Summer 2018
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Editor Karin Storm Wood Communications Specialist Tori Gibbs Class Notes Editor Jacque Jones Photography Tori Gibbs Juliana Thomas Contributors as noted Layout CZ Design The Packer Magazine is published twice a year by The Packer Collegiate Institute, 170 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Nothing herein may be reprinted wholly or in part without the written permission of Packer’s Development Office. The Packer Collegiate Institute © 2018 Packer is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). More content at www.packer.edu/magazine
Bruce L. Dennis Head of School Karin Storm Wood Director of Communications Tori Gibbs Communications Specialist Sara Shulman Director of Development Dona Metcalf Laughlin Director of Alumni David Minder Director of Alumni Susan Moore Director of Annual Giving Aaron Heflich Shapiro Manager of Development Services Shriya Bhargava-Sears Manager of Special Events
Communications (718) 250-0264 Alumni (718) 250-0229 Registrar (718) 250-0263 General (718) 250-0200 www.packer.edu
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Board of Trustees Leadership 2017-18 Deborah Juantorena P’19 Chair Cynthia Gardstein ’66 IVAc Vice Chair Karen Snow P’25 Treasurer Richard Story P’17, P’19, P’24 Secretary Steven Fineman P’20, P’29 At Large
Alumni Association Leadership 2017-18 Geoffrey Brewer ’82, P’26 President Sasha Baumrind ’00 Vice President Jeremy Schiffres ’07 Secretary Cynthia Gardstein ’66 IVAc Ellin Rosenzweig ’52 Directors Emeritae
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Head’s Message
4 On Campus
History teacher and Babbott Chair Sandra Fahy explains the importance of an ethnographic lens; new trustees join the Board; beloved community members retire; the Parent Association creates the Community Fund.
12 Packer’s 171st Commencement
The Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, was among the speakers who offered the Class of 2018 words of wisdom on relationships and respect.
Above: To demand stronger gun laws and draw attention to the diversity of victims of gun violence, Packer students organized and ran the Brooklyn Heights Walkout, a two-hour rally on the steps of Borough Hall on March 14, 2018. Over a thousand students participated from Brooklyn independent schools, public schools, and colleges, braving frigid cold and blustery wind. International news media reported from the Walkout, some even broadcasting live from Packer’s front steps.
On the cover: Key organizers of the Walkout: Sam Levine ’21, Abe Rothstein ’21, Savannah Phillips-Falk ’18, Aliana Acevedo ’18, Sarah DeSouza ’18, and Drew Myers ’18.
16 ACTIVISM WITH PURPOSE AND HEART
Hundreds of Middle and Upper School students protested gun violence, and newly created student forums and workshops dramatically expanded dialogue at Packer about race, gender, and intersectionality.
20 Alumni News
Judith Bauman Barrett ’58 receives the Alumni Award of Honor; Lilla Smith ’78, P’19 is awarded the Joan Buehler Eisenstein ’51 Award for Service to Packer; class photos from Reunion 2018.
Director of Alumni Dona Laughlin retires, concluding 29 years of dedicated work on behalf of Packer.
Benjamin Prosky ’95 joins the Alumni Board.
Pelicans on the East Coast gathered for several social events including a conversation between Lois Hammersberg Lowry ’54 IVAc and Emily Ludolph ’08.
28 Class Notes
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Head’s Message
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The School is in the early stages of exploring an ambitious campus plan that envisions a fully reimagined Garden House and enhancements to our beloved Garden spaces.
JULIANA THOMAS
A classroom in the new Packer Early Learning Center awaits its first group of Kindergarteners.
In many ways, the summer is Packer’s least quiet season. The day after our 171st Commencement exercises — when we were honored to welcome the Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States — demolition in our Kindergarten classrooms began. By the fall, Founder’s Hall will feature a fully renovated Hart Library, a new Innovation Lab, and a new art studio. Ensuring Packer’s continued improvement often entails work that occurs behind the scenes and outside the daily rhythms of school life. While you are now familiar with the last decade’s successful renovations in the Science Building, Lower and Upper School classrooms and offices, and the Middle School Mezzanine, you may be less familiar with a major milestone in development over the past five years. Since 2013, our dedicated trustees and I, along with members of our administration and faculty, have worked to bring to life a remarkable learning space for our Preschool program. And while the new Packer Early Learning Center at 100 Clinton Street, pictured here as we prepare for its opening in September, feels like the capstone of an era dedicated to improvements in Packer’s physical plant, it represents just the beginning of a significant chapter for our School. The Garden House, which has also been vacated due to the opening of the Packer Early Learning Center, allows us to unlock incredible opportunities for our main campus. The School is in the early stages of exploring an ambitious campus plan that envisions a fully reimagined Garden House and enhancements to our beloved Garden spaces. As we prepare for an exciting transition year in which Packer’s next leader will be appointed, we look forward to sharing more information about our vision for Packer’s future, which will take us to our 175th Anniversary in 2020 and beyond. This summer, a different sort of infrastructure project is also in high gear: a completely revamped website. Launching in the coming weeks, it will offer an inspiring look at our School, with a particular emphasis on student and faculty voices, global learning, our relationship-driven community, and our commitment to diversity and equity work. You will find much to explore and rediscover about our academic program, our beautiful campus, and most of all, the children and adults whose “purpose and heart” make Packer Packer. Of course, nothing surpasses the experience of coming back for a visit, and as always, I warmly invite you to do that, too.
