Lawrentian THE
Lawrenceville Welcomes its 13th Head Master,
Stephen S. Murray H’55 ’65 P’16
Fall 2015
Departments 2 From the Head Master 3 Editor’s Note 4 1,000 Words
F e at u r e s 22 Leading with integrity Lawrenceville welcomes its 13th head master. On the Cover: Head Master Stephen S. Murray
The ranks of Lawrenceville alumni swell by 232.
38 Alumni Weekend 2015 Donnelly Marks
6 News in Brief Student achievements and honors, new appointments … and Spider-Man?
34 Commencement 2015
H’55 ’65 P’16 Photo by
Crew rows into Henley Regatta
Lawrentians renew old acquaintances amidst awards and honors.
10 Go big red! Misha Song ’15 is the first China-born player drafted by an NHL franchise.
12 Sports roundup Spring sports stats, athletes choose schools, and girls’ crew rows to the top.
TA K E T H I S J O B A N D L O V E I T
16 On the Arts Spring Dance Concert, a brush with success, key honor for pianist, and dance takes gold.
18 Take This Job and Love It Christina Ha ’04 has the purrfect mix of pastries and paws.
20 Ask the Archivist On a campus defined by its House System, Foundation House remains its spiritual hub.
80 By the Numbers oung alumni weigh in on Y Lawrenceville.
81 Student Shot Jaitrong ’16: The serene majesty of Grand Teton National Park
ON THE ARTS
18 S p o r ts r o u nd u p
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16 Alumni 42 Alumni News
43 Class Notes
From the Head Master
A “With a young person on the edge of a significant challenge, there is a time to hold back, and there is a time to push forward beyond the comfort zone. Judging when and how to intervene is what good teaching is all about.”
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s I write, Sarah and I could not be more excited to begin our time at Lawrenceville. You can tell a lot about a place by the warmth of the welcome, and the barrage of wonderful letters, invitations, calls, and visits we have received over the past year speaks volumes about the School. While in transition, I have been working hard to learn and understand my new surroundings, to meet members of the community, and to immerse myself in the lore and the history of the School. It’s just a start, but I am beginning to get my finger on the pulse. I often communicate through stories, especially when expressing my core beliefs as an educator. Many of my beliefs about teaching and learning have been validated or reinforced over time through experiences with my own children, so I’ll start with that. My oldest son, Sam, and I hiked Maine’s fabled Mount Katahdin for the first time many years ago, when he was 15. The state’s tallest peak, its steep, craggy granite sides have been carved by alpine glaciers into a series of spectacular cirques. We chose a particular approach to the summit known as the “Knife Edge.” The mile-long stretch to the top is aptly named. I had imagined some semblance of a maintained trail, but, in fact, the saw-toothed ridgeline is marked only by blazes and cairns, and you have to clamber along, sometimes on all fours. In parts, the steep, up-and-down way narrows to a scant three feet, with significant drops on either side. Seeing the ruggedness of the trail and the drop-off into empty space was dizzying. My heart was beating, but my adrenalin was up and I felt good to go. Sam, who had hiked extensively and done some serious climbs, suddenly sat down and said, “Dad, I am not sure I can do this.” I swallowed hard, thinking about how far we had already come, but simply said, “That’s fine, Sam, ‘challenge by choice.’ ” The phrase is one Sam understood from younger days when he had come along with me on proctor leadership retreats at a previous school. The rule for any risk-taking in our leadership training was always that you choose how and when to challenge yourself, with no pressure from the group: “challenge by choice.” I hesitated to push him, and in my mind, I was already retracing the steps back to our campsite and finding a way to help him avoid any feeling of regret or embarrassment that he had backed off. We paused for a long, silent minute, surveying the way forward, when Sam suddenly looked me in the eye and asked, “What do you think?” I paused, and then on impulse said, “It looks pretty tough, but I think I’m up for it, and I think you can do it, too.” That was all he needed. He said, “All right, let’s go.”
Sam set the pace, and though careful, we moved quickly, only stopping once we were on the other side. Sam’s sense of exhilaration and accomplishment was huge. For my part, I reflected on that moment of hesitation on the brink for much of the summer. For me, it was a powerful moment as a parent, and an equally powerful teaching moment. With a young person on the edge of a significant challenge, there is a time to hold back, and there is a time to push forward beyond the comfort zone. Judging when and how to intervene is what good teaching is all about. Those judgments, instinctive for an experienced teacher or coach, are effective only when the adult has taken the time to build trust, when he or she has communicated a deep sense of caring and empathy for the learner. The gruff coach does it one way, the soft-spoken English teacher may do it another, but the learner must perceive a deep connection. “Coach says I can drop my time three seconds today,” thinks the athlete. “I am not so sure, but if she says so, I’ll give it a shot.” Or, “My English teacher thinks I should put my poem in the literary review, that others will actually want to read it. Do I dare?” The privilege of being a teacher is to have the opportunity for this kind of deep impact, one that presents itself only when the bond is fully formed. Many schools believe in rigor and high standards, but single-mindedly pushing rigor before the student feels support and trust will only serve to crush her spirit. Push a boy out onto the Knife Edge before he trusts that he can do it, and you will merely teach him his limitations. At Lawrenceville, there is an enduring legacy of talented students who strive, who persevere, who push to the next level. And this happens precisely because of the culture of close, caring mentorship. These bonds are fostered by the close-knit House System where young Lawrentians develop a deep sense of belonging; they are forged around the close confines of the Harkness table, where masters engage the intellect, encourage students to grapple with ideas, and teach lifelong respect and humility. These close relationships happen so naturally and are such a part of the fabric and the traditions of the School that it may sometimes take a newcomer, a recent arrival like myself, to see it so clearly. This is exactly what I am seeing, and this is why I feel so fortunate to be joining this great community. Sincerely,
Stephen S. Murray H’55 ’65 P’16 The Shelby Cullom Davis ’26 Head Master
From the Editor
Lawrentian THE
Fa l l 2 0 1 5
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Vo l u m e 7 9 N u m b e r 3
publisher Jennifer Szwalek Editor Sean Ramsden art director Phyllis Lerner staff photographer Paloma torres proofreaders Carol Cole P’91 ’95 Timothy C. Doyle ’69 H’79 P’99 Rob Reinalda ’76 Edward A. Robbins H’68 ’69 ’71 ’11 Linda Hlavacek Silver H’59 ’61 ’62 ’63 ’64 GP’06 ’08 contributors Katherine Birkenstock Joon Choe ’15 Emily Galvin ’17 Karla Guido Lisa M. Gillard Hanson Jacqueline Haun Barbara Horn Donnelly Marks ZacK Williamson ’09
The Lawrentian (USPS #306-700) is published quarterly (winter, spring, summer, and fall) by The Lawrenceville School, P.O. Box 6008, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, for alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends. Periodical postage paid at Trenton, NJ, and additional mailing offices.
The Lawrentian welcomes letters from readers. Please send all correspondence to sramsden@lawrenceville.org or to the above address, care of The Lawrentian Editor. Letters may be edited for publication.
I
t’s not difficult for anyone to relate to new Head Master Steve Murray. As you will quickly come to know, he is a man in possession of qualities that would lend themselves well to leadership anywhere. Although he is superbly educated, he maintains a sincere curiosity about new things and listens intently for insights from each new person he encounters. And though he now holds one of the most esteemed positions in education, he is unfailingly humble. You can’t help but follow his lead. I had the good fortune to begin my time at Lawrenceville almost simultaneously with Steve, and my new role as editor of The Lawrentian afforded me the chance to speak with him at length almost right away for this fall’s cover story. Previously, I was acquainted with him merely through photos, and only after returning to my office from our initial 90-minute meeting did I realize that we never even discussed that mustache. Not a word. I had every intention of bringing it up, but when you listen to his thoughts about the profound ways that opportunity, support, and mentorship shape a young person’s life, and how they fit so neatly within the tradition and culture of The Lawrenceville School, you really do lose sight of it. I think you’ll soon understand. Like Steve, I followed my instincts, interests, and passion here. In much the same way, I am fortunate for what I’ve inherited from my very talented predecessor. When the chance to become the editor of The Lawrentian presented itself this summer, I felt a surge of excitement. Sure, I enjoy storytelling, but in The Lawrentian, I recognized an opportunity that was anything but common. Lawrenceville stands out for its timeless excellence; I don’t have to tell you that. But to step in and curate the narrative of that legacy is quite a responsibility, and I am thrilled by the challenge. I look forward to hearing from you and encourage your ideas, suggestions, and news. With your help, I look forward to steering The Lawrentian into a very engaging future. All the best,
Sean Ramsden Editor sramsden@lawrenceville.org
The Lawrentian welcomes submissions and suggestions for magazine departments. If you have an idea for a feature story, please query first to The Lawrentian Editor. Visit us on the web at www.lawrenceville.org. www.lawrenceville.org/alumni/the-lawrentian Postmaster
Please send address corrections to: The Lawrentian The Lawrenceville School P.O. Box 6008 Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 ©The Lawrenceville School Lawrenceville, New Jersey All rights reserved.
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1,000 Words
Shell Games The first and second eights of Lawrenceville boys’ crew traveled to England this summer for a competitive trip that culminated with the prestigious 2015 Henley Royal Regatta. Here, rowers get in a practice run on the River Severn, near their host, Shrewsbury School.
