Spring/Summer 2022 Laughing Matters Billy Rosenberg ʼ96 strikes comedy gold Office Hours Teachers open their doors to visitors Well Adjusted Zeynep Tuzcu ʼ10 prioritizes patient perspective Cyrus a ThefriendsformagazinealumniandofBlakeSchool
Growing in Place With construction underway on the Early Learning Center, many of us at Blake have been reflecting on the importance of physical spaces to teaching and learning. This child-centered building, set to open fall 2023, will be a place for wonder and joy, designed to foster inclusion, connection and a sense of belonging. Similarly, in this issue of Cyrus we see how space, when created intentionally, can be fundamental to creativity, healing and discovery.
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CourageIntegrityLoveRespectofLearning Why Cyrus? Cyrus Northrop played a formative role in one of Blake's founding institutions. In 1915, Northrop Collegiate School was named in his honor to recognize Dr. Northrop's achievements as a nationally re garded educator and as president of the University of Minnesota. His legacy of educational excellence continues at Blake cyrus@blakeschool.orgtoday.
b Cyrus FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Cyrus a magazine for alumni and friends of The Blake School Editor Kristin Stouffer Managing Editor Tracy Grimm Graphic Designer Cate ThanksHubbardtothe many Blake community members who have contributed to this publication. Mission Blake engages students with a dynamic, academically challenging education in a diverse and supportive community committed to pluralism and a common set of values. Students pursue an integrated program of academic, artistic and athletic activities, preparing for college, lifelong learning and purposeful lives as community and global citizens.
Commitment to Pluralism A vibrant learning environment springs from a diverse school community. For this reason, Blake seeks and values students, families and employees with a wide range of backgrounds, identities and life ex periences. Individually and collec tively, we strive for understanding across differences in an inclusive environment where everyone can belong, contribute and thrive.
In our cover story, Billy Rosenberg ’96 shares how he’s enriching representation among a new generation of storytellers at Hulu—not just in the writers’ room or production meeting but on the streaming platform itself. Chiropractor Zeynep Tuzcu ’10 says her dream is to create a clinic where patients, especially people of color, “feel safe and heard.” Blake teachers talk about the care they put into their own classroom environments. Building inclusive communities is the theme of our 2022 Equity Lab event series. If you’re interested in contributing to these conversations, we welcome proposals at blake.mn/elproposal. We’ll share the fall lineup in Cyrus Monthly (subscribe at cyrus@blakeschool.org) once details are confirmed.
Core Values
Welcome to our newest readers, the Blake class of 2022, and congratulations to our 14 fall reunion classes (grad years ending in 2 or 7). Whether you’re a recent or not-so-recent graduate, I encourage you to drop us a line or attend an event. We’d love to connect with you. Anne E. Stavney, Ph.D. Head of School The Blake School
COVER STORY MOMENTMEETSCOMEDYTHE As head of comedy originals at Hulu, Billy Rosenberg ʼ96 cultivates a platform for diverse creators and stories. PAGE 6 IN PHOTOS Class Acts Meet the teachers at the heart of some of Blake’s most engaging learning spaces. PAGE 12 Q&A No Pain, All Gain Chiropractor Zeynep Tuzcu ʼ10 makes adjustments to the traditional patient experience. PAGE 18 DEPARTMENTS In Brief 2 Cover Story 6 In Photos 12 Q&A 18 In Print Production& 20 Class Notes 21 Voices 29 CONTENTS Spring/Summer 2022
In keeping with a long-standing tradition, the class of 2022 united to raise funds for a senior class gift. Their campaign, No Bears Left Behind, directed all gifts to student financial assistance, which impacts more than 300 students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Working toward their goal of 100 student donors, members of the Senior Class Giving Committee (pictured here) encouraged their class mates to support the effort, noting how much their class has benefited from being part of a community of students from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences and their desire for future Blake classes to enjoy the same benefits.
ARTS HIGHLIGHT FEELING THE BEAT
STUDENTS VISIT MDEWAKANTON DAKOTA CULTURAL CENTER
Fatawu Sayibu, Ghanaian drummer and dancer, has been teaching Blake students since 2017, when he worked with fifth graders on their play, Akwaaba Anansi. This winter, Sayibu returned to the Lower School to drum and dance with first, third and fourth graders during their music classes. Sayibu is the founder of Tiyumba African Drum and Dance Company in Minneapolis, which performs throughout the Twin Cities and offers West African drum and dance classes. He also created the Tiyumba Youth Development and Cultural Center, which brings educational support and cultural opportunities to children in Tamale, Ghana. The children receive classes to support their academic work at school in addition to learning the traditional music and dance of Northern Ghana.
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT ARTS HIGHLIGHT AWARDS COMMITMENT TO PLURALISM COMMUNITY FACES ON CAMPUS SERVICE
IN BRIEF
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT BLAKE ALUMNA TAPPED TO LEAD NEW COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
This year Blake’s computer science program will be unified across all three divisions, and Madeline Burton ’07 is leading the effort as chair of the new department. Computer science curriculum spans every grade, from engineering and programming in the Lower School to an Upper School AP course in computer science principles. Burton says she finds her love for computer science “at the intersection of logic and creativity” and admits, “I don’t have a lot of attention for technology that does the driving and tells my brain where to go. I am more interested in the ways it can be used as a tool to solve problems or enhance lives.”
2 Cyrus
COMMITMENT TO PLURALISM
Fourth graders visited Hocokata Ti, a Mdewakanton Dakota cultural center, and Eagle Creek in Shakopee, where they examined aquatic macroinvertebrates. It was a day of experiential learning about science, culture and community engagement.
COMMUNITY NO BEARS LEFT BEHIND
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT ON THE WING OF BUTTERFLIES Did you know a group of butterflies is called a kaleidoscope? Every fall, Blake’s second graders watch a kaleidoscope emerge in their classroom as they observe monarch caterpillars grow and change and complete their life cycle. The students watch their caterpillars become chrysalises and then, finally, butterflies. The class takes their butterflies outside together to wish each one a safe flight to Mexico. craft sticks, markers, beads, string, paper and cardboard. Faculty members Maelene Krig and Erika Lewis oversee the makerspace, working with individual students and welcoming classes to take advantage of its resources. This winter, they hosted a Makerspace Olympics, which included a range of events such as robot nordic skiing—in which students programmed a robot to move through a course in the shortest amount of time—and doubles figure skating, which challenged students to film a routine using cardboard figures and magnets. Winners were presented with medals created on the makerspace’s 3D printer.
AWARDS READ ALL ABOUT IT The Upper School student newspaper, the Spectrum, was one of four papers awarded All-State Gold status from Journalism Educators of Minnesota. This was the second time in 12 years the publication achieved this honor. In its announcement of the year’s winners, the Minnesota High School Press Association noted the exceptional challenges newspaper teams faced in 2020-21 and the important role their reporting played in keeping their school commu nities connected as schools shifted from in person, online and hybrid schedules.
Spring/Summer 2022 3 IN BRIEF SERVICE BEARS TURN HOUSES INTO HOMES Along with the humanitarian aid group Alight, Blake students, parents and staff helped make houses homes for families from Afghanistan. Members of Blake’s Habitat for Humanity committee organized the onsite opportunity. Volunteers readied two apartments and Middle School students collected new and gently used children’s books and stuffed animals and made fleece tie blankets and welcome home cards.
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT MIDDLE THEMAKERSPACESCHOOLOPENSDOORTOCREATIVITY
Just off the Middle School library, room 028 has become a favorite destination for students looking for a break from screens and a way to channel creativity through hands-on projects. The makerspace, which is open throughout the school day, offers access to high-tech equipment such as 3D printers and a laser cutter as well as simple materials like duct tape,
Cece Dobbertin ʼ22 hadn’t talked with someone new in a long time when she met Susan, a teacher with Learning in Style, a school for adult immigrants and refugees living in the Twin Cities. “It was really wonderful to get to know someone outside of Blake and my immediate circle,” Dobbertin says about Susan, with whom she was paired as part of an art class project. Over the course of four sessions, she and Susan— along with other Blake/Learning in Style pairings—got to know each other by asking questions and sharing stories. The Blake students then drew and matted a portrait of their partner, which they presented to the portrait subjects at their final meeting. “Seeing the reactions of all the participants receiving their portrait was truly some thing I feel like I will remember forever,” Elle Sovell ʼ23 says. That emotional response is the point of Art as Gift, a project Bill Colburn ʼ88, with the help of Service Learning Director Lisa Sackreiter, presents to his students in Advanced Drawing: Human Condition. In the class, students make connections with members of nonprofit communities, and as the relationships develop so too do the portraits—gifts to all involved.
