Fall-Winter 2022 Quad

Art by Allie Wilkinson ’07

RIVERDALE FALL/WINTER 2022

This fall, Riverdale’s Upper School students performed Game of Tiaras by Don Zolidis on an outdoor stage on the Stillman Amphitheater on the Hill Campus!

Illustration by Dan Baxter

2022-2023

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Gwen Adolph

Terri Austin, Secretary Bruce Beal

David Blitzer, Treasurer

Edem Dzubey ’07

Ebby Elahi

Tiffany Ellis Butts, PA President Chloe Epstein

Renata Garcia

Joe Goldschmid ’04, AAEC President John Griffin

Anitra Hadley

Sandra Kim Hoffen ’83, Vice Chair

Mark Hostetter ’77 Chris James ’93

Marc Lipschultz Susan Moldow ’63 Anand More

John Neuwirth, Vice Chair

Dominic Randolph, Head of School David Rhodes

Daniel Rosen ’92, Chair Deborah Sonnenberg

Philip (Tod) Waterman III ’84 Roy Weathers Vanessa Wittman Kazumi Yanai

2022-2023

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Joe Goldschmid ’04, President Edem Dzubey ’07, Vice President

Samantha Acunto ’01

George Anagnos ’76

Harrie Bakst ’03

Elizabeth Strauss Clyman ’97

Stefanie Firtell Donath ’91

Lana Jacobs Edelman ’00

Tara Pfeifer Englander ’93

Danielle Englebardt ’94

Betsy Fields ’86

Paul Goldschmid ’96

Susan Golkin ’85

Margaret Heller Greebel ’99

George Igel ’64

Michelle Kirschtein Jacobs ’81

Tiffany Austin Liston ’94

Anthony Melchior ’73

Lara Englebardt Metz ’96

Philip Michael ’00

Shary Moalemzadeh ’89

Allyson Peltz Pennock ’10

Ashley Rainford ’09

Omari Ramirez ’05

Amelia Levin Relles ’87

Michael Roberts ’08

Carolyn Braun Rosen ’92

Peter Rosenblatt ’50

TRUSTEES EMERITI

Michele Cohen

Ted Janulis ’77

Brad Karp

Jane Lisman Katz ’65

Peter Lehrer

Linda Lewis Lindenbaum ’54

Tom Montag Bill Mow ’55

David Roberts ’80 Harvey Schulweis

Bob Staub ’52

Tom Strauss Jeff Vinik ’77 David Westin

Tim Zagat ’57

Ada Zambetti Richard Zinman

Jessica Elghanayan Shell ’95

Roger Sherman ’74

Andrine Wilson ’02

Jenna Langel Witten ’06

Ahmed Yearwood ’91

Jessica Endelson Zelnik ’98

Dear Fellow Alumni,

As the 2022-23 school year begins, we find ourselves feeling especially nostalgic for our alma mater. This fall marked our first in-person reunion since 2019 – providing everyone the chance to reconnect with classmates and faculty on the campus we once visited daily. Unsurprisingly, many of our community members were eager to gather with one another again, with a remarkable 800 alumni, families, faculty, and staff convening at Riverdale on October 22.

This year also represents the final of Dominic Randolph’s 17-year tenure as Head of School. We are thrilled to welcome Kari Ostrem –Riverdale’s seventh Head of School and the first woman to hold this role – and yet, it is difficult

With warmest regards, Joe Goldschmid ’04

to imagine Riverdale without Dominic’s signature red socks walking the campus. There will undoubtedly be a variety of opportunities to celebrate his leadership and say goodbye throughout the year, as well as to introduce Kari to all, and the school will share that information as it develops.

In the meantime, we hope to see you at an event this year – whether a virtual book club, in-person networking panel, or faculty-led alumni trip through Black Rock Forest (stay tuned for details!). Riverdale is thriving more than ever, and we are proud to be a part of this ever-growing, dynamic, and dedicated community.

Edem Dzubey ’07 PRESIDENT, AAEC VICE PRESIDENT, AAEC

Paths TO

HOW THREE RIVERDALE ALUMNI ARE GIVING BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITIES

by Elana Gross ’07

Whether a student is in the Lower, Middle, or Upper School, one of the questions they’ll be asked often is “What do you want to do when you grow up?” For some, the answer will change from day to day and others will know at a young age and move forward until they make it happen. For decades, Riverdale has helped students study new topics, learn new skills, have new experiences, and reflect to help them thrive and ultimately find purpose. A new Riverdale initiative focuses on helping students understand how they can use their interests, talents, and personal values to make a difference in their community now and many years after earning their Riverdale diplomas.

The path to purpose was the focus of Head of School Dominic A.A. Randolph’s graduation speech for the Class of 2022. “I hope you stay curious and ask good questions of yourself, the people around you, and the world. That curiosity will make you a more active participant in the world and a better learner. I hope that you flexed your purpose muscle here and felt what it means to experience purpose in your lives,” he said. “I hope you will avidly seek purpose and all that you do. It will transform you and create meaning for you. I hope that you will find belonging in the new spaces you inhabit and work to create belonging for others. It will make your life richer and more impactful. It will also improve the lives of others. Stay curious, seek purpose, and find and create belonging, and you will thrive to learn and learn to thrive as you’ve done here.” While the newly minted graduates are early on their path, other Riverdale alumni continue to live the idea of seeking purpose. Meet three Riverdale alumni who took unique paths after leaving the Hill Campus but whom all found ways to use their skills and interests to make an impact.

Dr. STUART ORKIN ’63

When Dr. Stuart Orkin ’63 was a student at Riverdale, his interest in science was sparked and he was inspired by his chemistry teacher to apply to his own alma mater, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After getting his bachelor’s degree in life science at MIT, Stuart went to Harvard Medical School. He quickly realized how he could use his academic background to make an impact. “I’m interested in diseases that affect the blood like leukemia and anemia, which are common worldwide,” Stuart says, “I wanted to do what I could with my interest in science to try to do something about it.”

Since 1978, Stuart has been a professor at Harvard Medical School, where his laboratory team focuses on pediatric hematology and oncology. He is also a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator at Boston Children’s Hospital, the medical school’s primary pediatric teaching hospital. His drive and sense of purpose fueled his research and has kept him dedicated to his chosen profession for decades, helping many people in the process.

In 2022, Stuart won the Canada Gairdner International Award for his discovery of the molecular mechanism that causes the shift from fetal to adult hemoglobin gene expression and subsequent development of new treatments for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia, diseases that impact more than 5 million people globally. “I’m an example of someone who got a great education and went on and built on that and had an excellent career. I’m grateful to Riverdale,” he says looking back on the impact of his Riverdale education.

SARA MELTZER ’89

Sara Meltzer ’89 had a less linear path. After graduating from Riverdale, Sara got her bachelor’s degree in fine art and art history at Northwestern University. She returned to New York City to teach art at a nursery school while taking art classes and eventually pivoted to working at art nonprofits while studying art administration at New York University. For her thesis, she created an art gallery in her apartment and showcased contemporary artists. In 2005, she had twins, joined the board of the nonprofit Artists Space, and built a new 5,000-square-foot gallery that she ran until 2013.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be doing in the art world, and I had enough changes in my life,” she says, noting that she was raising her children and had recently been divorced. “I wanted to stay in the art world, but also be able to work in a different way.” So in 2013, Sara co-founded weR2, a company that sells functional objects made by contemporary artists.

However, professional and personal changes in her life, including her father’s sudden death, prompted her to reconsider her sense of purpose. “I was spending a lot of time talking to people in my sphere who were struggling in different ways. I was spending hours and hours every day on the phone helping other people, and it was exhausting, but I loved it,” she recalls. “I decided to channel this into a more productive endeavor.” Sara returned to NYU to get her master’s degree in applied psychology and, after graduating in 2022, she became an associate psychotherapist at The Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling.

At the Center, Sara helps clients with difficulties including depression, anxiety, and identity issues. She is also on the board of multiple organizations, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). “In part, I found out about that organization as a result of a friend who had sadly died by suicide.

His partner introduced our peer group to the organization noting that it is an organization that is incredibly powerful and helps many people who struggle with mental illness,” she recalls. “I wanted to do more.” She is now on the board of NAMI and The New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.

Sara says her Riverdale education has been invaluable. “There was such [a focus] on interdisciplinary thinking and integrating all aspects of what you’re learning into who you are and learning to be a critical thinker,” she recalls. With this foundational start, she found she was able to think differently about her career over time, making large or small changes to pursue the path that was right in different phases of her life.

DAMONE JOHNSON ’08

Damone Johnson ’08 also tried different careers before making his passion for cooking his full-time job. After graduating from Riverdale, Damone studied psychology and the biological basis of behavior at the University of Pennsylvania. At night, he hosted potlucks from his apartment, cooking the main meal while classmates brought various side dishes and desserts. Although some people encouraged him to make cooking his career after college, he became a case planner at the Children’s Aid Society of New York for almost two years, and then a caseworker at Person-to-Person for nearly seven years. Both organizations provide emergency assistance for individuals and families.

Throughout his career, Damone continued cooking and started his Caribbean fusion catering company, Island Infusions, as a side job in 2016 after countless people who ate his food asked if he would cater events for them and encouraged him to make it his fulltime job. “I was afraid to leave what I was comfortable and successful doing

to do something [different] and bet on myself and my business,” he recalls. “But I realized that life’s too short for that. You can’t be under a rock being afraid because, at a certain time, you never know when it can all be taken away. You don’t want to look back on your life and have regrets about not being able to do things that you wanted to do,” he says.

Like many people, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted him to evaluate his purpose and in June 2022, Damone decided to pursue Island Infusions fulltime. “The pandemic caused me to really sit and ask myself what is it that I really want to be doing,” he says, “When it was all said and done there was a different mission that I wanted, which was not only to cook for people but to be able to help people in my own unique way.”

One of Damone’s aims is to combat food injustice, especially for kids who don’t have access to healthy food options at school and home. “My mission is, food is love. When someone is able to get a warm meal of any kind, I know that it does something for them,” Damone says. “My goal is to make sure that no matter their circumstances, everybody can feel love, at least through a warm meal.” Damone also donates food and money to charitable services with the goal of providing similar support.

“A path to purpose looks different from person to person. Some people have it all figured out as soon as they get to college or as soon as they graduate high school. They know how they’re going to make a living and some people have to go through experiences to find exactly what their purpose is supposed to look like. It’s okay to do either one,” says Damone. He recommends that people take as much time as they need to figure out the right path for them. “Don’t rush your timeline. Once you do find what that’s supposed to be, don’t ever feel like you’re not qualified. If you feel like you’re not qualified, make sure to invest in yourself so you have the skills to be able to do it,” Damone says.

DR. STUART H. ORKIN ’63

is the David G. Nathan Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and an HHMI investigator at Boston Children’s Hospital. Orkin has defined the molecular basis of human blood disorders and mechanisms governing blood cell development. He served as chairman of the department of pediatric oncology at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute from 2000 to 2016. He received a BS from MIT and an MD from Harvard Medical School. He provided the first comprehensive molecular dissection of an inherited disorder (the thalassemia syndromes), and characterized genes responsible for other human blood disorders, including X-linked chronic granulomatous disease (the first positional cloning). Stuart identified the first hematopoietic transcription factors (the GATA family) and characterized their roles in blood cell development and cancer. His studies of BCL11A, a repressor of fetal hemoglobin (HbF), have illuminated regulation of globin gene switching and led to novel genetic therapies of the thalassemias and sickle cell disease.

SARA MELTZER ’89

graduated from Riverdale Country School and went on to obtain a double BA in fine arts and art history from Northwestern University in 1993. In 1998 she completed a master’s degree in arts administration from New York University. She recently completed her second master’s degree in mental health and wellness counseling through the department of applied psychology at the Steinhardt School of New York University. She is currently working as an associate psychotherapist (MHC-LP) at The Soho Center, a private practice in Manhattan, where she works with a robust caseload of clients for individual and couples therapy.

Prior to embarking on her new career in the mental-health field, Sara was a professional in the contemporary art world who worked closely with galleries and nonprofit visual arts organizations.

Sara owned a contemporary art gallery for more than 13 years that specialized in the work of emerging and mid-career artists of all media from all over the globe. Sara currently co-owns a company, weR2 (www. weR2-studio.com), that produces home and personal accessories in collaboration with contemporary artists; products are sold via luxury boutiques and museums across the United States as well as directly online.