Bruce L. Dennis
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RASHAD RANDOLPH
On Campus
PACKER ARTS debuted the Middle School Dance Company at the Dance Concert in February. Hardworking cast and crew members brought The Drowsy Chaperone and Anne of Green Gables to life in the Pratt Theater. Musicians traveled across the globe over Spring Break, with Jazz Band members performing in the New Orleans and chorus and orchestra members visiting Ireland. The Shen Gallery hosted the powerful portraits of visiting artist Tim Okamura — included in this year’s Packer in Action program — as well as the sculptures, paintings, drawings, and photographs of the many talented artists in the senior class — including this still-life by Hannah McKnight ’18.
Combating Ethnocentrism with the Power of Observation “ Whether it’s a lesson on the Mauryan Empire or a class delving into the role of women in Islam, she makes her subject come alive for her students,” said Head of School Bruce L. Dennis about Upper School History teacher Sandra Fahy. In her first lecture as the 2017-19 Babbott Chair of Literature and the Arts, excerpted below, she spoke about developing a greater appreciation of human diversity using an “ethnographic lens.” Part of being self-aware means developing skills of ethnographic observation. So, what does that actually mean? I often joke that it’s a bit like that scene in The Bourne Identity, when Jason Bourne is sitting in a restaurant with the woman who will become his girlfriend. He says to her, “I can tell you the license-plate numbers of all six cars outside. I can tell you that our waitress is left-handed and the guy sitting up at the counter weighs 215 pounds and knows how to handle himself... Now why would I know that?” I always want to respond by saying, “You might know that because you’re an international spy, but you might also be trained as an anthropologist, using your skills of observation to study the world around you.” All joking aside, observation is a difficult skill to develop, not least because it’s often hard for us to slow down in our lives, to be fully present, and to take notice of what’s happening
around us. But it’s fundamental if we want to work against an ethnocentric view of the world. Don’t confuse ethnographic observation, however, with situational awareness, which often is used to mean being aware of our surroundings so we recognize potential dangers. It means seeing that a car is coming as we cross the street with our earbuds in. It means noticing where the closest deli is if someone is following us down the street. It means, to paraphrase Jason Bourne, knowing where the exits are in case of an emergency. Situational awareness, though, keeps the focus on the self or the ego perspective — a perspective that places us at its center. It focuses on how we fit into our environment and how our environment directly affects us. Observation from an ethnographic perspective requires that we shift the focus away from us, away from our ego perspective, and instead to others, even as it still asks us to pay attention to details. Observation also includes listening. An ethnographic approach to listening means removing ourselves from the conversation as much as possible. It means really hearing what people are saying, listening to their perspective, while avoiding the urge to comment or add our two cents. It means avoiding comparisons with our own experiences or ways of doing things as much as possible and, above all, avoiding judgment based on our own perspectives. The Frank L. Babbott Chair of Literature and the Arts was established in 1977 to “recognize excellence in teaching and/or scholarly pursuits which will have a direct benefit to both the recipient and the school.”
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Faculty & Staff Farewells Four beloved members of our community concluded their tenures this June. Read their reflections on their experiences at Packer.
Risa Glickman taught at Packer for 25 years, first as an Associate Teacher, then as a Lower School Art Teacher. What do you look forward to the most in retirement? I look forward to traveling, continuing to teach private students at my studio, and going on adventures, whether local or away, with my husband Raphael. What will you miss the most? I will miss my friends and colleagues; the students, of course; interdisciplinary work with classes in different divisions; and, lastly, the camaraderie. It was a joy to work with such dedicated and creative people. Packer became my family and so much more. Describe a favorite or memorable moment in your classroom at Packer. There were so many memorable moments that it is hard to choose just one. Perhaps when a former student brought her rats to the studio for a lesson in drawing live animals as part of her thesis for her Masters in art education. Before seeing the rats, she asked my fourth graders to draw what they thought a rat might look like. The results were eye opening! Then they met the critters. I think the majority of the students had their fears dispelled. After doing ink and charcoal observational drawings of the rats, they got to play with them.
Linda Hellew spent 25 years at Packer. After two years as an Administrative Assistant in the Lower School, she rose to Administrative Assistant to the Assistant Head of School. In 2001, former Head Geoff Pierson promoted her to Assistant to the Head of School, a position she held for 17 years, 14 of which with current Head of School, Bruce L. Dennis. How has Packer changed since you started working here in 1993? When I first started, there were only 800 students. Now we have over 1000 and are just about to open a new building. Back in the 90s, the offices and staff were much smaller. Everyone did a lot of things. We all had to know everything that was going on. It was very tight knit.