4 Cyrus IN BRIEF
ARTS HIGHLIGHT PORTRAIT OFHIGHLIGHTSPROJECTIMPORTANCEHUMANCONNECTION
Rush and her 56 scientists,passengers—madefellowupofcrewmembers and a few other writers—were the first humans ever to arrive at the glacier. During her fourday residency as part of the Philip Otis Environmental Authors Program, Rush described her 50-plus-day journey to Antarctica and talked about climate change, sea level rise, creative writing, interviewing, becoming a professional writer and power and privilege dynamics. Animated and engaging, Rush connected with students of all ages. “The thing I hope students take away,” she says of her Blake visit, “whether I’m talking about sea level rise’s impact on coastal communities in the United States or my COMMUNITY BACK TOGETHER, COMMUNITY CELEBRATES
Phenomenally complicated things can be accomplished when you set a bunch of people working on them.” It’s a message that resonated with students, according to Service Learning Director Lisa Sackreiter, who coordinated Rush’s visit and attended all of the author’s presentations and classroom visits while on campus. Of the enthusiastic first and second graders, who peppered Rush with questions (and their own knowledge of Antarctica), Sackreiter says, “I think [Rush’s visit] is going to be one of the things they will always remember when they think about this school year.”
In January 2019, author Elizabeth Rush set off from the southern tip of Chile aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer. Nearly a month later the icebreaker ship reached its destination: Thwaites Glacier, Antarctica.
Families, students, teachers and alumni celebrated the return of a fully in-person school year with a community open house. With many COVID restrictions lifted, visitors could finally take in the new spaces of the Blake campus in Hopkins including the Entry Hall, the updated MacMillan Performing Arts Center and the admissions offices. Spirits and energy ran high as friends old and new connected. work on Antarctica, is how much you can get done when you work with other people.
FACES ON CAMPUS VISITING AUTHOR INSPIRES HOPE THROUGH TEAMWORK IN FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE
IMMERSIVE ANDEXPERIENCEHEALTHCAREOPENSEYESMINDS
that
ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHT A CAPITOL TRIP # students:of 86 # of whoBlakeD.C.-areaalumnimetwithstudents: 9 # ofvisited:memorials 10 (plus thousands more at Arlington National Cemetery) Inches of rainfall during the trip: 2+ # of members of the metdelegationMinnesotawhowithstudents: 3 (both senators andDeanRepresentativePhillips’87) Average miles walked per day: 9 Hours of enjoyed:sunshine 4 on the very last day! # of historic Supreme CourtwhileconfirmationsontheHill: 1 (Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson) # of chaperones:Blake 12 every student expressed gratitude for this week of learning and mind-blowingeye-opening,experiences.” COMMUNITY ELC COMMENCESCONSTRUCTIONCOLORFULLY Sporting hardhats and clutching colorful ribbons, Blake’s class of 2035 led a procession to the site of the future Early Learning Center (ELC) for a groundbreaking celebration. In fall 2023, these ourandunificationtheribbonsNowfacultytheLateronandtiedconstructioninauguraltheycampus,firsttwopre-kindergartnerscurrentfromcampuseswillbecomegradeclassmatesononeandinspring2024willbecometheELC’sgraduates.Atthesite,eachstudentaribbonwithmessagesimagestheyhadwrittenittothesurroundingfence.thatweek,onLegacyDay,restofBlake’sstudents,andstaffdidthesame.nearly2,000colorfulflyoutsidethesiteoffutureELC,representingtheoftheLowerSchoolthetiesthatbringtogetherBlakecommunity.
Spring/Summer 2022 5 IN BRIEF
A spring break trip to a remote village in the Appalachians gave a group of Upper School students an immersive experience in healthcare and cross-cultural understanding. As part of a hands-on exper iential learning program, Blake students interested in pursuing health-related careers visited Williamson, West Virginia, to work with local healthcare professionals to provide adult, adolescent and pediatric aid. Their patients were primarily uninsured or covered by government programs. In addition to being trained to take blood pressure, BMI and blood glucose levels, the students learned about prevention and wellness initiatives at the Williamson clinic, as well as the challenges the community faces. Students split their time conducting home visits and working in the clinic’s various units including primary care, dentistry, podiatry, pediatrics and chemical dependency treatment. “Even though we tend to hear all of the awful statistics related to addiction and poor health, it was inspiring to see the important work being undertaken by this small group of committed professionals,” says Dion Crushshon ’88, Blake’s global programs director and the trip leader. “Each and
A four-day trip to Washington, D.C. gave eighth graders the opportunity to deeply consider the founding ideas shape our national identity, our responsibilities as U.S. citizens, what today’s democracy looks like and how we interpret history.
COMMITMENT TO PLURALISM
COVER
Written by Kristyn Bridges ʼ08 Illustrated by Owen Davey—Folio Art
MOMENTMEETSCOMEDYTHE STORY BILLY ROSENBERG ’96
Billy Rosenberg ʼ96 had over a decade of experience in film and television before becoming vice president and head of comedy originals at Hulu in 2017. Through an era of tumultuous politics, heated social issues and a worldwide pandemic, he has worked to cultivate a platform for diverse creators and stories, positioning Hulu for major growth.
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8 Cyrus I n January 2017, streaming services were multiplying and swiftly changing the way Americans watch television and movies. With such a wide variety, competition was tight, and Hulu began looking for ways to attract new subscribers. Enter Billy Rosenberg, who came in with a fresh take on what audiences were looking for and an under standing of the importance of increasing diversity in programming.Therolegave Rosenberg his first swing as a network programmer, a job that involves hearing story pitches, reading scripts and deciding which shows will get made and which talent will be backed and pro moted. He and his collaborators are tasked with creating 30-min ute original comedy series. From the start, Rosenberg made it his mission to bring new and traditionally underrepresented voices to the forefront—from writers to actors to producers and everyone in between.
Rosenberg points to the election of Donald Trump as an influential lens for decisions he made in his early days at Hulu and a driving force to bring a greater diversity of creators to the platform.“Assomebody who grew up pretty connected to my own identity as a Jewish American and just looking at the land scape of television, seeing what’s out there, I knew it was the right thing to do,” Rosenberg says. “There are a lot of people who don’t see themselves on television who are like, ‘I want to see me on screen.’ So I think this was both a business deci sion and also content I wanted to put out in the world.”
Rosenberg is grounded, open to learning and self-aware— qualities that help him work with creators to bring their unique experiences to the screen, while also navigating an evolving social landscape. “If there are things I don’t know about because I’m a straight white male from Minne sota, I check my knowledge at the door,” Rosenberg says. “I’m like, ‘Look, this is your expertise, you lived a different experience than I have, and you know what you’re talking about.’” With ever-changing national and world events, it can be difficult to stay true and relevant. This proved to be the case with a show called Woke. The series centers on up-and-coming Black cartoonist Keef Knight, who avoids taking controversial stances in his work until a traumatic expe rience with a police officer causes him to confront issues he would typically eschew. The first season had already been written, created and produced when George Floyd was murdered, prompting a global reckoning with racial injustice. “The conversation com pletely changed. The culture changed. And diversity, equity and inclusion became a larger part of [the discussion],” Rosenberg says. “At Hulu, we had always talked about diver sity, but it quickly also became a part of corporate education. I think this show reflected the time from before and not the time after.” Despite the cultural shift, Hulu released Woke six months later. Rosenberg says he and the show’s creators had a long conversation about how to address the chasm that current events had “Whenpresented.youmake some thing, you make it based on the time period you’re living in,” Rosenberg says, “and it takes so long to make a TV show by the time it comes out things change. That was an interesting lesson. When [the creators] approached season two, they were like, ‘OK now we can really get into more subtle conversations about race.’ I’m excited about season two because they go after it in a really interesting way.” Rosenberg feels lucky to have a supportive and collabora tive team that trusts each other and the creative process. Their goal is always to create content that stays true to current events, while giving their audience engaging stories and well-developed characters. It’s something that, in Rosenberg’s eyes, sets Hulu apart. “There’s a lot of competi tion among streaming services. Hulu benefits from providing television shows from ABC, FX and the Freeform network.
A DIFFERENT WORLD
When millions of people stayed home in the early days of the Billy Rosenberg ’96
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The Lonely Island, the comedy trio of Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone, who made their mark creating SNL Digital Shorts, some of the first comedy sketches to go viral, hired Rosenberg as head of development and production for their show Party Over Here. Working closely with the come dians, Rosenberg produced a number of pilot presentations for the Lonely Island’s contract with Fox and also produced the feature film Brigsby Bear with SNL’s Kyle WhenMooney.Hululooked to expand its lineup of original scripted comedies, Rosenberg was ready to answer the call.