CHEF DAMONE JOHNSON

’08

is originally from the Bronx, New York, and his love and passion for cooking was sparked at an early age, watching his Jamaican parents’ preparation of their traditional dishes, and using their inspiration to cultivate his own style of cooking while often cooking for friends and family informally. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 2012, Damone began a successful career in the nonprofit sector. However, due to high demand for his cooking services, Damone established his catering company, Island Infusions Catering, in 2016, and began catering on a part-time basis. In 2022, due to the growth of the business and his immense love of cooking, Damone left the nonprofit space and became full-time owner and executive chef of the company. Island Infusions Catering specializes in Caribbean-fusion cuisine, and hopes to highlight and elevate Caribbean cuisine on the world stage. He now hopes to translate this love and passion for creating cuisine into unforgettable plates for his clients. His goal is to ensure his passion and respect for every ingredient shines through in each and every plate!

ELANA LYN GROSS ’07 is an editor at Monster and the author of What Next?: Your Five-Year Plan for Life

After College. Elana’s book has been called “the book every twentysomething needs,” “the go-to guide for life after college,” and “basically the Google Maps for post-grad life.” Elana’s writing has been published in Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, Time, Entrepreneur, Glamour, Marie Claire, Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, and many more. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and lives in New York City.

NARGES ANVAR

ANNA GENOESE DEVELOPMENT

INEZ GONZALEZ

CHRISTI IRELAND

Faculty and Staff continued

WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW FACULTY AND STAFF

Hassanain Abdul-Karim

LS Teacher

Akriti Ahuja MS Teacher

Narges Anvar MS/US Teacher

Toni Barbour MS/US Teacher

Frances Bernstein MS/US Teacher

April Berry LS Administrator

Jackson Bistrong LS Teacher

Riley Brennan LS Teacher

Ajanna Brockenbaugh US Administrator

Lucia Cardone LS Teacher

Kristie Corniel LS Teacher

Bolivar Dutan LS Staff

Leigh Evron ’11 US Teacher

Jo-Jo Feng US Teacher

Kaitlin Frohman LS Teacher

Charles Garcia MS/US Teacher

Frances Garcia LS Staff

Anna Genoese Development

Darcey Blake Glasser LS Teacher

Inez Gonzalez LS Admission

Rachel Herman LS Admission

Ramon Hernandez US Staff

Christine Ireland MS/US Library

Ayako Ito US Teacher

Sarah Kelly LS Teacher

Bryce Kennedy LS Teacher

Alison Levosky MS/US Teacher

Hugo Mahabir US Teacher

Katina Manko US Teacher

Chloë May Communications

Peter Mihalcik MS/US Teacher

Lauren Modic-Doyle MS Teacher

Carla Moopenn MS/US Teacher

Bianca Nunes LS Teacher

Juan Diego Pérez MS/US Teacher

David Reid MS/US Teacher

Michael Ruane US Staff

Miguel Windt Sánchez MS/US Teacher

Gabriel Torres LS Staff

Adania Veras LS Teacher

Christian Viven LS Teacher

Charles Weld LS Teacher

Whitney Yu LS Teacher

Min Zhang LS Teacher

TIFFANY ELLIS BUTTS

P’24,’27 is an arts management consultant specializing in marketing with a focus on audience development and engagement. Over the past 30 years, her work with various cultural institutions and Broadway productions have centered around outreach efforts to communities of color. Tiffany is an active member of the Riverdale community, where she has tapped into her career experience by contributing high-energy and creative elements to the school and parent partnership—a perfect bridge of her most personal and professional passions. At Riverdale, she has served in a variety of leadership positions, including as co-chair of the Parents of Color (POC) Committee and Grade Representative, and is honored to currently serve as the first Black president of the Parents Association. A native of Pittsburgh, she holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in theater management from the Yale School of Drama. Tiffany resides in Harlem with her husband Calvin IV and is the proud mother of their two extraordinary sons, Calvin V ’24 and Reed ’27.

Welcome NEW TRUSTEES

RENATA GARCIA P’25

is director, president, and chairman of The Garcia Family Foundation, which was established in 2015 as a private philanthropic foundation in order to promote and enhance cultural, educational, and artistic appreciation of the world. She holds a law degree from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; LLM in Corporate Law from the Universidade Candido Mendes, Brazil; LLM in Banking from IBMEC, Sao Paulo; LLM in International Law from the Catholic University of Leuven; and Certification of Global Philanthropy from NYU. Renata is also a member of the Harvard Global Advisory Council. She and her husband, Claudio, live in New York City with their two children, Cecilia and Francisco ’25.

JOSEPH GOLDSCHMID ’04

is managing director at Oak Hill Advisors (OHA) where his primary focus is on stressed, distressed, and special situations investments. Prior to joining OHA, Joe worked as a director in the Distressed & Special Situations Group at Angelo Gordon. During his career, he has overseen a number of restructurings and led numerous inand out-of-court recapitalizations. Before joining Angelo Gordon, Joe worked in the Restructuring and Special Situations Group at The Blackstone Group and PJT Partners. He began his career as an analyst at Morgan Stanley. Joe holds a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School, where he was a James Kent Scholar. Joe currently sits on the Board of Directors for Valaris Limited (NYSE: VAL) and serves as President of the Riverdale Alumni Association Executive Committee.

JOHN A. GRIFFIN P’23,’25

is the founder and president of investment partnership Blue Ridge Capital, which started in 1996 and converted to a family office in 2018. Prior to Blue Ridge, he served in various positions at Tiger Management for nine years, becoming president in 1993. Previously, he was a financial analyst in the Morgan Stanley Merchant Banking group from 1985 to 1987.

John is the founder and board chair of iMentor.org, a nonprofit online mentoring organization, started in 1999. He also founded the Blue Ridge Foundation, an incubator of start-up nonprofits, which became Blue Ridge Labs at Robin Hood. He currently serves as the board chair of the Robin Hood Foundation of which he has been a trustee since 2011. Additionally, John is chairman of the Board of Trustees at the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce Foundation. He has a B.S. in finance from the University of Virginia (1985) and an M.B.A. from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (1990). He is also a visiting professor at the University of Virginia, where he has taught a semester-long investment seminar each year from 1999 to 2019. He and his wife live in New York with their four children, two of whom are Riverdale students.

Farewell to Ron Murison

By Emma Haidar ’22

Mr. Ron Murison started working at Riverdale in 1989, as a member of the English department. When asked “Why Riverdale?” he responded with his signature humor: “Well, I needed a job.” However, in the 33 years since first walking onto campus as a new hire, it’s hard to imagine Riverdale without him.

“I’m very grateful for my Riverdale career,” he added. “It’s been a wonderful place to teach for two reasons in particular: the strength of the student body and the friendships I’ve made with my former students, and particularly for the colleagues I’ve worked with. Working with them, living with them in a sense, has been of great importance to me.”

As any colleague or former student could tell you, Mr. Murison’s wealth of knowledge and passion for learning runs much deeper than the standard curriculum. It’s not out of character for him to quote offhand, in the middle of class, stanzas of poetry or philosophy in Italian, German, French — the list goes on.

“He’s one of those guys who seemingly knows everything,” said Mr. Kent Kildahl, Upper School English teacher, who has known Mr. Murison since the beginning of Kent’s time at Riverdale. “If there’s a question, particularly about the humanities, that you have, or about language, Ron’s one of those people who almost invariably is going to have the answer. He’s probably the best-read person I’ve ever known.”

“He’s someone who can spell out anything, give you the root of it,” said Dr. Abbe Karmen, Upper School History teacher, Mr. Murison’s 2022 Constructing America teaching

partner. “Great sense of humor, very dry. Someone who you would enjoy discussing almost anything to which you could apply analysis, and ever-positive. He has a depth of care for students that you don’t always see in all teachers.”

During his time here, he spearheaded the interdisciplinary initiatives Riverdale has become known for. In addition to his engagement with students in the classroom, it is Mr. Murison’s behind-the-scenes work in curricular development that has impacted the educational experience of countless Riverdale students over the last three decades. In his second year teaching English, Mr. Murison became department head. At the time, much of the English curriculum focused on British literature. In this new leadership role, he helped guide the department in creating a more robust curriculum, focusing on American literature. In 1996, he also took on the role of Integrated Liberal Studies (ILS) coordinator, and in the early 2000s, he helped create the joint English-History American Studies class, now known as Constructing America. Alongside Constructing America and ILS, he has also taught “Thinking About Thinking” with Dr. Rachel Cox, Upper School science teacher and director of science research, a course that bridges science and the humanities.

“I’ve loved pretty much every class I’ve taught here,” Mr. Murison said. “Obviously there are moments when the students just amaze you and surprise you with their insight and maturity. These are very rewarding moments. You can never predict when they’re going to happen, but they mean a great deal to me. You feel like you’re actually doing something worthwhile and touching the minds of others.”

In 2007, at the request of Head of School Dominic A.A. Randolph, he formed the Interdisciplinary Studies Group, a space for faculty thinking of creating their own cross-curricular courses. “After about three or four years working directly on curriculum, the group became more of a reading group,” he said. “It still is — we have a meeting on Tuesday. But the idea was that we would read books of an interdisciplinary nature, either just for their own sake or because they might contribute to some of the interdisciplinary work we do here.” The group has continued meeting over the years, sometimes with Riverdale alumni in attendance, even adapting to a hybrid environment during the pandemic. It was here, over a decade ago, where his academic collaboration and friendship with Dr. Cox, formed in designing the class “Thinking About Thinking.”

“I was telling a friend the other day that teaching with Mr. Murison, for me, was kind of like being in graduate school,” she said. “I didn’t have to write a final thesis but every day I got to learn things that I didn’t know about a philosopher, about a writer, about myself, and being in the classroom with a group of people who are all processing ideas together. It’s a synergistic experience of sharing ideas.”

Initially inspired by a course of the same name that her father taught at Harvard for many years, Dr. Cox brought the course to Mr. Murison as head of Interdisciplinary Studies, who was interested in adding some of his own ideas to the syllabus.

Reflecting on their many years in the classroom together, she added, “He’s a beautiful speaker — so articulate. And people, I think, really know that about him. But I’m not sure how many people really realize that he listens really hard. He can find the value and the gem in people’s ideas, even though they might not be expressing it very well. He can tease it out. I think that’s an incredible art that he is capable of.”

In 2017, when Riverdale was due for reaccreditation, Mr. Murison chaired the faculty committee tasked with evaluating and providing a guide to every aspect of school life from financing, to fire department procedures, to book purchasing, to curriculum. To take all of this information and sum it up in 300+ pages required an immense amount of dedication.

For Mr. Kildahl, this undertaking truly exemplifies who Mr. Murison is as a person. “He volunteered to do a really hard and thankless task. There’s a huge self-study that has to be done. He basically dedicated a year of his life to getting the school through that. So he’s very generous with his time. He’s selfless. There’s nobody who has served the school the way he has. And I think when Ron goes, and no longer is a name that anyone knows here, there will still be thousands of people walking around, who remember him and value him and owe him much for the good things that he taught them.”

As for his retirement plans, Mr. Murison plans to spend part of the summer visiting friend — and former Riverdale teacher — Mr. Cole Harrop in France, before reuniting with relatives in the UK, whom he has not seen in person since before the pandemic. In the future, he plans to split his time between New York and Italy, a country he fell in love with while on sabbatical from Riverdale.

Retiring, however, does not mean the end of his intellectual pursuits. Although he has spent some time in past summers working on his book, he hopes to devote more hours to writing in his newfound free time. “It’s multi-genre,” he said. “There’s travel writing, there’s philosophy, there’s all sorts of things like that — but the connecting thread is the idea of ‘home,’ which can mean belonging to a place or not, but it can also mean feeling comfortable within the framework of a set of ideas.”

I’ve been lucky enough to have Mr. Murison as a teacher for two past years, in Constructing America and ILS. I know him as someone who cares deeply about connecting with students, encouraging everyone to find their voice in the classroom and bring ideas together. He has an immense love, not only for teaching, but for learning new things about the world, and never takes himself too seriously.

As he starts the next chapter, beyond his classroom in 9/10 building, I’m excited to see what the future holds, and know he will be deeply missed.

He has a depth of care for students that you don’t always see in all teachers.

