Pingry Review, Winter 2015-2016 by The Pingry School

THE PINGRY FUND FAMILY Lower School Rededication • Career Day Michael Chernoff ‘99 Rises Within the Cleveland Indians WINTER 2015-2016

WINTER 2015-2016

VOICES OF THE PINGRY FUND

“One of the barometers of Pingry’s health is participation in The Pingry Fund. Gifts of any amount are extremely important. If you are wondering if $25 will make a difference, the answer is yes!”

“I am invested in making Pingry an even better place to grow up in and learn because of how much my experience shaped me.” — Maggie O’Toole ’05, Second Century Leadership Council President

“As an alumna and Director of The Pingry Fund, I am just one of hundreds of faculty and staff who work passionately for a School that gives us so much, personally and professionally.” — Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02, Director of The Pingry Fund

— Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94, Alumni Co-Chair of The Pingry Fund

“Once you understand that tuition only covers 80% of the School’s annual expenses, you feel so grateful for the Fund.” — Mathangi Srinivas P ’27, Co-Chair of the Lower School Pingry Fund

“Give teachers the capacity to do what they do best.” “I began giving to The Pingry Fund nearly 30 years ago because I believe in the School, its motto, quality, rigor, and community fostering. I see The Pingry Fund as executing its mission.” — Lydia Geacintov P ’84, ’88, Magistri

“One person or one family is only a piece of the solution. The Fund needs everyone who cares about Pingry to come together.” — Robert Weldon III P ’18, ‘22

— Todd Hirsch ’92, Alumni Co-Chair of The Pingry Fund

“The Pingry Fund represents an opportunity to continue to pay back Pingry, its teachers, and its administrators for the fabulous experience that our children had while at Pingry.” — Tom and Kathy Clingan P ’97, ’03, True Blue Society Members

“It’s counterintuitive for seniors to think about giving. Seniors figure they’ve paid enough money in tuition and don’t see where Pingry Fund money goes. Our job is to explain it, to give them a new perspective.” — Gregory Najarian ’16, Senior Class Giving Committee Co-Chair

If you have any questions about The Pingry Fund, please contact Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02, Director of The Pingry Fund, at (908) 647-7058 or hfrancisco@pingry.org. Turn to page 4 to hear more of our stories.

THE PINGRY REVIEW

Even in the cold of winter, the Short Hills Campus is warm and welcoming.

The Pingry Fund Family Page 4 Sixty years ago, an annual fund arose because of a small group of dedicated Pingry parents and alumni. Today, The Pingry Fund remains just as vital, thanks to the same principles of philanthropy and commitment among all those in our community. We are The Pingry Fund. On the cover: The Short Hills Campus on a Snow Day in January in the aftermath of Winter Storm Jonas.

Departments

From the Headmaster . . . . . 3 Philanthropy . . . . . . . . . 12 Scene Around Campus . . . 24 School News . . . . . . . . . 28 Athletics News . . . . . . . . 39 Alumni News . . . . . . . . . 42

Historical . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Ask the Archivist . . . . . . . 68 Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . 70 In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . 86 Closing Word . . . . . . . . . 88

14 Lower School Rededication

Members of the Pingry community convened for the Lower School Rededication Ceremony, during which 11 renovated classroom, commons, and lab spaces were formally dedicated.

28 Jessica Westerman ’08 Delivers John Hanly Lecture The Honor Code ceremony during Convocation was Ms. Westerman’s idea for helping to raise the profile of the Honor Code among the student body.

44 Michael Chernoff ‘99 Rises Within the Cleveland Indians

About to begin his 13th season with the Indians, Mr. Chernoff answers questions about his path to becoming the organization’s General Manager, including Pingry’s influence on his career.

46 Lyric Wallwork Winik ’84 Returns for Career Day An award-winning writer and editor, Ms. Winik delivered the Keynote Address, discussing the importance of writing and sharing five takeaways from her own career.

48 Patrick Birotte ’87 Keeps Children Safe for Halloween

Children in Newark’s Ironbound district have a safe environment to celebrate the holiday, and Pingry students contribute to the event’s success through community service activities.

59 Daily Life at Parker Road

In the first part of a two-part article, Dr. Joseph Hanaway ’51 shares what it was like to walk down the hallways and enter the classrooms of some of Pingry’s most renowned teachers. WINTER 2015-2016

Winter 2015-16 | Vol. 72 | No. 2

Creative relaxation: sixth-grade students draw on the windows of Carol Mahida’s classroom during Flex Time. Editor Greg Waxberg ’96

Communications Writer

Editorial Staff Kate Whitman Annis

Associate Director of Institutional Advancement

Allison C. Brunhouse ’00

Director of Admission and Enrollment

Mike Coakley Development Specialist Writer

Andrea Dawson Senior Writer

David M. Fahey ’99

Director of Alumni Relations and Senior Major Gifts Officer for Athletics

Melanie P. Hoffmann P ’20, ’27

Director of Institutional Advancement

Dale V. Seabury

Director of Strategic Communications and Marketing

Design and Layout Ruby Window Creative Group, Inc. www.rubywindow.com

Photography Peter Chollick Bruce Morrison ’64 Cherilyn Reynolds Debbie Weisman Michael Gunselman The Honor Code

Pingry believes that students should understand and live by standards of honorable behavior, which are essentially a matter of attitude and spirit rather than a system of rules and regulations. Decent, self-respecting behavior must be based on personal integrity and genuine concern for others and on the ethical principles which are the basis of civilized society. The members of the Pingry community should conduct themselves in a trustworthy manner that will further the best interests of the school, their class, and any teams or clubs to which they belong. They should act as responsible members of the community, working for the common good rather than solely for personal advantage. They should honor the rights of others, conducting themselves at all times in a moral and decent manner while at Pingry and throughout their lives as citizens of and contributors to the larger community of the world.

Opening Shot

THE PINGRY REVIEW

The Pingry Review is the official magazine of The Pingry School, with the primary purpose of disseminating news and information about the School, alumni, students, faculty, and staff. Contact the editor with comments and story ideas: The Pingry School 131 Martinsville Road Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 gwaxberg@pingry.org 908-647-5555, ext. 1296

A LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Members of the Pingry Community When this issue of the Review hits mailboxes and inboxes, we won’t only be in the countdown of our largest-ever capital campaign—Pingry’s Blueprint for the Future—we’ll be in the home stretch. June 30 is the finish line, leaving us just a few short months to raise the remaining $6 million we seek to keep Pingry the vital educational institution it has been for the last 154 years. In our journey to the finish line, you may have noticed that each of the past several issues of the Review has explored a particular priority of the Campaign: faculty support, Upper and Lower School modernization, athletics, financial aid, and, now in your hands, The Pingry Fund. It is not by accident that our series of Campaign issues, leading up to its end, closes with The Pingry Fund. Like nearly every other independent school, our annual giving fund is truly the backbone of the School’s operating budget. For this reason alone, it is arguably the most significant Campaign pillar. Without it, and the $2.8 million in general operating expenses it affords, so much of what makes Pingry Pingry—its cutting-edge science labs, expansive athletics program, rich course offerings in the arts and languages, special guest speakers, state-of-the-art facilities, and financial aid opportunities, would be lost, or at least drastically trimmed.

Without The Pingry Fund, so much of what makes Pingry Pingry—its cuttingedge science labs, expansive athletics program, rich course offerings in the arts and languages, special guest speakers, state-of-the-art facilities, and financial aid opportunities, would be lost, or at least drastically

When it was inaugurated in October 1955, in part as a way to augment teachers’ salaries, The Pingry Fund was known, quite simply, as the Annual Giving Fund. Over the last 60 years, it has grown in scope and purpose, signifying the generosity and devotion of our community: alumni, young and old alike; parents, new, current, and those whose children have long since graduated; current students; and faculty and staff—everyone who has a stake in making our school the best it can be. Indeed, The Pingry Fund exists in—and because of—all of us. I will leave it to the stories of our Pingry Fund donors, whose sentiments are expressed in the following pages, to bring home its critical importance to the well-being of our School. But for a bit of historical perspective, in June, 1957, when Robert C. Crane ’38, then Fund Chairman, reported on the close of the School’s second annual giving “drive,” he noted: “It is to be hoped that this annual program will now be a feature of the school year and, building upon past success, it will go forward to meet the needs of keeping Pingry abreast of developments in the educational field.” By continuing to give each and every year to The Pingry Fund, we will ensure his wish is fulfilled for years to come. Sincerely,

trimmed.

Nathaniel E. Conard P ’09, ’11 WINTER 2015-2016

“Our family feels that philanthropy is both a responsibility and an honor that we have been afforded. Opportunity for all is a credo of American culture.” — Robert F. Weldon III P ’18, ’22

THE PINGRY REVIEW

In October 1955, a group of Pingry families, with the support of the Board of Trustees, joined together to fundraise for teachers’ salaries, which they determined to be the School’s greatest need. Sixty years later, that modest fundraising initiative has transformed into Pingry’s vital annual giving program, the backbone of its yearly operating budget. What began as a simple enterprise among parents and alumni to benefit faculty now benefits us all, every day. This is The Pingry Fund. Like the annual funds of nearly all other independent schools, The Pingry Fund is a mainstay of financial support to the School. It is the gas in the car that is Pingry, fueling the School’s daily operations, year in and year out. Thanks to the Fund, Pingry families don’t have to shoulder the burden of the full cost of a Pingry education. Thanks to the Fund, a diverse student body is possible. Thanks to the Fund, close to 60 faculty have attended the highly regarded Learning & the Brain Conference over the last three years, among many other professional growth opportunities available. Thanks to the Fund, classrooms remain updated and outfitted with the latest technology, including SmartLink desks and state-of-the-art projectors and white boards. Thanks to the Fund, athletics fields, facilities, and fitness equipment are regularly upgraded. And thanks to The Pingry Fund, Upper School students can choose from over 150 course offerings, as wide-ranging as Environmental Art, the Literature of Madness, and the Physics of Electricity and Magnetism. So, every April, with the help of Pingry’s Senior Class Giving Committee and the Office of Institutional Advancement, the Pingry community comes together to recognize current and past donors who help to make all of this—the Pingry experience—possible. Gifts to The Pingry Fund do far more than bridge the tuition gap and help to attract unparalleled faculty and staff—they provide an invaluable stream of unrestricted dollars to support a range of academic initiatives and extracurricular enhancements. Simply put, The Pingry Fund is the foundation of the School’s

philanthropic culture and makes the exceptional experience that is a Pingry education possible for all its students. Without its revenue, Pingry would undoubtedly be a different place. (See the table on page 11 for a graphic breakdown of how the Fund compares to the School’s other fundraising initiatives.) From October 1955 to October 1956, the Fund’s inaugural year (at the time, it was simply known as the Annual Giving Fund), close to 500 people participated, raising $18,500. In 2014-2015, approximately 2,500 Pingry community members contributed more than $2.8 million. The pace of its growth over the last 60 years speaks to the Fund’s critical role, not simply in helping to sustain the financial stability of the School, but in upholding its very nature and character. Because of its critical role in maintaining the School’s financial health, and to serve as a reminder of the need for annual support, The Pingry Fund is naturally one of the biggest priorities of the Blueprint for the Future Campaign, which comes to a close on June 30. Sixty years ago, The Pingry Fund arose because of a small group of engaged, generous Pingry parents and alumni. Today, it remains just as vital—if not even more essential—thanks to the very same principles of philanthropy and commitment among all those in our community: current students and parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, current and former faculty and staff, and friends of the school. To put it simply, our collective contributions result in the collective good of the School. We are The Pingry Fund. Read on to hear our stories.

WINTER 2015-2016

Mathangi Srinivas P ’27

Co-Chair of Lower School Pingry Fund As a first-time Pingry parent during the 2014-15 school year, Mathangi Srinivas P ’27 admits to feeling a bit confused about The Pingry Fund and how it differs from other giving opportunities at the School. “What do I give to?” she wondered. Thanks to the outreach efforts of fellow parents and Pingry staff, including the Office of Institutional Advancement, it clicked. Now, as Co-Chair of the Lower School Pingry Fund, she is eager to demystify it for others.

“. . . The Pingry Fund

“Once I understood that The Pingry Fund is really where the rubber meets the road in terms of what will benefit our kids each and every year, it made my giving goals much easier. Once I understood that tuition only covers 80% of the School’s annual expenses, I felt so grateful for the Fund.”

rubber meets the road

In particular, she appreciates knowing that donations to The Pingry Fund help to support professional workshops and conferences for the School’s faculty, whose passion and curiosity are directly channeled to their students. “[The faculty] are always exuberant and dedicated, and all that comes from the fact that Pingry is equally committed to developing not only its students, but its faculty and staff. That commitment to self-improvement is infectious. It’s why our children are eager to learn and curious to pursue their interests.”

is really where the in terms of what will benefit our kids each and every year.” — Mathangi Srinivas P ’27

Having grown up in India, in a family that placed great importance on giving back to the community, Mrs. Srinivas was drawn to the virtuous cycle of philanthropy that the Fund embodies. “We are the recipients of the benevolence of past Pingry generations, so I feel a moral responsibility to do my part in giving to the future,” she says.

“The Pingry Fund provides continuity; it represents a marriage of the past, present, and future.” — Manton C. Martin ’35

THE PINGRY REVIEW

Manton C. Martin ’35

Pingry Fund Donor Since 1946 For 98-year-old Manton C. Martin ’35 and his wife, Rosemarie Gift, the notion of perpetuating philanthropy is one they have been living by for 70 years. Admitted to Pingry in 1931 on a scholarship, he has never missed a year of giving to the Fund since its inception. “It has been a kind of pay-back,” he says. In fact, he recalls that 1946—a full decade before the Fund arose, when annual gifts were simply made to Pingry’s Alumni Association—was the year of his first donation. Since that time, including The Pingry Fund in his annual charitable giving has become a habit, one that is nearly three-quarters of a century old. Alluding to his own legacy of giving, and the Pingry benefactors and beneficiaries yet to come, he observes, “The Pingry Fund provides continuity; it represents a marriage of the past, present, and future.”

Craig Larson P ’18, ’20 Chair of The Pingry Fund

Four years before he became Chair of the Fund, Craig Larson was a new Pingry parent, whose daughter had just enrolled in the Middle School. While he and his wife Karen did not yet fully understand how the Fund fit into the School’s financial profile or budget, they felt early on that contributing was the right thing to do. “As we thought about our annual giving and charitable objectives, we focused on initiatives and organizations we cared about,” he says. “Supporting Pingry fit quite naturally into that framework.” Now in his first fiscal year as Chair of the Fund, Mr. Larson’s understanding has deepened, but his primary reason for giving remains the same. “From a dollars and cents standpoint, tuition alone doesn’t cover the cost of educating each student,” Mr. Larson says, “which is why The Pingry Fund is so important. Literally every dollar and every donation helps bridge this gap.” That being said, it’s not the numbers that motivate him. Budgets, numbers, and figures aside, Mr. Larson continues to champion and contribute to the Fund out of gratitude to the institution that is shaping his children’s lives. Like so many others, he gives to give back.

“[T]uition alone doesn’t cover the cost of educating each student, which is why The Pingry Fund is so important. Literally every dollar and every donation helps bridge this gap.” — Craig Larson P ’18, ’20

“Personally, my gift is an opportunity to acknowledge a community of educators and classmates who had a huge impact

Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94

Alumni Co-Chair of The Pingry Fund After graduating from college and moving to New York City, Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94 began reconnecting with her Pingry classmates. It was then that she felt a renewed bond with the School. For the first time, she experienced a deep appreciation for how Pingry had prepared her for life as an adult. Her first annual donation to The Pingry Fund followed soon thereafter, but her desire to give back didn’t end there. In 2008, she began serving as a Pingry Fund volunteer, helping to educate the community about its importance.

on my life.” — Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94

“One of the barometers of health for Pingry is participation in the Fund,” notes Mrs. Hoffman, a fundraising consultant and founder of A Birthday Wish (abirthdaywish.org). “Gifts of any amount are extremely important to help the School maintain the level of education that it is known for, to enable it to remain an exceptional institution. Personally, my gift is an opportunity to acknowledge a community of educators and classmates who had a huge impact on my life. I am very grateful for my experience at Pingry.”

WINTER 2015-2016

Lydia Geacintov P ’84, ’88 Magistri

Faculty member and former Pingry parent Lydia Geacintov P ’84, ’88 has been giving to the Fund for nearly 30 years— almost as long as she has been a French teacher and Director of Studies at the School. Why? “Many years ago, I began giving to The Pingry Fund because I was impressed with the quality of teaching here, the education that my sons were given, the inclusive nature of our community, and the support that the administration gives to teachers to reach their best professional potential and attend to the needs of our students,” she says. Thirty-four years at the same institution brings such clarity of purpose. Mrs. Geacintov arrived at Pingry from The Shipley School outside Philadelphia, where she chaired the French Department. Early in her career at Pingry, she chaired two of the School’s accreditation committees. And so, at an early stage, she was well versed in the finances and needs of independent schools. She recalls a time at the Basking Ridge Campus when boys’ and girls’ teams took turns practicing on a single athletics field and when her son, who was artistic, had fewer course offerings from which to choose. She credits The Pingry Fund with helping to make improvements in these areas, among many, and with enabling faculty and staff to execute the School’s mission. “We tend to lose touch of the mission because we [faculty and staff] focus on the day-to-day issues, but I see The Pingry Fund as integral to financing its execution.”

As a current faculty member and past parent, I feel it’s very important to support the institution where I work. I wouldn’t be teaching at Pingry if I didn’t believe in its goals and purpose.” — Lydia Geacintov P ’84, ’88

THE PINGRY REVIEW

“We are a community. This is more than a school, and it’s about more than the years you spent on campus.” — Todd Hirsch ’92

Todd Hirsch ’92

Alumni Co-Chair of The Pingry Fund Todd Hirsch ’92, Alumni Co-Chair of The Pingry Fund with Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94, was a loyal donor to the Fund following his graduation from Duke University. In 2005, inspired by how well Duke maintained its connectivity with young alumni, he partnered with Pingry’s Office of Institutional Advancement to help launch the Second Century Leadership Council, a group focused on maintaining connectivity with young alumni. His thinking? “The Pingry community can last a lifetime if you work to maintain your friendships and involvement in the years following graduation,” he says. The Council, which recognizes the next generation of philanthropists, does just that. Mr. Hirsch notes that, without the essential support of gifts to The Pingry Fund, coaches, teachers, and administration would not have the resources they need to deliver the full Pingry experience. One less field trip, one less speaker series, one less special seminar, and it begins to feel less like Pingry. “We are a community. This is more than a school, and it’s about more than the years you spent on campus. It’s about continuing to give back to the community and staying involved.”

“I give back to The Pingry Fund because Pingry gave me so much.” — Maggie O’Toole ’05

Maggie O’Toole ’05

Second Century Leadership Council President She didn’t realize it as a student, but, 11 years after graduating, Maggie O’Toole ’05 sees just how much she benefitted from Pingry. The additional support to the faculty, staff, coaches, and programs at Pingry enriched and improved her overall experience. And now, she feels, it’s her turn. “I am invested in making Pingry an even better place in which to grow and learn because of how much my experience shaped me,” she says. “I give back to the Pingry Fund because Pingry gave me so much—not only important and lasting relationships with friends and faculty, but also the preparation to succeed in college and in life.”

Sonali Mehta ’16

Senior Class Giving Committee Co-Chair

Gregory Najarian ’16

Senior Class Giving Committee Co-Chair

TanTan Wang ’16

Senior Class Giving Committee Communications Chair In addition to being the primary beneficiaries of our donors’ generosity, Pingry students are also giving back. Founded in 2008, the Senior Class Giving Committee works closely with the Office of Institutional Advancement to sponsor events and activities that foster unity in the senior class, encourage interaction with alumni, and prepare classmates for the transition from students to alumni. Most importantly, committee members educate their classmates about philanthropy. Last year, 100% of the Senior Class gave to the School, including The Pingry Fund. “It’s counterintuitive for seniors to think about giving,” says Gregory Najarian, Committee Co-Chair. “Seniors figure they’ve paid enough money in tuition and don’t see where Pingry Fund money goes. Our job is to explain it, give them a new perspective.” Because committee leaders like Gregory, Sonali, and TanTan are themselves active students, they are able to reach the senior class in ways that faculty, staff, parents, and trustees cannot. “We represent the grade as a whole,” TanTan says. “Combined, we cover the entire grade in terms of friends. We have connections to every single senior.”

“Giving to The Pingry Fund is my way of giving thanks. Co-chairing the Giving Committee is my way to help spread the message of philanthropy to our classmates.” — Sonali Mehta ’16

Cultivating a culture of philanthropy among seniors has given the three chairs a heightened appreciation for what the School has done for them. “Pingry means so much to me because it helped me grow academically, socially, athletically, and musically,” Sonali says. “Giving to The Pingry Fund is my way of giving thanks.”

WINTER 2015-2016

Tom and Kathy Clingan P ’97, ’03 True Blue Society Members

Although their children have long since graduated, Tom and Kathy Clingan are steadfast in their yearly commitment to The Pingry Fund. What prompted them to give for the first time? “We learned that tuition does not cover the full cost of a Pingry education, and that philanthropy is necessary to make up the difference,” Mr. Clingan says. And why do they continue to give? “At this point in our lives, The Pingry Fund represents an opportunity to continue to pay back Pingry, its teachers, and its administrators for the fabulous experience that our children had. That experience—which included not just academics, but relationships, values, and aspirations—was priceless, and will enrich their lives continuously and exponentially as the years pass.” Both are committed to helping provide the same experience their children had to other students as well. The Clingans prove that, by giving to The Pingry Fund, they give on another level, too: “To us, participation is a vote of confidence in the quality of a Pingry education, which is tied directly to the quality of its teachers, administrators, and facilities, all of which require financial strength and durability.”

“Participation is a vote of confidence in the quality of a Pingry education, which is tied directly to the quality of its teachers, administrators, and facilities, all of which require financial strength and durability.” — Tom Clingan P ’97, ’03

“The Pingry Fund is the vehicle to support and secure the School’s foundation as it moves into the future.” — Justin Nortillo P ’25, ’28

Justin and Daniela Nortillo P ’25, ’28 1861 Leadership Society Members Giving—especially to institutions like Pingry—is woven into the fabric of Justin and Daniela Nortillo’s family. Mrs. Nortillo helps run her family’s charitable foundation, which seeks, in part, to aid independent schools. As Pingry parents, she and her husband have seen firsthand the benefits of a Pingry education, and believe that it has been the best possible school for their children. “Money given to The Pingry Fund is an investment in the school our children attend,” Mr. Nortillo says. “The Fund is a necessary adjunct to the standard tuition, which does not cover all of the expenses and great resources made available to the student body. It supports the faculty and infrastructure as well as providing opportunities via scholarships.” Mr. and Mrs. Nortillo are part of the 1861 Leadership Society, which honors those who support the School with an especially strong financial gift and continue to provide Pingry with a strong financial foundation.

THE PINGRY REVIEW

The Weldon Family

Generations of Generosity Every family has its share of traditions. For the Weldon family, one such tradition is giving. As a student, Norbert Weldon ’35 was an active, social member of the Pingry community, which led him to donate as an alumnus. “Norbert and his brother Bob were very involved in giving back to the local community, having watched their grandmother, who volunteered tirelessly,” says Norbert’s grandson Woody Weldon ’91, P ’23. Just as Bob and Norbert learned the importance of giving back from their grandmother’s generous example, their descendants learned from theirs. Two of Norbert’s three sons (Peter ’67 and William ’72), three of his five grandchildren (Woody ’91, William ’09, and Whitney ’11), and one of his great-grandchildren (Thomas ’23) have attended or are attending Pingry. In addition, two of Norbert’s brother Bob’s great-grandchildren (Sophia ’18 and Robert ’22) currently attend. Having served many years on the Board of the Westfield YMCA, Robert F. Weldon III (Sophia and Robert’s father) says, “Our family feels that philanthropy is both a responsibility and an honor that we have been afforded. Opportunity for all is a credo of American culture.” Each Weldon gives for a slightly different reason, but all understand the importance of their individual contributions. Woody and Bob know that it will require a much larger family than theirs—the Pingry family— to provide students the resources they need to maximize their potential. “One person or one family is only a piece of the solution,” Bob says. “The Fund needs everyone who cares about Pingry to come together.”

“I am as grateful today as

I was at my graduation for the wonderful community

that allowed me to grow as a student and now, as a

staff member. The Pingry

Fund makes that possible.” — Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02, Director of The Pingry Fund

What is it?

How often are contributions made?

What does it do?

What does it fund?

Real-life equivalent?

The Pingry Fund

Every year

Supplements annual expenses not covered by tuition

Anything normally paid by the operating budget, including educational technology, classroom supplies, and curricular activities, among many other items

A checking account

Endowment funds

Periodically

Takes the pressure off the operating budget and tuition

Salaries and benefits, faculty development, enrichment programs, and financial aid

An investment account that produces dividends or interest

Capital giving

Periodically

Funds buildings and renovations not covered by tuition

Bricks-and-mortar projects

Putting an addition on a home you already own

Legacy gifts

Once in a lifetime

Helps to ensure Pingry’s financial future

At the discretion of the endowment or donor

Retirement plan

Special-interest gifts

As donors feel moved to participate

Funds special, unbudgeted programs and items

Surprise needs in specific areas of school life

A gift certificate for something you could not otherwise afford

1861 Leadership Society honors those who support the School with an especially strong financial gift of $1,000 or more. True Blue Society recognizes donors who have made gifts—including gifts to The Pingry Fund—for 10 or more consecutive years. Second Century Leadership Society recognizes the generous young alumni building the next generation of leadership with a Pingry Fund gift meeting the following criteria: 0-5 years beyond graduation: $120 and above 6-10 years beyond graduation: $240 and above 11-15 years beyond graduation: $360 and above Senior Class Giving Committee is responsible for encouraging participation in philanthropic giving each year, including to The Pingry Fund.

WINTER 2015-2016

BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE

THE CAMPAIGN FOR PINGRY

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES! Scheduled to close on June 30, 2016, the Campaign is in its final stretch. Although we have raised $61 million*, which is incredible progress, several of our specific fundraising objectives are not yet fulfilled. As in most Campaigns, some â&#x20AC;&#x153;bucketsâ&#x20AC;? fill up faster than others, and we are obligated to fill each of them to ensure the School can achieve all of its important objectives. Therefore, there is still $6 million to be raised, by June 30, to fully fund all Campaign objectives. We hope that you will join in helping the School reach its fullest potential and provide the facilities, student financial assistance, and faculty support that Pingry needs to successfully complete its largest-ever Campaign. Our plan provides for:

Greater Opportunity and Accessibility

$20 million for Financial Aid

An Elevated Education

$16.25 million for The Pingry Fund

A Competitive Edge

$14.4 million to improve athletics facilities

An Enhanced Learning Environment

$6.35 million to modernize the Basking Ridge Campus $3 million to modernize the Short Hills Campus

A Transformative Influence

$5 million to attract and support faculty

As we count down, Pingry is counting on you! Please join us in seizing this historic opportunity to improve The Pingry School for generations to come. To learn more about Blueprint for the Future, please visit blueprint.pingry.org/yourgiftcounts or contact Campaign Manager Judy Brown in the Office of Institutional Advancement at (908) 647-7058 or jbrown@pingry.org. *All numbers as of December 31. 12

THE PINGRY REVIEW

“CUT AND FILL” EXCAVATION LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR ATHLETICS CENTER After 10 years of planning, dozens of permits, a host of generous financial gifts, and a groundbreaking ceremony in September, construction of the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center is officially underway. Over Winter Break, 10 dump trucks, three bulldozers, and two excavators dug out a 60,000-square-foot hole to prepare the site of the future epicenter of Pingry athletics. Their task involved much more than digging; they also had to transport a substantial amount of soil. In order to ensure proper “fill” on which to build the 44,000-squarefoot structure, soil from the construction site near the football field was excavated, carted off to a location near the School’s back entrance, and replaced with more suitable structural fill from that same location. It is a process known as “cut and fill,” entailing the movement of 20,000 cubic yards of soil. In short, it was a painstakingly researched, deceptively scientific, and logistically complex swapping of dirt.

Construction vehicles involved in the excavation.

Finishing the project before Pingry students returned to campus on January 4 required swift work. To ensure construction stayed on schedule, many members of the Pingry community offered their talents and resources. One major contributor was trustee Kurt Conti P ’07, ’09, ’15, President and CEO of construction company The Conti Group, who provided expert advice, labor, and supervision throughout the process. Jonathan Robustelli ’90 and Rita Robustelli (Parents ’23, ’25) also contributed. Mr. Robustelli is President of JESCO, Inc., which provided the heavy equipment that moved the soil between the two sites. Even members of the local community pitched in, with the Bound Brook’s Stavola Construction Materials adjusting its holiday schedule to accommodate The Conti Group’s work hours. The “cut and fill” laid the groundwork—literally—for the pre-engineered steel structure that arrived in late January, which initiated the construction in earnest. “The single hardest part of the construction process is digging the hole,” says Chief Financial Officer and Director of Operations Olaf Weckesser P ’25. “Everything else—the actual construction—will be straightforward.” From January 26 to 29, Pingry’s students, faculty, alumni, trustees, and Athletics Center donors gathered by the site to sign one of the two 20-foot steel beams that will eventually be lifted into place atop the completed facility. Although the beam will be enveloped by the structure, it will remain a permanent part of the building and a monument to those who witnessed and contributed to its completion. If all goes as planned, and with additional donations toward the project, the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center will open its doors in January 2017. Until then, athletes and alumni can glance toward the football field, observe the steady progress, and look forward to the days to come.

Students signing one of the Athletics Center’s steel beams.

For more information about supporting the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center, contact David M. Fahey ’99 in the Office of Institutional Advancement at (908) 647-7058, ext. 1234, or dfahey@pingry.org.

WINTER 2015-2016

LOWER SCHOOL REDEDICATION

SHORT HILLS CAMPUS SUPPORTERS AND LOWER SCHOOL DIRECTOR TED CORVINO HONORED AT CEREMONY

Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 at the podium for the dedication of the Theodore M. Corvino Lower School Commons.

Members of the Pingry community convened on the Short Hills Campus on January 30 for the Lower School Rededication Ceremony, during which 11 renovated classroom, commons, and lab spaces were formally dedicated. The event came in the wake of last summer’s Lower School modernization upgrades, which were geared toward fostering collaboration and original thinking among students. The project is one of the six priorities of Pingry’s Blueprint for the Future, and, thanks to the contributions of more than 85 donors, Pingry’s youngest students are now benefiting from one of the earliest examples of the Campaign’s tangible impact. Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 kicked off the afternoon by defining what a “rededication” is. “Put simply,” he said, “it is an opportunity to celebrate the modernization of this wonderful building and to honor the donors, volunteers, faculty, and staff who have made this all possible!” He also gently reminded attendees that, of the $3 million needed to fully fund the renovations, $450,000 remains to be raised. The event itself took the form of a tour through the building, with stops at each of the named spaces. Outside each newly dedicated space, donor families cut the ceremonial ribbon, and Mr. Conard and Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 remarked briefly on the transformational learning benefits afforded by each donor’s contribution. 14

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The Wilf Family Kindergarten Commons

Lewis-Procter Family STEAM Science Lab

Given by Jonathan ’02 and Rachel Wilf

Given by Katie Procter and Will Lewis P ’22, ’26

“Our Kindergarten teachers are so grateful for this new space that allows them to meet the needs of their students better, accommodating small group work in guided reading and math,” Mr. Corvino said. “In addition, the new commons fosters more collaboration among our Kindergarten teachers, aiding in their collective professional growth.”

The newly modernized lab provides essential elements the old classroom lacked. “As you can see,” Mr. Conard began, “the new space has plenty of storage, access to running water, drop-down electricity from the ceiling and both walls, sinks for easy clean-up, and expansive square footage for exciting projects. [Science teacher] Mr. Ski notes how the kids enjoy the open, industrial design and often comment how the red and blue pipes resemble our body’s arteries and veins!”

The Guest Family Kindergarten Classroom Given by Matthew and Paige Guest P ’20, ’23, ’25 “The room is optimally designed to promote collaboration and problem-solving—skills that will serve students as they continue on at Pingry and in life,” Mr. Corvino said. “The classroom provides students with early exposure to technology, and they can arrange and rearrange flexible furniture to best suit the activity they’re working on.”

Union Foundation and E.J. Grassmann Trust STEAM Science Lab Given by the Union Foundation and the E.J. Grassmann Trust To capture the benefits of the new space, Mr. Conard paraphrased science teacher Sue Tummarello: “[She] tells us how the design supports students as they work on projects, such as creating a digital flipbook using stop-motion technology to model the theory of plate tectonics. Flexible surfaces, including large multi-purpose counter spaces, allow students to manipulate materials, gather information, engage in inquiry, and spread out and tinker.”

