The Gryphon: Spring 2016 by The Cambridge School of Weston (CSW)

THE

spring 2016

the cambridge school of weston magazine

How CSW Students Engage with the World Reflections from A Rocket Scientist CSW Turns 130

2015–16 board of trustees

2015–16 parents association leadership

Benjamin Alimansky ’87 Chair, Investment Committee

Ann Gorson P ’16 President

Christine Chamberlain ’63 Chair, Governance Committee

Deb Azrael P ’17 Birthdays for Boarders

Eleni (Lena) Christakis ’16 Boarding Student Representative

Charlotte Peirce P ’18 Birthdays for Boarders

Erika Christakis P ’11, ’13, ’16

Gillan Wang P ’17 Faculty Appreciation

Philip DeNormandie ’67 Rachael Dorr P ’07 Secretary Nina Fialkow P ’10 Anne-Marie Fitzgerald P ’16 Parent Representative Ann Gorson P ’16 Parent Representative Cynthia Harmon Kaiko Marie Hayes ’81 Jin-Kyung (Kay) Kim P ’15, ’16, ’18 Tony Loreti P ’11, ’13 Faculty Representative Richard McCready P ’13 Treasurer; Chair, Finance Committee Jane Moulding Head of School Christian Nolen P ’10 Chair of the Board Deborah Pressman P ’10 Alexander Rosenthal ’08 Sarita Shah ’86 Assistant Secretary Simon Taylor ’98 Peter Thorne P ’12 Ingrid Tucker Eduardo Tugendhat ’72, P ’07 Anjali Tyagi Faculty Representative Susan Vogt P ’14 Vice Chair of the Board; Chair, Campaign Steering Committee Noah Wass ’16 Day Student Representative John Welch P ’15 Assistant Treasurer Daniel Wolf ’65

Lelia Elliston ’80, P ’18 Contemporary Art Loan Program Lise Gordon P ’14, ’16 Contemporary Art Loan Program Susan Buta P ’17 “PACED” (Parent Association Committee on Equity and Diversity) Karen Gould P ’18 “PACED” (Parent Association Committee on Equity and Diversity) Mary Snow P ’17 Parent Information Coffees To contact the Parents Association please email: pa@csw.org

the gryphon, Spring 2016 Jane Moulding, Head of School Rachel Stoff, Managing Editor , Associate Director, Marketing & Communications Rebecca Schultzberg, Director, Alumni/ae and Development Angela Gaffney, Director, Marketing & Communications Jess Kim, Digital Content/Multimedia Specialist, Marketing & Communications

contributors John Butman P’02 Russ Campbell P’19 Christine Chamberlain ’63 Aprille Joy Ericsson ’81 Arlo Furst ’04 Naya Herman ’12 Ben Kahan ’17 Julia Keating ’17 Max Labelle ’14 Amy Meneely Andrew Strominger ’72 Brian Walker Cover image: Taken in the Sculpture: Wheelworking course, taught by Tad Lawrence. Photo by Jess Kim

design Barlay Studio • www.barlaystudio.com The Cambridge School of Weston is a coeducational college preparatory school for grades 9–12 and postgraduate study. Inquiries for academic year admission should be directed to Trish Saunders, Director of Admissions, at 781.642.8650. The Gryphon welcomes class notes and photographs by alumni, parents, and friends. Please email submissions to alum@csw.org; call 781.642.8619; visit www.csw.org; or send to: Alumni/ae Relations The Cambridge School of Weston 45 Georgian Road Weston, MA 02493

contact To contact the editor, email: gryphon@csw.org Website: www.csw.org

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Departments Leading Thoughts by Jane Moulding News & Notes Noteworthy CSW Bookshelf

Creativity@Work

CSW By the Numbers

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Course Spotlight My Five

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Features

Faculty Features

From the Desk of . . . Andrew Strominger ’72

Snapshots of Support

Getting Outside the Bubble

Space Race

CSW Turns 130

Perspective: A Happy and Successful Non-Conformist

Alumni/ae News

art by Sarah Stockdale ’17

Alumni/ae Profiles: Simon Taylor ’98, Hannah Hughes ’05

From the Archives: Then & Now

Class Notes

In Memoriam

Alumni/ae Reflections: On a Mission

LEADING THOUGHTS

Leading Thoughts: Seeing the world, seeing possibility T his issue of the Gryphon, featuring pieces on global engagement, Generation Z, space travel and a host of innovative alumni/ae, is an examination of opportunity—it’s all about what was possible, what is possible and what will be possible in our world today and the world that our students will inherit and shape. That combined lens of opportunity and possibility is a fitting one through which to view our amazing school, particularly as we celebrate 130 years as an institution. Saying goodbye to the French Gymnasium, at least in its present form, is just one current example of a combination of opportunity and possibility available to us at CSW. In fact, we plan to turn the space into a kind of “possibility incubator” — the large open area will offer students and faculty a space for new collaborations among disciplines and for enhanced project-based learning moments. When Bob Johnson P ’96 (Matt Johnson ’96) was here a few weeks ago, he described Building 20 at MIT, a place where some pretty exciting discoveries were developed; it was known as a “magical incubator.” Our plans for the French Gym might well lead to this very type of open space on campus for discovery, connection and making. CSW students thrive in an environment that presents new and unexpected moments of opportunity and possibility. As alumni/ ae, they bring this perspective to the larger world, in whatever sphere of influence they inhabit. Our alumni/ae profiles in this issue are wonderful examples of precisely this trait, of people who have been pathfinders and explorers in their own way. From Aprille Ericsson-Jackson ’81 and her work in aerospace engineering to Vil Ezerins ’78 and his first company (founded while he was a student at CSW), our alumni/ae perpetually see opportunity where others see obstacles. Speaking of our many noteworthy alumni/ae, the loss of Conrad White ’54 is sad news for our community this year. An icon of our school, Connie embodied community, “gentil dedes” and strong thought leadership. There is no doubt in my mind that he was vital to CSW’s growth as an informed institution and a place where social justice is bedrock.

Global engagement, one of our four strategic initiatives and a focus of the last two issues of the Gryphon, is also a defining trait of Gen Z. Former CSW board chair John Butman P ’02 (Jeremy Butman ’02) wrote the article in this issue that focuses on CSW’s very own members of Gen Z—young people who see the world as a fundamentally interconnected place and who are deeply invested in being engaged, global citizens. CSW has always maintained a focus on looking outward and not just inward—Simon Taylor ’98, Hannah Hughes ’05, and Andrew Strominger ’72 all personify this open view to the world (or, in Andrew’s case, the universe!). It’s a view that ensures the sustainability of our school and its relevance in the world. As I look ahead to next year, I see tremendous possibility and am excited about a number of new additions to our programs. Certainly, the new Health and Fitness Center will be a particularly visible emblem of our growth and vitality as a school. I look forward to the ways in which this new center of activity on our lower campus will contribute to life at CSW and become a new nexus of our community. Next year will also bring to campus the innovative Global Health course, developed over the past two years in partnership with Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Incubator Project run by Sue Goldie. My thanks to the team of teachers who have been working to bring this exciting option to our school. Space travel, exploration, rapid change—thanks to Brian Walker (former CSW English teacher) for his light-hearted response on these topics inspired by recent world news. We are, indeed, in times of exhilarating opportunity and possibility and I love that CSW is so well equipped not only to take on these changes, but also to remain grounded in the progressive and community values that ensure our success.

Organized by the Asian Affinity Group to acknowledge Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the group presented a panel at assembly that invited a few students and adults to share stories on topics like identity, transracial adoption, racial politics, and selfhood, both in context of personal life and school.

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CSW Celebrates the Class of 2016 in 130th Commencement T he 130Th CSW CommenCemenT exerCiSeS were held for the Class of 2016 on Friday, June 10. On this halcyon day, the Class processed from the Garthwaite Center for Science and Art to the ceremonial white tent on the Quad. The Class is composed of 90 students, 89 seniors and one post-graduate. It is a diverse group of students from allover the world including China, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, South Korea, Spain and Vietnam. Each year, as part of school tradition, the seniors create a meaningful ceremony for our community. All student speakers, faculty and staff name readers and conferrers of diplomas were selected by their class including the musical accompaniment and performances. The ceremony began as CSW Head of School Jane Moulding welcomed the Class and guests and gave some warm words about the people who make up the tapestry of the school’s history, which celebrates 130 years. “We hope to stay in touch with you forever,” said Jane. “As you become part of the 5,000 strong graduates of the school.”