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Photograph by Zack Williamson ’09
News in Brief
Chey Takes Gold at I-SWEEP
M
in Keun Chey’s ’16 research on water desalination techniques, “Control of Aqueous CO2 Concentration by Temperature-Sensitive Materials for Changing Osmotic Pressure,” earned gold at the 2015
International Sustainable World Energy Engineering Environmental Project (I-SWEEP) Olympiad. Chey competed against 426 contestants from 67 countries and 44 states. He plans to use his $750 I-SWEEP award to hold a science fair in his hometown of Seoul, South Korea, to inspire elementary school science students. Chey worked at the chemistry lab of Professor Yan Lee at Seoul National University through a paid internship. The lab was already using a special polymer to capture carbon, but Chey thought it might also be used for desalination through a process of forward osmosis. Lee encouraged him to give it a go — and it worked.
Collins to Chair Religion and Philosophy Dept. Thomas P. Collins has been selected to chair Lawrenceville’s Religion and Philosophy Department. Collins, who joined the School in 2011 as a religion and philosophy master, began overseeing all aspects of the department beginning on July 1. Phil Jordan, the department’s most recent chair, will continue at Lawrenceville as a religion and philosophy master. “Tom brings to the position a wealth of disciplinary knowledge, an innovative spirit, and a passion for teaching and learning that will help guide the Religion and Philosophy Department in the years to come,” said David Laws, dean of academics.
Danny Goldman’s ’15 interest in environmental sciences is
Goldman Earns Environmental Prize Danny Goldman ’15 received the annual Elly and Giorgio Petronio Stony Brook Garden Club Environmental Award, which recognizes high school juniors and seniors who demonstrate a passion for and a commitment to the environment. The award, given to students in the Princeton area, includes a $1,000 scholarship. Goldman earned praise for the experiences, capability, and passion he displayed, according to Laura Hanson of the Stony Brook Garden Club. “Danny is a bona fide leader while still in high school, having acted on his interests both locally and internationally,” Hanson said. “It is clear that he will go on to solve the environmental issues of his generation.”
Thomas P. Collins now chairs the Religion and Philosophy Department.
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— Emily Galvin ’17
paying off.
FO
EVILLE SC
H L CAMP •
H E L AW R •T E
NC
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Big Red Race Raises $17K
IG RED RA EB CE H T
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Runners of all ages laced up their sneakers for the 12th Big Red Race 5K. This year’s event raised more than $17,000 for the School Camp, bringing the total support to over $125,000 over the past dozen years. Funds help send underserved Lawrence Township children to School Camp, a residential summer camp in Warren County, N.J. Race participants also donated canned food items, which were donated to local nonprofits fighting hunger.
2015 Ruben T. Carlson Scholarships Pravika Joshi ’17 Max Drojjin ’17
Semans Family Merit Scholarship Awards
Capstone Brings Privacy into the Open
F
ifth Formers tackled the
chief technologist for the Federal
complex issues surrounding
Trade Commission: Information,
privacy in America in the
identity, and privacy
2015 Lawrenceville School
Elizabeth Paasche ’16
took an interdisciplinary survey of the topic, complete with weekly lectures from some of the world’s leading authorities, who helped them examine the many facets of
Akash Bagaria ’16
privacy. The 2015 speakers and
Eva Blake’16
their topics were:
Larry Cummings ’16 Gina Kahng ’16
the Cine-Golden Eagle award for
Master Erik Chaput and Art Master Brian Daniell, students
2015 Heely Scholars
journalist, and two-time winner of
With guidance from History
Connor Duwan ’16
Ian Frost ’16
▸ Jami Floyd P’17, legal analyst,
Capstone course this past spring.
outstanding journalism: Constitution and privacy in a time of World-renowned privacy experts highlighted the Capstone course.
Judiciary, Politics and Media at Syracuse University: American constitutional development and
innovation ▸ Amanda Lenhart, Pew Research associate: Teenagers, privacy, and social media
the discovery of the right to privacy
▸ Sean Wilentz, Princeton Univer-
▸ Matt Dickinson, author and
sity professor of history and recip-
▸ Danielle Allen, author: The
Middlebury College professor of
ient of the prestigious 2006 Ban-
public value of privacy and its im-
political science: The politics of
croft Prize and 1984 Beveridge
Anna Milliken ’16
portance to America’s democratic
spying and national security
Award: An historical perspective of
Mini Morris ’16
culture
▸ Edward Felten, director of the
the politics behind the debate over
Trisha Mukherjee ’15
▸ Keith J. Bybee, director of the
Center for Information Technology
the National Security Agency and
Institution for the Study of the
Policy at Princeton and former
Edward Snowden
Simran Suri ’16
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Comic-Con Spins Web of Fun Spider-Man at Lawrenceville? Yes! The Bunn Library turned into Comic-Con central after classes on April 18. Lawrentians debated the relative superiority of “Harry Potter” vs. “The Lord of the Rings,” tested their video-gaming skills, and tried their hand at visual storytelling with professional artists Chris Reed ’77 and Marielle Rousseau ’05. The afternoon and evening featured everything from cosplay and anime to a movie marathon and a performance by the Impulse Comedy Troupe. Attendees competed for scores of prizes — including the use of a totally tricked-out library study room for spring finals week, complete with decorations, music, and snacks.
Shore ’15 Honored for Service Simon Shore ’15 is the 2015 Cherish the Children Youth Volunteer Award recipient in honor of his work on behalf of Womanspace, a leading Mercer County nonprofit that works to prevent domestic abuse, protect families, and change lives through empowerment and supportive services. Shore was nominated for the award by the agency. Shore, along with Jake Zabaleta ’16, founded Lawrenceville’s Winners Club, which raises funds for and awareness of domestic violence. Last December, they teamed up with the School’s WILL Club to raise Lawrenceville’s highest-ever donation — nearly $1,400 — to the Womanspace Communities of Light project. The Winners Club also spearheaded a necessities drive at the School, collecting clothing, toys, and personal hygiene items for Womanspace clients.
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Simon Shore ’15 has helped stem domestic violence.
Scholars Share the Psychology of Learning
N
early 400 independent and public school educators, major educational grantmakers, and interested parents and alumni convened on the Lawrenceville campus in April to hear some of the nation’s foremost experts discuss the
issues surrounding Mindset, Perseverance and Belonging: The Psychology of Learning.
Two of the nation’s most respected researchers on social psychological interventions in education served as the symposium’s keynote speakers. Joshua Aronson, Ph.D., associate professor of applied psychology at New York University, and David Yeager, Ph.D., assistant professor of developmental psychology at The University of Texas at Austin, lent their expertise to attendees from 16 states, from as far as Hawaii. Yeager spent the 2014-15 academic year as a residential fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. The daylong conference was a component of the School’s most recent reaccreditation process under the auspices of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. For the past several years, Lawrenceville has employed strategies arising from the research that informed the symposium as part of its chosen reaccreditation protocol, “Sustaining Excellence.” Although sharing the results in a public forum was a requirement of the protocol, it also offered an opportunity to feature the latest findings and best practices nationally.
Noted developmental psychologist David Yeager lent his expertise to the seminar.
Celebrating Service at Springfest More than 350 local children had the time of their lives at Lawrenceville Springfest, a year-end carnival for participants in the School’s community service program.
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Go Big Red!
Enchanted Islander
Misha Song ’15 becomes the first China-born player drafted by a National Hockey League team.
By Emily Galvin ’17
R
ecent Lawrenceville graduate Andong “Misha” Song ’15 was selected by the New York Islanders in the sixth round of the 2015 National Hockey League (NHL) Entry Draft in June. The 172nd player chosen overall, Song made history as the first China-born player to be drafted by an NHL franchise. Song will attend Phillips Academy Andover for a postgraduate year before continuing his hockey career in college, and, eventually, in the NHL. “The whole process [of attending the draft] was pretty overwhelming, especially waiting to see if your name would get called,” Song said of the experience. “One of the best parts is going down to the floor and putting on that jersey; that feeling is unbelievable, but the experience was incredible and nothing like I’ve ever experienced or imagined.” Song first tried his hand at hockey in his hometown of Beijing before moving with his parents to Ontario, Canada, at age 10 in search of stronger competition on the ice. Still, as a native of China, he was able to captain the nation’s Division II-B team at the 2015 Under-18 World Championship. Now, though he is proud of becoming the first Chinese player drafted by the NHL, he realizes his path to the pros is just beginning. “It’s such an honor to be representing my country in an international stage, and it couldn’t have been a better day for me and my family,” Song explained. “But even though I got through the door, there’s still much more
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“One of the best parts is going down to the floor and putting on that jersey; that feeling is unbelievable, but the experience was incredible and nothing like I’ve ever experienced or imagined.” work that needs to be done.” As a captain of the Big Red boys’ varsity ice hockey team, Song served the team as both a defenseman and a forward. Lawrenceville head coach Etienne Bilodeau compared Song’s ice time to that of Duncan Keith, a player whose unrelenting efforts on defense played an integral role in the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup victory this year. “He quite simply anchored our blue line and was effective on both sides of the puck,” Bilodeau said of Song, who had three goals and seven assists in 26 games as a Fifth Former. “I remain convinced that Misha’s best hockey days are still ahead. He has tremendous upside: He has a solid set of skills, and he certainly will continue to expand on aspects of his game. Being the first Chinese-born player to be drafted in the NHL is quite an accomplishment and a historical milestone.”