Members of the Lower School handbell choir honoring Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ‘94, ‘97, ‘02, a fan of the New York Yankees, with a performance of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” WINTER 2015-2016

The Nortillo Family Classroom

The Link Family Classroom

Given by Justin and Daniela Nortillo P ’25, ’28

Given by Stephanie and Jay Link P ’25

Mr. Corvino quoted fourth-grade math teacher Kennedy Buckley P ’16: “This classroom provides a clean, bright, beautiful space to support our learning. We look forward to coming in every day, and our students are even more engaged and excited to learn.”

To detail the benefits of this classroom, Mr. Corvino borrowed the words of fifth-grade math teacher Mary Sartorio: “She recently shared that her new classroom is ‘the ideal learning-friendly environment for my math students,’ adding that she ‘cannot imagine a more bright and comfortable space for my students to explore the incredible world of mathematics and to demonstrate their creativity.’”

The Wu Family Commons Given by David Wu and Yuan Li P ’27 Mr. Conard allowed those who use the upgraded space to speak to its benefits. “Fourth-grade teacher Pat Casey,” he started, “comments how the Wu Family Commons has provided Pingry with a space to gather the entire grade—64 students—together at one time. The commons has already been used for grade meetings and student presentations and discussions, as well as for Parents’ Night.”

The Zhikang Cao Language Lab Given by Shiyan Cao and Jeslyn Li P ’24 (in honor of Zhikang Cao) Shiyan Cao and Jeslyn Li donated the language lab in honor of Mr. Cao’s grandfather, a high school language teacher. Mr. Corvino shared that fifth-grade language teacher Matty Yorkshire “appreciates how the space allotment supports efficient foreign language interaction between teacher and students.”

This display is presented with gratitude to the Pingry families, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff who joined together in support of the modernization of the Lower School as part of Pingry’s Blueprint for the Future Campaign. Thanks to their vision and generosity, Pingry was able to transform the Lower School into a space custom-designed for each subject area and grade level, providing its students with the best possible educational experience. 16

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The Gedroic Family Admission Office

The Becky & Daniel Chen Dining Commons

Given by Joel and Kristine Gedroic P ’26, ’28

Given by Daniel and Becky Chen P ’25, ’26

Mr. Corvino commented, “The new office suite is a true reflection of what we hope prospective parents will perceive when they visit Pingry: a warm, welcoming space from which they can see positive interactions between children and adults, while also gaining a sense of our active, diverse, and happy school life.”

Standing in the revamped commons, Mr. Conard reflected on the role of a school dining space. “As one staff member comments, ‘It’s not just a common area, but a community area.’ It’s indeed where faculty meetings, parent association meetings, meals, and impromptu interactions and conversations can lead to fresh perspectives, and perhaps the start of lasting friendships.”

Nick Beyer, Amy (Corvino) Beyer ’02, Quinn Beyer, Lynn Plotkin, Angelina Corvino GP ’94, ’97, ’02, Lower School Director Ted Corvino, Tish Corvino (Parents ’94, ’97, ’02), Bobby Corvino ’97, Liz Corvino, Ted Corvino, Jr. ’94, and Vicky Gunnersen.

After these dedications, the approximately 135 attendees congregated around the entryway of the Lower School for the day’s final dedication: that of The Theodore M. Corvino Lower School Commons, named in honor of Mr. Corvino for his 42 years (and counting) of service to the Short Hills Campus community. Mr. Conard opened with the core reason behind both the dedication and the admiration the community has for Mr. Corvino: “Ted’s first love, over baseball and the Yankees, is his students.” Mr. Corvino was honored with remarks by Assistant Lower School Director Carolyn Gibson and history teacher Ted Corvino, Jr. ’94, along with the Lower School handbell choir’s performance of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” To end the day, Mr. Corvino himself took the podium and expressed his sincere thanks to the entire community, for not only the dedication of the commons, but also the support they have lent to what he called “this new old school.” “It is fitting that Ted will be forever honored by this beautiful commons in the school he has served for over 40 years with wisdom and love,” Mrs. Gibson said in her remarks, “a space filled with Pingry’s proud past, the curved gleam of innovation, and the laughter of children, a space as open and welcoming as Theodore M. Corvino’s huge heart.” To learn more about the Lower School Modernization project, or to contribute to ongoing efforts, please contact Director of Institutional Advancement Melanie Hoffmann P ’20, ’27 at (908) 647-5555, ext. 1233 or mhoffmann@pingry.org. WINTER 2015-2016

SCIENCE RESEARCH FACILITY

NEWLY MODERNIZED SCIENCE RESEARCH FACILITY BOLSTERS BIOLOGY

Students can operate, regulate, and maintain the Z-Hab system, which is being used to house zebrafish for the study of behavior.

It is three o’clock on Thursday, and Pingry’s new research facility is a hotbed of activity. About 30 students are hard at work, clustered in different areas of the newly modernized science research facility, a classroom/lab hybrid. Four students gather around a laptop, squinting at the glowing screen. Nearby, a student scribbles in her notebook while another carefully places a test tube filled with a pale yellow liquid into a rack. At the front of the classroom space, three students watch a fourth carefully demonstrate how to solder a wire around a copper core. Standing where the lab and classroom areas meet— more or less the center of the room—teacher and Research Coordinator Luke De reminds a few young scientists how to deliver fat soluble molecules to living tissue: “You have to dissolve it in ethanol first, right? Then you dissolve the ethanol in water.” The shelves are strewn with beakers, culture flasks, and Erlenmeyers. Providing the soundtrack to the scene is the band Cage the Elephant. Rock-radio hit “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” resounds from portable speakers in the back of the room. Nor, from the looks of it, is there any rest for these students. Mr. De facetiously calls them “the Breakfast Club,” but they are actually members of Pingry’s research team, a student 18

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group that stays after school to conduct research projects and mentor younger pupils. Because the research facility, colloquially known as “the lab,” was designed with 100 percent visibility, supervising faculty like Mr. De, Ms. Allie Logerfo ’11, Dr. Colleen Kirkhart, Dr. Azadeh Samadani, and Science Department Chair Mr. David Maxwell can monitor all activity from anywhere in the room. Disciplined and serious about science, members of the team work diligently, with an independence and efficiency made possible by Blueprint for the Future contributors. With floorplans that allow for concurrent class and lab work, greater mobility of workbenches, enhanced technology, increased storage, and a larger number of resources, Pingry’s research facilities have gone, in one summer, from adequate to state-of-the-art. Many visiting alumni have commented on their comparability to laboratories of top colleges. “Now we have students breaking down the doors to do real science,” Dr. Kirkhart says. Structurally, the upgrade comprises three laboratories (“the lab” being the most significant), a faculty office, and a collaborative commons. Designed to facilitate conversation and group work, the commons has quickly become the nerve center of biology at Pingry, providing a comfortable and open space, four tables, 17 chairs,

Upgrades to “the lab” have created an environment in which students can independently conduct real-world research.

and 54 cubbies. “There are about 30 kids who basically live here,” Dr. Samadani says. “It’s a much more ‘kidfriendly’ area now, and it really draws students to biology.” Even the subtler changes make a huge difference. A television monitor keeps students up-to-date with developments in the broader biology community, while new “self-healing” walls allow student research to be hung without worry of push-pinning them beyond repair. Modernization has also created new storage spaces, which are more important to the success of research than one might assume. In the past, items with too much heat output, like the minus-80-degree freezer used for cold storage, had to be isolated in the back of the science wing. This separation from the classroom forced students to walk long distances with sensitive samples, risking contamination of experiments. The new setup, which places the freezer in a closed-off, but accessible, location adjacent to the lab, allows for smoother and more efficient operation. “This new space streamlines an intensive program that has been built piecemeal over the course of 10 years,” Ms. Logerfo says. In addition to these architectural updates, Pingry used Campaign contributions to purchase new equipment that has created opportunities for superior experimentation. Between the lab and the commons rests Pingry’s new Z-Hab, a zebrafish housing system that currently consists of 32 tanks. “Students are using the zebrafish to study behavior,” Mr. De says. “They’re looking at the effects of stress, cravings, and anxiety—all of which are pretty relevant to high school kids.” In the room next to the Z-Hab is a four-foot-workbench biosafety cabinet—an enclosed workspace that prevents contamination. With it, students can grow cloned tissue without fear of ruining their work. “This is what we used to have,” Mr. Maxwell says, holding up the rudimentary makeshift “biosafety cabinet” students used until this year (it resembles a glorified Tupperware container). “It’s really important that students be able to do this kind of work without worrying about contamination, especially because tissue culture is where global research is

The new biosafety cabinet provides a sealed four-foot workbench (middle of the cabinet) that will allow students to grow cloned tissue without contamination.

headed. Cancer research, Alzheimer’s, diabetes—it’s all happening on the cellular level, in the tissue.” In the faculty’s opinion, this is the real triumph of the modernization upgrades: that students are not mimicking or replicating the work of scientists. They are doing the work of scientists. In Mr. De’s words, “It’s more than just modeling. It’s real.” Biology students and faculty alike know that none of these upgrades would be possible without the generous contributions to Upper School modernization. And when it comes to the science wing, and the Basking Ridge Campus in general, these updates are only the tip of the iceberg. As for Luke De, he hopes that future changes create greater opportunity for a more interdisciplinary approach to the sciences: “If we can work across disciplines, then we can start applying theoretical lessons to real-world problems. How can the study of DNA, for example, help us with obesity? Or crime? Or business strategies?” He scans the lab as he speaks, taking in the bustle of the Breakfast Club. “The closer we come to reflecting the world beyond Pingry, the better. Science doesn’t happen in a vacuum.”

Modernization Highlights • Collaborative commons • Three upgraded lab classrooms (including the “biology research facility”) • Z-Hab system • Biosafety cabinet • Practical and convenient storage • Optimized visibility that allows supervision • Google classroom capabilities • Clinical air purification • Cell culture hood • 3D diffraction laser microscope • Molecular biology grade water purifier • Commercial autoclave

WINTER 2015-2016

ART CRITIQUE CLASSROOM

MULLER FAMILY DEDICATES ART CRITIQUE CLASSROOM TO TEACHING PARAGON BARBARA BERLIN Thanks to a generous gift by Lydia Schenker Muller ’90, P ’21 and her family, the classroom formerly known simply as “the art critique room” in Pingry’s Hostetter Arts Center is now “The Barbara Berlin Art Critique Classroom.” In 2015, Mrs. Muller gave a Blueprint for the Future Campaign gift that allowed her to dedicate the room to her Pingry art history teacher, Barbara Berlin P ’80, ’85, who retired from Pingry in 2001 after 26 years on the faculty. “My family decided to dedicate the art critique room to Barbara Berlin because we thought it was important to recognize the impact she had on the lives of so many of her students, especially my own,” Mrs. Muller says. “Mrs. Berlin’s art history class was a stand-out, not only because of the curriculum, but because of the unique way in which she connected with her students. We all benefited from her teaching, kindness, dedication, and friendship.” On November 30, Mrs. Muller, Mrs. Berlin, and their families convened in the O’Connor Boardroom for the formal dedication, joined by Pingry faculty, staff, alumni, and friends who have been influenced by Mrs. Berlin over the years. The enthusiasm with which everyone gathered around her, along with the distances many of them traveled (from Illinois, Hawaii, and even Ukraine), was a testament to her profound impact on the Pingry community. Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 opened the formal dedication with some remarks about Mrs. Berlin’s legacy at Pingry. He told the story of how she grew the art history program, nurturing it from a nascent hodgepodge of classes to a respected program that has sent art students to top colleges. “She taught in various and unexpected corners of the Hillside Campus,” Mr. Conard explained, “including in the chapel, a chemistry lab, and even Miller Bugliari’s office! Despite these early challenges, Barbara’s fervor for and expertise in art history soon led to the inception of an art history program, which has thrived at Pingry ever since.” In Mrs. Muller’s and Mr. Conard’s remarks, one theme stood out: Barbara Berlin’s continuous embodiment of Pingry’s philosophy of respect, honor, and lifelong education. Mrs. Berlin herself concluded the ceremony by telling the story of her serendipitous arrival at Pingry, which started with a phone call in the 1970s to then-Headmaster H. Westcott Cunningham ’38, P ’78, ’80 (Mrs. Berlin was a Pingry parent at the time). She met with him to ask to teach art history at Pingry, not realizing that he had received another phone call that very day from the 20

THE PINGRY REVIEW

Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, Betsy Muller, Eric Muller P ’21, former Pingry art history teacher Barbara Berlin P ’80, ’85, Lydia Schenker Muller ’90, P ’21, and Simon Muller ’21.

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, informing him that Pingry needed to expand its arts offerings. “He took me to meet the Dean right away,” Mrs. Berlin recounted with a chuckle. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. “I’m overwhelmed,” Mrs. Berlin told her captive audience at the end of the program. “I’m very, very touched, and, for once, I’m speechless.” After the ceremony, guests received a tour of the newly dedicated room from Nigel Paton P ’09, Mrs. Berlin’s successor and Pingry’s current art history teacher. Mr. Paton spoke enthusiastically about the art history curriculum and the room itself, which features two wall-length bulletin boards on which images of all 250 art pieces studied throughout the year are posted. The room’s up-to-date technology allows for projected display of images and films, and its small, narrow windows make it easy to “black out” to reduce glare. During the tour, Mr. Paton showed the audience his battered notebook from Mrs. Berlin’s last year at Pingry, filled with notes he took about her teaching methods while observing her classes. He uses the notebook to this very day, still drawing upon Mrs. Berlin’s wisdom. It is Mr. Paton’s words, perhaps, that best capture the significance of Mrs. Berlin’s legacy and the impact of the Mullers’ generosity: “Barbara has seen the Hostetter Arts Center grow, has attended every [art gallery] opening, and has given her support for the teachers who are the creative force behind Pingry’s artistic endeavors. Her presence is felt everywhere. Now, her name will be where it belongs: in the heart of the arts at Pingry.”

Read about some of Mrs. Berlin’s favorite art and artists on page 22.

BRENT AND AMY SAUNDERS INSPIRE EXPLORATION AND INNOVATION IN SCIENCE Watching their daughter Amanda develop from a brand new third grader at Pingry’s Lower School into a responsible Upper School student, Amy and Brent Saunders are especially grateful for the way that Pingry nurtures the “whole person.” Time and again, they’ve seen how Pingry’s teachers, advisors, and coaches take care to make Amy Saunders P ’19, Amanda sure that every student is Saunders ’19, Maya Saunders, happy and thriving, both and Brent Saunders P ’19. in class and in other parts of life. The School provides students a foundational education, and with it, the confidence and independence required to succeed in college and beyond. Perhaps most impressive to Amy and Brent, as parents working to instill the values of honor and respect in their child, is the way Pingry’s students embrace and embody the Honor Code. Student-established in 1926, the code lives on as a relevant and daily part of every student’s experience—a credo over which students take personal ownership.

Pingry’s Blueprint for the Future Campaign inspired Amy and Brent to consider about they might give back to the School that has given their family so much. Having worked in the healthcare industry—more recently with a focus on pharmaceuticals—for close to 20 years, Brent has seen the transformative impact that research and development can have on people’s lives. Knowing the School’s reputation for being on the cutting edge of student-led research and science curriculum, the Saunders were eager to give Pingry a facility to match. They chose to name the Brent and Amy Saunders Family Science Research Suite, a modernized space encompassing two state-of-the-art biology labs, a science research classroom/lab, a newly renovated faculty office, and shared learning commons. The Saunders hope their gift will help inspire students to go into the sciences, as well as convey to teachers and prospective faculty members the value that Pingry places on independent and innovative science research. New to the Board of Trustees this school year, Amy is especially struck by the level of commitment demonstrated by not only Pingry’s teachers, but also its administrators and trustees. Amy comments that her experience on the Board, taken together with her and Brent’s time as Pingry parents, has made her “all the more dedicated to ensuring the continued success of The Pingry School.”

CHEN FAMILY INFLUENCES STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL LIVES When it comes to their children’s education, Daniel and Becky Chen P ’25, ’26 believe faculty to be one of the most important eleBecky Chen P ’25, ’26, Eddy Chen ’25, Evan Chen ments. “The quali’26, Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ty of faculty is ’02, and Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11. critical to the learning of students,” Daniel says. “Kids spend most of their childhoods in school with their teachers. They are not only teachers; they are friends, mentors, and role models. What makes a school great? It’s the quality of those operating it.” Although they are relatively new to The Pingry School, the Chens have already financially invested in the development of those teachers who emotionally and intellectually invest so much in students. Firm believers in cultural exchange, the Chens focused much of their gift on faculty who bridge cultural gaps. They have established two endowed funds: the Chen Family Faculty Award for World Languages, which will recognize one teacher per year for excellence in teaching Mandarin or another world language, and the Chen Family Fund for Chinese

Language Program, which will support professional development opportunities and resources for teachers of Chinese. “We hope to see more and more students have the available resources to learn different languages of choice, because the ability to understand and respect cultural differences should be a fundamental characteristic of all people living in this connected modern world,” Daniel says. “Language learning acts as a bridge between people of different cultural and regional backgrounds and also equips our future generations with an essential tool in whatever areas they want to be involved—art, science, technology, business, or politics.” Another part of the Chens’ gift has funded the renovation of the dining space at the Lower School, which is occupied by students, faculty, and staff on a daily basis. On January 30, 2016, at the Lower School Rededication Ceremony, members of the Chen family cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially dedicate the Becky & Daniel Chen Dining Commons. With this contribution to one of the Lower School’s most frequented community spaces, the Chens have extended their impact to both the academic and social lives of Pingry students and demonstrated that philanthropy is more than just a means to improve a space or send a few faculty members to a conference; it’s a vehicle to build and bolster a community. WINTER 2015-2016

Barbara Berlin’s Top 8

By Barbara Z. Berlin P ’80, ’85, Pingry art history teacher from 1975-2001

Each year, Art History students asked, “Who is your favorite artist?” I always answered that I had no one favorite. That was and remains the truth, but I will tell you about a few of my favorite periods and works of art.

Cycladic figures (above), from approximately 2700 BCE, fill me with awe. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to view many such figures at the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. They totally increased my interest in this period. The sculptures are formed of geometric shapes. Heads are triangular, and the eyes, originally inlaid with shell and lapis lazuli, now are empty. They stare at the viewer with a mystical power. The simplification of these figures seems a forecast of modern trends visible in works by Henry Moore, Rodin, even Picasso. ––––––––––––– Henry Moore, a Twentieth Century sculptor, used rounded, simplified forms 22

THE PINGRY REVIEW

Credit: Accademia Gallery in Florence

Credit: The Henry Moore Foundation archive, Anita Feldman

Henry Moore’s Family Group.

Michelangelo’s David.

–––––––––––––

of interlocking shapes to define the human body. Most of his works are intended to be set out of doors. His bronze Family Group of 1949 (Museum of Modern Art), made right before the birth of his first child, shows a child in the center of two adults. Moore strove for monumentality in his works of reduced forms. Here, the placement of the simplified, interlocking rounded forms speaks to me of love and caring. Interestingly, some of my students interpreted this work as one of strife— each parent tugging at the child. The freedom for interpretation makes this sculpture all the more interesting. –––––––––––––

When I retired from teaching, the original Head of the Art Department, Mike Popp, encouraged me to try my hand at pastel painting—something totally new to me. I always had admired the paintings of Mary Cassatt, but her works in pastel began to have more significance after I worked in that medium myself. I particularly love her genre portraits of members of her family, especially those of her sister Lydia and Lydia’s children. A good friend of Degas, Cassatt learned from him how to capture an intimate moment. This can be seen in a pastel of exceptional color, beauty, and tenderness, Maternal Kiss (1896), at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Michelangelo, on the other hand, strove to create the greatest possible realism in his sculptures. It is astonishing that he carved the biblical figure of David (1501-04) out of one 18-foot block of marble. David appears heroic and, simultaneously, sensitive. This is achieved through the physical realism, facial expression, and stance of the sculpture. I find the David gripping— difficult to leave.

Cassatt, an American who lived abroad, was instrumental in bringing French Impressionist paintings by artists such as Degas and Renoir to the U.S. Each time she visited friends and family in the U.S., she would bring Impressionist paintings with her. Mary Cassatt’s brother was President of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and her family was good friends with the Havemeyers, who donated much of their Impressionist collection to The

Credit: pablopicasso.org

Credit: Philadelphia Museum of Art

Mary Cassatt’s Maternal Kiss.

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Thus, Mary Cassatt had a great impact on the history of Impressionist art beyond her own paintings. ––––––––––––– Following the Impressionists came Paul Cézanne, a great favorite of mine. He took the Impressionists’ style of capturing scenes in short brushstrokes of juxtaposed colors a step further. Cézanne used blocks of color to achieve a sense of permanence. His style led to the development of Cubism and then to Abstract Art. To select one Cézanne truly is difficult. I love all his paintings. He painted Mt. St. Victoire more than 50 times, both in oil and watercolor. His Mont Sainte-Victoire in The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. is particularly wonderful. Painting in the years 1886-87, Cézanne shows the white limestone of the massive mountain against the dark green woods of Oak trees. He adored the area where he lived in Provence, and he painted its scenes and people over and over again. He never tired of Provence, and I never tire of looking at his interpretations of it.

Pablo Picasso’s The Dream.

Pablo Picasso adapted Cézanne’s use of abstract shapes both in painting and in sculpture. Since he was probably the most prolific artist ever, it becomes difficult to select a favorite work by Picasso, but, for me, it is his painting of 1932, The Dream. Picasso created a painting that can be interpreted in several ways. A resting woman in an armchair simultaneously gives us a full-face view and a profile view, depending on how the viewer tilts his or her head. A minimum of line plus bright primary colors allow the viewer endless interpretations. The background is divided into two distinct patterns, adding to the mystery of this work. I was crushed when I read that an art patron accidently stuck his elbow through the painting, but the hole has been restored marvelously. –––––––––––––

in Vermont) every day and exhibits regularly at the Ameringer/McEnery/Yohe gallery in New York, as well as galleries in other states. Entering an exhibit of Kahn’s paintings is like opening a window on a bright, sunny day. He paints landscapes stripped down to essentials and uses some color arbitrarily. His works are in all major U.S. museums. I am partial to his pastels of barns and trees set in bands of color. One, Landscape with Rubbed Dark Purples (1993), is in the N.J. collection of Gary Tabor. As I progress in working with pastels, Wolf Kahn’s paintings have been a great inspiration. ––––––––––––– Last is a sculptor and pottery maker who gave me an exquisite pottery bowl when I retired from teaching. The artist is Pingry’s own Rich Freiwald. The bowl was made by Rich and painted by his wife Andrea. It has stylized leaves and rows of irises. It sits in a corner of our family room between two walls of windows, catching light at different times of day. It is a work of art that never ceases to please. What I find fascinating about Rich Freiwald’s art is that it is so diverse. For example, he shapes glass as skillfully and poetically as pottery.

A later painter, who continues to create pastels and oils every day in his 89th year, is Wolf Kahn. He paints in one of his studios (one in Manhattan and one Pottery bowl by Rich Freiwald.

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Credit: Wolf Kahn Pastels

Credit: The Phillips Collection

Paul Cézanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire.

Wolf Kahn’s Landscape with Rubbed Dark Purples.

Now, good readers, you may be wondering why I did not mention such great artists as Leonardo, Rembrandt, Monet, Matisse, Eakins, Gauguin. I love them all, but space is limited. Editor’s Note: Read about Pingry’s dedication of The Barbara Berlin Art Critique Classroom on page 20. WINTER 2015-2016

Scene Around Campus

Grade 4 Social Studies in the Woods When Grade 4 social studies teacher Jason Haber teaches about the Lenape Indians of New Jersey, his students get dirty—on purpose. As part of a year-long social studies curriculum focused on New Jersey history, one month is dedicated to the Lenape tribe of New Jersey and surrounding areas. After learning how Native Americans used natural resources for survival, including constructing wigwams and longhouses to stay safe and dry, students spend two hours in the woods of the Short Hills Campus, in groups, to create their own. Bark, sticks, branches, rocks, leaves, and bast (the inner lining of bark) are gathered, even traded, and fashioned into creative shelters, either as standalone huts or leaning against trees. As Mr. Haber explains, it is an exercise in simulation: as the children use the same resources and face the same challenges as the Lenape, they come to understand their thought processes and are inspired to build their own versions, using critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. 24

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Lower School Dinosaur Mural Second-grade students begin a thematic study of prehistoric time periods each October, a unit that includes an introduction to researching...dinosaurs! The class read The Magic School Bus: In the Time of the Dinosaurs, using it as a research tool to learn about land formations, plants, and climate in the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous time periods. Art teachers Lindsay Baydin and Russell Christian helped students create a ripped paper mural depicting these three periods. Independent research involved classroom iPads, with every child gathering information about a particular dinosaur. Most of the learning was accomplished in cooperative groups at classroom “stations”—each station had a particular focus and required students to complete a series of tasks independently. In short, this month-long study of dinosaurs integrated science, art, language arts, math, social studies, drama, and technology!

Middle School Athletics Spirit Week For the first time, the Middle School held Athletics Spirit Week from October 27-29, leading up to Friday Night Lights (October 30). “In the past, there were Spirit Days throughout the school year when individual teams requested dress down days,” explains Middle School Dean of Students Barrington Fulton. “Some of the captains suggested a week for the whole Middle School, so now there is a chance for equity. Some teams may not have been aware they could request a Spirit Day, so this was an opportunity for all teams and all students, not just those students who are on a team.” The schedule of Spirit Days was based on game days, since all Middle School teams had a game during the week. Grade 6 also had a Spirit Day, practicing Mega-V Ball on the football field prior to playing the game during halftime of Friday Night Lights; Mega-V Ball, a popular part of Middle School Director of Athletics Gerry Vanasse’s Mega-V Summer Day Camp, is a faster, more exciting version of dodgeball.

Cum Laude Society Inductions As part of the Upper School Fall Awards Assembly on September 25, Pingry welcomed its 13 newest members of the Cum Laude Society. Established in 1906 as the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa (the country’s oldest collegiate honor society), The Cum Laude Society honors academic excellence and scholarship among its 382 member schools, and it recognizes individuals who demonstrate a love of learning and respect for honor, integrity, and character. Membership in this prestigious academic organization is limited to 20 percent of each Pingry Class, with half elected as juniors and half elected as seniors. Pictured from the Class of 2016: Brad Hong, Charles Zhu, Victoria Morin, Rachel Wu, Kathryn Coyne, Mark Shtrakhman, Holly Butrico, Dillon Noone, Alexa Buckley, Sophia Cortazzo, Reshmi Kotla, Aaron Cooper, and Jackson Artis.

Dr. Pingry’s Birthday Pingry celebrated the birthday of our School’s founder on Friday, September 25, one day before his actual birthday. As part of the festivities, students could answer three questions about Dr. Pingry for a chance to win a prize in honor of his 197th birthday.

AFS Student: Gian Marco Visani Pingry’s partnership with AFS (American Field Service) brings an exchange student to the School each year, and the 2015-16 AFS student is Gian Marco Visani from Faenza, Italy. Along with his warm welcome by the Pingry community, Gian Marco has two families to support him during his 10-month stay: his host family, Flavio Mansi and Patricia CerisolaMansi, whose son Flavio is in Grade 7, and his AFS family (he is one of this year’s 37 New Jersey AFS students from around the world). The Mansi family has helped ease Gian Marco into American culture—Flavio has given him insights into being a new student at Pingry, and, given their shared custom of late-evening meals (the Mansis moved to New Jersey from Mexico City), the family’s late dinner hour helped to make him feel at home. Pictured: Gian Marco Visani and Upper School French teacher Kelly Jordan P ’04, ’06, Pingry’s AFS Advisor since 1994, at a welcome party on September 24. WINTER 2015-2016

Winter Festival An annual event for the entire school, and a wonderful performance opportunity for Pingry’s talented musicians, the Winter Festival, held this year on December 9 on the Basking Ridge Campus, is one of the most eagerly-anticipated events of the year. It is the only opportunity for all students from Short Hills and Basking Ridge to be together in one venue, gathering for this special concert that marks the holiday season. Seeing all of the ensembles on the Hauser Auditorium stage, as well as students, faculty, and staff filling every seat of the auditorium—a standing-room only event—truly makes the event a community celebration. Kindergarten students Lucas Blumberg ’28 (son of Dr. Darren Blumberg ’88) and Sophia Smith ’28 (daughter of Ulysses “Grant” Smith ’77) lit the Festival Candle for the Wednesday and Thursday concerts, respectively.

Lower School Fall Musical: Disney’s Alice in Wonderland JR. A large cast participated in the fall musical, directed by drama teacher Alicia Harabin ’02 and choreographed by Cindy McArthur (Director of Summer and Auxiliary Programs), with musical direction by Judy Previti. The student ensemble of 45 performed for classmates during a matinée, and again that evening, for parents and families. Read more about the collaboration and learning that take place in the Lower School’s drama program on page 32. 26

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Rufus Gunther Day/Community Service Day Whichever name you choose to call this day, the last Friday in October is a day of fun and community service for over 900 students, faculty, and staff from the Basking Ridge Campus, who travel to assist more than 30 area organizations. In addition to its longstanding relationships with organizations such as the Community Food Bank, ECLC (Education, Careers & Lifelong Community), Bryan’s Dream Foundation, Matheny House, Keep the Children Safe, and Covenant House, Pingry added three service opportunities this year: The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a descendent of the Stifel Paralysis Research Foundation, of which Henry G. Stifel III ’83 is Vice Chairman; the Center for Great Expectations; and the Wick House at Morristown National Park. As Director of Community Service Shelley Hartz says, the tradition is less about the impact of the day on the organizations, and more about the impact of the organizations—and the experience of service—on the students. Pictured are students who visited The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and made supportive signs for others to hold during the New York City Marathon, during which people ran to raise money for the foundation: Lloyd Willis ’16, Matt Newman ’16, Michael Carr ’16, Nwamaka Nnaeto ’16, Bryce Weisholtz ’16, Bobby Rigby ’16, Jackson Artis ’16, Taraja Arnold ’16, and Emily Kwon ’16. “Who was Rufus Gunther?” is a question we often hear, referring to the Upper School’s Halloween festivities. Please write to us if you would like to share a story about who you think he was.

Upper School Fall Play In November, Pingry’s Drama Department presented Ken Ludwig’s Midsummer/Jersey, a humorous re-telling of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Mr. Ludwig’s version is set on the boardwalk of a seaside town in modern-day New Jersey. First row: Maddy Shilts ’17, Nick Grimaldi ’19, Andrew Cowen ’19, Connor Beard ’17, Liz Cooper ’16, Isabella Zanobini ’16, Erin Dugan ’16, Katharine Matthias ’17, Rajeev Doraswamy ’19, Harrison Jones ’16, and Jessica McLaughlin ’17. Second row: Jewell Strickland ’18, Katherine Trejo ’17, Aashiya Jaggi ’19, Udochi Emeghara ’19, Megan Pan ’18, Annaya Baynes ’19, Kat Deliargyris ’19, EmmaClaire Marvin ’17, Alessia Zanobini ’19, Alison Verdesca ’18, Meghan Salamon ’18, Ouarida Benatia ’18, and Siyu Cao ’17. Third row: Sidney Shannon ’18, Kayla Thau ’17, Jazmin Palmer ’16, Brian Grimaldi ’16, Dillon Noone ’16, Hannah Curtis ’16, Aidan Zola ’16, Justin Wang ’16, Danielle LeGrand ’16, Jackson Artis ’16, Sara Donovan ’18, and Giancarlo Castillo ’18.

Lower School Holiday Concert The Lower School sent its students off to Winter Break in high spirits after a wonderful Holiday Concert on December 18 that showcased every campus ensemble and offered some fun surprises (did someone say snow...?). Highlights included music teacher Patty Finn’s song “Gingerbread,” sung by Kindergarten students with words reflecting their decorating of gingerbread houses earlier in the month; Mrs. Finn’s song “Snowstorm Tonight,” sung by Grades 1 and 2, with the added surprise of an impromptu snowfall; music teacher Thomas Berdos’s song “Kuimba Kwanzaa” for the Faculty Chorus; and the Candlelight Finale.

