2015 Summer Bulletin

Last Day

“You have the opportunity to uncover a purposeful life” p 2

Campus Plan

A conversation with architect Marianne McKenna p 18

Reunion 5s and 10s return for Alumnae Weekend p 22

THE BREARLEY SCHOOL

Brearley in view.

Why do we sing “Jerusalem” at this assembly? I don’t know, but here’s a thought. In 1917, after the composer assigned the song’s copyright to a British suffragette organization, it became known as the Women Voters’ Hymn, and since about 1928, each chapter of the Women’s Institute, the largest voluntary women’s organization in the UK, closes its meeting by singing “Jerusalem.” At the turn of the twentieth century, these organizations, like Brearley, were among the many that asserted the right of women to enjoy privileges long granted to men. Perhaps years ago one of our predecessors wished to recognize the common cause by choosing to open this Assembly with “Jerusalem,” the Women Voters’ Hymn.

Telephone numbers used to begin with an EXchange name. What was Brearley’s?

—DR. JAMES MULKIN, DEAN OF ACADEMIC LIFE, AWARDS ASSEMBLY, JUNE 8, 2015

BREARLEY BRAIN TEASER

Update on our campus plan; interviews with architect Marianne McKenna and Director of Construction and Facilities Doris Coleman; questions from the school community and

Editor

Jane Newman

Graphic Designer

Jennifer Bartoli

Editing Staff

Josephine Bergen David ‘61, Director of Communications

Lewise Lucaire, Director of Institutional Advancement

Anne Bergen, Director of Development

If you have any questions or comments about this magazine, please contact Jane Newman: jnewman@brearley.org; (212) 570-8588.

Cover art by Connie Chen, Class of 2016 (About the Cover, page 21)

Special thanks to Eric Antanitus, Nathan Blaney, John Earle, Ashley Garrett, Jordan Hollender, China Jorrin, Paul Schneck, Nicki Sebastian, Scott Thode and members of the Brearley community for sharing their photos with us.

Ellen Jewett ’77, President

Carter Brooks Simonds ’95, Vice President

Christopher L. Mann, Secretary

Noah Gottdiener, Treasurer

Christine Frankenhoff Alfaro ’91

Reza Ali

Nicholas C. Bienstock

Virginia Connor

François de Ménil

Jane Foley Fried

Marisa Gardini ’85

Jane Gladstone ’86

Ivan M. Hageman

Munib Islam

Elizabeth Harpel Kehler ’79

Georgia Levenson Keohane ’90

Kathleen Moriarty ’71

Stephanie L. Perlman, M.D.

Julia Pershan ’88

David B. Philip

Naomi Press

Paula Campbell Roberts ’94

Modupe Akinola Robinson ’92

Terri J. Seligman ’78

Andrew K. Tsai

Honorary Trustees

Georges F. de Ménil

Evelyn Janover Halpert ’52

David T. Hamamoto

Stephanie J. Hull

Alan Jones

Caroline Kennedy ’75

Edward F. Rover

John F. Savarese

SHOW YOUR BREARLEY PRIDE. Follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/brearleyschoolnyc) and Twitter (@BrearleyNYC) for updates and insights into the world of 610 and beyond. Alumnae, stay connected with your classmates through the Brearley Alumnae Group: (facebook.com/groups/brearleyalumnae).

J. Kellum Smith, Jr.

Priscilla M. Winn Barlow

Faculty Representative

Susan Sagor

REMARKS FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Today we celebrate the Last Day of the Class of 2015

On behalf of the School, I thank all of you for gathering with us and for supporting these young women throughout the years. They are fortunate, indeed, to have the guidance and encouragement of such dedicated teachers, family members and fellow students.

In keeping with the tradition of simplicity and intimacy of Brearley’s Last Day ceremony, I offer my letter to the Class of 2015:

Your class is well known for its unity, but you have shared with me that this was not always the case. In fact, your class, not atypically, struggled to find its interpersonal equilibrium during Middle School. However, with a wonderful group of new IXs and an earnest desire to support one another, you successfully built a foundation for your class’s growth as individuals and cohort. In this, I see a special quality that your younger peers can learn from. Your unique class strength is not personal talent, although there is plenty of that to go around, it is your proclivity to nourish one another’s interests and elevate spirits. You have continued Brearley traditions, but you have also offered new ways to mentor your peers and lead this school.

In an effort to strengthen our community, you established K–XII houses to connect girls across divisions and took on senior projects that connect Brearley generations and classmates, from documenting oral histories of alumnae to exploring the perceptions of perfection among students. For the first time, you created a drama lab, featuring student-written and directed theater. Your Science Symposium highlighted your research with institutions throughout the city, and you not only performed alongside faculty in the orchestra but also on the dance stage. You gamely accepted the challenge of the Senior Show, which you, with the help of a special friend and your teachers, reconfigured into a hilarious and sophisticated comedic review of life at 610. And, you engaged passionately and respectfully in community conversations about the events of Ferguson and Staten Island and were at the forefront of organizing student participation in demonstrations. For your passion, creativity and leadership, we are deeply grateful.

And your Yearbook, detailing the investigation by Bev Holmes and Mehitable Watson, ends our time together as it began: a search for something missing—but alas Holmes and Watson were more successful in their investigation than Seminara, Mulkin and Fried. (Not that we suspect you know anything about the missing potassium. Some secrets have a long life. So perhaps at your 25th reunion, we will take this topic up once more.)

Now the time has come for you to leave us. You’ve been noticeably present in 610 throughout Senior Spring. Wringing out every last bit of this experience, you make us feel how much Brearley means to you. Your handover of your beloved Fridgie to the IVs, with whom you traded songs, demonstrated the mutual admiration between these sister classes. And there was another sister in the Assembly Hall that day. Mrs. Wademan, retiring after 35 years of Lower

continued on page 5

Class 15

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWEST ALUMNAE

FIRST ROW: Hannah Waxman, Suzhen Jiang, Kaitlin Fisher, Io Jones

SECOND ROW: Nina Zweig, Veronica Douglin, Mahmoor Faruqi, Una Choi, Julia Sakowitz, Marley Brown, Amrita Ramamurthy, Jennifer Qiao, Jaehee Kim, Simone Brown, Isabella Altherr, Chloe Lacour

THIRD ROW: Avital Lipkin, Rebecca Magid, Eve Galen, Kathryn Fittinghoff, Rena Simkowitz, Laura Delany, Monica Bederman, Jasmine Wu, Emily Orenstein, Amanda Yang, Danielle Seda, Amy Lin

FOURTH ROW: Laila King, Aliza Astrow, Grace Mennell, Semina Mahmood, Miho Common, Michelle Terng, Emma Gylling Mortensen, Allyson Rosenzweig, Julia Press, Toqa Badran, Lauren Wang, Emily Abelson

FIFTH ROW: Laura Hausman, Ariana Ginsberg, Amanda Harrison, Elaine Guo, Juni Ahari, Saskia Pedersen, Banou Arjomand, Gwendolyn Whidden, Cameron Decker, Olaide Adejobi, Olivia King, Jennah Gosciak, Katherine Mann

We would also like to congratulate the members of the Class of 2015 who went on to graduate from other schools.

School teaching, watched it all from the side of the room with heartfelt pride for a job well done. Engendering that kind of connection among girls, within and between classes and each with the School, is as important to her as the academic skills she imparts. Mrs. Wademan and her fellow retiring faculty members exemplify the kind of commitment and connection Brearley teachers have to their students and school. As we celebrate you on this day, I would like us also to celebrate the faculty and staff who have dedicated their lives to you. None of this would be possible without them.

This and many other moments throughout the year remind me how fortunate we all are to be part of this community. Some moments, like the Mascot Assembly, are expected, while others can catch one by surprise and take one’s breath away. For me, this year, standing on the other side of this stage, you surprised me when you shouted with glee at the announcement that Brearley would stay on East 83rd Street. I will never forget the sight and sound of the Assembly Hall erupting with screams of joy as you jumped up and down in each others arms; yes, I mean you, too, seniors.

I don’t think I was the only one surprised by your jubilation—my sense is that your emotions caught you off guard too.

My first thought, as I waited for calmness to be restored, was, “Gee, what would have been the reaction if I had told them we were moving?”

My mind filtered through the impressions you made as you engaged maturely and openly in our intellectual conversations about a potential move—you easily identified the pros and cons of staying versus going and were keen to share the most important qualities to preserve should the Board of Trustees decide to change the location of the School. You were perfect students of the process, and yet here you were wailing with relief and joy at the unexpected decision!

As you gradually regained your composure, a quiet settled in this hall. I could feel you sitting with the news and wondered if your minds, like mine, were sifting through snapshots of physical spaces here at 610 that have symbolized your Brearley experience:

The constancy of blinding eastern light at the doorway as you bid JC good morning.

The detail of the book bindings etched into the facade of the building.

The beauty of the heavy patina schoolhouse doors.