Jane introduced the chair of the CSW board of trustees and parent of alumnus, Christian Nolen P’10, and thanked him for the board’s sustained success during his tenure. Christian reiterated Jane’s point that CSW is “student-centered.” “You work collaboratively in town meeting to get things done,” Christian said to the Class. “You support each other during assembly performances and on the field, and you care passionately about social justice. Replicate these qualities wherever you go.” Acknowledging the highest-ranking woman in the history of U.S. government – Madeleine Albright - Jane shared several quotes given from a Scripps College commencement speech, underlining Albright’s experiences positioning women’s issues central to foreign policy. “HOW WILL YOU USE YOUR EMERGING CONFIDENCE TO ENSURE THAT YOU DO NOT STOP LEARNING,” Jane asked the Class.

“Stay open to what you can learn from others; have the courage and the generosity to listen.” The first of the two faculty speakers to address the class, Ryan Jacobs, history faculty since 2012, asked the class to remember “you can be certain that you exist, but the nature of your existence, and of this world, is a matter of your perspective.”

Ryan presented several playful quizzes on demographics and geography to the Class to consider the perception of time. “Our lives are loans; we don’t get to keep them forever” Ryan added. He continued to impart another perspective: that change is part of the human condition. “PERHAPS THE BEST WE CAN DO IS ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND CHANGE,” Ryan shared.

“To shape the direction if takes to the best of our abilities.” Also a history teacher since 2012, Patrick Foley was the second faculty speaker. Patrick and his family are dorm parents in Aleph Dorm. He gave the Class a history of the iconic “We Are” sculpture on campus, which germinated out of a student assignment during the late 1970’s. He told the bittersweet story of the ninth grader that created the sculpture in her sketchbook, and when she sadly passed away, a friend and classmate of hers discovered the piece and brought the idea to life on campus. “We are a people, who at our core, desire a sense of belonging,” Patrick shared. “We are dares us to invite those who do not yet belong, to join. We are is social justice, for in a just society, all are welcome no matter what.” Student speakers Nisani Lopez ’16 and Farid Azar Léon ’16 spent time together as boarding students over the last two

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years. Nisani is a passionate dancer and poet from New York, involved with the spoken word activism group Poetic Justice since grade nine. “WE BELIEVE THAT BEING AN ATHLETE, AN ARTIST, A SCHOLAR AND MORE IS IN FACT POSSIBLE,” shared Nisani. She encouraged

her classmates to remain open to their “limitless potential” by staying connected to their inspirations.

“The level of warmth and love within this community has power,” she added. “The power to thrive beyond anything, including our harsh New England winters.” Farid arrived from Mexico in his junior year. He further developed his passion for mathematics and became a confident leader on campus. “Progress happens whenever we are challenged, when we get out of our comfort zone,” said Farid who also made the audience laugh with a love letter to CSW that included several of his own mathematical equations.

photos by Russ Campbell P’19

“EVER SINCE WE MET, WE BOTH KNEW THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WOULD DIVERGE LIKE A GEOMETRIC SERIES WITH A COMMON RATIO GREATER THAN ONE,” he read. “And that you

would continue to cheat on me, and that I would have to leave you someday.”

Quoting philosopher’s Thomas Hobbes infamous equation, he created his own more serious equation: “privilege equals power which equals knowledge.” Farid and Nisani will attend Haverford College and George Washington University respectively in the fall. The uplifting speeches were followed by several musical performances presented by faculty and staff, including the student-run acapella group the Gryphtones with their rendition of The Head and the Heart’s “Rivers and Roads.” Shortly following the cheers and hugs, the Class of 2016 recessed to “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys. The newly initiated members of the CSW alumni/ae community gathered with their friends and families for a lively reception.

NEWS & NOTES

Listen, Discuss & Experience: Diversity Day at CSW

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This year’s Diversity Day offered a full day of workshops exploring a variety of topics, ranging from cultural traditions and stereotypes to gender, class and body image. “THE FACT THAT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY GENERATES, PRESENTS AND PARTICIPATES IN THE TREMENDOUS BREADTH OF CONTENT FOR DIVERSITY DAY IS EXTRAORDINARY AND SPEAKS TO THE TYPE OF SCHOOL THAT WE ARE,” SHARED JOHÁRA TUCKER , DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMMING. The Diversity Committee, steered by two student coordinators (Satinder Parmar ’17 and Fayona Thomas ’17), worked closely with Johára, committee advisor and math teacher LeeAnn Brash, and fellow students to organize the program for the day, including the outstanding selection of workshops, many of which were student-led, such as Black Bodies Pink Tights; Dudes, Dads & Dictators; Traditional Chinese Ink Painting; Israeli Dancing; and Brazilian Rhythms. A new component this year included department-led workshops, with faculty and staff presenting a wide-range of sessions, including Latin American Food & Festival; Informed Consent in Scientific Research; Audism Unveiled; White Privilege; and Teaching Race. Many workshops were led collaboratively by faculty, staff and students. A keynote presentation by Adriel Luis, a visual artist, musician, writer, educator and Smithsonian Museum curator, rounded-out the Diversity Day offerings. Through creative, spoken word poetry, theatrical skits and music built with audio files from his travels around the world, Adriel engaged and challenged the audience with works that present the difficult tensions that exist in American culture related to race, gender and sexuality. Adriel’s overall message was one of embracing diversity and diverse experiences and students had the chance to engage with Adriel further on these and other topics during lunch in the dining hall following his presentation. After a full slate of afternoon workshops and presentations, Diversity Day 2016 concluded with dialogue debriefs in advisory groups and the encouragement to keep the conversation going on what diversity is and what it means to our community.

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Annual Dance Concert: Mirage “When the view is blurred and the illusion is allowed to create a new state of being” – This quote perfectly described CSW’s annual Dance Concert, aptly titled, “Mirage.” This event, as always, showcased a powerful level of creativity, sophistication, thought and connection to our environment. Most of the choreography is created and directed by students. Even the stage management, lighting, sound and crew are exclusively student-run: another testament to the power of collaboration and student leadership at CSW. What a colorful and exciting evening of dance with a balance and range in dance technique and style! Complex, fast-paced group and individual dances in classical ballet, jive, salsa, hip-hop and even martial arts weaved seamlessly on stage. Stories came to life in the movements – of both poignant and every day scenarios, from a profound interpretation of a concentration camp during the Holocaust to a group of women having fun out on the town.

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Evening of the Arts One of the most treasured events of the year , CSW’s 7th annual Evening of the Arts was held in midDecember. A warm spotlight shone on the creative displays, performances and inspirational work by students. Guests gathered in the community gallery in The Garthwaite Center for Science and Art to take a closer look at visual art. A performance by the studentrun acapella singing group the Gryphtones kicked off the evening’s celebrations. The “wearable art” fashion show featured pieces made of playing cards, rope,

newspaper and other out-of-the ordinary materials. After a series of moving performances in spoken word, poetry and dance in the Robin Wood Theatre, a very special guest introduced the Rock/Pop Ensemble’s Tribute to Sting – Sting P’04 himself! Introduced by Tom Evans, visual arts teacher/dean of faculty and the evening’s emcee, a special video presentation message conveyed Sting’s amusement at being the featured musical theme. Rock/Pop then proceeded to give beautiful performances of some of his greatest hits.

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Thompson Gallery How does an exhibit at CSW’s teaching gallery impact the community at large? Weston Media Center, the public, educational and government access television station for the Town of Weston, captured a behind-thescenes look at at the second and third exhibitions in Nowhere Everywhere, a series of exhibits centering on Sir Thomas More’s nearly 500-year old literary classic, Utopia. The exhibit Nowhere Everywhere: Raul Gonzalez III featured work that brought a sobering eye to caricatures of Mexican culture. Gonzalez’s exquisite drawings are balanced by a critical examination of Latin American issues including the “romance of the west,” Latino stereotypes and immigration. GONZALEZ PRESENTED HIS WORK AND SHARED PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT HIS CAREER AT BOTH AN ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLY, AND AS A GUEST VISITOR IN SEVERAL SPANISH CLASSES. The Weston Media Center feature segments encapsulated how Gonzalez’s work was perceived by students and faculty, and they dug deep into discourse over the issues raised in his portraiture. The piece also highlighted how Gallery Director and Visual Arts Teacher Todd Bartel curated a show featuring almost 70 artists. View the full Weston Media Center piece and all the related media coverage on the Inside Scoop page of the CSW website: www.csw.org. The English department-proposed theme for the 2016-17 exhibition is Light and Dark: each of the three shows will look at the theme from a complete different vantage point: naturalism (Charlie Nevad); an idea from conception through fruition (Jack Massey); and a final show about light and dark privilege. The Thompson Gallery is still accepting submissions for the final show in the series. Contact thompsongallery@csw.org for more information.