A total of 211 players from 14 countries were selected in this year’s draft, with Song the only representative of any Asian nation. Out of those players, none of whom have ever before signed with an NHL team, most will continue to play at the club or junior league level before officially joining their respective NHL teams. Bobby Sanguinetti ’06, whose most recent NHL experience came during the 2012-13 season with the Carolina Hurricanes, was the last Lawrenceville alum to be drafted. Song told the Associated Press that he was aware of the Islanders’ interest in him but never felt certain he would be drafted until hearing his name announced. And though his focus is squarely on hockey, he is also well aware of the way his native countrymen are watching his progress. “Being the first Chinese player, it’s a lot of pressure from people back home, but good pressure,” Song told the AP’s Tim Reynolds. “I hope that will motivate me to become a better player, and hopefully I’ll make them proud.” Song’s Lawrenceville teammates say his character will be an asset as he pursues a spot with the Islanders. “He leads by example,” said Dylan Jones ’15. “All of the guys on the team, especially the younger players, look at Misha as a role model, both on and off the ice. He is the type of guy who everyone in the locker room respects as a player and as a person.”
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Courtesy: New York Islanders
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Sports Roundup
Big Red Goes to College
WEY '15 is a top prep scholar-athlete Nicholas Wey ’15 won the 2015 New Jersey Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Nick Gusz Male ScholarAthlete award in May. The annual honor is given to the top male studentathlete from all New Jersey independent schools. Students are nominated by their schools, and the recipient is selected by a committee of New Jersey private school athletic directors. The award is named for Nick Gusz, director of athletics at Lawrenceville from 1966-84. Wey, who now attends Brown University, earned academic high honors every term Nicholas Wey ’15 finished ahead of the competition.
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at Lawrenceville and received a Letter of Commendation from the national Merit Scholar Program. He spent two summers as a research intern at Weill Cornell Medical School, working in the ophthalmology department focused on developing bioengineered silk-based biopolymers for use in the reconstruction of the ocular surface. His work was presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Conference. Wey also earned multiple honors as a member of the varsity indoor and outdoor track teams, captaining both as a Fourth and Fifth Former, and the soccer squad since his Second Form year.
In May, the School honored Lawrentians who will continue their careers as student-athletes this fall at some of the nation’s finest colleges and universities. Not every Lawrentian who will continue his/her career as a student-athlete in college was available for the accompanying photograph, but here are the names of those who were present: Evelyn Bird • Dartmouth, field hockey
Daniel Leckie • Lafayette, baseball
Alexander Blackwood • Georgetown, rowing
Konrad Lewszyk • California-Berkeley, rowing
Jameson Demarco • Williams, football
Robert Lincoln • Cornell, swimming
Peter Firestone • Yale, football
Anna Madarasz • Hobart and William Smith, ice hockey
Tara Fish • Northeastern, rowing
Patrick McLaughlin • U.S. Naval Academy, wrestling
Callen Fullerton • Bowdoin, squash/lacrosse
Charlie Minnetian • Trinity, squash
Margaret Gardner • Dartmouth, rowing
Robert Mooney • Yale, lacrosse
Winthrop Gruber • California-Berkeley, rowing
Grant Newsome • Michigan, football
Kennedy Guest-Pritchett • Smith, basketball
Francie Pena • Dickinson, field hockey
Tyler Haskell • Dartmouth, lacrosse
James Pratt • Wisconsin, rowing
Grace Hillman • Johns Hopkins, field hockey
Karen Prihoda • Bridgeport, softball
Sarah Hollinger • Williams, soccer
Sebastian Preciado • Franklin & Marshall, tennis
Chukwudi Ilogu • Cornell, track
Egan Sachs-Hecht • Hobart and William Smith, ice hockey
Nicholas John • Haverford, soccer
Eliot Schulte • Yale, lacrosse
Hailey Kruger • Michigan, rowing
Sonal Shrivastava • Yale, tennis
Jane Kirby • Lafayette, lacrosse
Marcos Soto Esparza • Williams, basketball
John Lager • Yale, football
Isaiah Thomas • Wesleyan, football
Dean Lamela • Penn State, lacrosse
John Vasiliu • Amherst, baseball
Sophia Lattanzio • Bowdoin, ice hockey
Girls’ Crew Rows to Victory Congratulations to the girls of the Big Red lightweight four-oared boat with coxswain, who finished seventh at the U.S. Youth National Rowing championships and first at the Scholastic Rowing Association of America (SRAA) championships. The U.S. Nationals were held June 12-14 in Sarasota and Bradenton, Fla. The boat was coxed by Genevieve de Vicq de Cumptich ’16, with rowers (from bow to stern) Diba Massihpour ’15, Melissa Marcus ’16, Caroline Dragonetti ’15, and Hailey Kruger ’15.
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Sports Roundup
Boys’ golf Record: 8-4 Coach: Tim Doyle ’69 H’79 P’99 Captains: John Warden ’15 Chis Zhang ’15
SPRING Season STATS Boys’ Baseball Record: 11-9 Coach: Champ Atlee ’62 H’74 ’75 ’79 ’83 ’84 P’92 Captains: S ean Cuskley ’15 Matthew Tola ’15 John Vasiliu ’15 Boys’ crew M.A.P.L. Champions USRowing Mid-Atlantic Champions, Varsity Eight Varsity Eight Record: 16-1 Varsity Four Record: 5-0 Coach: Benjamin Wright P’10 Captain: Clifford Gilman ’15 Girls’ crew Varsity Eight Record: 1-1 Varsity Four Record: 3-1 Coach: Bernadette Teeley Captains: Hailey Kruger ’15
Diba Massihpour ’15 14
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By Karla Guido
Girls’ Golf Record: 8-0 Coach: Gus Hedberg H’03 P’96 ’00 Captains: Sofia Pullen ’15 Julia Hyman ’15
Girls’ softball Record: 13-6 Coach: John Schiel H’78 P’97 ’08 ’10 Captain: K aren Prihoda ’15 Boys’ Tennis M.A.P.L. Champions Record: 14-3 Coach: David Cantlay H’89 ’91 ’93 ’94 ’15 P’07 ’09 ’11 Captain: S ebastian Preciado ’15 Boys’ Lacrosse Record: 9-10 Coach: Allen Fitzpatrick ’73, H’85 H’89 P’99 P’04 Captain: Wyatt Rancourt ’15 Girls’ Lacrosse M.A.P.L. Champions Record: 10-3 Coach: Kris Schulte P’15 Captains: Jane Kirby ’15 Eliot Schulte ’15
Boys’ Outdoor Track M.A.P.L. Champions N.J.I.S.A.A. Champions Record: 5-0 Coach: Erik Chaput Captains: D aniel Goldman ’15 Chudi Ilogu ’15 Nick John ’15 Nicholas Wey ’15 girls’ Outdoor Track M.A.P.L. Champions N.J.I.S.A.A. Champions Record: 7-1 Coach: Katie Chaput Captain: G race Hillman ’15 Katelyn Long ’15 Tacy Wagner ’15
sp r i n g
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For the most current athletic news visit www.lawrenceville.org/athletics
On the Arts
Spring in Their Steps
T
he Spring Dance Concert (SDC) is the place for Lawrentians of any form willing to swap their street shoes for dance, whether tap, jazz, or pointe – perhaps even sneakers or no shoes at all! The magic happens when every performer comes together and dances to a common beat – their love of dance – backed by music ranging from classic to contemporary. This May’s edition of the show lived up to its billing, with dozens of dancers performing a total of 21 pieces, most choreographed by current
students, as Lawrenceville En Corps presented the 2015 Spring Dance Concert in the Kirby Arts Center. The show, a perennial highlight of Lawrenceville’s performing arts calendar, was dedicated this year to outgoing Head Master Liz Duffy H’43 ’55 ’79 ’15 P’19. “Despite the fact that choreographers are limited to just one rehearsal each week, the enthusiasm and skill that audience members witness on the Kirby Arts Center stage is immeasurable,” Swanee Golden ’15 wrote on her student blog. “All performers are incredibly
supportive of each other and dancers receive even more support from audience members.” Indeed, the dancers’ unbridled zeal for their art was rewarded by raucous cheering from students, faculty and staff in the audience, creating what Golden called “a lively, dynamic performance environment. “The spirit of inclusion and support that surrounds SDC is truly representative of the encouraging nature of the Lawrenceville community,” she added.
“Despite the fact that choreographers are limited to just one rehearsal each week, the enthusiasm and skill that audience members witness on the Kirby Arts Center stage is immeasurable.”
Elbert Gong ’15 earned a YoungArts Foundation Award.
Gong '15 Feted by Young Arts Elbert Gong ’15 is the recipient of a 2015 National YoungArts Foundation award in the instrumental music: keyboard/piano category. The award recognizes and supports America’s most talented 15- 18-year-olds in the visual, literary, and performing arts. Gong began studying piano at age 4 and is now continuing his education through the Juilliard College division Bachelor of Music program. Gong has won numerous competitions – most recently first prize in the 2015 Marian Garcia Piano Competition at Penn State University. In 2014, he was a finalist at the New York International Piano Competition. His other competition prizes include the 2013 AFAF International Concerto competition (first prize), 2013 Kaufman International Piano Competition (Jury Award for the Best Performance of Baroque Piece), and the 2013 LISMA International Music Competition (first prize). He appeared as a soloist on NPR’s From the Top in 2013.
Junie Xia’s ’15 award-winning work, The Gourmet
Xia ’15 Has a Brush with Success The Gourmet, a painting by Junie Xia ’15, earned a Silver award in the 2015 National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Of 300,000 works of art and writing submitted, only the top 1 percent were recognized at the national level. Xia, now a student at the University of California, Berkeley, earned six Gold Keys, one Silver Key, and three Honorable Mentions for other works at the regional competition held this year. The program is sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, which identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and brings their work to a national audience.