The freedom of the window seats that beckon you for a quiet read.

The openness of the pier as it extends over the river.

The intimacy of class discussions set around the table in 6A.

The inspiration of the artifacts in an art classroom.

The wonder of the atom-mobiles on 8.

The tradition of the glistening parquet gymnasium floors.

The independence of B-Deck.

The privacy of the senior homeroom.

The silence of the elevator filled to the brim.

For me, as fortunate as I am to have the prophecy of the tides in my view from 3F, my mind settled on the stairwells, not the steep, thin-air shafts, but the obsidian steps worn smooth by generations of Brearley girls. In that interstitial moment between surprise and reconciliation, I thought of the millions of footsteps impressed upon the original hard stone. They reveal a universal imprint of the Brearley girl’s determination branded, not in a quick flash of hot iron, but, characteristically, honed over time like rocks polished smooth by a cascading waterfall.

This immovable history of little feet pumping up and down the stairwell as they carry girls growing in size and confidence from Lower to Middle to

“

Millions of footsteps reveal a universal imprint of the Brearley girl’s determination branded, not in a quick flash of hot iron, but honed over time like rocks polished smooth by a cascading waterfall.”

Upper School and for the rare few, from student to faculty, is the image chiseled in my mind. The steps line the route from admission to Last Day, from girlhood to womanhood. Ever there, the foundation of movement and lives.

The steps aren’t jazzy like some of my other favorite spots that I visit when the building sleeps, but they ground me, as I think of how former heads used them as I do, not only for ambulation but also meditation and connection: like “a summit and flower there is the feeling they have for each other,” Walt Whitman described in “Song of Myself.” I love the way the Lower School girls climb hand over hand in a line to the gym as if they were summiting Everest or the way that the Middle Schoolers charge down the stairs always in a rush to lunch, assembly or out the door. You, in Upper School, are much more dignified, for the most part, as you make your way to various responsibilities, and you have the luxury of the elevator, of course, but that too signals a passage. No matter the speed or size, the footsteps all contribute to the refinement of the grooves that tell the story of 86 years of life at the School. They are part of our DNA, our architectural archetype. And had we gone, they could not have followed.

Certainly this building also begets feelings like frustration over crowded and hard-to-maneuver hallways or the trials of finding a quiet space for a float. But it provides something beyond: the joy of belonging to something greater than oneself.

Such an emotion situates us in a continuum of those who came before us and those who follow. It makes us feel whole, part of something

UPPER SCHOOL AWARDS

Upper School Discursive Essay Writing Prize

Julia Sakowitz, XII

Upper School Analytical Essay Writing Prize

Chloe Lacour, XII

Upper School Poetry Writing Prize

Tiffany Lin, X

Upper School Fiction Writing Prize

Julia Sakowitz, XII

Juliet Whiton English Prize

Chloe Lacour, XII

Catherine Fairfax MacRae ’96 Prize

For Excellence in Both English and Mathematics

Jennah Gosciak, XII

Upper School History Essay Writing Prize

Frances Hisgen, XI

Dorothy Mills History Prize

Laura Hausman, XII

Ann Chalmers Greek Prize

Jennah Gosciak, XII

Ann Chalmers Latin Prize

Suzhen Jiang, XII

French Prize

Monica Bederman, XII

Spanish Prize

Amanda Harrison, XII

Mandarin Prize

Amy Lin, XII

Judith N. Conant Mathematics Prize

Katie Fisher, XII

Frances Arnold 1893 Mathematics Prize

Suzhen Jiang, XII

Science Prize

Marley Brown, XII

Ursula Loengard Berens ’47 Art Prize

Veronica Douglin, XII

Fanny H. Phillips Dramatics Prize

Grace Mennell, XII

Berta Elsmith Music Prize

Suzhen Jiang, XII

The Brearley Alumnae Cup

Maitland Lilja Io Jones, XII

Richard B. Stearns, Jr., Memorial Award

Rena Simkowitz, XII

Head’s Award

Ariana Ginsberg, XII

FACULTY AWARDS

Class of 1992 Award

Dr. Laurie Seminara

Head of the Science Department; Class XII Room Teacher

Serena Marshall Weld 1901 Award

Ms. Katherine Henderson

Teacher of Physical Education

Sandra Lea Marshall ’73 Award

Ms. Elizabeth Stainton

Head of the Art Department

Margaret Riker Harding

Lower School Fellowship

Ms. Marisa Ballaro

Teacher of Dance

Chairs for Excellence in Teaching

Mrs. Annie Byerly

Kindergarten Head Teacher

Dr. Tom Wright

Head of the Classics Department

Dr. Katherine Swett

Head of the English Department

KUNZ ART COLLECTION

IX

Davine Byon

Christine Cai

Kamilah Cooper-Charles

Caroline Crystal

Lauren Diamond

Blake Faucher

Aditi Gupta

Christina Habian

Zoë Hopkins

Julia Jin-Wolfson

Deborah Li

Ruby Mendelsund

Clare Nimura

Mary O’Reilly

Maggie Parham

Chloe Roske

Maddie Rubin-Charlesworth

Isabel Selin

Caitlin Shoemaker

Kirsten von Rosenvinge

Calista Washburn

Emily Weiser

Polina Whitehouse

Emma Wong

X

Rachel Alexander

Barbara Banchik

Cecily Burge

Evie Cannell

Isabelle Chandler

Allegra Colman

Kayla Gillman

Sarah Greenspon

Arushi Gupta

Charlotte Hutchinson

Caitlin Jones

Myint Kyi

Emma Ladouceur

Julia Maluf

Anna McDonald

Catherine McDonnell

Jamie Noh

Morgan Perry

Kenyata Plenty

Ashley Prescod

Lucy Rinzler-Day

Rachel Rose

Emma Sorkin

Katherine Strauss

Margaret Sun

Isabel Tadmiri

Rose Teplitz

Caitlin Tierney

Kira Zelbo

Hannah Zhukovsky

XI

Emma Badini

Clare Bradley

Jewel Carrier-Davis

Connie Chen

Minji Chung

Lauren Goldstein

Alexandra Grasso

Romy Macari

Elena McKnight

Mina Morisaki

Julia Opatrny

Addie Punt

Carmen Ribadeneira

Lily Segenreich

Jacqueline Stern

Sylvie Thode

Georgie Tisdale

Kayla Williams

XII

Emily Abelson

Juni Ahari

Banou Arjomand

Veronica Douglin

Julia Press

Michelle Terng

Class of 2015 COLLEGE DESTINATIONS

Amherst College

Bates College

Boston College

Brown University (2)

Claremont McKenna College

Columbia University (7)

Connecticut College

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Davidson College

Emory University

Grinnell College

Harvard University (9)

Johns Hopkins University (2)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

New York University

Oberlin College

Princeton University (3)

Rhode Island School of Design

Skidmore College

Stanford University

Swarthmore College

Tufts University

University of Chicago (2)

University of Michigan

University of Pennsylvania (2)

University of St. Andrews (2)

Washington University in St. Louis (2)

Williams College (2)

Yale University

EXCERPTS FROM STUDENT REMARKS

Co-Heads of Self-Government

by Katherine Mann and Hannah Waxman

We look forward to the future with all of its new and exciting potential, while still not forgetting the importance of our shared heritage.

Transitions can be daunting. Looking back to our thirteen years here, many milestone transitions took place in this very Hall. Right over there we passed under the ribbons to the tune of Spring, marking our transition to Middle School, and on this very stage, we wept through Wicked’s “Because I Knew You,” as we transitioned into Upper School.

We focused our platform for Upper School Self-Government on helping to ease these transitions and to facilitate cross-divisional interaction. We welcomed several new CIOs into existence, ranging in diversity from a Music Outreach CIO to a Life Skills organization. We had so much fun organizing events such as the school-wide game of Spoons, the Core Values T-Shirt Design contest, the Halloween and Holiday Parties, as well as BUSCOW, the Brearley Upper School Creative Outfit Week, and, most recently, the highly successful Upper School Block Party, which united the entire school, young and old, in traditional carnival games like spin art, eating donuts from a string, face painting and balloon animals. It was a testament to the vivacious Brearley spirit that Kindergartners, Middle Schoolers and Seniors alike all had a blast tossing around water balloons and eating cotton candy.

We are honored to have served in our roles as co-heads of Self-Government this year, and we thank every person in this room for the support and enthusiasm you have shown us. None of our accomplishments would have been possible without you.

We would especially like to thank Ms. Segal for her encouragement and assistance; we are inspired by her constancy and dedication to the realm of Self Government. And to Ms. Fried, we appreciate your passion for all of our efforts, ranging from matters of extreme importance to pure fun.

The School, faculty and students—especially the Class of 2015—will all embark on new adventures next fall, and to our minds, this entire community is taking on the next step together.