MADE FOR TV Growing up, Rosenberg loved sitcoms so much that he describes his younger self as a walking TV guide. “I loved comedy. I grew up watching SNL. Growing up in the ʼ80s, I would watch the entire Thursday night NBC lineup. When it comes to ʼ80s sitcoms, I know every show.” Throughout his life, Rosen berg has nurtured that interest. During his time at Blake, he would seek out film or televi sion-related opportunities. In a senior year independent study, he interned on a documentary about Minnesota musicians created by music producer Steven Greenberg. “That was kind of my first foray into working on a movie,” Rosenberg says. “I think Blake really encourages students to find their voice. That sort of education is great because when it came to college, I was already figuring out what I wanted to do in life. Blake set me off on that trajectory.”
Rosenberg continued his studies at the University of Southern California, interning at production companies and graduating with a degree in film studies from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. “I didn’t really know what I was going to do or what I wanted to be in the enter tainment business, but I knew I really wanted to be in it.” Following graduation, Rosenberg joined Walt Disneybased production company Karz Entertainment as a devel opment assistant then served as story editor for Barry Mendel Productions, working on movie projects like Joss Whedon’s Serenity and Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic. Rosenberg’s first execu tive-level opportunity came in 2004 when he joined film producer Lynda Obst’s team at Paramount Studios as director of development. He went on to develop and produce a number of movies with Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment, including The Spectacular Now, Date Night, The Watch, Table 19, starring Anna Kendrick, and Fist Fight, starring Ice Cube and CharlieHisDay.next role allowed Rosenberg to return to his early passion: television comedy.
So with the Hulu originals, we don’t have to be everything for everyone; we can be for a specific audience,” he says. “We try to make our shows buzzworthy and addictive and find shows that are commercial but have relevance. We also try to pick shows that feel familiar in a lot of ways but have some element that feels either special or different or unique.”
“I DIDN’T REALLY KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO OR WHAT I WANTED TO BE IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS, BUT I KNEW I REALLY WANTED TO BE IN IT.”
PRIME TIME OPPORTUNITIES
“From an executive growth perspective,” Rosenberg says, “there are people on my team who are very young or emerging in this business who now have access to meetings they never would have been part of because maybe the doors were shut to them. I think [business tech nology] is great in the way it democratizes things and makes the hierarchy a bit finer.”
10 Cyrus pandemic, streaming services saw a surge in demand. The pandemic also presented new avenues for connection, further changing how we work and socialize. For Hulu, social media and digital meeting platforms have brought new possibilities, from discovering and collab orating with creators around the world to allowing more people to be in the room when important decisions are made.
With more tools for communication being utilized in the workplace, the pool of creators Hulu collaborates with has deepened. When it comes to the selection process, Rosenberg makes sure his team is working with people who are creatively aligned and ready to execute their vision. “When we start a project or meet with a creator, it’s partially my job to do some sort of crea tive background check: What is their voice? Are they ready for this moment? Can they deliver on this script?” he says. “Part of the script development process is working with this person and seeing how in sync and aligned we are. You always want to be a positive collaborator to the creative partner, and you want “PART OF THE SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS IS WORKING WITH [A CREATOR] AND SEEING HOW IN SYNC AND ALIGNED WE ARE. YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A POSITIVE COLLABORATOR TO THE CREATIVE PARTNER, AND YOU WANT THEIR EXPERIENCE TO BE A POSITIVE ONE. YOU ALSO WANT TO GET THE BEST QUALITY OUT OF THE SHOW.”
STAY TUNED As a producer and top executive for one of the most popular streaming services, Rosenberg has carved a space for himself and others. When it comes to inclusion and collaboration, he does not take his stature or role lightly. Through his work and advocacy, he champions creatives who deserve to be seen, heard, recognized and representedRosenberauthentically.glooksforward to continuing to mold Hulu’s future and hopes to have a long list of shows under his belt. “I see Hulu as the home of some of the top creative talent in the business. Whether they’re newer faces or established names, I think we’ll continue to push the envelope in comedy and hopefully have some of the best shows out there.” One of those shows is Only Murders in the Building, a comedic mystery series starring Martin Short, Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. Rosenberg believes the show’s appeal is in its lack of heavy-handed messaging and because of its thoughtful, smart characters. “And at the same time, it entertains. I think that’s what people need right now, kind of an escape from everything that’s going on in their lives.”
In addition to the return of Only Murders in the Building, Hulu’s 2022 lineup includes the reboot of CBS’s How I Met Your Mother, which aired for nine seasons beginning in 2005. How I Met Your Father, starring Hilary Duff, is Hulu’s first multi camera sitcom (filmed before a live audience). Production begins this spring on a sequel to the 1981 film History of the World, Part I Like the original, this limited series—History of the World, Part II—parodies significant events in world history. It also gives Rosenberg the chance to work with one of his comedy idols, Mel Brooks, who wrote, directed and starred in the movie and returns, at age 95, as a writer and producer on the sequel. “We’re really excited to have this opportu nity,” says RosenberRosenberg.gisatestament to passion leading to reward. He encourages those who want to achieve their dreams to study their interests from all angles and stay connected with people who have similar goals. “Having a spark or an interest and being excited about something is the driver for any career,” he says. “I think pursuing and being knowledge able about that thing and having an opinion about it is important. Having that creative impulse and being excited is the fuel that keeps you going when times are hard or when you hitWitroadblocks.”hRosenberg’s enthu siasm, dedication to his craft and ability to shape shift with a level head and cool demeanor, it is evident he will continue to make a positive impact in the entertainment industry. Already over a decade in, he shows no signs of slowing down or fading out any time soon. Kristyn Bridges ’08 is a writer and editor based in Cincinnati, Ohio. “I SEE HULU AS THE HOME OF SOME OF THE TOP CREATIVE TALENT IN THE BUSINESS. WHETHER THEY’RE NEWER FACES OR ESTABLISHED NAMES, I THINK WE’LL CONTINUE TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE IN COMEDY AND HOPEFULLY HAVE SOME OF THE BEST SHOWS OUT THERE.”
Spring/Summer 2022 11 their experience to be a positive one. You also want to get the best quality out of the show.” One of Rosenberg’s favorite projects is the series PEN15, created by and starring Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle. In the show, the adult Erskine and Konkle play themselves as seventh graders dealing with the awkwardness of interacting with their middle school classmates, played by actual teenagers. Rosenberg initially began as the show’s producer in his work with the Lonely Island but then sold it to Hulu, where he eventually oversaw its production, working closely with Erskine and Konkle. In 2021, PEN15 received an Emmy nomination for best comedy series and prior to that had won a Gotham award for best new series.“Ilove a lot of the shows I work on, but this was my baby. It was something I put a lot of personal time and a little capital into trying to get made. I really loved this show from day one,” Rosenberg says. “I couldn’t be more proud of it. It’s both super fun and heartfelt. Being nominated for an Emmy, that was a really special moment in my career.”
12 Cyrus I N PHOTOS ACTSCLASS
“Throughout the day we get to see the library transform from a gathering place, a classroom, a location for grade meetings and the spot where students come to focus during their free blocks. Students have access to office supplies, books, technology and more, with librarians ready to support their work. Puzzles and oversized coloring sheets provide a momentary break and a chance to connect with others. Our library is a place for people to find community, stories and information that help them thrive.” –Lizz Buchanan (at right) and Kali Olson (at left), Upper School librarians
Photos by Kylee Leonetti
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BLAKE TEACHERS PUT THOUGHT, CARE AND GENUINE HEART INTO THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THEY CREATE FOR THEIR STUDENTS. TAKE A LOOK INSIDE A FEW OF THESE SPACES, AND HEAR FROM THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM COME ALIVE.
“ThisCyrusisa time in students' lives when they are beginning to figure out who they are. This quote by Frederick Douglass hangs on my wall and embodies what I hope will be a lifelong practice for them: ‘I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false and to incur my own abhorrence.’ At this critical point in their identity journey, I encourage them to do what they know to be right, even when it's difficult. If more people in this world did what they knew to be right, we would be on a fast track to a more decent, equitable and just world.” —Jayce Alexander, Middle School social studies
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“My goal is for students to feel ownership of the space and be empowered to design, build and program their thoughts and ideas. Students can choose to work on the carpet or sit on floor cushions to work at low-level tables. Several large lab tables provide a third option for students to sit or stand and work. Building materials are kept in dozens of drawers for students to explore and select from independently. They keep works-in-progress on open shelves alongside sample projects (pictured), providing inspiration for classmates and other grades.” —Joe Druskin, Lower School engineering and programming
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“It'sCyrusimportant that my space is calm and bright to welcome new ninth graders to the Upper School. The sign ‘Work Hard and Be Kind’ is a simple reminder to be present each day. Learning and growth can only be achieved with effort. Working with teens and colleagues requires empathy and an understanding that we all are carrying more than we show.” —Jen Vance, grade nine dean
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“When you walk into my classroom, you might think, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of stuff in here.’ And it’s true, there is a lot of stuff. I believe that to entice a mind, the environment should be filled with luring possibilities. I see my classroom as a workshop. It’s filled with activity and choice. It’s also a place for students to express and share their life experiences and open their mind to social justice while being stretched into the beliefs, backgrounds and identity of others.” —Don Quinn, fourth grade teacher
CHIROPRACTOR ZEYNEP TUZCU ’10 MAKES ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TRADITIONAL PATIENT EXPERIENCE.