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Take This Job & Love It
From Whisks
to Whiskers
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or Christina Ha ’04, who once dreamed of a career in fashion, you could say it all began with socks. Actually, make that “Socks.” As in Mr. Socks, the kitten Ha and her husband, Simon Tung, found outside their Manhattan apartment two years ago. “We took him in and adopted him and became instant and hardcore cat people,” says Ha, who, within eight weeks, adopted two more along the way to feline-fanatic status. “We were basically obsessed with cats.” Mr. Socks may have found a family inside the pair’s Chinatown home, but he remains blissfully unaware that his good fortune also helped spur the creation of Meow Parlour, New York City’s first permanent cat café. A safe, comfortable space where patrons can meet adorable, adoptable felines, Meow Parlour provides an environment where they spend quality time petting and playing with the cats-in-residence for an hourly fee, accommodating as many as thirty guests at a time. Ha and business partner Emilie Legrand opened Meow Parlour in December 2014 to a wave of eager media coverage, including The New York Times, TIME, USA Today, and Buzzfeed. The welcoming of walk-ins quickly grew into a two-month wait list to come cuddle. “Being the first one in New York kind of advertises itself,” Ha says of Meow Parlour’s immediate popularity. Anticipating early interest, she and Legrand hired a public relations firm to handle media coverage, which proved savvy. “We thought we were only going to work with them for a couple months, but the story’s had a much longer life than that.” Beyond simple petting and playing in the
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cats’ customized play places, Meow Parlour’s tranquil, unrushed atmosphere also lends itself to helping patrons know cats better as prospective pets. Ha and Legrand house anywhere from ten to fifteen healthy, well-tempered cats at a time, all of which have been vetted by KittyKind, a no-kill rescue group based in nearby Union Square. But unlike many other cat cafés, which place some of what Ha calls “the sweetest, most adoptable cats,” Meow Parlour seeks those felines that may not traditionally be considered top-tier candidates for adoption by many people. The cats you find at Meow Parlour might be older or more taciturn, or bear some scar from life on the streets of New York, but Ha says they are unparalleled as pets who know how to give and receive love. “We didn’t want kittens, because they’re so adoptable. We wanted to build a space where people can come by and see them as what they are, beyond whatever flaws they might have,” explains Ha, adding that Meow Parlour has matched some fifty cats with loving families since opening. She shares the tale of one 10-year-old cat that had been confined to a cage at KittyKind, where she was overlooked again and again because of her age. “Then a woman came in – I think her cat had just passed away – and she saw this cat, which kind of stole her heart; the age didn’t matter to her. She came back and she said she couldn’t stop thinking about her for days, and now they’re together.” Another cat came to Meow Parlour shortly after eye surgery sporting a rather distinctive look. “He looked like a James Bond villain!” Ha says, adding that the four-legged rogue was also missing fur on his face because of surgical stitches. “But when he came out of
She may be a Paris-trained pastry chef, but Meow Parlour is no pet project for Christina Ha ’04.
the cage, people didn’t even notice his eye because he was so affectionate. An 8-year-old girl chose him; she said this is our cat, and her family took him home.” A trend that developed in Japan in the late 1990s, cat cafés began sprouting up in North America just last fall, first in Oakland, California, with about a half-dozen following soon in several major American cities. While many urban apartments bar residents from keeping pets, cat cafés such as Meow Parlour provide visitors an uncomplicated half-hour stroking the soft feline fur of an appreciative friend before they dive back into their daily grind. Some of their business even comes from people who have cats at home, but simply can’t resist the lure of fresh fur. “Some people will come in and confess, ‘I’m cheating on my cat!’ ” Ha reveals. “Most of our staff have their own cats, but everyone cheats a little.” Despite the rapid success of Meow Parlour, Ha admits the idea to open a cat café arose from little more than a flight of (cat) fancy between her and Legrand. “It started as a joke,” she admits, explaining that the idea gained steam after Legrand scoped out a cat café during a holiday visit home to France. “She came back and said it was so much fun,” Ha recalls. “So we were talking about how it didn’t make sense that there wasn’t one in New York.” Ha was no stranger to running a successful business – she and Tung own two popular Macaron Parlour Patisserie locations in New York, where Ha still works as head pastry chef – and what began as a lark was becoming a serious proposition. She stayed up for two nights
passion project. Legrand resigned from her job in the kitchen of Macaron Parlour to become an investor and co-partner in Meow Parlour. They were on their way, opening on Hester Street in Manhattan’s Lower East Side within months. The unique appeal of Meow Parlour is also shaped by Ha’s baking acumen through its sister store, Meow Parlour Patisserie. Located just around the corner, the storefront specializes in cat-themed pastries for humans, artfully crafted by Ha, a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education’s pastry and baking program,
as well as the culinary management program. New York Department of Health regulations require the two facilities to operate separately, but guests at Meow Parlour can enjoy their feline time while savoring coffee, tea, or catshaped cookies and treats baked to the same delectable standards they have come to expect from the two Macaron Parlour locations. “Just don’t feed the cats!” says Ha, whose confections remain strictly for her two-legged clientele. No worries, though. For the felines of Meow Parlour, things are already pretty sweet.
Photograph by Donnelly Marks
writing a thorough cat café business plan that included a five-year financial outlook. Still, Ha, who earned dual bachelor’s degrees in economics and psychology from Barnard College at Columbia University, was nagged by doubt. “We had just opened up our second Macaron Parlour store,” she explains. “I told Emilie that I really want to do this, but the timing doesn’t really make sense, and Simon doesn’t want to do it…” But Legrand countered Ha’s doubts: You want to do it, and I want to do it, so… The pair decided to forge ahead with their
Home Ask the Archivist
is where the Heart is
By Jacqueline Haun
On a campus defined by its House System, Foundation House remains its spiritual hub.
The Circle Houses, as seen here in 1885, were situated to be easily seen from the head master’s office in Foundation House.
W
hen new Head Master Stephen S. Murray H’55 ’65 P’16 arrived at Lawrenceville this summer, he and his family took up residence in the newly refurbished Foundation House, home to ten of the School’s thirteen head masters since 1885. Before the reorganization of the School in 1883, school heads lived either in their own nearby homes or in what is now Hamill House. When James Cameron Mackenzie arrived on campus in 1883 as the first head master to be appointed by the John Cleve Green Foundation’s Board of Trustees, he and his family initially moved into Rouse House (known today as Rose Hill), near the intersection of Main Street and Cold Soil Road. Trustee Charles E. Green reportedly asked the new head master several times whether he preferred a new home for his family to be added to the Circle plans, but Mackenzie, conscious of the considerable expense already incurred by the construction of four student houses and a new recitation space – what would become Woods Memorial Hall – repeatedly declined. However, Ella Smith Mackenzie, the head master’s wife, was not so reluctant. With two young children at home and another on the way, Mrs. Mackenzie found the Rouse House cramped, and when Green approached her directly about new housing, she happily accepted his offer. She proceeded to work closely
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with the architectural firm Peabody & Stearns of Boston to design a home suitable for the role the head master’s family would play in School life. Named Foundation House in honor of the men who established the John Cleve Green Foundation, the three-story home was not yet finished when the Mackenzies took residence in July 1885. The move came none too soon, for the Mackenzie’s third child, George,
Class of 1901, was born in the new home only a month later. Five more of the Mackenzies’ eight children would be born in the House during their father’s tenure. From the beginning, the House was never strictly a private residence, as the Mackenzies were expected to lodge campus visitors, including guest speakers and parents. In fact, during one particularly overcrowded school year, Foundation House was even home to
Enveloped by climbing ivy a century ago, Foundation House has played host to no fewer than four U.S. presidents.
six students. No fewer than four United States presidents – Woodrow Wilson, Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft and Franklin Delano Roosevelt – have also been entertained in Foundation House during visits to Lawrenceville. In addition to welcoming off-campus visitors, Mrs. Mackenzie took responsibility for the social events of the school and began the tradition of post-Commencement luncheon for graduates’ families. Beyond its social use, Foundation House was also the first location of the head master’s office. The space was initially designed in such a way to present a view of the front doors of all the Circle Houses, a vantage point that allowed the head master to easily monitor campus activities from his desk. Those boys unfortunate enough to be called to the head master’s office during the era of Mackenzie’s successor, Simon J. McPherson (1899-1919), would wait outside in trepidation for their appointments while seated on a wooden settee that became known as “the Anxious Bench.” The bench remains in Foundation House, although students now wait out disciplinary summonses elsewhere on campus. By the time of Head Master Mather Abbott (1919-1934), Foundation House had become a social and cultural hub for the students of the school. Events included recitals, musicals, teas, and even one-minute plays, written and read by French Master Thornton Wilder. Abbott also began a tradition of reading Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to the student body just before the holiday break began each year. The increased social use of the home demanded expanded space, which resulted in the addition of Alumni Study in 1922. Designed by William A. Delano, Class of 1891, from the New York firm of Delano & Aldrich, the new study was designed to hold an entire form (approximately eighty students at the time) and featured a large fireplace with the school seal mounted on the mantel. While Alumni Study made a great space for entertaining large groups, it was less conducive to the day-to-day business of the head master, and in 1925, an office was created for Head Master Abbott just off the rotunda in the new Fathers’ Building. The old office in Foundation House was transformed into the Kellogg Library, named and populated with books courtesy of the family of Leroy Gifford Kellogg ’22, whose portrait still hangs in the room. The ever-evolving uses of Foundation
Dr. James Cameron Mackenzie, pictured with his five sons in 1908, was the first head master to occupy Foundation House.
