively low. Historian Alfred Crosby, author of America’s Forgotten Pandemic, estimates that New York’s rate of infection in 1918 remained below that of smaller cities like Boston and Philadelphia. In 1918, the actions of New York Health Commissioner Dr. Royal Copeland helped to keep the city’s infection and mortality rate low. Copeland mandated that moviegoers sit with one empty chair between them and subway car windows were opened to facilitate ventilation. Copeland also mandated that businesses institute staggered work schedules to prevent subway overcrowding. The influenza panic that swept through the overcrowded streets of Manhattan in the fall of 1918 must have seemed rather distant at Poly Prep. Just one year earlier, the school had relocated from its cramped downtown Brooklyn quarters to twenty-five bucolic acres in Dyker Heights. Still, influenza was very much a concern under the Tall White Tower. As Copeland moved to alleviate overcrowding, he made the critical decision to allow schools to stay open, reasoning that conditions there might, in many cases, be more sanitary than at students’ homes. Poly Prep Trustees, too, considered closing the school until the epidemic subsided, but, as noted in the minutes of their October 23, 1918 meeting “...it was RESOLVED: That the School should not be closed on account of the epidemic.”

By comparison, on October 29, 1918, The Polygon reported that all teachers would be innoculated for influenza, “although many specialists say the epidemic is waning,” the paper reported. In 1918, no school-wide effort to innoculate students was organized, in part because vaccine stocks were so low then. While Poly administrators kept no official count of influenza infections or deaths that we can now locate, attendance records culled from the school archives do indicate that at the height of the epidemic in early November 1918, only eleven students had withdrawn from Poly (for unidentified reasons), while at least two had died of the deadly flu. Poly is very grateful that, this time round, our students have only suffered relatively mild flu symptoms. Of course, for those who did become seriously ill, the antiviral drug Tamiflu and the availability of antibiotics for secondary infections such as bacterial pneumonia also made a huge difference vis-à-vis the 1918 pandemic. This time, the epidemic was met with a school community better informed and better prepared. From educating students on preventing the spread of influenza to making vaccines readily available, Poly and its families—who were able to rely on effective medication and healthcare—did what some other large independent and public schools in the New York area were not able to do: Poly stayed open and kept educating students without major disruption while helping to ensure student health and safety. n

Poly’s Board of Trustees considered closing the school during the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918, but decided against it.

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Poly wants to hear from you! Please submit class notes for the spring 2010 issue of The Blue and The Gray to Maria DiNaso, Associate Director of Alumni Relations, at mdinaso@polyprep.org.

1929

Paul Frederick died February 16, 2009 at age 97 in Vero Beach, FL. Frederick, formerly of Lawrence, NY, was a retired Senior Vice President at Chemical Bank and Captain USNR. His son, Paul Jr., and daughters, Clara Baur and Madeleine Geoghegan, survive him. He was proud of Poly and spoke fondly of the institution often throughout the years.

1934 Wallace

Cox

graduated from Harvard School of Business Administration in 1940 and from the college in 1938 cum laude. He also graduated from Poly as a member of the Cum Laude Society, and was captain of the rifle team. He spent two years in field artillery. Cox worked for thirty years, twenty-four of which he spent managing quality cartons for pharmaceuticals. After doing factory work he advanced to the presidency of two companies before retiring at sixty-five. Then, he became interested in square dancing. He danced abroad in England, Hawaii, and Canada. This was a great exercise into his 70s and 80s. His favorite Poly faculty member was Dr. Hiram Austin Tuttle, who taught Latin.

1937

Edwin Millard Latson (“Jim”), P’78 passed away on

September 3, 2009. Born in

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Brooklyn, Latson attended Yale after graduation from Poly, and served as a captain in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1985, he retired from the New York Heart Association, where he served as controller. He continued to serve on the boards of many Brooklyn charities, including the Brooklyn Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Long Island College Hospital, and Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Constance Thayer Latson; three children, Anne L. Vogelsberg, Amy M. Latson and Peter H. Latson ’78; and two grandsons, Benjamin and William Latson. Charles

Plotz reports, “A few weeks ago our grandson Ben Plotz ’07, visited us on Martha’s Vineyard along with three of his ex-Poly classmates, all four of whom were on the squash team. Ben is now a sophomore at the University of Chicago. During their stay with us we invited David and Kristin Harman for the cocktail hour and they came with their houseguests and it was a great family reunion. Ben feels particularly attached to Poly since his father and grandfather are both Poly graduates.”

1939 From February 1943 to October 1946, Martin W. Haber was a U.S. Air Force pilot. He was a social case worker from 1947-1948. From 1949 to 1997 he worked at Jefferson Credit Corp., moving his way up from office boy to president. Haber is currently a bonsai grower and enjoys being the chair of the religious affairs committee at Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Emet. Haber has three children: Lynn, a social worker; Steven, a professor at N.J.C. State U; and

Special Reunion Class of 1939

Jeff, a hospice counselor. Fond memories of Poly were spending study halls watching ships going and coming through the Narrows. A favorite Poly teacher was Mr. Van Vleck, the history teacher, who used to catch students smoking in the subway. Once caught, they never smoked illegally again. David L. Joseph has lived in

Florida for 25 years, and has kept active by volunteering at a local hospital. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Corps Weather Service in North Africa. After the war, he worked for the textile manufacturing company Schiffli Embroidery in New Jersey. He credits Poly with preparing him and getting him admitted to Brown University. Joseph lost his wife, Miriam, 10 years ago and has three children, and two grandchildren, all of whom live far from Florida. Robert A. Moore graduated from Cornell and worked for 10 years with Mobil Oil in the reasearch department. His 1954 patent started Aquatrols, a company producing soil surfactants used to improve the efficency of using water to grow green plants. Moore’s three children run the company now, which sells in foreign countries as well as in all

of North America. They have been in business for almost 55 years. He is interested in golf, gardening, reading, and helping to raise money for the local hospital. His favorite Poly tradition: sports.

1940

Ralph A. Clauson, a 1940 graduate of Poly, died on September 1, 2008.

1943

Poly alumnus Ross Socolof, a famous ichthyologist, passionate naturalist and explorer, and author of Confessions of a Tropical Fish Addict, passed away on October 20, 2009.