Visit by Counsel and Advisor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle and Upper School students were given a rare “behind-the-scenes” glimpse into history on January 15, listening with rapt attention to Clarence B. Jones. From 1960 to 1968, Mr. Jones was personal counsel, advisor, speechwriter, and friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, he is Scholar in Residence at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University. Because Dr. King’s birthday is January 15 (born in 1929, 87 years ago), Mr. Jones’s appearance was a special opportunity for the Pingry community. “Mr. Jones doesn’t usually speak on Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday because this is a tough day for him, so it is a special privilege to have Mr. Jones here with us today. It is because of his connection to the Mason family [Chloe ’21 and Mark ’24] that Mr. Jones agreed to come,” said Dr. Diana Artis P ’09, ’16, Assistant Director of Admission & Coordinator of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. Mr. Jones, who believes that he was “blessed with so many years of longevity” after Dr. King’s assassination so that he can “tell his story the best way I can,” spoke about events from his seven years with Dr. King. He captivated students, faculty, and staff with his vivid memories of Dr. King’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, even supplementing his remarks with exact dates of certain events, a powerful indicator of their permanent imprint on his life and history. In his remarks, Mr. Jones spoke about his unintentional rise from being Dr. King’s lawyer and advisor to become his speechwriter (Dr. King asked him to conduct research for speeches and then write suggested language). “I worked in support of what he wanted to do. Most of the time, I agreed with him. Sometimes, I wrote things for him to say that I wouldn’t say myself. I was very mindful that it was him speaking, not me.” Mr. Jones wrote some of Dr. King’s most famous words: the first seven paragraphs of his “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.

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Jessica Westerman ’08 Discusses Origins of Honor Code Ceremony

interaction with the Honor Board.” Mr. Conard adds, “Jess did an admirable job of taking a leadership role in the Honor Code’s reinvigoration.”

One lesson that Jessica Westerman ’08 has learned since graduating from Pingry dwarfs all others. “As we get older, the crises of conscience we face only get bigger,” she said in the John Hanly Lecture on Ethics and Morality on November 20. “The stakes get higher, our actions have still more impact on the people around us, and, most frustratingly, there are fewer people to point us in the right direction.” Law Clerk to The Honorable Judge Russell F. Canan on the Washington, D.C. Superior Court and a former member of Pingry’s Honor Board, Ms. Westerman is no stranger to crises of conscience.

Fast-forward to present day: this tradition, along with the Honor Code itself, stands strong, and the community now knows why Convocation includes this ceremony. “It’s important to pass down stories of decisions and traditions,” says Assistant Headmaster Jon Leef P ’15, ’18, who invited Ms. Westerman to deliver the lecture. “In this case, we’ve had several hiring cycles since 2007, so younger faculty didn’t know the story. Many students probably didn’t know the story, either.”

In her lecture, she recalled the Honor Code violations with which the Honor Board grappled during the latter part of her Pingry career. In four extreme cases in Ms. Westerman’s memory, students were asked to leave the School—verdicts that divided students and faculty. Amid student protests, Ms. Westerman wondered if she and her fellow Honor Board members had made the right decisions. Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 understands the challenges of making these types of decisions and reflects upon the ethical climate in which those deliberations took place. “When I began at Pingry,” he says, “there was a palpable cynicism about the Honor Code among the student body, an attitude which espoused the idea that who you are is more important than what you do. We took this as an opportunity to begin raising the profile of the Honor Code— discussing it more frequently and holding presentations that encouraged students to see the Honor Code and ethical decision making as applicable to many of life’s situations.” Also fearing that the Honor Code had become more abstract to students, Ms. Westerman decided to take a risk while running for Student Body President and make the Code the flagship issue of her campaign. She wrote in The Pingry Record: “We need to instill honor before its absence even becomes a problem. My solution: an all-school signing of our Honor Code pledges at Convocation… the entire campus would gain a deeper feeling of ownership and respect for the 28

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Jessica Westerman ’08 enjoying a laugh with a student during her lecture.

Honor Code.” As she said during her lecture, she wanted to “reanimate the Honor Code with students’ shared values.” She won the election (Pingry’s first female Student Body President in 15 years), viewing her victory as testament to the student body’s belief in the possibility of change. At the beginning of her senior year, she instituted the traditions of advisory groups signing the Honor Code (classmates’ names displayed together as a visual reminder of shared accountability) and advisory group representatives submitting those pledges to and shaking hands with the Honor Board Chair and Student Body President during Convocation. Ms. Westerman points out that “the Honor Board Chair wasn’t just in a room, deliberating a case, but was visible—on stage, shaking hands—so the students had a positive

Ms. Westerman’s experiences on the Honor Board, and, more recently, in the legal realm—where a lawyer’s credibility is contingent upon his or her interpretation of the law—have taught her to view difficult choices as crossroads not between “what is obviously right and what is obviously wrong,” but between “what is right and what is also right.” Ms. Westerman encouraged students to think broadly and deeply about the ramifications of their choices, and to consider both conscience and consequence. “At the end of the day,” she concluded, “you are the only one to whom you are accountable.” Established in 1999 by a group of donors on the occasion of former headmaster John Hanly’s retirement, the John Hanly Lecture Series on Ethics and Morality celebrates Mr. Hanly’s commitment to teaching students and other members of the school community how to make tough decisions within an ethical framework. This endowed fund enables Pingry to bring a variety of speakers to campus to address the moral and ethical issues facing all of us in the 21st century.

Hanly Lecture Q&A In responding to students’ and teachers’ questions, Ms. Westerman… • offered advice for when a student faces a dilemma about whether to report a violation (look out for one other: approach the student first, before telling an authority figure) • encouraged discussions among friends about possible Honor Code violations • spoke about moral obligations as more than consequence-based (people need to feel the pride and satisfaction that result from achieving things without guilt or shame) • explained that, even though students’ decision-making processes are still developing and students are supposed to learn from their mistakes, expulsion and other consequences remind the community that there are rules to follow

Fruit Fly Research Makes Rachel Wu ’16 a Siemens Semifinalist Why would fruit flies yield helpful information for increasing the lifespan of human beings? Because, as Rachel Wu ’16 can attest, fruit flies and humans possess similar pathways and mechanisms for the aging process. Rachel conducted research last summer that earned her the distinction of being named a semifinalist in the 2015 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. With Rachel’s selection as a semifinalist, Pingry’s research program continues its incredible success in this competition: semifinalists for seven consecutive years, making Pingry the only New Jersey school with this distinction. Specifically, Pingry has had 11 semifinalists and one regional finalist over that time period. Working with Dr. Yongkyu Park, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Biology & Molecular Medicine at Rutgers Medical School, Rachel completed an internship sponsored by the Liberty Science Center’s Partners in Science Program. She wanted to expand previous studies related to the Rpd3 protein, its regulation pathway, and its role in aging in fruit flies. “Specifically, our goal was to analyze how the reduction of Rpd3 levels in

extending lifespan and increasing heart function in fruit flies, and, perhaps in the future, humans,” Rachel said. During the 2015-16 school year, she is continuing this research for her AP Biology project under the guidance of Pingry Science Department Chair David Maxwell. “I am so grateful to Pingry for providing me with the support and education that have gotten me where I am today as a student and a scientist,” Rachel says.

Rachel Wu ’16 at the Partners in Science symposium on August 20 at Liberty Science Center.

the heart could extend lifespan, strengthen heart function, and enhance resistance to stressful conditions,” she said in a project summary. Together, student and mentor discovered that flies with less Rpd3 had higher amounts of anti-aging gene expression. Through heartbeat counting, they found that flies with lower levels of Rpd3 had faster heart rates, which indicated stronger heart function. “Ultimately, we learned that manipulating Rpd3 may have important implications in

Editor’s Note: The Siemens Competition, launched by the Siemens Foundation in 1999, is the nation’s premier research competition for high school students. About 2,250 students submitted nearly 1,800 projects this year, and Siemens selected 466 semifinalists, 16 of whom are in New Jersey.

Pingry’s Success in Siemens • 7 consecutive years of semifinalists • 11 semifinalists and one regional finalist over that time period

Meeting of the Minds The 2016 Pingry Science Research Exhibit The Pingry community is invited to attend an interactive event that showcases our students’ research projects, from cancer to zebrafish.

April 16, 2016, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Basking Ridge Campus

R.S.V.P. to pingry.org/exhibitreg

Members of the S.M.A.R.T. (Students Modeling a Research Topic) Team, part of Pingry’s research program, examining 3D DNA.

Alumni in the science and research fields who are interested in judging or reviewing projects, or reviewing the research program, are encouraged to contact Luke De, Coordinator of Research, at lde@pingry.org or 908-647-5555, ext. 1659 by April 1, 2016.

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Enthusiasm for Mandarin Leads Hannah Curtis ’16 to 100K Strong The word “enthusiastic” comes up in nearly every statement when Pingry’s Mandarin Chinese teachers describe Hannah Curtis ’16 and her approach to learning. Hannah has such enthusiasm for Chinese language and culture that all three teachers took great pleasure in nominating her to become a Student Ambassador for the 100K Strong Foundation, and Hannah was indeed awarded that honor for the 2015-16 school year. One of 11 students chosen from a pool of 100 in the United States, she is Pingry’s second Student Ambassador in two years, following Jackson Artis ’16. Hannah has been studying Mandarin since freshman year, when she took Chinese 1; she had been inspired to study Chinese during her Pingry Admission visit, when she attended a class with her “buddy” Sarah Wang ’15 and was able to participate. From day one, Chinese excited her because of its phonetics and characters, and Yi Hao P ’11, ’13 made the class memorable. “Hao Laoshi opened my eyes to the language,” Hannah recalls. “She taught me my first Chinese character, she administered my first Chinese test. She had such an animated personality that she made classes interactive and fun, which made learning the difficult language much more enjoyable. She brought in dumplings and other Chinese dishes to give us a new view on the Chinese culture and took us on field trips to widen our perspective. She taught me that to love a language was the best way to learn it.”

Hannah Curtis ’16 in Beijing with her tour guide/ translator and a woman who taught Hannah calligraphy in her home.

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Hannah soon realized that enthusiasm was her key to success, especially since the prospect of memorizing the character language and Pinyin (phonetics of Chinese) can be daunting: “It was easier than I expected because I was interested. As long as you’re enthusiastic about learning the language, you’ll find ways to correlate the Pinyins and characters, which will make it easier to memorize.” During the summer between her freshman and sophomore years, Hannah visited China with her father Bruce for nearly a month. “It was a whole new perspective on learning the language,” she says. “I feel like students my age don’t realize that there’s a completely different culture halfway across the world. I’m thankful that I was able to see that.” This year, she is taking Chinese 4 Pre-A.P. with Weiwei Yu P ’23, ’26. When 12 Chinese students from Quzhou No. 2 High School (Pingry’s sister school in China) visited Pingry in February 2014, Hannah and Jackson served as coemcees for Pingry’s Lunar New Year Celebration—reading all of their comments in Chinese before translating to English. That experience was a perfect combination of her theater background and passion for Chinese. “She also made the effort to reach out to our Chinese visitors during school and through social media. Each time we have any Chinarelated events, she is always an enthusiastic supporter and participant,” Yi Hao wrote in the nomination letter. “She takes the initiative to do well,” says Lily Wang, who taught Hannah during the 2014-15 school year. “Her strength is in speaking the language, which is difficult for most people because of the tones.

Hannah Curtis ’16 and her father Bruce on Victoria Peak in Hong Kong.

She is also very creative and can use her creativity to help inspire other students to learn Chinese language and culture.” Each ambassador’s official responsibility is a creative project intended to spread awareness of Chinese language and culture within one’s community and promote the growing relationship between the U.S. and China. As of early February, Hannah’s projects were being finalized, but she plans to teach Pingry’s fifthgrade students about Chinese inventions (chopsticks, in particular), teach Chinese dances locally, and work at her local library. “I’m excited for the challenge, excited to spread awareness of Mandarin, and thankful to the Chinese program for the opportunity.” Editor’s Note: The 100K Strong Foundation, which promotes the study of Mandarin in the United States and facilitates student travel to China, evolved from President Obama’s 2009 announcement of a State Department initiative: 100,000 students studying in China by 2014. In 2013, the foundation partnered with the Asia Society to select students from the 100 Confucius Classrooms in the U.S. to serve as ambassadors for Chinese language and culture. The newest initiative is “1 Million Strong”—1 million students studying Mandarin by 2020. According to the Asia Society, a few other schools and school districts have had two or more ambassadors in consecutive years, but it is rare.

Pingry Honors Veterans Wounded Warrior Speaks for Veterans Day Ryan Willsey ’18, founder of Pingry’s Wounded Warrior Support Club, had the honor of introducing Wounded Warrior Dan Nevins, who gave a dynamic presentation at last fall’s Veterans Day Assembly on the Basking Ridge Campus. Staff Sergeant Nevins was leading a U.S. Army infantry squad in a combat mission in Iraq in November 2004 when an IED detonated beneath his vehicle. Sgt. Nevins suffered a traumatic brain injury and severe injuries to both legs; the doctors amputated his left leg below the knee and told him that his right leg would probably need to be amputated as well

(because of a recurring bone infection, the right leg was indeed amputated below the knee in 2008). Sgt. Nevins’s life took a dramatic turn for the better thanks to the Wounded Warrior Project. “I owe everything to them,” he said. “They have 20 programs, serving 80,000 vets and their families every day.” Pingry would like to honor all of our alumni/ae and faculty who served or are serving in the armed forces. The following list is based on the information currently available. As we seek to make our records more comprehensive, please contact us at gwaxberg@pingry.org or 908-647-5555, ext. 1296 if you and/or someone you know served, but are not listed. Please provide name, branch, and service dates.

Staff Sergeant Dan Nevins said, “It was my greatest honor to have worn the uniform in service to my country…to protect the freedom and peace we have here. I am so lucky to be alive and be able to continue to serve.”

Pingry Alumni/ae Who Served and Sacrificed WORLD WAR II Wallace P. Trapnell ’21 George L. Kinsey ’27 Schuyler Crane ’32 George J. Morgan, Jr. ’32 A. Compton Vail ’32 Richard S. Tucker ’34 James R. Carringer, Jr. ’35 Prentice C. Weathers ’36 Arthur W. Clothier ’37 Frederick C. Hohnbaum ’37 Thomas F. Lowery ’37 F. Thomson Henshaw ’38 Orville B. Lamason ’38 R. Stuart Ward ’38 J. Donald Findlay ’39 Donald B. Schnabel ’39 William G. Critchlow, Jr. ’41 Lynn R. Pitcher ’41 John O. Stoddard ’41 William G. Cameron, Jr. ’42 Edmond Louis Garasche ’43 David E. Williams, Jr. ’43 E. Crane Woodruff ’43 Robert Ramsen Hogan ’44 Donald C. White ’44 KOREAN WAR ERA Edwin S. Cramer ’36 Charles K. Rath ’36 William B. Simpson ’36 Robert T. Deming, Jr. ’40 Richard E. Turk ’42 Peter B. Sperry ’44 John C. McClain ’45 Walter W. Patten, Jr. ’45 Curtis B. Brooks ’46 Marshall R. Cassedy ’46 Robert L. Christensen ’46 Richard R. Dailey ’46 Robert F. Danziger ’46

Charles H. Hayes, Jr. ’46 Edward T. Kenyon ’46 John M. Lummis, Jr. ’46 James B. Peden ’46 Albert L. Register III ’46 Philip N. Robertson ’46 John R. Alexander, Jr. ’47 E. LeRoy Carey ’47 Drury W. Cooper III ’47 J. Lloyd Harbeck, Jr. ’47 Richard H. Herold ’47 Elwood W. Phares II ’47 Frederick W. Schmidt, Jr. ’47 Sefton Stallard ’47 Edward D. Thomas ’47 Edward M. Wallace, Jr. ’47 George E. Wendell ’47 Robert H. Westerfield ’47 John R. Whittemore ’47 William H. Brawley, Jr. ’48 Harry G. Burks III ’48 David D. Hunter ’48 Noel S. Siegel ’48 John W. Thomas, Jr. ’48 H. James Toffey, Jr. ’48 Joshua J. Ward ’48 Joseph B. Bugliari ’49 T. Kennady Heston ’49 Peter B. Jones ’49 Peter J.M. King ’49 William T. Moore ’49 Stuart A. Truslow ’49 H. Duane St. John, Jr. ’50 Charles M. MacDonald ’51 VIETNAM WAR ERA Robert T. Deming, Jr. ’40 John R. Alexander, Jr. ’47 Donald B. Kaiserman ’51 William R. Ledder ’52 H. Franklin Bunn ’53

John J. Onnembo ’53 Stephen P. Reibel ’53 A. Mason Ahearn ’54 E. William Endter, Jr. ’54 Winthrop H. Hall ’54 Thomas C. Davis, Jr. ’55 Anthony W. DePaul, Jr. ’55 Richard C. Auerbach ’56 John T. English ’56 Mark Forrester, Jr. ’56 McClure Hall ’56 F. L. Hewitt III ’56 Robert O. Meyer ’56 Donald R. Pettit ’56 Frederick W. Schweizer ’56 John H. Crawford III ’57 Stuart J. Crow ’57 Lawrence A. Eggleston ’57 A. Harding Ganz ’57 Terry A. Johnston ’57 Robert D. Schweizer ’57 Eugene J. Shea ’57 Paul A. Baiter ’58 Burdette Bostwick ’58 Horace K. Corbin III ’58 Patrick C. Coughlan ’58 Kenneth G. Engler, Jr. ’58 Alan C. Hood, Jr. ’58 Peter Schutz ’58 Arthur D. Ackerman ’59 Robert R. Baldwin ’59 Bruce Brumfield ’59 A. Henry Counts, Jr. ’59 James I. Dunn ’59 Daniel B. Kellogg ’59 John C. Shea ’59 William T. Smith III ’59 P. Lea Talcott ’59 Stephen Wilkerson ’59 David C. Wilson ’59

J. Alan Brewster ’60 Lawrence A. Clayton ’60 Peter Coughlan ’60 James T. Egan, Jr. ’60 ** Frank J. Kaphan ’60 Paul D. Knoke ’60 Sterett R. Prevost III ’60 A. John Rush, Jr. ’60 Charles C. Stover III ’60 William L’E. Wertheimer ’60 Donald C. West ’60 Randall W. Adams ’61 Frederick W. Beinecke II ’61 James Chalmers, Jr. ’61 Richard L. Cornelius ’61 * Frederick I. Guyer ’61 Steven S. Hart ’61 Richard H. Hufnagel ’61 Richard C. Ill ’61 John S. Kerr ’61 Walter C. Klein, Jr. ’61 Douglas L. Leavens ’61 John H. Lockwood, Jr. ’61 H. F. Tino O’Brien, Jr. ’61 Robert H. Popper, Jr. ’61 Douglas W. Rhett, Jr. ’61 Robert E. D. Roos ’61 W. Theodore Strauss III ’61 William T. Tilden IV ’61 Frank A. Ali III ’62 John E. Brown ’62 Thomas C. Curtiss, Jr. ’62 John L. Geddes ’62 Patrick J. Haley ’62 Roger C. Herrmann ’62 Joel C. Labow ’62 Martin McLean ’62 David H. Neunert ’62 Robert W. Scott, Jr. ’62 Andrew H. Swain ’62

William A. Tansey III ’62 Richard E. Thomas II ’62 John C. Whitmarsh ’62 Charles B. Atwater, Jr. ’63 Jeffrey L. Belden ’63 Carter L. Colter ’63 Theodore S. Corwin, Jr. ’63 Harold W. Fullilove ’63 David Houston, Jr. ’63 Richard J. Jupa ’63 Richard B. Manley ’63 Duncan La Monte ’63 F. Bronson Van Wyck ’63 Leslie S. Buck ’64 James L. Gruning ’64 Gregory D. Helsel ’64 Robert B. Ill ’64 Douglas W. Johnson ‘64 Richard C. Kjeldsen ’64 William F. Little III ’64 * Joseph C. Monier ’64 Barclay Morrison ’64 Bruce H. Morrison ’64 Edward T. Savage ’64 William B. Shepard, Jr. ‘64 P. Douglas Smith ‘64 Kenneth A. Strassner ‘64 Charles S. Tracy, Jr. ’64 Carl Van Duyne ’64 Robert M. Weissman ’64 Russell R. Barrett III ’65 Michael J. DePaul ’65 * Donald R. Dixon ’65 John L. Griesemer ’65 James S. Hecox ’65 Harold W. Lord, Jr. ’65 Stephan F. Newhouse ’65 Thomas E. Urich ’65 D. William Baker, Jr. ’66 Burchard M. Hazen, Jr. ’66

Erik B. J. Roos, Jr. ’66 Richard B. Shepard ‘66 William S. Stevens ’66 John C. Zoephel ’69 William D. Bruen, Jr. ’70 OTHER ALUMNI/AE AND FACULTY WHO HAVE SERVED OR ARE SERVING IN THE ARMED FORCES William F. Halsey, Jr. ’00 Frederick M. Trapnell ’17 William S. Beinecke ’31 Edward Cissel ’39 Samuel Martin ’41 William Hillbrant ’48 Charles Day ’50 Miller Bugliari ’52 Joseph S. Cornell, Jr. ‘58 Dale Christensen ’63 Richard B. Shepard ’66 John Stibravy ’68 Everett Newcomb ’69 George Gabb ’71 Paul McAdams ’84 J. Antonelli ’88 James Luke ’88 William Tansey ’89 Colin Cameron ’90 David Baird ’92 Emily Yorke ’93 Andrew Moan ’96 Karlheinz Peter ’96 Rebekah Murphy ’98 Michael Fernando ’09 John Magadini Victor Nazario Albert Romano Peter Thomson * Killed in the service of his country ** Listed as missing in action

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Drama, Music, and Musical Airwaves for Young Artists The Pingry Review recently went behind-the-scenes of the Lower School’s drama and music programs, as well as the School’s radio station—yes, a radio station! At Pingry, instruction in both drama and music encompass far more than what audience members see on stage or hear in concerts, and WSHR (Short Hills Radio) is an excellent example of the interdisciplinary learning taking place throughout the School.

Drama Takes Center Stage In the drama studio last fall, fidgety, eager Flowers and Garden Friends took their positions. With a flick of her iPhone, choreographer Cindy McArthur cued the music. Thursday-afternoon rehearsal for the Lower School’s fall musical, Alice in Wonderland JR., was underway. But make no mistake, flashy productions are not the sole cause of the children’s excitement. The year-long, carefully developed drama curriculum, led fulltime since 2013 by Alicia Harabin ’02, engages every student, budding thespians and the bashful alike, and introduces them to drama’s much larger life lessons: teamwork, collaboration, and problem solving. “My primary job is curriculum design,” Mrs. Harabin says. “That’s my focus.” For Kindergarten, first-, and secondgrade students, this focus on curriculum translates into exercises such as circle games, in which students work together to maintain the movement of an object around a circle, making eye contact all the while. For fourth-grade students, a “cultural conflict” activity is 32

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A scene from the fall musical Alice in Wonderland, JR.

the highlight: The class is divided into various animal groups, and students assume the specific rules and “language” of a rabbit or beaver, for example. Speaking to the underlying purpose of the exercise, Mrs. Harabin remarks, “Drama is really all about figuring out how other people are coded.” Collaboration and problem solving are two of the core aspects of the drama program. For Mrs. Harabin, making cross-disciplinary connections is equally important, whether the concepts begin in drama class and spread out, or vice versa. “I’m always figuring out how drama can insert itself into the larger school curriculum,” she says. For example, fifth-grade students use Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky as a model for how to invent language and develop communication skills. Assistant Lower School Director and Grade 5 writing teacher Carolyn Gibson then references Carroll’s book, as well as the students’ work, when she teaches grammar skills. Similarly, at the same time that

first-grade students are immersed in their African storytelling unit, Mrs. Harabin introduces them to Zimbabwean dance in the drama studio. With the current emphasis on STEAM disciplines, art—and, by extension, drama—has come increasingly into the spotlight, and Pingry’s Lower School is on the cutting edge of effectively weaving it into the School’s curriculum. “For teachers and students alike, creativity is a necessary ingredient to putting all these STEAM concepts and ideas together in their own way, allowing them to draw from multiple sources and create their own meaning,” Mrs. Harabin points out. “This is where the benefits of drama come into play.” Thanks to the new drama studio, made possible by the Blueprint for the Future Campaign, the program has a renovated, state-of-the-art room to call home. Back in the hallway, students in a threepart Cheshire Cat—Ryan Travers ’23 serves as the legs, Victoria Ramos ’23 the body, and Meher Khan ’23 the head —are preoccupied with how they will arrange themselves to achieve legs, body, and head—in that order—without toppling. When asked if they plan to pursue drama in the Middle and Upper Schools, they all chime, in unison, “Yes!”

The Music of Short Hills Before you reach the gymnasium, make a turn, ascend a narrow staircase, and you will find yourself in a musical wonderland on the Short Hills Campus, packed with child-friendly instruments, hand puppets, and booklets of music. These tucked-away rooms are a singing, dancing, drumming hub of activity and inspired learning—in a sense, the heartbeat of Short Hills. “Performance is just a tiny little part of what we do,” says Patty Finn, who has been teaching music at Pingry for over 30 years and leads the handbell choir. “Some children perform well when it’s asked of them, but don’t know anything about harmony. I want the kids to see the big picture—to be musically literate—right from the beginning.”

Grade 3 students rehearsing in Patty Finn’s music class.

While the school-wide holiday concert in December is always a highlight, Mrs. Finn and her colleague Tom Berdos, who has been teaching music at Pingry for over 15 years, have higher aspirations. For them, being musically literate means introducing all Lower School students to a host of general music skills, from purposeful listening, rhythm, melody, and fine motor movement, to—as they progress through later grades—harmony, music reading, music study, the physics of sound, and vocal development. By following the OrffSchulwerk (aosa.org) method of musical education, dancing and singing are a reliable backdrop, helping kids to learn—and learn to love—music. It is a sensory-rich approach, engaging visual, tactile, kinetic, and auditory learning styles. In short, nurturing a lifelong enjoyment of music by offering as broad an array of activities, sounds, and subjects as possible—and drawing as many parallels as possible to the students’ academic work—is what both teachers aim for. Fourth- and fifthgrade field trips to Lincoln Center, NJPAC, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art augment the program’s effectiveness even more. Whether listening to the music of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179), one of the earliest female composers, Mozart, Prokofiev, or Copland; experimenting on an accordion, baritone, or cowbell; singing “This Day of Peace” at the holiday concert or in the hallways between classes; or practicing handbells with Mrs. Finn, Lower School students are fully absorbed in their music.

WSHR: Short Hills’s NPR, Jr. Swing by the Lower School any weekday morning between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m., as students file into the building and teachers settle into their classrooms, and a noticeable backdrop can be heard: music. Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, Brahms’s Symphony No. 3, Duke Ellington’s Harlem Air Shaft, and Scott Joplin’s Maple Leaf Rag, among many other compositions, welcome children, faculty, and staff. But music is one of the sounds—the voices of fifth-grade students, introducing the selections and their composers, also ring out, loud and clear. Welcome to WSHR, Short Hills’s studentrun “radio station” (no real broadcast signal is involved), carefully overseen by Mr. Berdos. Three years ago, when he wanted to spice up the general music curriculum for Grade 5, he had a few basic goals: improve students’ critical listening skills, incorporate technology, enhance the Lower School’s overall musical culture, and collaborate with fellow teachers. So, the idea of a “radio” broadcast was born—think NPR, Jr., a music-only version of NPR. Every September, he assigns fifth-grade students a musical composition from a variety of stylistic periods: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th- and 21st-Century. He teaches them music listening guidelines, so they are equipped to comment on specific characteristics of their pieces (general music skills). Students then head to the library, where Ann D’Innocenzo instructs them on how to use library databases and note-taking techniques to research the composers, compositions, and time periods in which they were written (library

Tom Berdos working with a student to develop a musical selection for WSHR. The process includes recording the student’s voice and splicing in mp3s of the composition.

skills). Language Arts teachers Carolyn Gibson and Dr. Joan Pearlman P ’89, ’92, ’96 teach students how to draw from their library notes and Mr. Berdos’s listening guidelines to complete a narrative template (writing skills). Technology teacher Jill Driscoll gives them a tutorial on soundtrap. com, which records them reading their narrative, and helps them to splice in mp3s of their assigned music (technology skills). Final recordings are made in class on students’ Chromebooks (Mr. Berdos helps them with pronunciations), and those who have finished then guide others through the process (peer-mentoring). By November, the pieces are complete. “The intention is to create a musical atmosphere that has a valued role alongside daily activities,” Mr. Berdos says. Beginning last November, 65 finished compositions were broadcast, at random shuffle via Mr. Berdos’s Android and a Bluetooth speaker, through the Corvino Commons. (Once up and running, wireless speakers—which were added during last summer’s modernization efforts—will broadcast the music throughout the entire building.) “WSHR was probably one of my favorite units of the year,” says John Paul Salvatore ’23. “I enjoyed learning about my composer and piece, Camille SaintSaëns’s The Swan.” Swing by the Short Hills Campus any weekday morning around 8:00 a.m. to hear Saint-Saëns, or the sounds of Handel, Sousa, Copland, and Chopin, and the talented Pingry radio hosts introducing them. WINTER 2015-2016

Stephanie Romankow Helps Students Find Dramatic Truth “I love rehearsals and brainstorming! When it’s working right, everyone involved in the show gets to experience ‘a-ha!’ moments that bring passion and excitement to the piece,” exclaims drama teacher Stephanie Romankow, director of Pingry’s annual Upper School Winter Musical. What she really loves is helping her actors and actresses find their natural talents, merge those assets with the characters, and become strong storytellers who convey believability and truthfulness. “We need to ask, ‘Which of the students’ assets might be found in the characters they are portraying?’ Then we add detailed layers in order to build stronger connections and more realistic, believable moments,” she says. “There is definitely a craft to acting—but the process starts with instincts and openness.” The process for selecting the musical begins toward the end of the school year, when Mrs. Romankow informally polls the drama students to find out who plans to audition for the following year’s musical, which gives her a sense of the group’s strengths. Beyond student interest, Mrs. Romankow and her production team peruse scripts, conduct online research, and brainstorm about possible

is all about building ensembles. We find moments that might not be in the script and produce incredibly collaborative scenes using groups of actors.”

Stephanie Romankow working with Jazmin Palmer ’16 and Brian Grimaldi ’16 during rehearsals for Cabaret.

shows. Finally, Mrs. Romankow consults with Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 and Drama Department Chair Al Romano before making her decision. Once the musical is chosen, Mrs. Romankow conducts auditions. “I know my actors from previous shows and classes, so I have an idea of what they are capable of doing in the upcoming show, but people change and grow— and that’s why you have auditions.” After a three-part audition process—acting, singing, and movement—the cast list is announced. As Mrs. Romankow points out, “The goal is to feature as many students as possible, so, in addition to casting students in specified roles, we also invent ensembles whenever possible. [Drama and dance teacher and Winter Musical choreographer] Trish Wheeler

This year, Pingry presented Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret, set in Berlin in the early 1930s during Hitler’s rise to power. Much of the action takes place in the seedy Kit Kat Club. Because of the sometimes delicate and difficult subject matter, Mrs. Romankow proactively provided the cast with historical background about the play: Props Designer and House Manager Shelley Hartz shared historical references about the climate in Germany at the time and its impact on Jews; the cast watched a film about teacher Jane Elliott’s “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” experiment in discrimination, in which she labeled participants as inferior or superior based on eye color; Holocaust survivor Ruth Millman re-visited Pingry to speak to the cast about her experiences during the war; and students portraying the Kit Kat Girls watched a documentary about dancer, singer, and civil rights activist Josephine Baker. “Even before rehearsals began, the cast became passionate about telling the story of Cabaret,” Mrs. Romankow relates. “Our conversations helped the actors answer two questions: ‘What is our overall message going to be?’ and ‘How are we going to send our message to the audience?’ Once those questions were answered, we were able to jump into rehearsals with a common understanding of how to tackle this demanding show.”

Winter Musical Production Team Stephanie Romankow, Director Dr. Andrew Moore, Musical Director Jay Winston, Vocal Director Patricia Wheeler, Choreographer Jane Asch P ’04, Set and Costume Designer Nicolaas Ballintyn P ’12, ’15, Master Carpenter Shelley Hartz, Props Designer and House Manager Al Romano, Lighting Designer Tony Asch P ’04, Sound Designer

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1861 Leadership Society Reception

Approximately 100 Pingry parents, alumni, friends, faculty, and staff gathered on the Short Hills Campus on October 27 for the 1861 Leadership Society Reception to recognize the generosity and dedication of so many members of our community. Named for Pingry’s founding year, the 1861 Society honors those who demonstrate their commitment to the School’s mission by making annual leadership gifts of $1,000 or more to The Pingry Fund. Such donors are called “leadership” donors because, with their gifts, they provide financial leadership to the institution. The annual reception recognizes them, as well as the efforts of Pingry Fund volunteers.

Above: Peter Wolfson and Marsha Wolfson (Parents ’15, ’18) with Rose Mary Werner and Karl Werner (Parents ’12, ’14, ’16). Below: Trustee Genesia Perlmutter Kamen ’79, P ’11, ’13, former trustee Harriet Perlmutter-Pilchik P ’76, ’79, ’80, GP ’11, ’13, Director of Alumni Relations and Senior Major Gifts Officer for Athletics David M. Fahey ’99, and Kenny Jahng P ’19, ’23.

Top Left: Christopher Ulz ’93, Hilary Sunyak Ulz ’96, Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02, and Benjamin Lehrhoff ’99. Top Right: Science teacher David Szelingowski and visual arts teachers Lindsay Baydin P ’26 and Russell Christian.

