The Lawrentian - Winter 2012 by The Lawrenceville School

Lawrentian THE

cultivate your

winter 2012

Departments 2 From the Head Master 3 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Note 4 News in Brief Thai tables, Crescent construction, and Laws lauded.

7 L'ville Letters 8 Classroom 2.0

The ABCs of PLP.

9 Cover to Cover Evans unsettles the soul.

10 Q&A Durso-Finley on the art of mixing sports and academics.

13 Go Big Red Shiltsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; one track mind.

14 Ask the Archivist Jacqueline Haun uncovers buried treasures.

16 Take This Job and Love It Jim Rash finds great range in being strange. 18 1,000 Words Lawrenceville provides some added curb appeal.

Features 20 A rchival Revival A generous gift provides a new home for Lawrenceville history.

26 How To Do Everything (Part One) Alums provide advice on the essential and the eccentric. How to Create the Next Big Thing, by Ken Hakuta 26 How to Use a Semicolon, by Rob Reinalda 28 How to Stay Cool in the Hot Seat, by Geoff Morrell 29

Alumni 34 Alumni News 35 Board Bits Trustee news in a nutshell.

37 Class Notes

Find it here, year by year.

How to Die on Stage, by Monica Yunus 30

64 Photo Finish

How to Drink Wine like a Connoisseur, by Rudy Von Strasser 31

Who are these people? Write the caption, win a prize.

How to Behave on the Witness Stand, by Carolyn Maro Angelaccio 32

On the Cover: Illustration by Zara Picken. F Students take advantage of the new archive facilities.

Photograph by Paloma Torres.

9 From the Head Master

I'm grateful to Graham Cole H’87 P’91 ’95 for so ably serving the School during my recent sabbatical. Below he reflects on his return to Lawrenceville after 18 years and his experience as Acting Head Master. Thank you, Graham!

et me begin by avowing what a privilege and a pleasure it has been to return to Lawrenceville in the role of Acting Head Master. At the least, the appointment secured my place in the School’s long and distinguished history as the only person to sit in the Head Master’s chair twice. Happily, the School came through the earthquake, hurricane, and October snowstorm during my brief tenure none the worse for wear. I will be forever grateful to Head Master Liz Duffy H’43 and Board President Seth Waugh ’76 for the opportunity to be part of the Lawrenceville experience again and to be reminded of what a very special place this is. Carol and I also thank everyone who helped, through their warmth and support, put the lie to Thomas Wolfe’s dictum that “you can’t go home again.” Over these last six months, I have acquired a treasure trove of wonderful memories, learned so much about how our School has grown and flourished, and been gratified to see firsthand the strength of our traditional foundations. I will long remember the enormous energy and spirit of this year’s House Olympics, an event which demonstrated so powerfully that our House System is flourishing. Nor will I soon forget “Harry Potter Day” which our Fifth Form organized so well and which provided so much fun for the School. Playing Dumbledore, complete with a mop for a beard, was a delight. I have so enjoyed seeing our students in action on the athletic fields, on the stage (this year’s Periwig musical played to rave reviews and the Midday Music program put the spotlight on some of our very talented young musicians), and in classrooms where their impressive intelligence and hard work are on full display. I also continue to take great pride in how our community rallied together to deal with Hurricane Irene’s onslaught. Certainly, in the years since the Coles departed for points north, Lawrenceville has made huge strides forward. As someone who left in the early years of coeducation, I now find a school which feels fully coeducational, no longer a place where girls were add-ons to an all-boys experience. Next year, we will celebrate 25 years of coeducation, an occasion which will both age me but uplift us all. Our School should also take justifiable pride in the richness of its diversity, another significant change.

t h e l aw r e n t i a n

– Liz Duffy H'43 I applaud loudly for the focused attention and generous support the School has given to our faculty in supporting their professional growth and in fostering regular conversations about teaching and learning. In addition, I believe that the new residential life initiatives are making a difference for our students’ development of life skills and character. The physical face of our campus has changed dramatically and impressively, and Lawrenceville can legitimately boast of having one of the nation’s best and most attractive facilities. For all the change and progress, testimony to strong leadership and stewardship, I have taken joy in finding our bedrocks intact. Even as our faculty continues to give careful thought to the intersections and implications of technology and new research on Socratic-style teaching and learning, Harkness remains at the core of our pedagogy, and our students can tell you about its many virtues in a flash. The House system, the other foundational piece of our ethos and identity, thrives in a coeducational setting. On the human side, we should all take delight in the talent, achievement and personal warmth of our students. As you walk around our campus, you will note how happy they seem to be here and the pride they take in their School. I love how they look you in the eye and greet you as they move around the campus, convincing evidence of a healthy community. Last, but hardly least, let me tout our faculty, long Lawrenceville’s best asset, devoted, intelligent, interesting, and caring people who are making such a difference in young lives in so many ways. In short, as we wrestle with, adapt to, and manage change, we remain faithful to those values, traditions, and structures that have made Lawrenceville great. And so I step away, grateful for the chance to immerse myself in a place I love, mindful that we still have much to do that will require your ongoing support, and hugely confident in our School’s future, its leadership, its direction, and its people. Virtus Semper Viridis,

Sincerely, Graham Cole H’87 P’91 ’95 Acting Head Master

9 From the Editor

Lawrentian THE

Winter 2012

Volume 76 Number 1

publisher Jennifer Szwalek editor Mike Allegra art director Phyllis Lerner proofreaders Paul Mott, Jr. ’47 P'76 '85 Rob Reinalda ’76 Linda Hlavacek Silver H’59 '61 '64 GP’06 ’08 Jean Stephens H’50 '59 '61 ’64 ’68 ’89 P’78 GP’06 contributors Tracey Allen William Freitas Ken Hakuta ’68 Lisa M. Gillard Hanson Jacqueline Haun Kelly Mangini Catheryn Maro ’96 Geoff Morrell ’87 Rob Reinalda ’76 Selena Smith Paloma Torres Nicole Uliasz Rudy Von Strasser ’77 Zoe Vybiral-Bauske Monica Yunus ’95

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 correspondence to the above address care of The Lawrentian Editor. Letters may be edited for publication. 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 via e-mail (mallegra@lawrenceville.org). Visit us on the web at www.lawrenceville.org. www.lawrenceville.org/thelawrentian Postmaster

et’s face it – you wouldn’t have attended Lawrenceville if you didn’t have an insatiable desire to know stuff. It’s in your DNA. And, as you know, after you graduate, that quest for knowledge doesn’t stop – it may become more focused, but it never goes away. I understand. I like knowing stuff, too. That’s why I happily accepted The Lawrentian editor post in 2004. This position, year in and year out, on campus and off, has allowed me to absorb an endless stream of fascinating information on a spectrum of topics. So, from one knowledge junkie to another, here’s your fix. Our cover story, “How to Do Everything (Part One),” teaches you how to drop dead on stage; keep the press in line; appreciate a good wine; discover the next fad; no longer misuse that red-headed stepchild of punctuation marks, the semicolon; and more. Our alumni embrace a wide array of careers, interests, and talents, and, in true Harkness style, some of them are more than happy to share their areas of expertise. But as the “Part One” in the title suggests, you won’t learn everything here. Not yet. This feature is only the beginning of what I hope will become an ongoing series of articles that will communicate unique and interesting bits of Lawrentian knowledge. So if you know how to do something simple or spectacular and wish to get your classmates that much closer to knowing everything, do send me an email. You and your skill may end up in a future issue. On another note, if you’re familiar with The Lawrentian, you will notice that a couple of departments are missing from this issue. That is because The Lawrentian has switched from a three-time-a-year to a quarterly schedule. (The Annual Report, which, once upon a time, served as our fourth issue, will now be available exclusively online). The only hiccup that accompanies this extra dose of Lawrenceville news is that the School embraces a trimester system – that means one issue per year will be missing the sports scores, Board of Trustee meeting news, and other happenings that can only be covered thrice yearly. Fear not, any column absent from this issue will be back in the spring. Warmest wishes, Mike Allegra Editor mallegra@lawrenceville.org

Green & Greener A For the first time ever, our Annual Report is available exclusively online. A Our new alumni newsletter, It's all part of Lawrenceville's commitment to protecting our Virtus Semper Viridis, is environment. also paperless.

www.lawrenceville.org/alumni

9 News in Brief

GAFO Pursues Harkness Teaching in Thailand

Politics as Usual, Only Worse The political climate looks pretty dysfunctional and unproductive these days. According to Joanne B. Freeman, a professor of history at Yale University, however, things still could be a whole lot worse. Her lecture, titled “Dirty, Nasty Politics in the American Republic,” was the latest installment of Lawrenceville’s Charles F. Weeden ’65 Great Historians Lecture Series, which annually brings noted Ameri-

he popular Lawreneville club, GAFO (Growing a Future Organization) has a long history. Started in Thailand in 2006 when the group’s founder, Korawad Chearavanont ’12, was in sixth grade, the group was created to pursue a simple philosophy: A good education is the solution to many problems. Chearavanont’s native Thailand, a country with few educational opportunities in poorer areas, has been the primary beneficiary of the group’s largess. Funds raised at Lawrenceville through charity concerts, apparel sales, and private donations have garnered approximately $32,000 for the country over the past three years. In June, GAFO helped finance and construct a playground and a new dam to supply fresh water to a village school in the province of Chiang Mai. The previous year, the group traveled to another community to rebuild a library that had been destroyed in a fire and helped pay for books and computers. A more recent GAFO initiative is to introduce the Harkness philosophy of teaching to these communities. “In the [province of] Trat we oversaw a Harkness table discussion,” notes GAFO

t h e l aw r e n t i a n

Vice President Lyra Schweitzer ’12. “We moved the desks into a circle and discussed with the students and the teacher how to approach topics more analytically in a more discussion-based way.” It was a Harkness tutorial, and the classes quickly embraced the departure from the more traditional lecture format. “Everyone took to it right away,” Chearavanont observed. “And the teachers enjoyed it, too.” The best part, says Chearavanont, is how the effort allows the group to do more with less. “You can only build so many things with the money we raise. A Harkness teaching style, however, can be achieved by simply pushing desks in a circle,” he says. “This allows us to help education on a larger scale in the country with less money. The trip in June was a test run, and it worked very well. Now we’re looking to expand it.” And that means bringing other schools on board with the plan. In August, GAFO met with nine other schools to discuss the group’s project; out of those discussions the Creative Education Alliance was created to forward this and other GAFO initiatives – including the exporting of Harkness teaching.