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Describe a favorite or memorable moment during your time at Packer. My favorite moment was to see my son Edward Milde ’07 graduate and to see him grow here. What will you miss the most about Packer? I will miss Bruce — and all the people and the sense of community here. With all my institutional knowledge, I would have looked forward to being the assistant to the next Head of School but for personal reasons, I couldn’t. I was very happy here at Packer. The School gave my son an education that I never could have afforded, and I am very grateful for that. And not only that, but because Packer gave me chances to elevate myself and develop my career until I landed in exactly the position that I wanted to be in. It was the best job ever.
Ilene Perl taught as an Associate Teacher in the Pre and Lower School for the past 22 years, working in Pre-K, First Grade, and Second Grade classrooms. What do you look forward to the most in retirement? I look forward to having a flexible schedule. It will bring me great joy to eliminate the need for an alarm clock. I can plan vacations that are not during school holidays. I can attend museums during the week. I look forward to having no plans and a two-day schedule that is Saturday and Sunday. What will you miss the most? I will miss the students. I have learned so much from them. Young children are genuinely empathetic and patient. The shared experience of May Day and Winter Sing are just some of the events that bring the entire Lower School together. The kindness of the Packer community is evident in the student body. Watching the young students become teenagers as they enter Packer’s Upper School is especially rewarding. Describe a favorite or memorable moment in your classroom at Packer. The first year I taught at Packer, my Pre-K Fours class had a mandatory 30-minute quiet rest time that was difficult for many of the children. Suddenly, in the middle of rest, a few children were shouting: “Ms. Perl, Millie is back!” I said, “We do not have anybody named Millie. No talking.” But they kept saying, “Millie is on our rest mat!” I finally realized it was the class’s millipede, which had disappeared two months earlier and was named Millie! A recent memorable moment was when I told my second graders this was my last year at Packer. They spontaneously starting hugging me and asking me what school I was going to. I told them I was not sure of my plans, but being younger
than Hillary Clinton, maybe I could run for President. One boy in my class said, “Great, I can say I know the President.” A few minutes later that same child said, “Ms. Perl, maybe you should be in politics for three years first.”
Eric Weisberg taught Upper School English for 21 years, supervising independent study writers and leading the inaugural Packer Prism class that cemented the student publication’s status as a part of the curriculum. What do you look forward to the most in retirement? Over the years, I have written a good deal of poetry, but I have never had a genuine opportunity to revise. So, I expect to spend a chunk of my retirement rewriting. I also look forward to spending more of my weekends with my wife, who is perhaps even happier about my retirement than I am. I will no longer be able to respond, “But I have to grade papers.” I look forward as well to spending more time with my son, but as he is a teenager, he might have other ideas. Finally, having spent my early mornings not going to the gym, I expect now to become more physically active. Let’s just say I look forward to reaching the point when I will look forward to going to the gym. What will you miss the most? Above all, I will miss the students. It has been relatively easy for me, over the years, to try to remain enthusiastic, curious, and open-minded and to remember to be kind and fair and empathetic, because that’s what they mainly have been with me and one another. I will miss their vitality, the freshness of their approach to living, because nothing has done more for keeping me from becoming old. I also will miss my colleagues: To be able to work day in, day out, with such accomplished people who also are such talented and dedicated educators has been one of the privileges of my life. I have been very, very lucky that their excitement about their work is infectious. And I will miss the many meetings. Just kidding. Describe a favorite or memorable moment in your classroom at Packer. Over the years, I have mentored several students in creative writing. I remember one student — a karate black belt — whom you might not have suspected was a poet. He worked with me on a sequence of poems, one for each belt he had earned. It was his version of Wordsworth’s The Prelude: Or, Growth of a Poet’s Mind; it’s just that a lot of his poem took place in a dojo.
Risa Glickman
Linda Hellew
Ilene Perl
Dona Laughlin, Director of Alumni, also retired in June. See page 26.
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New Administrators for the Preschool and Lower School
Erik Resurreccion is Packer’s new Assistant Head of
Preschool and Lower School. A native New Yorker and graduate of Dartmouth College, Erik began his career in education at Wilmington Friends School in Delaware, teaching First Grade. After returning to New York to earn his Masters in education in early childhood and elementary education at Bank Street, he was a member of the lower school faculty at the Allen-Stevenson School, an independent K-9 boys school in Manhattan, for the past 22 years. Also a member of the Kindergarten admissions team there, Erik served as chair of the NYSAIS Diversity Committee and as a member of the NYSAIS Professional Development Committee. A singer with the professional chamber choir Musica Viva and an avid long-distance runner (21 consecutive NYC marathons and counting!), he enjoys free time with his wife, Alice, and their children, Jamie (12) and Ellie (9). “I look forward to collaborating with Bill McCarthy and the Preschool and Lower School community to cultivate and sustain the joyous learning environment I experienced during my visits,” he said. “Packer recognizes that the best work is accomplished when individuals have positive, fulfilling relationships with each other. Once that foundation is laid, the path to progress and growth is wide open.”