Progressive Education Lab (PEL): An Update The 2015-17 cohort of PEL fellows recently completed their first year. What does the next year look like for them? Sigal Gerson Kadden will be an associate teacher, rotating through the second grade classrooms at Calhoun. She looks forward to supporting the implementation of a new program with their existing curriculum. She may also initiate some new theatre projects. Michael Vercillo is excited to be at CSW for the 2016-17 year as a math teacher. He hopes to help develop Integrated Studies courses, particularly ones involving agriculture

and food systems, and to create courses that approach math in alternative ways. While at CSW during his fellowship, he and Sigal came up with a math/theatre integrated studies course that focused on the topic of being convincing: how to use math and theatre to make convincing arguments. After a successful year within the CSW visual arts department and as a dorm associate, Caleb Colpitts will join the visual arts department at CSW as a full-time teacher in the fall.

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Winter & Spring Sports Update WINTER

SPRING

GIRLS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL 4W 12 L

GIRLS’ LACROSSE - 11 W 4 L, a league record of 8 W and 4 L, and finished in third place in the Independent Girls Conference. Katie Gorson ’16, Mia Marciano ’17, and Caroline Keppler ’18 selected as All-League players.

CSW’s Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Basketball teams finished second place in the 2015 Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall Charger Classic Basketball Tournament and took home the runner-up trophies. The following CSW students were selected as All-League players in the Independent Girls Conference (IGC) and Mass. Bay Independent League (MBIL): IGC - GIRLS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL Olivia Ask ’16 Also, Olivia Ask ‘16 was selected as a New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class D/E All-Star, where only the top players in New England are selected to participate. MBIL - BOYS’ VARSITY BASKETBALL 8W 11L Haniff Clarke ’18 Chris Green ’16 GIRLS’ JV BASKETBALL 6W 6L BOYS’ JV BASKETBALL 7W 6L

GIRLS’ TENNIS- 1 W 10 L, Maya Barnes ’17 selected as All-League player. BOYS’ TENNIS - 9 W 4 L, a league record of 7 W and 3 L and finished in third place in the Mass. Bay Independent League. Leaf Fagerberg ’18 and Sam Rueter ’17 selected as All-League players. ULTIMATE FRISBEE “A” - 9 W 6 L, a league record of 7 W and 3 L Gus Parks ’16 and Aidan FitzGerald ’17 selected as All-League players. The Ultimate “A” team also participated in four weekend tournaments: Andover Invitational, Amherst Ultimate Invitational, NEPSUL Tournament (CSW was the recipient of the Spirit of the Game Award) and the Mass. Division 1 State Championship Tournament. BASEBALL - 0 W and 7 L, Josh Hyams ’19 selected as All-League player. ULTIMATE FRISBEE “B” - 6 W 5 L

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spring sports photos by Zoe Fenn ’18

NOTEWORTHY

Nationally Recognized: CSW Student Talent MANY CSW STUDENTS GIVEN SCHOLASTIC ART & WRITING AWARDS T his year , 71 total M assachusetts R egional Scholastic Art & Writing awards presented by the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SMFA) were given to CSW students. Three CSW students received National awards: Katie Awalt-Conley ’16 (drawing) and Ellena Sakai ’18 (mixed media) and Lena Christakis ’16 (painting). 16 CSW students received Gold Key awards, and 16 students received Silver Key awards. 19 individual Gold Key awards were presented. Olivia Ask ’16 and Kavita Sundaram ’16 were recipients of Gold Key awards for their entire portfolio of work. Silver Key awards were also given to six students for their portfolios: Katie Awalt-Conley ’16, Juliet Henry ’16, Julz Iwerks ’16, Max Miller ’16, Nate Williams ’16 and Jingxin Yang ’16. Individual Gold Key awards were given to Katie Awalt-Conley ’16, Lena Christakis ’16, Caroline Coolidge ’17 Alexandra Kahn ’16, Michaela Kahn ’16, Wenqi Li ’16, Max Miller ’16, Julz Iwerks ’16, Tommy Schieb ’17, Fia Tharp ’17, Sarah Stockdale ’17, Jingxin Yang ’16 and Jiayi Li ’18.

Kavita Sundaram ’16

“One of the reasons we like to encourage our students to enter the contest is that doing so offers them a rare opportunity to see their artwork in relation to work being made by other teens, not only in Massachusetts, but also at the national level,” said Todd Bartel, visual arts teacher, who assists students in the coordination of submission materials. CSW seniors who create art portfolios typically apply to these awards and they do exceptionally well, but Todd says that he also selects individual pieces by freshman, sophomore and junior students who stand out as particularly potent representations of an individual’s voice, or a wonderfully executed idea, or perhaps the keen interest of a student and/or their insights. Both he and Visual Arts Chair Tony Loreti maintain that there isn’t one aspect of the creative process that is more important than any another. Todd added that “in the art department, we cherish and champion true inquiry, risk-taking, thoughtful problem-solving, keen observation of the world, speaking up for those who can’t speak for themselves, and of course, the visualization of student’s own thoughts, ideas, feelings and empiricism.”

Lena Christakis ’16 Katie Awalt-Conley ’16

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AN OPERA SINGER AND A HARPIST AMONG US H annah K lein ’16 was selected to sing on NPR’s “From the Top,” the largest national platform celebrating the talents of young classically-trained musicians. She was awarded first place at the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) competition in the high school classical division. The event, held at the Boston Conservatory, consisted of multiple rounds of auditions leading to a finalist round that was in the format of a public concert in front of a panel of judges. Hannah was additionally awarded the NATS Richard Bergman prize for German Lied (German art song or poem set to music) and a $3,000 scholarship to the Young Artists Program at Tanglewood affiliated with the Boston University Opera Institute (aka Boston University Tanglewood Institute/BUTI).

Hannah Klein ’16

Hannah was also named a 2016 National YoungArts Foundation Honorable Mention winner in voice. (Her NPR performance can be found online: www.fromthetop.org/musician/hannah-klein) Hannah will attend Curtis Institute of Music in the fall.

Deanna Cirielli ’16 was named a 2016 National YoungArts Honorable Mention winner in classical music for harp. Selected out of more than 12,000 applications, the winners have been recognized for their outstanding work and join 819 young artists from 42 states who are being presented with this year’s honor. Deanna will attend Juilliard School in the fall.

Robotics Team Plays On (by Ben Kahan ’17) Since its founding in 2013, CSW’s FIRST Robotics Competition team (FRC) has been led by our mentor, Karen Bruker, a chemistry teacher and former chemical engineer. Our team represents CSW with around 21 students from all classes and STEM backgrounds including: programmers, engineers, and designers. Throughout the build season, Team 5347 has spent many hours working in and outside of class to complete a robot capable of competing in the FRC StrongHold 2016 Challenge. Students had to design a robot to work with a variety of other groups, travel various kinds of terrain, and endure a competition filled with surprises. Students created many of the parts utilizing a 3D printer, coded the robot in Java, and constructed game plans for any possible situations requiring quick repair during the tournament. They also designed a brochure explaining the process and led the charge in getting parents and students to watch the events (in person and via live-stream).

Deanna Cirielli ’16

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Earth Day & Every Day at CSW: Sustainability Matters CSW remains committed to taking important steps to encourage our community to be mindful of waste, energy usage and other ways to reduce and conserve. The Sustainability Committee, comprised of students, faculty and staff and led by Science Teacher Marilyn Del Donno, has been diligently working on many initiatives this year, including: » America Recycles Day: advisor groups were charged to “compete” against one another in a recycling contest » Held dorm energy-saving competitions » Offered D block course: Recycled Art, including an installation from campus waste »P resented a sustainable purchasing policy to the admin council »V oted on presidential candidate’s energy policies »G ave a presentation on energy use at assembly »D esigned and pulled off fun pranks that helped encourage the community to think about sustainability »A ttended a talk at Brandeis University on sustainability in Israel »N etworked with alumni/ae In honor of Earth Day on April 22, the committee also presented the Sustainability Champion Award to Andre Labate in the facilities department. Andre was acknowledged for his many significant contributions toward making our campus more sustainable, such as replacing light bulbs with lower wattage and LED bulbs, adding water-saving shower heads in all the dorms, the installing numerous motion light switches around campus, cutting the total lighting wattage 50% in the art building, consistently reminding the community to power down at the end of each

day. Congrats to Andre and thanks to him and the entire facilities department for leading us in our efforts to become more sustainable! Also on Earth Day, CSW welcomed a special guest - Bracken Hendricks ’85, the CEO and founder of Urban Ingenuity. Their vision: to finance and develop advanced energy infrastructure projects that speed the clean energy future. Bracken is a senior fellow with the Center for American Progress, working on policy solutions at the interface of clean energy and economic development. He has served as an advisor to former President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Foundation on issues of job creation, energy innovation, and resilient urban development, and he helped establish the US Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge as well as clean energy portions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. During an assembly, he shared his personal story of taking his passion for art into urban planning and then progressing into public policy: “I was a studio art major, and now, essentially I’m a banker.” Bracken presented a sampling of his exciting work, and then over lunch, had a discussion with the students in the Sustainability Committee.