can historians to campus to speak with students, faculty, and members of the Lawrenceville school community. In her talk, Freeman shared a few facts about the pivotal election of 1800, in which John Adams and Thomas Jefferson vied for the highest office in the land. During the campaign, smears and outright lies ran rampant, perhaps none more brazen than the false reporting of Jefferson’s death in a Federalist newspaper. But Freeman also placed the dirty tricks in an appropriate context. “We were a republic in a world of monarchies,” she pointed out, “untried, untested, an experiment in government. No one knew if the experiment would work.” With both Federalists and Republicans assuming the other’s actions would bring down the new nation, “both felt justified in doing all they could to destroy the opposition.” She added, “Politics were extreme [for a reason]. The stakes were high and the consequences were dire.” Freeman has appeared in television documentaries for the Discovery Channel, the History Channel and PBS. She authored

Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic (2001), was the editor of Alexander Hamilton: Writings (2001), and has published numerous articles on politics and political culture.

School Memorializes September 11 Attacks

“For all of us, September 11 is a point fixed in our minds, in our hearts, and in our life together,” observed School Chaplain Sue Anne Steffy Morrow as she stood on the dais, overlooking a full congregation in the School’s Edith Memorial Chapel. “So we have come to this solemn assembly to

Lawrentians Lost Catherine E. Chirls P’03

mark the 10th anniversary, to honor those Lawrentians who were lost, and

Keith E. Coleman ’86

to envision a world safe and secure for all.”

Scott T. Coleman ’89

The ceremony was brief, but moving. A poem read by James Lawrence ’12 was followed by an Emily Dickinson verse set to music and sung by The Lawrentians, the student choral group. This was followed by a reading of the names of the Lawrentians who perished in the attacks – each name read by a different student in a different part of the chapel, a symbol of the suddenness and randomness of the tragic event.

Jonathan M. Connors P’02 Charles W. Mathers P’98 Charles A. McCrann ’64

As the ceremony concluded, Morrow encouraged the assembled to visit

Michael San Phillip ’63

the Bunn Library to see the 9/11 exhibit on display there, including a me-

Richard H. Stewart, Jr. ’85

morial quilt sewn by Claudia Casebolt P’99. Her benediction closed the ceremony: “May the spirit of peace lead us onward and fill us with hope.”

WINTER

2012

The Crescent's Curb Appeal

a gift to build Carter House), and McClellan House through a gift from Sandy and Bert Getz ’55 H’56 P’85. The effect of the renovations was immediate and exceeded the School’s expectations. The most noticeable change to the Cres-

n October 7, a small

time, the spaces lost their lus-

these upgrades. By the time

cent Houses, the porches, has

dedication ceremony in

ter. Unlike the boys’ Houses, the

Carter debuted in 2010, con-

altered the external social dy-

Stanley House marked

buildings had a slightly more

struction on Kirby and Stephens

namic of the area and now serves

the ending of what has been a

institutional, dorm-like feel, lack-

houses was complete and plans

as a casual place for both girls

quiet yet ambitious three-year

ing the large front porches and

for the other Houses were al-

and boys to congregate.

initiative to improve the Crescent

eccentric

ready underway.

There is one more step to

Houses. With new front porches;

Circle.

House

These renovations would not

complete the Crescent’s new

large, welcoming common areas;

was first designed (in the mid-

have been made possible with-

role as a student-friendly gath-

and the renovation of several

’00s) to relieve overcrowding

out the generosity of a number

ering place, however. Landscape

residential rooms and bathrooms,

in the other Crescent Houses,

of community members. Kirby

architects are working on ideas

the goal was to provide a more

the architects were careful not

House improvements were fi-

to convert the over-planted Cres-

inviting environment and create

to repeat past mistakes – creat-

nanced through a gift from the

cent Green and the oft-congest-

Houses that felt more like homes.

ing large common rooms, wind-

F. M. Kirby Foundation, Stan-

ed Crescent Drive into a unified

The Crescent Houses, when

ing hallways, welcoming nooks,

ley House through gifts from

and inviting space, a plan that

first built to provide accommo-

and that wonderful porch. In

Judith-Ann Corrente H’01 P’98

will include new landscaping and

dations for girls once the School

the process, the plans for Carter

’01 and Corrente A. Schankler ’98,

plantings and will, most certainly,

went coeducational in 1987, were

provided inspiration for the other

Stephens House through a gift

make what is now a beautiful and

seen as the to-be-envied shiny

four Houses to undergo improve-

from Tom and Jeanie Carter ’70

functional setting into something

new things on campus. But over

ments of their own that reflected

P’01 ’05 (both of whom provided

even more attractive.

architecture

When

Carter

the

House Olympics Results • Stanley Gets Gold For the past nine years, the school year at Lawrenceville has been inaugurated with the House Olympics, in which members of every Circle and Crescent house on campus get their silly on. These Olympics feature events such as sack races, tug of war, a name game (arguably the more cerebral of the day’s events), and a ruthless tricycle race – which run throughout the afternoon until a House emerges victorious. This year, Stanley’s expert teamwork and tricycling earned the House full bragging rights for 2011-12.

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9 L'ville Letters

Lawrentian THE

SPRING 2011

THE

HIGH-TECH

TEEN EXPLORING THE MINDS (AND THE STUDY

I read with much interest the

HABITS) OF THE DIGITAL NATIVE

spring 2011 Lawrentian article titled “The Digital Distraction.” Being in the IT industry for over 20 years, I can truly appreciate the acceleration we have witnessed in technology and how it has changed how we think and live on a daily basis. Your comparison of “digital immigrants” and “natives” truly brought things in perspective as my wife and I, who are on the young side of Baby Boomers, have two kids, six and nine, who are truly digital natives – and it appears they see the digital world differently from their parents. I do appreciate that you guys are really writing about stuff that is salient. Keep it up.

Laws Honored as Outstanding Chemistry Teacher

he Princeton and Trenton sections of the American Chemical Society (ACS) have selected Science Master David Laws as the recipient of their 2011 Outstanding High School Chemistry Teacher Award. Winners are selected based upon the quality of the nominee’s teaching, his or her ability to challenge and inspire students, extracurricular work in the field of chemistry, a willingness to keep up to date in the field, and evidence of leadership within the profession. A Lawrenceville master since 2001 and the faculty advisor for Lawrenceville’s Science Olympiad team, Laws holds a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley (physical chemistry), and an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (chemistry). Laws has also taken on new challenges this year. In addition to his teaching duties, he serves as Lawrenceville’s registrar and assistant dean of academics and is working on streamlining student course schedules and making improvements to Lawrenceville’s student planners. But chemistry, of course, is Laws’

first love, and he puts in extra effort to burnish the subject’s long-running less-than-stellar reputation. “The biggest problem that chemistry runs into is the lowered expectations some parents have for it,” Laws notes. “So many adults say, ‘Oh, I hated chemistry! It was my worst subject! I failed it!’ Kids hear that from their parents, and they come in with the expectation that chemistry is really hard and with the notion that their parents don’t expect them to do well because they didn’t do well. So, from Day One, we fight this negative expectations game and say, ‘No, this isn’t your parents’ chemistry class. You’re not going to just memorize the periodic table.’ “We want students to understand how things happen in the world and the universe and, hopefully, we hook them that way.” Laws and his fellow science masters are obviously doing something right, for many Lawrenceville students go on to study chemistry in college. “We produce a lot of Ph.D. chemists. Maybe one or two of them will go on to become high school chemistry teachers themselves and keep paying it forward.”

Chris Yuchmow ’81 Your spring issue is one of the best of its kind I have ever seen and read. Your theme is not only is timely and vital in today’s educational world, it is excellently presented with articulation and clarity. From cover to cover, you have produced a magazine that should bring recognition and awards. The issue shows Lawrenceville at its best with proven traditional settings, yet with a compelling diversity of students highly involved in an education that is stimulating to them and modern in its presentation and techniques. Congratulations to you, your staff, and contributors! Dixon Arnett ’56

As an aging alumnus, I’ve gotten along fine without all the latest advances communication devices, save for email, which is pretty ancient now. Like the editor, I don’t own a cell phone. It seems certain the new technology is here to stay and will evolve further into new capabilities. Certainly its applications for learning should be taught in the classroom, as Lawrenceville is already doing, but the antidote to too much stimulation and not enough inner insight should also be offered to students. Teachings and training in meditation, yoga, and other calming practices, which enable self-reflection should also be offered at the School. These are as important as athletics and will help bring balance to the students. William Hengst ’57

What’s on your mind? Write a letter to the editor at mallegra@lawrenceville.org or The Lawrentian Editor, The Lawrenceville School, PO Box 6008, 2500 Main Street, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Letters may be edited for publication.