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Toya West is joining the Packer community as the Coordinator of the new Packer Early Learning Center, our new, state-ofthe-art space for the Preschool program (see Bruce’s letter on page 3). Originally from Ardmore, PA, Toya has just returned to the US after 13 years of working at international schools in South Korea, Ecuador, Spain, and, most recently, Thailand. A lover of the performing arts, she spends her free time taking and teaching dance classes. “Life slightly off of the beaten path is where I’ve learned to feel the most comfortable.” Toya looks forward to sharing her love for inquiry-based learning and “environment as the third teacher” with the Packer community. “The incredible warmth that I’ve already felt from the community is overwhelming. It is a privilege to be a part of the educational journeys that will begin at the Packer Early Learning Center.”
RAOUL BROWN
Packer Pop Factory: Fueling the new PA Community Fund The 2018 Parent Association Spring Benefit at Industry City featured a new silent art auction, artisanal food and cocktails, music from DJ Skillachi, and a Warhol homage in the form of live body-painting. Benefit co-chairs Melissa Stewart P’17, P’20 and Joanna Latham P’18, P’21, P’23 returned for their third time spearheading the popular annual fundraiser. Proceeds supported the newly established PA Community Fund, which provides financial support to help families address the ancillary costs of an independent school education. As always, the PA spearheaded a wide range of events this spring. The school consulting group Hallways and NYC-Parents in Action offered resources for parents to discuss timely issues relevant to young learners, gender socialization, and consent. Packer’s Director of Learning Support Charlie Tilston led further conversations with families about her department’s partnership in students’ learning. Board of Trustees Chair Deborah Juantorena delivered an informative State of the School at the spring All-School PA meeting. Annual family favorites included the Book Fair; the Diversity Committee community picnic in Prospect Park; a Garden breakfast social for parents; and a family service day with Little Flower Children Services of New York. For more information about upcoming events, ways to get involved, and event photos, current parents and guardians are invited to join the PA’s Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/groups/packerpa.
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Packer Welcomes New Trustees In June, the Board of Trustees elected new members: a former faculty member and parent; two current parents; and an alumna who is also a current parent. Susan Abdalla P’23, P’31
has been part of the Packer community for 10 years. She has assumed various responsibilities at the School, including Spring Benefit Auction Co-Chair, Pumpkin Patch Tickets Co-Chair, and class representative for her children’s grades, 2023 and 2031. Susan’s professional background consists of strategy and operational leadership roles at technology companies including Double Click, Right Media, and RR Donnelley. Currently she consults for several tech start-ups and is a New York State-certified mediator. She has served on the boards of Group for the East End and Hidden Water. She is also an active supporter of many organizations focused on children’s well-being and education. Barbara Moore P’95, P’97, P’00 was a member of the Packer faculty for twentysix years, from 1989 to 2015. After three years as a Lower School Assistant Teacher, she taught the English and History Core class in 5th Grade, then in 6th. She also led Packer’s Middle School Model Congress for 23 years. Barbara has been a member of the Board of Trustees at Brooklyn Heights Montessori School for the past two years and a volunteer reading tutor at READ 718. Her husband, Dick, is an attorney and a former Packer Trustee, and their three children are all Packer alumni. After her three-year hiatus from the school, Barbara is very pleased to be returning to Packer in a new and different capacity.
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Eric Ryan P’28, P’30 is
Assistant Vice President of Global Media Relations at AT&T. He is also responsible for corporate communications activities supporting the company’s efforts in diversity and inclusion, corporate social responsibility, and gender equality. Previously, Eric served as head of the New York Stock Exchange press office for Intercontinental Exchange. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from Boston College in 2001, and has two children at Packer. Marnie Brooke Worth ’88 P’20, P’22 was a Packer
student from 1975 to 1988, served as Recent Graduate Trustee from 1998 to 2000, and has been a Packer parent since 2015, with a son in the Class of 2020 and a daughter in the Class of 2022. She has also served as a Packer annual giving volunteer, a co-chair for her 30th Packer Reunion, and as a class parent representative. Marnie has assumed other volunteer positions outside of Packer, including running leadership gifts for her 20th and 25th college reunions. She previously practiced law at Kelley Drye & Warren. Two Trustees were re-elected at the meeting: OhSang Kwon P’17, P’22 and Richard Story P’17, P’19, P’26. Officers for 2018-19 will be: Deborah Juantorena P’19, Chair; Cynthia Gardstein ’66 IVAc, Vice Chair; Richard Story P’17, P’19, P’26, Secretary; Karen Snow P’25, Treasurer; Steven Fineman P’20, P’29, Officer; Reed Lowenstein P’24, P’26, Officer. Stepping down from the Board are David Bell P’16, Gwenn Cagann P’12, P’15, Lauren Glant P’11, P’14, and Karen Tayeh P’09, P’17, who were thanked for their service to Packer.