On Air: RadioCSW

Are You Listening? It was freshman year when Josh Holtzman ’16 thought to himself “CSW needs a new media source and a student-run one.” After a year of preparation and research, including taking a summer podcasting course at Yale University, he debuted RadioCSW to the community. Starting with a club currently called Radio Lab, intended to be a workshop to create content for the station, he engaged fellow students to get involved and develop the programming. From the get-go, the station has been submission-based, but at the same time, Josh and his team use an online blog, modeled on the NPR site, to stream the station, which includes a live listening player and list of most recent programs: radiocsw.blogspot.com.

“ CSW IS DEFINITELY A RARE BUBBLE OF CREATIVITY,” SAID JOSH. “THAT’S ALSO WHAT RADIO IS. IT CAN REALLY BLOW YOU AWAY.” Real radio stations take a lot of equipment, knowledge and money to set up. For Josh, he set out to concentrate on programming to reflect the artistic layers of CSW. He recently reached out to members of the Class of 1954, with a proposal to honor the late Connie White ’54, who was instrumental in establishing the school’s capability to operate a radio station. Connie’s ground work really inspired and motivated Josh. Josh considers his junior year the “first working year that RadioCSW began and ended well.” He led a D block course, and even created a radio ad for the class that he premiered during an assembly to promote it. Driven to make the station better, he and fellow Radio Lab students began to make connections with different offices like the marketing and communications department. They expanded their presence to social media, and Josh continued to get more interest from students enrolling in his class. He bought accessories for the station that he calls the “ultimate radio kit” and made it available for rent. What’s on air? At any given time of the year, the station live-broadcasts school events, performances, athletic games and even capstone presentations. The broadcast listening on demand has grown, but they are vigorously pursuing more listenership. According to Josh’s research and experience, the first rule of radio is to always ask permission and to assess the mood of the room. Do people want to be recorded? Is this something people want to listen to?

(L-R): Josh Holtzman ’16 and John Cohan during live broadcast at End of Mod Art Show.

“I’ve certainly gotten experience with that rule when recording capstones,” he shared. “I am always thinking about the content, and need to consider if it’s more visual than audio.” Josh handles all the recording and producing and created regular programs like “Gryphon Sports,” a game recap. Each broadcast is automatically saved on the blog site for on-demand listening. For the last year, Josh and the RadioCSW team have been advised by John Cohan of the athletics department. Josh refers to him as his “grounding force,” and gives him credit for stimulating the growth of the station. John and Josh began holding a live series at the End of Mod Art Shows. They catch people going in and out of the galleries and capture their feedback. Josh hoped that program would emulate what the End of Mod Art Show is – a showcase of work and story-telling, or as he describes - an “audio art show.” With the help of French Teacher Diana Baruni, RadioCSW applied to be in the intercollegiate broadcasting system, an organization of high school and college radio stations that holds an annual conference. They will try to attend the conference next year and, since high school radio stations are rare, they may be the only high school in attendance. Balancing class work and other obligations, it has been a commitment to keep the station humming for Josh, who will attend Oberlin College, but he insists that it was “really my duty to the school.” The RadioCSW team will carry on without Josh next year, a group of students now including David Sabot ’18, officially the new “director.” “I’m really thankful to have David lead,” Josh said. He believes that David will have a lot more fun with the station because he’s more social and can help stimulate submissions from the community. This summer, Josh will take a documentary studies course at Boston University, and thereafter he’ll begin his gap year before enrolling at Oberlin. Currently, he plans to research running a radio station in Senegal for the year (yes, he speaks French). Before graduation, Josh hopes to produce a “goodbye RadioCSW” segment to recap the history, highlight a few of the best and worst moments and introduce David. “When I leave, I may listen in once in a while and be a special guest,” Josh added. “It’s in good hands with this group. And I’m honored to leave a legacy behind.”

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Noteworthy Kudos Jennifer Pinck ’73, owner of Pinck & Co, a real estate advisory and project management company, was ranked in the top five of LGBT-owned businesses in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal. (Jennifer serves as project manager for the Health & Fitness Center). Music Teacher Gustavo Brasil had a productive Mod 4 on sabbatical. He completed a new album of original compositions called “Chromatic Dialogues,” and an upcoming instructional series of studies on advanced hybrid picking for guitar. During the album production, Gustavo had the opportunity to work with esteemed musicians from different parts of the world (Armenia, Brazil, and UK) and with Grammywinning engineer Dave Darlington at Bass Hit Recording in NYC, who mixed and mastered the album. All instruments were recorded in their home studios located in Boston, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. Gustavo had to learn how to use professional DAW software such as Logic Pro X, as well as digital interfaces like the Fractal Audio’s AxeFx. And he was seen recently on a Tedx stage in his native Brazil. He performed with old friend and esteemed guitarist, Guilherme Barros, with whom he recorded the album, “Bichofolha” in 1996.

Visual Arts Teacher Anne Rearick has much to be proud of as a photographer. Her work exploring life in post-apartheid South Africa was awarded the Prix Roger Pic, given by the French organization Civil Society of Multimedia Authors, in honor of her longterm commitment and a portfolio that celebrates the full lives of people, rather than focusing on poverty. Anne was one of three photographers featured in a documentary film made for French television. The crew shadowed her while she photographed the Basque country, a place she has documented for the past 25 years. Her newly published book Township, is a collection of these powerful images.

LE LIVRE Sortie du livre en librairie : 26 avril 2016 Signature et conférence à Images Singulières à Sète le samedi 7 mai à 16 h

Township Anne Rearick Textes de Sipho Mpongo et Phillip Prodger Format : 25 x 28 cm 144 pages - 100 photographies Bilingue anglais-français 55 € ISBN : 978-2-9542-2665-1

Biographie

Township

Anne Rearick est née aux États-Unis en 1960, dans les embouteillages de l’Idaho. Elle s’inscrit dans la tradition des photographes documentaires humanistes : travailler au long cours, vivre avec ses sujets, plonger dans leur vie aussi loin qu’ils lui permettent, pour en rapporter une image vraie. Inspirée par les travaux de Dorothea Lange ou Diane Arbus, Rearick est fidèle au noir et blanc argentique et pousse le classicisme jusqu’à réaliser avec attention ses propres tirages. Le format large et carré du 6 x 6 de son appareil Hasselblad lui permet de restituer les infimes détails de ses images : la façon dont la peau ressort, la trame de fond d’un paysage… Ces éléments assemblés forment les composants de tableaux qui deviennent impossible à dater, empreints d’une poésie universelle. Du Pays Basque au Kazakhstan, Anne Rearick pose régulièrement ses valises pour photographier ce qui la touche.

C’est en 2004 qu’Anne Rearick part à la rencontre des Xhosas, population noire qui vit dans deux townships du Cap. Pendant plus de dix ans, elle y retournera régulièrement, notamment dans celui de Langa, où elle tisse des liens forts et intimes avec ses habitants. Autant d’années seront nécessaires pour comprendre la réalité de cette société sud-africaine : au début, Rearick ressent l’espoir qui suit la sortie de l’Apartheid. Les gens espèrent un travail et vivre enfin la vie qu’ils méritent. Vingt ans plus tard, c’est une société désabusée, victime de la ségrégation économique et qui peine à survivre que Rearick retrouve tous les ans. Violences, meurtres, alcoolisme et maladie font le quotidien du township. C’est pourtant tout autre chose que nous montre ce travail : accompagnant leur quotidien, elle en montre la beauté. Fêtes, mariages, enterrements… C’est bien l’amour qui ressort de ces tranches de vie. Dans la pudeur et la poésie, Anne Rearick témoigne.

Représentée par l’agence VU’ depuis 1992, ses photographies ont été publiées dans la plupart des magazines internationaux tels que le New Yorker, Vanity Fair, le New York Times, le Monde et Libération. Enseignante à l’université de Gloucester dans le Massachusetts, elle a également été lauréate de plusieurs prix, à l’instar de la bourse de la fondation Guggenheim (20032004) ou du prix Mass Cultural Council (1995 et 2007). Ses œuvres font partie des grandes collections internationales notamment celle de la Bibliothèque nationale de France ou du musée d’Art moderne de San Francisco.

Fangdai Chen ’11 has been accepted into the Ph.D. program at Harvard University in Comparative Literature starting fall 2016. Jean Kilbourne P ’05 (Claudia Lux ’05) was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on the image of women in advertising and for her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising, Jean launched a movement to promote media literacy as a way to prevent these problems - a radical and original idea at the time that is today mainstream and an integral part of most prevention programs. She has transformed the way in which organizations and educational institutions around the world address the prevention of many public health problems including smoking, highrisk drinking, eating disorders, obesity, the sexualization of children and violence against women.