The morning kicked off with the Girls School Brunch on the River Campus, providing alumni with an opportunity to reconnect over shared memories of familiar spaces and lessons learned. On the Hill Campus, arriving members of the community were invited to visit Jones Lawn for a special RCS Community Quilt activity, while enjoying freshly squeezed juices by Freckle’s Juice. Led by Director of DEIB Phyllis Dugan and Assistant Director of Community Engagement Ciara Everett, this activity encouraged attendees to answer two questions: What is your favorite memory at Riverdale Country School? and What does a thriving school community look like to you? — on colorful paper squares before placing them on a whiteboard, ultimately creating a collection of thoughtful sentiments. Our youngest members then excitedly welcomed the return of MAGICAL DAVE NIEDER ’95, whose performance produced many confident “magicians in training.”

At noon, Head of School Dominic A.A. Randolph addressed the crowd, acknowledging the palpable presence of joy at being able to gather in person, before announcing this year’s Alumni Award recipients. First, the Ernest McAneny ’25 Alumni Spirit Award, given to a member of the alumni body in recognition and appreciation of consistent, broad, and substantial service to Riverdale, was presented to EMILY SCHORR LESNICK ’07.

“Even after leaving Riverdale in her professional capacity,” said Dominic, “Emily has continued to make an impact as an alumni affinity group facilitator and an active liaison with the greater alumni body, supporting her fellow Riverdale alum’s accomplishments and helping us shine a spotlight on others’ achievements.” After graduating from Macalester College with degrees in American Studies and Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies, Emily returned to Riverdale as a faculty member and over her seven-year tenure, taught theater, served as the Upper School Director of Service Learning, and was Associate Director of Community Engagement. She strengthened community partnerships and

collaborated with colleagues to develop history and heritage month programming. Emily then received her Master’s Degree in Educational Theater from NYU in 2016 and now lives in Seattle, Washington, where she is the Director of Social Emotional Learning at University Prep. Next, the Alumni Achievement Award, conferred each year to a distinguished alum who has demonstrated exemplary service and personal achievement within their chosen field, recognized Assemblymember RON KIM ’97 whose estimable contributions to the 40th District and beyond truly reflect the spirit of this award. Last year, Ron made national headlines when he blew the whistle on a public corruption scandal involving then-Governor Andrew Cuomo’s suppression of crucial nursing home data that jeopardized the health and safety of thousands of older adults.

Assemblymember Kim is largely credited for restoring the rights of thousands of older adults and paving the way for nursing home family victims to seek justice in the courts. Ron is also widely respected as a thought-maker

in the economic developmental space, leading the fight against Amazon HQ and calling for an end to large corporate subsidies for multinational corporations. In addition to teaching a minicourse at Riverdale, Ron has taught a course on regulating FinTech at Cornell University and is currently teaching a new course on reforming public finance at the New School. Ron also currently represents the 40th District of the New York State Assembly and is the first and only KoreanAmerican elected to the New York State Legislature, serving his fifth term in the elected office, and is Chair of the Committee on Aging. Ron, in accepting his award, conferred an official citation from the State of New York to Dominic Randolph, recognizing his many contributions to and beyond Riverdale, in character work and educational innovation.

The final honor, the Reunion Class Award, which is awarded each year to a class that has come together in a display of unity and strong dedication to community, was given to the CLASS OF 1982 for their meaningful connection with one another and Riverdale.

On October 22nd, for the first time since Fall 2019, Riverdale hosted alumni, students, and families on its campuses for Homecoming festivities and Reunion events.

THE FLIGHT OF DOMINIC A.A RANDOLPH

In this game created by sophomores ALEXSYS SORIANO ’25 and JOANA RAMOS ’25, take on the role of Head of School Dominic A.A. Randolph and follow Head of Upper School Tom Taylor to avoid the Horace Mann Lion at all costs!

“Their closeness has been evident over the years,” said Dominic, “particularly as they joined together in spirit and support recognizing the untimely passing of their late classmates, ADAM EIDELBERG ’82 and JOE WOOD ’82.” Upon learning the class would be receiving the award, ILENE SCHLOSSMAN COHEN ’82, who joined Dominic on stage as a representative of her class, noted, “It has been a long time, and yet the bond I feel, like that of many of my former classmates, is still so strong. The teachers, friends, and even the campuses, were all responsible for making the Class of 1982 so special. One hundredten of us graduated, and through our small network of friends, many of us have [continued] to hear how other former classmates are faring.”

Celebrants joining us for their class reunions then headed to Jones Lawn for updated class photos, posing in front of a balloon arch in our school

colors. Among the afternoon home games, including victorious displays by our boys soccer and field hockey teams against Horace Mann and a roaring win by our football team against Dalton, alumni revisited learning spaces around the Hill Campus for ‘Experience Riverdale’ programming, which included a variety of course demonstrations that gave guests a glimpse into the many ways students learn today. Audiences were able to gather in the P. Gordon B. Stillman Amphitheater for a musical theater performance featuring vocalists JACK GALBRAITH ’23, JAXON GHOLSTON ’23, and DELINDA URA ’23, while others joined the PLUSSED+ team for THRIVING at Riverdale: Reflective Storytelling, an immersive presentation of PLUSSED+ educational initiatives.

Additionally, Coordinator of Hill Campus Sustainability

Angela Costanzo invited alumni to hear about our most recent efforts to shift community habits to more sustainable practices, including on-site composting. Assistant Head of School for Operations Kelley Nicholson-Flynn then held a bio-ethics class, while Computer Science Chair Andrew Abate and his students prepared exhibitions in the JAN FALK CARPENTER ’71 Lab that highlighted the many facets of Middle and Upper School Computer Science. As some students spoke about meaningful partnerships made through Girls Who Code, others displayed unique creations made using Vex Robotics, Riverdale’s robotics platform. Student game creators from RCS Game Jam, an event where participants create a game from scratch in a weekend based on a theme, challenged visitors to play original Riverdale games such as The Flight of Dominic A.A Randolph, created by sophomores ALEXSYS SORIANO ’25 and JOANA RAMOS ’25.

The activity-filled day culminated in a reunion cocktail reception, featuring musical entertainment by Riverdale’s Jazz Band. Among the warm embraces, enthusiastic chatter, and laughter, Dominic reiterated our shared enthusiasm for the ability to be together once again.

CLASS GATHERINGS

During Homecoming and Reunion weekend, classes celebrated their milestone reunion year with gatherings off-campus. Alumni met in the city at local establishments such as the Gin Mill and Jake’s Dilemma and gathered in homes to reconnect and reminisce about their time at Riverdale. It was wonderful to see friends joyously trade memories and share updates on their lives today.

TOP ROW: Class of 1972 (L) , Class of 1982 (R); MIDDLE: Class of 1977; BOTTOM ROW: Class of 1992 (L) , Class of 1997 (R)

EVENT RECAPS

BOOK CLUB Transit of Venus

Facilitator Priscilla Gilman led the inaugural Riverdale Book Club discussion on August 23 on the Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard. Hazzard “tells the story of two orphan sisters, Caroline and Grace Bell, as they leave Australia to start a new life in post-war England. Gorgeously written and intricately constructed, Hazzard’s novel is a story of place, of time, and above all, of women and men in their passage through the displacements and absurdities of life.” Alumni were guided through the literary influences within the book and the role of fate and destiny in the novel. Stay tuned for future alumni bookclubs this winter!

A CONVERSATION ON ART

with Clifford Ross ’70 and Beth Rudin DeWoody ’70

This fall, classmates and longtime friends, Clifford Ross and Beth Rudin DeWoody, joined Dominic Randolph for a dynamic and engaging conversation on the topics of art collection, creation, and curation, as well as the role that Riverdale played in nurturing their early friendship and budding interests in the arts and beyond. On October 6, alumni, parents, faculty, and friends were enlightened by the duo’s insights into the creative process, the critical importance of championing the next generation of artists, and any advice they might have for up-and-coming artists and collectors.

Clifford noted the importance for young artists to be motivated by the act of creating: “If you find yourself absolutely driven to make things, to realize something, that is a good indication of whether you’ll make it as an artist. You really have to want it – and by ‘it’ I do not mean a big career; you need to really want to create something.” For collectors, Beth also shared the importance of genuine passion, encouraging young people to “look, look, look; get involved with a non-profit or a museum; not be intimidated; and really express your interests.”

Watch the recording of the full event here.

RIVERDALE

AT THE MET

On Saturday, August 29, Riverdale visited The Metropolitan Museum of Art! A group of alumni, past parents, and current parents were joined by the Director of Experiential Education

Elizabeth Pillsbury, Assistant Director of Community Engagement Ciara Everett, and Middle and Upper School Visual Arts Teacher Asya Reznikov.

The day included viewing the Before Yesterday We Could Fly and Art of Native America exhibitions at the museum. Participants were provided sketchbooks and encouraged to draw the art that resonated with them, which then helped guide a thoughtful conversation afterward. The group then walked to the site of Seneca Village in Central Park and ended the day with a closing reflection.

Elizabeth remarked: “I am grateful that we are able to include alumni, parents, and families on Riverdale

Experiential Education outings. In this way, the whole community is able to appreciate the kind of approach to learning that students experience in and out of the classrooms every day at Riverdale. We look forward to creating more of these opportunities for meaningful, place-based engagement, learning, and community building in the coming years.”

Riverdale outside of The Met after viewing the Before Yesterday We Could Fly and Art of Native America exhibitions

Creators

GEORGE LIEBMANN ’56

Journal of Two Plague Years, a collection of op-ed pieces on politics in 2021 and 2022, is George Liebmann’s ’56 follow-up to Vox Clamantis In Deserto: An Iconoclast Looks At Four Failed Administration.

VERA VON SAUCKEN HALDY-REGIER ’57

Vera von Saucken Haldy-Regier ’57

debuted Through the Years: Selected Poems. Written over a seven-year period, the collection’s poems fall into six categories: youth, memories, nature, seasons, contemplation, and verses in adversity. Pieces found in the “verses in adversity” section were mainly written during the COVID-19 pandemic and reflect the anxieties of that period.

LEON BIBI ’83

Leon Bibi ’83 released Adam - The Missing Link: DNA Evidence of Man’s Alien Origins, the third and final book of The Adam Series trilogy. In this final chapter, Leon explores his theory of extraterrestrial tampering with human DNA, evidence given to prove that the “Missing Link” has never been missing or “embedded in the crust of the Earth,” but rather found within us, and the idea that the missing link is not a “transitional form” that proves man’s descendants from the ape, but an alteration of DNA.

ROBBIE BRENNER ’89

Robbie Brenner ’89 produced the recent release Call Jane, a film about a married woman with a lifethreatening pregnancy working with an underground group of suburban women to find help as she navigates a time in America when she can’t get a legal abortion. The feature stars Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, and Chris Messina.

CARON LEVIS ’96

Caron Levis ’96 recently published Feathers Together with illustrator Charles Santoso. Inspired by a pair of real-life birds, Feathers Together tells the story of best friends Malena and Kleptan separated by thousands of miles for the first time.

BILL KONIGSBERG ’89

Stonewall Award winner Bill Konigsberg ’89 announced his seventh literary release, Destination Unknown, a powerful story of two teen boys finding each other in New York City at the height of the AIDS epidemic and the importance of connection and community.

ELISABETH WEINBERG ’98 AND MATT STINE ’98

New York City-based chef, caterer, and Chopped champion Elisabeth Weinberg ’98 and husband Matt Stine ’98 collaborated on the recently released The Garbage Pail Kid Cookbook, a collection of more than 35 recipes that young chefs and Garbage Pail Kids fans alike will have fun making and eating. The book also features a section of science experiments, words by R.L. Stine, and full-color illustrations by Garbage Pail Kids artist Joe Simko.

ZACH WOLF ’00

Film editor Zach Wolf ’00 worked on the production of Who Invited Charlie?, a comedy feature that follows a New York City family hiding out in the Hamptons at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when an unexpected guest arrives to stir up the past including dark college secrets. The movie premiered at the Hamptons Film Festival this fall and starred Jordana Brewster, Reed Scott, Adam Palley, and Dylan Penn.

NEIL HAMAMOTO ’11

WORTHLESSSTUDIOS premiered their newest art installation 1-800 Happy Birthday created by artist Mohammad Gorjestani and Even/ Odd, curated by Klaudia Ofwona Draber, with artistic direction by Neil Hamamoto ’11. Originally a voicemail project, the now large-scale exhibition aims to honor Black and Brown lives killed by police, bringing the digital project into the physical realm. The installation is on view at WORTHLESSTUDIOS in Brooklyn until January 16, 2023.

Catching up with Josh Harmon ’01

1.