PACKER ATHLETICS celebrated outstanding winter and spring seasons, with eight teams winning a total of 14 championships: Boys and Girls Varsity Swim, Varsity Girls and Junior Varsity Boys Basketball, Varsity Golf, Varsity Boys Tennis, Varsity Boys Volleyball, Varsity Girls Softball, Varsity Boys Track and Field, and Ultimate Frisbee, shown here. Included in those championships were five undefeated teams. Lucy Shotts ’18 won a gold medal in the 800 at NYSAIS, and Ethan Ng ’18 was crowned the overall NYSAIS champion in golf.
LUCY MOULTON
Athletics Director Darrin Fallick praised the student-athletes and coaches on an amazing year. “I’m so proud to see Packer Athletics unite students, coaches, and parents from all different backgrounds and grades to work together towards something bigger than themselves.”
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Packer’s 171st Commencement Graduation speakers — including The Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States — gave words of advice to the Class of 2018. More remarks by Justice Kennedy, Skye Brodsky, and our other speakers at www.packer.edu/commencement2018.
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“ Our civil discourse must be what defines our freedom. A civil discourse means that you can have an idea, and you explain it, and then you listen, with respect. And then you think.” — The Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
JULIE BROWN
“ To you, my class, thank you and I love you… I love the way you put yourselves out there, leaving room for me to do so as well... And I love you for the three years that preceded this one and the lessons I’ve taken from observing the confidence you exude and immersing myself in the laughter you have inflated Packer’s halls with for the past four years. Without a doubt, the hardest part about saying goodbye to Packer is saying goodbye to you all.” — Skye Brodsky ’18, Senior Class Speaker
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“ Over the last four years, I’ve seen countless examples of your having each other’s back, especially when times were tough. It is easy to be someone’s friend when the winds are steady and sailing is smooth. It is another thing entirely to be a friend when the storm comes.” — José M. De Jesús, Upper School Division Head
“ One of the reasons I’ve found myself so happy at Packer is the relationship-driven nature of the School. For me, the keys to happiness have been my relationships with my family, my friends, and my connection to my work. And while many of us may think that wealth and financial success are the keys to happiness, other research that I’ve read suggests that it isn’t the success that makes us happy, but happiness that makes us successful.” — Bruce L. Dennis, Head of School
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“I am proud that people described [the Senior Class] as nice and as kind, and I am hopeful that Packer contributed to your development in these areas. Continue to cultivate these traits. They matter and can make a difference in big and small ways.”
JULIE BROWN
— Deborah Juantorena, Chair, Board of Trustees
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Activism with Purpose and Heart Amid national controversies that felt unprecedented in recent history, our students embodied the School’s mission by engaging challenging issues with confidence, thoughtfulness, and empathy.
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Protesting Gun Violence On March 14, 2018, students across the country walked out of their schools at 10 a.m. to remember the 19 victims of the Parkland, FL, shooting. In Downtown Brooklyn, many hundreds of Packer students also walked out and kept going — to Borough Hall, where they held a demonstration to protest gun violence. The Brooklyn Heights Walkout was conceived and spearheaded by seniors Aliana Acevedo ’18, Sarah DeSouza ’18, Drew Myers ’18, and Savannah Phillips-Falk ’18. Sarah De Souza: I was one of the organizers for the Brooklyn Heights Walkout and I’d never, in all my life with anything I’ve ever done, felt so consumed by one thing. Late-night phone calls, text messages, meetings every day, press interviews, program organizing, and everything else that came with planning this was all I cared about. None of us had ever planned a protest before, but we just figured it out as we went. Drew Myers: The media storm that this protest created was quite incredible. In the weeks leading up to March 14, we created a press release based on a template provided by the Women’s March. In total we sent it to 50 news organizations. It was only in the week leading up to the march that we started getting responses, and then a deluge of media descended upon us. First it was an interview with a Fox News journalist, then NBC said they would send a film crew, then CNN. Asahi TV, Japan’s national news network, sent a camera crew. The day before the Walkout, we were interviewed by The New York Times and The New Yorker. A photographer for the Times came to Packer. And after the Walkout, Savannah Phillips-Falk and I did live television interviews with Fox News 5 and CNN New Day. Sarah: As we stood on the steps of Borough Hall, I don’t
think I’ve ever felt so proud of anything in my life. We were expecting about 200 Packer kids and hoping kids from other high schools would join us. We estimate almost 2,000 people came out that day! There’s nothing like the feeling I had when I saw my peers and friends in the crowd. The pride shone on their faces, grins from ear to ear, seeing us up there doing something that actually mattered. See excerpts of Packer students’ speeches as well as coverage by The New York Times and The New Yorker at www.packer.edu/walkout.