Above right: Co-heads of Self-Government Hannah Waxman and Katherine Mann

EXCERPTS FROM STUDENT REMARKS

Class XII Speakers

by Semina Mahmood and Emily Orenstein

No matter the distance or the time that may pass until we’re all together again like this, our favorite club will always be Club 610.

We’ve been peer leaders, team captains and club heads, but we didn’t want our leadership to end at the traditional leadership roles. Our class is full of activist spirit, and we’re proud of it. Our end of the 12th floor holds a glittery LGBT pride banner, a wall of feminism posters and cartoons, and “I Can’t Breathe” spelled out above the homeroom door. We spread posters about the different kinds of privilege around the 11th and 12th floors, and in December we led a group of Brearley girls to the Millions March to protest police brutality.

We couldn’t have gotten through senior year without the endless dance parties, snacks, venting sessions and hugs that we all gave each other. We leaned on each other all fall and winter, and now in senior spring, as we learned in 8th grade music class, the storm is passing over.

As our senior year at Brearley comes to a close and we start to look back on all of the memories and friendships that Brearley has made possible, we know that, most of all, we will miss our senior homeroom.

We began our Brearley career as a class of clever and curious kindergarten girls. We are ending it as 53 creative, intelligent and ambitious women who have made each other so much smarter along the way. The diversity of talents and interests we possess is what makes our grade such a compelling community.

When you all look at the Class of 2015, we know that you see great athletes and leaders, actresses and writers. But, most importantly, you’re seeing 53 best friends who have persevered through the crazy ride that is Brearley, and who came out the other side with a bond that will last forever. No matter the distance or the time that may pass until we’re all together again, the Club will forever go up. And our favorite club will always be Club 610.

Above right: Semina Mahmood and Emily Orenstein

Jane Gladstone ’86 credits Brearley with instilling in her the intellectual rigor and confidence that would prepare her, as she says, “for anything.” Anything, it turns out, has been a pioneering career on Wall Street. An Art History major from the University of Virginia, Jane entered the world of finance on the ground floor at a London advisory firm. Today she is Senior Managing Director at Evercore Partners, heading the firm’s financial services corporate advisory business. Prior to Evercore, Jane was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where she founded and ran the Securities and Financial Technology investment banking division. Jane is widely recognized as a leader in the field, and an important voice for women. This year, when honored with the National Organization for Women New York City’s Women of Power and Influence Award, Jane was praised for her leadership and for actively recruiting and mentoring other women. In NOW’s words, “Jane has climbed the ranks and rocketed through the glass ceiling.”

Jane’s service to Brearley runs deep. This term will mark her second on the Board, having served as an ex-officio member while she was Alumnae Annual Fund Chair, from 2005 to 2008. In those years she chaired the Budget and Finance Committee, where she has also served for the last two years as a non-trustee member. This go-round on the Board, Jane is also a parent at the School. Her daughter, Emily Wheeler, is entering Class VI, and Jane is delighted by Emily’s experience. “It’s so impressive to see what Brearley—and all the incredible teachers—have done for her,” Jane says. “It’s very exciting to join the Board now and see the School through many different perspectives.”

Jane recalls that when Emily entered in Kindergarten, she, like many of her peers, could be shy. This year, Emily confidently delivered John F. Kennedy’s “We Choose to go to the Moon” speech before her classmates—not long before introducing Jane to a ballroom full of people to accept the NOW award. Her mother was over the moon.

Clockwise from top left: with their familes, Jane Gladstone ’86, Munib Islam, Paula Campbell Roberts ‘94, and Stephanie Perlman

Born in Pakistan, Munib Islam spent most of his childhood in Kuwait and Bahrain before coming to the US to attend Dartmouth College in 1993. After graduating, Munib worked at the investment bank Lazard and the private equity firm Oak Hill Capital before attending Stanford Business School. In 2003, Munib joined Third Point, an alternative asset manager, where he is now a Partner leading the firm’s equities business.

Munib’s wife, Kamila, is also a native Pakistani. She pursued a career in finance after finishing her undergraduate and master’s degrees at the London School of Economics. Just after their daughter Samara was born, the Islams moved from New York to London. A few years later, they returned, in large part because they realized that they wanted their children to benefit from the liberal arts approach that characterizes American education.

“Education is of particular importance to my wife and me,” says Munib. “I’ve been very fortunate to have gone to some extraordinary places.” He and Kamila wanted the same strong educational experience for Samara. They found it at Brearley. “The thoughtfulness of every interaction at this school is remarkable,” Munib says. “The level of engagement of our community— from Jane Fried to each teacher and fellow parents—is inspiring.” In addition to Samara, who will be entering Class II, they have a son, Issa, who has just turned four years old, and are expecting their third child, a baby girl, later this year.

Naturally, the Islams are also passionate about education outside of Brearley. “We have tried to give less fortunate children access to the kinds of opportunities we received through our own schooling, and we are dedicated to making a difference through education in the lives of women and girls in Pakistan, in particular.” In addition to funding a New York City-based charter school network, the Islams have helped to build multiple schools with high rates of female enrollment in remote and poor parts of Pakistan through the Citizens Foundation.

Stephanie Perlman, a highly accomplished pediatrician, did not always know she wanted to be a doctor. After studying psychology at Harvard, Stephanie moved to New York to work at a nonprofit organization serving at-risk youth. She then went to work in a virology lab studying childhood respiratory illnesses; it was there the pieces began to come together—healthcare, children and service—and Stephanie went back to school to get her medical degree at Weill Cornell Medical College. Today she is a pediatric physician at Hospital for Special Surgery and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical Center. When not focused on children directly, Stephanie is also dedicated to teaching and mentoring young pediatricians. She is also involved in clinical research that focuses on improving surgical outcomes in children.

Although they went to college together, Stephanie and her husband, Noah, did not meet there, but rather soon after graduation on a blind date. As a child, Noah had deep Brearley ties; his three sisters all went to the School. Today he is a lawyer and Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, where he is the Global Head of Financial Crimes. Noah and Stephanie’s daughter, Laila, is entering Class X. “One of the things I really love about Brearley,” says Stephanie, “is that, in addition to all the wonderful experiences in the classroom, each girl can find her interest, or interests, outside of the classroom, whether it’s in the art studio, in the music room, on the stage or on the field. The opportunities are extraordinary.” Laila is very involved in theater at Brearley and is a member of the B-Nats. Her nine-yearold brother, Zach, is a student at The Gateway School. Stephanie also looks forward to working with Jane Fried. “Jane is a terrific head of school; she is smart, engaged and passionate about girls education, development and leadership potential.”

Paula Campbell Roberts ‘94 is delighted to return to the Brearley Board of Trustees, having served a three-year term as an ex-officio member from 2011 to 2014, when she was Alumnae Board President. During her “year off” from the Brearley Board, Paula married Ricardo Roberts, a kindred spirit who shares her appreciation of the transformative power of education. Like Paula, Ricardo grew up in Brooklyn and attended neighborhood public schools until two leadership development programs—in her case Prep for Prep, in his the Oliver Scholars Program—led them to Brearley and Loomis Chaffee, respectively. Paula and Ricardo often reflect on the impact these institutions have had on their lives, allowing them the freedom to find their own interests, passions and voices. “Brearley was fertile ground for me to discover who I was, who I could be,” she says. At a recent Upper School Assembly, Paula spoke about Brearley as ignition, invoking the school song as she encouraged the students to “cherish this place where your spirit’s flame is fired.”

Paula is an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley and an economist covering the US, leading coverage of the consumer sector. She provides in-depth analysis and research on the spending and balance-sheet dynamics of US households, and forecasts key short-term consumer and sector indicators. Paula joined Morgan Stanley in July 2007 from Bain & Co., where she was a management consultant advising Fortune 500 companies for 5 years. Previously she worked on the Economics team at KPMG. Paula holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from Yale University.

Paula and Ricardo live on the Upper West Side. Ricardo holds a BA from Tufts University and is a senior digital media and technology specialist at FourFronts, a start-up recently acquired by Comcast Company. Paula has two stepdaughters, Lilly and Samantha Roberts.

SINCERE THANKS To Our

Retiring Trustees

Clockwise from top left: Sarah Lewis ’97, and with their families, Samara Epstein Cohen ’88, James C. Neary, and Deborah Davis Ascheim ’82

© ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

Deborah Davis Ascheim, M.D. ’82

Trustee, 2006–2015

Secretary, 2012–2015

Building, Compensation, Education, Executive, Trusteeship (Chair) Committees; Affordability Task Force

Co-Chair of 2011–12 Head of School Search Committee Member of the 2013–14 Strategic Planning Committee

Samara Epstein Cohen ’88 Trustee, 2008–2015

Building (Chair), Development, Executive, and Education Committees

Co-Chair of 2011–12 Head of School Search Committee

Sarah Lewis ’97 Trustee, 2009–2015

Budget, Building, Student Life and Trusteeship Committees; Affordability Task Force

Member of the 2013–14 Strategic Planning Committee

125th Anniversary Gala Speaker

James C. Neary

Trustee, 2009–2015

Audit (Chair), Budget, Executive and Investment Committees

Member of the 2011–12 Head of School Search Committee

Member of the 2013–14 Strategic Planning Committee

As we complete the 2014–15 school year—with both the new strategic vision being implemented and a new plan for a campus building project—we are gratified by the work we have done together.