Question: Can you talk a bit about how you approach patient care? Answer: I had never had a doctor ask me “What do you think would help?” until I went to a naturopathic doctor who spent about two hours asking me questions about my life and the things I was putting into my body. At the end she asked, “What did you hear out of our exchange?” That was the first time I was really engaged in my own care. Having that experience made me want to create a safe space for patients where they feel a collaboration in their care and where they can advocate for themselves. A huge part of my job, probably my favorite part of my job, is patient thempatients’education—hearingstoriesandhelpingrethinkthingsabout chiropractic, health and well ness. As I’m talking people through things I often see this relief like, “It’s okay for me to feel this way. Whatever I’m feeling is valid.” Sometimes just giving things a name helps pain dissipate. Q: How do your patients respond? A: Because it’s unfamiliar, at first patients don’t know how to react, and then the dust settles and they usually say, “Wow, nobody’s ever been this thor ough in an exam. Thank you for listening to what I have to say.”
More often than not patients will tell me they feel safe and heard here, which makes me really emotional because it was my dream to create that space for people, particularly people of color, who have historically Tuzcu opened her Loring Park clinic, Evren Chiropractic, within months of graduating with her doctor of chiropractic degree last spring. Determined to create a space where all community members feel safe and patients play an active role in their own health, she holds fast to her commitment to provide accessible, equitable care for all.
18 Cyrus Q&A NO PAIN, ALL GAIN
A NAME HELPS PAIN DISSIPATE.”
Q: On your website you share that you were born in and adopted from Turkey and named your clinic Evren, which means “universe” in Turkish. In what ways do you think your identity shapes your practice? A: I’m very privileged to be from another country and to have traveled quite a bit. It has helped me see things from many different perspec tives and be able to appreciate little differences from person to person, whether they’re cultural or otherwise. When you go to see a provider, you can tell right away whether they’re engaged or just trying to get the chart done so they can get to the next patient. And so to me the biggest thing to strive for as a provider is to always be present with my patients, and I think that’s a huge part of my identity as a Turkish American. My dad, who is also Turkish, and I both wear our hearts on our sleeves. We tell you exactly how we’re feeling, and from one minute to the next we can be sobbing and laughing. We’re very passionate.
SOMETIMES JUST GIVING THINGS
Spring/Summer 2022 19 been mistreated within the medical field. I treat every single patient with the same level of care, and people know that when they walk in here.
Q: You’ve described Evren as a clinic that brings your passion for social justice and inclusive healthcare accessibility to life. Can you talk about how you’re doing this?
So that’s how I got here, with their unconditional endless support. And it’s why I have so much gratitude for every single patient who walks in the door. I don’t have a lot of friends who are happy where they work. I literally walk in here and all my worries just go out the door. Do you know Blake alumni who are doing interesting work? Let us know cyrus@blakeschool.org.at
A: I cannot give enough credit to my parents because they taught me everything. I get emotional talking about it. I literally could not have created one ounce of this without them. About a month before I graduated I called my mom and said, “I’m going to start my own business,” and she said, “Oh, cool.” I was like, “That’s it? You’re not going to object?” She asked, “Is that what you want? Cool, let’s do it.”
A: In chiropractic school they told us, “Don’t talk about reli gion, politics or money.” Those are the things to stay away from. And I’m like, “Absolutely not. We are absolutely talking about those things because those things impact my patients.” When people walk in here they know that I support Black Lives Matter and climate justice. They know that I was and am, as much as I can be, out on the streets fighting for any type of justice. And I just try to be authentic and vulnerable about that. I also never want people to say, “Oh, that’s too expensive, I can’t go there.” We will make it work. It’s literally that simple. I have a sliding scale option if that’s necessary because I deserve to be compensated for my time and my skill, and at the same time I never want cost to be a deterrent. Minneapolis is saturated with chiropractic clinics, but a lot of them are in Uptown, Edina, Bloomington. Evren is in a good location between Uptown and down town. It’s right by Minneapolis Community and Technical College, so students can come here. It’s near a public transit line, and it’s in a community that I really love. It’s in a much more diverse community financially and ethnically [than other clinics].
“AS I’M TALKING PEOPLE THROUGH THINGS I OFTEN SEE THIS RELIEF LIKE, ‘IT’S OKAY FOR ME TO FEEL THIS WAY.
Q: Your clinic is kind of a family affair with your parents working the reception desk, helping with interior design elements and offering guidance on the business aspects of Evren. Can you talk about this?
WHATEVER I’M FEELING IS VALID.’
Composer Brian Field’s sixth album offers a diverse range of vocal compositions for chorus, solo voices and orchestra. Learn more at www.brianfield.com.
SHALENE GUPTA ’06 AND SANDRA J. SUCHER The Power of Trust: How RegainBuildCompaniesIt,LoseIt,It (PublicAffairs) Trust is the most powerful force underlying the success of every business. Yet it can be shattered in an instant, with a devastating impact on a company’s market cap and reputation. How to build and sustain trust requires fresh insight into why customers, employees, community members and investors decide whether an organization can be trusted. Based on two decades of research and illustrated through vivid storytelling, Sandra J. Sucher and Shalene Gupta examine the economic impact of trust and the science behind it and conclusively prove that trust is built from the inside out. Tom Cagley ’52 Once Upon a (self-published)Dream
TheUnraveled:Lifeand Death of a Garment (Penguin Random House) Entrepreneur, researcher and advocate Maxine Bédat follows the life of an American icon—a pair of jeans—to reveal what really happens to give us our clothes. She writes about her visits to a cotton farm in Texas, dyeing and weaving factories in China, sewing floors in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Amazon warehouses in America and secondhand markets and landfills in Africa. A sprawling, deeply researched and provocative tour-de-force, Unraveled is not just the story of a pair of pants but also an examination of the global economy and our role in it.
IN PRINT&
Poppy Harlow ’01 The Biggest Little Boy: A Christmas Story (Penguin Random House) Luca loves big things, and what he wants most is the biggest Christmas tree of all. While searching for a special tree, he discovers what matters most is having a big heart.Alumni are encouraged to inform Blake of their publications, recordings, films, etc., and, when possible, to send copies of books and articles. Contact us at cyrus@blakeschool.org.
Fresh fromModernMidwest:RecipestheHeartland (Countryman Press) In this debut cookbook, recipe developer and Minnesota native Maren Ellingboe King combines the nostalgia of traditional Midwestern dishes and influences of her Scandinavian heritage with an emphasis on local, unprocessed ingredients. Ellingboe King celebrates the growing diversity of her home state with modern takes on traditional recipes by using fresh produce, more spice and more heat, all while retaining the simplicity and approachability of her family’s recipes. Readers will find Apple Gjetost Grilled Cheese, Lefse Pinwheels, Caraway Roast Chicken, Venison with Lingonberries and Juniper, Cardamom Stone Fruit Cobbler and, of course, several variations of hotdish.
Professional baseball team owner Adam Ehlert shares real-world business anecdotes from the hardknocks of minor league baseball.
PRODUCTION ANNE URSU ’91
Chan Poling ’75 of The Suburbs Poets (SuburbsPartyMusic) The Suburbs latest album contains 12 delightful new additions to the band’s 40-year-old canon, bringing them fully, and with consummate style, into the 21st century.
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Adam Ehlert ’91 Teambuilding: Easier in Business than in (self-published)Baseball!
MAXINE KAYE bÉDAT ’01
Susan Phelps Pearson ’55 Christmas on Homedale Road: A Memoir of the 1940s (Suzart) Sharing memories of family Christmases in the 1940s, artist and author Susan Phelps Pearson illustrates the past in drawings, paintings and stories.
According to the date on his gravestone Max had been in the earth for three years now, yet his legacy lived on above him.
MAREN ELLINGbOE KING ’06
The AcademyGirlsTroubledofDragomir (Walden Pond Press) If anyone notices Marya Lupu, it’s likely because of her brother, Luka. And that’s because of what everyone knows: that Luka is destined to become a sorcerer. The family has great hopes for Luka, but none for Marya, who never seems to do anything right. The day the sorcerers finally arrive to test Luka for magical ability Marya makes a terrible mistake. But the day after that, the Lupu family receives a letter from a place called Dragomir Academy—a mysterious school for wayward young girls. Girls like Marya.