Unpacking #MeToo As the final piece of the 2018 Packer in Action program, which focused on gender norms, Middle and Upper School students gathered in the Chapel for a conversation between Tarana Burke, #MeToo founder and Girls for Gender Equity senior director, and student moderators Sarah DeSouza ’18 and Sam Tecotsky ’18. Sam Tecotsky: This [Chapel event] was the first time that the entire Middle and Upper School was able to experience this conversation together. We pride ourselves as a community, and as a country, in being diverse in mind and makeup, so these conversations have to reflect diversity in terms of the audience and participants. Ms. Burke tried whenever she could to draw the attention of every single person in the Chapel, regardless of what they felt coming into the talk. She addressed issues of race and the necessity to always acknowledge the intersectionality of race and gender when discussing sexual assault. She addressed boys and men, explaining both how to be a true ally without overstepping, and how to reasonably call out men — some of whom have used excuses of discomfort, ignorance, confusion, inapplicability, or the fear of being targeted, to avoid these discussions. She repeatedly stressed that [the MeToo movement is about] human dignity and human safety, and that there are victims of sexual assault across the gender spectrum. When we make it about one specific group, she warned, inevitably there will be people who adopt a defensive stance and thus shy away from these discussions. This is exactly what she hopes to avoid. Her experience and insight, balanced with her accessibility and charisma, made her in many ways the perfect speaker for Packer: one that we both needed and whom we were lucky to have the privilege of meeting.
Middle School student Frankie Komar ’22 was one of a dozen Packer students who spoke on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall. Other speakers included Borough President Eric Adams, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Public Advocate Letitia James.
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Talking about Gender — and Listening Rhea Lieber ’18, Sam Tecotsky ’18, and Satya SheftelGomes ’19 led this year’s Gender Forums, in which Upper
School students explored how gender socialization contributes to a culture of harassment and assault. “In the end, it was much more than that,” said Upper School Head José M. De Jesús, as he presented them with the 2018 J Geoff Pierson Leadership Award. “At many points the space was brimming with over 100 students and faculty, and [they] facilitated the conversation with grace, compassion, and consistency.” “There was no way we could have made the progress we did if we weren’t listening to one another,” said Rhea. “It’s important to share one’s own experience, but it is then equally important to listen to someone else’s experience that may be significantly different than your own.” The Forums also brought the ramifications of intersectionality to the forefront. “The experiences of women vary immensely based on one’s identifiers,” said Rhea. “Having women of color speak about their experiences in order to create a fuller and intersectional lens was crucial to moving towards our goals.” Rhea hopes that the Forums’ lasting impact will be the understanding that “intersectionality is inherent in these conversations, not just a buzzword.”
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“ So many members of our Upper School, not just those who have typically taken action, have given voice to their points of view [this year] and expressed a desire to do more. I’m proud to say that the conversations we have engaged in together, although at times heated, have remained respectful, with love for this school and this community at the core.” —J osé M. De Jesús, Head of Upper School, in a communication to Upper School families
Increasing Inclusivity Leila Narisetti ’20, who has been active in student-led diversity work at Packer and beyond, was inspired by the record-breaking participation at April’s First Friday discussion (see photo, right). She set out to develop a series of workshops on specific topics at the intersection of gender and race, entitled Continuing the Conversation. She shared her vision with Allison Bishop, Upper School Dean for Student Life and Leadership, and Semeka Smith-Williams, Director of Diversity and Equity, who helped her shape a plan to encourage fellow students to help spearhead her initiative. “I was looking more for people who don’t typically lead, people who want to express themselves the most but don’t know how to. We’re seeing people who don’t usually work together — mixed grades, races, genders — coming up with the topics,” which included stereotypes and microaggressions, race and sexuality, positive privilege, and use of the n-word. Halfway through the series, Leila was happy with the workshops’ impact. “[We] have begun to change the way we think and how we act with each other. Packer is in a bubble a lot of times, [and] the workshops are a reality check. Maybe that’s why people are taking so much away from them.”
Above: Launched in 2016-17, First Fridays are monthly discussions in which Upper School students educate themselves and one another about events shaping our society. April’s First Friday discussion on police brutality, Black Lives Matter, and the death of Stephon Clark was led by Archie Caride ’19 and Kadeem Roberts ’19. It drew over 100 students, faculty, and staff. Top: A student-led workshop on the use of the n-word.
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Alumni News
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Celebrated Children’s Author Judith Bauman Barrett ’58 Reflects on her Packer Days Judith Bauman Barrett ’58 came to Packer in the Upper
School. After Packer, she earned a BFA in advertising design from Pratt Institute. She is the author of more than 25 children’s books, including the best-selling Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. For the past 40 years, Judi has taught art at the Berkeley-Carroll School. Upon receiving the Alumni Award of Honor at a Reunion ceremony on April 21, 2018, she shared several memories: The Packer Collegiate Institute was responsible for four of the best years of my life: my high school years. They have stayed very vivid in my memory. Packer was my home away from home. It included my fellow classmates, my teachers, and the actual building, all great comforts to me, not to mention the fabulous education that I received, which more than prepared me for college. Chapel was a wonderful way to start my school day. Not just the beauty of the actual Chapel with light streaming through its Tiffany windows, but the exposure to a multitude of glorious hymns. I always loved reciting the 23rd Psalm. I was a member of the choir. I loved wearing my white robe and my shiny red collar. Miss Wright introduced me to the joys of choral music, which have stayed with me to this day. My love of opera was most certainly a result of exposure to this type of music. Even the food was wonderful. I remember very small salads with delectable dressing. And I especially remember that the head of the cafeteria, Mrs. Carmen, was always happy to give me the much desired crusty top of the baked spaghetti casserole when it was on the menu. I can still taste it and recall the yummy crunch. Upon graduation, as Class President I was given the honor of choosing the music [for the processional]. I chose the Intermezzo from Cavelleria Rusticana, one of my favorite operas. I never forgot that! Packer was an extremely important part of my growing up and it helped prepare me for the world out there. So I thank you for this most unexpected and greatly appreciated honor. I am humbled by it and will treasure it forever.