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9 Classroom 2.0 By Bill Freitas

Powerful Learning

Practice in Practice

eb 2.0 – what is it and what’s all the fuss? Web 2.0 isn’t a new technology or piece of software; it is using the web in a participatory way, contributing as well as consuming information over the internet. Tim Berners-Lee, who invented modern web browsing, had this use in mind when he developed the first web software, calling it the “read/write web.” Today millions of people use the web in a 2.0 way when they post their status on Facebook, comment on a blog, contribute an Amazon.com review, or even just give a “thumbs up” or a “+1” to a story they like. What makes Web 2.0 so exciting in education is that it provides a way for students to remain engaged with a topic and contribute even after they have left the Harkness table. Expressing their thoughts in a webbased way has become almost second nature for our students, but they might not be as used to applying those familiar tools to their academics. Another great use of Web 2.0 is in the

t h e l aw r e n t i a n

development of personal learning networks, or PLNs. Using Web 2.0 tools, a student can share thoughts and questions with students, teachers, and experts from around the globe. Such networks can add a great deal to classwork, hobbies, and professional development. Last year, in order to learn how to best use Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning, six teachers and two administrators participated in Powerful Learning Practice (PLP), a professional development program run by Will Richardson, probably the most quoted expert in the field of Web 2.0 in education. Our teachers joined a cohort with faculty teams from 20 other independent schools in the Delaware Valley. Our PLP team for the teacher program consisted of Visual Arts Master Sheamus Burns, Theatre Master Matt Campbell, English Master Chris Cunningham, History Master Len Miller, Spanish Master Eli Montes, and Academic Dean Kari Ostrem. Head Master Liz Duffy and I participated

in the administrator’s track. Over the course of the school year, we attended two daylong meetings and monthly webinars, but the majority of the program was conducted online, using Web 2.0 tools such as RSS feeds, blogs, wikis, and social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter to create a virtual learning community. The ultimate goal was to determine what role, if any, these technologies had in a Lawrenceville education. In their classrooms, our teachers used tools including Google Docs (for collaborative editing), blogging (for student writing), TodaysMeet (to capture the “backchannel” thoughts of students during a lecture), wikis (to allow for group creation of content), and many others. At the final PLP gathering, our teachers did a presentation titled “Harkness 2.0.” In it, the team members described how they experimented with Web 2.0 technologies to complement and enhance traditional Harkness teaching. Afterward, Richardson tweeted: “Just saw a great presentation from Lawrenceville School.” A representative from the Association of Delaware Valley Independent Schools also posted during the presentation: “Lawrenceville PLP team making amazing connections between 21C learning/teaching & Olmsted design & Harkness model of education = Harkness 2.0.” Overall, our participants deemed the PLP experiment a success. “We found some technologies worked really well in some disciplines and not in others. More importantly, however, when we thought something wouldn’t work in class, someone said to us, ‘Did you try it this way?’ and suggested something that would change how we looked at the technology and therefore our teaching methods,” noted Ostrem. Beyond the technology itself, Cunningham found value in collaborating across the disciplines: “The opportunity to work closely with a handful of colleagues from different departments who were equally interested in trying out new teaching techniques and tools was really valuable.” And our participation in this program continues. This year, we have sent two teams to PLP and are hosting the two regional face-to-face meetings on our campus.

9 Cover to Cover

The Ghost

WRITER H

is first novel, A Good and Happy Child, is about demonic possession. His more recent effort, The White Devil, is about a killer ghost. In short, one could be excused for thinking that author Justin Evans ’88 just might have an unhealthy preoccupation with otherworldly forces. “I’m not going around lighting black candles,” Evans says with a laugh. “I just really enjoy the genre – Dracula, The Turning of the Screw, and even The Picture of Dorian Gray. There are just so many great examples of the gothic or supernatural thriller out there.” That being said, the author’s childhood certainly played a role in that ongoing interest. “My father was a self-created High Anglican who embraced the more vivid and visceral part of the church,” Evans admits. “He was also a hell of a storyteller and would tell us tales about human possession and ghosts. He believed those stories. I believe such stories, too. Just because you can’t prove the existence of ghosts doesn’t mean they don’t exist.” In The White Devil, such a ghost occupies The Lot, a student house in England’s allboys Harrow School. The Lot Ghost was relatively unobtrusive over the years, but that soon changes after postgraduate student Andrew Taylor, an American with an uncanny resemblance to Harrow’s most

In a new Gothic thriller, a ghost with murderous instincts and a bad case of TB is on the prowl.

famous alumnus, Lord Byron, arrives for his first day of class. Suddenly anyone who gets close to Andrew is stricken with a fatal respiratory illness. Shunned by his peers and stalked by a ghost, Andrew searches to discover why he has been singled out. He soon wonders if his resemblance to Byron may provide a clue to the ghost’s true identity. Could the ghost be a onetime lover of the infamously libidinous poet? Could these murders be crimes of passion? If so, how can Andrew possibly stop them? The White Devil is an astute blending of fiction and fact. Harrow School, for one, is a real place and Byron did attend – as did Evans, whose then-feelings of social and cultural alienation are, some 20 years later, projected onto his protagonist. And while the rigid, stuffy rules and traditions at the school feel like a throwback to a time long gone, Evans asserts that the school’s culture is quite accurately represented on the page. In fact, while writing the book, Evans returned to the Harrow campus to see if his memories of his time there matched reality. They did. “It was exactly the same,” he says. “Same rules. Same traditions. Identical clothing. Identical age, of course. Identical uppercrust English boys. The campus hadn’t changed at all. The moment I stepped foot on campus, I got this chill as if I just stepped back 20 years.”

But the bulk of Evans’ research for The White Devil was on Lord Byron. He delved into Byron’s life and loves, not only to find inspiration for The Lot Ghost but also to provide fodder for a subplot, a frothy play in verse that a Harrow faculty member writes on the famous poet. Despite the critical and commercial success of his books, Evans has a day job as a digital media executive in New York City, leaving him a limited amount of time in which to write. At first he carved out time to work on his books at night – a seemingly perfect arrangement considering the types of eerie subjects he tackles – but, after the birth of his second child, he switched to the early morning, from 5 to 6:30 am. “I have a disgusting ritual where I put instant coffee into a shot glass, put hot water in it and down it,” he reports. “Usually by the time the computer is booted up, so am I.” Perhaps Evans had written all he wanted to say about spooks and demons. Maybe it’s more difficult to conjure up spinetinglers at the very un-witching hour of 5 am. Whatever the reason, Evans says that his third novel will be a departure from the gothic genre. “I think it’s time to try something different this time around,” he says cryptically. “I have something in mind. I’ll just leave it at that.”

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9 Jeff Durso-Finley Q&A ON THE ARTS

The Recruit

Pursuit

Director of College Counseling Jeff Durso-Finley, in addition to helping young Lawrentians find the right school for their talents, is also an author. Understanding Athletic Recruiting (co-written with Lewis Stival) provides all the details for the student who wishes to play a sport beyond his or her senior year. In his chat with The Lawrentian, DursoFinley discusses the book’s intended audience, the art of self recruiting, and why Mom shouldn’t call college coaches.

How did this book come about?

It started when I was working at Brown. I worked there from 1993 to 2001. I was talking with a co-worker who had directed college counseling at Blair, and we realized that, between the two of us, we’ve covered thousands of athletic recruiting cases and we had a great body of knowledge on the subject. So we thought it would be fun to see if we could put something together in writing, put our collective heads together, and share our expertise for student athletes. So my co-author and I talked about it, did some interviews, and shelved it for a little while – when life intervened. Then we got in touch with various publishers and eventually hooked up with somebody through one of the big publishing and marketing firms within higher education.

t h e l aw r e n t i a n

Your audience is not the sports scholarship kid. It’s the student who is good in sports and just wants to keep playing in college. How unique is this angle among athletic recruiting books?

It’s pretty rare. Most of what’s out there is how to win a college scholarship – how to win the athletic recruiting game. The kids who actually are granted aid, though, are in the distinct minority in college athletics. I mean, we’re talking less than ten percent by a long shot. In fact, students with a full ride comprise less than two percent. So, no, we didn’t write this for the super blue chip, “here’s the letter of intent” kind of kids; those kids have it easy – at least when it comes to recruiting and contact with coaches on the front end. We wanted to write a book for the kids who just wanted to play sports in college and weren’t quite sure how to make it work for them. There are a lot of opportunities for those athletes; there are literally hundreds of Division III, NAIA, and Community College Division II programs out there that are not giving grants in aid, but are good programs for good athletes who want to keep playing. There are so many possibilities – options across many different levels of competition and ranges of institutional selectivity. Additionally, there are many ways to combine your athletic ability and your academic ability to improve your college options. How difficult is it for students to find that balance between finding the school that’s right for them academically and athletically?

It’s easy if you can break things down and ask yourself the right questions. We pose those questions in the book. If, for example, you’re committed to playing your sport only in the Northeast, that will obviously affect where you will apply. If you want both Division I only and in the Northeast – because both of those characteristics are really important to you – you have all of a sudden narrowed your parameters in a way that’s going to drive the process in a certain direction. I say open it up geographically, be accepting of ranges of selectivity and levels of competition, and you’ll find it much easier to meet your goals. There’s a buddy of mine who works

in an Oregon boarding school who told me about a kid of his who said, “I just want to play Division I basketball. That’s what I want to do.” And so the kid did his research and found the two worst-ranked Division I basketball programs in the country. He talked to the coach, applied, got in, and played, because playing Division I basketball was that important to him. Now, that’s an extreme example. I sure wouldn’t encourage that. Then there’s an example I often get: the kid who says, “I love my academic/athletic balance at Lawrenceville, so if I could continue that at college, that would be great.” That most likely will mean a school that’s strong academically, but less selective athletically. What common misconceptions do students or their parents have about athletic recruiting?

The scholarship issue, I think. We see very few kids who are scholarship material. If it’s one kid per graduating class, that would be a lot. We occasionally see a kid who decides to, say, play lacrosse at Cornell or Penn, which has no athletic scholarships; this same kid could get some scholarship monies at a place like Denver, Ohio State, or Butler, but he chooses to go to the more selective school. But as far as the notion that there’s always athletic money out there, that’s just not true. Another thing – I wouldn’t necessar-

ily call it a misconception – but one thing that has changed within the last five to ten years, is that most of the recruiting has now been taken out of the high school. In what way?