Brian Field ’86 Vocal (NavonaWorksRecords)
Class notes and photos received after April 2022 will appear in the next issue of Cyrus. Notes are provided by alumni or their friends and family, and some have been edited for length and style.
53 Steve Olmsted writes, “We now have six greatgrandchildren. We have moved into a spacious apartment with a view of Lake Superior, and our house is on the market. We didn’t move far, just a half mile from the house we occupied for 41 years. I enjoyed being with my classmates on Zoom this past year.”
55 Susan PearsonPhelpswrites, “At 84, I am just getting started. Two years ago, I renewed work on my book Christmas on Homedale Road. My husband gave me an iPad Pro for my 82nd birthday. With an art app called ProCreate, I learned to draw on the computer. You can teach an old dog new tricks (it just takes a little longer). In November 2021, I finished over 70 drawings, endless rewriting and then published the book. I am still painting and assembling (suzart site.com). As the new year begins, a five-panel assemblage awaits the glue pot and paper memora bilia from 60 years of marriage.
Meanwhile, three [unpublished] children’s books (Borgy Orange and the Little Gray Bonk, Chips and Thud, Thud, Thud) are haunting the computer, vying for my attention. So much to do, so little time. (Also see In Print and Production) After 58 years in banking, Fred Winston celebrated his retirement last year from the Highland Bank board of directors. He began his career at North western National Bank in 1963 and in 1978 opened Ridgedale State Bank, which was purchased by Highland Bank in 2008.
59 Gail Pliam DavidTellis had an article published in the summer 2021 issue of the Dickensian. In Dead Girl Rising: Georgina Hogarth as the Girl at the Waterfall, Gail analyzes a painting by Daniel Maclise to support a theory that the artist created the image of a girl rising in the mists to illustrate Charles Dickens’s vision of a life beyond death.
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56 Ed Maeder and his wife are residents of Florida but spend summers in Minnesota. They have two daughters and five grandchil dren, who reside in the western suburbs of Minneapolis, and a son who lives in Washington, D.C. As an artist, Clara Ueland creates beautiful and colorful prints inspired by her trips to the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota, Lake Superior and Scotland. She prints using the intaglio technique, using a series of etched copper plates to produce the final image. Clara has a show at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum running May 27 to September 25, 2022. Impressions of Water features an overview of her prints from 1997 to the present.
63 Ken Willcox was grand marshal of Wayzata’s James J. Hill Days parade in September 2021.
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John Fosseen writes, retiring“Afterfrom Exxon Mobil in Houston at age 60, my wife and I traveled extensively over the next 15 years with emphasis on international travel. I was able to pursue my hobby of photography on these trips. During COVID, the only trips we took were to California. We just returned from visiting my daughter and her family in Northern California where we have two granddaughters.
REUNION 52 Tom Cagley (See In Print and Production)
CLASS NOTES
Kathy WattlesKnudson shares, “My home is Dancing Oaks Farm in Little Compton, Rhode Island. My life here involves running a horse farm/private boarding stable and managing three rental properties. My constant companions are four horses, three cats, two dogs and two parrots. I have several wonderful people to help out, along with friends and borders, so I am not ever alone. My passion is assisting special needs kids with my form of horse therapy and helping provide educational opportunities for kids with fami lies facing incarceration and substance abuse. The Star Kids Scholarship Program oper ates in Newport, Rhode Island, Fall River and New Bedford, Massachusetts. I am also active in the Little Compton Garden Club, particularly with conservation and education. Though my daughters, Kimberly and Kirsten, and grand children are not close in prox imity, we are close in connection. Thanks, Facetime.”
65 Charles Baxter was named the winner of the 2021 PEN/ Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story, which recognizes writers who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the short story form.
JANICE STEPHENS HAGEN ’51 ENJOYS TIME WITH DAUGHTER JENNY HAGEN MAINE ’81 IN NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND. IN HER bOOK CHRISTMAS ON HOMEDALE ROAD, SUSAN PHELPS PEARSON ’55 SHARES HER EXPERIENCES OF CHRISTMAS AS A YOUNG GIRL.
KATHY KNUDSON WATTLES ’60 WITH ONE OF HER SEVERAL CONSTANT COMPANIONS, FOLLY THE PARROT
69 Bruce Bolander writes, “I am sad to report the passing of my incredibly smart, strong and beautiful wife, Ianthy Prawl, whom many of you met at our 50th [class] reunion. She lost her struggle against a very aggressive endome trial cancer in August. I am doing alright but miss her deeply.”
78 Tori Lowe Gagne took second place in the 16th Julia Margaret Cameron Award for CLASS
22 Cyrus
68 Jane GordonGeltmanwrites, “My husband, Jon, and I are so pleased that our granddaughter Madeline [became] a Blake kindergartner in fall 2021. That makes three generations for our family!” She is the daughter of Katie Gordon Liegel ʼ97 and niece of T.J. Gordon ʼ94 and Liz Gordon ʼ00 Kathy Newman Price and her husband, Lee, are happily retired in Falls Church, Virginia. She reports, “We have a 1-year-old granddaughter in Austin, Texas, and so have been on RV trips to visit her and her parents and our other son in San Francisco, as well as brothers, friends and national parks. I have been working with a group of health care professionals to educate the public and legisla tors about the health impacts of climate change.”
Robert Owens shares that he and former Blake faculty members Ric Drill-Mellum ʼ75, Rod Anderson and Chuck Ritchie ʼ57 meet monthly at Perkins. He writes, “Rod and Chuck were fantastic hockey coaches who saw the rink as another classroom. They also were amazing teachers. I took two of Rod’s offerings (Politics and the 1920s) and one of Chuck’s (Communism). They were the highlights of my studies at Blake. I was one of the captains on the ’73 hockey team that won state, and I was fortunate to play on a line with the other captain, Ted Wingate. Our center iceman was a quiet and very talented sophomore: Ric Mellum.”
Cynthia Clifford Mason is proud to share that her husband, Willit Mason, has written the Guidebook to Historic Houses and Gardens in New England, a comprehensive book of 71 historic New England houses and gardens, organized by region.
70 Marcia McNutt writes, “I regret missing gathering with my class for our postponed 50-year reunion. My time has been consumed with guiding the National Academy of Sciences to the new way of business-at-adistance. I just agreed to run for another four-year term in office as president. The one bright light of the pandemic is being able to work remotely from our ranch in California. Life is good and safe in this remote part of the Coast Ranges. Blessed to have children and grandkids close by.”
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75 Chan Poling (See In Print and Production) Diane Eggers Yohn continues to serve as chief operating officer of NorthStar Resource Group and enjoys her two granddaughters and energetic granddog.
76 Laurel Kennedy received GranvilletheRotary Service Above Self Award, one of the Ohio community’s highest honors. She was nominated and honored for her 30-plus years of service in Licking County and at Denison University, from which she retired in 2020 as vice presi dent for student development. Tamsie Rouner retired from Hennepin Healthcare after 30 years as a staff nurse. She writes, “For much of my career I was a senior staff nurse, a board certified psychiatric nurse and member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association. The last few years I moved from unit nurse to clinical care coordinator for psychiatric inpatients. At my farewell party I jokingly told the assembled coworkers I was making the tran sition from Hennepin Senior Staff Nurse to Senior Citizen Hennepin Nurse Alumna. I am navigating life as a new retiree, seeing what opportunities may present them selves and enjoying newfound freedom from work schedules. For the near future I am occupied with home improvement projects at my Minnetonka house and looking forward to reconnecting with my NCS/Blake classmates.”
NOTES
I think at one point, I had longer hair than at any other time during my life. A definite part of the minority, I enjoyed the pandemic because it meant I could stop traveling for work—after 30 years, I am over it. For the past 11 years, I have been building solar power plants and recently just took a job with McCarthy Builders. Cathy and I are looking forward to a little normalcy and some live music. Best wishes to the rest of the class!”
TED MEADS ’63 WELCOMED HIS FELLOW bLAKE CLASSMATES TO HIS HOME IN HUDSON, WISCONSIN, LAST SUMMER. PICTURED (L TO R) TOM SKRAMSTAD, PETER ALbRECHT, bRUCE bEAN, JIM FLINSCH, STEVE bOWEN, JACK PICKLER, STEVE CLARKE, DAVID NASH, TED MEADS AND WINT RITCHIE.
79 Nancy Owens Fraser, advocacy group director at Dorsey and Whitney, was named one of Minnesota Lawyer’s 2021 Unsung Legal Heroes for her work— which includes leading Dorsey’s COVID-19 task force—maintaining day-to-day operations of one of Minnesota’s largest law firms.