“I was a happy kid in a place where people loved me and saw in me what I now fully see in myself. They treasured me and my talents and encouraged every one of them. What more could I ask for? My literary career blossomed here and has continued to do so to this day.”
Ronnette Hope ’07, Tiffany Ortiz ’07, and Jeremy Schiffres ’07 at the 2018 Reunion.
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Lilla Smith ’78, P’19 Recognized for Service to Packer At Reunion, Lilla Smith ’78, P’19 was awarded the Joan Buehler Eisenstein ’51 Award for service to Packer. She has served in many roles for the School: a Trustee from 2007 to 2016, a class agent, a volunteer for the Pelican Society and the Packer Fund, and Reunion Chair for the Class of ’78. Currently the Director of Architecture and Design at Macklowe Properties, Lilla also helped oversee the renovation of Packer’s Science Building and the plans for the Packer Early Learning Center. Receiving the award, Lilla remarked: “As an architect, the built environment is in the forefront of my work efforts, yet what I value most from my experience at Packer is the learning environment created by talented and engaged teachers and fellow classmates.” She shared these reflections with The Packer Magazine: Looking back, what was your favorite thing about Packer? Packer’s small size fostered close, positive relationships with teachers, coaches, and students, and provided ample opportunities to take on leadership roles. Which teacher(s) influenced you and how? One of my first classes in the Upper School was European history with Charlotte Elkind. She taught it like a college seminar. It was challenging, but her wry humor made learning about revolutions and royals all the more intriguing. My English teacher in Upper School, Jane Rinden, helped me become a better writer and critical reader. With her unique
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perspective, she introduced us all to great writers that were not typical of an English high school curriculum at the time. Reading Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, Emily Dickinson, Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, and Lillian Hellman was a treat, and editing Packer Current Items was an added bonus of an enriching learning experience. What parts of your Packer experience influenced you to become an architect? I think by age 12 I knew I wanted to be an architect. I liked making things and I loved practical problem solving, combined with the creative aspect of an art form. When I shared this interest with Leonard Fink, our art teacher, he encouraged me and worked with me on the fundamentals of the craft of drawing and model-making. He gave me the space to explore, express ideas in line drawings, models, and sculpture in the 5th floor art studio, and I am eternally grateful to him. What is your favorite space at Packer? It was the tether ball area in the Garden, but after a student got hit in the face with the ball a bit too hard, sadly, it was removed. My new favorite space is the restored Packer Tower, which has a fantastic view of Brooklyn and beyond. What motivates you to stay in touch with the Packer community and give back to your alma mater? As a Packer graduate and a current parent, I want Packer to thrive. I enjoyed my time at Packer, and I gladly contribute my time and resources to help ensure its continued success.
1988 Back Row: Elspeth Steiner Dixon, Paul Asencio, Marnie Brooke Worth, Andrew Kerr, Matt Morris, Rafe Taylor Middle Row: Anne Gregory, Andrew Regier, John Dweck, Adam Berthiaume, Kris Delmhorst, Josh Zuckerberg, Lisa Henry, Malcolm Lee Front Row: Adam Steele (kneeling), Mike Rosenthal, Alicia Wilson, Jen Roos, Heather McKearnan, Susan Kessler, Jennifer Friedlieb Goldfeder, Melissa Kahn White, Emily Brady Antoniades, ShariDavis, Heather Higgins 1968 IVAc Linda Spitz Sandstrom, Marilyn Nichols, Carol Spitz, and Norma Meyerson Herrick 1968 Co Christine McCullough Todd, Rose Forlenza Konaz
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1963 IVAc Laura DeMarco, Margaret (Peggy) DeVotti Urick, Ellen (Vicki) Sufian, Nancy Rutledge Northrup, Sandra Shafer Tinkham, Alice Bruchhausen Schenck 1973 (indoor) Back Row: Virginia Matney, Maureen Sullivan Sapega, Diane Sapega Silver, Susana Lopez Sharpe, Lisa Herman Jadro Front Row: Marla Konigsberg Kaye, Linda Scafa Ellis, Alba Regina Mazzuca 1973 (outdoor) Susana Lopez Sharpe, Diane Sapega Silver, Maureen Sullivan Sapega, Jean Smith, Holly Zolnier Cook, Alba Regina Mazzuca 1978 Janice Roven, Catherine Berlings Castaldi, Lilla Smith, Anne Marie Moriarty, Martie-Sue Nusbaum Wahnon, Laura Wilkinson 1983 Maria Newsom-Fahey, Shari Wolf Ruckh with Amelia Ruckh, Yvette Malaico Shelter, Marissa Allen, Renee Knight, Lauren Iser Baumwoll
More Reunion 2018 photos at www.packer.edu/reunion2018.