Ce travail a été exposé à Visa pour l’Image à Perpignan en 2014 et a reçu le prix Roger Pic (SCAM) à cette occasion. Anne Rearick est depuis retournée plusieurs fois à Langa. Les images présentées dans le ce livre sont le fruit d’une sélection travaillée, un fidèle témoignage. Elles sont accompagnées d’un texte de Sipho Mpongo, photographe et poète qui a grandi dans le township de Langa et de Phillip Prodger, directeur du département de la photographie de la National Portrait Gallery de Londres. Un soin tout particulier a été porté à l’impression, réalisée en duoton chez l’imprimeur sous le contrôle de la photographe, qui, loin de sa chambre noire, a su s’adapter avec plaisir au savoir-faire italien. La couverture, réalisée par Nelly Riedel, est une évocation du dédale urbain du township et aux motifs Xhosas. Elle a été sérigraphiée et embossée sur toile Cialux en Italie.

Farewell to the French! February 19 marked the last official basketball game ever to be played in

CSW’s French Gymnasium (Boys’ varsity basketball came out on top in a nail-biter, one-point win in overtime!). This center of campus life, named for Headmaster John R. P. French, was built between 1938 and 1950. In 1937, French made the case for an assembly hall/ gymnasium to the Board of Trustees. Construction was in progress during the years 1938-1950, first with enough funds to only build the lower floor (students from the woodshop class helped), which housed an assembly hall and locker rooms with a temporary flat roof, completed in 1940. Then, in 1941, the bare bones (walls and roof) of the upper floor gymnasium went up.

In 1943, heating, lighting and insulation were installed, but at this point, neither indoor nor outdoor walls were permanent. In 1946, a fire destroyed the building that housed the dining room, so an emergency kitchen was set up in the lower floor of the still unfinished gymnasium building. In 1947, the Board voted to embark on a $500,000 campaign with the goal of serving multiple needs: retire a debt, build a new dining room and kitchen, build two dormitories, and complete the gymnasium building. Sadly, over the summer of 1947, French was hospitalized with a serious circulation ailment; he intended to return to CSW in September but his condition worsened and

in the fall of 1947 he retired as headmaster, but not before presenting the need for a comprehensive plan to improve buildings and athletic fields. The aforementioned campaign had only limited success, but enough funds were raised to complete the gymnasium building in 1950. So, after such a long gestation period, we might say that the gym retires after 66 years of service! If you look carefully around the gym, you will see the outline of the former stage around the current weight room and you will see odd little openings (former windows) at the opposite end of the gym. And, if you removed the ceiling tiles that were added about 12 years ago, you can see

noteworthy • 21

And…Scene! Throughout this year, the theatre program at CSW presented a creative, powerful and memorable collection of works on stage. Following the fall production of Metamorphoses, the play adapted from the original tales of Ovid, audiences continued to be treated to provocative performances. Beowulf, A Thousand Years of Baggage was performed as the spring musical production. Known as an anti-academia SongPlay, the production was written by Jason Craig with music by Dave Malloy, who both attended the opening on campus! Described as “a brilliant, playful, thought-provoking romp through the ancient epic poem” by Jane Moulding, head of school, who taught the Beowulf course over the years to tenth graders, the music fused electro-pop, punk, opera and rockabilly to wow the audiences. Children of Herakles is the ancient classic by Euripides that was presented as the spring classics production. It lends itself perfectly to a modern day exploration of immigration, refuge, and retribution.

After the final game, members of the basketball team cut down the French Gym nets in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

the metal bars upon which the lights were strung for performances in the “theatrium.” Yes, the French Gym was a multipurpose space used for all of our school performances until the Mugar Center for the Performing Arts was completed in 2000.

Here are a couple of little-known notable happenings that took place in our gym over the years. »O n April 19, 1970 legendary blues musician B.B. King played a concert in the gymnasium, sharing the stage with a CSW student band called “The Killing Floor” -the admission fee was $3! »2 6 years later to the day, on April 19, 1996, singersongwriter Livingston Taylor (brother to fellow musicians Kate Taylor ’68 and James Taylor) played a concert in the gymnasium. As the school looks ahead to turn this space into a garage-like flexible project and work area for students that might house many different kinds of learning (think FabLab or MakerSpace, a giant space to play with ideas), its history will weave throughout whatever happens there in the future.

22 • The

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CSW DANCING IN THE LIMELIGHT In the fall of 2013, Nailah Randall-Bellinger took the reins of dance department chair after the retirement of one of CSW’s longest-running teachers and former chair Martha Gray. She has aspired to expand the vision of what dance can be at CSW. Building on the strong foundational course offerings, and with the help of dance teachers Matthew Hooper and Jeryl Pilapil, the department continues to grow and evolve. Rigor through strong technique and risk taking through movement exploration is the basis of the CSW dance experience. In addition to the base team, Nailah invites master teachers to engage with students throughout the year—professional performers that visit campus to share their technical expertise and experience.

“The beautiful thing about dance at CSW is you see diversity at its height,” shared Nailah. “From skill level to body type and different interest in movement, this is what we cherish. People can celebrate who they are at that particular time using dance as a powerful voice.” This year, master teachers have included professionals across disciplines in both contemporary and improvisation: Jean Appolon (Artistic Director of JAE productions)- Caribbean Dance Jorge Santiago Traditional dance of Puerto Rico Christina Belinsky (Dancer and Choreographer of Alluminarium show) Steve Vaughn (former dancer of Parsons Dance) Katie Kozel (Former dancer ftor Hubbard St. dance company) Adrian Hoffman ’12 (Senior at the Fordham Ailey School)

The visiting professionals inspire students who plan for a dance major moving forward, and discuss their experiences, challenges and triumphs. NAILAH ADDED, “IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL TO WATCH STUDENTS WHO DON’T THINK THEY WOULD ENJOY DANCE FALL IN LOVE WITH THE CURRICULUM. OUR EXPERIMENTAL CLASSES ALLOW THEM TO FIND MOVEMENT IN THEIR OWN BODY FOR SELF EXPRESSION.”

Shira Kagan-Shafman ’17 moved the Dance Concert audience with her original choreography in a piece called “An Unconscious Truth,” an emotional dance that explored the Holocaust through the lens of movement. It was this piece that garnered first place in the Spring 2016 Discover FAA High School Talent Competition in Dance Choreography given by the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The contest attracted registrations from 23 states and 14 countries. Shira secured a full scholarship to be applied toward the FAA Summer Intensive Program. As part of her research designing the dance, Shira interviewed a Holocaust survivor and chose images from concentration camps that she paired motifs and movements with. She also combined musical compositions of Erwin Schulhoff and Viktor Ullmann who were both composers during the Holocaust, at a time when much of their music was considered degenerate art. “One of the hardest parts of working through my piece was conveying

noteworthy • 23

these extremely difficult emotions and feelings and getting my dancers to almost express those characters,” Shira said. “None of us can truly know and feel what it was like to be imprisoned by the Nazi’s, so we are left with only imagining how we might feel in that situation.” Nailah attributes much of Shira’s creativity and fortitude to the selection of classes that have empowered her to be a strong choreographer. “Our curriculum, classes like Motion Art, Contact Improv and Dance History have truly allowed Shira to find her voice,” shared Nailah. One meaningful outcome for Shira from her project is that it enabled her to have a more intimate understanding of the Holocaust. “Before it was history in a book now it is something much more real,” she added. Shira plans to continue to explore her own dance technique as well as dive deeper into choreography.

This December Marcel Santiago ’17 auditioned for the Professional Division of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Summer Intensive. He was accepted and will be training in Modern, Ballet, and several other styles of dance for six weeks at the Ailey School in Manhattan. Marcel hopes to pursue dance in college and thereafter. “This is just the beginning of a long journey!” he said.

The H aiti Project (first announced in the Spring 2015 Gryphon) is a program created by Hope Cooper ’15 that fuses a passion for dance with empathy to help and teach orphans based in Kenscoff, Haiti. Led by Fayona Thomas ’17, a group of 8-10 students teach dance technique via livestream and Skype to Haitian children aged 3-15. While the Haitian orphans are all at different stages during their adoption process, they get very excited to learn a variety of types of dance from the energized and friendly faces of CSW students several times per month as one of their after-school activities. With plans for an official D Block Haiti Project course next year, Nailah will revisit the center in Kenscoff this summer to help support more of their technical needs. The longer term goal is to interact with the French languages courses as a truly interdisciplinary experience.

24 • The

Gryphon Spring 2016

health and A Campaign & Project Update

fitness center

IN PROGRESS

26 • The

Gryphon Spring 2016

PROGRESS REPORT

CONTRIBUTE TO

HE NEW HEALTH FITNESS CENTER

CONTINUES TO RISE IN

THE LOWER CAMPUS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE FALL 2016 OPENING.