1944

Darwin J. Blaine is active in

church activities and in civic service for the homeless. He remembers Dr. Scoboria, the track coach, paying for the mile relay runners to have a sports massage after they qualified for the events final in a race at Madison Square Garden. Mr. Scibly was a saint among a godly number of other faculty saints. His favorite Poly tradition was Saturday School. Bragging opportunity: Pete McKinley

won five (count them!) varsity letters in his senior year. In 1969, after practicing medicine in Manhattan for 12 years, Richard J. Conroy moved to La Jolla, CA, to join Scripps Clinic Division of General (Internal) Medicine, where he practiced until 2005. He and his wife Genevieve moved into the White Sands retirement community in an independent living condo unit in late 2007 and enjoy the seaside “campus” and active social/cultural opportunities. Conroy’s hobbies include rotary club, bridge, and traveling. His favorite faculty member is Clarence Scoboria, with fond memories of Hiram Tutttle and Mr. Buschek. After entering Princeton in 1944 and leaving in 1945 for the Navy, Alan Cruikshank graduated in 1948. He accepted a job with Kodak. In 1952, he returned to NYC to work in his family real estate business. In 1957, he rejoined Kodak and retired in 1983. From 1984-2002, Al worked for the Rochester District Attorney’s office as a trial lawyer. He spent three years teaching at the State University at Geneseo. Alan’s wife works at Rochester Radio Station. She also writes and edits for

Special Reunion Class of 1944

various local publications and works as a Professor of English at Monroe Community College & St. John Fisher College. Alan’s honors include plaques from the Trial Lawyers Association of Erie County for excellence in the Trial Practice Course at Buffalo Law School and the Town of Brighton for Outstanding Service. A fond Poly memory is Miss Powers reading from King of the Hills. Gordon R. Edwards spent

one year with The Borden Co. and three in the U.S. Army. Edwards worked the next 31 years for the M.W.’s Company as a piping engineer, a project engineer, a project manager and the Vice President of Western Hemisphere Sales. He spent eight-and-a-half years in England and one-anda-half years in Toronto before moving to Houston in 1971. Edwards and his wife Nancy have three children. The oldest, Win, has a dental practice in Houston and two children (both have now graduated from college). Their middle child, Sharon, lives and works in Atlanta. Their youngest, Susan, is married to an attorney and lives in Houston and is a very active soccer mom for her two children. After work-

2009 Distinguished Achievement Awards (from left to right): Alumni Association Board of Governors President Hal Rose ’74, 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award winner Malcolm H. Bell ’49, Headmaster David B. Harman, 2009 School Service Award winner Eric J. Ruby ’64, 2009 Distinguished Achievement Award winner Edward L Marcus ’44, and Alumni Association Board of Governors member Matt Walsh ’92.

ing eight years for Dresser Industries, Edwards retired in 1993 and enjoyed every minute, including 11 cruises taken to numerous worldwide destinations, including Alaska and West Africa. John W. Hearn served in the

U.S. Navy, attached to 2nd Marine Division as a 2nd Class Pharmacist Mate, based in Sasebo, Japan. He returned to Yale to study until 1947 when he went to work for Robert Gair Co. as a packaging engineer and sales representative. In 1963 he began working with his brother Neil ’43, franchising cheese shops. Hearn ran his import/distribution business, supplying the stores. Starting in 1965-1966, he owned cheese shops in New Canaan and Darien, CT until retirement. Now, he enjoys golf and bowling. He is currently president of Long Island’s SoutholdPeconic Seniors Club and a member of American Legion Post 803. A fond Poly memory: “In Mr. Cunningham’s sixth grade math class, he asked if I was related to Neil Hearn ’43. When I responded, ‘He’s my brother,’ Mr. C said, ‘I’ll see you in Saturday school.’” Hearn’s daughter is

completing a doctorate in brain science and math. Robert W. Jarboe spent two years in the Navy/ROTC program (1944-46), two years on active duty (1953-55), mostly aboard the U.S.S. Intrepid Carrier. Jarboe spent 31 years as a part of Turner Construction Co. and retired in June 1991. He suffers from congestive heart failure. The Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport awarded him a Medal of Honor for Volunteer Service in 2005.

Still playing tennis tournaments, Edward L. Marcus is also currently on the Board of Directors of Area 51 DMG, Inc., a new televison station. He is also on the Board of Directors for the GEMS Foundation, a non-profit organization that coordinates anti-poverty projects in Africa and the Middle East, and a United Nations affiliate. William Wallace is currently

living in a retirement home. “Always glad to hear from Alan Cruikshank!”

1946

George C. Paffenbarger, Jr.

passed away on August 2, 2008 at Elant in Goshen, NY.

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Born November 22, 1928 in Columbus, OH, he earned an agricultural science degree from the University of Maryland in 1950, served in the Army and worked as farm manager in Germantown, MD. He moved to Arden in 1961, and for 40 years served as Manager of Arden Farms Dairy Company. After earning a law degree from Fordham University in 1978, he pursued a successful law practice in Monroe, NY from 1980-1998. He was an active contributor to and board member for many non-profit associations, particularly those providing health-related services. He is survived by his children, George C. Paffenbarger III, John A. Paffenbarger, Jeanne A. Bock, and Jane P. Butler; his sisters, Gretchen P. Minners and Anne Paffenbarger; and 10 grandchildren. Paffenbarger, Jr. was predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Jerry, and daughter, Jackie Oddi.

1948 Just

before

Thanksgiving,

Dave Marrus arranged a lunch

in New York City. In attendance were Nick Trynin ’48,

Steve Carb ’48, Cliff Barr ’48

and Ed Barz ’48. Jan Barz and Judi Marrus joined them. All had a fine time.

Paul D. (Pete) Shafer died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Meadville, PA, on June 9. Pete married Caroline (Woofie) Sparks right after his 1948 graduation. Following a three-year Korean War tour in the Navy and a JD from Georgetown Law School, they moved to Meadville “to give it a try for five years,” and never left. Pete practiced law with his own firm for 46 years and served as a district attorney for eight years. In addition, he played many leadership roles in the state and county bar, the Meadville

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Milton A. Goetz received a

BA from the University of Michigan in 1953. He is married to JoAnne Goetz, author of Long Time Coming: My Life and the Darryl Hunt Lesson. In college, Goetz worked with The Michigan Daily, played intramural sports, poker and enjoyed parties at the Chi Phi House. He now has a library of lectures on tape totalling 119 volumes, over 700 hours of lectures, collected over the past 12 years and concentrates on ancient Greek history and philosophy.

Special Reunion Class of 1949

school board, the area hospitals, the United Methodist Church, and various civic organizations. Woofie, his wife of nearly 56 years, their four children, 17 grandchildren, and six greatgrandchildren, survive him.