At this time, we pay tribute to the trustees who are retiring this year. Having served through exciting years filled with challenges and opportunities for the School, they provided long-term leadership of committees in such key areas as governance, building, financial reporting and affordability, as well as led the search for a new Head of School and helped to identify the goals for a strategic vision for the future.

We are deeply indebted to these trustees for their wisdom, generosity, creativity and devotion to Brearley.

Profiles were written by Georgia Levenson Keohane ‘90 and Lewise Lucaire. Georgia (New Trustees), a current Trustee, is a Senior Fellow and Director at New America and on the faculty of the Social Enterprise Program at Columbia Business School. Lewise (Retiring Trustees) is the Director of Institutional Advancement at Brearley.

WELCOME

In May, the Development and Alumnae Relations Office welcomed Daryl Gurian Stern in the role of Alumnae Relations Manager. Daryl’s responsibilities include directing alumnae programs, coordinating Alumnae Board activities and amplifying our reunion giving effort. Daryl served as President of Brearley’s Parents’ Association in 2012–2013 and brings extensive skills to our team. Daryl is the newest member of the department, which includes Anne Bergen, Director of Development; Phoebe Geer ‘97, Assistant Director of Development; Elizabeth Oswald, Annual Fund Director; Brenna Kelly, Development Associate for Events and Social Media; Peter McKay, Database Manager; and Lisa Miller ’09, Development Assistant.

April 20—Chefs

BOOKS FROM THE BREARLEY COMMUNITY

Farewell and thank you to the six retiring faculty and staff members of 2014–2015. Collectively they have given more than 165 years of service to Brearley. For their profound contributions and dedication to the School we are deeply grateful.

ANNA BIALOBRODA Art Department

LINDA BOLDT ’64 Head, Learning Skills Department

MARTHA NEWPORT Mathematics Department and former Department Head

JEAN RENFIELD-MILLER ’70 Associate Director of Admission

ROBIN C. SLUCHAN Assistant to the Head of the Middle School

MARY S. WADEMAN Class IV Room Teacher

For more on Alumnae retirees go to pages 23 and 24.

Joey Campanaro, Jonathan Waxman (and parent), Marc Vetri, Johnny Iuzzini and Sara Moulton ’70, along with DJ Questlove, showcased their talents at this year’s Benefit, held at the IAC Headquarters. The Brearley Food, Music and Wine festival raised over $500,000 to support the 2015 Brearley Teaching Fund Thank you!

First title in four-book series Elizabeth Cooke ’44

Martha Mendelsohn ‘60

Janice P. Nimura ’89

Jee Leong Koh, English Department

Jane Marla Robbins ‘61

Susie Wilson ‘47

“Introducing...Digital Stencil Art!” Following an outstanding B+STEAM weekend in February, Brearley held its first-ever B+STEAM_Summer camp in June. The weeklong program, taught by Luigi Cicala of the Art Department, was open to Middle School students and explored the intersection of traditional visual art and emerging digital technologies. Students learned to use electronic cutting machines—which were donated to the Art Department by the P.A.—to create cut-plastic stencils of their own design. This course combination of Technology and Art is an ongoing focus in the school curriculum, and with the success of this trial program, Brearley will offer additional B+STEAM_Summer opportunities next year.

Send Us Your Submissions!

LOIS KAHN WALLACE BREARLEY WRITER’S AWARD

Submissions are now being accepted for the Lois Kahn Wallace Brearley Writer’s Award. The Award, established in 1999 by the late Lois Kahn Wallace ’57, honors and encourages a Brearley alumna at the beginning of her career as a published writer, or the beginning of writing in a new genre. Adult fiction and non-fiction works are eligible, as are books for children and young adults.

The award is conferred approximately every two years and carries an honorarium. Please apply, or if you know someone who deserves the award, encourage her to apply. Please submit four copies of the work of your choice, preferably by October 15, 2015, to Daryl Gurian Stern, Alumnae Relations Manager, The Brearley School, 610 East 83rd Street, New York, NY 10028. If you have any questions, contact Daryl at 212-570-8516 or dstern@brearley.org.

THANK YOU

to all the alumnae, parents and friends who generously support Brearley each year. Your gifts through the Annual Fund benefit faculty salaries, financial assistance and core educational needs.

Brearley appreciates the 650+ alumnae and friends who responded to the 610 Challenge. This spring effort secured an additional $61,000 for the Annual Fund, which raised over $4 million in the 2014–2015 year.

We are grateful for the loyalty and commitment of our alumnae and parent bodies, who participate at rates of 41% and 99%, respectively. Every gift makes a difference for today’s students and faculty, and we thank you for continuing this strong tradition of support. www.brearley.org/donate

For a list of past Lois Kahn Wallace award recipients, please visit http://www.brearley.org/ alumnaeawards.

BREARLEY IN View

CAMPUS PLANNING

With the launch of our Strategic Vision and the Board’s decision in February to proceed with a campus model, this has been a momentous year for the School.

In March, Brearley’s architect, Marianne McKenna of KPMB, held open meetings with faculty and staff, students, parents and alumnae. She and her team began working closely with three user groups focusing on classroom and other teaching space; cross-functional space; and community space that includes the Common Room, Assembly Hall, libraries and cafeteria—spaces that are at the heart of the Brearley experience.

This intensive collaboration resulted in KPMB’s development of a set of defining principles for the School to apply in making current and future decisions about what will be housed in a new building and what the transformational opportunities for 610 will be. Among these benchmarks are:

• Ensuring balance so that both buildings include community functions and equally support the campus model;

• Supporting cross-divisional teaching;

• Promoting sustainability and minimizing redundancy between the two buildings;

• Ensuring that the campus model provides a safe environment and flow of movement;

• Creating flexible spaces that can respond to changes in pedagogy and program;

• Supporting the ability to mark major milestones as students progress through the divisions.

Current hypotheses for the allocation of space are being tested against these criteria, and the goal this summer is to study the viability of various potential design concepts for the campus plan, including logistics, costs and the phasing of renovations at 610. We look forward to updating the community further as we move through the due diligence and board approval process.

The School could not have reached this exciting point without the thoughtful input of all our constituencies. Thank you for your contributions. We encourage you to continue to share your ideas with Doris Coleman, Director of Construction and Facilities, at dcoleman@brearley.org.

A Co N v ERSA t I o N w I th M ARIANNE M C K ENNA

by Dana Tang ’82

I have to admit that I was surprised when I learned that Brearley had hired a Canadian firm as the architect for its new building on the corner of 83rd Street and East End Avenue, and to renovate its beloved schoolhouse at 610, in New York City, where there are plenty of architects. As though reading my mind and wanting to convince me that this was a good decision, Brearley contacted me to ask if I would like to meet the architect and write something for this publication.

I met with Marianne McKenna, a founding partner of KPMB, in the Media Room off the library—a small room with no windows. The room was cramped and stuffy, and the fluorescent lighting cast a green hue. It seemed a fitting place to talk about improvements to Brearley’s physical plant.

Marianne has an intelligence and seriousness about her that makes her slightly intimidating. Her résumé adds to that effect. After graduating from Swarthmore College and Yale Architecture School in the 1970s, she co-founded KPMB with three partners. She has since been named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women, and she has been appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

In describing her path into architecture, showing up at Yale late in the application process and not applying to any other schools, Marianne says, “I expected to be successful.” In her early days as an architect, running home to breastfeed a baby while running a growing architectural practice, she assumed everything would go smoothly, and it did. Marianne’s optimism and confidence derives at least partly from a position of privilege, but Marianne does not take this for granted. She explains, “[My family]

gave us a good education, and they expected us to do something with it….Our parents used to say, ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’”

Marianne has done something with it. What manifested itself as a proclivity to be “the boss,” as she says, when she was a child building cardboard houses with other children, developed into strong leadership ability. She and her now two partners lead a business with over 85 employees, and they have built KPMB to be one of the preeminent architectural practices in Canada.

When Marianne talks about her life, she speaks the same sentence repeatedly—“It’s about building community around you at every scale.” She says this whether talking about the wonderful nanny who cared for her children while she started her architecture firm, or a group of French children who gathered together one summer during her childhood and built a community of straw huts, or the tremendous staff in her office. This emphasis on community is driving her approach to this project for Brearley. She talks about the importance of social and cerebral hubs for the School—the cafeteria, the library/learning center, a larger auditorium, the lobby, a place to get coffee and sit and talk.

Marianne talks as much about the people as she does about the buildings. She is especially interested in the teachers. As she says, “We have to make [the teachers] happy, so that they can continue to bring the joy of learning to their students.”