The new Health & Fitness Center will be a facility that simultaneously reflects the innovation, vibrancy and creativity of our academic program, our deep commitment to the well-being of the student body and our belief that teaching and learning are closely linked to health and wellness. The center will enhance CSW’s exciting health curriculum, offer new classrooms, provide meeting, gallery and gathering space for the community and serve as a learning tool for mindfulness and healthy living. Our aim is for the new Health & Fitness Center to be an open, welcoming, flexible space on campus that reflects how our students learn, and encourages them to work collaboratively across disciplines that fosters community.

THE HEALTH & FITNESS CENTER WILL INCLUDE: » T WO REGULATION BASKETBALL COURTS that allow for concurrent practice times for girls’ and boys’ teams and the ability for CSW to host league tournaments » A first-ever INDOOR SPECTATOR SPACE that allows the entire community to attend games and cheer on their fellow students or to gather for other campus-wide activities including dances, festivals, fairs, ceremonies and more » A n indoor EXERCISE TRACK overlooking the courts

» A state-of-the-art CARDIO AND WEIGHT ROOM » THREE BREAK-OUT ROOMS for health education and mindfulness practice, as well as group classes in dance, yoga and martial arts » Spacious home and away LOCKER AND TEAM ROOMS » A STUDENT LOUNGE AREA inviting students to meet, socialize and relax during the week and—for the boarding community—on the weekend

» A TWO-STORY ATRIUM with natural light » A N INSTALLATION SPACE to showcase CSW student and faculty work » SEVERAL NATURE TRAILS linking the upper and lower campus, one of which will be in memory of former faculty member Karl Fisher

health and fitness center • 27

THE Next Phase MANY GENEROUS DONORS HAVE MADE THE EARLY PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION POSSIBLE.

NOW EACH AND EVERY ADDITIONAL GIFT WILL HELP TO COMPLETE FUNDING FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION.

Thanks to many other alumni/ae and parents, we have successfully launched The Campaign for CSW. As with other strategic priorities, the focus on health and wellness is a result of the value we place on supporting our students in pursuing healthy, balanced lives.

To access videos, photos and more information visit www.csw.org/handfnews. Questions? Contact: Rebecca Schultzberg Director of Alumni/ae and Development 781.642.8611

CSW BOOKSHELF

LITMAG

| From LitMag, CSW’s long-running literary magazine managed and coordinated by students. LitMag is published twice a year.

NATALIE GOOD ’19 You, Me, and Antigonet

It’s hard to snuggle during a Greek Tragedy. My eyes are closed and I’m half listening to the sounds of dysfunctional families and betrayal I press my cheek against your shoulder and I can hear your heartbeat Rhythmic and repeating Like the endless crashing of the Mediterranean sea The thrashing of sea monsters Of something raw and constant, something alive Weaving my fingers with yours, better than Arachne Better than Athena Feeling you breathe against me is like a prayer to the Gods-Breathe in, Dear Eros Breathe out, Thank you I want to preserve this moment Press my dress between the pages of a book and hang it next to Sapphic violets on my wall Unchanging and immortal

SARAH SIEBER ’16

Captain Joseph Mooney Dastardly fiends! Two hitherto undiscovered Men, trying to corrupt Our children! You got your Mad dog, Now get off that loco weed!

You try to kiss me as a crooked oracle onstage describes decaying flesh I vow never again to have a first date where Sophocles is the third wheel

JOE HILLE ’16 Lux Aeterna

bookshelf • 29

Tranquil and emblematic of an epiphany. A piece that draws you in and challenges you. There is a constant worried tone throughout it conveying that something needs to be done. The vocals build up to an ensemble and begin to form a harmony, giving a sense of endlessness, the only times any vocals stop their place is taken by another deeper or higher pitched, and similarly endless seeming vocal. This pattern lends itself to this piece truly earning the name Lux Aeterna or “Light Eternal”. The use of Lux Aeterna in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey could not be more fitting as it symbolizes an ascension to a higher state of being. Lux Aeterna plays along with the viewer’s second encounter with the monolith. The first encounter with a monolith was scored with the beginning of “Also sprach Zarathustra” a clearly triumphant score, accompanying a triumphant scene in which, upon contact with the first monolith apes become man. Thus something more must be expected upon man once again meeting the monolith, which is where Kubrick treats us to Lux Aeterna, a score entirely embodying the sense of wonder that could come with the prospect of ascending into the “Lux Aeterna” and transitioning from man to god.

ABBI KENNY ’16 Untitled

Moss grows from the speakers. It comes out like ten lies to reach my ears, grabbing at me and pulling me in closer. I can feel the warmth in the harmonic waves. Forest green, the type that is built out of emerald and garnet, grow. It ebbs and flows toward me at a rapid pace, constantly coming and receding like seaweed in the current. I have heard the resonance. As I move around the room rolling and flailing the sounds change, louder then softer the shape of my room is not meant for these acoustics. I play the music loud. The rhythms encroach and fill my mattress like custard. I have spent years perfecting the landscape of my room waiting for this moment. For the perfect spatial sounds. I cannot hear; the music cannot reach me. It is trying, and I allowed myself to be pulled in by it but something is wrong. Maybe I cannot hear. It is only later that I learn that the volume was well below my normal standards. The light carries the space it creates it, it is the medium for the music to exist. It can only move through the thick pink paste that envelops me. I am alone here with the sounds that have followed me from the womb. This moment was determined decades ago in a bathroom not far from here. I came this far only to hear the dog bark at the right time. Decades ago before there was a bathroom to meet in, the dog felt the beat and let himself go, now, today, his deep voice echoes in my music to complete the composition.

Display made during the Art of Recycling D Block course.

alumni/ae profiles

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Gryphon Spring 2016

profiles: for and by alumni/ae • 33

Simon Taylor ’98: Taking Risks and Taking Action By Max LaBelle ’14 MAX LABELLE ’14: HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR INTEREST IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, AND WHAT TYPES OF CHALLENGES ARE YOU INSPIRED TO FIX IN YOUR FIELD? Simon Taylor ’98: I began my career in financial services in the late 1990s, around when the stock market crashed. I was on the front lines working in a call center doing 401k pension plan transactions for customers. I saw firsthand the volatility of the market, and so many people losing money. It inspired me to work in a field that was a little more tangible, and what I really liked about the software industry was that they were building something that people could use to change lives. MAX: DO YOU THINK THAT TAKING RISKS HAS ENABLED YOU TO MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR FIELD, AND POTENTIALLY THE WORLD? SIMON: Risk is an interesting word. Calculated risks are very important, but gambles are almost never worth it. When you make a decision you have to commit to it, and you really just have to take action. A lot of people are “big thinkers” and have great ideas, but I think what I’m good at is being able to take a large idea and break it into smaller, more manageable chunks. For example, my company Comtrade Software recently sold one of our products to a much larger company called Citrix. I was faced with a very large challenge: how do you take a very small Eastern European company and make it relevant to the United States market? It seems almost insurmountable if you look at it as one large issue. Rather than look at it as a problem I said, ‘OK, if that’s the goal, how are we going to get there?’ That approach helps to make the challenges in life seem much more manageable.

Income inequality in the United States is one of the biggest challenges America has ever faced. The United States is really in trouble because the one percent has too much of the wealth, and the middle class is disappearing. As a nation, we struggle with how to keep being a capitalist country where people are incentivized to do their job, while also giving back enough to society to ensure the middle class prospers, and the lower class has an opportunity to succeed. The U.S. is threatened at its core, and we as a nation need to break down the large issue. MAX: DO YOU FEEL THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE AT CSW HAS HELPED IN YOUR FIELD? WHAT SORT OF IMPACT DO YOU SEE FROM WHAT YOU LEARNED AT CSW? SIMON: CSW was the single most influential part of my life, and I certainly credit it with almost every aspect of success in my career. Before I went to CSW I didn’t believe that everything is possible, that all it takes is committing yourself to achieve anything you want. Being surrounded by a supportive environment is something you rarely find out in the world. It’s funny how even just a simple sentiment spoken in a cafeteria when you’re 18 years old can translate into years of thinking. MAX: AS THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE CSW BOARD OF TRUSTEES WHAT ARE YOU HOPING TO CHANGE? WHAT HAS THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH STUDENTS ON THE BOARD BEEN LIKE? SIMON: The students are one of the most important aspects of the board. As an alumnus, my role is to recall all of the aspects of the school that I remember, and to be a great sounding board. The

beauty of the student board members is that they bring a more current perspective to the meetings. Today’s student representatives share our common goals of ensuring CSW is a multicultural school, ensuring that it is safe for everyone, that people who learn at different speeds are encouraged and that we keep the same ethos that’s always been at the school. MAX: DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR SENIORS OR ALUMNI WHO HAVE RECENTLY LEFT CSW? SIMON: There are no wrong moves at the start of your career, and you should certainly take chances. Ernest Hemingway was very famous for saying, “Live on a knife’s edge until you hit the age of 30, and then write about it.” I really think there’s a lot of truth to it, and as the world becomes a smaller place through technology, it is the time to get out there and do all the things you want to do. And one last thing for all of my fellow alumni/ae, we really should commit ourselves to purchasing art from alumni/ae artists. So many CSW students make amazing art!