Guests at this year’s reception toured the newly-modernized Lower School and learned more about Pingry’s STEAM program from faculty members Lindsay Baydin P ’26, Russell Christian, and David Szelingowski. They spoke about a fifthgrade science/art STEAM project, which was built around the human body—a natural crossroads between the disciplines. “These types of STEAM projects synthesize information from disparate disciplines and thought processes,” says Ms. Baydin, who teaches art. “This…heightens kids’ motivation and excitement to learn. STEAM learning constructs concrete meaning in the physical world…as students use their hands and their senses in conjunction with their understanding of conceptual ideas…to create something with form and function.” Students responded favorably to the assignment. In a survey, 62.5 percent of students rated their learning seven or higher on a 10-point scale, recognizing that they had to use both STEM- and art-related skills, and 89.1 percent rated the assignment’s “fun factor” seven or higher. When students were asked for future suggestions, one answer resounded: “Do this more often!”

1861 Reception, we really tried to focus on how the new spaces at the Lower School have been exquisitely designed around our curricular goals,” he says. “The new spaces will help us expand on exciting projects like this in the future!” After the STEAM presentation, Assistant Headmaster and Lower School Director Ted Corvino P ’94, ’97, ’02 shared the Lower School students’ astonished, cheerful reactions to the campus updates on the first day of the academic year. Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11 offered his and the School’s most sincere thanks to all leadership donors and volunteers for their contributions to Pingry’s annual giving program.

Above: Chris Draper P ’26, Monica Foley P ’25, ’27, Apollo Wong P ’22, ’25, and Kenna Baudin P ’25, ’28. Below: Dan Shea P ’25, ’27, John Goyanes, Meridith Goyanes (Parents ’27); and Kristin Shea P ’25, ’27.

Mr. Szelingowski, who teaches fifthgrade science, believes that the modernization of the Lower School space has begun, and will continue, to facilitate this kind of dynamic work. “At the WINTER 2015-2016

Faculty and Staff News

The cover page of “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

An essay by Upper School French teacher Steve Benoit appears in the newlyrevised book, One Teacher in Ten in the New Millennium: LGBT Educators Speak Out About What’s Gotten Better...and What Hasn’t (Beacon Press). First published in 1994 and revised twice (2005 and 2015), the groundbreaking book includes personal stories and experiences of LGBT educators across America. For over 20 years, the text has inspired lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teachers and has educated countless others. When Mr. Benoit, who began teaching in 1992, learned that the book’s editor Kevin Jennings, the highlyregarded founder of the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), was seeking essay submissions, he decided to share his own story. Mr. Benoit’s chapter, “Many Strands, One Thread,” explores his journey from a teacher to an “out” teacher. For students who may be questioning their sexuality, Mr. Benoit says the importance of having an adult role model cannot be underestimated. –––––––––––––

arrangement of “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” a hymn commonly sung in many churches, is written as a theme and variations for six pianists to play on three pianos. According to First Baptist Church organist Janie Lee Bullock, the church wanted to commission a work that would feature the church’s original piano and two newlydonated Yamahas, so they asked Mr. Berdos (First Baptist Church has performed some of his Christmas music). “I was impressed by the magnitude of the assignment,” Mr. Berdos says. “The two pianists sitting at one bench can’t bump hands, so I took a microscopic look at the parts. By the time six people are playing, there is a large volume of sound, so I also needed to make easy parts sound interesting without overwriting any of the parts. I paced the piece and wrote the largest number of notes at the end.” This was Mr. Berdos’ second career commission. Now in his 17th year on the Pingry faculty, he has been composing and publishing music for over 25 years. –––––––––––––

A commissioned work for piano ensemble by Lower School music teacher Tom Berdos received its first performance on September 13 at First Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia. Mr. Berdos’s

Artwork by Russell Christian, Lower School visual arts teacher, was featured in last fall’s exhibit “Art in the Public Eye: What’s All the Fuss?” at the Pierro Gallery of South Orange. According to the

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“Air Quality” by Russell Christian. His artwork is a reaction to the news and images on television, but rarely a direct response to a particular story.

gallery’s website, “In this era of rapid social and political change, art often challenges viewers with today’s hot button topics, compelling us to see changing ideas from multiple perspectives. This exhibition examines the work of artists who investigate the controversial subjects that spark public discussions today.” Four of Mr. Christian’s small drawings were also included in the exhibit “The Big Small Show” at Drawing Rooms in Jersey City. ––––––––––––– Artwork by Jennifer Mack-Watkins, Upper School visual arts teacher, was displayed last fall at the Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn as part of The Rush 20th Anniversary Print Portfolio (since 1995, the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation has been improving the lives of underserved inner city youth through exposure to the arts and hands-on education, and providing professional support for artists—mostly artists of color—at the beginning of their careers). Guest curator and author Sarah E. Lewis, an Assistant Professor of History of Art and Architecture and African and African-American Studies at Harvard University, selected 20 new works of art on paper by 20 artists, one for each year from Rush’s exhibition history. Ms. Mack-Watkins represented

The Opening Reception at Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn on November 15 with seven of the 20 artists featured in The Rush 20th Anniversary Print Portfolio: Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Brandon Cooley Cox, Cecile Chong, Jennifer Mack-Watkins, Wayne Hodge, Aisha Tandiwe Bell, and Ojo Jide.

2015 with one of her recent prints that uses a mixture of techniques—the Japanese woodblock and silkscreen. This print portfolio was also featured at the Rush Arts Gallery booth at SCOPE Miami Beach in December. SCOPE is considered the premier showcase for international, emerging contemporary art and multidisciplinary creative programming. ––––––––––––– Aye Thuzar, Upper School computer science teacher, and Aung Nay, Director of Pingry’s Hi-Tech Camps, cowrote a paper about the programming language ScratchJr and spoke about the topic in a “Blocks and Beyond” workshop as part of the IEEE Symposium on Visual Languages and Human-Centric Computing in Atlanta in October. Their paper and presentation were titled “Teaching and Learning through Creating Games in ScratchJr: Who Needs Variables Anyway!” Inspired by the programming language Scratch, ScratchJr enables children in Preschool

ScratchJr is the subject of a paper and presentation by Aye Thuzar and Aung Nay.

through Grade 2 to program their own simple games and interactive stories using symbols (no reading skills required!). “With ScratchJr, children learn about programming before they can read,” Ms. Thuzar says. “Programming can help students learn computational thinking. For instance, children might still be learning about positive and negative numbers, and a game can reinforce and teach the concept.” Ms. Thuzar and Mr. Nay also wrote a blog about their paper for the Computer Science Teachers Association. The husband and wife team has been teaching computer science at summer camps since 2009. –––––––––––––

Director of Middle School Athletics Gerry Vanasse P ’14, ’20 has been honored by his high school: he became one of 10 inaugural inductees into the Canterbury School’s Athletics Hall of Fame on October 24. Canterbury established its Hall of Fame as part of the school’s 100th anniversary celebration, and the institution honored Mr. Vanasse’s accomplishments in Cross Country and Track & Field at Canterbury (Class of 1978), at The University of Connecticut, and as a professional distance runner. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s, he was one of the United States’s top distance runners—Team Adidas USA recruited him in 1982, he placed second in the 1984 Boston Marathon, and he trained with the likes of Bill Rodgers and Pete Pfitzinger, American distance running legends. “All the elements that went into my running success—effort, perseverance, sacrifice—have made me a better coach, teacher, father, husband, and citizen,” Mr. Vanasse says. “Without the running experiences I had, I wouldn’t be able to teach Pingry kids in a credible way about how you get from one level to the next. I want to give them a foundation, an understanding of positive attitude and commitment.” –––––––––––––

Director of Middle School Athletics Gerry Vanasse P ’14, ’20, center, with Lindsay Mulhern and Doug Famigletti of the Canterbury School Hall of Fame Committee.

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––––––––––––– Members of Pingry’s Advancement and Communications Offices spoke at the 2016 CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference in New York City in January. Director of Institutional Advancement Melanie Hoffmann P ’20, ’27 and Pingry Fund Director Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ’02 spoke on the topic “Campaigns and Annual Funds: They CAN Live Together!” Major Gifts Officer Breanne Matloff and Web and Social Media Strategist Cherilyn Reynolds led a session titled “Campaign Kick-Off: Ten Ideas that Lead to Success.”

Skyland Conference Commissioner Carl Weigner, Director of Athletics Carter Marsh Abbott, Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, Michael Webster P ’24, ’27, ’27, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Mandy Webster P ’24, ’27, ’27, and Director of Middle School Athletics Gerry Vanasse P ’14, ’20.

Michael Webster P ’24, ’27, ’27, Head Coach of Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse since 1989, received the NJSIAA Sports Award for Lacrosse on December 7. The NJSIAA recognized his service and contributions to interscholastic athletics. A skilled player in his own right who was a member of two Division I championship teams at Johns Hopkins University, Mr. Webster has earned many accolades during his Pingry coaching career,

including: Boys’ Lacrosse State Coach of the Year (three times by the NJILCA; twice by The Star-Ledger); State Coach of the Year (Courier News); the NJILOA’s Len Roland Sportsmanship Award (three times) and Service, Dedication, and Promotion Award; and induction into both the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Director of Institutional Advancement Melanie Hoffmann P ‘20, ‘27 and Pingry Fund Director Holland (Sunyak) Francisco ‘02.

Mike Coakley, Pingry’s new Development Specialist Writer, previously worked in a similar capacity as Communications Specialist at Johnson & Johnson. He received a B.A. from Susquehanna University and an M.F.A. from the University of Arizona, where he served as editor for the national literary journal Sonora Review (studentrun and published by the university, with contributors from around the country) and published in such venues as Duke University Press’s the minnesota review. CASE-NAIS—Council for the Advancement and Support of Education–National Association of Independent Schools NJILCA—New Jersey Interscholastic Lacrosse Coaches Association NJILOA—New Jersey Interscholastic Lacrosse Officials Association NJSIAA—New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association 38

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Major Gifts Officer Breanne Matloff and Web and Social Media Strategist Cherilyn Reynolds.

Athletics Results

BIG BLUE ROUNDUP: Fall 2015

Boys’ Cross Country: 3-2 NJSIAA Non-Public B Group Championship: 4th place Somerset County Championships: 6th place Shore Coaches Invitational: 5th place All-Skyland Conference/Valley Division: James Barker, Thomas Tarantino (1st team)

Girls’ Cross Country: 5-1 NJSIAA Non-Public B Group Championships: 3rd place and advanced to Meet of Champions Somerset County Championships: 4th place Shore Coaches Invitational: 2nd place Shore Coaches Invitational: Anna Wood won the Varsity “F” division in 20:32 Skyland Conference: 2nd place All-Skyland Conference/Valley Division: Anna Wood (1st team), Cathleen Parker, Lily Rockoff (2nd team), Ellen Li (Honorable Mention)

Field Hockey: 10-11 NJSIAA Non-Public A, North Jersey: Semifinalists Somerset County Tournament: Semifinalists NJFHCA: Mary Pagano (1st team), Amanda Celli (2nd team) All-Skyland Conference/Delaware Division: Mary Pagano (1st team), Amanda Cosentino, Amanda Celli (2nd team), Amanda Van Orden (Honorable Mention) Somerset County: Mary Pagano, Amanda Celli (1st team), Amanda Van Orden, Amanda Cosentino (2nd team), Josie Jahng (Honorable Mention) Star-Ledger Non-Public: Ranked 8th in Top 10

Star-Ledger All-Non-Public: Amanda Celli (2nd team), Josie Jahng (3rd team) Amanda Van Orden earned a spot on The Star-Ledger’s “Save Leaders” with 194 saves. Amanda Celli placed second in The Star Ledger’s fan poll for “Top Field Hockey Goal Scorer in the Skyland Conference.”

Football: 2-8 Mid-State 38 All-Valley Division: Jake Moss (1st team linebacker), Nick Matukaitis (1st team defensive lineman), Mike Carr (1st team defensive back), Joe Possumato (1st team punter), Kevin Chow (2nd team offensive lineman), Ryan Boylan (2nd team linebacker) Courier News All-Area: Jake Moss (3rd team)

Boys’ Soccer: 12-4-3 Somerset County Tournament: Co-Champions with Montgomery (2 overtimes) NJSIAA Non-Public A, South Jersey: Quarterfinalists Skyland Conference/Delaware Division: 1st place Courier News: Ranked 3rd in Top 10 All-Skyland Conference/Delaware Division: Jack De Laney, Phil Zachary, Thomas Zusi, Owen Gaynor (1st team), Yanni Angelides, Max Cummings, Alex Ramos, Charlie Zhu (2nd team), Brendan Kelly (Honorable Mention) Courier News All-Area: Jack De Laney (1st team), Phil Zachary (2nd team), Thomas Zusi, Alex Ramos, Obi Ikoro, Henry Kraham, Owen Gaynor (Honorable Mentions) Somerset County All-Star Teams: Jack De Laney, Phil Zachary (1st team), Thomas Zusi (1st team goalkeeper), Owen Gaynor (2nd team) All-State All-Non-Public: Jack Casey (2nd team), Jack De Laney, Phil Zachary (3rd team)

The 2015 Boys’ Soccer Team: Somerset County Co-Champions. WINTER 2015-2016

Girls’ Soccer: 10-11 NJSIAA Non-Public A, North Jersey: Semifinalists Skyland Conference: Ranked 7th Courier News: Ranked 9th in Top 10 All-Skyland Conference/All-Delaware Division: Maddie Temares, Natalia Ramirez (1st team), Julia Rotatori, Sarah Moseson (2nd team) Courier News All-Area: Maddie Temares (1st team), Natalia Ramirez (3rd team), Sarah Moseson, Julia Rotatori (Honorable Mentions) Natalia Ramirez was named MVP of the NJSIAA North Jersey Sectional Playoffs in a fan poll on NJ.com. She was one of nearly 50 contenders around the state.

Girls’ Tennis: 11-6 NJSIAA Non-Public A: Semifinalists NJISAA Prep A Tournament: 3rd place. Brooke Murphy and Wesley Streicher won 1st Doubles. Somerset County Tournament: 3rd place. Brooke Murphy and Wesley Streicher won 1st Doubles. Skyland Conference: Tied for 2nd place All-Skyland Conference: Brooke Murphy, Wesley Streicher (2nd team, 1st doubles), Lindsey Yu (2nd team, 3rd singles), Jessica Li (Honorable Mention, 2nd singles) All-State All-Non-Public: Brooke Murphy, Wesley Streicher (2nd team, 1st doubles) Brooke Murphy and Wesley Streicher advanced to the quarterfinal round of the state doubles tournament.

Sam Scherl ’17 after his victory at the U.S. Junior Open in December.

Squash Ace Sam Scherl ’17 Wins Big, at Home and Abroad

Wesley Streicher ’17 and Brooke Murphy ’18 were crowned First Doubles Champions in both the Somerset County Tournament (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) and NJISAA Prep A Tournament (6-1, 3-6, 7-6).

Water Polo: 15-11 Eastern Prep High School Water Polo Championship: 5th place in “B” division Eastern Prep High School Tournament All-Tournament Team: Victor Vollbrechthausen, Matt Stanton Garden State Tournament: 3rd place Best of the East, Flight IV: 6th place 40

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Two weeks after claiming a Pingry first by winning the 2015 Under-17 U.S. Junior Open Squash Championship, the largest individual junior squash tournament in the world, Sam Scherl ’17 took his talents across the pond to the second-largest individual junior squash tournament in the world: the British Junior Open. He was one of 39 in Team USA’s junior delegation to compete in the tournament, giving his division’s top-seed and eventual champion a tough run in four matches before losing in a close quarterfinal round. In only the second year that Pingry has sent a player to the prestigious tournament, Sam finished fifth overall. According to Boys’ Varsity Squash Head Coach Ramsay Vehslage, Sam was the highest-finishing American in his age group (under-17), and the second-highest finishing American overall. In December, Sam captured another squash win, taking home the Gold Racquet Invitational trophy. He is the 84th winner of the prestigious singles and doubles invitational, which began in 1928. Recently ranked #7 nationally in U.S. Squash’s BU-19 division (Sam turned 17 in January, but was “playing up” a division for most of the year), Sam defeated pro Richard Chin in the first round, Lee Rosen (the current singles champion at the University Club in New York, and a past Gold Racquet winner) in the quarters, Will Newnham (an assistant pro at the Racquet and Tennis Club of New York and previous University of Rochester squash standout) in the semifinals, and Jacques Swanepoel (Columbia University’s head squash coach) in the final. Tournament Director Mark Hinckley was confident that Sam is the youngest-ever winner of the Gold Racquet Invitational. “Considering that he earned three national titles [U-17 individual title, U17 mixed doubles with Lindsay Stanley, and the boys’ U-17 doubles with friend Sean Oen] last year, won the Gold Racquet Invitational, and now has these achievements, the combination of victories is really extraordinary, and unprecedented for a Pingry student,” Coach Vehslage says.

Football Team Wins at Friday Night Lights Big Blue football pulled out a big win on October 30, when, under a clear night sky and before fan-filled stands, it defeated South Hunterdon 10-0. From start to finish, Pingry’s 11th Annual Friday Night Lights was all about Big Blue football, and the Pingry community—students, parents, faculty, and local fans—supporting them. The win was the highlight of an entire evening of football celebration: thanks to the efforts of the PSPA, a bountiful tailgate kicked things off; a ceremony honoring the team’s seniors followed, with parents joining their sons on the field; and Pingry’s KPop dance club performed, as well as the Buttondowns and the Balladeers, who sang the National Anthem. “It was a great night!” says PSPA President Elliot Berndt P ’18, ’20. “A huge crowd, plenty of food, pleasant weather, and a football victory to top it off. I am amazed every year by the number of families that make their way up to the Basking Ridge Campus for the event— true team and community spirit. It makes me so proud to be a part of things.” As the game got underway, Big Blue showed its defensive mettle. Jake Moss ’17 and Jamie Zusi ’18 had nine and seven tackles, respectively, and the team recorded nine sacks, including four from Channing Russell ’18. Joe Possumato ’17 scored in the second quarter on a fumble recovery in the end zone, and Rich LeGrand ’17 led the running attack with 53 yards on 14 rushes. In the fourth quarter, Joe Possumato tacked on a 22-yard field goal for the final margin of victory. “The crowd was great—very supportive—and they helped to create an excellent atmosphere,” says Head Coach Chris Shilts P ’17, ’19, ’21. “And the kids played hard. We were excellent on defense and on special teams, and that turned it over to the offense, which did what it had to do.” School camaraderie and spirit were palpable, which senior Michael Carr ’16 fondly acknowledged: “My favorite thing about Friday Night Lights is how the School really comes together and supports a group of guys who are like family to me.”

Olympic Hopeful Ashley Higginson Inspires Middle School Runners

In 2012, 26-year-old New Jersey native and Princeton graduate Ashley Higginson narrowly missed making the women’s Olympic Track & Field Team in the 3,000 meter steeplechase—the top three runners represented the United States, and Ashley placed fourth, but she determined not to let her Olympic dreams slip away. Invited by Director of Middle School Athletics Gerry Vanasse P ’14, ’20, an accomplished runner in his own right, Ms. Higginson appeared before Pingry’s Middle School cross country team to speak honestly about the lessons she has learned—through competitive running—in courage, determination, and sacrifice. “You need to have the courage to fall apart in front of a lot of people, get over it, jump back in, define your goal, and go after it,” she said. “My goal is to be an Olympian. That’s not an easy thing to say. I now have 25 more people in front of me today that I have to own up to by saying it. But I’m going to work really hard to achieve it.” The Olympic Trials in the steeplechase are set for early July 2016. Ashley will be at the starting line, and Pingry will be cheering her on from afar! NJFHCA—North Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association NJISAA—New Jersey Independent School Athletic Association NJSIAA—New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association

The Pingry community’s spirit was palpable during Friday Night Lights. WINTER 2015-2016

College Athlete Accolades

Men’s Soccer Mael Corboz ’12 (recent graduate of the University of Maryland) has signed a fouryear contract with the New York Red Bulls (see article, right) and was named to the All-Big Ten Conference First Team for the second consecutive year. He played in all 17 of the Terps’ matches, racking up a team-high nine assists and adding a pair of goals. The senior captain was also one of 60 NCAA men’s and women’s soccer student-athletes named candidates for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award, which encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition. Mael started a non-profit, Healthy HeartBeets, to educate children from lower-income areas about healthy eating, he had a 3.4 GPA as an engineering major, and he has earned numerous soccer accolades.

Mael Corboz ’12 Goes Pro This past holiday season, Mael Corboz ’12 had something special to celebrate: the University of Maryland senior engineering major and Terps soccer captain signed a fouryear contract with the New York Red Bulls. He is the second Major League Soccer (MLS) player in Big Blue history, following Andrew Lewis ’93 who played for the Chicago Fire and the New York/New Jersey MetroStars. One of four “homegrown” players to sign a contract with the Red Bulls this season, Mael developed his talents, in part, through the team’s highly-competitive youth academy. During his senior year at Pingry, after serving as captain for a successful season, he was invited to play with the Red Bulls’s Under-18 team. The summer after his freshman year at Rutgers (he transferred to Maryland, one of the best soccer programs in the country, at the end of his sophomore year), the Red Bulls wanted him on their Under-23 team. Adding even more credibility to his résumé, last summer he was one of 28 collegiate players across the country tapped to train with the prestigious Under-23 Men’s National Team. Between his collegiate accomplishments and steady rise through the Red Bulls’s player development system, Mael made an impression. “Because I was part of the Red Bull youth system, they had priority to sign me, and they exercised that option. If they hadn’t, I would have gone through the MLS draft process [in January 2016], not really knowing where I would end up. So, this definitely takes the pressure off me,” he says. Playing professional soccer has been Mael’s dream since the age of eight. “I’ve always split my time between academics and soccer, so I’m really excited to have the opportunity to finally do it, to focus 100 percent on soccer and see where I can go with it.” As if one were needed, Mael has another reason to celebrate: he graduated a full semester early, which he says was all part of the plan. Receiving his diploma in seven semesters rather than eight freed him up for the chance to play professionally (the MLS season began in January). While his excitement is palpable, he is also pragmatic: “It will be a learning experience. The reality is that I’m competing with guys who have been playing with the team for five, six, or even 10 years, so it’s tough to get playtime. It’s a pretty uncertain future, but I hope to play for a few years and see where it takes me.” Even with Mael’s achievements in soccer—at the highest collegiate level and, now, on a national stage—he still has fond memories of playing for Big Blue. “I wouldn’t change a thing about my soccer experience at Pingry. The coaching staff is some of the best in the country.”

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Women’s Soccer

Amanda Haik ’13 (Middlebury College), a twoyear starter and junior captain, was named to the AllNESCAC First Team and the NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team. She was part of a strong Panthers defense that allowed only 1.04 goals per match in 2015. Along with two teammates who were similarly honored, Amanda helped lead the team to a 7-5-5 standing, securing them a trip to the NESCAC semifinals. At Pingry, she was part of Big Blue’s standout soccer team, which secured the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” state championship in 2011 and 2012.

Carly Rotatori ’13 (Harvard University), co-captain last fall, is the third Pingry alumna to serve as a captain of the Harvard women’s soccer team in the past 10 years, following Nicole Rhodes ’05 and Katherine Sheeleigh ’07.

Men’s Swimming & Diving

Sebastian Lutz ’15 (Harvard University) and Alex Mango ’12 (Columbia University) swam in Harvard’s 220-79 win over Columbia on November 20. Seb was part of Harvard’s 200 freestyle relay that broke the Columbia pool record with a blistering time of 1:20.74; he also boasted the secondfastest split. Alex placed fourth in the 200 freestyle.

Credit: Delly Carr/Swimming World Magazine

Rachel Corboz ’14 (Georgetown University) was named the BIG EAST Conference Midfielder of the Year—the fifth soccer player in Georgetown history to receive the league’s Midfielder of the Year recognition. She was also named to the NSCAA All-American Third Team and the All-BIG EAST First Team. As of the announcement on November 3, Rachel led Georgetown in scoring with 28 points, 10 goals, and eight assists. She was third in the BIG EAST in points scored, tied for third in goals, and tied for second in assists. Twice selected to attend the prestigious U.S. Soccer U-18 Women’s National Team training camp and named a High School All-American, Rachel led Big Blue to consecutive NJSIAA Non-Public “A” state championships in 2011 and 2012.

Maggie Morash ’12 (Rutgers University), co-captain of the Scarlet Knights women’s soccer team for the second consecutive year, helped lead the team to a penalty-kick victory over the University of Virginia on November 27 in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. It was a big win for the squad (20-3-2), as No. 9 Rutgers defeated top-seeded Virginia, 7-6, after two overtimes and a multi-round shootout, with Maggie successfully converting her penalty kick. With the win, the team advanced to the Final Four. Among many other honors, Maggie was named Rutgers’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner and made the Capital One CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team for the second consecutive season.

Nic Fink ’11 Profiled in Swimming World Magazine In 2015, only two Americans ranked among the top 10 in the world for the 100-meter breaststroke, and Nic Fink ’11 was one of them. In the January issue of Swimming World, “fast and furious Fink,” who is now a professional swimmer and will be competing alongside Sebastian Lutz ’15 at the Olympic Trials in Omaha this summer, is profiled as one of America’s—indeed, the world’s—top 100-meter breaststrokers. In the article, “Here Come the Americans!” he is reported as one to watch at the Trials, set for June 26-July 3. Nic was also profiled in USA Swimming’s “20 Question Tuesday” in December.

Scholar-Athlete Accolades 2015 NESCAC Fall All-Academic Team Kate Leib ’12 (Women’s Cross Country |Middlebury College) Nicole Arata ’13 (Field Hockey |Tufts University) Brigid Bruno ’13 (Field Hockey|Williams College) Amanda Haik ’13 (Women’s Soccer|Middlebury College)

CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams Maggie Morash ’12 - District 2 (Women’s Soccer|Rutgers University) Cameron Kirdzik ’13 - District 1 (Men’s Soccer |Yale University) CLASS—Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School CoSIDA—College Sports Information Directors of America NESCAC—New England Small College Athletic Conference NSCAA—National Soccer Coaches Association of America WINTER 2015-2016

Michael Chernoff ’99 on His Rise to Become General Manager of the Cleveland Indians Seventeen years ago, Michael Chernoff ’99 was a studious Pingry senior and Princeton baseball commit with a remarkable affinity for math and physics, looking ahead to spring, when he would co-captain Big Blue in his final high school baseball season before joining the Tigers. Now, at 34, he has achieved every Little Leaguer’s dream: going to work at a major league baseball stadium every day. Last fall, the Cleveland Indians promoted Mr. Chernoff from Assistant General Manager—a position he had held for five years—to General Manager, the pinnacle of any front office baseball career, much less one so relatively young. Pingry’s upper-level math teacher and baseball coach, Manny Tramontana P ’85, ’87 recalls Mr. Chernoff’s sure hands and budding talent, in both academic and athletic realms. “I started him as a freshman in every varsity game— I saw his talent and wanted to speed his development as much as possible. He really became one of Pingry’s alltime great shortstops. If the ball fell into his glove at the end of the game, the game was over,” he says. Trading their native New Jersey for the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, Mr. Chernoff, his wife Sarah (Keil) Chernoff ’99, and their two young sons have made Cleveland their home for the past 12 years. Here, he indulges curious Pingrians, sharing how he landed in the front office of the majors, the influence of his mother’s career as a schoolteacher, and why Chuck Coe’s and Mr. Tramontana’s upperlevel physics and math classes played a central role in his rise. You began as an intern in the Baseball Operations Department with the Indians in June 2003, right out of Princeton, and are now entering your 13th season with the Tribe. That’s a fast rise to GM. Is this trajectory typical? Many more young people are in GM and Assistant GM roles today than there used to be. Teams tended to hire mostly either former Major League players or executives who had coached or scouted in 44

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the game for many years. Over the last decade or so, as the finances of the game have grown and as teams have taken a more analytical and strategic approach to their operations, the door has really been opened to a new generation of people who are passionate and knowledgeable about baseball, but don’t necessarily have those same traditional playing or coaching prerequisites. Adding to that, I was lucky that there was a clear path in our organization when I started. I was reporting to the Assistant GM right from the beginning, which is somewhat of a unique opportunity. Did you have your eyes set on the GM role from the beginning, or is it something that happened unexpectedly? As I got to college and realized that my baseball skills were topping out and I wouldn’t play professionally, I was intrigued by the idea of working in the front office. I didn’t understand what a GM job entailed, but, certainly, as a wide-eyed intern looking ahead, it was a dream job. Are there any teachers, coaches, or memories that stand out in your mind as having a particular impact on your career? A million memories, yes. I remember missing the late bus home on the first

Michael Chernoff ’99 and Chris Antonetti, President of Baseball Operations for the Cleveland Indians.

day of soccer practice. Trem [Manny Tramontana, then-head baseball and JV soccer coach] yelled at me. A week or two later, when he learned that I played baseball, he shifted his stance! Taking AP Calculus and Math 6 my senior year with Trem and learning basic programming language, Mr. Bourne and Mr. Coe doing crazy experiments in my junior and senior year physics classes—these courses laid the groundwork for me to pursue math and economics in college and ultimately break into the analytics of baseball. They really got me thinking about ways to use logic and objective analysis to view the world. Learning to read and write well were two of the most significant things I learned at Pingry. Dr. Dineen had us writing two pages every day in her Honors English class my sophomore year. I had this self-identity of not being a reader or writer, but that completely changed after her class. I’ve had many of these life-changing experiences with teachers and coaches at Pingry. Trem, Coach Bugliari, and Rohdie [Adam Rohdie, then Dean of Students], to name three of my coaches at Pingry, these guys had a tremendous impact on my sports career, in helping me to understand leadership, teamwork, collaboration,

hard work—all attributes necessary to succeed. I wasn’t necessarily aware of all these life skills I was learning at the time, but, now that I’m here, as GM, I have a much better appreciation of those lessons, those experiences.

to get players to reach their full potential and graduate to the majors. Because of my mother’s work [teaching at the Far Brook School in Short Hills], I had a basis for understanding this focus. What do you want to see when you hire people? A base level of academic or baseball achievement is certainly important. Because the demand for front office jobs is so high, we primarily hire interns, and, like me, they work their way up. But interns can separate themselves with non-cognitive skills—grit, perseverance, self-control—the same skills learned on the soccer field from Coach Bugliari or in class from Trem or Mr. Coe. These character skills are the separators.

You come from an Honor Code school and were a member of Pingry’s Honor Board. Has that experience informed or influenced any part of your baseball career? Yes, issues of character have always been part of my life. As I have grown into a leadership role with the Indians, I have grown to appreciate the importance of strong values and character even more. The foundation I learned from my family, my upbringing, and the explicit lessons at Pingry, particularly as an Honor Board member, helped shape the way I lead today. Thankfully, the Indians are an organization that believes strongly in character, so I feel like I came into an environment here that is very much like Pingry, where people expect you to act ethically. Value is placed not just on baseball skills, but also on who you are as a person. A Princeton economics major and baseball team captain entering a major league front office right when analytics and sabermetrics were trending ... that must have been exciting, yes? Yeah, I got in right at the start of it. Among my first duties as an intern with the Indians was to run analytics. Moneyball [the 2003 Michael Lewis national bestseller-turned-motion picture about utilizing player analytics to recruit under-recognized talent] came out as I was finishing my internship. We [the Indians] were an early adopter of sabermetrics [an evidence-based approach to assembling a competitive baseball team] and one of the first clubs to build an internal sabermetrics team. We already had a database and information system in place, which was rare 12 years ago. But we were also doing some algorithms and using various performance indicators. When I arrived in 2003, my role was to help integrate everything—information from scouts, the player development team, and statistical projections—take it all and build

Michael Chernoff ’99 during his Pingry baseball days.

“I was lucky that there was a clear path in our organization when I started.”