Marianne grew up in Montreal and attended The Study, a private K–11 school for girls, graduating as Head Girl, but she didn’t start there. She transferred to The Study after leaving The Sacred Heart convent school where

Dana Tang ’82 (left) with Jane Fried and Marianne McKenna (right)

she was viewed as being disruptive. I was glad to hear this. KPMB is known for high-quality, respectful architecture, and that’s good for Brearley, but a hint of rebelliousness is not a bad thing. This rebelliousness is manifesting itself in the way that Marianne is thinking about the Brearley campus. In the new building, Marianne proposes integrating materials that relate to 610, but she also advocates for transparency to the city beyond —“Let us see these girls in the city!” she exclaims. She understands that that may prove too radical for Brearley. Marianne seems undaunted by the technical challenges of renovating 610, upgrading the infrastructure and phasing the construction over a number of years, while the building is occupied. She seems excited about the opportunities—moving important gathering spaces to exploit light and views, opening up the lobby to create a welcoming place of arrival. She talks about the importance of creating a progression from the Lower School to the more mysterious venue of the Middle and Upper Schools. Just as Brearley continues to focus on the fundamentals—reading, writing and arithmetic—Marianne focuses on the fundamentals of architecture: space, light, sequence and views.

“ KPMB is known for high-quality, respectful architecture, and that’s good for Brearley, but a hint of rebelliousness is not a bad thing.”

M EE t Do RIS Co LEMAN

by Virginia Osborne ’87

Just inside the doors of 610 East 83rd Street is the office of a fantastic new addition to the Brearley community: Doris Coleman. Ms. Coleman joined this year as the Director of Construction and Facilities and brings with her an extraordinary résumé: BS from Cornell University in Design and Environmental Analysis, MBA from Pepperdine University and 15 years of architecturally focused work in corporate facilities, most recently as Head of U.S. Architecture, Design and Strategic Planning for Roche. Her extensive experience makes her the perfect person to work with the Building Steering Committee and KPMB to see Brearley through its development project on the new building and renovations to the existing schoolhouse.

As we wrapped up our meeting, stifled by a lack of air, and blind to the changing light of day, I imagined new ducts threading through the building, providing fresh air; new spaces capturing daylight and views; a welcoming lobby and dedicated auditorium; and a new school building with a public presence in the neighborhood. I understood why Brearley selected Marianne as the architect. KPMB is a successful firm with a track record on similar projects, but more important, Marianne feels like a good fit. Her intellect, personality and values—optimism, gumption, leadership and emphasis on community—make her seem like a Brearley girl.

Now that Brearley has developed a strategy for moving forward and has selected the team to help them, the real challenge begins. Jane Fried has said, “An individual realizes her greatest potential when she challenges and understands herself fully as a person and as an active participant in a larger place and purpose.” In the design and realization of their buildings, and in imagining the School’s future, Brearley can be “an active participant in a larger place and purpose.” It has an opportunity to benefit the neighborhood, New York City and the very idea of what architecture can do for education.

Dana Tang ’82 is an architect at Gluckman Mayner Architects, which, as of this writing, is in the process of changing its name to Gluckman Tang Architects.

Ms. Coleman kindly explained Brearley’s strategy for approaching this project and outlined the overall process and phases of building construction and architectural design. Broadly, they can be broken down into program development; schematic design; design development; construction documents; bidding; and construction administration. In the first program phase of this project, Ms. Coleman’s biggest job has been to listen. Ms. Coleman and the Building Steering Committee have sought to fully understand how Brearley wishes to use the new space. The committee has solicited ideas and feedback from all Brearley communities: teachers, administrators, staff, students, parents and alumnae. Philosophically, Brearley wants the two buildings to be of “equal importance” in terms of the daily life of the School. The new building should be a space that provides “thoroughly flexible and light-filled teaching and learning environments that maintain the intimacy and character that have always defined Brearley’s classrooms and common spaces,” wrote Jane Fried and Ellen Jewett in “A Historic Decision for Brearley,” a letter emailed to the school community on February 25. In determining the physical spaces, Ms. Coleman and the committee are considering programming in terms of three categories: Teaching (classrooms, department offices), Administrative (more offices and work spaces), and Community use spaces (lobby, library, auditorium, cafeteria).

Ms. Coleman explains that after the School has completed this initial programming phase, the architecture firm KPMB will work on the second phase: schematic design, which shows the layout and flow of spaces. Once the schematics are approved, in the third phase, design development, the architect adapts and develops the building design in response to feedback on the schematic design. During this phase, the School will apply for its demolition and building permits. Once permits are received, demolition and construction may begin. It is anticipated that the new Brearley building will be fully functional sometime during the 2019 calendar year. In a user meeting, one Kindergartner urged, “Please Get It Quick.” Well…how about in four years?

Just a little FYI: Ms. Coleman will be a Class VII advisor next year, and her favorite Brearley meals include Muenster bagels and Caesar salad. She lives with her husband, daughter and a yellow lab. 7th graders, you are very lucky!

Virginia Libby Osborne ’87 is the mother of Christina and Olivia, who will be entering Classes VIII and VI in September.

w E w AN t to KN ow

In 1929

th E B ULLE t IN PUBLIS h ED A SERIES of q UES t I o NS P o SED BY th E A LUMNAE REGARDING th E

S C hoo L ’ S IMPENDING M ov E to 610 E AS t 83 RD St REE t, f R o M 60 E AS t 61 S t St REE t. hERE IS A SELEC t I o N of wh A t th EY w AN t ED to KN ow, fo LL ow ED BY th E ANS w ERS , wh IC h “wh ILE N ot GUARAN t EED [w ERE ] DERI v ED f R o M S o URCES … BELIE v E [ D ] to BE RELIABLE .”

Will there be adequate transportation facilities for reaching the new schoolhouse, what will be the cost, where will be the waiting room or “dump” and how will motors be turned around in a dead end street?

Adequate transportation facilities in the way of private bus service will be provided at an approximate charge of fifty dollars a year for each child. (The cost of transporting a child and an attendant to and from the present building by trolley car only has been roughly estimated at $46.50 a year. This does not include extras for taxicab or bus fare.) The waiting room will be situated in some central location as in the case of Miss Chapin’s School, whose transportation is working out successfully. A turn-around or other suitable method will be provided for motors in front of the schoolhouse.

Is it to be an all day school, or merely an “afternoon accommodation’’—and will there be extra charges for the afternoon session? The question of an All Day School with provision for lunch, rest, fresh air and recreation and reduced home work is being given favorable consideration. The charges will be as stated in the Year Book for 1929.

Is efficiency in the building being achieved at the price of beauty?

No, it is not. The building is in accord with the best modern architecture and is sincere and honest in its style. A committee on decorating the interior is under consideration and the best artistic abilities available will be employed.

Will there be any social or common room for the students where they can have a few minutes of relaxation and an opportunity of meeting the girls in the school other than their own classmates?

This is an interesting suggestion and will certainly be given consideration and, if possible, execution.

Is there going to be a swimming pool?

There is not going to be a swimming pool, because the majority of the parents have expressed themselves as being opposed to it.

Will there be freedom for unorganized and creative play?

Yes, particularly if the All Day School is put into effect.

Will there be better gymnasium facilities in the new building?

Most emphatically yes. The new plans provide for three large roofs, shower baths and dressing rooms. The space planned for the swimming pool has possibilities of being turned into a squash court, hand ball

court or some other recreational activity, provided the funds are forthcoming. All of the roofs will permit great latitude in the games which may be played on account of their space.

Will there be provision for rest and recreational facilities for the faculty? Yes.

How much increase will there be in elevator service?

The new elevators can transport three times as many girls per minute as the old ones.

AND WILL:

The change of environment and more sun, quiet and space remove the much talked of “pressure”?

Yes, it will. (This is one of the main reasons for moving.)

In March 2015

E LLEN J E w E tt,

J ANE fRIED AND ARC h I t EC t M ARIANNE M C K ENNA of KPMB ho S t ED MEE t INGS w I th th E B REARLEY C o MMUNI t Y to DISCUSS CREA t ING A CAMPUS M o DEL w I th C o NS t RUC t I o N of th E NE w BUILDING o N E AS t 83 RD St REE t AND REN ov A t I o NS to 610. hERE IS A SAMPLING of Y o UR q UES t I o NS

What are among the biggest decisions regarding space? Parsing out what stays in 610 and what goes into the new building.

What is a realistic timeline?

• Construction of the new building is estimated to be complete in about four years.

• Most of the renovations to 610 will begin after the new building opens and programming “decants” to the new space.

Will all three divisions be housed under one roof?

This is not possible. It will be necessary for a division to move, along with other departments and offices.

Will there be opportunities for green and outdoor space?

Yes. We are actively looking at the roofs, play decks and all viable options.

How do we ensure the relevance of the new building for the next 50 years or more?