1949

Malcolm H. Bell worked for the

special prosecutor appointed to the 1971 Attica prison riot. He wrote The Turkey Shoot: Tracking the Attica Cover-Up. Bell married Nancy and joined the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Together they aided refugees from Guatemala and El Salvador seeking sanctuary, “to be useful” by working for oppressed peoples of Latin America and against torture everywhere. Bell enjoys his wonderful family and is still writing. As time grows short, another goal is carpe diem. He is a Contributing Editor of Interconnect, a quarterly journal of Latin America, Director and Corporate Secretary of the International Mayan League USA, Director of Vermont Associates for Mexican Opportunity and Support (VAMOS!). Favorite Poly tradition: singing in Chapel. Joseph

G. Buchman lives in Seattle and summers in

Brinnon, WA. He spends winters in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, with offshore sailing on a 39' Sweden Sea Vee. He is a contributor to Kitsap County Public Health, Bainbridge, WA. His wife Barbara is chair of the Swedish Hospital Gala, and they are both on the advisory committee. Barbara also works in the music department at the University of Washington. Donald K. Conover enjoys

travel, hiking, tennis, painting, writing, gardening and living well with his wife, Patti. He is a past President of, and is still active with, Taurine Bibliophiles of America, is on the Board of Thomas Edison State College Foundation, and is past President of, and still active in, the Rotary Club of Princeton, NJ. He is also Past Chairman for the Princetonarea Chamber of Commerce. Homer W. Eckerson worked

at IBM for 35 years and served as Vestryman, Junior, and Senior Warden at two different Episcopal churches. He is interested in golf, fresh water fishing, bridge, crossword puzzles and was voted “most married man.” He is still married “to the same wonderful girl”! Eckerson’s favorite Poly tradition: Chapel.

Richard A. Greenberg spent

his business career with National Equipment/Union Standard Equipment. He has two children: Clifford Greenberg and Karen Sheer and recently went to Israel for his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah.

Boine (Ted) Johnson went

on to U.S. Navy engineering school after Poly, and served as chief engineer and acting executive officer on two destroyers. He later graduated from Harvard Business School, worked for General Electric, and later managed an airport in Saudi Arabia. In 1987 he started Texture Technologies Corp., distributing instruments in North America for testing physical properties of food, medicines, adhesives and cosmetics. He served as a trustee and mayor of Scarsdale, NY, for six years and remains active in community affairs. Married three times, Johnson has four children and five grandchildren. He has been married to his wife Kathleen for twenty years and they are very active with Amateur Comedy Club NYC, a private performing theater group in New York City. A member of the Theta Delta Chi National Fraternity, he is also president of its endowment corporation;

a founder of the Council for the Arts in Westchester and was a trustee of Poly Prep for five years. Favorite tradition: Sports—three seasons all year. Otis P. Pearsall spent his 46-

year career as a litigator defending major corporations from New York to California. Retired, he pursues his civic and charitable passions as a member of New York City’s Public Design Commission, a trustee of the Brooklyn Museum, and a trustee of the Green-Wood Cemetery. He is also a preservationist with the Municipal Art Society, and the Brooklyn Heights Association. He’s spent 50 years committed to the historic preservation of New York City’s architectural heritage. Starting in 1958, he and his wife Nancy led a seven year effort on behalf of Brooklyn Heights to enact the New York City Landmarks Law and obtain designation of the Heights as the City’s first historic district. However, his greatest achievement, “has been his amazing 53 year marriage to Nancy, and raising his brilliant and beautiful daughter, Melissa Pearsall Hirsch, and his two remarkable granddaughters, Holliss Pearsall Hirsch and Marilla Mather Hirsch.”

Robert T. Schoepflin majored

in Business and Finance at Lehigh University and received a degree in an advanced management program from Harvard Business School before working for three multinational companies: American Cyanamid, Union Camp Corporation and ConAgra. In 1996, Scheopflin retired as VP International for ConAgra. A three-time councilman on the Allendale Borough Council, he currently serves as president of the board of Allendale Senior Housing and Allendale Housing Corporation. Unfortunately, his wife Diana Maloof has passed away. He has

three children: Keith, Renee, George; and five grandchildren. Looking back, it was the guidance provided by Professors Kastendieck, Clark, Conover, Lucas, Carter, and others while at Poly, that propelled him to succeed. Favorite Poly tradition: Chapel services and traditional participation in singing college songs following services. Mark H. Smoller went on to

Dartmouth after Poly, and from there to Penn and the U.S. Air Force. He has practiced dentistry for 40 years. With his wife Bobby, “who has been my partner in all things grand and small since we were five years old,” they have three children and six grandchildren. He serves as an admissions interviewer for Dartmouth and secretary of his class. For the past thirty years, he has played the piano at nursing homes. “I have been known as the matinee idol of the wheelchair set,” Smoller writes, “and I chuckle at the thought, but I have never had such rewarding experiences…” He and his wife divide their time between Long Island and Vermont. “We will continue to pack our car with drinks, fill our gas tank, and find new roads to explore.”

After Poly, Martin S. Weseley graduated from Columbia College in 1952 and attended New York Medical School from 1952 to 1956. He then served as an Orthopedic Surgeon DOS Intern at Lenox Hill Hospital from 1956 to 1957 and a Resident Surgeon from 1957 to 1958 at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. He went on to serve as Resident Orthopedic Surgeon from 1958 to 1961 at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. His awards, honors and achievements include: Assistant Professor Orthopedic surgery SUNY Downstate; Association Professor Orthopedic surgery SUNY Downstate; Boards

Special Reunion Class of 1954

of Orthopedic Surgery and Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons; Founding Member, American Orthopedic Foot Society; and Fellow, American College Surgeons. He published about 30 academic papers, and served as Chief Orthopedic Surgeon at Victory Memorial Hospital.

1950 Jerry

Kaiser arranged a November dinner in Boca for Cliff Barr ’48 and John Sands ’58 (all Princeton graduates, too). Their wives “enhanced the pleasure of the evening and raised the intellectual level of the conversation.”

1954

F. T. Bond has not returned to

Poly for 54 years. Bond became a committed Califorian in graduate school and retired as Professor of Chemistry after 44 years (“clearly influenced by Professor Tuttle!”). He spent the last 20 as Provost of Revelle College, U.C. San Diego. Bond says: “Hi to Jack Fink, Dick Spark, John Bruno and all his other classmates— will try to make the 60th!” He loved his career, life, family in California and travel (especial-

ly to Mexico where he adopted his son, Mike and daughter, Gina). Bond recently spent a week working in Nevada for Obama. He enjoys music, skiing, backpacking and lives in Sonoma County. Bond received excellence in teaching awards from U.C. San Diego. A graduate of Bologna University, Vito E. Caselnova earned his MD degree as a Medical Examiner, Emergency Room Physician, and Geriatric Specialist. He founded “House Calls Only” and retired 14 years ago. Certified by USGTF, he is a golf professional and Director of the Junior Golf Academy. Caselnova is employed with Kemper Sports Management. He fundraises and organizes for charity events, including AHA, Arthritis Foundation, breast cancer, and diabetes. He received a Proclamation from the Suffolk County Executive for years of dedicated and loyal service to the Long Island Community. A fond memory of Poly is “of John Carter who was a teacher, soccer coach, friend and mentor. Mr. Carter was a gentleman, and a positive influence on his students. His favorite tradition was socializing with ladies from Packer Collegiate Institute and Fontbonne.”