Andrea Wallack joined the board of Telemetrix, a virtual health care enabler that provides remote patient monitoring. As presi dent of Haystack ID, she leads teams advising clients on global discovery, data privacy and compli ance matters using advanced technologies.
83 Amanda McGovern, a partner in the law firm Rivero Mestre, was named to the 2021 Lawdragon Global Litigation 500 guide, whose members are selected from inde pendent research, nominations and input from editorial advisors. After a 27-year pause, Bill Charette has resumed downhill skiing and is jumping in head first. Three weeks after his first session back on skis, he participated in an on-hill ski skill evaluation for the Wild Moun tain (Taylors Falls, Minnesota) Ski Patrol. He writes, “I’m hopeful, but if they say I’m not ready yet, I’ll try again next year.”
Family Additions
86 Brian Field (See In Print and Production) Adam Frisch, a former Aspen City Council member, announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District.
Deacon Warner, a documentary filmmaker and youth media instructor, was named a 2021 Jerome Foundation grantee based on the recommendation of the Minnesota Film, Video and Digital Grant Program Review Panel. The grant will support the produc tion of Rethinking Security, his documentary about a community creating a nonviolent model for public safety.
CLASS
Marcus Peacock retired as chief operating officer of Business Roundtable. His current plans are to hit the Minnesota State Fair in late August.
Women Photographers (Culture and Daily Life category) for her series about the Great American Horse Drive. She also received three honorable mentions in the international competition: one for a nature series on wild horses, a second for a series on moods of land and sea and a third for portraits of people who work with horses.
89 Don De Laria and his wife, Missy, have settled in Buffalo, New York. Their daughter Kendall is in New York with KPMG, son NOTES
Andy Rich ’99 a daughter, Genevieve Doris July 15, 2021 Divya Chari ’06 a daughter, Ami November 21, 2021 Marriages Libby King MacFarlane ’04 and Kristy Lewis November 21, 2021 Olivia Rotenberg ’10 and Dan Maddox June 19, 2021 MARCIA MCNUTT ’70 AND HER HUSbAND, IAN, SIT POOLSIDE WITH SEVEN OF THEIR EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN; THE EIGHTH WAS bORN JUST AFTER THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN.
84 Dale Curtiss writes, “What a year it was. A pandemic, a consti tutional crisis, social upheaval, dogs and cats living together! Let us hope we don’t see that again!
Amy Anderson is working remotely for Bounteous as vice president of analytics and insights. Cathy Countryman Maes was named in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 24th annual Women in Business awards. The executive director of Loaves and Fishes, a Minneapolis-based free meal program, was recognized for leading the nonprofit through the pandemic and in the face of unprecedented demand.
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Jon Traub, his wife and son (age 11) moved to Park City, Utah, just before the pandemic. He writes, “Loving life in the Inter mountain West. I still work out of D.C. analyzing the politics of tax law changes, but now that everything is virtual …”
90 Danielle Fagre Arlowe, senior vice president of American Financial Services Association, was named a 2021 Women in Auto Finance by Automotive News. Dziwe Ntaba, a global health and emergency physician, was named a recipient of the 2021 Bush Fellowship. In its announcement, the Bush Foundation said this year’s 24 fellows are “addressing a wide variety of issues in communities around the region, and every one of them is seeking to be a greater force for equity and justice.” Dziwe’s experiences opening a clinic in Burundi and leading teams of Ebola emergency responders in Liberia inform his current interests at the University of Minnesota Medical School, where he works to better under stand how historical mistreatment, trauma and patient experience can lead to poor health outcomes. Early in 2020, he deployed as a World Health Organization consultant on COVID-19 preparedness and response in the Western Pacific region. After returning to Minne apolis, he helped lead support of M Health Fairview’s Cedar Riverside COVID Response Group by providing pandemic biosafety training for public housing and assisted living facilities. Last April, he initiated a collaboration with Dunwoody College of Technology to fabricate 9,000 laser-cut facemasks for distribution among low-income communities. Dziwe plans to use his Bush fellowship to build networks for equitable health care solutions centered on dignity and respect.
Amy Schachtman Zaroff, founder and creative director of Amy Zaroff Events + Design, is a recipient of the inaugural Bruce A. Vassar Icon Award presented by the Wedding Guys. The annual award honors event industry professionals who exemplify what it means to be an innovator and leader in the local community and showcases a dedi cation to philanthropic efforts.
91 Adam Ehlert launched a business aimed at enhancing employee retention. In-Tune Teambuilding conducts daily workshops that teach teams to play music together. That shared experience fosters communication, builds empathy and engages employees with a new, memorable and fun experience. He is testing the concept at two Twin Cities facilities, in Eden Prairie and St. Paul. (Also see In Print and Production) The Minneapolis City Council approved the appointment of Saray Garnett-Hochuli to director of the Regulatory Services Depart ment, to which she was first named interim director and previously deputy director. Anne Ursu (See In Print and Production) REUNION 92 Rita Garnett Khan is the Mayo Clinic’s first chief digital officer, a role she began in January 2020 when she was tapped to lead the organization’s new Center for Digital Health.
24 Cyrus Stockton is in Atlanta with Bain and Company, and daughter Larkin is in Boston with Tufts Medical. Don, a partner at Larkin Express Logistics, mentors early stage companies through the nonprofit venture development organization Launch NY and independently via his consulting company. Don writes, “If your travels take you to Niagara Falls, we’re on the water just six miles upstream on Grand Island— love to visit with Blake alumni!”
Joshua A. Bell. His parents, Ed Bell and Carolyn Light Bell ’60 (former faculty, 1981-91), sister, Stephanie Bell ’86, and brother, Randy Bell ’90, and their families welcomed many Blake graduates who gathered to speak about Joshua’s remarkable life and courage. Andrew Borene has returned to public service with the Office of the Director of National Intelli gence as the civil liberties, privacy and transparency officer for the National Counterintelligence and Security Center in Washington, D.C. Andrew credits his Blake Upper School education and experiences for opening doors he never could have imagined. He sends deep gratitude to former admissions director Chuck Ritchie ʼ57 and many other Blake faculty, staff and classmates.
Jen Seel Carlson, a third grade teacher at Clover Ridge Elementary School in Chaska, Minnesota, was one of five finalists for the district’s 2021 Excellence in Education Award (formerly Teacher of the Year).
94 A berwascommemorationheldonSeptem12tohonor
CLASS NOTES NORTHROP CLASS OF 1971 ALUMNAE GATHERED IN MINNEAPOLIS LAST SUMMER TO CELEbRATE THEIR 50TH REUNION. PICTURED (FRONT ROW, L TO R) bAMbI STRONG HEDbERG, MARTHA bEERY MILbERY, SUSAN RITZ, LISA MORK, (MIDDLE ROW, L TO R) CATHY bAKER PRATT, GEORGIA MURPHY JOHNSON, MARY OWENS NEAL, bETH LINDAHL-URbEN, MARY TIETZ WHEELER, (bACK ROW, L TO R) MARCIA MCCARY MAYO, NANCY HUNT bULEY, WENDY WINER, CANDACE DOW, MARGARET bECKLEY HERRMANN, ANN SCHIRMER LEE AND GINGER OWENS MULCRONE. CLASS OF 1979 ALUMNI DAVE CRAWFORD, CHRISTIAN LINDGREN, JERRY bREN AND DEREK MALMQUIST PARTICIPATED IN THE bLAKE ALUMNI HOCKEY GAME IN DECEMbER. TEAM bLUE WON IN A THRILLER.
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95 Alene SussmanGrossman is execu tive director of the Minnesota Jewish Community Foundation, which helps individ uals and families give to charity through a Jewish lens, helps organizations grow their endow ments and helps professional advisors support their clients’ philanthropic goals.
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03 Kitty Hurley is senior GIS developer and team lead at Minnesota IT Services partnering with the Department of Natural Resources. The Minnesota GIS/LIS Consortium awarded her a 2021 Polaris Leadership Award, which recognizes GIS professionals who demonstrate inspiring energy and creativity. Criteria include significant contributions bene fiting Minnesota and its citizens and leadership beyond one’s typical job environment. Robbie Massie coached this year’s Blake girls’ alpine ski team, which took third place in the state tournament.
Kathryn Moos, co-founder of the plant-based beverage company Owyn, has joined Executive Springboard, a network of mentors who help the next generation of executives develop skills and rela tionships. She is the group’s first millennial to serve as a mentor.