Many more of the college evaluations come from club teams, summer programs, and travel teams. Those kinds of teams have a much better defined sense of competition. If swimmers are going to be recruited, it will often be based more on their club team experiences than their high school experiences, given their ability in club to train year round. If you want to play water polo in college you have to play club. There’s no question about it. Lacrosse, you have to play club. Field hockey, you have to play club. They need to put in the extra time with a club. Can a student be recruited based on their high school performance alone? Certainly, but that’s becoming rarer and rarer. If a kid who plays his sport nine months out of a year is up against a kid who only plays three months a year on a high school team, it’s not too difficult to guess which kid the college is going to want. In the book you mention the importance of “self recruiting.” Can you describe how one can self-recruit?

The less selective the institution, the easier it is to self-recruit. The less high powered the athletic program is, the easier it is to self-recruit. If you participate in a high participation sport – like cross country,

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track, or crew – it is incredibly easy for you to get in contact with that coach. Write up a letter of introduction, an athletic resumé, and provide both skills tapes and performance tapes. In crew, for example, they’re going to want to see what your stroke looks like. They’re going to want to know where you row in the boat. They’re going to want to know how long you’ve been rowing. They’re going to want to know what your 2K ERG time is. They’re going to want to know your height and the height of your parents. Why?

Because you’re going to continue growing. And leverage in crew is incredibly important. If the program really gets picky, they’ll even figure out your height/strength ratio. In other words, if you’re big and you’re pulling at a certain level, but you’re heavy in the boat, you won’t be as appealing as somebody who’s wiry, still tall, strong, and pulling at close to the same level. That person is more interesting – especially if that kid’s mom is 5' 10". That

kid could grow to be 6' 5". So that’s the type of information you’re going to want to get out there. Interaction with a college coach also gives the athlete a level of self-awareness, which is important. If a coach can’t use you, your conversations with that coach can help you understand exactly why. If a football coach says, “Look, you’re not going to be able to play at Division I level unless you put on about 50 pounds, because the kids are just too big in that position,” well, that’s some good information. Now the kid can avoid banging his head against the wall chasing down a spot in Division I he’s never going to get. He can alter his perspective on where an athlete his size might fit. A Division II or III coach may love him. The best Division III programs do not recruit what would be considered “Division III kids” – they recruit Division I kids who fall a little short. One of the things we stress in the book is that your goals are going to change based on the information that you receive.

Any mistakes student athletes commonly make in this process?

Well, one thing that turns off coaches is when parents drive the process. When parents meet with assistant coaches and use the royal “we,” you know, “We’re here to hear about your program,” that’s a red flag. And in the same vein, some people will ask me if some of the recruiting services are useful. Well, they aren’t. Basically you’re paying somebody to do the mailing for you and type the letter in a nice font. The recruiting service is often simply doing something you should do yourself. If a kid’s doing the work on his own, and has some ownership over the process, that makes a big difference. If you could choose one thing students should take away from your book, what would it be?

If you are interested in continuing your sport in college, you can do it. You absolutely can do it. It takes some work. It takes some motivation. It takes engagement. But you should not be scared off from pursuing that passion.

Help Support the Next 75 Years by Making Your Gift Today P.O. Box 6125 Lawrenceville, New Jers ey 08648 www.lawrenceville.org/giving 609-895-2155

The Lawrenceville Fund The Lawrenceville Parents Fund

75th Anniversary of Harkness The Centerpiece of a Lawrenceville Education 12

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(id) Law.HARK.Ads 7.11.indd 2

7/21/11 4:33:04 PM

9 Go Big Red By Blake Eldridge ’96

The

RUNNING

he varsity boys’ track and field coach, John “Doc” Shilts, has earned 17 M.A.P.L. championships and 23 state championships (plus 14 runners-up), won 64 consecutive dual meets, and, maybe most impressively, has been to the last three National Championships with three different 4x400-meter relay teams. The accomplishments clearly indicate his ability to cultivate talent, coordinate strengths, and persuade different personalities to cooperate in a shared mission. According to Shilts, the accomplishments are the byproduct of a simple philosophy: “Kids have to have a good experience,” he says. “They have to think they’re getting better; they have to think that their efforts are noticed and rewarded; they have to be proud of their team; they have to have fun. “They [also] need to know what ‘good’ is. When they know what good is, then they need to know what ‘better’ is – and then ‘best.’” And what’s best isn’t always what’s present. It’s not enough to beat the kid in the next lane; Shilts wants his athletes to strive to match the greats of the past. “They need a sense of team history, like an Army regiment. In my sport they need all the numbers – up-to-date top-ten lists. Kids have always been interested in the framed photos [in the Lavino Field House] and want to have their own faces in one of them.” Markhus Lacroix ’11, who spent seven seasons running for Shilts, was one such runner inspired to make a lasting mark. “Doc is somehow everywhere at once. The track team is large, but he makes a commitment to everyone on an individual level. Everyone has value. For example, in my fresh-

John Shilts will not rest until his track and field teams are the best.

MAN

G John Shilts

man year I felt like I wasn’t contributing much to the team, but Doc insisted on my showing up to every practice and continuing to work to get faster.” Get faster indeed. Lacroix finished his career as the indoor state champ in the 55-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and the 4x200 and 4x400 relay events. But it’s not just about the running. Practices are a microcosm of the School and preparation for life off the track. Workouts and meets are a venue in which athletes work on important issues. The substance changes day to day and year to year, but the form stays the same and Shilts’ athletes come to love that form and rely on it. “[During practice] I try to be talky and loose,” says Shilts. “In the hardest of track practices there is lots of down time, before, during,

but especially after. That’s when there’s tons to talk about. I may love that part of the job the most – [those conversations] by the water cooler indoors or down at the finish line outdoors.” Those patterns in life that we live by, which surprise us with how well they endure, that dictate and direct our future, are fostered at Lawrenceville. When you come back to campus on a winter or spring afternoon, you’ll still find Shilts standing in Lavino or on Eglin Track laughing with the team, hollering out splits, or critiquing a jumper’s form. That consistency is comforting, but his work also illustrates Lawrenceville’s guiding principle: to link the emotional and intellectual life so that we direct our energy appropriately and live meaningfully.

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9 Ask the Archivist By Jacqueline Haun

Hidden History Anyone who has had to move knows that as one packs up belongings, it is not uncommon to discover items, the very existence of which had been forgotten or A The literal Lawrenceville stamp of approval.

overlooked over time. When the Lawrenceville School archives collections had to be moved in May 2011 in order to prepare for the renovation of archival storage space and offices, I had the same experience. Many surprising finds – including some “mystery objects” – were unearthed among the 3D artifacts and memorabilia, most of which had never been thoroughly catalogued and have been rarely seen by researchers.

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G Football paraphenalia on display in the new Lawrenceville archive.

G All we know is that Cleveland gave us something. A Lawrenceville took its ivy donations very seriously.

e knew there were several 19th- and early 20th-century trophies and cups in storage in the archives, but it was not until we needed to create a detailed inventory for their temporary storage off campus that it was discovered that so very many were 19th-century pieces made of silver and designed by Tiffany & Co. One of my favorite finds is an elegant silver ceremonial trowel, housed in an ornate wooden shadowbox with a glass face. Dated May 30, 1893, the trowel memorializes John Henry Thompson Jr. of the Class of 1893 and his role as Ivy Orator for the “Decennial Commencement” that year. The Ivy Orator, a traditional role introduced in 1883 and continued until 1937, would speak at commencement on behalf of the graduating class as they presented a gift of ivy from some historically significant place. The ivy would then be planted around the base of either the Chapel or Memorial Hall. The Class of 1893’s ivy gift came from Warwick Castle in England, which was built by William the Conqueror in 1068. The “Decennial Commencement” is also worth mentioning, for the trowel is essentially observing Lawrenceville’s tenth anniversary some 83 years after the School was founded in 1810. This was not a misprint; it was not until nearly 1910 that the original founding date of the School was embraced by the Trustees who had reorganized the School in

1883. For the first decade or two following that “refounding,” the age of the School was counted from the latter date.

(representing sportsmanship and a happy youth.) Around the margin of the seal run the phrases “John C. Green Foundation,” “Lawrenceville School,” and “Virtus Semper Viridis.” The pattern of the School seal changed in only minor ways (such as the early disappearance of the acorns and an unexplained shift from oak to laurel leaves) until 1954, when the current seal was adopted. The old seal still delivers reasonably crisp and detailed imprints that show it was retired only due to the change in design, not effectiveness.

Packed in with football sweaters that date mostly from the 1940s was found a jersey that, based on its fragile condition, appeared to be a much older vintage. How much older was not obvious until staff began to compare the football jersey to those in old photographs. The jersey may have dated from as early as 1896, although most likely it was from around 1908. Sometimes researching one mystery leads to solving another. While researching the football jersey, we discovered that a small, black cap we had long puzzled over, monogramed with “LFBT” on the front, turns out to have been an official “Lawrenceville Foot Ball Team” hat from approximately 1907-1919.

h Then we came across an embosser. When a sheet of paper is inserted into the bottom of the device and the lever pushed down, the old School seal, an inch and a half in diameter, is embossed into the paper. The pattern is believed to be one designed in 1892, which featured a burning lamp (representing the lamp of knowledge), oak leaves with acorns (representing strength growing from small things), and a Corinthian column

F Here's hoping one of our buildings isn't missing this.