P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

Alan C. Davidson’s father

was a urologist and Alan saw humanity, honor, satisfaction, science, and fun in his father’s career. So after Yale, he completed four years at NYU School of Medicine and five of urology residency at NYU Medical Center. Davidson married Susan and had two children: a NYC-born girl in 1965 and a boy in 1968, in Biloxi, MS, courtesy of the USAF where he worked at Keesler Medical Center. Later, he practiced in Connecticut until March 23, 2002, his sixty-fifth birthday. His daughter graduated Yale in ’87 and Albany Law School. She works at Boston’s Catholic Charities. His son graduated Tufts, spent five years in Barcelona as part-owner of a bar, before obtainining a PhD from Stanford. Davidson’s son has three children and is a VP at CommonHealth. Being retired is a delightful experience for Davidson. He says, “Let the adventure continue!”

Eugene S. Flamm is a neurosurgeon at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and was featured in the July 29, 2008 New York Times article “The Story Behind Kennedy’s Surgery.” Gerald J. Jacoby is a 1981

World Champion of Offshore Powerboat Racing and a 1982 National Champion of Offshore Powerboat Racing. Jacoby has been president and owner of his cigarette boat company in Miami, Florida since 1981. Last year he poduced a documentary film, “Thunderman,” acclaimed at the Beverly Hills Film Festival.

Marvin

F. Kraushar now works at a private practice of ophthalmology, limited

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

to diseases of the retina. He published over 60 articles and two textbooks as the Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Kraushar is also the Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at The Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He is on the Board of Trustees of The Seeing Eye and recently testified before Congress and state legislatures on behalf of animal welfare. He recently won the Senior Honor Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Paul T. Schoenemann attend-

ed Yale for his BA and MA, before attending the University of California for a PhD. While a graduate student at Berkeley, Schoenemann worked as a systems studies engineer at a nuclear weapons laboratory, playing a “mad scientist.” He went to work for an international management consulting firm in Cambridge, MA, England, and then San Francisco, working on a wide range of issues from cancer chemotherapy mode of action studies to airline reservation systems effectiveness. Schoenemann later headed the Small Business Program at the School of Business at San Francisco State University. Once retired, he returned to Connecticut where he became involved in the local land conservation trust, Yale alumni activities, and in volunteer management counseling for small businesses through SCORE. He enjoys travelling and visiting his grandchildren with his wife, Joan. Favorite Poly Tradition: Blue-Gray Sports competition and the OasisFaculty softball game.

Eugene L. Stoler received a BS

from Penn, JD from Brooklyn

Sandra McNaughton, daughter of Colonel Landy T. Nelson ‘56, has been promoted to lieutenant colonel.

Law School, and LLM from New York University. After forming his own CPA firm, he merged with Konigsberg, Wolf & Co., PC in 1988. Eugene has three children: Michael, David, and Elizabeth, and five grandchildren. His wife, Linda, has two children and five grandchildren. For over 15 years, he was a New Decisions editor of the Journal of Taxation and taught at Long Island University’s Graduate School of Business. Since 1968, he has lectured for the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants and legal groups. Stoler served on taxation committees of the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, is a member of the Estate Planning Committee and Committee on Relations with the Internal Revenue Service, and served on the Surrogate’s Court Committee and Taxation Committee of the Brooklyn Bar Association where he is currently Chair.

1956

George Marks and his family

have done a lot of traveling. Over the years, they have visited Costa Rica, Crazy Horse, Mt. Rushmore, Salt Lake City, Rapid City, and Yellowstone. Short trips included Boston, Florida, Phoenix, Las Vegas and San Francisco. Tennis and golf are part of George’s life again after a rotator cuff fix. Bette, Marks’ wife, plays tennis. Ted, Marks’ son, continues to play with his weekend soccer team. The Marks recently installed 24 eco-friendly solar panels on their roof.

Colonel Landy T. Nelson has

two children and one son-inlaw serving in the U.S. Army. Sandy is a lieutenant colonel and an army nurse practitioner serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan. She is assigned with a medical team from the 7th Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg, NC. Their mission is to treat our soldiers, as well as Afghan women

and children, many of whom have never had any medical treatment. Tom Nelson is assigned to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and served in Iraq in 2006. Son-in-law Clint Kirk is the Executive Officer of a new Infantry Stryker Brigade at Ft. Lewis, WA, and served in Iraq in 2005. His brigade will deploy to Iraq early next year. Clint is married to the youngest Nelson daughter, Julie. Tom and Clint graduated from West Point in 1992 and will be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel later this year. Both men are Airborne Ranger Infantry Officers.

1959

Roger Kallhovd works at Downstate in the Psychiatry Residency Ward. He was a reluctant warrior for the U.S. Navy for two years. He worked as Chief of Psychiatry at Philips Memorial Medical Center in North Tarrytown from 1980-1993. Since

Special Reunion Class of 1959

then, he has been Medical Director at the Pederson Krag Center in Huntington, NY. Kallhovd’s daughter, Christy, lives in LA and is working as Ray Romano’s

assistant; his son, Erik is a first-year law student in Minneapolis. Hobbies include watching 1930s movies, mountain hiking, sailing, skiing, and scuba div-

ing. Favorite Poly Tradition: Chapel sing-a-longs. Paul A. Kraus has two daughters, Cara Michaels and Melanie DiBartolomeo. Cara

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 24, 2010. If you graduated from Poly in a year ending in “5” or “0”, 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 2010!