We plan to create adaptable spaces and classrooms that can accommodate small, large and independent groups and activities.

Will the East 83rd Street facility be entirely new construction? Yes. It will be a completely new structure.

Is the idea of cohesiveness being addressed with this two-space, adjacency plan?

Absolutely. A huge priority is to strike a balance between 610 and the new building. It will be a fully unified campus plan, with increased security to promote safe passage between the two schoolhouses.

Could we build an air bridge, like at Hunter and Juilliard? Wouldn’t that be great? But no, there is a building between us.

Brearley in View

AB o U t th E C ov ER

As our physical presence on East 83rd Street expands into a campus with the construction of a second schoolhouse, we were inspired by Saul Steinberg’s iconic New Yorker cover, “A View of the World from 9th Avenue,” to consider our own view, from Brearley, which will eventually stretch across East End Avenue. Connie Chen, Class of 2016, took on the assignment of aestheticizing this view, and the resulting work, a hybrid of map and picture, offers a condensed look from 610 and the new building at the sights, facilities, structures and symbols relevant to the School. While not every place with which Brearley has relationships is recognized here—community service venues like All Souls Soup Kitchen and Star Learning Center in New York and the different regions of the country where students participate in Habitat for Humanity, to name a few—among the represented are the Field House, Asphalt Green and the 103rd Street Footbridge, made notable this spring for accommodating hundreds of feet moving to and from Randall’s Island on Field Day. Beyond the city, and way, way up river, past our fearless leader in her kayak, summoned to the currents swirling below 3F, and across the ocean blue, harmonized by a chorus of sisters and cousins and aunts, lie the locations of our travel/study (Vermont, China and India), exchange (England), language immersion (France and Spain), and NOLS (Canada) programs. Ms. Chen used watercolor, gouache and ink to create Brearley in View

The Students Speak

t h IS SPRING , K A th ERINE M ANN AND hANNA h wA x MAN , th E 2014–2015 S EL f-Gov ERNMEN t Co-h EADS , ASKED th E S t UDEN t S fo R th EIR w IS h LIS t—wh A t S ho ULD BE IN th E NE w AND REN ov A t ED SC hoo L ho USES . hERE ARE S o ME of th EIR IDEAS

L ow ER SC hoo L

• Escalators

• Bigger cubbies

• Swimming pool

• Merry-Go-Round

• Indoor jungle gym

• Museum

• Bigger classrooms

• Garden with vegetables or flowers (on the roof)

• Bigger Lower School library

• Bigger gym so that people don’t bump into each other when they play tag

• Lower School study room with desks and a chalkboard

• Small rooms for tutoring and extra help

MIDDLE SC hoo L

• Student lounge

• Library with more student space and useful class books

• More white boards/Smart Boards

• Locker rooms

• More outlets

• Zip lines

• More printers

• Class pets

UPPER SC hoo L

• More common areas and student lounges that are always available

• Blackbox theater

• Music practice rooms

• Vintage photos of 610

• Bring back the dumbwaiter!

• More float spaces

• Outdoor area for lunch

• Inter-locking/better organized desks and tables

• Nap pods/computer labs with pillows and sofas to hang out

• Reflective painted roofs or solar panels

ALUMNAE WEEKEND 2015

2015 Alumnae Weekend Brearley welcomed more than 200 alumnae back to 610 for this year’s Alumnae Weekend. The festivities kicked off with an evening of theater as alumnae gathered to attend the opening night of the Upper School’s spring main stage production, Play Lab. Alumnae were able to hear from Brearley’s drama department before attending the student-run play. Friday boasted a number of events, from the traditional Reunion Luncheon to Turbo Talks and classes taught by beloved Brearley teachers. Many reunion classes hosted their own parties following the cocktail party Friday evening. Brunch on Saturday was attended by alumnae and their families, followed by more Turbo Talks and a conversation with the Head of School and Senior Class presidents. Thanks to everyone who made the weekend a smashing success, especially our alumnae volunteers. See you next year!

70th Reunion Class of 1945

Frederica Auerbach Neff

Peggy Condon Elting

Elizabeth Debevoise Healy

Ann Eberstadt Cannell

65th Reunion Class of 1950

Front: Nano Eristoff

Nancy Grinnell Barnum

Shelah Kane Scott

Edith Woodruff Kunhardt

Back: Laura Maioglio Blobel

Jane Andrews Harris

Maisie Kennedy Adamson

65TH REUNION

70TH REUNION

60th Reunion Class of 1955

Left to Right: Gail Tipton, Diana de Vegh, Amanda Norris Lovell, Elaine Gordon Yaffe, Ariel Hamill Hermann, Edith Iselin Byron, Hope Kane Childs, Eleanor Webster Shakin, Louisa Lawrence, Joan Gerdau Rogers, Beatrice Mathews Francais, Mary Carlton Swope, Alice Bunzl Belgray, Shelby Elliott Roberts, Hope Rockefeller Aldrich, Damaris Smith Horan, Susan Brunie Hughes, Alice Pepper Cooper

55th Reunion Class of 1960

Photo 1

Front: Wendy Lehman Lash, Carol Cox Heath, Linda Herzenberg Sparks

Back: Joan Durham, Constance Morrow Fulenwider, Jackie Raphael Lukes, Candy Lund, Martha Neustadter Mendelsohn, Edith Twombly Eddy, Frances Ferguson Buttenheim, Diana “Kerry” Westgate, Dale Jones Burch

Photo 2

Seated: Lisa Null

Standing: Annie-May de Bresson, Barbara Damrosch Coleman, Gilda Gates Wray, Constance Kane Tucker, Carolanne Rosenthal Steinebach

Linda Boldt ‘64 began her professional career at Brearley 29 years ago. She departs as Head of the Learning Skills Department. Within that time she also served with distinction as Head of Classes VIII and IX and was an early community service coordinator.

55TH REUNION

60TH REUNION

ALUMNA RETIREE (continued from page 14)

Linda Boldt ‘64

50th Reunion Class of 1965

Front: Aileen Robbins, Margaret Kohn, Sara Baerwald, Jane Hammer Knopf

Back: Brook Seawell Ashley, Barbara Hulsart, Frannie DeFritsch Van Dyke, Dee Dee Parker Wolpert, Kathe Gates Williamson, Cathy Michelman Elliot, Susan Chambers Roemisch

45th Reunion Class of 1970

Front: Jane Ferguson, Rita Szanto Englund, Ruth Sylvester, Katharine Ross, Sophie Glazer

Standing: Karen Sulzberger, Connie Rogers

Tilton, Felicity Sargent Blundon, Francesca Cary Rey, Lucy Mayer Harrop, Amy Miller, Megan Tallmer, Sarah Hofstadter, Margot Bradley, Katherine Stern Brennan, Beverly Richardson, Martha Greenough, Alison Anthoine, Juanita Dugdale, Barbara Landreth, Livia Linden, Deborah Dennison

50TH REUNION

45TH REUNION

Jean Renfield-Miller ‘70

Jean Renfield-Miller ‘70 returned to Brearley in 2000. She soon became Associate Director of Admission, bringing the knowledge she had gained as a teacher to the admissions process and helping to broaden Brearley’s outreach and further diversify the applicant pool.

ALUMNA RETIREE (continued from page 14)

EXCERPTS FROM THE 50TH REUNION SPEECH

Running Down Stairs and Other Life Lessons I Learned at Brearley

by Aileen Robbins ’65

I’m pretty qualified to reflect on my Brearley experience, since I went here for 26 years. Let me explain: First 13 years, I attended; second 13 years, my daughter attended. The second round gave me a different perspective, and was infinitely more enjoyable. I didn’t have to take exams, but I still got to sing Christmas carols in the front hall.

In some ways, the School has changed a lot in 50 years, but in other fundamental ways, it is very much the same. Yes, there is much greater diversity in the student body; the science and math departments are stronger; there are many more athletic options. But the core values remain the same, and I believe, more than ever, that Brearley graduates are the best and brightest. OK, so we’re accused of being overachievers, but there’s nothing wrong with living a productive life, burning with intellectual curiosity, and wanting to give back. Some Brearley lessons I learned through the decades:

How to Write and Edit

The best lesson I learned was how to organize thoughts and substantiate an argument. I still have undying respect for an effective topic sentence, which should lead out of the paragraph before, and into the paragraph that follows.

How to Take Great Notes

Coming from an all girls’ school and having no brothers, I had no idea how to deal with boys once I got to a co-ed college. The only way I could initially relate to them was by giving them my outlined and typed notes from class. It gave me the illusion that I was really popular, especially with members of the Stanford football team, although I got wise to it by my second semester.

How to Recognize, Appreciate and Seek Brilliance

The high level of academic excellence which I experienced at Brearley unfortunately was never reached at any other of my educational

institutions, even though I went through BA, MA and PhD programs at very good schools. The person who set the gold standard for me was Ruth Carpenter. She fostered a love of literature that is central to my enjoyment of living. When I attended Open Day for my daughter, I sat in on her Shakespeare class and was transfixed. Thirty years later, Mrs. Carpenter was more interesting, more challenging and more inspiring than I even remembered.