The archives, of course, wouldn’t be the archives without a few truly mysterious objects. Two baffling items turned up as we prepared to move. The first was a 30-inch-long wooden plaque that reads simply, “Donated by the Hon. Grover Cleveland.” We have found no clues as to what the former president may have once donated to the School, although the plaque is large enough to indicate the gift was significant and was considered (at least at the time) to be permanent. The other enigma is a smallish (if you can consider a foot high by a foot wide by 18 inches long “smallish”), curved cornerstone or cornice that looks as if it belongs at the base of a column. Chiseled into the top of the stone is what may be a portion of a date, “1/22” with the rest obscured by cement that originally served as mortar. While it is clearly from a building that had some significance to the School, no records were left in the archives of which building it was, and so far, we have not spotted the puzzling column base in any old photos. There are other items, of course. Every move of this sort reveals far more than a few new discoveries. As we learn about these new finds, so will you.

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9 Take This Job & Love It

From the

GroundlingsUp F

or his recurring role on That 70s Show, actor Jim Rash ’90 played Fenton, a jewelry store clerk who likes to show off merchandise by wearing it himself. This, the character explains, is why he was fired from his last job at a lingerie store. On Reno 911, he portrayed frequent brothel patron, Andrew, who would call for emergency assistance when prostitutes did not meet his exacting standards. And now, as Dean Pelton, a regular on the show Community, he dresses in women’s clothing, is attracted to furry costumed characters, and is, well, let’s just say, peculiar. Rash didn’t always have roles like these. He points out that his typecasting comes in waves. Before his full-blown weirdo period, there was a series of persnickety assistants. Before that, he played buttoned-up types. Even as a Lawrenceville postgraduate he was typecast – that time as an old person. “I was one year older so I must’ve been able to better tap into what old age feels like,” he says. While Rash was interested in acting for as long as he can remember, “Lawrenceville cemented it. Lawrenceville embraced theatre in a way my old school had not. I remember [then-Performing Arts Master] Penelope Reed bringing in football players to do stage combat. She brought in all factions. She made the program so fun and inclusive.” In 1994, he found a similarly fun and inclusive environment when he joined The Groundlings, the famous L.A.-based improv school. There he developed his skills as a writer and honed his acting chops. Before long he was acting in The Sunday Company, a weekly evening of

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A more eccentric college dean there never was – and that suits Jim Rash just fine.

and has been performing, teaching, and directing there for the past 12 years. His work at The Groundlings also allows him to keep his improv muscles limber – which has resulted in a number of meaty roles on film and TV. Reno 911, for example, is a show that works entirely without a script. Rash first met Reno showrunners and stars Tom Lennon and Robert Ben Garant at an improv show in Chicago. Soon afterward they asked Rash to appear on Reno. “There was

something very freeing about the way they worked,” Rash says. “But it’s also nerveracking. Between those long takes I would think, ‘I hope I find something. I hope this gets funny.’” Community is a very different environment, but, to Rash, it is his best job to date. “My favorite way to work is to have something really great on the page. It has to start there. Then you can do a take in which you can expand on what’s there. That’s Community.” The Community scripts also seem to bring out the best in him. “The writers watch you and see what’s in your wheelhouse. They’re always looking to play to your strengths.” Apparently, one of Rash’s strengths is his willingness to look ridiculous. He’s been dressed as a flamenco dancer, Catwoman, a French aristocrat, Tina Turner, Julius Caesar, and Scarlet O’Hara – and that was just in one episode. “I became a doll last season,” Rash admits. “And I can tell you already, it’s continuing. It’s like a drug for them; now that they started, they can’t stop. But I’m game for whatever. I don’t need a lot of convincing to do it because I love the job and I’m not going to tell them no.” Lately Rash is also getting a well-deserved reputation as a screenwriter. His first produced script, The Descendants, written with fellow Groundling Nat Faxton and starring George Clooney, opened this winter to rave reviews. But even before The Descendants got the green light, Rash’s writing skills were well known in Hollywood. The Descendants, as well as a previous effort, The Way, Way Back, both appeared on The Black List, an insider listing of the best

Photograph by Steve Anderson

unproduced scripts in Hollywood. Photograph by Steve Anderson

improv with fellow students, boldly experimenting with new characters and ideas. The addictive rewards and potential dangers of improv held a certain allure to the young actor. “Almost right away I knew I enjoyed doing it. I can’t, however, put my finger on the moment when it might have been enjoyable to watch me doing it.” To this day Rash’s loyalty to The Groundlings knows no bounds. He never really left the place; after graduating, he became a member of Groundlings Main Company

With the success of The Descendants, Hollywood has suddenly reignited its interest in The Way, Way Back. In other words, it’s more than likely that Jim Rash is about to become more in demand than ever before. But Rash is also quick to point out that he will always find time to run Greendale Community College and – when the urge strikes – slip into a Dalmatian suit.

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9 1000 Words

Home Improvement Photograph by Paloma Torres

Residents of Stanley House hold court on their new porch. Read

the story on page 6.

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Archival Revival Photographs by Paloma Torres

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For years the cozy archive in the basement of Bunn Library was a fine space to house Lawrencevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s artifacts. Then, all of a sudden, it no longer was. Thanks to a generous benefactor and an impressive architectural plan, the rest, as they say, is history.

Upper left: The previous archives reading room had a single table with four chairs. The new Heely Reading Room is designed to hold an entire class comfortably. Lower left: The Lower Level Lobby, previously used as meeting space whenever classes came to use the archives, has now reverted to its original intent as a relaxing space. This page: The new main archives storage area is designed to accommodate not only existing holdings but projected growth for the next 30 years.

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Left: Project Archivist Casey Babcock places an item in a display case in preparation for the opening exhibit, which featured the history of football at Lawrenceville. The display cases do not open into the reading room, but, for security purposes, can only be accessed from within the artifact storage ring. The exhibit cases were designed to minimize harm to displayed objects from light, heat, and contact with organic materials. Right: Hidden behind the walls of the new Heely Reading Room is what is known as "the ring" â&#x20AC;&#x201C; storage space specially designed to hold School artifacts such as trophies and other 3D memorabilia. Historic Exhibition Specialist Sarah Mezzino has implemented museum-level care protocols for those items in the collections.

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The Heely Reading Room features four built-in computer monitors, controlled by an access panel, which can be used for presentations, teaching, films, or as shared stations for students' media projects. The room follows the octagonal footprint of the McGraw Reading Room on the main level of the library.

The archives have never been more popular than during the past several years. The sudden upswing, explains School Archivist Jacqueline Haun, was the result of three concurrent events: The first was the School’s steady march toward Lawrenceville’s Bicentennial in 2010. The second was Haun’s increased visibility as the author of The Lawrentian’s department “Ask the Archivist.” And the third was Haun’s near tireless efforts to promote the archives through tours and classes. Within just a couple of years, the number of archival requests slowly – and then rapidly – grew from what was once 75 per year to more than 300 (a number that has abated only slightly, even a year after Bicentennial festivities have come to a close). Donations to the archives upticked as well. Paperwork, photographs, trophies, pennants, mothballed sweaters, and other noted bits of Lawrentiana, began to trickle in. All were gratefully received and – after the shelves filled up – stored on any flat surface that would hold them. Add to that the steady increase in history classes making their way to the Bunn basement for research and that archive – always on the smallish side – began to get a little too cozy for comfort.

Left: John Stephan's gift addressed staffing needs as well as physical renovations. A workroom large enough to hold additional staff members is now adjacent to the archivist's office. Right: Archivist Jacqi Haun's office has more flat space for archival work and an improved but discreet view into the Heely Reading Room to supervise researchers more easily.

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Archives Assistant Zoe Vybiral-Bauske replaces a document box in the new main archives storage area, located across the lobby from the archives offices and reading room. In order to maximize storage space, motorized compact storage units move on tracks to create aisle access to any row at the push of a button. The compact storage units can hold more than 4,000 linear feet of records, four times as much space as the previous storage area. The archives collections are also now protected by a state-of-the-art gas fire suppression system that is designed to put out fires without causing water damage to valuable collections.

Due

the

generosity

John

Stephan

â&#x20AC;&#x2122;59 and his wife, Barbara, that is no longer the case. Their $6 million gift to renovate and endow the archives has spawned a

state-of-the-art

facility.

Debuting

this

past September, the gift provides the new archives with double the storage capacity for the Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s collection, updated humidity and temperature controls, a generous octagon-shaped reading room for class research projects, and office space for extra archive personnel. The gift extends beyond the brick and mortar in Bunn as well; it also provides funding for unique Lawrenceville-centric exhibitions (for example, the recent Old Lower exhibit) and underwrites the Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing commitment to digitize every issue of The Lawrence and The Lawrentian for posterity. It is an archive truly befitting a School that holds its history in such high esteem.

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Lawrentians know their stuff. Now you can know some of their stuff, too. How to Create the Next Big Thing By Ken “Dr. Fad” Hakuta ’68 If you want to make it big in the fad game, you have to rid your mind of all the clichés about success. Take that old chestnut: “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” Forget it. While making improvements on an existing product may earn you a little money from the few people who appreciate the innovation, the really big money goes to the person who comes up with something completely different and completely useless. Don’t get me wrong. Useful ideas have their place in the world. Just not here. If you look at the fads that have been runaway successes you’ll see that a true fad has little utility beyond its entertainment value. Think of the Mood Ring, the Pet Rock, the Slinky, Silly Putty and, yes, my Wacky Wallwalker. Here are a few pointers to market your fad of tomorrow.

A Get a Move On!

One of the things I hear most when I’m talking to would-be fadmakers is that old lament, “As soon as I’ve gotten my gizmo just a little better (a little cuter, a little shinier, a little uglier, a little bouncier), then I’ll be ready.” When it comes to fads, less is more. Often, tinkering is a symptom of birth pangs, a fear of letting your baby out of the garage. You’re wasting time. Whether something bounces 20 percent higher or goes 20 percent faster or looks 20 percent better is not what you are after. You’re after the Big WOW Factor.