P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

is married to Scott Michaels, has three kids (Matt, Jonathan, and Emma) and works as a nurse. Melanie is married to John DiBartolomeo, with two boys: John and Robert. Paul Kraus married Joan Rommer but divorced after 10 years; they remain close friends. He later married Janice Coles before moving to CT. He later moved to Marion, VA for work, an experience he enjoyed greatly. A medical doctor, he was very active in training residents in urology from Yale (where Kraus trained). For 15 years, Kraus was the chief of the urology department at two hospitals and was administratively responsible for the residents’ experience. By virtue of being “the busiest guy in town” in his specialty, Kraus spent an enormous amount of time in one-on-one relationships with the men and women who came through the program. Despite an active professional life, he has made time to do all of the things that he wanted to do—skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, sailing, and fox hunting in England, Ireland, and the US. For the last 32 years he has lived on a horse farm and has been able to ride on miles of trails. “That is a boyhood dream come true!!” Says Kraus: “I’m enjoying NOT having a schedule. I’ve heard it said, ‘When you are retired, every day is Saturday.’” J. R. Wilson Jr. went to

Wesleyan University (195963) where he earned his BA. He also went to Columbia University (1963-67), and earned his MD at Greenwich Hospital (1967-68). His career: Intern MedicalCorps, U.S. Navy Reserve—Parris Island, Vietnam (1968-70), Downstate/Kings County Hospital—Ophthalmology

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Special Reunion Class of 1964 and family

Resident (1970-73), private practice Ophthalmology— Greenwich, CT (1973-2003). His hobbies are: gardening, art history, and church. Wilson is a father of two, grandfather of five. Favorite Poly tradition: Chapel. Wilson’s brother Warren Wilson ’63 is a research scientist with the MITRE Corporation and will receive an award from the FAA for inventing an aircraft accident avoidance system.

1960

Richard Perry is one of the

most successful producers in music history with over 100 million albums sold, 28 Gold and 15 Platinum awards, and seven Grammy nominations over his 43-year career. He has worked with legendary artists like The Beatles, Rod Stewart, Ray Charles, The Pointer Sisters, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, The Temptations, Neil Diamond,

Fats Domino, and Ella Fitzgerald. In 1973, Perry was named “Producer of the Year” by Rolling Stone in 1977 and 1984 by Billboard. Perry also conducted the orchestra as Rod Stewart performed Vol. 1 for an A&E In Concert special. Richard Perry has had top ten albums in every decade since the 60s. He is currently the Music Director for a new musical, “Baby It’s You.”

1962

Charles Boes misses his French days, going over this fall to find another home in our second country. Says, “The wine is too good to miss!” Robert L. Mitchell reports, “Publishing has been no exception in the economic downturn.” His wife, Susan, achieved her lifelong dream and opened art studio a few months ago with all varieties of her work on display. Mitchell will sign a contract for a second film option.

Mitchell’s books Match Made in Heaven and Once Upon a Fastball are available at www. bobmitchellbooks.com.

1964

Neil H. Brandt has a website and patriotic music videos at www.borntoamerica.com. Robert J. Dresdale enjoys ad-

venture trips and photography.

Morton H. Levitt was born

in New York City and spent eight years at Poly, working on the yearbook, playing in band, and writing a lot of essays. Levitt majored in Electrical Engineering at Yale, then decided on being a doctor, and later joined the military. After a promotion to Colonel, he was transferred to the military’s medical school. He “retired” to a South Florida school where he works with bright, young Florida students. Levitt is also a self-proclaimed Jedi master, computer aficionado, and medical informatics guru.

Special Reunion Class of 1969

1968

Ira Turret coached the United States Junior Golf Team in Israel during the July 12-23 18th Annual Israeli Maccabiah Games. Maccabi USA/Sports for Israel is an organization dedicated to preserving the American Jewish community by encouraging Jewish pride, strengthening Jewish bonds and creating a heightened awareness of Israel and Jewish identity.

1969

Salvatore

J. Cumella attended George Washington University in Washington, DC where he received a BA in Zoology. He received the 2001 Ellis Island Medal of Honor award as the Executive Vice President of the National Federation of Italian American Societies. Cumella says, “The class of ’69 is still the brightest and most accomplished class Poly has ever had!” He was a class agent for their 40th reunion at Poly. Favorite Poly tradition: Chapel, homeroom, lunch time at Commons, and sliding his Poly bag down the halls. Bragging: Dr. Mark Evans is a very famous OB/ GYN infertility specialist in NYC. Dr. Marvin Schreiber holds five degrees MD, DDS, PhD, JD and MPH.

David F. Koven says: “Many of the values I learned at home and at Poly were marbled in the larger gestalt of the 60s. I tell my kids I am just trying to help give a break to the next guy; and I hope they have enough Brooklyn in them for that to sink in.” Over time, Koven has managed the creation of over 1,500 homes for low-income people. He has been married to Diane, a nonprofit consultant, since 1985. Children: Lily, 19, is at Macalester College and ready to take on the world. Sam, 14, is a high school freshman. “Poly ties last,” Koven says. He’s had a classmate donate blood to his father at a time of need. Joel Pfister, who teaches at

Wesleyan University, stepped down as chair of the American Studies Program in June 2007 and was elected chair of the English department, a post

he assumed in July 2009. Last spring he gave lectures at the University of Nottingham, the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford, the University of Copenhagen, the Université d’Orléans near Paris, and the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies at the Freie Universität in Berlin. This spring he will give a “special lecture” at the Japan Hawthorne Society in Tokyo and also lecture at Nanjing University in China. Duke University Press will publish his fifth book in the spring. Fred Robin works at Innovex

Medical Communications as Director of Medical and Scientific Services. He attended Harvard (BA in Biology). Robin works with a division of the contract research organization, Quintiles Transnational.

P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

A resident of the northern suburbs, he is glad to be less than an hour from NYC to keep close to the music and energy of NY. He is married to Amy, a sales representative and partner of her own home furnishings business. Robin has two sons: Billy, junior at Northwestern, and Michael, a Harvard alum. He enjoys classical music with a NY Philharmonic subscription and annual summer trip to hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. Fred also attends jazz concerts in NY area with Kieve Berkwits ’69. He can’t play tennis regularly since his knee injury and broken wrist, still he bikes and works out at the gym to keep fit. Richard J. Waldron is a self-

employed mental health provider in Northern Bergen County, NJ and feels he has helped many people over the years. Married for 30 years, he has two sons: Cory (21) and Jeremy (18). His life is content and serene. His brother, Brian ’77, has quite a life. He watches Cory play ice hockey for Gettysburg College, and Jeremy perform acting and guitar in local venues. Waldron has six college degrees and used to sneak into Chapel to listen to Howard Levy ’69 play rock organ on the Poly pipe organ. His favorite was “Light My

Special Reunion Class of 1974

Fire.” Favorte Poly tradition: Junior prom, 1968, “The Royal Hippodrome Performance of Turpin’s Ride to York and the Death of Black Bess.” Bragging Opportunity: Howard Levy is an incredible musician! Philip A. Zuckerman has been a psychotherapist in Lafayette, NJ, for six years. He also has a private practice in Eldred, New York. He adopted twin girls from China who are now thirteen-and-a-half and underwent B’nai Mitzvah in June. One of his favorite hobbies is yoga. He is a licenced

clinical social worker in NY & NJ and licensed to provide psychotherapy. Fond Poly memory: Mr. Nicolosi, very kind and patient. Favorite Poly tradition: Belle Harbor car pool. Bragging Opportunity: Almost everyone became a doctor or a lawyer. He took a different path.