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2008 Back Row: Grace Phelan, Molly Kass-Kaufman, Marc de Konkoly Thege, Catherine Leung, Taylor Backus, Chafin Seymour, Annelise Herskowitz, Avinash B ​ harathSingh, Milo Le Doux Third Row: Rachel Bailin, Shanaye Jeffers, Adriana Ruiz-Carlile, Katherine Finnerty, Rebecca Schwartz, Galen Beebe, Emily Roston Second Row: Anna Gerhard, Sophie Bromberg, Brian Goldberg, Tessa Resta-Flarer, Chloe Berger, Lucy Andersen, Alexandra Jones Front Row: David Helene, Alex Poole, Omar Tucker, Steven Mercado, Greg Newman 1993 Jason Safford, Elizabeth Koshetz Ferguson, Eliza Licht, Melanie Etchinson, Francisco Tezen 1998 (in Shen Gallery) Back Row: Maria Yatrakis, Joseph Ortiz, Anna Blaustein Ferguson, Chartey Quarcoo Front Row: Tracy Smith, Ben Voce-Gardner, Erin Langdon Chernov 2013 Back Row: Danielle Howell, Sarah Jensen, Allana Edwards Front Row: Kyra Sampson, Peter Haun, Gabriella Antonio, Sarah Jackson
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Dona Laughlin Retires Dona Laughlin served as Director of Alumni for 12 years. She joined the Packer community 29 years ago, when her son Colin ’04 entered the Pre-K Threes. She served in countless roles over the past 29 years, including President of the Parent Association, Class Parent, Annual Giving Volunteer, and, from 1998 to 2006, Packer Trustee. She is pictured above at the Brooklyn Historical Society, where Packer’s rich archives are officially housed, thanks to Shelby White ’55 and the Leon Levy Foundation as well as Dona’s commitment and unwavering vision.
What do you look forward to the most? For the last 29 years I have taken vacation during school breaks. I will enjoy vacations in October!
Welcoming our new Director of Alumni, David Minder
Describe a favorite aspect of your work at Packer. The times when I was able to make connections between alumni were my favorite. I was often asked to help an alum find a fellow alum in a particular field, and when I made a connection and the two of them really clicked, both are better for knowing each other. I loved to facilitate those relationships.
David Minder has been appointed Packer’s new Director of Alumni. A native Texan, David has lived in New York for 13 years and has worked in alumni and donor relations at prominent local colleges and universities such as Parsons/ The New School, Pratt Institute, and The Cooper Union. “I have found a career doing what I love, which is building communities and increasing the support for students and education,” he said. “I’m excited to do the same here at Packer. It’s a special place that not only provides a great education, but develops socially conscious leaders. As a new father, I think a lot about how we can make the world a better place for future generations. I believe that’s what a Packer education can do.”
What will you miss most? I will miss the daily contact with the Packer community; my colleagues here; and especially our truly wonderful alumni. Our alums are such a varied and interesting group of people, and I have had the privilege of knowing some of them since they were three years old!
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Catching up with Alumni
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1. Emily Ludolph ’08 sat down with author Lois Hammersberg Lowry ’54 IVAc at Caveat in the Lower East Side for her podcast “Dedicate It,” which features conversations with writers. 2. In February, Mary Lou Carlstedt Barnes ’55 IVAc, ’57 Co, Louise Griffin Collins ’60 IVAc, Diane Sapega Silver ’73 IVAc, Stacey Reines ’73 IVAc, and Louise Benvenuto ’70 IVAc had lunch in Palm Beach.
3. Jon Kinzel ’86, Geoff Brewer ’82, Andre Douglas ’11, Matt Dillon ’02, Emily Lamia ’02, Jeremy Schiffres ’07, Melissa Tandy ’09, Eliza Fishenfeld ’99, Lydia Marks ’83, and Charkie Quarcoo ’02 connected with young alumni professionals from Berkeley Carroll, Brooklyn Friends, Poly Prep, and host, Saint Ann’s.
Benjamin Prosky ’95 joins Alumni Board Benjamin Prosky ’95 attended Packer for 12 years, graduating from Vassar College
in 1999. With a background in urban studies and urban planning, he has devoted his career to a range of projects and initiatives dedicated to the promotion and interpretation of architecture and the city. Throughout his career, he has served in leadership roles at architecture-related organizations in Paris and Montreal and in the architecture schools of Columbia University and Harvard University. He is currently the Executive Director of the New York chapter of American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Center for Architecture.
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Coming Soon Our new mobile-friendly website, full of program highlights, student voices, and campus photos, is launching this summer!
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170 Joralemon Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 (718) 250-0200 www.packer.edu
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