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A The Name’s the Thing

Your fad needs a great title. Just think if I had kept the original name of my fad: “Octopus.” If you had the choice of marketing “Octopus” or “Wacky Wallwalker,” which would you choose? More important, which would you buy? Be creative with your title but not vague. “Wacky Wallwalker” is a fun name, but it also gives people a pretty good idea as to what the thing can be expected to do. Years ago, a product called “Photon” languished on store shelves. What could a product called Photon be? Who knows? But then some marketing whiz renamed it “Laser Tag,” and the game flew off the shelves. The name told the story.

A Keep it Short and Sweet

Hone your marketing spiel. The media have a shorter attention span than I do. For radio and TV appearances you need a 15-second explanation. If you have extra time, you can explain it again.

A Write and Rewrite Directions

A six-year-old should understand them. Never include more than two lines of directions. One line is better. “Throw this at the wall” or “Put this on your head” will do nicely.

A Every Sample is Worth a Thousand Words

Everyone loves a freebie, especially if it’s fun. Samples don’t cost you much, and they say more than 10 press releases. Never send anything out that says, “Some assembly required.” I get samples all the time that I have to put together. I say to myself, “Some other time, maybe if I live to be 100, I’ll get to this thing.” I’m not yet 100, and that thing is still in my bottom drawer.

Illustrations by Zara Picken

Bad Fads: Here are a couple of real fad

ideas that were unable to grab the brass ring. Dismembear

You get up late for work, junior is suspended from school, your property taxes just went up 40%, and you get ticketed for driving by yourself in the carpool lane. It’s time to take your stress out on Dismembear! In the privacy of your home, you can cuddle this cute, furry teddy bear, but when you are frustrated, you can rip it apart limb by limb. Lesson Learned: A fad must have across-the-board appeal. Beheading something adorable may appeal to the creepy – but “the creepy” is a niche market at best.

The Everbrown Plant Here was something for those who failed the green thumb test. The Everbrown Plant was a pre-dried (and dead) plant for those who were too busy to kill a plant on their own.

How to Use a Semicolon By Rob Reinalda ’76 The semicolon (;) is a marvelously handy piece of punctuation; it is frequently misused or underused, however. It has two distinct uses – linking connected ideas and separating discrete elements, as in a complex series. Let’s look at its applications. The semicolon most often bridges two short, independent clauses that are related.

Lesson Learned: Fads must be fun. Something dead? Depressing.

Here’s an example: My 21st birthday is Thursday; GreatAunt Fiona is taking me out to celebrate on Saturday night. Here’s another: Awwwww, that’s sweet; get a life.

Rock ’n’ Roll

It’s Pet Rock: The Next Generation. It’s a rock imbedded in a bagel! Ha! Lesson Learned: Fads needs to be new and original; sequels to successful fads don’t work so forget about your Pet Sand project. - K.H.

In each case, the two thoughts separated by the semicolon are directly related. The semicolon indicates that Aunt Fiona is taking the narrator out on Saturday because his 21st birthday is on Thursday. As for the second example, the narrator is both sweet and a loser because he’s forsaking a night of revelry with the guys in favor of a tame evening with a doddering spinster. Using a period in these examples would diminish the relationship between the statements. A comma put in place of the semicolon would create a “comma splice,” which is utterly reprehensible. (Well, it’s incorrect.) Another effective use of the semicolon is for breaking up a complex series, when at least one element within the series requires commas. What follows is a long yet simple series; commas alone can do the job: I went shopping for eggs, coaxial cable, an electric pencil sharpener, macadamia nuts, a lathe, a pocket calculator, three pounds of figs, a post hole digger, jicama, and a pewter corkscrew.

A Don’t Hold Back

You are your fad. You must be passionate about it. Don’t be reluctant to flail away about your fad to anyone, anytime. I threw Wacky Wallwalkers against the walls of some of the finest restaurants in the country.

A Don’t Take the Pros’ Advice

They’ve had some successes, true. But their mistakes are hidden. You don’t hear about the chances they didn’t take. They are cautious and will preach caution to you.

A Keep it Fun

A fad is fun. Remember that. It isn’t useful. It isn’t going to cure cancer. The veep at Kenner Toys can afford to be a grim, green eyeshade-type because he isn’t his fad. If the fun goes out of your fad, it dies. Ken Hakuta, the former host of the popular kids television program The Dr. Fad Show (1988-1994), was the inventor of the Wacky Wallwalker, one of the best-selling toys of the 1980s.

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In the following, there is a series of series, so, for the sake of clarity, the groupings are set off with semicolons: I went shopping for eggs, jicama, macadamia nuts, and three pounds of figs for tonight’s dinner; a post hole digger, coaxial cable, and a lathe for some weekend projects; and a pocket calculator, an electric pencil sharpener, and a pewter corkscrew to bring to work.

Without the semicolons, your reader could become confused, possibly even – wait for it – comma-tose. Another contemporary use for the semicolon is to provide a wink in an emoticon, but we’re far too sober and sophisticated for such piffle. ; ) Rob Reinalda writes the Word Czar series on language for Ragan Communications, (www.ragan.com), where he is executive editor. You can follow him on Twitter@word_czar.

How to Stay Cool in the Hot Seat By Geoff Morrell ’87 Briefing the Pentagon press corps about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is a real challenge, especially on live TV. How well you do in that situation depends in large part on the type of person you are. Some people enjoy public speaking, others clearly don’t. I was probably born to do it. Early home movies show some evidence of that, but my teachers and classmates at Lawrenceville can also attest that I have long been comfortable speaking to a crowd. I was a lawyer on the mock trial team run by English Master Champ Atlee ’62 H’79 P’92, dabbled in some Periwig, announced football games, and drove English Master Max Maxwell H’74 ’81 ’91 crazy with my outspokenness in his classes. But being Pentagon Press Secretary requires more than a comfort with speaking in public, you really need to like operating under bright lights and intense scrutiny. And, just as at Lawrenceville, you have to do your homework. I came to the Pentagon in June 2007 after a 15-year career as a television reporter, the last four covering the White House for ABC News. I had been a quick study, done a lot of live reporting and was used to working without a net, but I knew I had to step up my game to be successful on this new stage. That is why I took two months getting ready before I made my first trip to the podium. I studied briefing books; was tutored by military leaders and policy experts; and then I spent a week in Iraq meeting our generals, troopers, Iraqi politicians, and tribal leaders. Finally, on my way out to the podium, one of colleagues said to me, “Geoff, one more thing.” And I thought, “Oh, geeze, what more can I cram into my head?” Then he said, “Remember this: You know way more now than you will ever need to know. Just go out and relax.” And he was right. I had prepared myself well and did just fine. In fact, I briefed for nearly an hour, until I had exhausted all of their questions. Once you’re out there you must control the room. You need to set the tone for the event (a newsworthy opening statement can help with that), manage the progression of questions (you recog-

nize reporters rather than respond to those shouting at you) and pay close attention to reporter queries. If a question is based upon a false premise, challenge the premise. If a reporter goes into an area you’re not prepared to address, set clear boundaries. If reporters stray into politics or intelligence matters, make it clear those subjects are off limits, at least from the Pentagon podium. And try not to let them get you too agitated. If a reporter is driving you crazy, as many are wont to do, you can either take the bait or – because you control the room – move on to someone else and try to change the topic. I usually turned to the foreign correspondents or trade reporters in the back of the room because they had different agendas and were happy to be called on. No matter how well you prepare, duck, or dodge, however, there is bound to be something asked you hadn’t thought of. Don’t BS the press corps; they can tell instantly. If you don’t know the answer, tell them as much. They will appreciate your candor and it will actually enhance your credibility in the long term. If you make a mistake, quickly own up to it – in public, if it was particularly egregious. I can’t recall any egregious mistakes, but I often walked back to the press room and corrected the record. It’s never easy to admit you’re wrong, but it goes a long way toward forging and maintaining a good working relationship with the press. I made a point of reviewing all my press conference videos to see if I was meeting my goal of being a credible, authoritative spokesman for the U.S. military. Our troops were giving their all on the front lines so the least I could do was be a passionate advocate for them and their mission when I was at the podium. Watching myself afterward, however, I realized that I sometimes appeared too combative on television. TV is a very cool medium and it amplifies emotions – so I needed to keep mine in better check. Humor helped with that. When briefing videos often become tense, I tried to change the dynamics in the room with a laugh at my expense. Self-deprecating humor always lighten the mood.

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Another way to stay calm and cool is to keep the temperature down. The briefing room was often packed and the lights hot so we cranked up the air conditioning and kept my water glass full. You need to be comfortable up there, especially when you’re under fire. The last thing a spokesman wants is to replicate that hilariously embarrassing scene in the film Broadcast News, in which Albert Brooks starts to sweat profusely while anchoring the evening news. Never let them see you sweat! Geoff Morrell served as Pentagon press secretary from 20072011. He is now BP America’s head of communications.

Gates' gift My former boss and dear friend Former Defense Secretary Bob Gates may have had the longest honeymoon in the history of Washington. He fought two unpopular wars under two very different presidents and yet walked out of town after four years with an even better reputation than when he first took the job. This was, in part, due to his masterful handling of the Washington press corps. He was unfailingly polite, never condescending, and always had something thoughtful to say. Best of all, he said it in complete sentences, making him easy to quote. The press loved him, and he respected them, as evidenced by the fact that he hired one of them to speak for him.