House as a campus center have prompted several renovations over the years, including the addition of the Foundation House sun room, terrace and garden during the administration of Allan Heely (1934-1959) and a 20th-century modernization of the kitchens and bathrooms
Ella Smith Mackenzie worked closely with architects to design a home suitable for the role of the head master’s family on campus.
during the tenure of Bruce McClellan (19591986). The current renovation is perhaps the most extensive to date, bringing many of the home’s utilities into the 21st century while respecting the historic nature of the House, a task mediated by consultation with the historic preservation firm HMR Architects of Princeton. One of the most intriguing of the newly renovated spaces is a spacious family room on the second floor, which Head Master Murray says was created with students firmly in mind. “My wife, Sarah, and I remember well our days away from home in boarding school and would like students to feel warmly welcomed into our home,” Murray said. “As newcomers, we are already so struck by the warmth and sense of belonging that seems to be core to the Lawrenceville experience; the House System is clearly a key part of this, and we just hope that over time, people will also see Foundation House as one of the elements that contributes to such a close-knit, welcoming environment.” Murray added that the kitchen has also been updated and enlarged to allow Foundation House to maintain its tradition as a homey hub for students. “We’ll be asking students themselves to help us create occasions that fit into their busy lives,” he explained. “We could do an entire form in Alumni Study to watch a movie, or maybe have the field hockey team for cookies and milk the night before a big game.” After more than 130 years, thanks to its recent reformation, Foundation House can still be expected to serve as a welcoming “home away from home” for the extended family that is the Lawrenceville community.
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Leading
Integrity With
By Sean Ramsden
photographs by Donnelly Marks
New Head Master Steve Murray H’55 ’65 P’16 says Lawrenceville shapes character through a sense of belonging to something timeless.
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itting in his office inside the Mackenzie Administration Building on a sultry summer morning, Steve Murray is relaxed and thoughtful in considering the path that has led him to this spot. A new academic year is less than six weeks away for the 13th head master of The Lawrenceville School, and Murray freely allows that for all he’s learned about his new home since his appointment ten months earlier, there is much more to absorb. A story two centuries in the making is not quickly digested. Murray enjoys punctuating his points through anecdotes, and as he begins to familiarize himself to the Lawrenceville community, these narratives – whether personal accounts or folklore pulled from the pages of his beloved French literature – help illuminate some of the cornerstone principles that have shaped his career in education. Tales like Jean Giono’s The Man Who Planted Trees, Murray explains, offer a vivid and touching reminder that “the little things matter.” So even when Murray discusses his recent move from Cleveland, where he previously served as headmaster of the University School, you can’t help but look for insights that might speak to larger ideas about the man. You listen as he explains how he and his wife, Sarah, were classmates and the very best of friends at Philips Exeter Academy, in a time when pen and paper were still the medium of meaningful correspondence, even among teenagers. “We were both letter writers, and we both save letters because they’re important to us,” Murray explains. “And in going through our belongings, we found a number of old letters that we had written to each other in high school and college that we’d held on to. It was fun coming across those in old boxes. We began to date not long after college and were married rather soon after that.”
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The Murray family, from left: Maggie, James, Sarah, Steve, Henry, Sam, and Grace ’16. Not pictured are their two Labradors, Rocky and Roscoe, both happy to call Foundation House their home.
for excellence. And even then, he had a keen awareness that his best teachers were the ones who challenged him to meet or exceed their expectations of him. But Murray also had a strong support system at home, including parents who sought opportunities for their son to “broaden his horizons,” he explains. After his freshman year at Morristown, the Murrays enrolled him in the Exeter Summer School program, which made an indelible impression on the teen. “I loved it,” he says, adding that all the students there were encouraged to apply for matriculation at Exeter. He did and was accepted. “But I was one of six children, and private
“One of the things institutions like Lawrenceville do wonderfully well is create an environment where students can thrive. And it’s not just the cultivation of the intellect. It’s the cultivation of confidence, of character, a sense of belonging to something that is enduring and larger than any one individual.” Foundation House, where the Murrays now reside, gleams after a complete restoration. “Both of us feel equally strongly about opening that up to the community in a variety of ways,” he says.
As he tells the story, you begin to realize the way Murray savors the process – the fundamental steps that become the foundation of extraordinary things – such as a twenty-seven-year marriage, five children, and a career’s worth of experience helping young learners realize their potential.
Stephen S. Murray H’55 ’65 P’16 assumes his new role with a sense of direction forged by thirty years in education, virtually all spent at independent schools. He has witnessed the transformative power of the boarding school experience as a student and a mentor, and he sincerely adores the role teachers, housemasters, and coaches play in that whole-person development of young people. For Murray, the history and customs of The Lawrenceville School provide more than just the luster of a time-honored heri-
tage. They offer a context of permanence that can and should be slightly humbling. “One of the things institutions like this do wonderfully well is create an environment where students can thrive. And it’s not just the cultivation of the intellect. It’s the cultivation of confidence, of character, a sense of belonging to something that is enduring and larger than any one individual,” he explains. “It creates a sense of humility, of being a part of an institution that’s been around as long as Lawrenceville.” Murray was not born into that milieu. His own story takes him back to Morristown High School, forty-five miles north of Lawrenceville, where he recalls spending two active years as a student, “playing sports and enjoying my friends.” Whether as a defenseman for the school’s hockey team, swimming the 100-meter freestyle, or in the classroom, Murray was a determined competitor who strove
school tuition wasn’t necessarily in my future, so I kind of wrote it off.” Perhaps aware of this fleeting chance, however, Murray’s grandparents stepped in to defray the cost, an act of generosity that permanently altered his course. “My ambition was not to go away to school,” he says, “but once I had the opportunity, I thought, well, why not?” Murray proudly carried his public school background with him to the leafy New Hampshire campus, satisfied that he had been a top student in a very good school even without the personalized attention that would greet him in his new environment. “You had to do it on your own there, so I felt that was a good part of my experience,” he explains. “But stepping on the campus at Exeter and seeing these old buildings, with huge oak tables at the center of the classroom, I thought, wow, what happens here must be important. They take it very seriously.”
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That realization remained with Murray, and it even helped sculpt his desire to one day play a role in that process as an educator. It was his first step on a route that would eventually lead him to Lawrenceville. “Certainly at Exeter, I had masters who were role models, people who made me think maybe I want to do that with my life,” he says. Murray’s first job after graduating from Williams College with a bachelor’s degree in French was an internship with the French government, teaching in a small, inner-city public middle school on the edge of Paris.
While Murray quickly surmised that the Harkness method was a fundamental component of a select boarding school education, it also wasn’t long before he gathered the underlying advantage he had been granted. “What struck me was that these schools offer opportunity,” he explains. “It isn’t about pedigree or bloodline. Some of the top students at Exeter were no better or stronger than some of the top students at my public school, but sights were set so much higher and kids were more ambitious. That was my first lesson in what opportunity can mean to a person.”
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“I was primarily serving children of immigrant families from North and West Africa. The neighborhood where I taught was in an area that blew up in riots later in the ’90s, and it was essentially the area from where the Charlie Hebdo radicals emerged,” he recalls, noting that even then, the area was in a state of some ferment. “I loved the whole experience; I loved the students I worked with and the environment.” Returning to the states, but lacking the certification to teach in a public school, Murray accepted a job at an independent school
in Massachusetts. “I was hooked in terms of wanting to be a teacher, but also on the idea of being at an independent school where I had complete curricular freedom and a great deal of autonomy to innovate and find different ways to capture the attention of my kids,” he explains. “I loved the freedom, and I never looked back.”
When the search committee began its task of finding a successor to outgoing Head Master Liz Duffy H’43 ’55 ’79 ’15 P’19, its members knew they needed to find someone who could build upon Lawrenceville’s forward momentum. They were confident the right candidate would be able to “deepen a sense of community, unite and inspire students, faculty, and alums,” explains School trustee Whitney Hailand Brown ’91, who co-chaired the search committee alongside Michael S. Chae ’86. “Liz gave us an incredible gift with her transformational leadership,” Brown says of the bar set by Duffy during her twelve-year tenure. “Our school is in such a strong position due to her management expertise, fundraising acumen, and educational innovation that we were able to look for someone who could build on that momentum and find new ways to engage, unite, and inspire our community – both on and off campus.” Intrinsic to that was a thorough understanding of the boarding school experience, according to fellow trustee John Waldron ’87, who also served on the committee. “We looked for a veteran of what it means to be part of a community with students, faculty, and staff, someone who would fit at the center of campus and strengthen those community bonds,” Waldron says. “We wanted someone who displays leadership, presence, and visibility, and who was highly engaged. Steve hit all the right buttons.” One of Murray’s charms is his ability to relate to students as well as he does adults. Though he commands their interest, it is not simply the result of his authority. His humble likeability transcends the generations and connects instantly with Lawrenceville teens. “So, what should I make sure not to mess up?” a smiling Murray asks of a half-dozen student tour guides beneath the high, sky-lit rotunda of the Administration Building. He has spoken plenty with alumni, faculty, and
“It isn’t about just my vision or my hand on the tiller. In some ways, you want to be a servant leader, you want to be a servant of the school, and there are a variety of ways to do that,” Murray explains.