WHAT MADE YOU PURSUE A CAREER AS A PLAYWRIGHT? WAS THERE A PARTICULAR MOMENT WHEN YOU KNEW THIS WAS WHAT YOU WANTED TO DO?

I was always interested in writing and there were some teachers [at Riverdale] who encouraged that. Then I went to Northwestern and really started to hone in on playwriting. From a young age, I loved the performing arts, but I really didn’t enjoy acting. At their core, actors want to be seen, playwrights would rather hide in a fetal position at the back of the theatre. That’s more my style. Playwriting combined a lot of my passions, because I could be in the performing arts without having to be a performer. I could be creative. I’ve been doing it now for almost 20 years.

compressed them into a single year, when she’s 10, just after her parents have gotten divorced. Most of the events in the show really happened to her, but not necessarily in the timeline we used. The show is based on her memoir, but it’s just the first few chapters, it’s her childhood. We spent about four years working to hammer out the story, the three of us.

Most musicals take six, seven, eight years to write. I don’t know why, but they are massive undertakings. Getting the story right, getting the story written, getting the songs written and rewritten, workshopping it, choreography, design, more workshops – they take forever. Any time you see a musical and think “that’s timely,” it was likely written 10 years ago. As a playwright, you are in control of the story, in control of the text. You make all of the decisions. When you open yourself up to collaboration, it becomes a process of give and take and convincing and compromise. And that, by its very nature, takes more time.

2.

HOW DID YOU COME TO CO-WRITE THE BOOK FOR THE BEDWETTER WITH SARAH SILVERMAN? CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE PROCESS OF WRITING THIS (WITH A CO-WRITER AND MUSICAL NUMBERS) AS OPPOSED TO YOUR PREVIOUS WORKS?

Sarah was friends with the composer Adam Schlesinger. Her book came out in 2010, and he became passionate about it and told her it should be a musical. They started to write songs together and then they realized they needed a book writer, so they brought me on. At that point, they had written five or six songs, but they weren’t sure what the story was, so we took some episodes of her life from when she was seven, and from when she was 13, and

We were supposed to start rehearsals on March 17, 2020. Obviously, on March 12, everything shut down. Three weeks later the composer, Adam, died of COVID. It happened so quickly. We went from thinking we were about to go into rehearsals to this very different place of mourning and figuring out what to do. It was a really jolting and shocking way to enter the pandemic.

3.

ADAM’S INCREDIBLY SAD AND UNTIMELY PASSING ULTIMATELY LED TO A COLLABORATION WITH FELLOW RIVERDALE ALUMNUS DAVID YAZBEK ’78 WHAT WAS IT LIKE WORKING WITH HIM?

It was a complete delight. I think it’s kind of a thankless role to step into another composer’s shoes to try to

Joshua Harmon’s plays include Bad Jews, Significant Other, Admissions, Skintight, and Prayer for the French Republic. He and Sarah Silverman co-wrote the libretto for The Bedwetter based on her memoir. His plays have been produced on Broadway and the West End; Off-Broadway at Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theater Club and Atlantic Theater Company; across the country and internationally in a dozen countries. He is an Associate Artist at Roundabout, and graduate of Juilliard.

complete his show, but there’s no way to go through the process of putting a musical up without having a composer in the room. You have to have somebody and David is arguably the best living composer for musical theater. He’s also a totally delightful person to be around. I felt very privileged to get to work with him even for a little bit because he understands musicals on a cellular level. He’s written so many of them and so many excellent ones. It was a collaboration but it was also a real learning opportunity for me to work with someone I consider one of the greats.

PHOTOS:

Facing Page: Joshua Harmon ; Above: The Bedwetter

Next Page: Prayer for the French Republic

Grappling with one’s identity is a way of saying, “These are the questions I was facing, this is what I was concerned about, this is what I was scared of.” What I hope happens is that, by being incredibly specific, you tap into something universal.”

4.

IT SEEMS LIKE IDENTITY PLAYS A LARGE ROLE IN THE WORK YOU CREATE – CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE WAYS YOU’VE INCORPORATED THIS INTO YOUR PLAYS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO DO SO?

I think one of the big questions that each of us faces in our lives is “Who am I?”. Trying to figure out who you are in the world, in your family, in your community necessitates grappling with your identity. But I also think one of your tasks as a writer is to leave something behind that says, “this is what it felt like to be alive right now,” so that you can read something from previous generations and understand, “Okay, that’s what it felt like, then. This is what it feels like now.” Grappling with one’s identity is a way of saying, “These are the questions I was facing, this is what I was concerned about, this is what I was scared of.” What I hope happens is that, by being incredibly specific, you tap into something universal. If you tried to write about a generic

family, you know, mom and dad, you likely wouldn’t capture something true about anybody’s family. If you write very specifically, this is a Jewish family in, let’s say the early 2000s, in New York City, you have a better shot at tapping into something that’s true for people from all walks of life. When my play Bad Jews premiered, so many different people came up to me and said, “We had this same fight in our family, it was about a cross,” or “My family’s Greek, and we had this fight about this pendant.” We just realized that this very specific thing I’d written about was true for people from so many different backgrounds.

5.

HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE AT RIVERDALE IMPACT YOU? WHAT WAS MEMORABLE ABOUT YOUR TIME AT RCS?

When I reflect on my time at Riverdale, what stands out the most are the faculty who were instrumental in guiding me on my way. I think especially of Barbara Mosley who was my ninth-grade English teacher and

Christine Hong who was my junioryear English teacher. I did independent studies with both of those women; a year-long creative writing seminar with Ms. Mosley and a semester of Gothic Literature with Ms. Hong. The amount of time and energy they invested in me – there’s no question it had a profound impact on my sense of self and my ability to pursue something creative. It’s kind of insane to decide you want to pursue playwriting, but you can only take that risk if a lot of people are encouraging you and believe in you. Very early on with Ms. Mosley and Ms. Hong, I had two people really championing me, supporting me, and educating me and I still hold on to some of the things that they taught me to this day.

6.

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?

I had a play open last February called Prayer for the French Republic I started working on it in 2015. I had to do several research trips to France, read a ton, and I interviewed two or three dozen people. It was a huge undertaking. Then I had The Bedwetter musical – 2022 was very busy. Right now, I’m generating new ideas and thinking, and I don’t have anything to share just yet. That’s the life cycle of these things: You start with nothing, then you generate something, then you get very busy putting it out into the world, and then you have nothing again. Plays take so long to come to fruition, you have to make sure you’re really interested in an idea before you dive in. Figuring out what it is that you want to devote several years of your life to takes some time.

COMMUNITY ACTION DAY (RCAD)

On Saturday, November 19th, Riverdale Community Action Day (RCAD) returned to an in-person event for the first time since 2019. Our co-chairs JENNIFER AUERBACH-RODRIGUEZ ’04, Raashi Chary P’31,’35, REGINA GOLDMAN KRUMHOLZ ’04; P’35, and Stefani Wiener P’31,’34 along with the service learning team helped organize activities for the whole family to help support our local community organizations. Click here to learn more about our community partners.

I want students to be influenced to succeed and that means depositing nuggets of confidence every chance we get and why not have tech dreams too?”

Niesha Butler ’98

Whether on the court, in a classroom, or among curious creators in the tech lab, Brooklyn-born Niesha Butler ’98 is a powerhouse. Niesha has broken records and busted through barriers to become who she is today: an Afro-Latina entrepreneur set on paving the way for underserved youth and communities alike.

Perhaps best known as a former member of the New York Liberty basketball team and a sideline reporter for the Atlanta Hawks, Niesha is also the founder of the Brooklyn-based program S.T.E.A.M. Champs, the first Black woman-owned coding and robotics educational center in the country. This latest venture is a culmination of personal and professional experiences that fuel her passion for engaging students in exploring their potential and the once-unimagined possibilities. Niesha and S.T.E.A.M. Champs have recently been profiled by media outlets such as CBS, ABC, People en Español, and Black Enterprise. Niesha was also named on Ebony’s Power List 100: STEM Trailblazers — a testament to her vision in shaping the future of the STEM field.

Niesha’s career comprises carefully crafted and intentionally-placed pieces that bring to life a bigger picture. Niesha’s athletic career flourished in high school, both at Columbia Prep and Riverdale, where she broke New York’s record for points scored in a high school career for both men and women, and at Georgia Tech where she gained recognition leading to professional playing opportunities in the WNBA and FIBA Spain Premier Division. Her role in sports ultimately led to appearances in film and television and as a radio sports analyst and reporter for CBS Sports, Intercom, and TMZ Sports.

In tandem with her numerous athletic pursuits and with the discipline and drive that fueled her many victories thus far, Niesha grew as an accomplished software engineer and entrepreneur. Niesha’s love of basketball developed alongside her interest in STEM at an early age beginning with tech-enabled toys like Speak and Spell, video games, and eventually, a Mac computer that prepared her for computer science classes at eleven. Niesha’s ever-growing entrepreneurial mindset and vast knowledge of two dynamic worlds are the foundation of her work and the great initiatives that have changed the game in more ways than one.

Niesha considers her upbringing when thinking about how she wants to contribute to the greater good, knowing firsthand that many of her experiences came from both preparation and opportunity. “Attending Riverdale was a benefit,” says Niesha, “but that is where I learned about the poverty line and that stuck on my spirit for a while.” This awareness encouraged a conversation with her father where they collectively questioned the height of poverty, the absence of resources that make all the difference in learning, and the resulting lack of a pipeline to stability. Reflecting on that discussion, Niesha says, “We talked about STEM in particular because there isn’t a lack of job opportunities there, but there is a lack of interest, tools, and direction, particularly for students of color.”

Niesha knows that young children are often told that a sports career is the sole pathway out of poverty — however, only a minuscule percentage of student-athletes are able to reach a professional level. In a particularly informative Instagram post from September of this year, Niesha shared that only an astonishing .002 percent of people have a chance of having the career trajectory of LeBron James when compared to a two percent chance of becoming the president of the United States.

This kind of statistic is the motivation behind Niesha’s efforts to provide the necessary tools — and instruction — to underrepresented youth in communities that could otherwise lack tangible outlets to the STEM field. S.T.E.A.M. Champs opened its doors in September of 2022, introducing camps that combine coding classes, robotics, game design, app development, and more to Brooklyn students ages 5 to 13. They also host free afterschool programming including LEGO® robotics classes and sports-themed hackathons and community activities.

“I started the business before opening the center,” says Niesha, “but it was always about finding creative ways to think about education and bringing that to kids through esports, coding events, and other cool ways that combine something they already love with STEM.” Niesha’s center is thriving thanks to partnerships with coding groups and with the support of schools, community organizations, and churches. Following their positive reception, Niesha’s hope is to franchise the concept and extend its impact.

When thinking about her hope for S.T.E.A.M. Champs’ students, Niesha openly admits that she is biased, saying, “I want them to go into the STEM field!” before elaborating, “I want students to be influenced to succeed and that means depositing nuggets of confidence every chance we get and why not have tech dreams too?” She connects directly to basketball saying, “I’m a coach and every coach is influential in how the team runs plays and that’s how I’m running my program. I’m presenting the possibilities to my team and guiding them toward a win.” Niesha hopes this program will instill in students the skills and confidence to see themselves in a rapidly growing industry. As an athlete and entrepreneur, Niesha is competitive and always aims to

achieve so it is no surprise that she is emboldened by the success of her idea. She is determined to continue scaling and expanding as she continues to mentor and identify the gaps in connecting students to experiences that can shape their futures.

Niesha thinks back to her time at Riverdale fondly, remembering the different people who had an impact on her time here and what exactly about her academic journey launched her onto her unique path. “I was really heavy into basketball, so my schedule wasn’t that of an average 15-year-old,” says Niesha, “so there were teachers like Dr. Sankar Sengupta, who taught physics and was available at all hours, and met me where I was at, and he made learning fun.” Along with educators who took the time to recognize her style of learning and helped her take foundational steps, there were leaders like Milton Sipp, Head of Middle School and Assistant Head of School for School Life, who provided guidance and support. “Representation matters,” says Niesha, “and to have a Black figurehead that wanted to help you was powerful.”

As she considers what she’d advise Riverdale students of today, she thinks about the resources available to them, from classroom tools to guidance, and says, “Go for it! You have everything you need to be successful. And speaking to the women athletes, I’d ask: How are you getting involved? How are those already involved in STEM reaching out to others? Students at Riverdale should already be thinking about how to change the world.” As for her own plans for the future, Niesha revels in having “found two great loves in life — basketball and technology,” and will stay true to Riverdale’s mission of developing lifelong learners as she immerses herself in the latest accounting and marketing books and completing her MBA. She prides herself in her consistent commitment to learning and growing, and encourages all alumni to consider how they themselves can utilize their lived experiences to support students on different levels, learning about themselves and their capacity for change along the way.