When he interviewed me for the job, he gave me five great instructions: 1. I don’t want a pit bull at the podium. To treat the press as the enemy is self-defeating. 2. I want you to be as cooperative as you can possibly be with the press just as I am trying to be with the Congress. 3. “ I don’t know” is a perfectly acceptable answer. Don’t bull***t them; if you don’t know an answer, tell them so. It’s quite disarming when someone admits it. 4. You are only credible if you have access to me. You need to be in my meetings and on all my trips to know what I am thinking and why. 5. I don’t want another “Yes Man.” The building is full of people who salute and say ‘Yes, sir.’ I need you to be candid with me. All this, of course, was music to a prospective spokesperson’s ears and made me much more effective in my job. - G.M.

How to Die on Stage By Monica Yunus ’95 So many operas end in death (stabbing, poisoning, consumption, beheading, the list goes on and on). Here are a few tips to make your onstage demise appropriately poignant.

A Know Your Character

Operas can seem overly melodramatic to 21st-century audiences, but they all contain a compelling story and each character has a dramatic arc. Read the text carefully. Make sure your character and her motivations make sense to you. If you don’t connect with her, your audience won’t either.

A Avoid Costume Malfunctions

On the Carol Burnett Show, there was a great skit where Carol wore a large hoop skirt. Every time she sat down, the bottom of her dress would fly up, obscuring her face and revealing lacy underpinnings. Opera costumes can be similarly large and distracting. If you’re wearing a giant, flowing gown, learn how to swoon and fall in a way that does not create a Carol Burnett moment.

A Don’t Lose Your Breath

Take time to work out a comfortable way to lie. If you’re Gilda in Rigoletto, for example, you will probably be dying on the lap of your father. This position is intrinsically awkward, but it’s doubly so considering that you’ll still need to sing. Be sure to position your body in a way that doesn’t restrict your breathing.

A Technical Matters Matter

After Gilda dies, she is often carried off in a bag; are the baritones strong enough to effortlessly get you offstage? Any signs of struggle will prompt a big laugh from the audience. Tosca dies by jumping off a building; are you sure the crew put a mattress back there? Are you being upstaged by another (living) actor? Is your lighting right? Don’t be afraid to chat with the director if you have any questions or concerns.

A Roll With the Punches

Sometimes your needs for the character don’t fit with a director’s vision. He might re-imagine Rigoletto as a Western, with Gilda as a rancher’s daughter. Or he might set a scene in a men’s room. (And, yes, this was actually done.) Or he might just simply stage scenes in ways that feel unnatural and drive you nuts. Try to be flexible. Remember, your character’s needs and emotions are still the same – even if you’re wearing spurs.

A It Ain’t Over Until…

Once you’re dead, stay dead. Make sure the curtain is completely closed before you get up. I know this rule seems obvious, but, believe me, I’ve seen more than my fair share of reanimated corpses. Soprano Monica Yunus, a fixture at The Metropolitan Opera, has been lauded by The New York Times and many other periodicals for her performances. She has died on stage dozens of times.

How To Drink Wine Like A Connoisseur By Rudy von Strasser ’77 We all have seen the image of the quintessential wine connoisseur: a heavyset, middle-aged white man, leaning over the fireplace, swirling his glass and waxing poetically about a wine’s characteristics and origin. This caricature is someone most of us do not want to emulate. Although wine has a reputation for being a complicated and sophisticated product, in reality it does not have to be either; it should be a fun and simple part of all of our lives. So how do you drink wine like a connoisseur? The most important tool in your arsenal will be a set of good wine glasses. No, you don’t need a different glass for each variety you drink, although the glass manufactures would be happy to let you think otherwise. That being said, your old set of Libbey glasses will not work. Nor will your fancy set of etched English crystal you inherited from Grandma. You need a glass designed specifically for the wine trade, with a large bowl, thin glass and rim, and a stem for holding and keeping your hands from warming the wine. Look in your favorite wine store for models from Riedel or Schott-Zweitzel. Why a good glass? As you swirl your wine around in the bowl (learn to do this before you put on your best white dress or shirt) you expose the wine to oxygen and volatilize the aromatic components of the wine. In an old-fashioned glass, the aromas will

waft out of the bowl. In a properly-shaped glass, the aromas will be trapped, so that when you put your nose into the bowl you will be astounded by the variety of smells. The size and shape of the bowl also determines how much wine can be swirled, and directs the wine to different parts of your tongue and mouth, all of which have different receptors for the various components of a wine (sweet, sour, etc). Now you only need two more tools. The first is an interesting collection of wines. Go to your favorite wine store and order a selection of wines to compare. You may want to compare varietals (How do Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel differ?), regions (What is the flavor differences of Chardonnay from Napa, Santa Barbara, Australia, and Burgundy?), price points, or any other variables you can think of. Ask the store’s wine buyer to pick representative bottles since they have theoretically tried every wine in their store. Take these wines home, put them in a brown bag (so you don’t see the labels), and mark each bag with a code number. Then pour the wines into those nice, new glasses. To finish the above tasting, you need the second most important part of the equation: good friends. With your group of friends, spend five or ten minutes swirling the glasses and only smelling the wines, writing down the aromas you perceive. Then spend another few minutes tasting the wines and again writing down their descriptions. If you are not sure how to describe what you are smelling and tasting, reference the wine aroma wheel (www.winearomawheel.com) created by UC Davis Professor Anne Noble. Wine descriptions, like black pepper, raspberry, etc., are meant to give familiar words to these aromas. Finally, open up the tasting to discussion, and after everyone has had a chance to say their share, unveil the bottles. You will probably find that your least favorite was someone else’s favorite. WINTER

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And that brings up my final point. There is no such thing as a universally great wine. The wine connoisseur who weighs 400 pounds, tastes 200 wines each day, and eats steak three meals a day is going to have a very differently honed set of taste buds from a vegetarian who drinks only occasionally. What is not enough oak, sugar, or concentration for one person can be too much for another. The important thing is to learn to trust your taste buds, drink responsibly, and enjoy the process. Rudy von Strasser is the owner and founder of the von Strasser Winery, the winner of Wine and Spirits magazine’s “Winery of the Year” for eight consecutive years. His Reserve was chosen as 2004’s “Wine of the Year” by Connoisseurs’ Guide to Fine Wine.

How to Behave on the Witness Stand By Carolyn Maro Angelaccio ’96 You never know what you will see in a courtroom. I have seen witnesses chew gum during their testimony. I have seen witnesses wear baseball caps. I have seen witnesses testifying on the morning after what was obviously a night of heavy partying. On one occasion, a witness’ cell phone went off while he was testifying and his ringtone song was “I Like Big Butts.” Aside from the obvious advice that might be more appropriate coming from your mom (Spit out that gum! Take off that hat! Get some sleep! Turn off that phone!), here are a few simple rules that will help put your best foot forward with a jury.

A Remember: The Judge is the Boss

I frequently see witnesses talk disrespectfully to a judge – not so much in what they say but in how they say it. A lot of times a judge will question a witness directly and the witness may interrupt or say something dismissive such as, “No, no, no. You don’t understand what I’m saying.” This occurs more frequently than one might think. Often when people speak in casual conversation, they interrupt each other and are not even aware that they are doing it. They anticipate what someone else is going to say and start talking before the other person finishes his statement. If a witness is either too nervous or too comfortable on the stand, he might interrupt the attorneys or even the judge. Don’t do it. This behavior will devastate your credibility as a witness.

A Look at the Jury

There is a trick we lawyers have. If I am asking questions of my own witness, I stand close to the jury box because I want my witness to look directly at that jury. I want him to make eye contact in a natural way. I want him to connect with the jury and get that jury to understand and believe what he is saying. On the other hand, if I am cross-examining an opposing witness, I stand at the counsel table to direct the witness’ eyes away from the jury, making the witness appear less trustworthy. Most trial attorneys use this trick, and it is a pretty effective technique.

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Most people are conditioned to give an answer to the person who asks the question, so if the attorney is all the way on the other side of the room, that’s where the witness’s eyes are naturally going to steer. I advise my clients to look at the opposing attorney when the question is being asked and direct their answers to the jury. It might feel unnatural, or a little like watching pingpong, turning your head back and forth, but, remember, the attorney does not need to know your answer to the question, the jury does.

A Carefully Listen to the Question

A good attorney knows how to confuse a witness with a question. A bad witness will not ask an attorney to rephrase a confusing question. What I always tell witnesses is, “When a question is asked, take a second before answering. Quickly repeat the question in your mind. Make sure you know what is being asked of you.” If you are not absolutely certain, ask for clarification.

A Carefully Listen to Your Answer

I remember prepping one witness who was very confident. He knew exactly what happened and exactly what he was going to say. Part of the case in question hinged on whether he received a particular letter. So I asked him in prep, “Did you see that letter?” “Oh, no. No. Never saw it. Nope. That letter was never sent to me. Definitely no.” Then, at trial, he got on the witness stand and in cross-examination said, “Well, maybe I saw the letter.” My mouth dropped. I could not believe my ears. I spoke to him about that answer afterward and he said, “Did I say that? Did I say ‘maybe’? I didn’t mean maybe.” He might not have meant it, but he sure said it. And the jury heard it.

A Volunteer Nothing

Only answer the question that is asked. This is one of the most important instructions I give witnesses in prep, but on the stand it is frequently forgotten. For example, if in cross-examination an attorney asks you, “Is it true that you did not see the stop sign at the intersection?” Your answer should be either “Yes” or “No.” Those are your only choices. But this is what happens next: A good attorney will pause after your “Yes” or “No,” and just let that silence hang there. It is another trick we use. We know that silence makes a witness uncomfortable; the witness will often start talking to fill that silence. So you may continue, “Well, the reason I didn’t see the sign was because I was arguing with my boyfriend on my cell phone and I was rushing to his house because…” All of a sudden you have opened the door to a bigger issue that most likely would never have existed if you just simply said “Yes” or “No.”