How to Run Down Stairs

My main athletic achievement at this school was running up, and especially down, a flight of stairs in about 11 seconds.

How to Burn with Intellectual Curiosity

I am endlessly curious. I read constantly, take courses, go to lectures, watch PBS and listen to NPR. But sometimes I think it is a curse as well as a blessing, since I always feel I should be taking up a new musical instrument or learning a new language, especially one with an unfamiliar alphabet.

How to Appreciate the Brearley Sisterhood

The Yaya Sisterhood pales in comparison to the Brearley Sisterhood. Ours is far-reaching, since it applies not only to close friends within one’s own or a sibling’s class, but also to perfect strangers. Sharing the Brearley experience for many years is like sharing parents; there are many formative forces at play which shape who you are and how you see and deal with the world.

Yes, Brearley gave me a superb academic education, but it also gave much more: it instilled values, and gave me lifelong friendships and helped me live my life with meaning. It’s a little daunting to read the Brearley Bulletin, and to see the achievements of your classmates, but I bet you continue to read, with awe, the notes of the classes that came before and after. I am exceptionally proud to be part of a school whose graduates contribute so much to the lives of others.

“ Sharing the Brearley experience for many years is like sharing parents...”

40th Reunion Class of 1975

Photo 1

Front: Tamera Stanton Luzzatto, Melinda Kay, Katie Grimm, Melissa Knox-Raab, Sarah Sargent

Back: Ann Rosenthal Shubert, Nina Haight Frost, Karen Wetter Nathan, Sharon Goodman, Lisa Schifter Greenberg, Elizabeth Hauge Sword

2

Front: Amanda Stiff, Dana Frankel Kraus, Margot Jacqz, Laura Davies Foley

Back: Alice Thurston, Jeremy Stone, Susan Zakin, Eva Burpee

40TH REUNION

CLASS WITH MOST ATTENDEES THIS YEAR WAS 1970 h h h

FUN FACT: THE EARLIEST CLASS REPRESENTED WAS 1941 ATTENDED REUNION THIS YEAR

LARGEST CLASS GIFT TO THE ANNUAL FUND 1995

Photo

30TH REUNION

35th Reunion Class of 1980

Nina Bernstein Simmons, Nan Doyle, Alexandra Rhodie

30th Reunion Class of 1985

Front: Maki Yoshida, Nina Beattie, Julie Gerngross Baker, Elizabeth Bedell, Virginie-Alvine Perrette

Back: Lisa Downing, Penny Wilson, Monica Lengyel Karlson, Marcie Wainwright Sohm, Diana Strauss, Dawn Simmons, Farran Tozer Brown

25TH REUNION

Front: Tara Gleason Chicirda, Kathy Guerrero Wheeler, Sidaya Moore Sherwood, Deborah Blanchard, Victoria Schwartz Levy

Back: Jasmine Chu, Nadya Engler Overton, Caroline Brown Stefaniak, Marijke Smit, Molly Rauch, Aren Cohen Gustavos, Alexandra Woods-Wilkins, Lisa Hageman Miller, Georgia Levenson Keohane, Janet (JJ) Kovak McClaran

25th Reunion Class of 1990

EXCERPTS FROM THE 25TH REUNION SPEECH

Talk on the Occasion of the Brearley Class of 1990 25th Reunion

by Georgia Levenson Keohane ‘90

I am delighted and honored to be speaking on behalf of the Brearley Class of 1990 on the occasion of our 25th reunion.

As I think back to our time here, it really was an age un-knowing; the dawn of the Bush Clinton Dynasty, before Brearley had 12 floors (much less a campus!); before the Internet (Lucius Caecilius lives on my 7th grader’s school issued iPad); before September 11 or the sequencing of the human genome; before gluten was public enemy number one.

Our childhood years more resembled those of the quarter-century prior than this last. Yet we were on the precipice, a time of tremendous tumult and possibility. In 1989-1990, our senior year, we watched a wide world with wider eyes: the Chinese government crack down on protesters in Tiananmen, the Berlin Wall fall, Nelson Mandela emerge from Robben Island, free after 27 years, the time it’s taken us to become our today’s selves.

I am fortunate to spend some of my today’s self back at Brearley. It is my daughters’ school, of course, but I’m grateful for the work I’ve shared in as a Trustee—the search for a new Head, a strategic plan, extensive deliberation about new space—each requiring deep examination of who we are and who we want to be.

It is not easy to capture the essence of this place. It’s a very special impossibility, in fact, because there are many Brearleys, to each her own. However, there is also a collective. This place has a soul, and this place has a purpose. And as I’ve considered that purpose, I come back to the image of Mandela; among the lessons he would teach us is the concept of Ubuntu: I am because you are. I am because we are. I know. Ubuntu? What about Enlightenment Brearley? I think therefore I am? I now understand that while our teachers had us read Descartes, they were much smarter than he. The brilliance of this place comes in

the interplay with that extraordinary faculty, a dynamic that unlocks our own faculties and fosters a love of learning.

Ubuntu lies too, in the bonds we forged with one another. The kinetic—sometimes atomic—energy between us; the passionate exchange of ideas, the passionate exchange of just about everything else. Competitive, but also cheering, and as the years pass one feels the cheering more. I was reminded of this when we stood at the memorial service for our classmate Caroline Jones, she a part of us, and we of her.

There is a third leg to this Ubuntu stool: the world beyond Brearley. Ubuntu is not about subjugation of the self, but about the responsibility and privilege of being part of something larger. Brearley exists, Brearley exalts, because it is woven into the fabric of this city. Being a New Yorker has less to do with specific place and time than it does with a state of mind and grace: to embrace its energy, to draw inspiration from different people and experiences, to be animated by the opportunities—and the very real challenges—that surround us. These, too, make us who were are.

Mandela said, “What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” The Brearley spirit of Ubuntu challenges girls to make a difference in their world. On some issues we’ve made traction since graduation, on others less so: poverty, inequality, climate change, health care, mass incarceration, racial injustice—to name a few. Different today is a political system that struggles to solve these problems. So who will?

I am emboldened by the thought that Brearley is fortifying the next generation to join and to lead us in this greater effort—that one which makes us who we are.

“

Brearley exists, Brearley exalts, because it is woven into the fabric of this city.”

20th Reunion Class of 1995

Anne Whitman, Alex Wilkis Wilson, Christina Gershey Koehler, Elizabeth Meigher, Emily Rover Grace, India Landrigan Bayley, Leigh Stearns, Jessica Meyer Daws, Megan Lynagh, Kate Wagner-McCoy Goldstein, Jamie Drogin Lehman, Katie Small, Liza Siegler, Stephanie Malon-Rufi, Andrea Kassar (with daughter Lucy, Class II)

15th Reunion Class of 2000

Logan McClintic-Smith Ferguson, Julia Foster, Sarah Hyman Washkowitz

10th Reunion Class of 2005

Front: Sara Akant, Caroline Ettinger, Mbali Ndlovu, Pamela Lachman, Alexandra Schwartz

Back: Hazel Balaban, Jing Ren, Andrea Barsk, Sarah Sherman Flaccavento

5th Reunion Class of 2010

Emily Auran, Eugenie Iseman, Wendy De Wolf, Olivia Harris

20TH REUNION

15TH REUNION

The 2015 Frances Riker Davis Award Recipient

CAROLYN SCHMIDT ’68

Since the 1970s, Carolyn Schmidt has long dedicated her time to international grassroots efforts encouraging environmentally and socially responsible organizations around the globe. She is co-founder and a Board member of ECOLOGIA (ECOlogists Linked for Organizing Grassroots Initiatives and Action), an organization that connects broad international perspectives and resources to grassroots ecological projects. Through ECOLOGIA, Carolyn became an expert delegate at ISO (International Organization for Standardization), an organization that provides guidance to businesses and other organizations on social responsibility in their operations. In all her work, Carolyn’s efforts enable small-scale community groups to gain confidence and achieve meaningful results, harnessing the processes and impacts of successful business and political models. Carolyn resides in Middlebury, VT, where she also teaches global issues at the high school and college levels. She holds a BA and a MA in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. Carolyn will address Middle and Upper School students at a dedicated Assembly in January 2016.

Call for Nominations

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 Frances Riker Davis Award. The Frances Riker Davis Award, established in 1967, honors alumnae in a wide array of professions for extraordinary service to their communities either as professionals or volunteers. Historically, the award has gone to an alumna who has responded to needs in her community at many different levels, including a hands-on approach. If you know of an alumna who has devoted herself to community/public service and whose efforts have made a significant impact on the lives of others, please submit her name and your reason for nominating her by September 30, 2015, to Daryl Gurian Stern, Alumnae Relations Manager, dstern@brearley.org.