04 Violinist Rolf Haas wrote and performed in a classical recital set to film. House of Mysterious Secrets features the music of Bach and Henryk Gorecki. Set in a haunted house of memories, premonitions and visions, the show explores the moments when we choose to let memories comfort us into routine and withdrawal or let them spur us toward action and growth. Libby King MacFarlane and Kristy Lewis were married in Scotland in November 2020. The trip was inspired by their shared Scottish heritage, including Libby’s dad, Anson MacFarlane ʼ57. They hosted a “Wee Wedding” with a small group of family and friends on the Isle of Skye, and a rainbow appeared during the ceremony. Libby shares that classmate Katharine Woodman-Maynard designed a gorgeous map and itinerary that the couple printed for guests. Alison Spencer and her brother, Teddy, set out to find the best burger in Wayzata. Over four months, the two visited nine of the city’s restaurants to make their determination. Alison wrote about their experience in a special to the Star Tribune Taste section.
Erica Dolland is a video and podcast host for Black Mental Health Matters, an international mental health advocacy organiza tion. The nonprofit works to dispel myths, eradicate stigma, provide a network of mental health professionals, encourage open dialogue around mental health among Black communities, and offer a healing environment for people suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, PTSS or trauma.
CLASS NOTES ADAM EHLERT’S ’91 NEW bUSINESS, IN-TUNE TEAMbUILDING, OFFERS DAILY WORKSHOPS THAT TEACH TEAMS TO PLAY MUSIC TOGETHER. ANDREW bORENE ’94 OF MCLEAN, VIRGINIA, AND ALEX bERNSTEIN ’93 OF HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, REUNITED IN bOSTON TO PLAY IN AN ANNUAL HOCKEY TOURNAMENT. bOTH SAY, “GO bEARS!” GENEVIEVE, DAPHNE AND DARCIE ARE THE DAUGHTERS OF ANDY RICH ’99. NNAMDI OKORONKWO ’83, JIM bEATTIE ’83, bRAD KLEIN ’82 AND JEFF GOLDENbERG ’83, WHO PLAYED TOGETHER ON THE 1980-81 bLAKE bOYS’ JV bASKETbALL TEAM, TOOK IN A TIMbERWOLVES GAME TOGETHER IN DECEMbER.
06 Divya Chari began a new position as a neurotologist (ENT surgeon) at the University of Massachusetts. She and her
02 Matt Martin is cofounder and CEO of Clockwise, a time management and smart calendar tool that uses artificial intelligence to make scheduling smarter. The company recently raised $45 million in Series C funding that Clockwise will use to advance its AI technology and bring its platform to more teams around the world.
Tara Ward was recognized in the 2021 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of government contracts.
99 Andy Rich Rich“Genevievewrites,Dorisjoinedbig sisters Daphne and Darcie on July 15, 2021. Sophie and I are thrilled. Six months in, her big sisters still are just as excited about their baby as when she came home.”
01 Maxine Kaye Bédat (See In Print and Production) Poppy Harlow (See In Print and Production) Al Yablonski is CEO and co-founder of Anchor Ingredients, a supplier of premium ingredients for the food and pet food industries. In July, Anchor and its partner Barrett Petfood Innovations broke ground on a new state-of-the-art freezedrying manufacturing facility in Little Falls, Minnesota.
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Jo Rochelle Seymour Roark has joined the writing staff of the television show Good Trouble, which airs on Freeform. She is currently writing on season four while submitting her feature film, Jasmine Is A Star, to film festivals.
REUNION 17 Nellie Ide, a student at Harvard University, had her paper Critical Breaths in Transit: A Review of Non-invasive Ventilation (NIV) for Neonatal and Pediatric Patients During Transportation published by Frontiers in Pediatrics. NOTES
LIbbY KING MACFARLANE ’04 AND KRISTY LEWIS WERE MARRIED IN SCOTLAND IN NOVEMbER 2020. IN OCTObER, THE MINNESOTA GIS/LIS CONSORTIUM AWARDED KITTY HURLEY ’03 WITH A 2021 POLARIS LEADERSHIP AWARD.
RObbIE MASSIE ’03 (AT FAR LEFT) COACHED THIS YEAR’S bLAKE GIRLS’ ALPINE SKI TEAM, WHICH TOOK THIRD PLACE IN THE STATE TOURNAMENT IN FEbRUARY.
Asma Mohammed helped get legislation passed that elimi nates Minnesota’s time limit on reporting sexual assault. She and fellow sexual violence survivor Sarah Super, founder of Break the Silence, spent four years as volunteer lobbyists to get state law changed.
Abby Rickeman, a third-year law student at Georgetown Univer sity, has been working on realworld cases for the Georgetown Civil Rights Clinic. In one case, she represented a father whose daughter, a news reporter, was killed on camera in 2015. For years, he has urged Facebook executives to remove footage of the murder from their platform. The legal team is now taking a civil rights approach.
CLASS
Lukey Agnes, who pursued their MFA at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, where they are now an assistant professor of drawing, creates paintings that push back against the historically exploitative images of trans people and provide greater representation in the genre.
Lukey Agnes Walden is a painter whose portraits center on trans subjects. They were named one of Saatchi Art’s 2021 Rising Stars, a list of promising up-and-coming artists from around the world who art collectors should know.
Kai Skallerud, who plans to grad uate with a MBA from Washington University’s Olin Business School in 2022 and from the doctor of medicine program at Rush Medical College in 2023, is on a mission to leverage his clinical training and business acumen to make a positive impact on the health care industry. After success in numerous national pitch compe titions, he has launched Speak Information Technologies, which aims to reduce physician burnout by increasing the efficiency of administrative tasks in the elec tronic medical record. Contact him via LinkedIn to learn more or get involved.
13 Dani Cameranesi and her women’sU.S.A.hockey teammates took silver in the final game of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The game was a rematch of the 2018 final Olympic game in which Dani and team U.S. beat Canada to win gold.
26 Cyrus husband, Santosh, welcomed a baby girl named Ami in November 2020. Maren Ellingboe King (See In Print and Production) Shalene Gupta and co-author Sandra J. Sucher made the shortlist for the 2021 Breakthrough Idea Award—given for a radical idea that has the potential to forever change the way we think about business—for their book The Power of Trust: How Companies Earn It, Lose It, Regain It. (Also see In Print & Production)
08 Julia LeibowitzHawkins co-founderisand CEO of Cabinet, a startup that designs software for executive assistants.
Amelia Williams has joined Pivotal Ventures, an invest ment and incubation company in Seattle founded by Melinda French Gates, as communicationsexecutiveandmedia lead.
14 In April 2021, Quinn Coyle left his robotics engineering job and set out with two college friends to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, a single national scenic route that spans 2,650 miles across the U.S. from Mexico to Canada. The three started at the CascadestheSeptemberfields—andmountains,Oregonborder—hikingU.S./MexicoacrossCalifornia,andWashingtonthroughdeserts,forestsandcompletedthetripinwhentheyarrivedatborderofCanadaintheNorthofWashington.
10 Kimi Goldstein is in her second and final year at Harvard Business School. She writes, “There are at least two other alums on campus this year. Carolyn Patterson ʼ14 and Natalie Gould both just started their first year!”