A Don’t Worry about Your Public Speaking Skills

Be yourself. You don’t need to be eloquent. You don’t need to use $50 words. In fact, I find that sometimes the least articulate witnesses are often the most appealing. In one case, I made the lastminute decision to put a woman on the stand who simply accompanied other witnesses and was there to observe. By all superficial appearances, she did not look like she would be a very compelling witness. She was difficult to understand, and her voice was so low that we had to put the microphone very close to her face, but the jury loved her because she was so real and so sincere. Sometimes a genuine person can have a far greater effect on a jury than a well-polished, articulate expert. Carolyn Maro Angelaccio is a senior associate at Curtin & Heefner LLP in Morrisville, PA. She was named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer Rising Star by Thomson Reuters in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011 and a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” in 2007.

Do you possess either essential or eccentric knowledge? Can you help your fellow Lawrentians get a little bit closer to knowing everything? Then we need your help! Drop the Editor a line at mallegra@lawrenceville.org, and your words of wisdom just might end up on these pages.

Help Support the Next 75 Years by Making Your Gift Today P.O. Box 6125 Lawrenceville, New Jers ey 08648 www.lawrenceville.org/giving 609-895-2155

The Lawrenceville Fund The Lawrenceville Parents Fund

75th Anniversary of Harkness The Centerpiece of a Lawrenceville Education (id) Law.HARK.Ads 7.11.indd 1

7/21/11 4:33:03 PM

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9 Alumni News

The Alumni Association

G Alumni got together at the Lawrenceville Club of New York's Summer Happy Hour on July 13, at the home of J.C. Keeler ’86.

Executive Committee 2011/2012

President

Michael T. "Tim" Wojciechowicz ’78 P’06 ’10 ’12 Vice President

Jennifer Ridley Staikos ’91 Vice President

Ian S. Rice ’95 Executive Committee

Scott Belair ’65 P’08 ’09 Catherine Bramhall ’88

G The Hong Kong Big Red Networking Event, July 14.

Dallas Heterhington ’80 P’12 John C. Hover III ’61 P’91 Charlie Keller ’95 Mark M. Larsen ’72 P’01 ’04 ’06 Dave Stephens ’78 P’06 John C. Walsh ’99 Cahill Zoeller ’00 Alumni Trustees

David J. Ballard ’74 Hyman J. Brody ’75 P’07 ’08 ’11 Greg W. Hausler ’81 Peter Schweinfurth ’79 P’15 selectors

Frederick Cammerzell III ’68

G Acting Head Master Graham Cole shares a laugh with Trustee Craig Lucas

Charles M. Fleischman ’76

’81 and his wife at the Spring Lake Summer Cocktail Reception.

Shannon Halleran McIntosh ’93 Peter C. Rubincam ’88 Victoria Y. Wei ’89 Gregory A. Williamson ’78 P’09

Your Smart Phone Can Soon Be a Whole Lot Smarter.

faculty liaison

Timothy C. Doyle ’69 H’79 P’99

A Go to www.lawrenceville.org/ alumni and download the new

Lawrenceville app. 34

t h e l aw r e n t i a n

9 Board Bits New Trustees Announced Lawrenceville welcomed Hyman J. Brody ’75 P’07 ’08 ’11, Arthur H. Bunn ’74 P’04 ’06 ’08, Leslie Doll P’09 ’11 ’14, Lawrence D. Howell II ’71 P’11 ’13, and Craig M. Lucas ’81 as the newest members of the School’s Board of Trustees. A Hyman J. Brody is the former president and owner of Brody’s Department Stores. Brody’s was founded in the early 1900s by his grandfather, originally as a shoe store in Sumter, SC. Over the ensuing decades and under Hyman J. Brody’s eventual leadership, the store expanded to include a variety of retail outlets and upscale fashion merchandise. The family sold their six-store chain in 1998. Currently Brody is co-administrator of the Brody Brothers Foundation and the J.S. Brody Trust, and is president of Brody Co., Inc., a real estate development company in Greenville, NC. He is also the father of Nathan Brody ’11, the 2010-11 Lawrenceville School student president. A Arthur H. Bunn is the president and CEO of Bunn Corp. Founded by his grandfather, George ’34, in 1957, the company is internationally known for its Bunn-O-Matic coffee makers. Bunn and his wife, Nancy, are very philanthropic and have contributed to such organizations as the Nature Conservancy of Illinois, The Wetlands Initiative, Springfield Parks Foundation, and Vanderbilt University. Bunn has attended

years at Citibank Switzerland as vice president

numerous alumni events throughout the years including the Deans Garden Dedication; the 1970s Reception & Dinner; and Alumni Weekends in 1994, 1999, 2003, 2004, and 2009.

in charge of Swiss Ultra High Net Worth Clients. A Craig M. Lucas is a founding partner of Zimmer Lucas Capital, LLC, a money management

A Leslie Doll and her husband, Robert, through their family foundation, have supported organizations such as the United Way of Greater Mercer County, University Medical Center at Princeton, YWCA of Princeton, the American Boychoir, the Princeton Public Library, and HomeFront. Doll is co-chair of local admission for the Lawrenceville Parents Committee.

firm with approximately $2 billion in assets in New York City. After holding prominent positions at Salomon Brothers, Fitch Investor Services, and Oppenheimer & Co, he joined Stuart Zimmer as a money manager for Commodities Corp. A year later, in 1997, Lucas and Zimmer launched their own Utility Fund and formed Zimmer Lucas Capital, which has produced an annual net return of 35% since its inception. Lucas and

A Lawrence D. Howell II is the current CEO of EFG International. Previously, he was the chief executive officer of EFG Bank and a member of its management. Since 1997, he has been a member of the Advisory Board of EFG Group and, since 2001, a member of the Board of Directors of EFG Investment Bank AB (formerly IBP Fondkommission). Prior to joining the EFG Group, Howell was with Coutts and Co. International Private Banking. In addition, he spent three

Zimmer launched the similarly successful ZLP Master Fund, the Opportunity Fund, and ZLP Investments (ZLPI). Lucas is a board member of The Doe Fund’s programs and innovative business ventures, which strives to help homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals achieve permanent self-sufficiency. He is a very active member of its board and helps to raise about $10 million annually for the program.

Upcoming Harkness Events A January 26, 2012: Philadelphia

A April 2012: Los Angeles

The Poetry of James Merrill ’43

Christopher Cunningham, Ph.D. P’14

A February 8, 2012: New York

A May 4-5, 2012: Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association Harkness Discussion Wilburn Williams, Ph.D. H’06

Alumni Weekend: Celebrating 75 Years of Harkness Teaching

A February 16, 2012: Atlanta

A June 8-10, 2012: Lawrenceville

The Poetry of James Merrill ’43 Christopher Cunningham, Ph.D. P’14 A March 1, 2012: New York

Harkness Weekend Head Master Liz Duffy H’43 & Lawrenceville Masters

Ulysses S. Grant’s Lawrenceville Biographers: Bunting and Porter Josiah “Si” Bunting III H’37 ’88 P’88 ’97 A April 19, 2012: Washington, DC

The Poetry of James Merrill ’43 Christopher Cunningham, Ph.D. P’14

Dates subject to change. Please contact the Lawrenceville Alumni Office or check out The Lawrenceville School website for more information about these and other Harkness events.

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Photo

FINISH

Lawrencevilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s archive is home to a wealth of historical information. Unfortunately, it is also home to hundreds of mysterious photos. If you can provide any insight for the images below, please send the archivist an e-mail at ZVybiralBauske@lawrenceville.org. First responders will be credited in a future issue of The Lawrentian and will receive some nifty Lawrenceville swag.

by Zoe Vybiral-Bauske

1 4

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Photo

1. This photo was obviously taken during a theater performance. What is not obvious is what is being performed, and who the actors might be. Can anyone claim credit for his performance as this dashing bobby or

FINDINGS

the seated gentleman?

2. This photo appears to capture the shenanigans of the faculty players. Are there any former actors who can identify the play being performed or either of the talented performers?

3. What an adventure! Judging from the facial expressions, some were thrilled with this rafting expedition

We continue to be dazzled by the long and detailed memories of the Lawrenceville community. As the images on these pages are mysteries to us, we are always grateful to learn whatever you know about them. Even the merest guesses may be helpful, so please submit any information you can!

Student at Drawing Board Congratulations once again to previous “Photo Finish” winner, the sagacious Eric Winter ’68 P’04, who first identified this industrious young man as Vic Schrager ’68. Bill Graupner ’64 also provided some much needed wisdom and noted that young Mr. Schrager is working in the Registrar’s Office, entering student absence data on “24-hour sheets,” used by the faculty to ensure that no student skipped class without an excuse.

and others were in a little over their heads. Can anyone remember what year this trip took place, or the names of any of the rafters?

4. This picture is clearly a testament to the strain and stress associated with Periwig rehearsals. We’d love to know what play was being performed, and who some of the performers were.

5. This photo was found in a box of unidentified faculty photos. However,

Boys with Duck This photo also enjoyed an outpouring of responses, but Henry Palmer ’47 was the first to reply and had the most to report. The boy holding the duck is Digby Lafferty ’48, and the boy on the far right is John Smart ’47. Palmer also identified the boy between Lafferty and Smart as Mike Todd ’47. Unfortunately, the circumstances of the duck’s “rescue” are still a bit murky. In an interesting twist, we have also discovered the identity of the photographer. David Bardes ’47 recognized the photo as one that he had taken. An intrepid reporter during his Lawrenceville days, Bardes was responsible for many of the candid photos in the Olla Pod. Anyone know the two fellows on the left? Fame and a valuable prize await the first person to identify them.

it is also possible that this duo were parents.

KUDOS to Winter, Graupner, and Palmer. You may now begin to check your mailboxes for a splendid piece of Lawrentiana.

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 e-mail us at vvanisko@lawrenceville.org with his or her new address. Thank you!