Max LaBelle ’14 is currently studying photography at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He is a documentary photographer working primarily in 35mm film. His work can be found online at www.Maxwell-LaBelle.com

alumni/ae profiles

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Gryphon Spring 2016

Hannah Hughes ’05: Inspirational Adapter By Naya Herman ’12

Hannah started at CSW during her junior year after moving from Rome, Italy to Boston. She graduated from Bowdoin in 2009 with a degree in African History and Film. From there, Hannah enrolled in the London School of Economics and Political Science and received a Master’s Degree in Political Science and History of International Relations. She worked in the development department for Partners in Health for a little over a year before getting involved with the Obama campaign in Philadelphia. She currently works at the World Bank with a small group that focuses on developing relationships between government and private organizations to offer public services, such as providing infrastructure. NAYA: YOU MENTIONED THAT YOUR TRANSITION FROM ROME TO CSW WAS SURPRISINGLY EASY. WAS THERE ANYTHING PARTICULAR ABOUT THE CSW ENVIRONMENT THAT MADE IT MORE MANAGEABLE? HANNAH: At the most basic level, CSW has this really amazing quality of not having a standard barrier of what is normal. Looking back on my time at CSW, it’s that quality of openness that I remember most. Arriving as a junior, and having moved across the world, I felt lucky to have found a place that was so welcoming, and a place that celebrated eccentricities. I vividly remember meeting one of my all-time favorite teachers, Rachel Hirsch. When I told her I had moved from Italy, she immediately started speaking to me in Italian, asking all about all my time in Rome. This eagerness to connect with students and make them feel welcome made my transition surprisingly easy.

NAYA: IN YOUR YOUNG CAREER, YOU’VE ACCOMPLISHED QUITE A BIT. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF SO FAR? HANNAH: Changing jobs has helped me see what direction I want to go in, and that change is good. My team at the World Bank just finished building a website on public-private partnerships (PPPs). While there are resources out there on PPPs, they are often hard to find and the quality of the resource can be questionable. In an effort to fill the void, we built a website that seeks to serve as the “one-stop-shop” for PPPs, providing governments and private firms with the knowledge and tools they would need to start a PPP. The process of building a website was new to me and I learned a lot. That’s one thing that is very tangible that I can look back on this year and be proud of. NAYA: IS THERE ANYTHING THAT ISN’T SUPER TANGIBLE OR EASILY IDENTIFIABLE AS A MILESTONE THAT YOU’RE PROUD OF? HANNAH: I think women tend to ask for less in the workplace, especially when it comes to salary and promotions. Speaking up is actually something you have to train yourself to do. I feel proud of myself for all of the moments when I have strength in myself and am able to ask for what I know I deserve. NAYA: YES, SPEAKING UP FOR OURSELVES, ESPECIALLY AS WOMEN, IS DEFINITELY A SKILL. I THINK IF RACHEL HIRSCH WERE LISTENING TO THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW, SHE’D BE LIKE “HECK YEAH, HANNAH!” WERE THERE ANY SKILLS YOU DEVELOPED AT CSW THAT HAVE PREPARED YOU FOR YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER?

HANNAH:I never thought that math was my calling, but I had one Mod with Carl Lacombe and I just got it, and was really good. Carl said “Hannah! This is it! You are so good at this!” My surprising skill at trigonometry was fostered by Carl. And I had this moment at my last job with a polling and political strategy firm where I was drowning in data work and asked myself how I ended up there. I don’t think of myself as a numbers person and that made me think of Carl. Having faith in myself surprised me, and the Mod system often led to an undiscovered passion. So I now don’t let anyone’s expectations including my own, dictate what I end up doing. NAYA: DO YOU HAVE ADVICE TO GIVE TO CURRENT CSW STUDENTS, OR WISH YOU COULD GIVE TO YOURSELF WHEN YOU WERE AT CSW? HANNAH: One of the things that my dad said to me when I began my career is that the most important thing as a young professional is to work for people you can learn from. In my experience so far, these words ring true. The most rewarding jobs I’ve had were working for my advocates, and I don’t mean people who argue for your professional development in a onedimensional way, but the people who will really force you to be better at your job.

Naya Herman ’12 is from Acton, MA. She is a feminist and gender studies major with a minor in race, ethnic and migration studies at Colorado College, and was recently awarded the McGee Prize in Feminist and Gender Studies. She is captain of the Women’s Rugby team. After graduation, she will move to Oakland, CA to work and prepare for the GREs.

profiles: for and by alumni/ae • 35

36 • The

Gryphon Spring 2016

CREATIVITY@WORK

art by Lena Christakis ’16

Senior Capstone Projects The Capstone is a required final project that demonstrates the

interdisciplinary, critical and creative thinking skills that students have learned throughout their time at CSW.

Farid Azar León ’16 Farid studied Tesla coils with the intention of designing and constructing his own. Invented by Nikola Tesla in 1891, the Tesla coil is an electric device used to supply power through a system of wires, originally intended to carry electricity across nations. Farid set out to learn the physics of the Tesla coil, build a coil of his own design, and then donate the finished project to CSW’s science department, specifically for educational purposes for the Physics 2b: Electricity course. In order to learn firsthand, Farid met with professors Kramnik Daniel at MIT and Nathan David Peter Tompkins at Brandeis University. Through hands-on and qualitative research, he constructed his own Tesla coil and picked up other unexpected skills, like soldering and coiling. He is now using his coiling skills in his jewelry course, constructing physics-based jewelry for class credit. Looking forward, Farid wants to study mathematics and physics next year at Haverford College and apply his knowledge to a larger, new field of work. Lena Christakis ’16 From stretching the canvas to hanging the work, Lena dove into a massive painting project for her capstone in an attempt to “bridge the gaps between art and calculus.” She presented to a packed audience in the community gallery, with her three large paintings around the perimeter of the room. Her paintings explored questions about self and personhood in an attempt to “unlock the parts of us which are infinite or finite.” As Lena explains, her work is unnamed,

“because if a title were picked, that would imply that the work is finished, and it’s a lifelong process of understanding.” The majority of her process was based on the concept of response. She would create a mark, then respond to it, and so forth, until she had filled the canvas over time. She studied different aspects of calculus and mapped out formulas for her work, then later opened up the medium to be more abstract. Harper Mills ’16 Many people find that discussions of death can be overwhelming, intimidating or unpleasant. Harper had been thinking about her capstone since her tenth grade year but had too many ideas to choose from. Inspired by conversations she had had with her mother about end-of-life planning, Harper interviewed a range of people about life and death. She hosted Death Cafes, which happen across the country, in order to create a space on campus for the community to come together to talk. “I couldn’t believe the range of topics that people explored, from personal experiences to philosophy,” she said in an interview about her capstone. One of her Death Cafe participants, Marisa Matho ’17, said, “Harper made me think about how life and death are so connected—how you can’t have one without the other, and how it’s OK that death is such a part of the living experience.” Harper hopes to continue the dialogue with her peers in order to build connections and remove the fear around end-of-life discussions. Cesar Sanchez Revuelta ’16

Since he began performing in theatre arts as a middle school student, Cesar has dreamed of seeing his own play performed in front of an audience. For his capstone, Cesar wrote, directed, acted in and designed lighting for his play, Stay With Me. Performed by Cesar and Isabel Hacala ’17, Stay With Me is a 40-minute play that ran for one night only to a packed room in CSW’s Noir Theatre. The play explores the concept of guilt and how it affects human connection. Cesar’s peer and friend, Wesley Carty ’18, managed the lighting, sound and technical aspects of the performance. As a post-graduate student, Cesar has focused on theatre and visual arts, with notable work in both the fall dramatic production of Metamorphoses and the Short Dramatic Pieces course.

A Study of Chinese Migrants By Jane Feng â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16 For my capstone, I interviewed 18 migrant workers in my hometown, Shenzhen, China. In China, migrant workers are those who leave their hometowns and move to big cities to work. Shenzhen is known as the city of migrant workers. Shenzhen has a population of about 20 million; however, only three million people have Shenzhen citizenships. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily know my interviewees, but they all generously talked a lot about their experiences of making a living in a huge city, leaving their children behind and what their lives have been like, living in a new environment.