1974

Allen S. Haddad graduated

Lafayette College in 1978; and has been teaching for 30 years. He has been mar-

Members of the class of 1974 gathered for their annual Thanksgiving week reunion dinner at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in New York.

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ried to his wife Janet for 26 years, has two children: Aline (20) and Ian (15). They have lived in Bangor, PA, on small farm since 1981. His brothers, Fred ’66 and Ron ’68 are well. His sister Joyce (Berkeley ’72) is well. His mother Leila Haddad passed away May 2008 at 84. Still keep in close touch with “Fat Man” Frank Bernieri ’74.

Timothy S. Hollister received a law degree from Boston University in 1982, has been an attorney in private practice in Hartford, CT since then, and became partner in 1990. His specialties are environmental, land use, and municipal law. Hollister is married and has a daughter, Martha, 16. His son, Reid, 17, passed away in December 2006 in an auto accident. In 2008, he devoted hundreds of hours to safe teen driving. He has written op-ed pieces, served on a statewide task force, and been on statewide TV and radio. In September 2008, he received a Marvin Glink Public Service Award from International Municipal Lawyers Assoc. for work on affordable housing

legislation and the Governor’s Teen Safe Driving Task Force. Hollister is proud that the gloom and doom that was forecasted for the poorly behaved class of 1974 has not come true, and that “they seem to have turned out okay!” After years in marketing, promotions, and public relations, in 1992, Herbert S. Karlitz launched his own agency for event marketing and production for luxury brands and the food and wine industry. Happily married for 15 years, Karlitz is also the proud father of two daughters. He enjoys cooking and dining, wine tastings, collecting, golf, tennis, and anything fun! Eric M. Kipperman’s son Sean

is a sophmore at the University of Miami. His daughter, Jade, is a senior at Morristown-Beard High School. Kipperman plays golf with Jim Wynn ’72 every week. His partner is Joe LaFauci ’73. Kipperman asks, “Does Hal Rose ’74, P’04, ’09 still have red hair?”

Special Reunion Class of 1979

Gregory P. Oussani gathered for the Class of 1974 Annual Thanksgiving Week Reunion Dinner organized by John Gallo on Monday, November 24, 2008 at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in Tribeca. Also attending were Ralph Herreros P’90, ’94 and Coach Ed Ruck P’95, ’97.

Robert J. Rogers is a Fellow at American College of Physicians and a physician at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. He is also a voluntary faculty member at the University of Irvine California Medical School, and on the Editorial Advisory Board for medical

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.

journals. Awards received: Past National President, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science Alumni Association; The Chicago Medical School Board of Governors; Medical School Distinguished Alumnus Life member UCLA; and University of Washington Alumni Association.

1978

Lawrence Brandman, a bank-

ruptcy lawyer specializing in derivatives, has joined Lehman Brothers Holdings, Inc. in New York as head of bankruptcy strategic advisory for derivatives. He reports to Locke McMurray, head of derivatives legal. Brandman was previously at Goldman Sachs, where he spent eight years as an in-house counsel advising on insolvency law issues in connection with derivatives.

1979

Scott Greenbaum complet-

ed the six-year Liberal Arts Medical Program at Boston University, then trained in Ophthalmology at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital.

P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

joys playing golf and spending time with his family. Not only does Cheryl Goren Robins treat patients in her periodontal and implant practice in Millburn, NJ, she also teaches at NYU and is codirector of a dental continuing education study club. In January, Cheryl and her partner received the 2008-2009 Study Club Management Award through the prestigious Seattle Study Club, an international organization of over 220 clubs. She was recently named one of the “Top Dentists in NJ” in the July 2009 issue of NJ Monthly Magazine and she was also interviewed in a separate article addressing the state of dentistry today. Special Reunion Class of 1984

He developed an instrument to replace needles in ophthalmic anesthesia, patented in 1992, the Greenbaum Cannula. It is used internationally and eliminated the risk of needle trauma to the eye, optic nerve, and muscles that move the eye. Greenbaum is married to Melissa, they have three daughters: Julie, 18, a freshman at the University of Michigan, and twins, Giselle and Colette, 10. Favorite Poly tradition: formal attire on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, with letter sweaters and ties on Tuesday and Thursday. He says, “this tradition put students in the right frame of mind to take the rewards of attending Poly.” Mark Levine is currently work-

ing at Westwood Partners, LLC as a managing director.

Kenneth H. Webb is currently the Senior Executive Major at Accenture, LLC Major. He graduated from Amherst College and from Cornell University with a MD. He received his MPH from the University of Massachusetts.

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Webb is currently married to Clare, an editor.

1980 Correction: the summer 2008 Poly Prep magazine incorrectly identified David S. Schuman at Ed Ruck’s retirement dinner as with “his wife Miriam (Kleinerman) ’82.” Miriam Schuman ’82 is Schuman’s sister.

Fries, their nine-year-old son, and seven-year-old twin girls. Fries is involved in several local and industry charities, serves on the board of a local Country Club, and is involved in all of his children’s sports activities and coaches many of their teams. He en-

Denis Williams is currently a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve, and the executive officer for the 306th Military Police Battalion. His unit is currently conducting detainee operations at Camp Bucca, Iraq, and was scheduled to return to the U.S. in October 2009. This is his third military deployment since graduating

1983

Robert Brusco and his wife have two wonderful sons: Jack, 10, and Vince, 4.

1984

Justin Fries works at Garber Atlas Fries & Associates, Inc. as vice president, and one of the primary partners in a third generation full-service insurance agency located in Oceanside, NY. He has been working in insurance since 1988 after graduating Cornell University. He lives in Roslyn, NY with his wife Pamela

Micael Vitale ’85 and wife Andrea welcome Nicholas Alexander.

and Human Management.

Resource

Roseann Gallo is currently working at Warner Music Group/Independent Label Group Business as a product manager. In 1992, she received her BS in Communications from St. John’s University, and she’s currently married to Jay Tavernese. Fond Poly memory: Holiday Chapel, singing the 12 Days of Christmas.

1990 Mayor Michael Bloomberg named Diahann BillingsBurford as the city’s Chief Service Officer. She is responsible for leading NYC Service, a city-wide initiative to promote volunteerism launched by the city in April.