Michael Chernoff ’99

an analytics framework for making recruiting decisions. The purpose of analytics is to remove bias from decision-making, to identify where the untapped talent lies. You have said that the two biggest assets you bring to baseball are your mom’s background as a schoolteacher and your own experience in the sport. How has your mother’s work informed your efforts within the organization in terms of educating players to reach their potential? Analytics is about the acquisition of players, but now we’re focusing more on the development of current players to help them reach their potential. It’s really the same goal as educators. There’s a whole player development system within the minor leagues, not unlike an educational system, in which you want

How did you end up with the Indians? A lot of luck. After graduation, I applied for many consulting and finance jobs. I also applied to a few baseball teams to which I had a minor connection. Mark Shapiro [past president of the Indians who recently left to assume the same post with the Toronto Blue Jays] went to Princeton, so I had an “in” with the Indians. I thought I’d take a three-month risk with an internship and then figure out my life afterward, but 12 years later I’m still here. What is it like to walk into work through Progressive Field every day? I have to pinch myself sometimes. I walk right past the field every day and, even in the middle of the winter, it’s pretty cool just being here. I have a deep passion for the game, and, beyond that, there’s just an incredible culture in my office. The people above me—Chris Antonetti [President of Baseball Operations] and Mark Shapiro, now gone—built a culture of collaboration; they emphasized growth and progress. Ours is a very flat hierarchy, where we all feel able to contribute. We don’t have the office politics. It’s just fun, like you’re working with your best friends. My older son (Brody) is obsessed with baseball. No matter the temperature, he can play catch with me for an hour outside. He and his brother (Owen) come into the clubhouse chatting with Tito [Terrence Francona, Indians’ Manager]—it’s every little kid’s dream and they have no idea! WINTER 2015-2016

Lyric Wallwork Winik ’84 Headlines Career Day In 1984, Pingry graduate Lyric Wallwork walked off the Hauser Auditorium stage with her diploma. On January 29, 2016, award-winning writer and editor Lyric Wallwork Winik ’84 returned to the stage as Pingry’s Career Day Keynote Speaker to give advice, and perhaps some comfort, to juniors and seniors. Since high school, Ms. Winik has become what one New York Times writer has called the “go-to scribe for political memoirs.” Her collaborative books have all debuted in the top 10 of The New York Times “Best Sellers” list, including two at number one. Before her work on books, she wrote for Parade and The Daily Beast. Her reputation and hard work have led her to interview such influential figures as Bill Gates, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, and Bono. In short, Ms. Winik is a successful writer. But as she stressed in her keynote, the path from Pingry to present was winding, unpredictable, and paved with moments of serendipity. To begin her remarks, Ms. Winik painted a portrait of her Pingry self: studious but not a whiz, well-liked but not popular, outdoorsy but not athletic, and “I think the term of art now is ‘socially awkward.’” She encouraged students not to worry if they are not esteemed scholars or paragons of popularity. “Don’t panic if you’re not at the top of anything right now,” she said. “Life has a lot of surprises in store.” One of the best things to happen to Ms. Winik at Pingry was her experience writing for The Pingry Record. “I was fortunate because I got to cover some big stories, like Henry Stifel’s return to School [after his automobile accident], Pingry’s move from Hillside, and the design and building of the current campus. I also worked with upperclassmen—a sophomore working with seniors was a big deal—so I found my footing and a niche. The Record made me love writing.” She also singles out Barbara Berlin’s interdisciplinary art history class as her most valuable Pingry course, describing it as a “history of the world through 46

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can they do to help themselves? “Everyone in this room needs to become a writer,” she advised during her address. “Acronyms and emoticons will only get you so far. You can have the most amazing ideas, but, if you cannot verbally articulate them, you will not be heard.” She stressed that this need applies to everyone—engineers, architects, and hedge fund managers alike. “The ability to communicate will never be obsolete.” After her address, Ms. Winik kicked off a question-and-answer session, during which she spoke about the value of exploring new interests in college, the danger of skewing events in journalism, the media’s portrayal of celebrities, and the difference between seeking opinions and seeking ideas in interviews (opinions are about taste and preference, whereas ideas elevate an interview to the realm of solutions). visual arts” that was comparable to any of her college courses. “Mrs. Berlin covered such a wealth of information. We weren’t just analyzing art and memorizing dates. She told the stories behind these works of art—the artists who created them and the patrons who asked for them—and discussed their places in history, and the political, social, and economic climate. Because of Mrs. Berlin, we saw why these works of art mattered.” To become a successful interviewer, Ms. Winik needed to somehow overcome her shyness. Fortunately, it turned out that she was more comfortable asking questions than speaking. “In the beginning of my career, it was like jumping into the ocean or a frigid pool—I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone. Interviewing made me conscious of preparation and putting a lot of effort into good questions, especially questions that haven’t been asked. Some interviewees are shy or reticent themselves, so my being less of an extrovert helped to give them space to think and speak. It actually kept me from over-talking!” Like Ms. Winik, students’ post-Pingry lives will be unpredictable, but what

On the topic of journalistic integrity, some of Ms. Winik’s tussles with editors were resolved when other editors agreed with her perspective. “One thing that has changed a lot,” she says, “is that media outlets report not just on the news, but on each other. Writers need to have a good story that will score a headline, a link, a Tweet, or reTweet elsewhere, which creates a lot of pressure to create attention-grabbing content.” Reflecting on Pingry’s Honor Code, Ms. Winik values the “ethical answer over the successful answer. They are not always the same thing. Your reputation is a calling card, and I am proud that nobody has ever said I mis-quoted them. I am so happy to have had values as part of my education at Pingry and in college.” Editor’s Note: Lyric Wallwork Winik’s newest book, We Are Afghan Women: Voices of Hope, published by Scribner, is due out on March 8. Following an introduction by Laura Bush, Ms. Winik presents first-person portraits of 28 women and one man. Her current project is a memoir with a Saudi woman who was arrested and jailed for driving.

Five Career Takeaways from Lyric Wallwork Winik ’84 Do not follow your passion. Instead, cultivate your passion, then bring it to your work. A person’s passion can change. Looking to an external source can lead to failure and frustration, but looking internally can motivate you. “Work can sometimes be a slog,” Ms. Winik said. “But if you have a reserve of passion, you can—pardon the pun—work through it.” Students should cultivate passion and commitment within themselves and bring that with them to their work.

Never stop growing. Ms. Winik recounted an early interview with Bill Gates: “He was, by far, the most confident person I had ever met, absolutely sure of his own infallibility.” After Mr. Gates was the subject of a grueling Justice Department investigation and had become a father, Ms. Winik interviewed him again in late 2001. Humbled and more thoughtful, he had shifted his focus from himself to philanthropy, education, and healthcare, underscoring that even the most successful people benefit from growth.

Listen to the people around you, without an agenda or preconceived notions. When Ms. Winik was collaborating with Laura Bush on Spoken from the Heart (an opportunity that resulted from

Ms. Winik’s annual profiles of Mrs. Bush while she was First Lady), the book’s editor had suggested an opening anecdote. But only when Ms. Winik listened to Mrs. Bush’s story—of growing up in rural Texas and how, at age two, she had visited the local medical clinic for a glimpse of her premature baby brother who would die soon after—and abandoned any preconceived notions, did she find the book’s true opening.

Give 150 percent. “Whatever the project is,” Ms. Winik suggested, “always do more.” By reaching beyond the confines of his or her specific role, a person grows in experience and reputation.

All work is valuable. Everyone matters. To illustrate this point, Ms. Winik told the story of how, in March 2014, immediately after a snowstorm, she returned late in the day from a long, exhausting car trip with her young sons to find that her dedicated garbage collectors Daniel and Oscar had paused their trash collections to clear seven inches of snow off her sidewalk and driveway. “Some days, the people who matter most are the guys who show up to get your trash,” she said. “They all have lives, and they all have stories, and they all have names. If you go to work each day remembering that everyone matters, all the rest is really as simple as that.”

Pingry thanks the alumni/ae who returned for Career Day Jack Brescher ’65

Lyric Wallwork Winik ’84

Law

Media/Communications

Non-Profit/Public Service

John Plum ’67

Dr. Ida Miguelino ’86

Arjuna Sunderam ’96

Finance

Medicine

Real Estate

Dr. Don Burt ’69

Dr. Theresa Sohn-Shum ’86

Brian McTernan ’01

Technology

Medicine

Mayuri Amuluru Chandra ’97

Non-Profit/Public Service

Management Consulting

Dr. David Wilder ’70

Denise (Dragoni) Coates ’89

Catherine Pack ’01

Engineering/Architecture

Finance

Stacey Cozewith ’97

Rick Sirois ’72

Michelle Lerner ’89

Joe Essenfeld ’97

Dr. Sara Rankin ’01

Performing Arts

Non-Profit/Public Service

Dr. John Boozan ’75

Laura Tseng ’89

Medicine

Michael G. Balog ’77

Diane Dubovy Benke ’90

Finance

Management Consulting

Dr. Elizabeth H. Simmons ’81

Scott Loikits ’90

Science

Engineering/Architecture

Dr. Michael Nitabach ’84

G. Peter Neumann ’92

Science

Engineering/Architecture

Joanne Steinhardt ’84

Jay Murnick ’93

Visual Arts

Real Estate

Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94

Law

Entrepreneurship

David Soffer ’97 Law

Christina Barba ’98

Brian Neaman ’00 Marketing/Advertising

Gary Liu ’01 Technology

Non-Profit/Public Service Medicine

Michael Schwalb ’01 Technology

Law

Angela Kim ’02

Brad Bohler ’99

Entrepreneurship

Engineering/Architecture

Caroline Diemar ’99 Psychology

Matthew Margolis ’99

John Rhodes ’02 Marketing/Advertising

Gabby Rosenthal ’02

Finance

Media/Communications

Andrew Houston ’00

David Cronheim ’03

Real Estate

Law

Dr. Laura (Fuhrman) Phillips ’03 Psychology

Paul du Pont ’03 Entrepreneurship

Isa Bacardi ’04 Medicine

Alex Holland ’04

Media/Communications

Tanya Nahvi ’04

Management Consulting

Adam Pantel ’06 Technology

Jordan Shelby ’08

Marketing/Advertising

Melinda Zoephel ’08 Visual Arts

Talia Hughes ’09 Visual Arts

Brandon Moy ’10 Finance

WINTER 2015-2016

Patrick Birotte ’87 Gives Children in Newark a Safe Halloween

For one day every October, thanks to a Pingry alumnus giving back to his community, downtown Newark is reminiscent of New York City during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Thousands of people line the Newark sidewalks for the Keep the Children Safe (KTCS) Trick-or-Treat Memorial Fall Festival, which gives inner city children in Newark’s Ironbound district a safe haven to celebrate Halloween through both a parade and pre-parade party. St. Justine Preschool I & II Director Patrick Birotte ’87, P ’20 founded KTCS in 1998 to honor his late father Dr. Andre Birotte, and the event has also honored his late mother Grace Birotte since 2011. Dr. Birotte was an orthopedic surgeon in the Ironbound community and for Newark’s Board of Education, and the couple founded the Saint Justine’s Day Care Center. How does one man delight scores of children in Newark every year? This Pingry coach has built a team, of course! Mr. Birotte covers most of the costs each year, his wife Jody Birotte P 48

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Pingry students on the School’s float, with Patrick Birotte ’87, P ’20 standing in front on the far right. To his left are his cousin Valerie Sinday ’88 and Mario Teixeira ’79, manager of Buyus Funeral Home in the Ironbound district, where Mr. Birotte’s parents’ funeral services took place.

’20 is Event Coordinator, and many of the staff at St. Justine Preschool assist with preparation for KTCS, including securing local sponsors. “My father was an immigrant and settled in the Ironbound district,” Mr. Birotte says. “He worked for the Newark Board of Education and believed that everyone should work together as a community. The Ironbound is a tightly-knit community with a belief in family and morals. Instead of being upset, mad, and miserable when my father died, I had to figure out a need. A lot of kids weren’t doing anything for Halloween and were being disruptive. Parents were afraid to take their children out for the night. So, we started this parade for the kids in the community.” As Director of Community Service Shelley Hartz puts it, “Many children in Newark don’t have the opportunity to trick-or-treat at night, so [Mr. Birotte]

gives them the opportunity to participate in Halloween.” What factors contribute to the festival’s safety? A controlled environment with candy donated from a single source—Pingry students—and anywhere from 50 to 75 Newark policemen patrolling the streets. The festivities even include an art scholarship for the most creative costume, for which Newark city officials and St. Justine Preschool employees have served as judges over the years, and local artists have offered the prize of private lessons at the winning contestants’ schools and at Newark’s Boys & Girls Clubs. The parade begins at the intersection of Market and Ferry Streets, adjacent to Peter Francisco Park, travels for over one mile down Ferry Street, turns right onto St. Charles Street, ending at the Ironbound B Stadium. Since its 1998 inception, the event has grown in size and scope. Today, the parade includes

20 trucks and floats with decorations and entertainment, candy is distributed in “trick-or-treat” bags, and everything is free. “Not one vendor can charge a kid for anything—hot dogs, sandwiches, cookies, soda, juice. That is rare,” Mr. Birotte says. Several high schools decorate the parade’s floats; Pingry, of course, is one of those schools, assisting with float design when students volunteer on Rufus Gunther Day/Community Service Day. Students also set up hay and decorations in Peter Francisco Park for the pre-parade party, which includes activities and entertainers. Along with float decoration and party set-up, Pingry students provide a whopping 2,500 pounds of candy for the parade! All of the candy is collected by Middle School students in their advisory groups during a Halloween candy drive, a community service initiative that has been overseen by math teacher Tom Boyer P ’96, ’98 and history teacher Mike Webster P ’24, ’27, ’27 for nearly 15 years. Both Mr. Boyer and Mr. Webster, lacrosse and football coaches with Mr. Birotte at Pingry, have attended KTCS for years. “The annual candy drive for Keep the Children Safe complements Pingry’s annual commitment to community service on Rufus Gunther Day. Before we take our 270 Middle School students Patrick Birotte ’87, P ’20 being interviewed by Rick Holmes of News 12 New Jersey in October 2014.

“Instead of being upset, mad, and miserable when my father died, I had to figure out a need.”

Patrick Birotte ’87, P ’20

Pingry’s Middle School students donated 2,500 pounds of candy.

to the Community Food Bank in Hillside for a morning of sorting and packing food, we hold a friendly weigh-in competition in the Middle School Commons to see how much candy each advisory has contributed. The Pingry Middle School is aware of the wonderful work the Birotte family does for Newark, and we are proud to support this important cause,” Mr. Boyer says.

Mr. Birotte has also enjoyed a long association with another Pingry teacher, Evelyn Kastl. “I wouldn’t be where I am if not for her,” he declares. “I’ve known her for almost 40 years, since I was in second grade. I struggled as a student, but she listened to me, motivated me, and was very influential in my Lower School life. Everyone needs to be heard, listened to, and guided, and I’ve realized that teaching is an everyday part of life, whether you’re a teacher or not.” Mrs. Kastl recalls Mr. Birotte’s hard work: “I spent many Saturday mornings at the large table in Patrick’s dining room, going over reading and writing lessons. His mother always had the strongest cup of coffee ready for me. I remember it so clearly.” Because of the dedication shown to him as a young person, Mr. Birotte is now dedicating himself to help the next generation. As he continues to guide children and make an impact on their lives, Mr. Birotte acknowledges that KTCS provokes two contrasting feelings—those of fear and excitement. “My biggest fear is that the event will stop. I want to make sure it continues, just like the Macy’s parade will happen no matter who’s in office or who’s alive.” The most exciting part of KTCS for him is to see smiles on children’s faces. “I’m a kid, and I’ve always been a kid. That’s why I work in a preschool. I had a great childhood, so I want these kids to have part of what I had.” Pingry students with a float they decorated.

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Shelby Luke Rideout ’92 Encourages Early Readers approaches helped to reinforce the children’s learning. She also created flashcards to help the kids practice after watching the videos. “Friends began asking me for my home videos and flashcards; that’s when I realized this could really turn into something.”

For over 20 years, Shelby Luke Rideout ’92 supplemented her acting and modeling career in New York City with a longtime passion, tutoring. Little did she know at the time that her skills and experience in all three—many of which had roots at Pingry—would converge in perfect harmony. Her affinity for acting began in drama teacher Al Romano’s classroom. A touching letter of recommendation from thenHeadmaster John Hanly, citing her special gift for working with children, helped to encourage her tutoring interests. And her senior-year ISP (referred to at that time as an Independent Study Project) at the Summit Speech School—a school for deaf children—cemented her passion for nurturing early learners, and, specifically, effective communication. So, last summer, drawing on talents that were first nurtured at Pingry, she combined her loves of acting, directing, and teaching children to develop the award-winning Bright Signs Learning, a multi-sensory, multi-media educational program for early childhood speech and reading. A Vanderbilt graduate, with degrees in both Elementary Education and Special Education, with a focus on deaf education (she also holds a degree in Sign Language Interpreting), for many years Mrs. Rideout had a healthy tutoring clientele, from elementary-aged kids to the elderly. (She even made room in her schedule to tutor Bono’s son when the rock icon was in New York City working on the rock musical, Spider-Man.) But when she began getting word-of-mouth calls from concerned 50

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Shelby Luke Rideout ’92 and her puppet friend Paulie signing “cat.”

parents of children under the age of four, children who already lacked confidence in their ability to learn, she was startled. “How can I reach these early learners effectively?” she thought. Bright Signs Learning, a series of educational videos aimed at children six months to four years, which integrates sight reading, sign language, and phonics—with plenty of creative splashes—was her answer. “Tutoring has always been about theatrics and fun for me,” Mrs. Rideout says. “My goal isn’t to get kids to read at age two so they can get into Harvard. My goal is to build their confidence. I’m not a scientist deconstructing how kids learn; I’m just making them feel good— feel smart—because confidence is everything.” She had an eager and readily-available focus group in her own children, all ages five or younger: Tensae, Jack, Luke, and Cameron. She began experimenting with short video skits that would explain single words phonetically, like apple. “See Shelby peeling an apple,” she would record. Then she layered in the sign language for apple (the visual and kinetic stimulation from signing aids in early reading), and spelled out the word using the apple peelings. A quick art project using the word would follow, like imprinting an apple “stamp” on a paint-smeared piece of paper. Teaching words in a variety of contexts and through a variety of sensory

With Mr. Romano and Mr. Hanly’s initial mentoring and encouragement, Bright Signs Learning, which won the 2015 Mom’s Best Award for Holiday Treasures as well as Tillywig Toy’s Brain Child Award, was, she says, a natural outgrowth of her varied interests in tutoring, acting, and directing. Each DVD in the four-video set presents 36 words, grouped in batches of 12 for easier learning. Mrs. Rideout first speaks the words phonetically and writes them out creatively, in finger paint or cotton balls, for example. Then, she signs the word. Her puppet sidekick Paulie finishes with an “Art Corner” sequence that visually illustrates the word and its meaning. An activity guide and flash card sets accompany the program, helping parents to get involved as well. “Many early reading programs are either just about sight reading or just about sign language, with no phonics built in,” she points out. “My program combines the two and adds the ‘fun factor’ of being delivered in a video format with music and animation, where Paulie features prominently. The program stimulates and engages auditory, visual, and kinetic [by signing] ways of learning, activating both sides of the brain. This sensory-filled approach allows children to retrieve information and make connections more easily.” How successful is Bright Signs Learning? Each of Mrs. Rideout’s children learned to read by the ripe age of two. She is quick to dismiss assurances of similar results, however (every child learns differently and at varying rates), but argues that, simply by watching the program, kids will become interested in the process of reading and writing, and, most of all, learning. And that, as an excited, red-haired Paulie would concur, is the best lesson of all. Bright Signs Learning can be ordered online (brightsignslearning.com) and via Amazon Prime. Check out their YouTube page for additional videos.

Seven Up, at Harvard

Pingry’s Seven Harvard Professors H. Franklin Bunn, M.D. ’53

Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Hematologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the second-largest teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School

Howard M. Georgi ’64

Mallinckrodt Professor of Physics Harvard College Professor Master of Leverett House Director of Undergraduate Studies in Physics

Benedict H. Gross ’67

George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University Harvard College Professor Former Dean of Harvard College

Dr. Charles Homer ’72 Christopher Walsh ’75, Benedict Gross ’67, N. Gregory Mankiw ’76, Howard Georgi ’64, and Gordon Bloom ’78 (not pictured: H. Franklin Bunn, M.D. ’53 and Dr. Charles Homer ’72).

It is a small world! The Pingry Review recently learned about the remarkable achievement that at least seven—yes, seven—Pingry alumni were professors at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, or Harvard College up until December. While even the alumni themselves are pleasantly surprised, given that the extent of Pingry connections within Harvard’s faculty was, to varying degrees, unknown, it came as little surprise that Pingry’s strong academics inspire many alumni to pursue a similar intellectual environment. “Pingry has always been a premier secondary school, so it is not surprising that it has provided educational enrichment that can motivate its students to attend and, in many cases, teach at leading universities, including Harvard,” says Prof. Bunn. Along the same lines, Prof. Mankiw emphasizes Pingry’s commitment to hard work, rigorous thinking, and a love for learning. Their courses have encompassed numerous fields, such as brain development and molecular biology of diseases (Prof. Walsh), particle physics and quantum field theory (Prof. Georgi), economics (Prof. Mankiw), biochemistry and hematology (Prof. Bunn), calculus and algebra (Prof. Gross), and Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Lab (Prof. Bloom). In the SE Lab, Prof. Bloom’s students are designing and developing solutions to big problems they see in the world. Prof.

Georgi’s “Physics 16,” a mechanics course for freshmen with AP level preparation in physics and math, is the subject of a fullscale Broadway-style musical, Les Phys! While a few of these alumni attended Harvard for their undergraduate and/or graduate degrees, other paths to the institution were more fortuitous. For example, Prof. Walsh moved to Boston for medical training (internship and residency) at Massachusetts General Hospital, affiliated with Harvard. During his medical residency at New York Hospital, Prof. Bunn “decided to go into hematology and was fortunate to be offered a fellowship at the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory and the Harvard Medical Unit at Boston City Hospital. After two years in the army, doing research on red blood cell function and transfusion therapy, I spent a year at Albert Einstein College of Medicine doing research on hemoglobin. In 1969, I returned to Harvard Medical School and have remained there ever since. In 1971, I became chief of hematology at [Harvard affiliate] Brigham and Women’s Hospital.” Prof. Georgi knew his career choice at an early age and found the right place. “I wanted to be a theoretical scientist in physics, chemistry, or math since about Grade 2. I was pretty annoying to my physics and chemistry teachers at Pingry because I knew at least as much as they did when I arrived, but they were great because they turned me loose and let me study at my own pace.”

Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Christopher A. Walsh ’75, M.D., Ph.D. Bullard Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at Harvard Medical School Chief of the Division of Genetics and Genomics at Boston Children’s Hospital Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute

N. Gregory Mankiw ’76

Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics

Gordon M. Bloom ’78

Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Harvard Innovation Lab (i-lab) Faculty Director, SE Lab Lecturer on Health Policy & Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

What advice do these professors offer Pingry students and younger alumni who are considering careers in higher education? Prof. Walsh recommends science research, saying, “You get to be pretty creative, and it is endlessly fascinating. Anyone, at any level, can potentially discover something important that can change the field, and people use data to try to find ‘truth.’” Prof. Georgi emphasizes that one employer does not equal one career. Rather, it is “a series of careers in which you should continue to grow and do different things. It is also very important to be in the right place at the right time.” Prof. Bunn believes it is important to “find a good match between your intellectual interests and the academic institution that can provide the best opportunities for nurturing and growth.” WINTER 2015-2016

Pingry in Print Aquarium, to the already lost, such as Sert, Jackson & Associates’ Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School—and thus provides a contrasting perspective. The book contains hundreds of images, essays by architectural historians, and interviews with architects. - Adapted from The Monacelli Press

winsomely accessible to people who might never otherwise read the Apocrypha—and, perhaps, also encourage them to dig deeper for themselves into this period and its literature.”

Disarmed: An Exceptional Journey Ginger Manley, wife of John Manley ’60 Ideas into Books: WESTVIEW

Day of Atonement: A Novel of the Maccabean Revolt Dr. David deSilva ’84 Kregel Publications

Heroic: Concrete Architecture and the New Boston Co-Written by Mark Pasnik ’89 The Monacelli Press

As a worldwide phenomenon, building with concrete represents one of the major architectural movements of the postwar years. In Boston, concrete was used for more numerous and diverse (civic, cultural, academic) projects than in any other major U.S. city because, in the wake of decades of stagnation and corrupt leadership, public investment in Boston in the 1960s catalyzed enormous growth, resulting in a generation of bold buildings that shared concrete modernism. What emerged was a vision for the city’s widespread revitalization referred to as the “New Boston.” Often problematically labeled as “Brutalist” architecture, these concrete buildings were conceived with progressive-minded intentions by some of the world’s most influential designers. Today, while concrete buildings across the nation are in danger of insensitive renovation or demolition, Heroic presents the concrete structures that defined Boston during this remarkable period—from the well-known, such as City Hall and the New England 52

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When Ginger Manley boarded a train from Innsbruck to Zurich in the summer of 1967, she had no idea of the adventure she was about to embark upon. Beside the railroad track in Feldkirch, Austria, Ginger, a registered nurse on the lam from a year of intensive trauma nursing, met John, an ex-Air Force pilot and service-related arm amputee—and immediately disliked him. Two months later, they married in what seemed a fairy-tale story, but no happily-ever-after occurred for many years hence. Now after almost 50 years of marriage, Ginger offers a sometimes stark and often humorous look into a marriage of three entities—herself, John, and that damn artificial arm of his. It is a story of inspiration, courage, and love—and of the importance of humor in triumphing over obstacles. The book’s first chapter mentions Pingry and Mr. Manley’s induction into the School’s Athletics Hall of Fame.

Professor of New Testament and Greek at Ashland Theological Seminary, Dr. deSilva has written several non-fiction books about the Apocrypha and the New Testament. Now, he has published his first historical novel. Day of Atonement chronicles the 10 years of political intrigue and increasing repression of traditional Jewish practice, leading up to the Revolution remembered every year at Hanukkah. “I wrote this novel,” Dr. deSilva says, “because of the sheer power of the story of the different factions in Jerusalem in 175 BCE and what was driving each of them forward toward the collision course we remember as the Maccabean Revolt. It was my hope to make this period more

Where Are They Now?

Projects Involving Malvi Hemani ’11 Benefit Newborns and record created by the World Health Women in Labor Organization] to record those contrac“I had such a fortunate childhood, I love being busy, and I really want to make a difference in the world,” says Malvi Hemani ’11, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a major in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Computer Science (her father works in biomedical engineering, so, at an early age, Ms. Hemani became fascinated by the concepts of artificial hearts and other lifesaving devices). That personal drive was evident in her community service work at Pingry, especially the non-profit EYE for the Future, and it is equally evident in her two projects at Johns Hopkins pertaining to developing countries—one to save lives of newborns (begun her sophomore year), and the other to accurately monitor uterine contractions for women in labor (begun her senior year). Both projects have received accolades at regional medical conferences and in medical/technology competitions, and the second was the subject of an article on Forbes.com in 2015.

NeO2 Inspire

At Johns Hopkins, Ms. Hemani joined the student-run biomedical engineering team (in the Undergraduate Design Team Program) who worked to try to reduce child mortality—thereby addressing one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. “We couldn’t solve all causes of child mortality in a year, so we had to ‘dumb down’ the problem to understand the main points,” Ms. Hemani says. The team identified birth asphyxia, the failure to breathe at birth, as a major contributor to child mortality rates in developing countries, and they worked with midwives, doctors, and non-government organizations to better understand the problem. Moreover, she and another team member traveled to rural areas of India that were experiencing high mortality rates among infants and witnessed the situation first-hand. They discovered that newborns were almost always dying from birth asphyxia because of improper resuscitation (opening the airway and providing air through

tions, heart rate, and vital signs. Midwives are supposed to check their patients’ contractions and other labor parameters for 10 minutes every half hour (WHO standard), but there are not enough midwives in Tanzania and India, with an average midwife-to-patient ratio of 1:4. Therefore, the contraction data is usually not monitored for the full 10 minutes or is ignored, resulting in women being diagnosed incorrectly or late for any labor conditions. That puts their babies at risk.” A screen shot from a video in which midwives in India are trained how to use NeO2 Inspire.

a bag-valve mask; it is an alternative to mouth-to-mouth meant for newborns). Ms. Hemani and her team identified that lack of training and a complicated process were causing these high failure rates—the optimum “chin lift” to achieve an open airway was not as defined and practiced by midwives in rural areas. Ms. Hemani led a retrospective study of MRIs at the Johns Hopkins Children Hospital, MRIs that showed airways of healthy children aged 0-1 years, through which she and her team determined the specific optimal angle range to create an open airway. They developed a mat that has a bump to arch the neck, thereby elevating the chin to the proper angle. NeO2 Inspire (“Neo” represents “neonatal” and O2 is oxygen) is currently in the prototype phase, and the team recently completed scaling the study to include over 6,000 MRIs to determine optimal angle ranges for children 0-18 years old.

She and her team wanted to find a way to more accurately and continuously monitor uterine contractions. The result is TocoTrack, an automated machine that is strapped to a woman’s midsection to measure frequency and duration of contractions, and outputs the data in partograph form. Preliminary clinical studies at Johns Hopkins showed the data output from TocoTrack was correct. Ms. Hemani’s efforts illustrate the importance of translational research—applying scientific data to human health: “There are so many health issues around the world, so it is really cool to take research from one country and use it to make an impact on another country.” Editor’s Note: Since graduating from Johns Hopkins, Ms. Hemani has become a Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte Consulting in Arlington, Virginia, working on a healthcare analytics project and assisting with pro-bono consulting work for non-profit and medical technology start-ups.

TocoTrack Monitoring a woman’s uterine contractions is critical to increasing the chances of a healthy delivery. Ms. Hemani describes the conflict: “A woman in labor is supposed to be continuously monitored by using a tocodynamometer, but the device is costly and not readily available in rural hospitals. Instead, midwives have been recommended to use a piece of paper called a partograph [a graphical

TocoTrack, with its output chart, is designed to be strapped to a pregnant woman’s midsection.

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Alumni Events

Alumni Events [ 1 ] Turkey Bowl Soccer Game: Front row: Chris O’Donnell ’10, Sean O’Donnell ’75, P ’05, ’10, Peter Hiscano ’75, Chris Fechter ’13, Matt Fechter ’09, Matt Lipper ’12, Max Lurie ’15, and Matt Rybak ’09. Back row: Jerry Fechter P ’05, ’09, ’13, Will Stamatis ’09, Jim Stamatis P ’05, ’09, Will Munger ’05, Brendan Burgdorf ’09, John Stamatis ’05, KC Eboh ’12, Brad Fechter ’05, Robert Oh ’03, Jeff Zimering ’07, Dr. Mark Zimering P ’03, ’07, John Rhodes ’02, and Jessie Munger ’02. [ 2 ] Alumni Ice Hockey Game: Front row: Chris Franklin ’96, Andrew Krill ’07, Dan Ambrosia ’07, Dan Weiniger ’08, Jim Gensch ’83, P ’13, Thomas Diemar ’96, Brad Bonner ’93, P ’20, ’23, ’25, Brian Weiniger ’10, Chris Collins ’05, Cameron Gensch ’13, and Mac Hugin ’13. Back row: Peter Martin ’10, Alex Russoniello ’10, Pierce Fowler ’10, Matt Margolis ’99, Michael Lehrhoff ’05, Ben Lehrhoff ’99, Mitchell Cardone ’08, Michael Schwalb ’01, Rob Malin, Chris Ulz ’93, Boys’ Varsity Ice Hockey Head Coach John Magadini, Kyle Walker ’14, Steve Palazzolo ’11, Stephen Friedman ’13, Nicholas Branchina ’12, and Andrew Dellapina ’13. 54

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Alumni Events [ 3 ] Alumni Squash Match: Kneeling: Christopher Zachary ’19. Front row: Trustee 4

Alison Malin Zoellner ’83, Jeff Stanley P ’16, Kristin Scillia ’10, Chloe Blacker ’10, Diana Masch ’15, Alessandra Ruggiero ’15, Lindsay Stanley ’16, Libby Lee ’16, Squash Head Coach Ramsay Vehslage, Brad Fechter ’05, and Ariana King ’11. Back row: Scott Zoellner, Carl Ruggiero, Sandra Ruggiero (Parents ’06, ’15), Henry Lee, Maureen Lee (Parents ’05, ’07, ’10, ’16), Hal Lee ’07, Drew Blacker ’05, Kem Blacker P ’04, ’05, ’10, George Zachary ’14, Mark Shtrakhman ’16, Jamie Zoellner, David M. Fahey ’99, and John Stamatis ’05. Back-from-College Luncheon [ 4 ] Annelise Kinney ’15, Lily Graf ’15, and Casey Malone ’16. [ 5 ] Kyle Boylan ’15, Nicole Mo ’15, Carol Porges ’15, Bella Zinn ’15, and Brigit Sullivan ’15.

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Alumni Events Back-from-College Luncheon [ 6 ] Tom Foreman ’15, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, and Joe Padula ’15. [ 7 ] Josh Lebowitz ’15 and Hunter Conti ’15. [ 8 ] Julia Friend ’15 and Lauren McLaughlin ’15. [ 9 ] Abhiram Karuppur ’15, Coby Harris ’15, Fred Chang ’15, Gabby Stern ’15, Alessandra Ruggiero ’15, and Sarah Beckmen ’15.