The new spacious, open, and modern kitchen of Foundation House lends itself to the Murrays’ vision of hosting pizza-making parties for Houses and teams.
administrators, but he wants to stay tapped into the thoughts of his students, too. As they exchange ideas for upcoming student assemblies, Murray playfully admits to taking part in a Led Zeppelin lip-synching act during his days as the assistant headmaster at Deerfield Academy. Another group of administrators dressed up like the popular 1980s pop act, The Go-Go’s. “The kids were rolling in the aisles,” Murray tells the students, who register their own approval through laughter. “But I’m not sure that’ll be my first appearance at Lawrenceville…” For a headmaster, however, that ability to forge authentic connections with students is just as important during times of trouble. Brown recalls a moment during Murray’s interview when he shared the tale of a Deerfield student who had just lost his father. “When Steve got the news, he canceled a very busy schedule and took the boy fishing
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The refreshed appeal of Alumni Study allows the elegant hall to reclaim its position as an esteemed meeting place.
for the afternoon,” she said, noting that the entire committee was clearly moved by his concern. “The story illustrated Steve’s deep humanity; he has a unique combination of intellect, warmth, compassion, and authenticity. I loved that he recognized that nothing was more important than comforting this young boy in a time of need.” This resolve to provide a familial support to students at Lawrenceville is on vivid display in the newly renovated Foundation House, where the Murrays now reside. Built in 1885, the structure was badly in need of revitalization and had fallen out of favor as a meeting spot for students. Now, with a spacious, open, and modern kitchen, and a roomy new, second-floor television room with a small auxiliary kitchen, the residence is poised to allow the Murrays to host entire houses or athletics teams for pizza-making or movie nights. The renovation also includes a refurbished Alumni Study.
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“We both share a belief in the transformative elements of the boarding school experience, and the role that the adults can play in the lives of a young person.”
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“I was so delighted that even before Steve and Sarah got on campus, they were thinking about ways that they could ensure they really got to know the students,” says Brown, adding that the couple consulted with the project architect to ensure it was better suited for accommodating students. “We both share a belief in the transformative elements of the boarding school experience and the role that the adults can play in the lives of a young person,” Murray explains. “We’re really excited about Foundation House. Both of us feel equally strongly about opening that up to the community in a variety of ways, and very much hope that students will accept
our invitations over the course of the year to come be a part of our home.” Murray noted that the renovated Bath House will be a fine complement to that dynamic, providing a strong draw to young Lawrentians seeking lighter fare, snacks, and coffee. Situated between the Circle and Crescent Houses, its neutral location lends itself to a community gathering spot that Murray thinks is important. “The way the campus is set up, there isn’t one student center that draws all of the students together for leisure time, but there are smaller types of gatherings – house-sized gatherings – that already occur in different places around campus,” he explains. “The Bath House is going to be a wonderful place for groups to gather, and we hope that Foundation House will be part of that constellation, places where students feel welcome and feel a little bit of home life.” Such comforts of home are a key article of the Murray doctrine. “I recall vividly as a young teacher in boarding school, living in a dormitory apartment, the simple act of inviting students into your home, into your living room, for brownies and hot chocolate, to sit in front of a fire as a study break, meant the world to them,” he says. “For a kid who might be just ten miles from home, or a thousand miles from home, it meant a lot, and I want to try to somehow use Foundation House to recreate that.” The profound residual effect of such an environment can last a lifetime, insists Murray, who has already seen it come to life in Lawrenceville alumni. “I was in New York yesterday afternoon and had a meeting with an alum who was in his seventies. He described losing his mother during his Third Form year,” he recounts. “And the wife of a housemaster became this hugely important presence in his life and really became very much a maternal presence for him. And over fifty years later, he got emotional talking about it. So, it’s at those kinds of moments where it truly does feel like a family and can really play a role in your life.” Murray, who earned master’s degrees in education and French literature from Harvard University, draws heavily upon his experiences as a student at Exeter. He is also shaped by fifteen years at Deerfield, where he served as a teacher, faculty resident, varsity coach, dean
Murray and new athletic director Tripp Welborne have high hopes for Big Red sports.
of students, and academic dean, in addition to assistant headmaster. He spent the past decade as headmaster at the University School, where he had chief oversight of a two-campus, allboys, K-12 day school with 875 students and 235 faculty and staff. Ever mindful of the advantages conferred by opportunity, Murray more than doubled the school’s financial aid
budget on the strength of a successful $100 million capital campaign. Bearing such impressive credentials, he presented a strong lure to the search committee. “I would say from the first twenty minutes, it was clear to me that he was our guy,” Waldron recalls of Murray’s interview. “By his background, it was crystal clear to me that he
was groomed for this for most of his life.” Brown agreed, recalling the way Murray galvanized the committee’s sense of accord. “We all gravitated to Steve for our own different reasons,” she says. “I never would have anticipated that we would unanimously select a candidate, and I think it is a real testament to Steve and his talent that he inspired each of us so deeply. He led with his integrity.” One particular innovation that Murray introduced to the University School is one already well-established at Lawrenceville: the Harkness table. He sees the egalitarian method, which so quickly captured his attention upon his arrival at Exeter, as a perfect example of an enduring Lawrenceville tradition. And make no mistake: Murray is keenly aware of the importance of tradition at the School. At the same time, however, he believes that what constitutes “tradition” can sometimes be a matter of perception. What becomes fundamental is very often, at first, radical. “The introduction of Harkness tables [at Lawrenceville] was a dramatic change in the whole pedagogical approach. It was certainly unsettling to some of the masters at that time, and it was a real change in mindset for the students,” explains Murray, who will also teach French literature at the School. “It was probably a disruptive change and yet is now core to the culture, core to the way we cultivate a democracy of voices around the table.” Still, he realizes that alumni are protective of their memories and don’t always cotton to changes that alter the customs they cherish. “I think the alumni perspective is enormously helpful, and it’s important that we pay attention to it,” Murray says. “It is also important that we earn the trust of the alums, so that as we allow the school to evolve and move forward, we are making sound, careful decisions in the choices we make. Great schools don’t remain great by sitting still.” One need only consider the vitalizing effects of desegregation and coeducation on the long-term health of the School to see this. Those provide landmark examples, Murray says, but smaller change has been a constant for two hundred years. “The school that alums from the 1950s and ’60s loved was a dramatically different place than the school of the 1920s or the 1880s,” Murray explains. “We will be careful to identify what must endure and what we want to
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“You’ve got to have an adult, a mentor, whom you respect and who you know cares about you.” retain because one of the great strengths of Lawrenceville is the traditions, the culture, and the respect and veneration for the past. We’ll absolutely not only retain that, but help students understand how important that is.” That respect for the customs of Lawrenceville, while keeping an eye trained on the future, was also a key selling point for Waldron. “He’s a traditionalist – someone who appreciates the importance of tradition, but is not stuck in the past,” he explains. “He’s progressive.” But how can a progressive approach to educational technology manifest itself at a school where Harkness teaching is part of its DNA? Is there any way to deftly integrate such modernity into such a treasured tradition? Fear not; at Lawrenceville, it’s already happening. “Our goal is to make sure that the technology we deploy in a deliberate way enhances the
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Harkness experience, as opposed to interfering with it,” explains William Freitas P’19, director of information technology at Lawrenceville. “If we use something like a threaded discussion board outside of class, it allows the student who is more of an introvert, or who isn’t too sure of him or herself, to contribute right then and there. These discussion boards extend the Harkness table, giving everyone a chance to contribute. So when the teachers are monitoring that, they can then explicitly draw that person into the conversation: Tell us more about your feelings or what you’ve written here. “They’re sometimes our smartest, deepest thinkers, and because they’re thinking so deeply, they’re not talking as quickly,” Freitas adds. “After a few episodes like that, they begin to trust their thoughts and their feelings and contribute more.” The means of augmenting the personal experience of Harkness through the use of technology beyond the traditional classroom is a concept Murray embraces. He has seen applications of technology that allow types of connectivity never before seen in classrooms, such as students in conference with the Southern Poverty Law Center or an indigenous tribe in rural Australia. Still, he says, “because so
much is happening virtually, and because so much is happening through distance learning, it makes the Harkness table all the more important and relevant. “That building of trust and rapport, of partnering with someone, still has to happen in a very human and real way,” he explains. “And so we’re not going to lose, any time soon, the need to connect as humans in the same way.” This brand of human connectivity manifests itself well beyond the Harkness table, Murray believes. Transcending the cultivation of intellect, it instills something far deeper in students, and it’s one of the elements he says distinguishes Lawrenceville from other institutions. “That additional piece, which not all boarding schools can do well, is creating that sense of belonging, that sense of being a part of something bigger than themselves, and I think that’s what makes a difference,” he explains. “Because to have the confidence to take a leap, or a risk, and to really push yourself and not be afraid of stumbling, you’ve got to have someone believing in you. You’ve got to have an adult, a mentor, whom you respect and who you know cares about you.” Murray will be installed as the next head master of The Lawrenceville School on October 9, assuming his part in a historical linkage that began with Dr. Isaac Van Arsdale Brown’s small Puritan academy during the presidency of James Madison. And with each passing day, as he gets to know more and more members of the Lawrenceville community, he becomes an increasingly significant part of its story. Alumni one day, students the next, followed by administrators and faculty – all are discovering that Murray values collaboration. As a leader, he knows that it’s important for each group to have a stake in any successful outcome. “It isn’t about just my vision or my hand on the tiller. In some ways, you want to be a servant leader, you want to be a servant of the school, and there are a variety of ways to do that,” he explains. “But in terms of moving an institution forward, it can only work if everyone feels included, like his or her voice matters, and feels they played some role in setting the course. And if they’ve been part of a thoughtful process, everybody has a desire to see the plan work. Leadership pulls everyone together in that way.”