Carolyn Schmidt ’68, Recipient of the 2015 Frances Riker Davis Award

BIRTHS

1995 To Jeffrey and JAMIE DROGIN LEHMAN, a son, Henry Dylan Lehman1

To Jay and ALICE LIDDELL ROOKE, a daughter, Daphne, and a son, Calvin

1996 To Pascal and ANNABEL SCHNITZER NOTH, a son, Alfred Noth2

To HILARY SCHAFFNER and Christopher Child, a son, Lucien James Child 3

1997 To PHOEBE GEER and Matt Speiser, a son, Theodore Townsend Speiser 4

To Julian and OLIVIA COWLEY WASSENAAR, a son, Sebastian Blake Wassenaar

To MELISANDE MIDDLETON and Tor Sandén, a daughter, Zoe Sandén

To LI RAN and Kenneth Chang, a son, James Chang

1998 To LYN DEVON and William Reardon, a daughter, Lola Reardon5

To Andrew and REBECCA MANCUSO BRUNSWICK, a son, Jack Harrison Brunswick6

1999 To JESSICA BERENBEIM and Alex Massouras, a son, Moses Franklin Massouras

To Mark and KATE MORRISON SCHERMERS, a daughter, Emma Beatrice Catherine Schermers

To MOLLY SCHOEMANN-MCCANN and Brian McCann, a son, Seamus Albert McCann

To JENN YEE and Sanay Patel, a son, Kieran Yee Patel7

2000 To Sparsh and STEPHANIE ELLIS KHANDESHI, a son, Brahm Sparsh Khandeshi8

To Timothy and DENA TWAIN SIMS, a daughter, Isabelle Jackson Sims9

2003 To Andy and MALWINA SIEDLINSKA JOHNSTON, a son, Henry Dean Johnston10

To JEN HUANG and Elihu Bogan, a son, Elihu Root Bogan, Jr.11

To SARAH CROW and Ryan Biracree, a daughter, Tabitha Wednesday Biracree

MARRIAGES

1989 JESSIE JENKINS to Victor Druga

1995

1996

1997

2003

AMANDA MARTIN EAKEN to Brad Ari Jacobson1

CARYN BELL to Ricardo Coats2

TERESA CHRISTIANSEN to Anthony Stassi

JOANNA LACK to Brendan Lowe3

MELISSANDE MIDDLETON to Tor Sandén4

FRANCES CASHIN to Nicholas Hodler5

KATHERINE LAMM to Nicholas Morales

ARIELLE RODMAN to Nathaniel Langer6

HELEN ROGERS to Alex Logemann7

2004 MAREN JINNETT to David Adler8

2006 HONOR MCGEE to Jay Lundy Jr.

IN MEMORIAM

1945 Joan Foy French

Mary Lee Morey Rowen

1946 Anne Matthews Rawson

1947 Katharine Talcott Atterbury

1950 Elizabeth Simpson Bennett

1959 Laurie Schneider Adams

1960 Gail Wright Goltra

1961 Jill Moses Kohlmann

1973 Jennifer Vetter Hoagland

1986 Alexandra Pomeroy

2000 Danielle Gordon

A Celebration of the Life of Bona KostKa

By Heyden White Rostow ’67

English Department, Former Academic Dean and Dean of Faculty

Always Madame Kostka to her students, she bewitched us with philology from Miss Sandison’s book: dated colloquialisms and comparative charts of cognates we could work out from words we saw in daily life. We, her students, could write pages about her, for truly, she was awesome—in the original sense of the word. Her successor as Head of the Classics Department invoked the Greek word , which carries the double sense of terrific and terrifying. That accent, the blue penetrating eyes! She was as much myth as teacher, and she filled our sails with her inspiration. Comments from some of her students: “Nothing could be easier than to remember vividly what it was like to be in one of Bona Kostka’s classes—to imagine oneself back into our Senior year Homer course. The difficult part is trying to convey through any description what it was like—to do justice to that distinctive mixture of intense concentration, high spirits, anticipation of strenuous challenge, trepidation about one’s state of preparedness, the unparalleled exhilaration of discovering the texts she illuminated for us—and those verbs of ‘mental action,’ which we heard and deciphered as a single word, ‘mentellection.’ Of course no quarter—none—was given in those classes to sentimentality, preciosity or pretention; Mme Kostka indulged such tendencies about as gladly as she tolerated sloppy grammar.” Her “exacting standards were fearsome, even harsh. She demonstrated no patience with our faltering attempts to master Latin’s unfamiliar forms.” “She woke me up and refused to tolerate my adolescent laziness.” “Some people may have found her intensity a little scary; I found it utterly exhilarating.”

All recall the joy in the hard work. Her students went on to Classics and other linguistic studies and credited her as the inspiration of their lives. How many of them thus became her colleagues! “I learned how much pleasure could be found in the struggle itself, in wrestling sense, even beauty, out of all those garbled sentences. This lesson has lasted a lifetime.” “If I was in awe of Mme Kostka when I was a student, I am all the more so as a teacher, for I now know how much astute sympathy, tact and intellectual generosity it takes not only to motivate a handful of continued on page 78

PRESIDENT Naomi Press

VICE PRESIDENT/TREASURER Rosalind Crystal

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Lorena Lopes

VICE PRESIDENT Kristen Chae Arabadjiev

CLASS REPRESENTATIVES

K Caren Pasquale Seckler, Aliza Pressman, Kashmala Sharif

I May Kang Ho, Jyoti Patil*, Kimberly Shariff*

II Caroline Sincerbeaux King ’94, Shellae Versey*

III Ultan Guilfoyle, Nancy Park*

IV Cathy Chawla*, Cory Nangle

V Monica Machado, Kate Spade*

VI Pamela Selin*, Athena Tapales

VII Bethel Gottlieb, Julie Rosefsky*

VIII Bridget Lacey Collin*, Caroline Gottschalk*, Jessie Vanamee

IX Mona Baird, Laura Forte*

X Janice Nimura ’89*, Grace Offutt*

XI Elizabeth Chandler, Eloise Donofrio*

XII April Grasso*, Claire Mann

COMMITTEE CHAIRS

ALUMNAE ASSOCIATION Katherine Shutzer Brennan ’92, Jennifer Usdan McBride ’91*

BENEFIT Donna Fergang, Pamela Sole

BOOK FESTIVAL Cynthia Brauer*, Wandy Hoh, Maria Kourepenos*, Reshma Shamdasani*, Nandita Sodhi

BREARLEY ATHLETIC SPIRIT Lisa Brainerd ’78*, Ashley Garrett, Nancy Gillman

BREARLEY UNOFFICIAL Jennifer Lee*, Margaret Lee*

B+STEAM Andrea Fisher, Robert Massick, Jennifer Usdan McBride ’91

COMMUNITY LIFE AND DIVERSITY Joyce Abernethy*, Sheila Hopkins, Abby Moses ’88*, Purva Patel-Tsai

COMMUNITY SERVICE LIAISON Deborah Brown, Hannah Stebbins*

E-NEWS FROM BREARLEY Elisabeth Cannell*, Melissa Raso

FAMILY ACTIVITIES Michelle Jacoby, Shaba Keys*

FESTIVAL OF CULTURES Hannah An*, Paula White*

GENERAL STORE Sheri Feigen, Vicki Kwok*, Ellen Masseur, Michele Post*

HOSPITALITY JoAnn Allen*, Lisa Mandl*, Melissa Roske

JOINT SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES Marty Haessler (V), Lauren Turteltaub (V), Jisoo Im* (VI), Wendy Leon* (VI) Jenny Carragher ’88* (VII), Diya Sawhny Puri (VII), Barrie Frankel (VIII), Rena Krasnow* (VIII) Maria Gottdiener* (U.S.), Claudia Rader (U.S)

LIAISON TO PARENTS IN ACTION Ann Wozencraft Willey

LIBRARY ASSISTANCE Medora (Dolly) Geary, Eric Ross*

LOST & FOUND Katherine Shutzer Brennan ’92*, Suzanne Sarka

PHOTOGRAPHY Denise Spillane*, Patricia Walker

SAFETY PATROL Bob Massick*, Natalie Ross*, William Scherlag

SPEAKER SERIES Cassandra Berger, Namita Luthra*, Laura Morgan-Moscahlades

UNIFORM EXCHANGE Kim Jennifer Cook, Fernanda Piedra*

VALENTINE BREAKFAST AND FACULTY CELEBRATIONS Elizabeth Gormley*, Hallie Nath

WELCOMING Annamaria Boccia Smith*, Julie Gamboa, Alison von Rosenvinge

AN ASTERISK (*) DENOTES ONGOING REPRESENTATIVE/CHAIR NOW SERVING FOR THE SECOND YEAR OF A TWO-YEAR TERM OR FOR THE FIRST OF A ONE-YEAR TERM.

BREARLEY BLOCK PARTY MAY 29, 2015