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Alumni Events Pingry Reception in New York City [ 10 ] Steve Lipper ’79, P ’09, ’12, ’14, Jean Amabile Telljohann ’77, Trustee and Campaign Co-Chair Steve Newhouse ’65, P ’95, ’97, ’99, and Marshall McLean ’98. [ 11 ] Jonathan Short ’96 and Faisal Abbasi P ’26. [ 12 ] Headmaster Nat Conard P ’09, ’11, Randall Jordan ’10, Special Assistant to the Headmaster Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Tom Trynin ’79, and Victor N’Diaye ’11. [ 13 ] Hosts Polly O’Toole and Terry O’Toole with their children Brian O’Toole ’05 and Maggie O’Toole ’08. [ 14 ] Eric Hynes ’08 and Jay Sogliuzzo ’08.

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Alumni Events Pingry Reception in New York City [ 15 ] Robert Klein ’56, Special Assistant to the Headmaster Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Richard Goldberg ’56, and Bill Sterns ’66. [ 16 ] Aimee Sostowski ’97, Lexi Fallon ’99, Natasha Sunderam ’99, Ama Burnham ’99, and Kristin Sostowski ’93. [ 17 ] Stephanie Hanchuk ’11, Cassidy Reich ’10, and Tanvi Gupta ’10. [ 18 ] John Varvaro ’11, Matthew Vitale ’11, Louis Schermerhorn ’09, and Thomas Schermerhorn ’11.

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Part I of II

Pingry History

Daily Life at The Pingry School on Parker Road, 1945-1951 By Joseph Hanaway ’51, MD, CM, who spent six years at Pingry. His experiences at the School made a permanent impression on him.

Recounting the School as seen Through a Student’s Tour Can you imagine what parents, who wanted their sons to attend Pingry in 1950, thought when they walked into that dark-paneled, ancient, Hobgoblin Hall? What kind of teacher would work in such a place? This question was answered when they met E. (Eustace) Laurence Springer, our Headmaster and a convincing advocate of independent day school education (by the time he came to Pingry in 1936, the elitist image of the “private school” had been changed across the country to “independent school”). With a teaching staff from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Penn, Brown, Amherst, and others, the academic atmosphere was so strong that no one paid attention to the walls.

After the Headmaster’s interview with the parents, a senior introduced himself in the foyer and led a tour: “Dr. John Pingry started a small school in Roseville, N.J. in 1853. After a few local moves, he called it ‘The Pingry Select School for Boys.’ In 1865, he moved the School to Westminster Avenue in Elizabeth, and, in 1893, the School moved to the building we are in on Parker Road. There have been a few additions: the gym building in 1923, the swimming pool and locker rooms below the gym in 1924, and the twofloor dining room extension in l927. The winding stairs on the right go up to the Upper School and down to the

A photo montage of Pingry teachers during the 1940s and 1950s. It hangs on a wall in the Faculty Lounge of the Basking Ridge Campus. Starting on the lower left and moving to the right, up and down, are: (1) Otho Vars, (2) George Dimock, (3) Reese Williams, (4) Casmir France, (5) David Buffum, (6) Elliot Knoke, (7) Ted Mayhew, (8) Albert Booth, (9) Vincent Lesneski, (10) Abel DeGryse, (11) Francis West, (12) Frances West, (13) Richard Baldwin, (14) Herbert Hahn, and (15) Ernie Shawcross. Above the blue line, seated, is (16) E.L. Springer, and to the right is (17) Charles Atwater ’31. (Not pictured: Roy Shrewsbury, Edward Hathaway, Leander Kirk, Ed Cissel ’39, Roy Penner, Victor Diebolt, Larry Stokes, and John Ferguson)

lower level where there are three classrooms, a woodworking shop, a faculty lounge/music room (Roy Shrewsbury used the lounge for teaching music appreciation), and a room for the editorial staff of the monthly student newspaper, The Pingry Record. This room is also used by the Pingry yearbook staff to produce the Blue Book. (Victor Diebolt taught an array of business courses, Larry Stokes taught English, history, and math at different times, and Vincent Lesneski, biology. Later, Ernie Shawcross taught biology and a course on woodworking in the “shop,” all downstairs.) That little room near the front door with a Dutch door is the Pingry Business Office managed by the delightful Mr. Oscar Bundschuh, who also runs the tiny store for school supplies, Pingry artifacts (pins, decals, pencils with Pingry on them), and candy. (Pingry did not have a bookstore. Books were ordered by the School for each course and handed to the students by the teachers. It was a good system at that time because there was no room for a store.)

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Down the hall on the right are the Headmaster’s offices (for the Headmaster, Assistant Headmaster, two secretaries, and a waiting room) and, on the left, the dining hall where Upper and Middle School lunches are served. The kitchen is below, and food is sent up via a dumbwaiter to a heated, stainless serving console, and plates are filled for the waiters. After meals, plates are sent down to the kitchen for cleanup and washing. Beyond the dining hall is the classroom for Francis West, who teaches advanced math to the Upper School and is our soccer coach. Mr. West, at one time, taught in the American School in Beirut Syria. Further along on the right is the classroom and school museum of Elliot Knoke, who teaches Middle School social studies (his room was full of everything…old coin collections, old stamp collections, maps, pictures, charts, stuffed animals and birds, a cabinet full of antique guns...everything that needed to be saved!). Opposite are the back stairs to the Upper School and down to lockers in the basement. Beyond is a hallway to the sixth-grade Harriet Budd Room. The sixth grade was once in the Lower School, but was moved to the big building when space was needed on Westminster. It is still taught by a single teacher, Helen Wasasier. In the afternoons, this room

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is used for band practice because it can be closed off. On the right is a fire door to the tennis court, a bathroom, and, at the end, the double doors to the Middle School study hall and classrooms for the First and Second Forms. This is the domain of the redoubtable Otho Lagrand Vars, who rules the Middle School like a general in an absolutely no-nonsense way.

studied Dr. Wilfred Funk’s 30 Days to a More Powerful Vocabulary (1943). (Unfortunately, William Strunk’s The Elements of Style (1935) had not made it to Pingry yet, but, when E.B. White, of New Yorker fame, became his co-author in 1957, it was used widely as the bible for writers. This little book has shaped the writing of generations of students, not only at Pingry.)

We will now go up the rear Upper School stairs. At the top is the room for George Dimock, Class of 1908, a Pingry icon who teaches two courses, one about exploratory language and one about Caesar’s writings (when wanting to discipline students, he would say, ‘If you don’t watch out, sonny, I’ll send you down to Uncle Otho,’ which worked). To the left, down the hall, are two classrooms, on the right for the philosophical and erudite Herbert Hahn, one of Pingry’s great mentors, who teaches Fifth Form English and writing (and published the first history of Pingry, The Beginning of Wisdom, in 1961), and, on the left, for Casmir France, Assistant Headmaster and Head of the English and Drama Departments. He teaches Shakespeare, poetry, contemporary literature, and advanced grammar and style. We have just read and discussed (in 1950) the searching analysis of the British Nazi broadcasters tried at Nürnberg, in Rebecca West’s The Meaning of Treason (1949), and

At the end of the hall, the door leads to the chemistry and physics lab and the classroom of the popular and humorous Leander Kirk, who has a giant slide rule on the wall over the blackboards and regularly proves to us what a remarkable calculator it is. (Mr. Kirk was a different kind of teacher—more like the English teacher in the film Dead Poets Society, who flaunted tradition—and became famous for his field trips and practical demonstrations of physics. One had us running up a hill with weights to determine our individual horsepower. The fastest time had the greatest horsepower. Another was for determining Pascal’s law of fluid pressure. We had a barrel of water on the tennis court below a rear window in the physics lab, with a long glass tube leading from the window to the barrel. With pressure gauges in the barrel, we could see that, as we increased the pressure from above, the pressure gauges were all the same. An aerial view of the Parker Road Campus in the 1920s.

The class section of his department was small—only four rows of five seats—and he had three lengths of yard sticks, one for each row, so, from his desk, he could tap daydreaming students on the head. He also used to discharge, on occasion, a CO2 fire extinguisher to get our attention. For the author, the most memorable experience with Mr. Kirk concerned a fabulous lecture on “Atomic Energy and the Bomb” given by a Princeton chemistry professor at Barringer High in Newark. He announced it in class, and a few of us went with him to hear and see this dramatic “chemical reaction” presentation. It ended with a five-minute film on the explosions at Bikini Atoll and Hiroshima/Nagasaki, and we were silent on the way back to Pingry. Mr. Kirk never said a word. What could have been said? That is the kind of man he was.) Now, moving to the front of the School, watch the three steps down to the Upper School hall. To the left is the classroom of another one of Pingry’s storied characters, David Buffum, who teaches American History, asking not ‘what’ happened, but ‘why’ things happened. He would ask: ‘Why was there a Revolutionary War? What happened in the colonies between the British and Colonials that led to the Declaration of Independence? I don’t care about the battles, but the causes and consequences.’ He also presented ‘The Fur-Lined Bathtub Award’ for the lowest mark on tests (an announcement always done with a laugh), and required students who chew gum to write a 200-word essay on Mexican General Santa Anna who introduced chicle (a natural gum used in chewing gum) to the United States. Opposite is the classroom of Harvardbred Ted Mayhew, who teaches Romance languages to the Third and Fourth Forms and calls the students ‘Master so-and-so.’ Look out, here comes Coach Les (Vincent Lesneski) with his elbows out. ‘Make way girls,’ he often says as he barges down the hallway through the students. (Les loved to walk in a crowd of seniors, pushing them out of the way and joking with them. He was a seemingly rough individual who had a philosophical nature.)

On the left is the Upper School study hall (about 70 desks) used for free or penalty time study. Opposite is the School library, which is small, but has all the reference and reserve books we might need and is overseen by a trained librarian, Mrs. Frances West. In the back of the library are two classrooms, the one on the left for Roy Shrewsbury, who teaches plane geometry and music appreciation and is the School counselor. The one on the right is for Edward Hathaway, who teaches Third Form English (Mr. Hathaway became Headmaster of the Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn.). The classroom at the front of the Upper School hall is for another revered character, the European-educated Abel DeGryse, who teaches German, French, and Spanish to the Upper School and calls students familiarly by the first three or four letters of their last names— such as Turt (Turton), Port (Porter), Han (Hanaway), and Horn (Horning).” The senior tour guide led the parents back to the foyer, concluding their visit. Pingry masters also presided over a myriad of clubs and activities that were integrated into the weekly schedule. Mr. Springer led a Navigation Club for Middle and Upper School students. The headmaster also taught a course to Form VI students, during regular hours, on the great religions of the world, using William De Witt Hyde’s book The Five Great Philosophies of Life (1911). What went on in this wonderful, old, decrepit institution influenced students

Chemistry and physics teacher Leander Kirk. Behind him, the slide rule is leaning against the wall, and the short yard stick for the front row is on the table.

in a profound way. Many of the students, who lived in Short Hills, Summit, and Elizabeth, whose family incomes were many times the teachers, grew up on Pingry fare. The parents allowed Pingry to discipline the boys its own way without much interference because no one was abused, what was done was usually deserved, and it was hard to find anyone who didn’t like what was the experience of a lifetime. “Three cheers for old Pingry.” Editor’s Note: “Hobgoblin Hall” was not a name or nickname for Pingry. Dr. Hanaway chooses to use “Hobgoblin,” saying it is “a wonderful word used to describe Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, some of the old windmills in East Hampton, or some of the old buildings in Sturbridge. In his Prelude to Tales of a Wayside Inn, Longfellow calls the inn ‘A kind of old Hobgoblin Hall’—old, creaky, dark, yet friendly—and the 1893 Pingry School building fits that description perfectly.” The Pingry Review is interested in more submissions from older alumni and older teachers about Pingry’s past, especially your experiences at Parker Road or in Hillside. Please contact Greg Waxberg ’96 at gwaxberg@pingry.org or 908-647-5555, ext. 1296. WINTER 2015-2016

Frederick M. “Trap” Trapnell, Class of 1917, Inducted into International Air & Space Hall of Fame U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Is Celebrated as the “Godfather of Modern Naval Aviation” and the “Premier Navy Test Pilot of all Time”

A 1923 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Trapnell earned his wings in 1927 and spent 29 years in the Navy, 26 of them as a naval aviator. Because of his uncanny abilities, not only as a superb aviator, but also as a diagnostician of airplane behavior and problems, he became the foremost engineering test pilot in a century of naval aviation. His interests in aerodynamics and high-performance airplanes can be traced to his knowledge of air and water flow gleaned from years of sailing and studying steam

“Trap firmly believed that test pilots should be superb fliers and have a firm grasp of aerodynamics and aircraft mechanics.”

James Kidrick, President, San Diego Air & Space Museum locomotives in his hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Trapnell’s capabilities would eventually help the Navy modernize its aircraft and institute advanced procedures for naval air testing and development. In fact, his unusual abilities to diagnose problems led him to the Flight Test Section at Naval Air Station Anacostia in Washington, D.C. in early 1930, where he tested more than 60 different types of aircraft, laying the foundation for a new kind of aviator—the engineering

Highlights of Frederick Trapnell’s Accolades

• 1948: Co-founded the Navy’s first test pilot school • 1949: Chanute Flight Award (Octave Chanute was a civil engineer and aviation pioneer; the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics introduced the Chanute Flight Award in 1939 to recognize outstanding contributions in the advancement of the art, science, and technology of aeronautics)

• April 29, 1950–February 11, 1951: Commanding Officer of USS Coral Sea

• 1986: United States Naval Aviation Hall of Honor 62

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Credit: San Diego Air & Space Museum

Over 40 years ago, when Frederick M. “Trap” Trapnell, Class of 1917, died in San Diego at age 72, the story of his influence on the U.S. Navy and naval aviation was not widely known. Today, however, thanks to his posthumous induction into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame (in a ceremony at the San Diego Air & Space Museum on November 19, 2015), as well as a new biography by his son Frederick “Fritz” Trapnell, Jr. and granddaughter Dana Trapnell Tibbitts, the public has the opportunity to discover his legacy.

Lieutenant Frederick Trapnell, taken about the time he completed his first tour in the U.S. Navy Flight Test Section at NAS Anacostia, D.C. in 1932.

test pilot. During this period, he also flew with the U.S. Navy’s first formal aerobatic demonstration team, “The Three Flying Fish”—an early predecessor of the Blue Angels. After the team was disbanded, Trapnell joined the airplane unit stationed aboard the dirigibles USS Akron and Macon, flying the Curtiss F9C-2 Sparrowhawk, which essentially turned these airships into flying aircraft carriers. Two of Trapnell’s most significant accomplishments contributed to the United States’s victory in World War II, namely the development of crucial fighter airplanes, the Corsair and Hellcat. The Vought F4U Corsair was designed to operate from carriers, but it had several severe shortcomings; as Chief of Flight Test at the outset of the war, Trapnell guided the effective redesign of this airplane. He also played a critical role in getting the new Grumman F6F Hellcat into the fleet. Normal Navy approval cycles required six to eight months of testing before

starting production of a new airplane; but, since the Navy needed a fighter with performance superior to the long-range Japanese Zero, the Bureau of Aeronautics agreed that, if Trapnell approved the production model, they would authorize production. He completed his test flights in one day, made a few recommendations, and later said, “If we were going to send 10,000 young kids to fight an air war, this was the airplane to put them in.” Hellcat pilots destroyed 5,155 enemy airplanes and became the most successful fighter in naval aviation history. During the war, Admiral Trapnell became the first Navy pilot to fly America’s first jet airplane—the Bell XP59A Airacomet—and, following the war, he was brought back to the test center at NAS Patuxent River to guide the Navy through the monumental transition to a new jet age. Rather than sacrifice safety for speed, Trapnell called for “whole airplanes” that could navigate all flying conditions. “Trap firmly believed that test pilots should not only be superb fliers, but also have a firm grasp of aerodynamics and aircraft

Frederick Trapnell’s son and granddaughter, Fritz Trapnell and Dana Trapnell Tibbitts, are co-authors of Harnessing the Sky: Frederick “Trap” Trapnell, the U.S. Navy’s Aviation Pioneer, 1923-52 (Naval Institute Press, 2015).

Frederick M. “Fritz” Trapnell, Jr., his daughters Adrienne Speciale and Dana Trapnell Tibbitts, and J.R. Davis, Executive Director of the Tailhook Association, a non-profit organization that supports the interests of sea-based aviation, with emphasis on aircraft carriers.

The painting is the work of Darby Perrin, Owner of Darby Perrin Aviation Art and a Senior Master Sergeant in the USAF Reserve. “Whenever I put a montage together, there is always the primary subject—Trapnell, in this case—and the objects that I hope will add interest without distracting the viewer,” he says. “The objects are the Bell P-59 Airacomet, the Hellcat, the Curtiss F6C, and the dirigible. The technical aspects of the painting were interesting to research because most of these aircraft are not your everyday ‘Corsair’ or ‘Mustang.’ The colors and shading were dictated by the cloud formation I chose.” mechanics, as well as the technical vocabulary to communicate clearly with aeronautical engineers,” explained San Diego Air & Space Museum President James Kidrick. “It wasn’t enough simply to test the aircraft’s performance, control, and stability—he required that flight tests probe every aspect of an airplane’s operation and behaviors to identify problems pilots might encounter in actual wartime operations. Anything less risked endangering the lives of Navy pilots.” “I was 16 years old when my grandfather passed away,” Dana Tibbitts said at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “I didn’t even know he was a test pilot.

The first time I heard about his work as a test pilot was at Naval Air Station Patuxent River when they dedicated the field to him in 1976 as Trapnell Field. I have been going through World War II books and naval aviation stories ever since, trying to find the missing pieces of his story. Harnessing the Sky is not just our story, it’s your story, and it’s an American story. It really fills an important gap in our naval aviation history.” The Pingry Review thanks the San Diego Air & Space Museum, Dana Trapnell Tibbitts, and The San Diego UnionTribune for assistance with and information in this article. WINTER 2015-2016

New Book Evokes Alumni Memories of Plane Crashes in Elizabeth

Credit: Knopf

With the 2015 publication of In the Unlikely Event, her first novel for adults in 17 years, Judy Blume made millions of readers aware of history that, perhaps, few younger people knew about: over 60 years ago, during the winter of 1951-52, three planes crashed in separate incidents in Elizabeth, New Jersey, near Pingry. While the novel’s plot is fictional, it unfolds against the actual backdrop of these crashes, and The Pingry School is mentioned a few times as a historical reference. Although the causes of the crashes were ultimately found to be random and unconnected, it is interesting to consider how reactions in today’s post-9/11 world might be different. Here, alumni from the Classes of 1952-1963 share memories of these tragic events.

Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20

David Gelber ’59

Bill Wacker ’54

I heard a deafening roar. I looked up from my bed and saw a giant ball of fire heading straight for my house. I was 10. In years to come, I would have many dreams like this, but, in the middle of a February night, I wasn’t dreaming. The fiery ball I spotted from my window was a Miami-bound National Airlines plane. It had failed to gain much altitude before plummeting for good. I don’t remember the sound of the jet as it smashed into an apartment building on Salem Avenue right behind us, but I have a vivid memory of my dad, normally a calm man, bursting into my bedroom to roust me. A plane crashed one block away, he said, and our house might catch fire. My dad told us we’d be safer at our neighbors—the Ehrlichs— across North Broad Street even though their house was just a stone’s throw further away from the crash. My mother bundled my 4-year-old sister, and we left as fast as we could. I was dazed and frightened and don’t remember much about that night, except that my dad, a physician, and Dr. Ehrlich went to the crash scene to help.

Many school members rushed to help survivors, including myself. My dad was a physician and spent a great deal of time assisting the injured. One of the crashes was in the recreation yard of an orphanage on Westminster, just missing the building other than clipping off a small corner piece.

Later that night or early the next morning, we learned that the plane just missed the neighborhood orphanage known as the Janet Memorial before slamming into the apartment house next door, killing 29 passengers and crew as well as a young family in the apartment building. We knew that

I was returning from a basketball game at Rutgers Prep and heard on the radio that there had been a plane crash. We were all aware that there had been two crashes. The closest one took off part of an apartment building and landed in the street near Westminster Avenue. A lot of Pingry families lived on Westminster, and the Lower School was there. [Coach and teacher] Vince Lesneski helped with first aid because not everyone on board was killed. His son [Bert] and other Pingry people helped, too. People were confused because there had been three bad accidents in the vicinity and nobody knew the cause. Air travel wasn’t as frequent and used as much as it is today. Since we were so near the after-effects, there was a stunned—almost unreal—feeling. We were alarmed. The authorities were concerned because nobody understood the reasons.

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building well. Peggy Radtke, our housekeeper, lived there. Her husband Al was the building’s superintendent. A day or two after the crash, Peggy, Al, and their son Buddy and daughter Joanie came to live with us. Newspaper reporters came to our house to write about how Al had helped evacuate residents. He was a hero. So were a few boys from the orphanage who pulled survivors from the wreckage. Sixty-four years later, shards of memory survive. I recall a pungent burning odor that hung over the neighborhood in the days after the crash. I remember exploring the site with my friends David, Rich, and Tony. We collected fragments of twisted metal from the plane. The horror of what happened receded somewhat—but only a little. There was, after all, the astonishing fact that the plane was the third to crash in Elizabeth within two months. The first nightmares I can remember stemmed from several train crashes that happened in and near Elizabeth in the late ’40s. The Salem Avenue disaster updated my fright dreams, and for years I couldn’t bear the thought of flying. I woke up too many times imagining I was on a plane about to crash, just like the one that skimmed our roof. On the rare occasions when I did fly, I held on for dear life when the ride got bumpy. Then, in my early 40s, I got a job as a producer with the CBS Evening News and then 60 MINUTES.

I had to fly all the time, and I looked for opportunities to vanquish my fear. I embraced flying. I landed on dirt runways in Somalia. I flew in helicopters in the fog over northern California. I flew in C-130 military transport planes that did corkscrew landings in Sarajevo to avoid anti-aircraft fire. The fiery ball lost its hold on me. I can’t remember the last time I dreamt of being in a plane that was about to crash.

After the crash, the news coverage touched on the drama of the orphanage next door. About 40 boys and girls in the Janet barely escaped death that night. They were kids, white as I recall, from poor or broken families. They resided in the same neighborhood where Rich, David, Tony, I and other Pingry boys lived. There was an understanding, barely articulated, that we were to have nothing to do with the Janet kids. Did the crash create a bond between us, even temporarily? It did not. We never had the slightest contact with the Janet kids, not even after a plane nearly landed on all our heads. The crash was a temporary disruption in my otherwise comfortable childhood. But I’m certain it also fed my fascination with the causes and consequences of extreme, often calamitous, events. I’ve covered lots of those in the last 40 years, including a number of war zones where people, metaphorically speaking, have airplanes crashing in their backyards on a fairly regular basis. I might have gravitated toward that line of work anyway, but I can’t help but think that the night and early morning of February 11, 1952 nudged me toward the path I’m still on.

Courtesy of Bob Popper ’61

Some years ago, I went back to look for newspaper stories about the Elizabeth crashes. I learned that Elizabeth residents conducted sit-ins on airport runways to demand that airlines direct flights away from Elizabeth. More bizarre were demonstrations of Elizabethans, marching with signs around the Soviet mission to the United Nations. “One is a tragedy,” a sign read. “Two is a coincidence, and three is Communist sabotage.” The fiery ball etched in my brain had become a footnote to the Cold War.

Rob Gibby ’60, P ’87 The book caused me to recall some memories that were long forgotten. I went to Pingry for 12 years and attended the Lower School, which was then in a converted private home on Westminster Avenue in Elizabeth. My family lived in Hillside, not far from Masters Square (once the Hillside Campus was finished in 1952-53, it was a shorter walk from my home to Masters Square than it was from Masters Square to the School building!). At the time of the crash that landed in the backyard of the Janet Memorial, I would ride my bike down Westminster Avenue, cross North Avenue, and continue past “the orphanage” to the Lower School. The morning of the crash, I left home totally unaware of the crash—in those days, there was no 24/7 news coverage, so my parents did not know of the turmoil. Also, today, a crash site would be cordoned off with miles of yellow tape, and huge detours, but not so in the early ’50s because folks didn’t rubberneck at gory scenes. So, I rode my bike down Westminster Avenue, right past the commotion at the “Janet,” and went on my way to school. I do not remember even mentioning anything to my fellow students, or to my teachers! I do remember afterward that Bert Lesneski was honored, at school, for going into the burning plane and saving some of the passengers. After school, I rode my bike home, right past the

A view of Elizabeth, showing the location of the third plane crash in relation to the Janet Memorial Home and Pingry’s Lower School.

still-smoldering wreckage. I can’t recall if I even said anything to my mother about the “unusual event” of the day. Such was the concern of a 9/10 year old!

Carl Haines ’60 My family owned The Haines Funeral Home, which also served as the Union County morgue in Elizabeth, but it was not equipped to handle the number of casualties from those crashes. Having grown up in the business, I was accustomed to the smell of death, but the addition of charred bodies and fuel from the planes was unlike any that I had ever experienced. It was not just bodies that were moved to the morgue, but also all of the remaining luggage and personal items for identification. The bodies were still smoldering, and there was great concern that the garage might catch on fire, so the fire department had to maintain a 24-hour vigil around the building. When the last of the three crashes occurred, I was 10 years old and in the Elizabeth General Hospital, recovering from an appendectomy. I still remember my parents arriving in my room and telling me that the plane, as it passed over our home, was so low they thought it was going to hit the house. The pilot was furiously trying to jettison fuel, and WINTER 2015-2016

the smell was overpowering. During my parents’ visit, my mother gave me a doll, which certainly puzzled me. She then explained that one of the few survivors of the crash was in the room next to mine, a 5-year-old girl by the name of Patty Clause who had not yet been told that both of her parents had been killed in the crash. My mom wanted me to give the doll to Patty in the hope that it might give her some small degree of comfort. I will never forget her eyes, frightened and full of tears, but she somehow managed a thank you for the gift. Her uncle was there and said that he and his wife were going to adopt her. One other thing that stands out in my mind is how much larger the death count would have been had those crashes occurred at different times during the day or landed in more populated areas of the city. I’ve always believed that the pilots of those planes had the skill level and courage to seek the least-populated areas, even knowing that all was lost.

David Archibald ’61 I remembered all of the crashes as happening on Sunday—but am told that No. 2 was not on that day of the week. My mother took me to No. 1, which crashed in the Elizabeth River. My mother made us leave when they started to recover the bodies. No. 2 crashed at Battin High School shortly thereafter. I did not go to A view of Newark Airport in the 1960s. The closed runway is marked with an “X.”

Bob Popper ’61

“I continue not to fly, even after all these years.”

David Archibald ’61 view the horror at that location. No. 3 basically crashed in my backyard (we lived almost across from the Lower School)—in the apartment houses behind our home. I was awakened in the wee morning hours by the glow on my bedroom wall from the ensuing fire—as well as the cries of the victims! My parents (my mother taught art at Pingry from 1953-1976) took my sister and me across the street to the Kreh house, a Pingry name of past prominence, while they and the Krehs walked the short distance to the crash site where the plane finally completed its path of doom in the large field of Janet Memorial Home. Fortunately, many doctors lived near the scene; in fact, a Pingry classmate’s father, Robert Lewis, lived directly across the street on Westminster Avenue. I stayed home from school the next day (PTSD?—but was told the following day at Pingry that I shouldn’t have.) All of this was pretty unnerving for a few of us young Pingry lads. I continue not to fly, even after all these years…

Credit: New Jersey Department of Transportation

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One day, when I must have been eight years old, Dad was driving our family northbound on Vauxhall Road in Union. I looked out the window and noticed a low-flying plane that was headed south toward Elizabeth, and saw what looked like fire trailing one of its engines. I mentioned it, and my mother spotted it, too. That day, one of the three planes crashed. One crashed on Westminster Avenue in Elizabeth, several hundred feet from Pingry’s Lower School where I was a third-grader, and about equally near an orphanage. But my classmate Bob Lewis was even closer, for he lived next to the crash site in his family’s home on Westminster Avenue. Dr. Lewis helped with the crash victims and, I’ve been told, Vince Lesneski did, too. Mr. Les lived several blocks from the scene. The crash site was scarred for a while thereafter, but, even years later, there was a reminder of what had happened. A thick hedge that grew parallel to Westminster Avenue on the orphanage property had been partly destroyed, and the shrubs that were planted to restore it spent years maturing.

David Rogers ’61 It’s June 2015, and Judy Bloom is seated across from the Mayor of Elizabeth, Christian Bolwage. The Council Chamber of Elizabeth City Hall is packed—standing room only. As Judy tells of some of the events that prompted her to write In the Unlikely Event, the Mayor relates that the same room had been similarly packed early in 1952, as concerned citizens of the city called for—demanded—the closure of Newark Airport. As I stood in the aisle behind the last row of seats, the memories of those days in 1951-1952 started to flow. Judy and the Mayor spoke of her childhood in Elizabeth and her writing career. They narrated some of the visual aids. Others in the audience related memories—some as first arrivers on the scenes. The book simply used the plane crashes as background—more of a time clock than a major plot player. Little did I realize for decades that those tragic events of December 1951, and of January and February 1952, had been so close to my family and that only a few

hundred feet of distance could have been personal disasters for us. The first crash, a C47 passenger plane operating as what were then called “Unscheduled Flights” (planes that departed when enough people wanted to travel to the same place), crashed upside down in the Elizabeth River. Prior to the crash, it had flown over my grandfather’s house, a residence shared with my uncle, aunt, and cousin Marilyn— three houses away from Alexander Hamilton Junior High School where Judy Bloom (actually Judy Zussman) was a student. Marilyn appears in the story later, as does Judy. Altitude at the time? Probably lower than a few hundred feet, since the plane crashed a mere three blocks away. All passengers died. Although not apparent to this (then) eight-year-old, years later a chilling reality became apparent—if that plane had stayed aloft for another 300 feet, it would have crashed through the front door of Dad’s machine shop.

“It is easy to jump to conclusions when tragic events are so close in time.”

David Rogers ’61 The second crash, an American Airlines flight, stunned the population of the city as it ended its flight in a neighborhood near the corner of Williamson and South Streets in January. It was more noteworthy since it crashed diagonally across the intersection from Battin High School—the all-girls public high school. Late in the afternoon, the classes were over, but there was an after-school rehearsal. My cousin Marilyn was there and still remembers the post-event fear—hiding under a pillow at the sound of any airplane. In the aftermath, there was a major push to close the airport, but without result. Enter the Pingry connections. The Pingry Class of ’61 was in the middle of third grade—Mrs. Clifford’s class. At the

time, our classroom building was a converted house for Grades 1 through 5 on Westminster Avenue (no Kindergarten in those days). Classmate David Archibald lived across the street. Classmate Bob Lewis lived a few houses away from our school building. The third plane, a National Airlines DC 6, crashed in a playground across from Bob’s house—actually the field of the Janet Memorial Home, an orphanage years before, but it had become a residence for children whose single parents could not provide for them. The plane crashed in the middle of the night, only a few hundred feet from our Lower School building, clipped the corner of an apartment building, and missed every other structure in the neighborhood. Bob’s father, Dr. Lewis, attended to many who escaped the wreckage. My dad, as usual, drove me to school the next morning. We got as far as the corner of Westminster Avenue and Pingry Place (the corner drugstore, the OWL, was owned by the family of classmate Robert Greenberg). A policeman stopped us there and wouldn’t allow us to drive any farther. Dad explained that the school was beyond the intersection, pointed to it, and informed the officer that I had to get to school. Dad was allowed to escort me for the rest of the way. Notably, we had no post-event counseling. In the aftermath, the citizenry was successful in forcing the closure of the airport for a few months. Final, thorough investigations found no connection in the causes, no mysterious supernatural forces, no aliens at work, no conspiracies; it is easy to jump to conclusions when tragic events are so close in time, but there were no similarities other than the crashes themselves. The most noteworthy part of this history was, in two cases, the ability of the pilots to nearly avoid buildings, and, in the third case, to avoid schools and a hospital—in all cases, minimizing the loss of life. Unlikely events? Yes, but all too real and all too close.

Dr. Richard Bates ’62 I was eight years old, and my memories of the first two crashes consist only of my father taking me (and perhaps my brothers) to see where the planes had

come down. But memories of the third crash are more vivid because our house, which was on Waverly Place, was directly under the path taken by the plane after it left Newark Airport and crashed at the Janet Memorial Home and nearby apartment building. In fact, our house was a block-and-a-half from the crash site. The night of the crash, I was awakened by the vibrations caused by and sound of the plane passing overhead. We did not venture out until the next morning, when we went to the crash site to see the destruction. In reading Blume’s book, I found the historical references to be consistent with my recollections.