Special Reunion Class of 1989 and family

Poly in 1984 and USMA in 1988. He was in Mogadishu, Somalia (1993); Baghdad, Iraq, OIF (2003); and Camp Bucca, Iraq, OIF (2009). He is married to Vanessa L. Williams, a Pampered Chef Consultant, and enjoys running in road races (5k, 10k, Army Ten Miler), traveling, and reading. Williams received a CIB (Combat Infantryman’s Badge) in Mogadishu, Somalia (1993) and a Bronze Star in Iraq (2003). Favorite Poly tradition: the 12 Days of Christmas.

1985

Michael Vitale and his wife,

Andrea, welcomed beautiful baby Nicholas Alexander on Valentine’s Day. He was born surrounded by lots of family, friends, and love!

1986 Kenneth

Ades

married Elizabeth Anne Manheim on October 10, 2009 at the Ritz-

Carlton on Amelia Island, FL. Ades is a vice president at Markit, a financial information services company in New York. He graduated cum laude from George Washington University and received an MBA from NYU.

1987

Robert Sabbagh (Poly Trustee) and his wife Dora recently gave birth to their beautiful daughter, Dorotea Brenda Sabbagh.

1991

1989

After college, Jillian Ash lived in California for threeand-a-half years working in entertainment. She returned to NY in 1997. In 1998, she started work for Broadway Video and became director of development and a producer. In 2004, Ash left BV and became a freelance producer. During that time she produced several pilots/presentations for Viacom and other independent production companies. Since 2006 she has been staying at home with her son, Cooper. Stacy

McIlraith

Campbell

is currently married with two children: McKinley, 6, and 11-month-old Charlotte. She lives in the south so her girls have southern (not Brooklyn) accents. She enjoys running (just finished Kiawah Island, SC half marathon) and reading. In 2007, Campbell received her PhD in Organizational Behavior

Chris Davenport is a reporter at The Washington Post. Davenport has written a book about the National Guard unit he was embedded with in Iraq and the soldiers’ transition back to civilian life after the war.

1992

Matthew Walsh is a new fa-

ther! His son Oliver James was born June 3, 2009. Oliver was nine pounds, 21.25 inches; healthy with a very full head of hair!

Victoria DeLuca got engaged on Valentine’s Day 2009.

December 2008, Eric Sachs moved to the Detroit

area to become treasurer and chief tax officer of Visteon Corporation, a global supplier of automotive components.

1994

Brian Altman works at Apple, Inc. as a specialist. After

P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

working in TV production and editing for nine years in NYC, he went to Apple in California where he has been since 2007. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, Kara, and their two-and-a-half– year-old daughter, Maya. Rebecca

Goodkin-Carlin , MD, married Lee Carlin on November 1, 2008 at Edgewaters in New York City. Margot Goodkin ’89, MD, PhD, Alyson Fox ’96, MD, and Frank Gencorelli ’94, MD were in the wedding party. Jennifer Emanuel ’89 and Genevieve

Gencorelli

’90

also attended. Justin Ferrelli loves to cook

and is a eucharistic minister at his local Catholic church. Favorite Poly tradition: Field Day tug-o-war.

Jon Marrelli is a supervising

psychologist at the Lutheran Medical Center, where he specializes in treating severe mental illness, especially schizophrenia. He also supervises students and teaches seminars. His clinical training was at Yale University. He moved to

Special Reunion Class of 1994

NY last year and would love to reconnect with other classmates. Marrelli enjoys playing soccer, watching foreign films, and volunteering. After graduating GWU in 1998,

Nadia

Mastromichalis

began her career at Ogilvy Advertising, where she worked

for 11 years as a Broadcast Producer in both TV and radio. She is now an independent contractor, focusing on radio (visit radionads.com). Mastromichalis married Sean Heaning in 2005 and they live happily in Bay Ridge. They purchased their first home this past summer. She is fortunate

to be in contact with many of her old classmates. Her achievements include Professional Honors: 2007 Yahoo.com (radio); Family Dinner 2007 London International Awards Finalist; 2007 NY Advertising Festival Finalist; 2004 Radio Mercury Awards Finalist, Yahoo.com Howard Dean; and 2001 London International Awards Finalist Miller Lite TV Answering Machine. Favorite Poly tradition: Christmas Chapel, especially Dr. Patterson reading “there never was such a goose” to the school and having an entire school burst into applause! Roxanna Richards is currently

working at NYCDOE—P.S. 185 as the Youth Development Counselor. She has been married to Patrick Richards, Jr. for two years. They had a beautiful baby boy, Tripp, in August 2008. Favorite Poly traditions: Christmas Chapel, singing the 12 Days of Christmas and the Poly song.

Jennine Rodriguez has two Rebecca Goodkin-Carlin, ’94, married Lee Carlin

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wonderful children, Marcus, 5,

and Jacinda, 3. They love life in sunny Santa Monica, CA.

1997

Dr. Shruti Chakrabarti mar-

ried Sharad Ramesh on May 24, 2008 in Basking Ridge, NJ. They met in Philadelphia while Chakrabarti was completing medical school and Ramesh was finishing his MBA at Wharton. Joining in the celebration of their new life together were other Poly grads: Ritin Chakrabarti ’90, Christina Pili ’97, Tara Anant ’97, Richard Kando ’97, Julia Tejani ’97, Amber Cruzado ’97, Dean Katsaros ’97, Marie DiPalmer ’98, Karnika Bhalla ’00 and Ketan Bhalla ’03.

Special Reunion Class of 1999

1998

Shavonne

University of Notre Dame. In 2008, she changed careers and became executive director of her family’s newly created Sports Foundation. She is interested in philanthropy, charity organizations, and on the board of various Chicago school related groups. Jordan co-produced CBS Sports documentary ARETE Honors for Courage in Sports with fiancé Jim Gorman. The show was nominated for a sports Emmy. Favorite Poly tradition: playing sports. Pegues

married Andrew Gibson, III in College Park, MD on April 25, 2009. She will join the New Leaders for New Schools program this summer as a resident principal in a DC public charter school. New Leaders for New Schools prepares talented individuals for urban public school leadership.

1999

Jennifer Jordan was a pro-

ducer for ESPN for four years after graduating from the

William A. Karczewski mar-

is an assistant coach with the NFL’s New England Patriots. David Hayes ’99 married Kerrie McHugh on 9/27/08.

Joe LaFemina ’99 enrolled in Babson Business School and Frank Savino ’99 is in his last year of Law School at

Advertise in

The Blue and The Gray: Poly Prep Magazine The Blue and The Gray reaches thousands of Poly alumni, parents,

ried his high school sweetheart,

and their families. Promote your

24, 2009 and attended Special Reunion on April 25, 2009. Christine received her MBA in 2004 and is a public relations manager for Clinique. They had over 10 Poly alums (class of ’99 & ’00) in their combined wedding party. Favorite Poly tradition: Homecoming. Bragging Opportunity: Mike Miller ’99 is a member of the NYPD & part of the mayor’s security team. Brian Flores ’99

business to a readership that is

Christine Sforzo ’99, on April

as discerning as it is intelligent. F o r a v a i l a b i l i t y, c o n t a c t A s s o c i a t e Director of Communications Brendan Hughes at bhughes@polyprep.org, or call (718) 836-9800, ext. 3740.