Attending

Riverdale was a benefit, but that is where I learned about the poverty line and that stuck on my spirit for a while.

WHY LEARN?

Every September, the Riverdale Upper School community gathers to hear a member of the faculty provide a personal response to the question, “Why Learn?” Director of Science Research and Upper School science and philosophy teacher, Dr. Rachel Cox, was chosen as the fall 2022 speaker.

During her speech, Rachel shared, “We are a species of learners…We are constantly learning, questioning, quibbling. Why do we do this? Let’s think about this question from an evolutionary perspective. We learn for our survival. We are biologically programmed to work and learn because learning is aimed toward a goal, survival. All creatures have to do this basic type of learning to some extent. Learning is when a being alters a behavior based on a previous experience so that experience can be better managed in the future. Learning – something that happens automatically for us –assumes a future.” Watch the full assembly here.

Dr. Rachel Cox addresses Upper School assembly

Highlights from a Senior

Monday: No school in honor of Diwali

Tuesday: I went to a college info session; I was the only one there! After that, we started a lab in physics. I met with my college counselor later the same day to update my common app in order to prepare for early applications.

Wednesday: In ILS we talked about culture in conjunction with biological evolution and how without man there is no culture (and vice versa). My senior schedule allowed me to leave early so I drove home at one p.m. :)

Thursday: We took our senior class photo on the steps going up towards the cafeteria. In physics, we finished our lab and got to play with the materials afterwards. We were launching plastic and metal balls toward our targets and measuring their velocities. In advisory, we playedThe New York Timescrossword and did some coloring.

Friday: My classmate in Photography 2 did a presentation about her favorite photographer and then we loaded our film cameras to take home for the weekend. I had another college visit during lunch so I was super hungry next period in Black Literature, but we talked aboutTheBluestEye by Toni Morrison.

My Schedule

Highlights from a Senior

Monday: We were off from school today, but I had a very productive day. Early application deadlines for colleges are coming up, so I’ve been making final touches on my essays.

Tuesday: I started an “Acceleration Due to Gravity Lab” in my Physics class using a program called Capstone to track the motion of a golf ball as we threw it into the air. I also finished recording and selecting music for a pod- cast about tango in New York City that my group and I are creating for our Spanish class.

Wednesday: In celebration of Diwali, the DEIB department hosted Riverdale families during our lunch periods to share different cultural foods, music, and activities! I got to hear about Diwali traditions and was grateful to try the delicious foods.

Thursday: Today my class gathered on the steps outside of the student center to take our senior class photo for our last high school yearbook.

Friday: A bunch of PAL (Peer Assistance and Leadership Program) leaders, me included, created different themed Jeopardy! game boards for our next meeting with our freshmen PAL group. My group is doing a Riverdale-themed Jeopardy! game.

My Schedule

Class

1946

Become A Class Correspondant

RON MULLINS, one of 26 graduating members of the Class of 1946, shares that he continues his enjoyable retirement on his farm in Orwell, VT: “I am now an active 94-year-old.”

1950

Become A Class Correspondant

PETER ROSENBLATT reports that, during the last six years, he and his wife moved to an apartment in the Chevy Chase suburb of Washington, D.C. He maintains his Washington law office (although he no longer practices) and remains active in Washington’s foreign policy community and non-profit organizations. He has three children and seven grandchildren living in New York. He misses contact with his classmates.

1951

Become A Class Correspondant

JOHN LANKESTER has been living very happily in Queensland, Australia, for the past 22 years.

1952

Bobbe Dean Schuler 914-337-2712

HENRY VLES writes: Dear members of the class of 1952, I shall be with you in spirit during our reunion. After three years of college prep school in the Hague, Holland (1947-1950), and one year at New Rochelle High School, Riverdale was a great experience. DICK

KAEYER ’53 and his family became lifelong friends. I shall never forget that the USAAF saved us from starvation in April/May 1945 after the hunger winter, and that the allied powers liberated us May 1945. God bless America. Kind regards to all the survivors.

1953

Bill Gardner whginc@mindspring.com

BILL GARDNER reports: Kathleen and I have moved into an independent/ assisted living facility only five miles from our home of 36 years here in Oro Valley, AZ. Email remains the same. Still playing golf and thoroughly enjoying our new, much more relaxed lifestyle. Our best wishes, as well, to my 1953 classmates and families.

BOB MILLIGAN writes: Queen Elizabeth was indeed outstanding in so many ways. I met her at a special function for Prince Philip for the English Speaking Union, which sponsored my scholarship to Riverdale. She stopped in front of me, and asked about my link to the Union, and I told her all about my experiences at RCS. She seemed very interested. I am moving into a semi-sheltered flat in a month or two, where there is a lively community and a friendly welcome. Best wishes to all my classmates and their families.

1956

Become A Class Correspondant BILL BORCHARD passed on the sad news that classmate and friend LARRY ACKMAN passed away on June 1, 2022.

JIM BERNSTEIN writes: Leading my company, Eniware, into the market with a portable, power-free sterilizer for the developing world, militaries, and humanitarian relief organizations. Enjoying my life with five grandchildren, a new aortic valve, post-COVID, and very healthy running several miles a week. Happy to hear from any 1956 survivors.

1957

Judy Austin

judyaustin40@yahoo.com

Bob Johnson robert.johnson@mto.com

Sue Jacobs Schaffzin craftyme33@hotmail.com Tim Zagat tim@zagat.com

You wouldn’t believe how actively connected the class of ’57 remains — 65 years after we graduated from RCS. To start with, we have a Zoom session every second Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Participants include MARIO ADLER, JUDY AUSTIN, PAUL DICKSON, PETER ELLIS, JEFF FISHER, Margo Fuld (wife of the late KENNETH FULD), WARREN GOLDE, STEVE GOLDSTEIN, LARRY JOHNSON, BOB JOHNSON, STEVE KANE, TOM KEISER, GEORGE LIEBMANN ’56, RICHARD MEADE ’56, MAARTEN MECKMAN, FRED PACKER, YVONNE PAYNE DANIEL, ED SCHAFFZIN, SUE JACOBS SCHAFFZIN, VERA VON SAUCKEN HALDY-REGIER, DOUG WARWICK, SKIP WASSERMAN, TIM ZAGAT, BOB ZALLES, and occasionally others. Jeff Fisher is our

master of ceremonies, providing an agenda around current issues. Maarten Meckman, a surprisingly modern IT talent, is our weekly host. After a lively hour of discussion, often veering back to Riverdale days, there is a regular exchange of emails — two so far today. The lawyers in our class, Pete Ellis, the two Johnsons, and Ed Schaffzin, do their best to make sure we stay within the bounds of propriety.

Almost all of the above classmates attended our October reunion, including two special dinners, which we arranged at Le Bernardin and the great new Italian restaurant, Fasano. We were so proud to have classmates from as far away as Idaho (Judy Austin), Arizona (Margo Fuld), Delaware (Warren Golde), Maryland (George Liebmann), Massachusetts (Steve Goldstein and Peter Ellis), California (Bob Johnson and Yvonne Payne Daniel), and England/Florida (Richard Meade) coming to join us.

We also invited the widows of several of our recently deceased classmates: TONY CAPRARO, BOB GLAUBER, MARC WEINBERG, MARTIN ZELNIK, and the daughter of our de facto lifetime class president, RICK BATES

All in all, it may tell you something to note that over two-thirds of our living classmates are still in touch with one another and with Riverdale. As we say, “It is the Riverdale Spirit that Quickeneth.”

YVONNE PAYNE DANIEL sends a photo that represents a mini-reunion in Portola Valley, CA (near Stanford U), where the CHIANG sisters (Jane ’59 and Alice ’61) and the PAYNE sisters (Yvonne ’57 and Carolyn ’59) got together for a wondrous lunch at the Lobster Shack. Great memories, laughter, and stimulating catch-up conversation!

Yvonne also shares: I am so happy that we are all here — still — and in communication intermittently and/or regularly with each other. We are lucky and blessed.

I completed two projects this year

that had been delayed during the height of the pandemic. I was invited to give a keynote in February 2022 at Duke University to the second largest dance research organization in the U.S. I had an opportunity to mentor publicly a couple of generations of dance and theater artists who do bona fide research and theorizing on the import of dance: “Dancing My Research: Looking Through the Splendor of Black Dance.” Then, in March 2022, I was invited to give another keynote address to the Tourism Research Conference at University of California, Berkeley; I presented: “Fifty Years of Dance in Tourism Research.” March through August 2022, I worked with the small group of dance scholars who presented at the Tourism Conference and submitted their papers and mine as a group for publication in the major journal for dance research. These two public presentations — requiring investigation and publishable writing — mark my final responsibilities for academic audiences. Then, I received notice that I would receive the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Alumni Association of the new Mills College at Northeastern University on October 8, 2022.

I have been blessed to live long enough to see that my efforts and sacrifices have been recognized, while I know there are many who work just as tirelessly and productively and have not yet been acknowledged. So, I take these recent

awards in the names of all rigorous dance and music researchers especially.

BOB JOHNSON notes: Marilyn and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary this year on September 8. We were married on the same date as MARTY ’57 and Lassa Zelnik. Marilyn and I have also enjoyed trips this year to Vermont and New Hampshire, to visit our son and his family and to attend the graduation of our oldest granddaughter from Middlebury College; Panama, to visit our daughter and her family who recently moved there after living for the last 12 years in Peru; Argentina and Australia to see our other three granddaughters who are now all teenagers; Mexico, for another family vacation to visit Oaxaca, Mexico City, Cancun, and the Yucatan Peninsula, and tour many of the ancient ruins; and New York to attend our 65th Riverdale reunion. I am still practicing law parttime as senior counsel in my 55th year at Munger, Tolles and Olson, and still enjoying playing a weekly squash game.

We are saddened by the recent death of MARTIN PEACOCK ’57. His wife, Julie, writes: “We have been to class reunions in the past and Martin often [talked] about his time at Riverdale. Indeed, only [recently] he was regaling our local Catholic priest, who visits us for a drink occasionally. Martin talked about how pleased he was to be able to go to school in America and in particular Riverdale. He made lifelong friends and [remembered] them fondly. It must have been the most exciting thing in his life apart from when he met me!”

VERA VON SAUCKEN HALDYREGIER reports: While the pandemic has curtailed traveling and left me to more inward-turned activities, I have completed and published my sixth poetry collection, entitled Through the Years; it is a compilation of selected poems from previous years with the addition of new ones written this year. Poetry has been a labor of love for

THE PAYNE AND CHIANG SISTERS

VERA VON SAUCKEN HALDY-REGIER ’57

years and one I am grateful to still be engaged in. Weekends have been spent at our woodland cottage in Woodstock, NY, and I continue doing freelance editing work whenever I can obtain it. I am reminded daily how vital being productive is to wellbeing, but that states the obvious.

1958

David Lahm dflahm@gmail.com

DAVID LAHM (that’s me) and wife Nancy left Florida for the upper Midwest in August and September. I had several piano jobs there, and on our way back home, we heard about the approach of Hurricane Ian in time to swerve over to Montgomery, AL, and spent a week in a very cool Airbnb. There was terrific storm damage nearby, but our house didn’t suffer at all. Amazingly lucky!

ALAN COYNE writes: We are so fortunate to have so many of us still around and enjoying life. We have lived on Hilton Head Island, SC, for 42 years and are a part of a real estate company that we founded many years ago. We have four grown children and nine grandchildren. Our oldest has lived with his family outside the USA for over 20 years, which has given us the opportunity to travel to many places to see them: Amsterdam, Paris, Riyadh, Madrid, Cairo, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, and soon maybe Seoul and Beijing. On a sad note, last year we lost my very first friend (from toddler up) — BOB BERNHARD. If you ever get to Hilton

Head, please look for me.

And from PAUL JABLOW: As Casey Stengel, at 79, put it: “At my age, most people are dead.” I’m still freelancing, mostly for the Philadelphia Inquirer, which keeps me pseudo-young, at least in my own mind: weekly real estate blog and occasional op-eds and features. Cynthia, my lady friend for almost 12 years, continues to tolerate me.