John Geddes ’62, P ’95 As a second-grader at the Lower School on Westminster Avenue, I lived about one mile away on Windsor Way in the Westminster Section of Hillside. At age seven, I was aware of the previous two accidents in Elizabeth and their approximate location. The third plane crashed into the large open area adjacent to the Janet Memorial Home, clipping the corner of an apartment building on the way down. Oddly, I have no recollection of the crash site in the days after; I think my parents must have made it a point not to drive past the crash while the wreckage was still in place. My primary recollection of the accident at that time was hearing my parents speak of a family friend, Pete Davidson, who responded to the crash and rescued a number of passengers from the plane. Mr. Davidson, a World War II veteran, and his family lived on Westminster Avenue across from the site. Having spent most of my 40-year career with The Port Authority of NY & NJ at Newark Airport, I learned many years later that, when the airport reopened some nine months after the third crash, one of the three runways (and probably the runway from which this third plane had taken off) was permanently closed and marked with a large “X” on both ends. As the fates would have it, my last office was located in what had been the original terminal dedicated in 1935 by Amelia Earhart, the building from which the three aircraft left, or where they were scheduled to arrive. WINTER 2015-2016

Part I of II

Ask the Archivist Introducing Digital Archivist Peter Blasevick Why does Pingry need a digital archivist, and what is your primary project? For a place like Pingry that has been around for 150-plus years, there is value in the institution’s history. You don’t want to forget who people were. My main project is to archive team photos, collect information about the photos, build a digital repository to permanently save all of the information, and get everything ready for digital displays in the School’s athletics hallways and—a much larger purpose—for a searchable database for the Athletics Hall of Fame in the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center. What does “digital archivist” mean? Digital archivists preserve materials in a digital format and are responsible for knowing which formats are going to be used in the future and being ready to migrate documents to those formats. It is important for digital archivists to know the “best practices” in the industry. For example, photos are usually saved in two versions—an “archival copy,” the highest quality, and a “presentation format,” smaller and more easily transmittable over the Internet, such as a jpeg. How did you become interested in digital archiving? I was a musician until my 30s, when I went back to school [William Paterson University] for my undergraduate degree in history. While I was there, I became friendly with people in the library who were my contemporaries. Seeing how much time I was spending in the library, they suggested that I attend “library school,” and some of my professors urged me to do digital work. I became really interested and earned an M.L.I.S. (Master of Library and Information Science) at Rutgers School of Communication and Information. Rutgers hired me after I graduated in 2012. What education does a digital archivist need? You need a degree in Information Science. You also need to learn about databases, coding, and HTML and be able to search 68

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for and find information. A lot of the process is devoted to learning about file types and metadata schemas. What is metadata, and why is it important? Metadata is the information about an object, basically a higher level of “tagging” or “keywords,” and you need to define a metadata schema for a collection to ensure the metadata will be consistent across that entire collection of objects. A “schema” is a predefined set of elements (or fields) that are populated with values (information) in order to describe an object. The three broad categories of metadata are descriptive (information about an object), structural (describing the types, versions, relationships, and other characteristics of digital objects), and administrative (how an object was created, who can use or access it). The three main areas of metadata we’ll be capturing in our collections at Pingry are descriptive (the title and subjects of the digital version), technical (operating systems, hardware, and software that are used to create the images), and source (information about the original photograph, such as where the photo is stored). With the metadata, there are also “authority files” with listings of people’s official names, which is important because of possible variations in how a person’s name is listed in photos.

Digital Archivist Peter Blasevick at work in Pingry’s C.B. Newton Library.

How does human behavior affect digital archiving? We study how people interact with information—how they want to search, how they want to find it, how they want it represented. For example, many people who search on Google never look at the second page of results, even with thousands of pages! Regardless of whether it’s positive or negative that they only look at page one, that’s how they interact with information. Why is acid-free storage important? Paper documents are self-destructive because they release gases. There’s no way to stop it from happening, but the idea is to slow it down as much as possible by putting documents in plastic sleeves backed with acid-free paper. In theory, the paper will help negate the gases that are released. I specifically use it as a safety separator when there is more than one item in a sleeve, such as a picture with a printed list of people in the photo. What challenges with digital archiving have you encountered over the years? Some challenges are slowly going away, like expensive storage for large files. The two biggest concerns are poor quality of the original formats and “findability.” Any

collection is only as good as it is findable. If you don’t have strong metadata attached to a photograph, it’s as if the photo doesn’t exist. Unfortunately, if a person were to give you something to archive, but has no information about it, you could scan and save it, but nobody would know to look for it, or how to look for it. Also important are the questions, “Is it worth saving? Will it be used? Would it be displayed?” Simply because something is old and we have it, doesn’t mean we should keep it. There is a fine line between being an archivist and a hoarder.

“Centennial Hymn” Challenge The challenge issued by Tom Ulrich ’65 in the Fall 2015 issue, regarding the words and sheet music for C. Brett Boocock’s song, was successful! Thank you to Bob Popper ’61 for sending them, as well as Lawrence Paulson ’65 and William V. Engel ’67 for their assistance. Mr. Popper also provided the words and music for Brett Boocock’s “Pingrian Men.”

Athletics Hallways at Basking Ridge Get a Makeover For years, photographs of Pingry’s sports teams have adorned the School’s athletics hallway—testaments to a robust, living history that spans decades. In the fall of 2015, the photos were taken down, leaving many to wonder what had become of them. The mystery was solved in early January; five 60-inch monitors were installed in the hallway, displaying a combined 1,200 team photographs in a digital format that ensures their permanence and visibility for years to come. “The pictures were dying on our walls because they couldn’t be stored properly,” says Digital Archivist Peter Blasevick. “Something had to be done.” After carefully removing the photos from their frames (some for the first time in 100 years), Mr. Blasevick scanned, edited, and electronically saved each one, allowing it to be added to one of five looping slideshows that run continuously on the monitors. “Some of the pictures hanging on the walls were our only copies. In this new format, they can be used and enjoyed without worrying about damage or loss.” How, exactly, do the displays work? Four of the monitors each feature a slideshow of photos from a designated era of Pingry athletics: pre-1950, 1950 to 1975, 1975 to 2000, and 2000 to present. The fifth monitor displays action shots from the present year, showcasing the talented athletes who are currently carrying the proverbial torch. “These team photos bring our past to life,” says Director of Alumni Relations and Senior Major Gifts Officer for Athletics David M. Fahey ’99. Chip Korn ’89, President of The Pingry Alumni Association, found himself “captivated by the images” and the cumulative sense of history that took shape upon seeing photos from decades of Pingry sports juxtaposed in the same virtual space. Of course, many people favor the tangibility of a physical photo, which is why Mr. Blasevick has stored the originals in backed polypropylene sleeves and housed them in acid-free boxes in Pingry’s library archives, where they will be preserved and ready for use in future displays and installations.

Help the Archivist

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This photograph of the 1970-71 Basketball Team is one of many that Mr. Blasevick has preserved for the archives. However, Pingry has only a few team photos from 1970-71, and none through the 1978-79 school year. Please contact us at gwaxberg@pingry.org or 908-647-5555, ext. 1296 if you can supply any team photos from the 1970s, to help make our collection complete.

Thank you to William Tatlock ’52, Tom Woolsey ’52, and Bill Hardie ’55 for responding about the photo of 1950 Pingry Classmates in the Fall 2015 issue.

1. Unknown 2. Tom Woolsey ’52 3. Unknown 4. Jere Ross ’52? 5. Fred Schroeder ’52 6. Miller Bugliari ’52 7. Peter Buchanan ’52 8. Dick Corbett ’52 9. George Mushet ’52 WINTER 2015-2016

Class Notes your news!

Credit: HomeTowne TV, interviewer and producer

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Contact Ariana King ’11, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, at aking@pingry.org, The Pingry School, 131 Martinsville Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920.

1931

1962

WILLIAM S. BEINECKE P ’61, ’64, who served as a gunnery officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, was profiled in a New York Post story on November 12 in connection with the 2015 Veterans Day Parade in New York City. In the article, he recalled the moment when his ship was hit by a Japanese bomb off Okinawa: “The bomb came in one side of the ship and came out on the other side. Luck was on our side. If it had exploded inside of the ship, it would have been terrible.” He rode in a Chevrolet convertible during the parade.

HARRY MOSER, Founder and President of the Reshoring Initiative, a group promoting U.S. manufacturing, was interviewed by Supply Chain Digest on December 7 about “Reshoring of U.S. Manufacturing—Reality or Myth?” Harry says the movement is real: in 2003, the U.S. was losing 140,000 more manufacturing jobs each year than were being brought in, whereas the trends were almost balanced in 2014. He attributes that reversal to three key factors: increased wages in China, so the smaller labor cost gap is making it necessary for U.S. companies to examine other costs and risks; consumers prefer “Made in the USA” products and are willing to look for them and spend more money for them; and

1960 JOHN MANLEY is the subject of a new book by his wife Ginger. Read more on page 52.

“Coaches Corner” Host John Serruto and Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20.

MILLER BUGLIARI ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20 was interviewed about his career for “Coaches Corner” on HomeTowne Television; the program aired in two segments last fall. The wide-ranging discussion covered the support of his wife Elizabeth; his teaching, coaching, and other roles at Pingry; the game of soccer; his 40-plus years on the New York Giants’ Chain Gang; Camp Waganaki; and his numerous accolades and affiliations. Highlights of the interview: • Qualities he brings to coaching: Enthusiasm, caring for the kids, and knowing how to work with different levels of athleticism—trying to be fair to everybody and doing what I think is right for them. • Not cutting any players: It’s fun to be part of the team. In life, you’re always part of a team. • High school sports in the 1960s versus today: Then, most parents were happy to have someone enthusiastic working with their children. Today, they seem focused on the end product and having their child get into the best college. • A coach’s responsibility to help place athletes in college: The coach has a responsibility to guide good players to Division I or Division III schools and get a college coach interested. • Changes in soccer: More parents have played or watched the game, the sport is more popular, and there has been a growth of technical ability matched with coaches who have played the game. • Qualities of a special high school athlete: Coordination, running speed, technical knowledge, and determination. • How he has changed: My energy level—I need assistants, and my assistant coaches are super. I don’t want to coach past the time when I’m effective. • What Pingry means to him: It is a place of honor, one that appreciates different cultures and has a strong academic influence. • Most proud of: Trying to give everyone my full attention and help them as much as possible. • Multiple-sport athlete versus specialized athlete: That’s the question of the year! I think you miss something by not playing at least two sports. Multiple coaches make for great learning situations. Parental and school guidance are helpful. • Aspirations beyond high school coaching: At a college, that would have meant not teaching, and I don’t think I would have been happy with other college-level jobs. The challenge was to keep the Pingry program going.

Rob Hall ’54, P ’79, ’79 and Bill Williams ’54, P ’76, ’80 at the Dartmouth/Princeton football game in Hanover, New Hampshire on November 21. 70

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• Coaching three sons: I felt better that they played other sports, too, so I wasn’t the only guy evaluating them. They were very successful in their other sports.

Line Dance by Peter Corbin ’63, oil on canvas, 20 x 30 inches.

PETER CORBIN ’63 is delighted to announce his current exhibition “Line Dance – The Art of Fly Fishing by Peter Corbin,” on display until July 3, 2016, at the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) in Middleburg, Virginia. He writes, “The NSLM’s George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Art, Claudia Pfeiffer, has selected 15 of my fly fishing paintings from the last 37 years for a one-man exhibition. She has written a wonderful exhibition catalog. Included in the exhibition is a video I created and produced with Emery Ruger, Ledgerock Studio. The video presents my philosophy on painting and the progression of my 2014 painting, Line Dance.” In the video’s voice-over, Peter delves into his artistic inspirations, meticulous painting process, and philosophy about creating art—all rooted in a lifelong passion for fly fishing and the outdoors. He sees three distinct categories in which his narrative sporting works fall: a painting of anticipation, such as an angler starting his cast; a painting that captures a frozen moment when time seems to stop and the image is etched into your mind; and a painting of reflection. Peter, whose primary artistic influences are sporting artists Ogden Pleissner and A.B. Frost and Winslow Homer, considers himself a landscape painter who depicts sporting subjects as part of his scenes. For more information about the exhibition, and to view the exhibition video slide show, visit www.NationalSporting.org. the beginning of a recovery of the U.S.’s skilled workforce, with more emphasis on community college technical training, certificates, and apprenticeships. Harry thinks there is more the U.S. government could do to accelerate the trend, including a more skilled workforce, a lower U.S. dollar, and lower corporate tax rates.

1964 GEOFF CONNOR wrote a commentary in The Bernardsville News on January 1, “The Gunpowder Plot and radical terrorism.”

1965 JACK BRESCHER P ’99 presented in the Law section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He has been a Partner at McCarter & English since 1982 and currently maintains a practice specializing in tax, estate planning, and employee benefits. He has also served as a Board member of the Philip’s Academy Charter School, the Newark Boys Chorus, and the Community Foundation of New Jersey. Jack is currently on the Board of the New Jersey Historical Society.

1967

ED LAYNG P ’02, ’06 and his son EDDIE LAYNG ’06 at Eddie’s graduation from Temple Medical School on May 6.

Peter Kurz ’67 and his wife Catherine. WINTER 2015-2016

PETER KURZ writes, “My wife Catherine and I are enjoying retirement in her home country of Singapore. I am planning to attend our 50th Class Reunion in 2017 and am looking forward to it.” JOHN PLUM presented in the Finance section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is Founding Partner of Emery, Kim Global Advisors, LLC, a firm specializing in strategic, tactical, and specialty advisory services for major hedge funds, money managers, financial service companies, and consultancies. DR. AARON WELT P ’06 received the Psychologist of the Year Award from the 2,000-member New Jersey Psychological Association (NJPA). According to an NJPA e-newsletter, he is honored for “his significant contributions as a longstanding Member-at-Large on the NJPA executive board, vice president of the NJPA Foundation, active membership in the Morris County Psychological Association, technology master on various NJPA task forces, and, most notably, for his role as NJPA Listserv Monitor. NJPA has been enriched by Dr. Welt’s dedication and countless volunteer hours.”

1968 MICHAEL DEE P ’99, ’02 and MARSHALL MCLEAN ’98 attended the Great Swamp Watershed Association’s 34th Anniversary Gala on October 21 at Brooklake

Chris Hepburn, Lucy Shurtleff, Marshall McLean ’98, Michael Dee ’68, P ’99, ’02, Nicolas Platt P ’02, ’06, and State Senator and former New Jersey Governor Richard Codey.

Country Club in Florham Park, New Jersey. The event honored NICOLAS PLATT P ’02, ’06, thenmayor of Harding Township. At the time of the event, Michael was the association’s Board Chair, having joined their Board of Trustees in the 1990s.

1969 DR. DON BURT presented in the Technology section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is an independent consultant after recently retiring as the Chief Medical Officer for PatientKeeper, Inc., a provider of healthcare applications for physicians. Don volunteers for the

John Plum ’67, Denise (Dragoni) Coates ’89, and Matthew Margolis ’99. 72

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Massachusetts Community Pain Management Initiative, a community-wide initiative to ensure that physicians are providing state-ofthe-art treatments to patients suffering from chronic pain while avoiding the medical community’s inadvertent contribution to the misuse of opioid medications.

1975

1972

1976

RICK SIROIS presented in the Performing Arts section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He has had an extensive career in technical theater and works as a special effects technician at The Metropolitan Opera.

N. GREGORY MANKIW, a professor of economics at Harvard, wrote “Three Reasons for Those Hefty College Tuition Bills” in The New York Times on December 18. The first reason is Baumol’s cost disease (named for the economist William Baumol): “for many services…productivity barely advances over time. Yet as overall productivity rises in the economy, wages increase, so the cost of producing these services increases as well.” The second reason is the rise in inequality (“rising inequality has increased not only the benefit of education, but also the cost of it”), and the third is price discrimination (“businesses have an incentive to charge different prices to different consumers based on their willingness and ability to pay. Colleges have increasingly followed this practice by raising published prices and offering more financial aid based on a family’s resources.). While hoping that future technologies will significantly reduce the cost of college, Mr. Mankiw points

DR. JOHN BOOZAN presented in the Medicine section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is an ophthalmologist with a private practice in Summit, New Jersey who specializes in studying and treating disorders and diseases of the eye.

related to whole-body vibration,” developing standards for people’s posture when they are exposed to vibrations (such as long car rides causing back problems). His work on spine biomechanics and ergonomics has been recognized with several prestigious awards, including the 1996 Kappa Delta Award (often called the “Nobel Prize of Orthopedic Research”) and the 1998 Borelli Award of the American Society of Biomechanics, among others.

In Liliana Torres’s “Introduction to Biology class,” Dr. David Wilder ’70 uses cookies, marshmallows, toothpicks, and rubber bands to model the complex motions possible across two motion segments in the spine. People have enjoyed his presentation for more than 20 years because they learn about their spine and can eat parts of the model afterward!

DR. DAVID WILDER ’70, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Iowa, presented in the Engineering/Architecture session of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. The same day, he further contributed his insights by presenting his “Spine Mechanics Simplified” lecture to Liliana Torres’s “Introduction to Biology” class. The lecture is based on David’s 42 years of experience studying spine biomechanics and has been presented to audiences ranging from Kindergarten students to back patients and as testimony to the U.S. Department of Labor, among many others. Last spring, David was inducted as an Honorary Member into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health on May 4. The society celebrates excellent academic achievement, devotion to public health principles, and outstanding service in public health. According to Delta Omega, “Honorary membership is conferred only upon persons possessing exceptional qualifications, who have attained meritorious national or international distinction in the field of public health.” Each chapter (The University of Iowa is Alpha Phi) may induct one member per year. Prior Delta Omega Honorary Member inductees include former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and the late President Herbert Hoover. David is an internationally-recognized expert on the human body’s response to “whole body vibration,” which happens when a person is inside vibrating vehicles or equipment. By being invited to become a member of the American National Standards Institute and the International Standards Organization, which establish protocols for vehicle, equipment, and tool manufacturers, he has been involved in developing soft laws to protect people in these environments. Within the ISO, he was the founding convener of a working group on “posture

Stuart Lederman ’78, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Jonathan Shelby ’74, P ’08, ’11, ’19, Sean O’Donnell ’75, P ’05, ’10, Rob Kurz ’73, P ’01, ’03, and Guy Cipriano ’74, P ’06, ’08 met for dinner last fall.

At the university, David holds a secondary appointment as Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health and has made many contributions to The University of Iowa’s College of Public Health. He has served as a core faculty member of the Ergonomics Training Program within the NIOSH-funded* Heartland Center for Occupational Health and Safety since the program’s inception in 2001. His annual course, “Ergonomics of Occupational Injuries,” is among the Ergonomics Training Program’s core courses. David regularly serves on thesis or dissertation committees for trainees of the Heartland Center’s Ergonomics Training Program. He lectures each year in the Occupational and Environmental Health Department course “Occupational Ergonomics I,” providing non-engineers enrolled in the class with a model of spine biomechanics and its relationship with low back pain, historically among the most common health complaints of working people. David was also instrumental in the design and implementation of the new five-year degree program for undergraduate Biomedical Engineering students who are interested in earning a master’s degree in Industrial Hygiene (Biomedical Engineering/ Industrial Hygiene 3+2). David was introduced to ergonomics by observing the actions of his grandfather Henry Clark (Class of 1911; deceased, 1981), who operated an industrial door company and invented the overhead garage door. Mr. Clark considered the health and welfare of his employees so important that he designed workstations and production lines that minimized fatigue and pain. David pursued ergonomics as part of his career because, as a mechanical engineer who understands people’s physical limits, he says, “I have a duty to ‘do the right thing,’ to use my experience and expertise in research, design, and problem-solving to protect human health and welfare.” His grandfather urged him to consider the conditions someone must face in order to do a job, and David believes that, by doing so, one can reduce or avoid the incidences of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the associated personal and national costs and burdens. He emphasizes the importance of treating not only the patient, but also the physical environment. “I would like to put orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons out of a job by eliminating the reasons for treatment of these disorders. Think of the misery that could be avoided!” * National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

Alumni from the 1970s enjoyed their annual dinner with Miller Bugliari ’52 on January 22 at Morris County Golf Club. Front row: Steve Lipper ’79, P ’09, ’12, ’14, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, Larry Hallett ’75, Sean O’Donnell ’75, P ’05, ’10, and Charlie Stillitano, Jr. ’77, P ’17. Middle row: Dr. John Boozan ’75, Chuck Allan ’77, Frank DeLaney ’77, P ’12, Guy Cipriano ’74, P ’06, ’08, and Frank Campagna. Back row: Jack Fields, Jr. ’76, Jonathan Shelby ’74, P ’08, ’11, ’19, Skot Koenig ’77, Stuart Lederman ’78, and Peter Hiscano ’75. WINTER 2015-2016

out that “we will need to find better ways than we have now to pay for a system that is increasingly valuable, but also increasingly expensive.” Read more about Mr. Mankiw on page 51 in an article about Pingry alumni teaching at Harvard.

1977 MICHAEL G. BALOG presented in the Finance section for Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is a Managing Partner at Balog Capital Management. His unconventional career path is directly positioned between traditional investment banking and money management. He parlayed an early entry into technology in the early 1980s into a career transition to investment banking and brokerage in the late 1980s before the explosive growth of technology investing. Michael has spent the last 10 years moving beyond United States-centric activity into emerging market study, frontier market study, and investing in Asia and Africa.

1981 DR. ELIZABETH H. SIMMONS presented in the Science section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is a University Distinguished Professor of Physics at Michigan State University and Dean of the Lyman Briggs College, which focuses on the study of science in historical, philosophical, and sociological contexts.

Ilene Goldman ’83, left, at the Gold Coast Fashion Awards Show.

1983 ILENE GOLDMAN writes, “As a member of the Children’s Service Board, I was honored and privileged to co-chair the 59th and 60th Gold Coast Fashion Award Shows benefiting the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. With the passionate collaboration of my co-chair, our committees and board, the 60th Gold Coast Fashion Award Show raised a record $1.1 million for the hospital. WWD [Women’s Wear Daily] covered the event.”

1984 DAVID DESILVA published his first historical novel. Read more on page 52.

Dr. Elizabeth H. Simmons presenting at Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. 74

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DR. MICHAEL NITABACH presented in the Science section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is Professor of Cellular and Molecular Physiology and of Genetics at the Yale University School of Medicine; a faculty affiliate of the Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair; a member of the Kavli Institute for Neuroscience at Yale; and Visiting Scientist at Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute. JOANNE STEINHARDT P ’15 presented in the Visual Arts section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is a visual artist specializing in photography and projection (www.eat-nap-create.com). Previously, she was a tenured professor in both art and communication at The University of Tampa.

LYRIC WALLWORK WINIK was Keynote Speaker and a presenter in the Media/Communications session for Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. An award-winning writer, she has been called “the go-to scribe for political memoirs.” Her collaborative books have all debuted in the top 10 of The New York Times “Best Sellers” list, including two at number one. As a writer for Parade and The Daily Beast, she profiled such influential figures as Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson, Nancy Pelosi, Donald Rumsfeld, General Tommy Franks, and Dick Cheney. During Career Day, it was wonderful for her to get a chance to see JOANNE STEINHARDT, EDIE MCLAUGHLIN NUSSBAUMER, BETSY (LUCAS) VREELAND, MARTHA (RYAN) GRAFF, HOWARD HERMAN, DR.

Karin Stangeland ’85 on the trails of Bukhansan National Park in Seoul, South Korea.

MIKE NITABACH, [former school counselor] PAT LIONETTI, and MILLER BUGLIARI ’52. Seeing friends and faculty made the day extra special, and she particularly enjoyed the time she spent with a sophomore English class in the afternoon. Read about Lyric’s Keynote presentation on page 46.

1985 KARIN STANGELAND writes, “After spending three years in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro, I was sad to leave this beautiful country. My husband’s work took us to South Korea, and we now live in Seoul. I welcome anyone to get in touch if you are visiting!”

1986

Appleton (Wisconsin), Columbus (Ohio), Jacksonville, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale. Two weeks of rehearsals started in mid-October in New York City. During the tour, she had four hours of daily tutoring to stay current with schoolwork, and learned about teamwork, discipline, and the need to be responsible. Highlights included working with professional actors and actresses and performing for large audiences. DR. IDA MIGUELINO P ’18, ’19 presented in the Medicine section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is a board-certified general pediatrician who was recently voted to New Jersey Family magazine’s list of “NJ’s Favorite Kids’ Docs.” She joined Summit Medical Group in 1998 and works in their New Providence Pediatrics office. DR. THERESA SOHN-SHUM P ’21, ’23 presented in the Medicine section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is an allergy and immunology specialist practicing in Wayne, New Jersey.

1987 Rachel Katzke, daughter of Dr. Jessica Freedman ’86, as Cindy Lou Who with Stefan Karl as the Grinch and Bob Lauder as Old Max.

DR. JESSICA FREEDMAN’s daughter Rachel Katzke performed as Cindy Lou Who in the National Broadway Tour of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical. The seven-week tour made stops in Worcester (Massachusetts), Detroit,

Ismael Barroso and Greg Cohen ’87.

PATRICK BIROTTE P ’20 continues the Keep the Children Safe Trick-or-Treat Memorial Fall Festival in Newark, New Jersey. Read more on page 48. GREG COHEN, Founder and CEO of the boxing promotion company Greg Cohen Promotions, representing Ismael Barroso, undefeated interim World Boxing Association Lightweight Champ, in London in December. The boxer’s record at the time was 18 wins, 17 KOs, and two draws.

1989 ANN MEYER ABDI P ’23 was named Chief Operating Officer of Meyer and Associates. The firm, which she joined in 2003, designs, markets, and administers insurance programs promoted by associations and affinity groups exclusively for their members and their families. DENISE (DRAGONI) COATES presented in the Finance section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is a Principal Director in Accenture’s Finance & Risk consulting practice. Denise lives in Bedminster, New Jersey with her husband John and daughters Cameron and Elsa. MICHELLE LERNER presented in the Non-Profit/Public Service section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. Michelle worked as a legal services attorney for a decade and now does policy work for the Animal Protection League of New Jersey. She also runs the Mt. Olive TNR Project (an all-volunteer “trap-neuter-return” and cat rescue in her town). She has a son in Kindergarten. MARK PASNIK is co-writer of a new book about Boston architecture. Read more on page 52. DR. LAURA TSENG presented in the Medicine section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She works in veterinary specialty and emergency care at Blue Pearl Veterinary Partners.

1990 DIANE DUBOVY BENKE presented in the Management Consulting section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is the founder of Dubovy Consulting, LLC, a marketing consultancy dedicated to building businesses and brands through a deeper understanding of their customers. She also participates in endurance athletics, such as openwater swimming and triathlons— including two Ironmans!—and fundraises with her husband for veterans’ causes. B.J. FESQ, Chief Architect and Chief Data Officer of CIT Group Inc., is one of 100 recipients of

Computerworld’s 2016 Premier 100 Technology Award, recognizing his work to enhance CIT’s data management to comply with new regulatory requirements. The awards program showcases the strategic thinking of technology leaders who are using technology to digitally transform their organizations. These dedicated executives are creating nimble IT organizations to respond quickly to today’s business needs by leveraging the influx of technologies such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, social media, mobile, and wearables. SCOTT LOIKITS presented in the Engineering/Architecture section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is Design Director for GreenbergFarrow, overseeing all of the firm’s design-related tasks.

1991 ADAM GARDNER, a musician in the band Guster (www.guster. com) and Director and Co-Founder of REVERB (www.reverb.org), which works with bands to “green” their tours, was interviewed on Marketplace Morning Report on January 15. In the context of the question, “What are the sources of the wood that people buy?” Adam spoke about the wood used in his band’s guitars, specifically the realization that rare tone woods for musical instruments, in general, are playing a role in the illegal logging trade. During a trip to Guatemala, he learned about the logging practices in their rainforests, areas that are being sustainably harvested through community concessions by the government. Adam hopes that the practices being used in Guatemala can be expanded to combat the global problem of illegal logging. He also encourages consumers to ask for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)certified wood when they shop.

1992 G. PETER NEUMANN presented in the Engineering/Architecture section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. After working in roles as farranging as field engineer to project engineer on major bridge and WINTER 2015-2016

Safe Travels in the Land of the Holy Cow By Lisa duBusc Miller ’87 I’m happy to report that I have survived a 12-day trip through northern India. It all started as a pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal, which sat atop my father’s bucket list for the last 50 years. My mom had her own reasons for going: she’d journeyed to the Taj in 1967 with her mom and wanted a recreation of that moment. So, they researched all the options and signed the three of us up for a tour run by Tauck. It is said that it’s the people who make the place. In this case, that meant being with my amazing and adventurous parents, and it also meant being with 32 other hardy souls who chose, for their own reasons, to make this trek across India. But it quickly became clear that the bright lights of India were not really those of our group, but the faces we met along the way: the kind smiles, small waves, lilting voices, and namaste bows. The genuine warmth, patience, and grace of this welcoming and inviting culture enveloped us in one big Om shanti shanti shanti [invocation of peace in body, speech, and mind]. And it felt good. We managed to cover five major cities of historical significance in 11 days. We began in the capital city of New Delhi with the highlights being Humayun’s tomb and the Gandhi Smriti Museum. Gandhi’s quote, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony,” struck a chord as we placed our feet in his final footsteps. And we all began to understand how an overarching belief in karma is a guiding force to happiness in this sub-continent that comprises 1/5 of humanity and holds 5,000 years of historical significance. India is certainly, and exquisitely, confounding in its contradictions and extremes. From festivals to fireworks to incessant horn honking, this country seems to be in constant celebration (and noise pollution) mode. It’s a non-stop assault on all the senses. And Diwali was still weeks away! From a health perspective, it takes a strong gut to survive a visit to India. We had plenty of worldly travelers in our group, but even they were dropping like flies from “Delhi belly,” and resorting to Cipro and Zithromax, or else they succumbed to a bout of “India pneumonia,” like my mom, from breathing in the difficult air. So, be warned, India is not for the faint of heart, and I’d strongly think twice before bringing the kids. That being said, the Hindu attitudes of patience, acceptance, and overall peace that permeated our trip certainly would be powerful lessons for Americans, including my own amazing, yet ever-so-slightly-spoiled children.

Two generations of Pingry alumni basking in the bucket-list glow of sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Pictured are Lisa duBusc Miller ’87 with her parents Nancy duBusc and Richard B. duBusc ’59 (Parents ’87, ’00).

My fellow Tauck-tarians were asking each other at the end: “Would you come back?” My answer was “Yes,” but I’d probably choose the cooler winter months and head to Mumbai, the Himalayas, or the beaches of Goa. Returning home from India elevated my appreciation for clean crisp autumn air, the brilliant colors of fall foliage, and clean tap water that’s safe to drink and brush my teeth with. To be honest, pulling into my town of Rye, New York after two weeks in India felt like waking up on Christmas morning at age 8.

tunnel projects throughout New York City, he is now the Eastern District Schedule Manager for the Kiewit Companies. SHELBY LUKE RIDEOUT developed the award-winning Bright Signs Learning, a multi-sensory, multi-media educational program for early childhood speech and reading. Read more on page 50.

1993 JAY MURNICK presented in the Real Estate section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is Principal at Murnick Property Group, a familyowned and -operated real estate company in Roseland, New Jersey. 76

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Jay Murnick ’93, Andrew Houston ’00, and Arjuna Sunderam ’96.

1994

1997

DR. DAVID R. BRAUN, Associate Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University, was among a group of scientists working in East Africa who discovered the oldest fossil hominid—a partial hominin mandible with teeth. David co-authored an article that appeared on March 5 in Science.

MAYURI AMULURU CHANDRA presented in the Non-Profit/ Public Service section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. Currently with the Newark Arts Education Roundtable, she designs, develops, and coordinates strategies that impact the delivery of arts education for all Newark children. She works with over 50 organizations, including museums and schools that provide programs for Newark youth.

JANE (SHIVERS) HOFFMAN presented in the Non-Profit/Public Service section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. Founder of A Birthday Wish, Jane was honored with The Honorable Jo-Anne B. Spatola Dream-Maker Award at CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Union County’s Foster the Dream Gala on November 6. A Birthday Wish is a non-profit that grants the birthday wishes of children in New Jersey foster care. To learn more, visit www.ABirthdayWish.org.

Jane (Shivers) Hoffman ’94 and her husband Christian Hoffman ’94 at the CASA gala.

1995 UMA M. AMULURU, Counselor to the Attorney General of the United States, traveled with the AG to Boston to discuss criminal justice issues. Uma formerly was an Associate Counsel at The White House.

1996 Uma M. Amuluru ’95 and Loretta E. Lynch, Attorney General of the United States.

STACEY COZEWITH presented in the Law section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is an attorney-atlaw for the State of New Jersey and a partner with the law firm Snyder & Sarno, LLC. Stacey has been a member of the New Jersey bar since 2004 and the New York bar since 2007. She serves as Vice Chair of the Somerset County Bar Foundation and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Children’s Hope Initiative. Living in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, she is the married mother of two twin boys. JOE ESSENFELD presented in the Entrepreneurship section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Jibe, a job candidate experience platform. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and daughter. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking.

Peter Bowes and big brother Bennett Bowes.