P o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

the University of Virginia. Sal Vaccaro ’99 is working at JP Morgan & lives in NYC with his brother. Lauren A. Sapega was married in November 2009. She is actively involved in Zeta Sigma Chi Multicultural Sorority, Inc., and she served as a member of the East Coast expansion team, University of Michigan recruitment team for NYC. Elina Teplinsky is an excep-

tional attorney in almost any language: in her case, English, Spanish, Portuguese, or her native Russian. An associate at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, she’s currently advising clients and foreign governments on nascent nuclear energy programs, ensuring compliance with IAEA safety regulations, the Vienna Convention on Nuclear Liability, and nuclear export controls. In the U.S., she conducts solo investigations of nuclear plants to

check compliance with NRC guidelines and whistle-blower protections, interviewing employees from upper management to maintenance staff. Elina learned those romance languages during a six-month college stint in Buenos Aires. She also notes that she used to be a boxer.

tradition: Christmas Chapel. Bragging Opportunity: Aram David has his own web development company. Jocelyn Pekler has been traveling the world. Matt Cronin received his MBA in Spring 2008 from Temple University and was engaged to be married in Spring 2009.

After graduating Skidmore College, Paula M. Williams lived in Washington, DC where she studied full-time for her MA. She was a teaching assistant and conducted research at the National Rehabilitation Hospital. After graduation, she returned to New York City where she has been living on the Upper East Side. After leaving Washington, she joined the Center for Advanced Cardiac Care staff as a research coordinator. She became research manager in July 2008. This past July, she got married. Williams is an author of several publications in peer reviewed professional journals. Favorite Poly

2000

Johanna Gurdemir married

Pasquale Parisi on July 19, 2008 at St. Lucy’s Church in Newark. The reception was held at the Villa in Mountain Lakes, NJ.

2004 Genisa

Babb works at Momentum Worldwide Business as an account executive. She received a BA in Africana Studies at Colgate University, which she attended with her fellow classmate Shevorne Martin. Fond Poly memory: running winter track in the dark on the icy tracks. Dana M. Cordero graduated

from Boston College in 2008 with a BA in Early Childhood Education. She is currently working as a first grade teacher in a charter school in Bushwick, Brooklyn for a charter management organization called Achievement First. She is also pursuing her MEd at Hunter College. Favorite Poly tradition: singing the 12 Days of Christmas in Christmas Chapel.

Katherine Eiges attended NYU

and majored in psychology. Since graduating magna cum laude with Highest Honors in Psychology and winning the Hillary Citrin

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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.

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

Award for outstanding departmental honors thesis, Eiges has also won the Founders’ Day Award for academic excellence, and Psi Chi—National Honors Society in Psychology. She has also been a research assistant at The Brief Psychotherapy Research Program at Beth Israel Medical Center. Currently, she is applying to clinical psychology doctoral programs. Jordana

S. Fetto started veterinary medical school in the fall of 2009.

Kevin Herman is currently

working at Reed Business Information Strategies & Research.

Angela Keller is currently

working at Fact Set Research Systems as a consultant.

Cassandra Cona and Olivia Rotondi graduated from

Claremont McKenna College on May 18.

Special Reunion Class of 2004

2005 David

Cohen graduated magna cum laude from Berklee College of Music with a BM in Professional Music. He works in guitar sales in Boston. In the short-term, he would like to experience playing professionally. In the long-term, he intends to have his own business designing and manufacturing custom instruments.

Julia Dimant graduated from Hartwick College with dual BA degrees in English and theatre arts. While at Hartwick, Julia was a member of Sigma Tau Delta, Alpha Psi Omega, Student Senate, and raised a seeing-eye dog through Guiding Eyes. She also directed, designed, and performed a combined 20 productions, and spent a semester abroad in London where she interned at the Little Angel Theatre. Dimant, who gradu-

ates with honors, will be returning to New York City to pursue graduate work.

2008

Jennifer Buchholz is a report-

er for the Dartmouth daily newspaper. She recently wrote an article regarding the construction of the September 11 Memorial that her editors have acknowledged as “well written and excellent.”

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 o ly P rep M aga z i n e : w i n ter 2 0 0 9 – 2 0 1 0

P OL Y P R E P A l u m n i B o a rd o f g o v e r n o r s E x e c u t i v e B oard

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. Nicholas Gravante ’78, P’20 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 Emeritus M e mbe rs

Mr. Mark A. Ahasic ’95 Ms. Eileen Ahasic ’01 Mr. Steven Andersen ’71 Mrs. Danielle Sabbagh Basso ’90 Mr. William Basso ’89 Mr. Harold Bernieri ’85, P’15 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 Ms. Lisa M. Della Pietra ’86 Dr. Victoria DeLuca-Fitzgerald ’92 Ms. Samantha L. DiGennaro ’88

Mr. Lawrence F. DiGiovanna ’69 Mr. Gary E. Hanna ’84 Mr. Raymund Lansigan ’00 Dr. Peter S. Liebert ’53 Ms. Alexandra Maresca ’00 Mr. Kristerfor Mastronardi ’95 Mr. Lawrence D. Patton ’82 Ms. Courtney Nolan ’08 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 Mr. Daniel Lempert ’09 Ms. Anne Levine ’09

S t u d e nt M e mbe rs

Mr. Qadir Forbes ’11

Ms. Shannon Cohall ’10

Making a gift to the Alumni Annual Fund is one of the easiest and most important ways YOU can help Poly Prep. help us grow! Whether you contribute $50 or $50,000, your gift will directly fund a Poly education and support today’s talented Poly students…and tomorrow’s Poly alumni . To make your gift, visit www.polyprep.org/ annualfundgiving

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

In Memoria m:

H a r l ow A. Par k e r

oly mourns the loss of longtime Poly coach, teacher, dean, athletic director, and assistant headmaster, Harlow A. Parker, who passed away on September 28, 2009 at the age of 91.

Affectionately known as “Park” or “Hap” by generations of Poly Prep students, Parker garnered a remarkable combined career total of 509 wins, 232 losses, and 14 ties as a baseball coach, and shaped countless lives both on the diamond and in the classroom. Poly dedicated Homecoming 2009 to Coach Parker and will also honor him during a commemorative service at Special Reunion on Saturday, April 24, 2010.

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