PHIL PROCTOR continues to update his amazing resume; here is just a brief excerpt: My writing partner, Samuel Joseph, and I plan to relaunch our wellreceived touring show, God Help Us, which previously starred the great Ed Asner as God. And we just finished a bawdy sex farce, Sherlock Shakespeare. Next year Melinda and I hope to return to the stage with our wonderful company, Antaeus, in Glendale.

Phil also shares: IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT QUICKENETH — but at our age, a laxative helps too! And I’m staying surprisingly busy for a guy our age! I just voiced Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat and Horton, the Elephant, in fully produced stories with original music and songs, for the wildly successful Tonie Box toy, with more characters to come.

The Firesign Theatre, which is now just me and David Ossman, is still cranking out product based on previously unreleased material, such as The Magic Mushroom shows, Dope Humor of the Seventies, Before They Changed the Water, and Duke of Madness Motors. All available at firesigntheatre.com.

And my podcast with Ted Bonnitt, Phil & Ted’s Sexy Boomer Show, can be heard at sexyboomershow.com and is going live soon on our local Pacifica radio, KPFK, with a weekly free-wheeling comedy broadcast. Stay healthy, all!

From DAN SILVER: I’m still alive and healthy. But the good news is that I was married to Sydne Simon on October 1. I’ve been together with Sydne for four years and we are looking forward to many more years together. We live in Boca Raton but spend the summers in Westchester.

We join in sharing your joy and your hopes, Dan!

1959

Geoff Howard howards@warwick.net

As the pandemic appears to be receding and life returning to something like 80-year-old normalcy, here’s what’s going on:

From the realms of academia, CHRIS HOBSON writes that his return to “face-to-face teaching in September was the breakthrough event of my last two years,” and he was pleased that his students at SUNY Old Westbury seemed “juiced” as well. Chris has also just published an article in Blake/An Illustrated Quarterly called “Blake, Methodism and ‘Christian Perfectionism’.”

DAVE PETZAL recently celebrated his 50th year on the staff of Field & Stream magazine. He writes, “I started there as managing editor in 1972, and due to a high tolerance for aberrant behavior on the part of management, have lasted for five decades. The paper magazine is gone. F&S published its last print edition — the 125th anniversary issue — and since March 2021 has been web only. A good many magazines have gone, or are going, this route. At first I was as congenial to this change as I would be to dry heaves, but I’ve since become reconciled.” Dave adds that he will still be writing for the e-zine.

And Dave’s not-so-rosy vision of the future? “Future generations will SCUBA dive to study the statue of Atlas in Rockefeller Center. Banana plantations will flourish here in Maine.” Good to see that we’re still dealing with the same Dave we knew so well 60 years ago.

STEPHEN MILLER (“Steve” back in the day) writes from San Fran that he’s been struggling with sciatica since May, but it didn’t stop him from a recent 10day trip to Paris where he “definitely felt like Toulouse-Lautrec hobbling about the streets.” And he adds this thought: “So beware, my fellow classmates, get it while you can! All the best to all of you.”

Two big events in MIKE OTTEN’s life: a family gathering — children, grandchildren, spouses — in France to celebrate Mike and Evelyne’s 57th anniversary and Mike’s 80th birthday. On another front, Mike has been spearheading “Reform Elections Now,” to clarify, via federal legislation, the out-dated 19th century laws that formed the legal basis for Congressional and Presidential challenges to the 2020 election. “Our focus has been on remedy, not punishment. I organized, on September 13, 2022, a Zoom event with five reform organizations, and four prominent scholars to report on and lend support to the bipartisan Senate group that is central to passage of the Electoral Count Reform Act by year-end 2022. Documentation is available, but here is a link to the YouTube recording of the event. This work is really on track for success, now that both Schumer and McConnell have signed on, but there is still the unknown if Trump should happen to jump in to support Ted Cruz’s lone opposition.”

RON WINSTON has written a book, King of Diamonds, which will be published in the spring of 2023. In Ron’s words, “it details my father’s and some of my life as well.” But wait, there’s more! Projects on which Ron is currently actively working include “a virtual reality concept,” a “rocket launch system,” and this one: “I and my lead researcher at our foundation have discovered a new molecule which

evinces a cure for cancer.”

JOHN LAHR writes from London that after 21 years of being the drama critic for The New Yorker — the longest run in that job in the magazine’s history — he is now the theater columnist for the internet magazine Air Mail. John also has written a play on the life of Joe Orton called Diary of a Somebody, which recently had a 5-star revival in the West End. But wait, there’s more! John’s biography, Arthur Miller: American Witness, will be coming from Yale UP this fall and he has signed to do a memoir “about objects in my office and the memories they call up — some of them naturally about the Riverdale years.”

If we didn’t know Mike, Ron, and John better, we’d think they were pulling our leg — no one could do all that! But we congratulate them all on the things they’re still doing and we’re proud to have them as classmates!

And to end with something less spectacular, I have become involved in a powerful community project here called Warwick Story Share. It’s simple: people come together to hear 5-minute, personal “story nuggets” from fellow Warwickians whom they probably don’t know — and it’s powerful. Most importantly, it’s drawing the community together at a time when it’s really needed.

1960

Harvey Meer ehmeer@gmail.com

JOHN ENTELIS is in his 53rd year of teaching as full professor of political science and Middle East studies at Fordham University, with plans on retiring in August 2024 at age 83. Having achieved a national and international reputation as a scholar of the Middle East and North Africa with research, teaching, publication, and consultancy experiences in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Tunisia, and Mauritania, he continues to travel widely to France and Morocco with Francoise, his wife of nearly 60 years. He reports that he reconnected with several classmates in recent years,

including MIKE KATZ, ROGER LEVEY, and the late BOB KENAS

He writes: I was very much saddened by Bob’s sudden death in March 2022, as we were seeing each other on a regular basis, sharing RCS sports tales over several lunch gatherings. Hung out with Mike Katz in 2008 in San Francisco when I was a research/teaching fellow at Stanford University. Mike was his ever-lively, loquacious, and animated self. I look forward to reconnecting with classmates in the (remaining) years ahead.

In reconnecting with several of my classmates in recent years, one particular highlight has been seeing NED CHASE ’59 and his lovely wife, Joan. They have become dear friends to myself and my wife, Francoise, as we have dined together several times. We look forward to seeing them both in 2023.

1961

Judy Masius Behrend judybehrend44@gmail.com

Larry Rosenbluth rosenbluth342@yahoo.com

PAUL SIEGERT writes: I’m still practicing law in New York City and am busier than ever. When I was in the military, I had to rise at 5:00 a.m. and the habit has followed me for the past 55 years. So I am in the office by 6:00 a.m. and work usually until about 3:00 in the afternoon. My rest and relaxation involves high-stakes poker games at the Borgata in Atlantic City. Like just about everyone else, I had COVID, but except for a cough, no other symptoms.

JUDY MASIUS BEHREND shared an update on how the Class of 1961 stayed in touch over the years, but noting that it was participating in the 50th Reunion that nurtured and secured the roots of caring friendships.

Since our 50th, we have mourned the loss of three of our classmates: MARIE PANI SWITKES, ELIZABETH BOOTH, and VIVIAN RONAY.

The pandemic created the desire for us to share beyond our isolation of the

MIKE AND EVELYNE OTTO ENTERING THEIR 58TH YEAR TOGETHER

lockdown and so we have had Zoom conversations monthly since April 2020.

We have all shared the paths that we have traveled since we walked out of the Senior Building carrying a dozen red roses to the present sitting at a machine that is enabling us to converse live and in person.

We have heard from classmates that were born in foreign countries; how their courageous parents fearing the possibility of a Nazi victory immigrated to the U.S. Their journeys were incredible to hear and how they influenced their chosen paths. We also heard from those whose parents had immigrated to the US. before they were born.

Yes, we do have some good news to share with all Riverdale alumni: At our 50th Reunion, MARION LEOPOLD met classmate MICHAEL VAN ITALLIE, and today they are happily married and living in New York City.

Other great news is that CARLY SIMON was inaugurated into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November, along with Dolly Parton.

Ah, that brings back memories of JESSIE HOFFMANN DAVIS, LINDA DONALDSON and/or Carly Simon sitting on the front porch of the Senior Building singing and playing the guitar.

We would love to hear from any of our classmates who would like to join our monthly Zoom conversations.

1962

Joe

Pickard

jpickard1306@msn.com

BILL BECKER writes: It is now eight full years since my retirement, and I am enjoying this phase of life very much. I am grateful to wake up every day, and I try to maintain a balance between kicking back and giving back. Kicking back includes taking daily walks with my beloved wife, Debbie, seeing our three young grandchildren as frequently as geography and busy schedules permit, recreational reading, and twice-weekly encounters with my everdeteriorating remnant of a functional golf game. Giving back includes active participation in a variety of local organizations as a board member and volunteer, charitable and political distributions as the fluctuations of the stock market permit, and cheering for or verbally abusing, as appropriate, public figures who appear on television. As we all know, the aging process is relentless, but I am still largely intact, and I still talk too much.

ED ELBERT shares: I just completed principal photography on my most recent feature film in Canada; my thirteenth as a producer. It wasn’t the career I set out to embrace, and it wasn’t my first either, but life takes funny turns.

experimentation of the early ’60s. That was the world we grew up in.

I remember JFK as probably the best political orator of my lifetime. He was sharp, crisp, to the point, and knew how to inspire a nation. And he had a good sense of humor!

Some of us fondly remember Chapel at Riverdale. Though I am sure we groused about it at the time, it also fostered a sense of belonging to a community.

I can report that I am reasonably well. My hearing is not as good as it was. I need the assistance of a cane when walking. I struggle for the right word with the right nuance; and I wish I could remember his/her last name. It seems as if I take dozens of pills a day. But I still have a sense of humor.

My son and daughter-in-law live in Houston, where he completed a fellowship in infectious diseases, working mostly at MD Anderson. He is now working through a second Baylor Medical College fellowship in critical care. His wife just started medical school. So they’re there for the next four years. They visited for two weeks at the end of June. And I, with good intentions, hope to visit them this winter.

Best wishes to all my classmates.

CLASS OF 1961 - ZOOM

We currently have 22 invited classmates (which also includes girls who did not carry the roses but we feel like they did and so they are our classmates: NAN NEWTON, HARRIET HANGER, and BETSY WINSLOW WAGNER).

TOM FRANKLIN writes: At my age, it seems like a moment to look back. I remember the early ’60s with considerable fondness. The world seemed fresh and new and hopeful, with the ’50s behind us, and the ’60s seemingly bringing in a breath of fresh air. Eisenhower may be remembered as somewhat stodgy, but he was more than competent, laying the groundwork for our national highway system, the early foundation for space exploration, and for a new national goal for higher education, following the shock of Sputnik, emulating the Rockefeller model in New York. One need only look at our ’62 yearbook to plainly see the spirit of innovation and

JOE PICKARD passes along the news of PETER LEVINSON’s death: Peter was a good friend of mine and I know many of you as well. I was lucky enough to spend my senior year in the dormitory with Peter under Al Puryear and Mr. Bill Williams. Peter was always there to psych me up before a football game, wrestling match or baseball game and I was there for Peter’s soccer games, and winter and spring track meets. Always the jokester, one time on the eve of the Ivy League wrestling championships at the St. Paul’s School in Garden City, Peter presented to me a fake newspaper made up in Times Square with the headline: “Joe Pickard pins Ray Rizzuti to win the Ivy League championship.” I had lost to Ray in a dual meet that year, but I wasn’t about to lose again and did not. I will miss Peter very much, but

will also retain my many fond memories of him at school, sailing, or just enjoying a social occasion with Peter and Joan.

Joe also shares: Sarah and I have been living part-time in Southern VT, for the past twenty years and permanently in retirement for the past eight. The skis, the boat, the fishing poles, and the clubs have all been put away and our life has evolved into a more relaxed sport: lunch. We are like a herd of coyotes with a fifty-mile radius of restaurants around South Londonderry. The farthest we go is Hoosick Falls, NY, which is a 47-mile haul to meet up with other coyotes.

While we love the seasonal changes in VT, particularly fall foliage, the winters can drag out for a bit too long. For a respite, we’ve been traveling to Florida in November and March, and on New Year’s Day, we fly to St. Thomas for the

month of January. For those interested, we recommend Pt. Pleasant, which we find quite reasonable.

During the summer, we sneak off to Fishers Island, where Sarah’s family has maintained a house since 1893 and it looks it, lol. There are two pristine beaches on the island and as you can see from the picture, we normally have them pretty much to ourselves, as the only hotel on the island was burned down (on purpose?) several decades ago.