Leave a Lawrenceville Legacy Peter Lawson-Johnston ’45 GP’95 ’98 ’15 ’18 came to Lawrenceville as a Shell Form student over three quarters of a century ago. A student leader throughout his years at the School, he continued that tradition by joining the Board of Trustees in 1977 and serving as its president from 1990-1997. As a member of the Guggenheim family, Peter is senior partner in Guggenheim Brothers, honorary chairman of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and chairman of The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation. His experiences have given him a deep understanding of the importance of philanthropy to the success of Lawrenceville in both the near and long terms. With respect to the latter, Peter has added to his already considerable Lawrenceville legacy by creating a charitable remainder unitrust that provides income to his wife, Dede, for her lifetime and will benefit the School in years to come.
“In view of my rather complex background, if I am now a reasonably wellbalanced individual, I fully attribute that fact to my memorable Lawrenceville experience.” — Peter Lawson-Johnston
to learn more about supporting Lawrenceville students and faculty through a charitable remainder trust or other planned giving vehicle, please contact Jerry Muntz at jmuntz@lawrenceville.org or (609) 6206064, or go to www.lawrenceville.planyourlegacy.org.
Commencement
2015
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College and University Matriculation Class of 2015 Fourteen to:
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Columbia University
The University of North Carolina at
Eleven to:
University of Richmond
Princeton University
Smith College
Chapel Hill
Virginia Tech
Nine to:
Wake Forest University
Georgetown University
Wellesley College College of William & Mary
Eight to: Williams College
One to:
Yale University
Albright College American University
Seven to:
Babson College
University of Michigan
Boston University University of Bridgeport
Six to:
Bryn Mawr College
Brown University
University of California, Los Angeles
Duke University
University of California,
University of Pennsylvania
Santa Barbara Dickinson College
Five to:
Drexel University
Boston College
University of Edinburgh
Cornell University
Elon University
Dartmouth College
Emerson College
Davidson College
Franklin & Marshall College
New York University
Hamilton College
Northeastern University
Harvard University
Northwestern University
Haverford College
Stanford University
Indiana University, Bloomington Lynchburg College
Four to:
Macalester College
Bucknell University
Marquette University
University of California, Berkeley
University of New Brunswick
Colgate University
University of Notre Dame
Trinity College
Pennsylvania State University
University of Virginia
– University Park University of Pittsburgh
Three to:
Purdue University
Bowdoin College
Reed College
Johns Hopkins University
Sewanee: The University of the
Lafayette College Massachusetts Institute of Technology
South University of Southern California Southern Methodist University
Middlebury College
Swarthmore College
Washington University in St. Louis
The University of Texas at Austin
Wesleyan University
Trinity College Dublin Tufts University
Two to:
Tulane University
Amherst College
Union College
Bates College
United States Naval Academy
Carnegie Mellon University
Vanderbilt University
University of Chicago
University of Vermont
Emory University
Washington and Lee University
The George Washington University
University of Wisconsin – Madison
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Fifth Form Prizes Valedictorian • Thien Khuong Ba Do The John King Prize for Photography • Mackenzie Howe The James E. Blake Prize • Sarah Cartwright The Peter Candler Periwig Award • Dalila Haden
The Henry C. Woods Jr. Critical Writing Award • Swanee Golden
The Chinese Language Prize • Rhys Jamieson
The English Department Prize for Achievement in Creative Writing • Claire Zau
The Sterling Morton Prize • Khuong Do
The Benjamin H. Trask Classics Prize • Kathy Zhang The Frederick P. King Prize • Rhys Jamieson
The Addison H. Gery, Jr. Jazz Prize • Sahil Kumar
The John P. Phelps Prize • Julia Zielczynska
The Matthew Dominy Prize • Liam Hunt
The John W. Gartner Prize • Maggie Gardner
• Cliff Gilman The John R. Rose Jr. Prize • Mu Gao
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The Owen C. Smith Poetry Prize • Samantha Picard
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The Independence Foundation Prize • Evan Lee The Colin Sullivan Award • Aulden Foltz The Richard H. Robinson Prize • David Paasche The William A. Dickey ‘64 Prize • Eliot Schulte The Poetry Out Loud Prize • Eliot Schulte
Underform Awards The John H. Imbrie Humanities/Cultural Studies Prize • Alex Mauro ’18 The John H. Imbrie Prize for Humanities/English • Alan Lin ’18 The Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Niblock Award • Connor Duwan ’16 The Peter W. Dart Prize • Paola del Toro ’16 The Lawrence L. Hlavacek Bowl • Nicholas Mendoza ’16 • Cary Friday ’16 The Eisenhower Leadership Award • Ian Frost ’16 Semans Family Merit Scholarship • Connor Duwan ’16 • Ian Frost ’16 • Elizabeth Paasche ’16 The Ruben T. and Charlotte Boykins Carlson Scholarship • Max Drojjin ’17 • Pravika Joshi ’17 The Beverly Whiting Anderson Prize • Serena Khanna ’18 • Alex Yang ’18 The Marcus D. French Memorial Prize • Elle Cooper ’18 • Bobby Vogel ’18 The Rutgers University Book Award • Ciana Montero ’16 The Wellesley Club of Central Jersey • Elizabeth Paasche ’16 The Williams College Book Award • Neel Ajjarapu ’16 The Brown University Alumni Book Award Program • Eva Blake ’16 The Dartmouth Club of Princeton Book Award • Connor Duwan ’16 The Yale Club Book Award • Sophia Garrett ’16 Harvard Club of Boston Prize Book Award • Sarah Milby ’16 The Katherine W. Dresdner Cup • Stephens House The Foresman Trophy • Hamill House
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Alumni Weekend 2015
Meritorious Service Award ▸ Hyman Brody ’75 P’07 ’08 ’10 ▸ James Duffy Jr. ’85 ▸ Donna Rizzo ’04
Presented annually by the Alumni Association of The Lawrenceville School, this award acknowledges and recognizes extraordinary volunteerism and/or service to the Lawrenceville community. Candidates may be alumni, honorary class members, faculty and family, or School employees and family.
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New Honorary Alumni/ae The Class of 1955 ▸ Elizabeth A. Duffy H’43 ’55 ’79 ’15 P’19 ▸ Stephen S. Murray H’55 ’65 P’16
The Class of 1960 ▸ Ginnie Chambers H’59 ’60 ’61 ’62 ’80 ’89 P’77 ▸ Jo Brewster Devlin H’58 ’59 ’60 ’66 P’71
The Class of 1965 ▸ Theodore K. “Ted” Graham H’65 ’66 ’68 ’72 P’85 ▸ Mary Elizabeth McClellan H’50 ’52 ’57 ’59 ’65
’79 GP’10 ▸ Stephen S. Murray H’55 ’65 P’16
The Class of 1970 ▸ Betsy Stephens Ellsworth H’70
The Class of 1975 ▸ Alvin M. Philpet H’75 ’78 ▸ Benjamin “Champ” C. Atlee ’62 H’74 ’75 ’79 ’83
’84 P’92
The Class of 1980 ▸ Ginnie Chambers H’59 ’60 ’61 ’62 ’80 ’89 P’77 ▸ W. Graham Cole H’77 ’80 ’83 ’85 ’87 P’91 ’95 ▸ Max Maxwell H’74 ’80 ’81 ’91
The Class of 1985 ▸ W. Graham Cole H’77 ’80 ’83 ’85 ’87 P’91 ’95 ▸ Lisa Marin H’85 P’11 ’13 ’16
The Class of 1995 ▸ Sahoko Okabayashi H’95 P’92 ’95
The Class of 2000 ▸ Carlisle Davis H’00
Admirable Achievement Award ▸ Robert McClellan H’65 P’10
Presented by the Alumni Association to a non-alumnus, this award is inspired by the many years of devoted service, achievement, and demonstrated affection for Lawrenceville exhibited by Arthur Hailand Jr. H’34, P’69 ’70 GP’91. Candidates must display a substantial history of significant volunteer efforts over the years.