“Judy” Winton Dayton ʼ45 former parent former grandparent August 13, 2021 Amos
Edwin
Julia Deinard
Jr. ʼ53 March 9, 2022 Brent De Kok former Octobercoach13,2021 Sarah Dillon ʼ06 October 15, 2021 Peter Dorsey ʼ40 September 12, 2021 William Dunlap current Januaryparent8,2022 Daniel Feidt ʼ67 March 24, 2022 Charles Fowler ʼ63 November 30, 2020 Charles Gesme ʼ51 former parent June 11, 2021 Michael Goldner ʼ61 former Junecurrentparentgrandparentformertrustee19,2021 Richard Green ʼ67 May 15, 2021 Duncan Hannah ʼ71 June 11, 2022 Peter Heegaard ʼ54 former parent former grandparent former Januarytrustee15,2022 Deshaun Hill former LearningWorks Februarystudent10,2022 Robert Hill ʼ41 September 4, 2021 John Hommeyer“Andy”ʼ55 former parent March 1, 2021 William Horn ʼ48 former parent former grandparent March 27, 2022 Carolyn Drake Horton ʼ55 June 8, 2021 James Howard ʼ47 former grandparent March 29, 2022 Richard Hyde ʼ55 October 31, 2021 George Kelby ʼ53 April 12, 2022 David Losby ʼ52 August 11, 2021 WhitneyMacMillan Jr. ʼ71 March 13, 2022 Sally Overholt Mason ʼ51 former Decemberparent5,2021 Michael McCarthy ʼ59 April 15, 2022 Joyce McFarlandHowardʼ51 former parent former grandparent May 13, 2022 Florence McMillanDalrympleʼ57 former grandparent August 3, 2021 Walter Meissner former staff July 23, 2021 Carolyn Leavenworth Meyers ʼ78 July 19, 2021 Gloria Misfeldt former Septemberstaff15, 2021 Jacqueline “Jill” Mithun ʼ59 April 13, 2021 Mary Alice McGough Mork ʼ59 former Januaryparent13,2022 John Moses ʼ69 November 20, 2021 Julie Vereen Narrow ʼ60 April 1, 2022 Mary Noll ʼ60 former parent June 26, 2021 Shubel Owen ʼ49 January 14, 2022 Carla PaxtonKopietzʼ54 October 20, 2021 Harriet “Ann” Baskerville Peterson ʼ59 October 11, 2021 Richard Pogue ʼ47 June 22, 2020 Walter Pratt ʼ45 former parent July 14, 2021 Pamela Ree ’80 March 13, 2022 Jeffrey Reichel ʼ66 July 15, 2021 Richard Schmoker former parent former grandparent former trustee April 3, 2022 Kate SchumannPenneyʼ56 September 30, 2020 Susan SellwoodTenneyʼ77 former parent April 25, 2022 Roland Stanchfield ʼ59 December 1, 2021 Jack Sukov ʼ67 July 6, 2021 Mary TaylorMacPhailʼ51 former parent former grandparent former trustee former Octoberfaculty30,2021 Norma Thomson former parent former Novemberfaculty27,2021 Virginia Fisher Van Dusen ʼ42 former parent May 13, 2021 VanCourtenayFossen ʼ51 January 5, 2021 Jean Dain Waters ʼ39 June 11, 2021 Paul Webster ʼ48 former parent June 2, 2021 Kathryn Weiner current Februaryparent21,2022 Donald Winston II ʼ49 March 2, 2022 Please inform the Institutional Advance ment Office of Blake community member deaths by calling (952) 988-3440 or by sending an email cyrus@blakeschool.org.to
Harriett
“Ned” Crosby ʼ54 May 29, 2022 John Crosby ʼ53 former Januarycurrentparentgrandparentformerfaculty28,2022
Spring/Summer 2022 27 CLASS NOTES OLIVIA ROTENbERG ’10 MARRIED DAN MADDOX ON JUNE 21 IN MAINE WITH MANY bLAKE FRIENDS IN ATTENDANCE. PICTURED (FRONT ROW, L TO R) DAN, OLIVIA, MAID OF HONOR ELIZAbETH GORENCE ’10, HAYDEN bRObERG ’10, bRIDESMAID CARLY REICHO ’10, (bACK ROW, L TO R) LAURA KOMAREK ’07, SALLY KOMAREK ’09, WINNIE VAUGHAN ’10, ERIN CURRAN ’10, TESS PERESE ’10, SARAH MARTINSON ’10, TALIA WILLIAMSON ’10, SOPHIE FRITZ LARGEN ’10 AND NINA KELLY LIPSEY ’10. JO ROCHELLE ’09 IS A WRITER FOR THE TELEVISION SHOW GOOD TROUbLE In Memoriam Ann Adams former faculty March 26, 2022 David Adams ʼ51 former Februaryparent17,2022 Michael Andreas ʼ66 July 2, 2021 DeWalt “Pete” Ankeny ʼ50 former parent former grandparent former Januarytrustee19,2022 Margaret “Margie” Dayton Ankeny ʼ51 former parent former grandparent former Januarytrustee19,2022 Walter Barry ʼ51 former parent former grandparent former Septembertrustee16,2021 James Bean ʼ70 April 23, 2022 Beatrice Crosby Booth ʼ56 June 8, 2021 John Brooks ʼ63 former Januaryparent8,2022 James Burnett ʼ54 September 7, 2021 David Bush ʼ66 July 1, 2021 Thomas Caswell ʼ56 August 20, 2021 Ann Cavin ʼ67 December 31, 2020 Helen “Pat” Clarke former parent former trustee June 10, 2021 Charles “Chuck” Cornell ʼ60 January 20, 2022
Dayton ʼ50 former Decemberparent20,2021
28 Cyrus SUBMIT YOUR CLASS NOTES AND PHOTOS TO CLASSNOTES@BLAKESCHOOL.ORG. CLASS NOTES Katerina Papanikolopoulos is the founder of Athens Design Forum (ADF), a nonprofit working to re-establish the Mediterranean capital as an epicenter of creative production by examining its design heritage and future. ADF’s inau gural series in fall 2021 brought visitors from over 57 countries to seven different areas of the city and its suburbs, including abandoned furniture factories, culturally significant homes and studios, and private architectural storage areas of museums. Salvatore Peluso of Domus Magazine calls ADF “a new way of looking at the Greek capital.”
18 Derek Hitchner, a member of the men’s golf team at Pepperdine University, won the Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Championship. At the tournament—one of the largest golfing events in the state with nearly 900 participants each year—he broke a pair of records by shooting 15-under par 201 at Rush Creek Golf Club. His victory followed an earlier win at the 117th Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship. He then qualified for his third U.S. Amateur Champ ionship and finished as runner-up at the Minnesota State Open. Steven Nye is the director of the upcoming feature length documen tary Losing Grip, which analyzes the decline of men’s collegiate gymnastics through the eyes of former University of Minnesota and U.S. Olympic gymnast Shane Wiskus. Steven, a recent graduate of the University of Tampa, presented his research on the film at the Florida State Capitol as part of the Florida Undergraduate Research Confer ence. The film will premiere in Minnesota this summer. He also completed an internship in February with NBC Sports, based in Stamford, Connecticut, as a production logger for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
21 Shira Aronow received the 2021 Howie Stillman Young Leadership Award, which recog nizes the leadership and personal qualities of a high school senior active in a Twin Cities’ synagogue youth group or BBYO. Tristan Broz was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round of the 2021 National Hockey League draft. Joe Miller plays forward for the United States Hockey League’s Chicago Steel, which won the 2021 Clark Cup Final at Scheels Arena in North Dakota. ’13
20 Lily Delianedis, a forward on the Cornell University women’s hockey team, was a finalist for ECAC Hockey’s 2022 Rookie of the Year award.
IN HER ROLE AS A SPORTS REPORTER FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, LAINE HIGGINS ’13 TRAVELED TO JAPAN FOR THREE WEEKS TO COVER THE TOKYO 2020 SUMMER OLYMPICS. KAI SKALLERUD
Alyssa Story, editor-in-chief of Loyola Marymount Univer sity’s student newspaper, the Los Angeles Loyolan, received a national Gold Circle Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for her opinion piece, On George, in which she talks about the impact of systemic racism in Minnesota.
19
Lucy Kiernat, a student at Hamilton College majoring in biochemistry/molecular biology and Hispanic studies, received the school’s H. Samuel Slater Prize in Romance Languages, awarded to a student who, at the end of their sophomore year, has excelled in the study of a romance language. She was also named the recipient of the Winslow Prize in Romance Languages at the school’s annual convocation ceremony.
IS ON A MISSION TO LEVERAGE HIS CLINICAL TRAINING AND bUSINESS ACUMEN TO MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. QUINN COYLE ’14 ARRIVED AT THE bORDER OF CANADA IN THE NORTH CASCADES OF WASHINGTON AFTER HIKING 2,650 MILES ALONG THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL. Reunion Homecoming&WeekendOctober6–8 LEARN MORE AND REVISIT. REUNITE. REUNION. 2007200219971992198719821977•
The day before my birthday, I asked my mother to make a strictly American sweet. Knowing she is an incredible baker, I thought she would say yes. I was very wrong.
When I was younger, I tried to keep my culture and school life as far apart as possible. Being one of only two Indians in third grade, it was easy. On birthdays, we could bring a treat to share with classmates. “Normal” kids would bring cookies, brownies or anything their moms baked.
Spring/Summer 2022 29
Sweets, Treats and Things That Matter When You’re Young
My mother had gone to the Indian market that morning and brought home a box of rasgulla, a spongy, syrupy sweet that melts in your mouth. She told me to bring it to class. I refused. She insisted, telling me I would be intro ducing my classmates to something new. After lots of convincing, I gave up and accepted the box. The next day my nerves were through the roof. I anxiously handed my teacher the box of sweets, cellophane crinkling in my shaking fingers, praying everything would end Iwell.watched as my teacher placed a syrupy confection on each child’s napkin, fidgeting as the students took a bite. “Ew, what is this?” “It tastes like butt!” I was mortified. I sank into my seat, wanting to disappear as my classmates laughed and spit it out. Tears welled as I wondered if it would be reasonable to move to Australia.Irestedmy head in my arms on my desk. Then, I felt a soft tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw a boy standing over me with half the rasgulla in his hand. “Hey, I thought it was great!” he said with a toothy smile. At that moment, above the laughter and comments, this was the only thing that mattered. That kind line stuck with me. Ever since then, I have never been afraid to introduce my culture to others.
VOICES
Shoumili Tarafder ʼ26 is an avid synchro and speed swimmer. She competed this spring in a duet at state for Blake. She enjoys reading, being outside and spending time with friends and family.
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