Lastly, we took our first-ever cruise on the Seine from Paris to Normandy via Viking line — I knew I was good, didn’t know I was this good — receiving free round-trip airfare, silver package (free drinks), and a pickup at the airport. We are already researching our next cruise for 2023 on Viking.

That’s about it. We’re enjoying the slower-paced life, grandkids (two started college).

ART PRYOR and his wife, Pat, have moved to Costa Rica: We are living with poisonous snakes, frogs, insects and other critters and views of the mountains and Pacific Ocean and deserted beaches that are mind blowing. Would love to hear from you. Email is best (arthur.pryor@gmail.com).

KATHY MCEWEN GOODRICH writes: Greetings from Harpswell, Maine, where Hubby and I have lived for more years than any other place we have lived! We are both in good health, though the joints creak and are achy at times.

I keep in touch with classmates HEDY RUTH GUNTHER, PEGGY VAN LEER WEST, and BARBIE POUGH MOORE

Last summer, BARBARA THACHER PLIMPTON ’61 joined our family with two of her brothers (Andrew and Peter) for a mini dinner reunion! Barbara lives in Brooklyn, NY, but has a daughter in Portland, ME.

We are fortunate that both our children have chosen to live within a two-hour drive from us so we see them and their families 8-10 times a year. In fact, we will be together on 9/17 to celebrate the twins’ 15th birthday! I

send warm greetings to all my Riverdale classmates and friends!

1963

Peter Philip petersells@aol.com

ARNOLD EGGERS shares two pieces of news: My son, Christian, has just started Cornell Law School in Ithaca, NY. My daughter, Serena, who lives in Oxford, England, and teaches at a school in Reading, which is close by, is starting a Master’s in Learning and Teaching at Oxford University. I have been retired for four years, take care of the pets, and try to keep out of trouble.

ED EZRA writes: Other than having 10 grandchildren ages 6 months through 12 years old, [I am proud to share that] my son, Brian Ezra, a principal at Avery Hall Investments, has expanded his residential development business beyond New York City, and has over 800 high-end rental units in NC and VA in development. His Brooklyn developments, highlighted by 1 Boerum Place, have been extremely successful.

STU ORKIN was the recipient of the 2022 Canada Gairdner International Award in recognition of his work on blood disorders.

PETER PHILIP shares: My oldest son has a physical therapy office in New Canaan, CT. His thesis was printed as a book! Pelvic Pain and Dysfunction is available on Amazon. The reason for this note is the book has now been printed in Chinese!

ADAM POWELL III writes: We are in the third year of the 50-state USC election cybersecurity initiative of which I am executive director. Our updated 2022 programs began in March, with a schedule of weekly Thursday afternoon workshops that began in July and ended last week. We also presented in person at the National Conference of State Legislatures election meeting in Alabama and the NCSL convention in Denver, CO. We expect to do more than 20 workshops this year in the

JOE PICKARD ’62 AND WIFE SARAH TORRANCE (ABOVE) AT FISHER’S ISLAND

U.S., and we have had more than 7,000 election officials, campaign workers, and civic officials participate in all 50 states. And now global: in June, our team was in Athens, Greece, to present “Cybersecuring Democracy” across from the Acropolis. This fall we expand to Africa, starting with a workshop in South Africa in October, and in the winter we will expand to Asia.

1964

John Jiler johnjiler@earthlink.net

JOHN JILER reports: We’re sad to report the passing of two classmates. ARTHUR KERN was a West Coast media giant, and a passionate supporter of medical research, the arts, and the environment. BILL RAPF was a venerated teacher, a brilliant photographer, and a tireless volunteer fireman. Both were soulful men much beloved by their communities and by all of us. Despite their loss — and always feeling it, we continue our remarkable group friendship via a weekly Zoom, during which we talk about things that matter to us, from politics to mortality to art to — our current topic — family. Where did we come from? What is our legacy from our parents? What part of it, if any, did we pass on to our children? We cherish all these sessions, as we bear witness to each other’s journeys from boys in ties and jackets to reflective old men.

PAM REICHE BETZ shares: Great reconnecting with class of ’64 at Zoom get-togethers during COVID. Daughter and family continue living on the Upper East Side. Grandson started high school at Eleanor Roosevelt High and his baby sister turned a year old. My son is now President of Walden University; granddaughter loves Santa Clara University and her sister is a high school junior in Arlington, VA.

My consulting practice continues to thrive, serving healthcare and social justice organizations. Frequent travels East to see family and friends. If you get

to the Valley of the Sun, please connect!

1970

Bob Kahn bob@kahnconsulting.com

STEVEN GREENFELD writes: Hello, Classmates, it’s been a while. My wife of 41 years, Dorian, and I welcomed our first grandchild, Julian, a beautiful and healthy boy, courtesy of our son Andrew, who works remotely with Zoom, and his hand-surgeon wife of one year, Lyena; they live near Chicago. Our other son, Jeffrey, graduated top of his class with an MBA from UC Davis, a lovely college town where he lives for now. For the past several years, Dorian and I have split our time between our northwest suburb of Los Angeles and North Lake Tahoe, where I have become proficient at hiking, skiing, shoveling, and avoiding paying work. Mindful of the pandemic, but looking forward to visiting the (hopefully) growing family. Best to all.

1971

Jerry Fall fall.jerry@gmail.com

LLOYD MILLER shares: Life has a way of going through phases. After a worklife doing Native American rights work, I am trying to rebalance ahead of my seventh decade and do more travel. As I write, we are all packed for Machu Picchu, next year Bhutan, the past year ANWR in northern Alaska and Provence. But the work continues, too; stay tuned.

1975

Jon Beitler

jonathanjbeitler@gmail.com

Jeff Russell jjrussell@clearbridgeadvisors.com

The New York Law Journal announced that SUSAN KOHLMANN of Jenner & Block was named Attorney of the Year. Congratulations!

1976

Daniel Easton mashfly007@aol.com

PAT HUDSON writes: A year of crossroads and challenges...watching old friends and family pass away and moving on into new partnerships and taking new directions while remembering to honor the precious memories.

1978 Become A Class Correspondant

MICHAEL ZOREK shares: Having survived the past two years, I look forward to our 45th reunion in 2023! Right now my son is a junior at Rutgers, majoring in Urban Planning and working with New Jersey Transit. My daughter is a junior at Professional Performing Arts School, and looking for colleges where she can further study drama! 2022 finds me celebrating 22 years of marriage, 22 years since a triple bypass, and working at The Drama Book Shop (owned by Lin-Manuel Miranda), so if you are in the neighborhood, please stop by! (DAVID YAZBEK — I’m looking at you, we have musical scores you can sign!)

TERI LACAILLE reminisces: Despite the years that have passed since graduation, my RCS family is still just that . . . FAMILY! I am in contact with most of my classmates and love seeing their updates on themselves and their families. RCS is one of the best things I have ever experienced . . . other than becoming a mother.

1980

Become A Class Correspondant

MARIO MULLER writes: The past 30 months of COVID landscape hasn’t dulled my artistic productivity. In addition to painting, I founded a Zoom Art Salon that meets every Friday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Titled Aesthetic Arrest, each session focuses on one artist or a curatorial viewpoint. A generous

helping of images accompanies a rousing conversation about innovation, metaphor, and empathy.

The conversational presentations and resulting animated discussions usually last no longer than 30-35 minutes. The culturally curious, visually insatiable art lovers hail from Hawaii, Los Angeles, Chicago, Louisville, New York, London, Lyon, and Tel Aviv. Fellow RCS alum

KAREN WADDELL ’80 is a founding member. I’m inviting all art lovers to sign up for a weekly invitation at mariomuller.com. We’ve done 70 episodes, most of which are available as online video. Lastly, of those 70 sessions, 38 were of women artists.

Connecticut River in CT. Keeping up with longtime RCS friends ELIZABETH HOLOUBEK-SEBOK, JASON MALAMUD, CYNTHIA SCHEINBERG, and their respective superb spouses.

1981

Become A Class Correspondant

EMILY CHASE and family have moved into a new home in Santa Monica. Her teen sons are happy living by the beach, and doing well. Emily is directing two professional plays right now, and working as an acting coach and theater professor in Los Angeles. If you come West, please reach out and say hi!

J. BROOKE has been working steadily as a writer/essayist since getting a Master’s in creative writing in 2019: In 2021, I moved with [my] spouse (Beatrice) from the house we raised our kids in, in Sag Harbor, NY, to a terrarium of sorts along the

1982

Meryl Poster meryl.poster@ superbentertainment.net

MERYL POSTER met with tv writer WENDY STRAKER HAUSER ’93 in Los Angeles and shared, “We had such a great connection. Stay tuned to see what we create together.”

YASMIN KHAKOO shares: I became editor-in-chief of Pediatric Neurology in January 2022. First woman. And my 8th-grade teacher told me I’d never be a writer! (Or I interpreted her comments that way.)

1983

Become A Class Correspondant

LEON BIBI reports: I have authored a trilogy called “The Adam Series”: Adam = Alien, Adam Decoded, and Adam — The Missing Link. My books are a non-fiction exploration of human evolution (specifically identifying over 200 genes with no predecessor — non-primate), pyramids (too perfectly engineered to be built just by humans), monoliths (some weighing in excess of 100 tons with perfect laser-cut holes drilled over 5,000 years ago), and UFOs (overwhelming evidence of their existence). A factbased exposé of extraterrestrial manipulation of the human genome, their interaction on Earth for the past 450,000 years, and their interest and intent. My books are bestsellers on Amazon and are of specific interest to “conspiracy” theorists that know it is not a conspiracy. Adam Decoded has a 2-minute teaser on YouTube, and I am currently working on a full-length documentary.

MIA FOSTER lives in Brooklyn and on Cape Cod, is a photographer, married, and has two daughters.

AESTHETIC ARREST: A CONTEMPORARY FINE ART ZOOM SALON

WENDY STRAKER HAUSER ’93 AND MERYL POSTER ’82

YASMIN KHAKOO ’82 - PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY

1986

Become A Class Correspondant

TINA SCOTT POLSKY writes: Hi all! I am currently a state senator in Florida, living in Boca Raton. My husband, Jeff, and I have a 21-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. I am also a mediator and am obsessed with pickleball!

1989

Become A Class Correspondant

ALAIN SILVERIO was promoted to dean of academic administration and outcomes at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine recently.

THOMAS WEISER shares: I am still working as a general, emergency, and trauma surgeon at Stanford University. I have also taken on the role of program director for Wellcome Leap, a health accelerator, to improve surgical care globally at scale.

1991

Stefanie Firtell Donath sadonath6873@gmail.com

HEIDI COTTON lives in Beverly Hills and is a residential realtor under the Keller Williams Beverly Hills banner. She plays too much tennis and is icing her forearm as she types this using only her left hand. Her heart regularly explodes when seeing her RCS pals both in Cali and in NY where her family still lives (in Purchase). The relationships from RCS prove more and more golden over time.

1992

Jennifer Rothstein Mulvihill Jennifercori1010@hotmail.com

JOLIE COLIN GOLDRING just celebrated 20 years in the luxury travel business, and launched Journeys by Jolie in 2021, an affiliate of In the Know Experiences. She lives in Greenwich, CT, with two teens: Paige, 17, and Grant, 14.

EDWIN FAMOUS writes: After nearly four years in Hong Kong with HSBC, I’ve

just moved back “home” to London with my partner to start a job at Citi in private banking. I was able to do a bit of traveling around Asia before the pandemic (and Hong King’s super strict lockdown laws) set in, but unfortunately never made it to Japan to see YUKI YOKOBORI YANAI ’92 Luckily, she recently rectified that with a long weekend in London, so we finally caught up after about five years of not seeing each other.

with his wife Rosie (Jordana Brewster, The Fast and the Furious) and son Max (Peter Dager) to ride out the lockdown. Their fraught situation is worsened by the unexpected arrival of Phil’s pot-smoking, Bloody Mary-swilling former college roommate, Charlie (Adam Pally, Happy Endings). Armed with untold secrets from Phil’s murky past, Charlie inserts himself into their bubble and quickly makes himself at home. It recently had its world premiere at the Hamptons International Film Festival and will be coming out soon.

2004

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REVA MINKOFF writes: My husband and I welcomed our son, Andrew Aristotle Lyttle, on December 22, 2021. He is a very smiley and talkative baby, and it has been amazing to watch him grow.

RACHEL GREENFIELD MINKOFF ’74 is his very proud Grandy.