▸ Jamie Greenfield H’00 P’05
The Class of 2005 ▸ Kevin Mattingly H’05 P’99 ’01
The Class of 2010 ▸ Jason Robinson H’09 ’10 P’15 ’16 ▸ Courtney Hodock H’10
The Class of 2015 ▸ Dave Cantlay H’89 ’91 ’93 ’94 ’15 P’07 ’09 ’11 ▸ Harold “Hal” Wilder H’15 ▸ Elizabeth A. Duffy H’43 ’55 ’79 ’15 P’19
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Hall of Famers Honored The ranks of The Lawrenceville School’s Athletic Hall of Fame swelled by three when John G. “Jack” Fonss Jr. ’80, Beatrix Arendt ’95, and David Baruch ’95 were enshrined during Alumni Weekend. After transferring to Lawrenceville in the Fifth Form from the Peddie School, Jack Fonss made an immediate impact on the cross country program in the fall of 1979. That season, the team went undefeated in dual meets, with Fonss setting new course records at Lawrenceville, Blair Academy, and Trenton Central High School on his way to county and state championships. Fonss continued running for Big Red that winter, claiming a state title in the 880 and running a swift 4:15.5 mile in the famed Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden. In the spring, he established a School record of 1:53.8 in the 880, a time that remains the outdoor track team standard. Fonss’ notable career continued at Princeton University, where he became the Tigers’ first cross country All-American and earned first-team All-Ivy recognition from 1981 to ’83. On the track, Fonss’ 1984 time of 3:43.49 in the 1,500 meter stood as a
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Princeton record for seven years. Bea Arendt was a standout three-sport athlete at Lawrenceville, captaining the soccer, basketball, and softball teams. As a senior, Arendt was named the soccer team’s MVP and first-team all-state. She saw similar success on the softball diamond, earning first-team all-state honors in her Third and Fifth Form seasons, as well as the Coaches Award as a senior. However, it was on the varsity basketball court where Arendt truly excelled, landing first-team all-state and allcounty nods, and claiming the Coaches Award for an unprecedented three consecutive years. She continued her basketball career at Emory University, where she earned Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, and Most Outstanding Player awards, among other honors. There, she once connected on twelve consecutive field goals in a game, just one shy of the NCAA Division III record. Arendt was named to the University Athletic Association All-Time Team in 2011. A co-captain of the varsity soccer, basketball, and lacrosse teams, David Baruch was named to the all-county and all-state soccer teams in the fall
of 1994. That spring, he was awarded the Nick Gusz Award, presented annually to the Best Male Athlete in the graduating class. An integral part of the lacrosse team for three seasons, Baruch’s teams captured the NJISAA Prep “A” championships in 1994 and 1995. The latter squad completed its season with a 15-0 record for just the second time in School history, and was ranked No. 1 in New Jersey and fifth in the nation. Baruch was named first-team All-Pitt Division, all-state, and an All-America. Baruch continued his lacrosse career at the University of Virginia, where he was a part of the Cavaliers’ 1999 NCAA Division I national championship team. Baruch joins his older brother, Richie ’86, who was inducted into the Lawrenceville Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.
Peter Dow ’50 Named Distinguished Alumnus Alumni Weekend 2015 witnessed the conferral of the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award upon Peter Dow ’50. This accolade is awarded annually by the Alumni Association to a Lawrentian in recognition of exceptional efforts to promote the best interests of The Lawrenceville School over many years. The son of Douglas Dow ’18, Pete Dow arrived at Lawrenceville in 1944 as a Shell Form student and resided in Perry Ross, Woodhull and Upper. He participated in the Open Door Society, Herodotus, and Periwig and was a varsity swimmer, as well. His siblings include Lawrentians Bryden ’49 and Stuart ’58 and Caroline Dow P’88, mother of Jay Dykhouse ’88. Dow has been an active alumnus, serving as class secretary, class agent, and a member of the campaign Executive Committee. A trustee emeritus who served on the board for ten years, he returned to campus to attend the Campaign
Kickoff Event and his 40th, 45th, 50th, and 55th reunions, and was a member of the Planning Committee for his 50th. After graduating from Lawrenceville, Dow attended the Rugby School in England for a postgraduate year before earning a B.A. in 1955 from the University of Michigan, where he became a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Dow also served active duty in the U.S. Navy Air Intelligence unit from 1955 to 1958. Dow spent most of his career at Lowe Campbell-Ewald, an advertising and marketing communications company with offices in New York City, Detroit, Los Angeles, and San
Antonio, Texas. He retired from Campbell-Ewald in 1995 after serving as president, chief operating officer, chairman of the executive committee, and a director. During a ten-year hiatus from the firm, Dow served as a director of advertising and eventually director of marketing for the Chrysler Corporation. He has been a member of thirteen corporate boards and still serves on the board of one private company, as well as a trustee of two foundations. Dow and his wife, Jane Ann Ottaway (cousin of David Ottaway ’57 P’86 ’91), have three children, Jennifer, Peter, and Thomas.
New Alumni Selectors ▸ Mark Larsen ’72 P’01 ’04 ’06
▸ Patricia Gadsden Hill ’01 .
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Dear Lawrentians,
The Alumni Association Executive Committee
President
Jennifer Ridley Staikos ’91 First Vice President
Ian S. Rice ’95 Second Vice President
David B. Stephens ’78 P’06 Executive Committee
Catherine E. Bramhall ’88 Biff Cahill Jr. ’68 P’09 Fritz E. Cammerzell III ’68 P’18 Bruce Hager ’72 Charlie C. Keller ’95 Greg G. Melconian ’87 Brendan T. O’Reilly ’83 P’16 Emily Starkey ’03 Anastacia Gordon ’07 Alumni Trustees
Joseph B. Frumkin ’76 P’11 Kathleen W. McMahon ’92 Leigh Lockwood ’65 P’97 ’02 Jonathan G. Weiss ’75 selectors
Elizabeth M. Gough ’03 John C. Hover II ’61 P’91 George Arnett ’79 Heather Elliott Hoover ’91 Mark Larsen ’72 Patricia Gadsden Hill ’01 faculty liaison
Each year, the Alumni Association honors two or three retired masters with The Masters Award, which acknowledges “distinguished classroom teaching.” This past spring, we honored Edmund R. Megna H’50 ’85 P’64 ’67 ’70 ’76 (posthumously) and Deborah McKay H’85 ’88 ’94 ’14 P’97. During the ceremony, Dean of Faculty Chris Cunningham P’14 ’18 read a letter written for Deb on behalf of Trustee Marcus Mabry ’85 that I found particularly memorable because it describes so well the life-changing experiences shared by many Lawrentians that result from working with our extraordinary faculty. Marcus’s introduction is excerpted below, with his permission: “Edmund Megna was the guy with the Brooklyn accent most responsible for teaching me the French of the Academie Francaise. Yes, largely, through terror and fear, but also through a love of the language and an appreciation of its wonders… “Now, Deborah McKay – another of my favorite avatars of The Lawrenceville Master. We didn’t have many kinds of diversity on this magnificent campus in the fall of 1982 when Deb arrived, but Ms. McKay and Mr. Megna were proof that our faculty, even if largely white, was anything but homogenous. “When Deb McKay arrived here, she thought she would keep moving on … But she found something at Lawrenceville. Something that not only made her want to stay, but something that made it impossible to leave … It was us. It was you… “There were, of course, her ‘Rules,’ her now legendary rules: Take Risks; Write Something No One Else in the World Could Have Written; Come into the Room Alone; Be Brilliant. Rules for the students – no, writers – in her classes. Refined and redefined over more than 30 years, more than a generation of Lawrentians. “The height of expectation. The demanding that you be not great, but great for you, that is Deborah McKay. And that is, not coincidentally, the best of Lawrenceville teaching.” “Teachers who see students not as ‘goals,’ or vessels to be filled up with the requisite knowledge in the allotted weeks. Teachers at Lawrenceville see each class, each classroom, and each student as possibilities! Not the person we come on to this campus as, or into their classroom as, but as the phenomenal, brilliant actualized person we might become… “Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for believing in someone I didn’t even know I could be. Thank you for coming here, to this little green patch of privilege and promise in central Jersey … And blowing our minds! Thank you for teaching me ‘me,’ as much as English. Thank you for demanding that we tell the truth. That we take risks. That we be brilliant.” I urge you to nominate your favorite master for this award through our online submission form, located under the “Alumni” tab at Lawrenceville.org, by following the “Alumni Association” link. There, you will find award criteria and a complete list of past winners under “Recognition and Awards.” Our Nominating Committee, chaired by Ian Rice ’95, will be reviewing all submissions with careful consideration for the 20th anniversary of this special award, a one-seventh scale replica of a Harkness table. I look forward to reviewing all the submissions and to the celebration of our 20th Masters Award presentation this winter.
Timothy C. Doyle ’69 H’79 P’99
Sincerely, Jennifer Ridley Staikos ’91 President, Alumni Association jstaikos@gmail.com
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The survey gauged their level of satisfaction
Satisfaction with School-Life Elements
By the Numbers
with their experience and how it influenced their
(Scale of 1 to 5)
“doing?” How’re we
Recently, the fifteen most recent classes of Lawrenceville alumni — the Classes of 2000 to 2014 — were asked to rate the School across the spectrum, using more than one hundred questions.
4.5 4.8 All school-life elements
Harkness approach to teaching and learning
4.7 4.7 Caliber of faculty*
Critical thinking**
continued education, careers, and lives. The results are in, and it’s clear that these youthful Lawrentians continue to deeply value their time on campus.
Valuing the
Lawrenceville Experience
MI. ed by L l survey rage o o h c s nt ve epende an the a ong ind tion higher th igh am h ia v w e e d n a ard present e stand ith * re ores on I. arked w * represent sc M m L s y m b e ▸ It ith * eyed arked w ols surv Items m ependent scho d in among
92%
Their time at
97%
The Lawrenceville
Lawrenceville was “transformational”*
80%
Have engaged in community service since graduating from Lawrenceville
62%
Have studied, worked, or lived abroad since graduating from Lawrenceville
88%
Agreed or strongLY agreed that Lawrenceville prepared them well for leadership roles in college and beyond
The Lawrenceville
connection
faculty and staff had a favorable influence on them*
96%
Lawrenceville inspired…
Agreed oR strongly
81% 91% Would recommend Lawrenceville to interested students**
agreed that Lawrenceville prepared them well for college*
96%
Lawrenceville played a significant role in developing the person I am today*
Are in regular contact with friends made at Lawrenceville*
(Source: 543 responses to survey by Lookout Management, Inc., a statistically significant 22 percent response rate.)
Student Shot
by Phu Jaitrong ’16
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Lawrentian THE
usps no. 306-700 the Lawrenceville School Lawrenceville, New Jersey 08648 Parents of alumni: If this magazine is addressed to a son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please email us at vavanisko@lawrenceville.org with his or her new address. Thank you!