ANTHONY BOWES and his wife Lydie Bowes welcomed baby Peter on Halloween. Anthony writes, “I am teaching and coaching at the Greenwich Country Day School in Greenwich, Connecticut. I get to see Adam Rohdie (Headmaster at GCDS) and Diana Abreu (World Language Dept. Chair) in school every day. I can’t believe this spring is our 20th Pingry Reunion...can’t wait to see everyone and hear the great things the Class of ’96 is up to.”

Dinner at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in New York City in November. Top row: Jeff Boyer ’96, Anthony Bowes ’96, Alex Conway ’96, and Thomas Diemar ’96. Bottom row: Jay Crosby ’96, Miller Bugliari ’52, P ’86, ’90, ’97, GP ’20, and Chris Franklin ’96. WINTER 2015-2016

Senior Project Manager at Bohler Engineering, responsible for the design and permitting of all aspects of commercial, industrial, and residential developments. MICHAEL CHERNOFF is the new General Manager of the Cleveland Indians. Read a Q&A about his ascent to the position on page 44.

George Heller ’97 and Jordan Moore ’01 were on the sideline for the USC-UCLA football game when USC clinched the Pac-12 South Championship. ESPN happened to catch both of them in the shot after the winning touchdown. Jordan is Director of Social Media for USC Athletics, and George was a guest of the USC Athletics Director. Scott Simon ’03, Director of Compliance for USC Athletics, was also on the sideline during the game.

DAVID SOFFER presented in the Law section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. In 2014, he founded the law office of David L. Soffer, LLC in Newark, New Jersey after working at other firms, and after serving for seven years as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

of the General Counsel in the New York City Department of Education in 2015. As an agency attorney in the Teacher Performance Unit, she drafts disciplinary charges against ineffective tenured faculty members and litigates the resulting incompetence cases.

1998

1999

CHRISTINA BARBA presented in the Law section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She joined the Office

BRAD BOHLER presented in the Engineering/Architecture section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is a

David Soffer ’97 and Christina Barba ’98. 78

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CAROLINE DIEMAR presented in the Psychology section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is Coordinator of the South Central Child Advocacy Center and the New Haven Multidisciplinary Team at the Clifford Beers Clinic, providing oversight of the interagency coordination of child abuse cases in the New Haven region. Caroline is also a co-chair of the Connecticut Human Anti-trafficking Response Team, which is tasked with improving Connecticut’s response to trafficked youth.

Caroline Diemar ’99 and Dr. Laura (Fuhrman) Phillips ’03.

LINDSAY HOLMES appeared on ABC-TV’s The Chew on December 16. She writes, “It was a coincidence that my partner Daniel Glogower and I were guests. A friend of the producer works with me and asked if I’d like to be on the show. We interviewed with the producers, and they chose us to do a segment on their ‘Snow Day’ episode. Basically, they sent a production crew to our apartment in Jersey City and filmed us learning how to cook a holiday meal with one of the show’s celebrity chefs. They filmed us doing everything from playing with our son Bowie and talking about our diverse family background, to chopping ingredients and cooking the meal in our kitchen, to serving it to some

CATHERINE PACK presented in the Non-Profit/Public Service section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is a program manager within Verizon’s Global Corporate Citizenship team in New York, responsible for the design, implementation, and measurement of K-12 education and global health care programs. DR. SARA RANKIN presented in the Medicine section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She splits her time between private dental practice in Chatham, New Jersey and serving as an attending dentist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.

Marc Summers, Lindsay Holmes ’99, and Daniel Glogower.

2001

friends. We were also in the studio audience for the taping of the show, which was really fun! We got to meet all of the hosts, and I got to sit next to Marc Summers (of Double Dare fame), which may have been my favorite part— I loved his show when I was a kid.”

GARY LIU presented in the Technology section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is CEO of Digg, a New York tech startup that is building the best content discovery and conversation platform online.

Charles and Campbell Brunhouse.

Sydney Juliette Margolis.

MATTHEW MARGOLIS presented in the Finance section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He works at Fred Alger Management in New York City. Matthew and his wife Jessica are also happy to announce the birth of their daughter Sydney Juliette in December.

2000 ALLIE (MANLY) BRUNHOUSE and BIF BRUNHOUSE welcomed their daughter Campbell Colby into the world on December 19, 2015. Big brother Charles loves his little sister!

ANDREW HOUSTON presented in the Real Estate section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is a Vice President and Principal at Cushman & Wakefield where he is an integral part of the tri-state capital market’s team specializing in industrial sales. He frequently speaks at industry events and is actively involved with numerous industry groups, including NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). BRIAN NEAMAN presented in the Marketing/Advertising section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. After cutting his teeth as an editor at Crew Cuts, a post-production company in New York City, he has transitioned to a career behind the camera. He splits his time editing at Crew Cuts and directing for Hatch Content, a bicoastal creative content agency.

BRIAN MCTERNAN presented in the Management Consulting section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is a Senior Manager in Accenture’s Management Consulting practice, specializing in large-scale business programs in the utilities industry.

MICHAEL SCHWALB presented in the Technology section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. A seasoned executive with over 10 years of experience in the digital and tech industry, he is President and Chief Operating Officer of PubGears, LLC.

2002 ANGELA KIM presented in the Entrepreneurship section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Memoir, a venturebacked mobile startup based in New York City. Over the past eight years, Angela has built and managed products for tech startups ranging from consumer mobile to education to clean tech.

Dr. Sara Rankin ’01, Dr. Ida Miguelino ’86, and Dr. Theresa Sohn-Shum ’86. WINTER 2015-2016

2003 DAVID CRONHEIM presented in the Law section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He serves as Associate General Counsel to The Cronheim Companies in Chatham where he specializes in real estate. He is also Of Counsel to the firm of Clemente Mueller in Morristown and serves as General Counsel to Twin Brooks Country Club. David is also Founder and Chairman of Ivy Ski Club, which bills itself as the nation’s foremost alpine club.

Angela Kim ’02, Joe Essenfeld ’97, and Paul du Pont ’03.

JOHN RHODES presented in the Marketing/Advertising section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He pioneered and helped establish the New York City office branch of the Stephen Gould Corporation, an 80-year-old company that specializes in printing, packaging, displays, and custom-manufactured products. He works in the branch as an account executive. GABBY ROSENTHAL presented in the Media/Communications section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is Director, North America Global Communications at Aramis & Designer Fragrances, one of the many worldwide brands owned by The Estée Lauder Companies.

DR. LAURA (FUHRMAN) PHILLIPS presented in the Psychology section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is a licensed clinical psychologist with a specialty in pediatric neuropsychology. PAUL DU PONT presented in the Entrepreneurship section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He cofounded Vox Supply Chain in 2009 and has been responsible for all of the company’s commercial activity to-date as Director of Business Development. In 2011, he moved to Hong Kong to open Vox’s presence there. In 2013, he did the same in South Africa, which has led to extensive travel across Asia and Africa.

David Cronheim ’03, Stacey Cozewith ’97, and Jack Brescher ’65, P ’99.

2004 ISA BACARDI presented in the Medicine section for Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. Isa is a registered cardiac nurse at Brooklyn, New York’s Maimonides Medical Center. According to the hospital’s website, it is the “pre-eminent treatment facility and medical center in the Borough of Brooklyn.”

Alex Holland ’04, Gabby Rosenthal ’02, and Lyric Wallwork Winik ’84. 80

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ALEX HOLLAND presented in the Media/Communications section at Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She serves as Senior Manager, Enterprise Strategy & Communication at Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick. She also volunteers with Operation Smile and enjoys traveling, cooking, fitness, and spending time with her family on the Chesapeake Bay.

TANYA NAHVI presented in the Management Consulting section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She is Vice President of Life Sciences Research at GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group), a professional learning platform that facilitates one-onone interactions between top industry professionals and thought leaders.

2006 Isa Bacardi ’04, Dr. Laura Tseng ’89, and Dr. John Boozan ’75.

LISA (HARRIS) HIMELMAN married Eric Himelman on July 26 in the Sterling Ballroom at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Tinton

Falls, New Jersey. In attendance were Maid of Honor LINDSAY POUNDER, JENNIE ELLWANGER, ZARINE ALAM, JODIE FRANCIS, and SARA MOURADIAN. EDDIE LAYNG (below), a first-year resident in emergency medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania presented his research on a novel technique for emergency surgical airways at the American College of Emergency Physicians Conference in Boston on October 26. He graduated from Temple Medical School in May 2015.

Tanya Nahvi ’04, Diane Dubovy Benke ’90, and Brian McTernan ’01.

Pamela Elizabeth Lang ’05 married Christopher Graydon Golding on October 31 at Christ the King Church in New Vernon, and the reception was held at Hamilton Farm Golf Club. Attendees included Sam Tasher ’05, Caton Lee ’05, Lauren Tanenbaum ’05, Meghan Renehan Carson ’05, Maggie O’Toole ’05, Maggie Porges ’05, Casey Huser ’05, Abby Conger ’05, Britt Silvestri ’05, Julie Ann Aueron ’05, Nicole Daniele ’05, Emily Lang ’07, Jennifer Lang ’09, Elise Lang ’12, Katie Parsels ’09, Alex Golding ’07, and Catherine Golding ’10. WINTER 2015-2016

ADAM PANTEL presented in the Technology section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is a software engineer for Byte, Inc., which just released its second phone app, Peach.

2008 JESSICA WESTERMAN delivered the John Hanly Lecture on Ethics and Morality on November 20 (see page 28). A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Jessica passed the Bar Exam last fall.

Zarine Alam ’06, Jennie Ellwanger ’06, Sara Mouradian ’06, Lisa (Harris) Himelman ’06, Eric Himelman, Lindsay Pounder ’06, and Jodie Francis ’06.

MELINDA ZOEPHEL presented in the Visual Arts section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. Since March 2014, Melinda has been working as a 3D designer at Ralph Appelbaum Associates, an exhibition design firm in New York. While there, she has worked on projects for LEGO®, the American Museum of Natural History, an aquarium, and a historic house museum.

qualified for the 2012 Olympic trials; though she did not run in the New York City Marathon, the marathon’s organizers invited her to ride in a photo truck, an honor often bestowed on athletes who have not yet made their marathon debuts. Tracktown, set in Eugene, takes its title from the city’s nickname, TrackTown USA; the city’s culture embraces running, and Eugene will host the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials for the third consecutive time this year. The film’s story blends fiction with reality by combining, in Jeremy’s words, “the ‘running world’ and ‘Eugene world.’ There is a small love story inside a big sports movie. We made Eugene its own character so that the story couldn’t be told anywhere else.”

Chris Bender ’89 and Jeremy Teicher ’06 in the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion.

JEREMY TEICHER ’06 was in New York on October 30, two days prior to the New York City Marathon, to participate in a Q&A with the public about his new film Tracktown. The film, which examines the inner struggles of an elite female runner, is intended to appeal to runners and non-runners alike. Jeremy and professional runner Alexi Pappas—the film’s lead actress, and his co-director, fellow Dartmouth graduate, and girlfriend—also showed a behind-the-scenes video about the movie. Alexi, who runs with the Oregon Track Club, was a six-time All-American in the powerhouse track program at the University of Oregon in Eugene, and she

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Notably, two other alumni are involved with Tracktown: cinematographer CHRIS COLLINS ’05, also the cinematographer for Jeremy’s first film Tall as the Baobab Tree, and Executive Producer CHRIS BENDER ’89. A recipient of Pingry’s Achievement in the Arts Award in 2014, Chris Bender is also a runner and ran in the marathon. He became involved with Tracktown after being impressed by Baobab. “That film has incredible storytelling,” he says. “I asked Jeremy about his next project and loved the idea of combining a documentary with scripted storytelling. Jeremy and Alexi had access to resources, which was a huge help, and it’s exciting because this is a different style of film from my usual work [pop culture hits such as American Pie and We’re the Millers].” Those resources include the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field, a renowned track and field stadium (named for Bill Hayward, the university’s men’s track coach from 1904-1947). Interestingly, Jeremy cited Pingry’s encouragement of students to seek out teachers for extra help during CP with instilling in him the confidence to take initiative and approach authority figures: “I didn’t think this way at the time, but I credit that tradition with so much of my ability to put a film together, recruit partners, and gain access to people and environments that otherwise would be out of reach—you don’t get what you don’t ask for.” Tracktown is being reviewed by film festivals. The date for the premiere is to-be-determined.

Lindsay Holmes ’99, Adam Pantel ’06, Michael Schwalb ’01, Dr. Don Burt ’69, and Gary Liu ’01.

2009 TALIA HUGHES presented in the Visual Arts section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. She graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2013. While there, she worked at The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore in a curatorial capacity. After graduation, she spent one year working for artnet, an online auction platform. In October 2014, she left artnet and started working in the Impressionist & Modern Art Department at Christie’s in New York City.

2010

Brandon Moy ’10 and Michael G. Balog ’77.

BRANDON MOY presented in the Finance section of Pingry’s 2016 Career Day. He is an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs. JENNIFER SOONG joined the Department of English at Princeton University as a firstyear doctoral candidate with an interest in modern and contemporary poetry and critical theory. She went from being a staff reader at the art-lit magazine Nat. Brut to being the publication’s current Poetry Editor. Her poems were also recently published in Prelude Magazine and DIAGRAM.

Talia Hughes ’09, Joanne Steinhardt ’84, and Melinda Zoephel ’08. WINTER 2015-2016

2011 NIC FINK was profiled in the January issue of Swimming World magazine. Read more on page 43. MALVI HEMANI is a Business Technology Analyst at Deloitte Consulting in Arlington, Virginia. On page 53, read about her two projects from Johns Hopkins University, one to save lives of newborns and the other to accurately monitor uterine contractions for women in labor.

2012 MAEL CORBOZ, who played soccer at the University of Maryland, signed a four-year contract with the New York Red Bulls and earned a conference honor last fall. Read more on page 42. KATE LEIB, running Women’s Cross Country at Middlebury College, earned an academic honor last fall. See page 42. MAGGIE MORASH, playing soccer at Rutgers University, helped lead her team to victory in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament last fall. Read more on page 42.

2013 NICOLE ARATA, playing field hockey at Tufts University, earned an academic honor last fall. See page 42. BRIGID BRUNO, playing field hockey at Williams College, earned an academic honor last fall. See page 42. AMANDA HAIK, playing soccer at Middlebury College, earned NESCAC honors last fall. Read more on page 42. CAMERON KIRDZIK, playing soccer at Yale University, earned an academic honor last fall (see page 42). An economics major, he is Co-Founder and President of Yale Undergraduate Diversified Investments, and is involved with iMentor, a nonprofit that works with inner city children to help them succeed in college and the workforce. A Cum Laude Society inductee at Pingry, Cameron 84

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A Pingry swimming reunion at Princeton University’s Big Al Invite in December: Alex Mango ’12 (Columbia), Dorian Allen ’13 (Dartmouth), former Boys’ Varsity Swimming Head Coach Bill Reichle P ’00, Steve Brown Klinger ’01 (Dartmouth ’05) and one of his daughters, and Will LaCosta ’13 (Brown).

served on the Honor Board and was awarded the School’s firstever Economics Prize his senior year.

Jonathan won his match 3-2. Playing against St. Lawrence, Derek and Jonathan both won their matches 3-2.

CARLY ROTATORI, playing soccer at Harvard University, continues a legacy of Pingry alumnae serving as captain of the women’s soccer team. See page 42.

2015

2014 RACHEL CORBOZ, playing soccer at Georgetown University, earned conference honors last fall. See page 42. DEREK HSUE and JONATHAN ZEITELS ’15, playing squash at the University of Pennsylvania, contributed to their team’s two top-five wins in the same weekend—a victory over No. 4 Rochester on December 5 and a victory over No. 3 St. Lawrence on December 6. In the December 5 contest against Rochester (Penn’s first win over a higher-ranked opponent in the 2015-16 season),

Class Notes

JAMIE FINNEGAN, swimming at Williams College, anchored the winning 200 medley relay and won the 100 freestyle in a victory against Union College on November 21. SYDNEY LIEBERMAN, who studied film and digital photography at Pingry, was featured in the photography exhibit “Illuminated Journeys” at Morristown’s 70 South Gallery. She is a freshman at the University of Michigan. SEB LUTZ, swimming at Harvard University, was part of a recordbreaking freestyle relay. See page 42. JC SORENSON, one of 12 lacrosse players recruited to the University of Michigan, was profiled on the

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Wolverines’ athletics website, MGoBlue.com, in November. He addresses why he chose Michigan (“the rich blend of academic mix and athletics”), his hopes as his college lacrosse career opens (“contributing to the team and getting faster, stronger, and better at lacrosse…helping my teammates improve and helping us win”), and how freestyle skiing aids his lacrosse development (“being aware of my surroundings, my balance and coordination were all enhanced”). As a midfielder, JC played a key role in Big Blue’s NJSIAA Non-Public “B” Championship and Tournament of Champions semifinalist standing last spring. ALEX WOLFSON, swimming at Trinity College, swept the backstroke races in his first college meet, a match-up against Hamilton College on November 21. He won the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 54.36 and the 200-yard backstroke with a time of 2:01.55.

Contact Ariana King ’11, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, at aking@pingry.org, The Pingry School, 131 Martinsville Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920.

PINGRY ALUMNI:

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Connect with Pingry Beyond Graduation The advantages of a Pingry education do not end with graduation. Pingry’s Alumni Connect mobile app can help you harness the power of our vast alumni network. With the help of an integrated map and database, you can get in touch with alumni in your community and industry!

Looking to Grow Your Network? Pingry has ten different LinkedIn networking groups you can join. Whether you are interested in law, entertainment, the arts, or another discipline, we have crafted a niche community for you to share and gather information. To find us, search for “Pingry” in the groups tab in LinkedIn! For more information, visit www.pingry.org/alumniapp

Download the Pingry Alumni Connect App Today! WINTER 2015-2016

In Memoriam Jeremiah K. “Jere” Ross, Jr. ’52 November 7, 2015, age 81, Redding, CT

Mr. Ross, recipient of The Class of 1902 Emblem Award, earned a degree in English at Yale University and began his career as a Vice President at First National City Bank of New York, where he headed the Energy Department. An investment banker, he joined the firm of White Weld & Co., later acquired by Merrill Lynch, where he specialized in the petroleum and mining industries. Mr. Ross and a colleague founded Energy Advisors, Inc., providing financial consulting to the natural resources industry. In Redding, he served on the Town’s Conservation Commission and was an assistant trail manager for the Trail Tenders, volunteers who maintain the town’s trail system. Mr. Ross was also a past president of the Norwalk River Valley Trail Association. One of the originators of Gilbert-Miller Park in Georgetown, he was awarded the First Selectman’s Civic Medal of Honor. Mr. Ross was predeceased by his brother Frederick Walters ’48. Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Jane; daughter Daphne; son Jeremiah III; grandchildren Lindsey and Jeremiah IV; sister Mary; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Richard T. Steinbrenner ’54 January 22, 2016, age 79, Warren, NJ

Mr. Steinbrenner earned a B.A. in Mechanical Engineering at Union College, where he excelled in baseball and soccer. As Co-Captain of the 1957 Union soccer team, he was known for his goalscoring prowess, setting the record for career goals scored at Union College. He spent his career at Bell Laboratories and earned a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at New York University. Named on several patents, Mr. Steinbrenner began his career as an engineer, but quickly moved up into program management, working on significant technology projects involving sonar, mini-recorders, and signal processing systems. He was a classical music aficionado, an interest he shared in the September 2014 issue of The Pingry Review. His true passion was trains, especially the Lehigh Valley Railroad and American Locomotive Company (ALCO) locomotives. In addition to being a gifted modeler, he photographed trains over seven decades. After his retirement, Mr. Steinbrenner focused on authoring and

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publishing books about trains under the name of On Track Publishers, and his books include the definitive history of ALCO, The American Locomotive Company: A Centennial Remembrance (2003). He also served as Chairman of the Board of the ALCO Historical & Technical Society. Mr. Steinbrenner was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1954 Baseball Team. He was predeceased by his sister Ann. Survivors include his loving wife of 51 years, Anne; son Ted ’87 (Allison); daughters Marjorie (Karl) and Cathy ’95 (David); and grandchildren Ryan, Lindsey, Eli, Samantha, Nina, and Tyler.

Fred Lincoln Hewitt III ’56 May 14, 2015, age 76, Galesville, MD

Fred Hewitt played on Pingry’s first varsity lacrosse team in 1956. With 11 goals in a game against West Point Club, he holds the Pingry boys’ lacrosse record for most goals in a game and is tied for second for most points in a game. He graduated from Hamilton College, where he studied history and played ice hockey and soccer, and attended the Naval Officer Candidate School (NOCS). He was a line officer on the Guided Missile Cruiser USS Boston and became an instructor at the NOCS. After hearing President Kennedy’s famous words, “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country,” he stayed in the Navy and began flight training in Pensacola— he did not know if he would make the Navy a career, but he felt he could “give more years to his country.” Later, he survived 205 missions over North Vietnam in the Grumman A-6 Intruder and had 352 carrier landings. He served in A-6 squadrons VA-42, VA-85, VA-75, and VA-34. LCDR Hewitt received a Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and 16 Air Medals. After 13 years as a Naval Officer and Naval Aviator, he left the Navy to spend more time with his family. He became Athletics Director, history teacher, and ice hockey coach at Portsmouth Abbey School in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, followed by Athletics Director and coach at Antwerp International School in Antwerp, Belgium and Athletics Director and history teacher at Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland. He received a Master’s in Education from Michigan State University, became a tennis professional, and spent many summers giving tennis lessons. He served as President of the Maryland State Athletic Directors Association and is a member of the Severn School Hall of Fame. Survivors include his adoring wife of nearly 53 years, Ann; daughters Cathy (Ben), Meg (Randy), Beth (Kurt), and Amy; and grandchildren Christie (Jesse), Kaeleigh (Ben), Courtney, Tommy, Kelsey, Shane, Hunter, and Meghan.

James C. Kellogg IV ’57

December 31, 2015, age 76, Short Hills, NJ

Mr. Kellogg graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. During his career, he was a partner at the Manhattan law firm Townley & Updike, the President of the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the President of the J.C. Kellogg Foundation, and a valued trustee of many non-profit boards, including Prudential Insurance Company, New Jersey Transit, Children’s Specialized Hospital, and Meridian Health System. He cherished the idea of creating opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds to be healthy, to learn, and to grow, so he was most proud of his philanthropic work in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Survivors include his wife Gail; children Jimmy, Kate ’84, and Elizabeth Kellogg Winterbottom ’87; grandchildren Emily, Jimmy, Grace, Chris, Andrew, Hailey, Francesca, Maile Winterbottom ’21, and Penelope Winterbottom ’23, and younger brothers Peter, Kelly, and Rusty. Mr. Kellogg died from congestive heart failure.

Dr. Charles L. Lerman ’65

September 22, 2015, age 67, Newtown Square, PA

Dr. Lerman graduated from Yale and Harvard Universities and studied as a post-doctorate fellow in biochemistry at the University of Pennsylvania. He worked for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals in Wilmington, Delaware, serving first as a research chemist and then as the company’s principal chemist. After retiring, he was an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Haverford College. Dr. Lerman authored and co-authored many articles on biochemistry and received many awards, including the AstraZeneca Global Scientific and Technical Achievement Award (2004). He was predeceased by his parents and his brother Mark ’69. Survivors include his son Michael, brother David ’74 (Jacquie), and sister Marjorie Lerman Durand ’82 (David).

James Robert “Jim” Birkhold ’67

Royal L. Allen III ’81

Oakland Boyce Adams III ’90

Mr. Birkhold received a B.A. from Yale College and a J.D. from Boston University. He began practicing law as a VISTA volunteer and staff attorney with the Prison Project in Gainesville, Florida. He later served as an assistant public defender, in Jacksonville and Bradenton, followed by private practice—principally in domestic relations and criminal defense—in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in Manatee County. In 1995, Mr. Birkhold joined the 2nd District Court of Appeals as a senior staff attorney and managed the staff attorneys of that office until his appointment as Clerk of the 2nd District Court of Appeals in 1999. He was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1965 Soccer Team. Survivors include his loving wife Christy and a loving family. Mr. Birkhold died in an automobile accident.

Mr. Allen earned dual B.A. degrees in Economics and Music at Amherst College and received an M.B.A. from Harvard Graduate School of Business Management. He spent his career as a marketing executive, working for various communications firms to promote consumer products and services for companies such as Merrill Lynch, Anheuser-Busch, KFC, Pillsbury, and American Airlines. For several years, Mr. Allen operated his own company, RAM Events (Royal Allen Marketing), before joining The Danielle Ashley Group, a marketing agency. He served as Director of Business Development for their Chicago-based First Ladies Health Initiative, which partners with “First Ladies,” or pastors’ wives, to offer free health screenings for the African-American and Hispanic communities; since its inception in Chicago seven years ago, more than 200,000 people have been screened, and the program has expanded to 155 churches in five cities that host annual Walgreens-sponsored First Ladies Health Days. Mr. Allen also worked on the unveiling of the Magic Johnson Foundation and the 2004 Black Creativity Gala at the Museum of Science & Industry. He served as Marketing Chair for the Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association and as Chair of the Auxiliary Board of the Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Mr. Allen died from congestive heart failure.

Mr. Adams lettered in track at Pingry and served as Captain of the Varsity Track Team. He also sang with the Buttondowns. He earned a B.A. with Honors at Williams College and a J.D. at Harvard Law School. At Williams, he was a member of the Class of 1960 Scholars in History. While at Harvard Law School, he was associate editor of the Journal of Law and Technology and editor of the Black Law Students’ Association Newsletter. A trained musician, Mr. Adams was a member and director of the Williams Octet, an all-male a cappella singing group, and received the Lester F. Martin Scholarship Award in Music. Mr. Adams began his career as a junior associate with a prestigious New York law firm concentrating in general corporate and securities law. In the New Orleans area, he was the director of legal research and compliance management at an esteemed law firm specializing in commercial litigation. He also served as President of the Board of Directors of The Williams Settlement, Inc., a non-profit corporation in West Monroe. Among his numerous accomplishments and contributions, Mr. Adams considered his greatest to be his relationship with God and his community of faith. Survivors include his wife Dawn, daughters Tirzah and Bethlehem, mother Dr. Betty Livingston Adams, father Oakland, and maternal and paternal grandmothers, Alice Simon Livingston and Mary Meadors Adams.

August 16, 2015, age 66, Lakeland, FL

Kenneth Lewis Sperling ’76 December 3, 2015, age 57, Orange, CT

Mr. Sperling received a Bachelor’s Degree from Duke University and a Master of Business Administration from New York University. He enjoyed performing in community theater, and his professional accomplishments as Aon Hewitt’s National Health Exchange Strategy Leader included positions on multiple health care industry boards. His passion for the industry was reflected as he advised Fortune 500 companies on their health care strategies, defended market trends on Wall Street, and counseled Congress on health care reform legislation. In addition, Mr. Sperling enjoyed guest lecturing at Harvard Business School, UCONN School of Business, Yale School of Management, and Yale School of Medicine. He was inducted into Pingry’s Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 1974 Soccer Team. Mr. Sperling was predeceased by his father Philip. Survivors include his wife Ros, sons Daniel and Benjamin (fiancée Ariel), sister Kathy (Mike), and parents Florence Sperling, Renee and Stan Babit, and Joan Newborn. Mr. Sperling died from Stage IV esophageal cancer.

January 1, 2016, age 52, Chicago, IL

July 25, 2015, age 42, New Orleans, LA

Faculty

Frank L. Steep

January 6, 2016, age 72, Kure Beach, NC

Mr. Steep taught at Pingry’s Lower School from 1972 to 1998, beginning with Short Hills Country Day School. He taught Grade 5 early in his Pingry career and is best remembered for teaching Grade 6 Language Arts. Mr. Steep received a B.A. from LaSalle College and earned a second degree later in his career, following his time at Pingry.

WINTER 2015-2016

Closing Word

Pingry’s Master Improviser Explains the Art By Sean McAnally, Director of the Upper School Jazz Ensemble and Head Coach of Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey Jazz and ice hockey—there is a structure for both, but, within that structure, you need to improvise. In traditional jazz, musicians play a melody and modify or arrange the harmony that was provided with the melody. If you are a member of a small group, perhaps a jazz quartet or quintet, you play that arrangement, and the framework of harmonic progression is what you improvise over. It is a cyclical process, not linear. The listener may hear linear progression from beginning to end— introduction, melody, solo, melody, coda—but that melody has a form, like A-A-B-A. The soloist uses that format to improvise, returning to the beginning of the form to improvise over it. One of my teachers once said, “It’s like the floors of a building, with a foundation and then layers.” On the ice, there is a puck, and you play within the structure of lines, goals, and goal lines, defending your area and reacting to situations—a lot of improvisation. Just like in musical improvisation, there needs to be communication among the athletes. I often see a young improviser who fails to commit to making a “declarative statement,” a term I use when coaching ice hockey. For example, the puck is in the corner and I am the first forward, but the puck is not on my side. My declarative statement would be “I skate really hard toward the puck.” That tells my linemates that I am playing the puck, so they react accordingly by going into a supportive role. Many times, nobody goes for the puck, so nothing materializes. 88

THE PINGRY REVIEW

To make the analogy in jazz: I start improvising on a motif, gradually developing the melody. The rhythm section understands and hears what I am doing. Then, I make a change, so they follow me and may, in fact, make a musical suggestion. Their response to what I play does not necessarily have to be in a “supporting role.” They could be commenting or suggesting. It is the idea of awareness—going for it, taking a risk within a framework. In fact,

diversion, or take the rebound. And, again, you are making a declarative statement. Good passing, skating to an open place to take a pass, reading the play, responding—that coordination of action among teammates creates the “wow” factor. What is the risk of improvisation? Trying, not succeeding, and trying again, which is perfectly acceptable and encouraged. How do you know

Improvisation forces an individual to make individual decisions within a group context, for the greater good of the group. improvising in music is much like improvising when we speak. Conversations are improvised—you know the topic, but you improvise within a form, through vocabulary, tones of voice, nodding, or shaking your head. Ultimately, we are all master improvisers, whether in conversation, walking down a hallway, or driving a car. There is always an expected structure, but you need to adjust your actions based on the circumstances— you are following a formula, but not being formulaic. Like a good musical improvisation, which takes the listener on a journey, there is a journey in ice hockey. We often say “go to the net” because, if your teammate has the puck, you are creating possible outcomes, whether you receive a pass at the net, create a

if improvisation in music is effective? If it is pleasing to you or someone in the audience; ultimately, it is subjective. What makes improvisation effective in communication? Getting your point across. What happens if you do not take any risks? Nothing. That is why students are acting, singing, dancing, playing music, playing team sports, and, in general, getting out of their comfort zones. Improvisation forces an individual to make individual decisions within a group context, for the greater good of the group—whether a musician, a goalie, a forward, a running back. The questions to be asked are, “What can I experiment with?” and “How will it help the group?” Once you have those answers, the risk is much less because the pursuit is much nobler.

Pingry Reunion: May 20-21 Visit Pingry.org/Reunion for more information

PINGRY ALUMNI CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Alumni Class Notes Send us your latest news!

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Pingry Finance Network Event

Do you have a new job? New baby? Just married? Recently moved? Or any updates to share with your classmates? We are collecting class notes and photos for the next issue of The Pingry Review.

The Yale Club of New York City – 6:30 p.m.

Mail them to Ariana King ’11 at The Pingry School, 131 Martinsville Road, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920 or email them to Ariana at aking@pingry.org.

Chicago Regional Reception

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Alumnae Cooking Event in Manhattan Hosted by Edie McLaughlin Nussbaumer ’84 – 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Co-hosted by Justin Manly ’98 and Paul Anderson ’99 – 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Washington, D.C. Regional Reception Hosted by Andra and Gregory Chernack ’89

Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, 2016

Pingry Reunion Weekend

Mark your calendars, and come back to Pingry for our biggest weekend of the year! Reunion highlights will include the presentation of the Achievement in the Arts Award to documentary filmmaker Jack Youngelson ’85 as well as induction of the newest members of the Pingry Athletics Hall of Fame: Catherine Pack ’01, Sara Tindall-Woodman ’97, the 1995 Football Team, and the 1995 Boys’ Soccer Team. In a special ceremony on Saturday morning, The Nelson L. Carr Service Award will be presented to the family of the late Warren S. “Kim” Kimber, Jr. ’52, P ’76, ’79, GP ’07. Facebook: Pingry School Alumni Twitter: @PingryAlumni LinkedIn: The Pingry School Alumni Network

Monday, June 27, 2016

The Pingry Golf Outing Hamilton Farm Golf Club

For volunteer opportunities or any additional questions, please contact:

David M. Fahey ’99 Director of Alumni Relations and Senior Major Gifts Officer for Athletics dfahey@pingry.org Dates, locations, and times are subject to change or will be announced soon. Check www.pingry.org for updates. (908) 647-7058

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