EDWARD GELBAND moved back to Japan after a number of years in London and is still with Bloomberg Media. Edward is married to Ai, with two children: Meg (6) and George (8). He shares, “If anyone is ever in the Yokohama-Tokyo corridor, please look us up!”

1997

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JACKIE BELSON married Alejandro Rojas on June 9, 2022, at Kanopi Event space in White Plains. They were featured in The New York Times “Vows” section.

2000

Lana Jacobs Edelman lanarose@gmail.com

ZACH WOLF just edited a new feature film, Who Invited Charlie? With COVID-19 on the rise in New York City, self-centered hedge fund manager, Phil Schreiber (Reid Scott, VEEP) escapes to the Hamptons

2006

Hadley Assail-Chertoff hadleyassail@gmail.com

Tracy Dansker tdansker@riverdale.edu

Jordan Marin Triplejmm@gmail.com

Elise Michael emichael1014@gmail.com

Samara Eve Gold, daughter of JENNIFER ETKIN GOLD and Tyler Gold, was born on March 30, 2022.

EVIN ADOLPH LYONS and her husband, Rick, are opening their own veterinary practice in Summit, NJ.

KATE WARD writes: I got married in September and was lucky enough to have SAM LEFFLER, REBECCA ETKIN, and ELISE MICHAEL at my wedding. Fun time was had by all.

Earlier this year, I was also lucky to be a bridesmaid at REBECCA ETKIN’s wedding (along with Elise and Sam). She had Lloyd’s Carrot Cake as her wedding cake and it was phenomenal as always.

YUKI YOKOBORI YANAI ’92 AND EDWIN FAMOUS ’92

At work (I am director of TransHudson Planning at NJ Transit), we kicked off work on the Penn Station Expansion and Penn Station Reconstruction projects last month. Keep an eye out for some exciting public Town Halls where you can learn more about these. Also, it is not my project, but the new Grand Central Madison is opening in December. Get excited!

EMILIA SHAPIRO SULTAN shares: My husband (Adam Sultan) and I had two pandemic babies! Son (Sammy) born in June 2020, and daughter (Mia) born this past April 2022.

ELISE MICHAEL adds: My husband (Chris Ilardi) and I had one pandemic baby (not two like Emilia!). Lucas was born in June 2020.

2007

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ANUTA RATHE and Alejandro Ceballos were recently married and opened up Alita Cafe in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

MICHAEL G. MORENO is happy to be celebrating 13 years as a small business owner of MGM Racquet Sports, and is delighted to be invited to play for the Yale Club 4.5 Squash League starting in November 2022.

JACKIE SCHWARTZ married Zachary Toland in Miami, Florida, on October 22nd.

2011

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A Class Correspondant

FRED STILLMAN shares: I have started pursuing my MBA at The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. I am enjoying life in North Carolina, but look forward to getting back to New York City. Congratulations to all our classmates who have gotten married over the past months!!

2012

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CANDICE SHANGGUAN and STEFAN REICHENSTEIN got married on July 15, 2022, in New York City. Candice is an equities analyst at Bessemer Trust and Stefan is a software engineer at Robotic Systems Integration. They reside in Brooklyn with their dog, Harper.

SARAH HORNE and ETHAN ROSENTHAL were married at the Rainbow Room in NYC on July 17, 2022, with three generations of Riverdale alumni there to celebrate with them!

KATE WARD ’06

ANUTA RATHE ’07

JACKIE SCHWARTZ ’07

CANDICE SHANGGUAN ’12 AND STEFAN REICHENSTEIN ’12

SARAH HORNE ’12 AND ETHAN ROSENTHAL ’12

NICK O’MARA ’12 married BIP COLLERY ’12 with a number of RCS alumni in attendance in Chatham, Massachusetts. MICHAEL ROBERTS ’12 officiated the wedding as well.

2013

Khari Dawkins khari.dawkins@gmail.com

Amanda Wallbrink akwallbrink@gmail.com

JEFFREY RIVAS became the new editorin-chief for the Columbia Law Review

WILLIAM WOODS is a talent manager and recently toured the country with a group of stand-up comedians as their tour manager, living on a tour bus for five months.

2017

Ava Levinson ava.levinson@gmail.com

ANNA ROSE CARTER graduated last summer from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, and Television, earning a Bachelor of Arts in film, television & digital media with concentrations in narrative directing and cinematography as well as a minor in history. Since graduation, she has split her time between New York and Los Angeles, primarily working as a production assistant for Saturday Night Live’s Film Unit and an Assistant Director on various music videos in California. Her thesis film, Cowboy, Bitch!, is concluding its festival run, with six official selections, one nomination, and two awards, including Best Director.

JULIA GARDNER recently graduated with a Master of Science in conservation

medicine from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She will begin vet school there this upcoming year.

2021

Andrew Lipschultz andrew@lipschultz.com Michelle Wen mwen2021@gmail.com

ISABEL OSORIO shares: After graduating from Riverdale, I am now starting my sophomore year at Hamilton College. I am currently on the pre-veterinary track and majoring in biology, so to kickstart my four-year plan, at the beginning of my freshman year, I reached out to our local cat shelter and have been volunteering in my spare time ever since. I also became a leading member of a club called Paws for Cause, which gathers a group of volunteers to walk dogs at the Humane Society of Rome (NY) weekly, and we take photos of the dogs to advertise on social media in hopes of getting them adopted. What I have learned from these experiences is how rewarding it is to work with not only animals but the people in my new community. I have met incredible volunteers who have similar interests and want nothing more than for all these animals to live happy, fulfilling lives, especially those that have been in stressful or traumatic environments. I am very grateful for Riverdale’s emphasis on community engagement, because it has pushed me to want to build those bridges and has landed me in these life-changing opportunities.

RIVERDALE AT THE WEDDING OF NICK O’MARA ’12 AND BIP COLLERY ’12

In Memoriam

Peter Levinson ’62

Alita Lewis-Pennington Homan ’44

Richard Nissi ’49

Edgar Koerner ’51

Peter Philipps ’54

Joanna Simon Walker ’54

Larry Ackman ’56

Martin Peacock ’57

Timothy Barnett ’58

Peter Levinson ’62 Art Kern ’64 Bill Rapf ’64 David Asencio ’70

PETER LEVINSON, beloved husband, cherished father, proud grandfather, loving brother, and wonderful friend, passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 13, 2022, at Harbor Point Memory Care Community in Centerville. He was predeceased by his father Budd Levinson, and his mother Ruth Heller Schiffer, as well as his stepmother Dr. Judith Sulzberger, stepfather Dr. Morton Schiffer, and stepbrother Dan Cohen.

Peter grew up in Rye, New York, graduated from Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, served in the National Guard, and attended New York University.

Peter lived as a “man in full.” Always intellectually curious, he embraced life and continually expanded his horizons as a voracious reader, passionate sailor, adventurous traveler, and highly successful businessman who was deeply interested in the experiences and insights of everyone fortunate enough to meet him.

Left to cherish the wonderful memories of life with Peter are his wife, Joan, ever his partner in adventure and, in recent years, his devoted caregiver and advocate; his beloved daughters, Lori Paprin of Killington, VT, and Debra Yaghmaie (Maz) of Stamford, CT; his four muchloved grandsons; devoted siblings Ruth Andrea Levinson (Bahram Keramati) and James Heller Levinson (Mary Newell), step-siblings Peggy Schiffer, Holly Schiffer (Jeff Zucker), Leah Cohen, Jace Cohen, and Barbara Carey, as well as his uncle, Robert Levinson, and a multitude of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

An independent insurance broker, Peter retired in 2013 as president of Edward A. Goodman Co, Inc., in White Plains, NY, after building and expanding the business for more than four decades. A consummate networker through BNI and other business

In Memoriam (continued)

affiliations, he was generous with sound advice, and provided valuable connections and great encouragement to many young men and women (including his nieces and nephews) seeking new professional opportunities. Peter is best remembered for his welcoming smile, startlingly blue eyes, impeccable manners, dry sense of humor, and great humanity. Even on his last day, he quietly applauded a nurse and told her, “You’re doing a wonderful job.”

After moving to South Chatham in 2021, Peter’s life was enhanced every day by his wonderful caregivers, first at home, and then during his 11 months at Harbor Point. Joan, Lori, and Deb would like to thank Tina Cusson for connecting them with the resources Peter needed. They also thank Jean Copeland, RN, for her support and exceptional home care staff, and the Broad Reach Hospice team. They want to express their gratitude to the enlightened leadership and heroic caregivers at Harbor Point for their unfailing efforts to normalize life as much as possible given the devastating cognitive disorders — including Peter’s diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia — that have upended the lives of their vulnerable residents and overwhelmed families. Joan is deeply grateful for all they did to keep Peter safe, well cared for, and, amazingly, so happy throughout his last year.

Donations in Peter’s memory can be made in support of his extraordinarily dedicated and compassionate caregivers at Benchmark’s Harbor Point Memory Care Community by sending a check to the Benchmark One Company Fund, 201 Jones Road, Waltham, MA 02451 — or, given Peter’s love of birding, an online gift in support of the Massachusetts Audubon Society at massaudubon.org

Joanna Simon Walker ’54

JOANNA SIMON WALKER, a smokyvoiced mezzo-soprano who grew up in a family loaded with musical talent, including her younger sisters CARLY ’61 and Lucy, before forging an acclaimed career as an opera and concert singer, died on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, in Manhattan. She was 85.

Mary Ascheim, a first cousin of Joanna’s, said the cause was thyroid cancer. She died in a hospital a day before Lucy Simon’s death at 82 at her home in Piermont, NY.

Joanna Simon was one of the best-known American opera singers to emerge in the 1960s, a time when arts funding was flush, audiences were full and gleaming new music palaces were opening, chief among them the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York. She made her professional debut in 1962 as Cherubino in Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” at New York City Opera. The same year, she won the Marian Anderson Award, an annual prize given to a promising young singer.

She stood out for her range of material, mastery of foreign languages and willingness to take risks on contemporary composers. She was the first to sing the role of Pantasilea, a courtesan in 16th-century Italy, in “Bomarzo,” by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera, when it made its debut in 1967 at the Opera Society of Washington (today the Washington National Opera). That performance won her worldwide acclaim, and she reprised it in New York and Buenos Aires. She was equally regarded as a concert singer, performing classical and contemporary songs, including “Over the Rainbow.”

Born on Oct. 20, 1936, in Manhattan, Joanna was the oldest child of Richard L. Simon, a publisher and founder of Simon & Schuster, and Andrea (Heinemann) Simon, a singer and homemaker. The family lived in Manhattan and, later, the Fieldston neighborhood of the Bronx.

The Simon children took to music early; Joanna could play piano at 6 years old. In high school, she thought she would become an actress, though by college, at Sarah Lawrence, she had switched to musical comedy. Then a voice coach encouraged her to consider opera.

Upon graduating in 1958 with a degree in literature, she continued her opera training in Vienna, then returned to New York to start her career.

Joanna married Gerald Walker, a novelist and editor at The New York Times Magazine, in 1976. He died in 2004. She dated Walter Cronkite until his death in 2009. In addition to her sister Carly, she is survived by her stepson, David Walker, and a stepgrandson. Her brother, Peter ’65, a photojournalist, died in 2018.

The above is excerpted from The New York Times; read the full obituary here

FROM THE

Archives

The 9/10 Building on the Hill Campus is renamed yearly as part of the Jolli Humanitarian Award, first awarded in 2010, and is an annual recognition of a notable humanitarian nominated by a 10th-grade student. This year the award recipient is Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, who sadly passed away on October 28, 2022, after addressing the Upper School during an assembly earlier that month.

However, the original purpose of the 9/10 Building was to house Riverdale’s youngest learners. It was constructed in 1928 as the Neighborhood School. During the dedication ceremony on December 3, 1928, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, George McAneny, stressed that the building was “created by neighborhood sentiment.” The school welcomed eighty children: seventy were in kindergarten, first, second, and third grade. The remaining ten students, entering the fourth grade, comprised the first

all-girls class at Riverdale. Learn more about the history of the 9/10 Building and stay tuned for more information from the Riverdale archives!

ABOVE: The 9/10 Building with its first group of students in 1928

RIGHT: L to R: Head of Upper School Tom Taylor; Calvin Butts V ’24, Patricia R. Butts GP’24,’27,’28; Head of Middle School and Assistant Head of School for School Life Milton Sipp

Riverdale Country School

5250 Fieldston Road Bronx, New York 10471-2999 www.riverdale.edu