BY THE NUMBERS

number of hybrid cars on campus (most popular is Prius)

190

number of bowls mad e for the Empty Bowls fu ndraiser supporting Bristol Lo dge food pantry in Waltham, MA.

aGENERATION Z: (born after 1995)

watch lessons online

read textbooks on tablets

want their jobs to impact the world

% of 16- to 19-year-olds currently volunteer

are concerned about humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impact on the planet

number of students across all grades in the Robotics Team: working together to create a robot!

of the work on display at the Thompson Gallery have been by female artists since opening in 2007

aNEW HEALTH &

FITNESS CENTER

m number of stories

in the atrium with natural light

m number of number of followers on CSW instagram (@weareCSW)

More than a quarter of Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population currently belongs to Gen Z.

basketball courts

seconds the average attention span of Gen Zer

work with classmates online

COURSE SPOTLIGHT

U.S. Environmental History By Julia Keating ’17 You know how you used to hang upside down from your couch as a child and look out across your living? You could tell that it was your living room, and yet it looked puzzlingly different. You might have noticed things, like a crack on the wall or a hidden spider web, because of your new perspective. This analogy is used by Rachel Hirsch, current history teacher for the U.S. Environmental History class. The class explores the relationship between land and the events that have taken place upon it. From the land the Pilgrims and the Native Americans lived on to the surprising history of a bridge on state highway 128, U.S. Environmental History brings new, important ideas to light. The course makes students think about how and why certain events happened in a specific place so that as historians, students can consider the land as a physical element, as an active player in history. Rachel says one of several big questions addressed is “how and why the Europeans took over all of North America in the span of several hundred years and did such incredible damage to the cultures and populations that were here?” The course is extremely unique because while CSW has classes that discuss the Weimar Republic or the Vietnam War, there is no class that solely focuses on a specific lens through which to view history, such as the concept of land. By looking at history through a perspective that is often overlooked, students are able to find new truths that help them better understand their country’s history and future. U.S. Environmental History was originally introduced at CSW in 2005 by Brian Hamilton, a history teacher who has since left the school to complete his Ph.D. in environmental history at the University of Wisconsin alongside William Cronin, who many would describe as one of the foremost environmental historians in the world. When Brian parted ways with CSW, he handed the reigns for the course over to Rachel, who said that she and Brain still occasionally discuss student projects and experiences in the course.

In developing the class, Brian was able to put together a wonderfully in-depth course reader for students that includes works from historians like William Cronon, Jared Diamond, Edward Abbey, Carolyn Merchant, Joan Didion and Michael Pollan. The readings usually begin with their own definition of environmental history and then go into specific historical aspects (e.g. environmental history of New England, environmental definitions of race, water in U.S. history and the National Parks controlling nature). Daily assignments involve reading a passage from the reader and developing a list of questions. One aspect of the course that was, at the time, rather unique was its online forum. Rachel recalls that Brian was one of the first teachers at CSW to take advantage of this useful tool. The forum allows students to see what their fellow students have already posted in response to a reading. They can build on each other’s thoughts and ideas to formulate a deeper understanding of the topic as well as learn from their peers. “I am always so moved,” shared Rachel about the forum. “I’m amazed at the great insight and discoveries coming from students.” Posting to the forum is assigned nearly every night as homework. Typical discussions range from talking about how the West shaped America to the ideas behind what is uniquely American. Rachel described that one revisited discussion was centered around the ideas that “the land and the way it was understood and worked made people ‘American’ more than the economics, politics, societal structures. [Essentially] that non-European land made early Americans, Americans. [Therefore] the Native Americans and their relationship to the land and understandings of environment have been regarded as ‘not American,’ despite their geographic and chronological preeminence in North America.” In total there are two papers and a final project for the course. Students select a film and a reading in which

course spotlight • 41

Julia Keating ’17 is a boarding student from Winchester, Massachusetts. She loves learning about history, writing and performing comedy sketches, and hopes to study international relations and journalism in college.

the land is prominent and compare them to make an argument about the environmental history of the U.S. (e.g. “The Grapes of Wrath” with a reading from Richard Manning’s Grassland or “Chinatown” with a reading from Mark Reisner’s “Cadillac Desert”). The final project allows students to take a more personal route in environmental history. Students are given the choice to research the environmental history of their family or a certain place. Students have researched how their relatives immigrated to the U.S. and how and why the land shaped who they were and how the land affected their travels. Rachel loves how “the course is able to bring in some nitty-gritty history and some big ideas and move back and forth between them.”

Gryphon Spring 2016

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Julia Cornue An Explorer of Passions By Arlo Furst ’04

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Full-time Teacher. Dorm Parent. Multi-sport Interscholastic Coach. Advisor. Dean’s Office Intern. Teacher’s Assistant. Math teacher. Julia Cornue’s varied and rather unique experience throughout her six years working at The Cambridge School of Weston leads one to ask, “What hasn’t Julia done on campus?” Growing up in the tiny village of Cazenovia, on the shores of Cazenovia Lake in Central New York, Julia experienced a youth steeped in athletic competition. After a stint with competitive horse riding, Julia turned to soccer and lacrosse at her small public high school, two sports for which she developed a deep passion and which she now coaches at CSW during the fall and spring seasons. “I went on to the University of Albany and was a walk-on with their D-1 Women’s lacrosse team,” said Julia. “But, after playing on the team and trying to juggle being a math major and a physics and chemistry double minor, I quickly realized I was in a little over my head.” Julia called an audible and switched from playing varsity lacrosse to recreational soccer, while also altering her double minor to a single minor in business. “Math was something that always came easy to me and my goal was to work for a hedge fund following graduation,” added Julia. However, her 2009 graduation coincided with the height of the financial crisis, and steered Julia away from her dreams of the trading floor and toward teaching -- a passion she had yet to fully explore.

“I sent emails to several independent schools in the Boston area, asking for any type of teaching internship. Five minutes after sending out those emails, Tom Evans (longtime CSW visual arts teacher) gave me a call and personally invited me to campus,” she shared. “To get that call back and an invitation was so special. It really shows the kind of place CSW is!” Julia accepted a position as a full-time teacher’s assistant for the following school year and dove headfirst into classroom work and individual tutoring. She also got a chance to co-teach a geometry class during the final few Mods of the year, a valuable experience that taught her a great deal about the value of learning-by-doing. “Teaching that first year really helped me realize what kind of learner I was. No baby steps. Just needed to jump right in.” Julia’s own experience mirrors the thoughtful risk-taking and experiential learning -- by students and teachers alike -- often witnessed in the classrooms of CSW. During the next school year, she continued to take on new roles within the community. She was an assistant in the

dean’s office, a dorm parent in the Barn, continued to tutor students in math, and also started coaching girls’ soccer in the spring. After a year teaching math at Beaver Country Day School and a valuable experience working at a Boys and Girls Club summer camp on Boston Harbor’s Long Island (a position she held for three consecutive summers), Julia returned to CSW at the start of the 2013-14 school year as a full-time teacher in the math department. “I really strive to form a comfortable learning environment,” said Julia. “To create a space for students to learn from their mistakes and have fun in the process.” Open the door to her classroom and you will most likely find her laughing and collaborating with her class, working with students one-on-one, or reflecting on a recent lesson plan with a colleague. Head down to the lowers during D-block and you’ll witness Julia’s contagious passion for interscholastic competition and health and fitness. Through it all, Julia continues her quest as a life-long learner and values the freedom CSW gives her to explore her many passions, both inside and outside the classroom walls.

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Gryphon Spring 2016

Thoughtful risk-taking and a sense of bravery to dive into the unknown, despite the chances of potential failure, are two values that lie at the heart of The Cambridge School of Weston. Whether it’s a student standing up at assembly to give their stump speech for the upcoming J-board election or a faculty member forming a challenging new curriculum for a previously untaught course, there is a prevailing sense that nothing is impossible when it comes to the classrooms and stages at CSW. Throughout 17 years, Music Teacher and Department Chair Michael Weinstein maintains he has never been bored.

“There is so much going on at CSW that no day is ever the same,” he said. “I can make a plan for how I might want to teach a class and often times it will go in a whole other direction. At first I was hesitant to let it play out, but then I found that the students will direct the learning and my teaching in really interesting and exciting ways.” Michael grew up in Albany, New York, taking piano and singing lessons. At age 12, he discovered his calling through an instrument he continues to favor today. During a band program in middle school he picked up the French horn for the first time.

“I WAS IMMEDIATELY DRAWN TO THE INSTRUMENT,” MICHAEL SHARED. In high school Michael was the star keyboard player for an Earth, Wind, and Fire student cover band before earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts in music at SUNY Purchase Conservatory. His major was Performance in Horn and he took a Composition for Performers course with master composer Yahudi Weiner, an experience that fueled his next several years of music education. A move to Boston for a master’s program at the New England Conservatory (NEC) and a music theory composition program

Michael Weinstein No Stranger to the Classroom or the Stage By Arlo Furst ’04

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at Brandeis University along with a teaching assistant role gave Michael an eye-opening experience. “I discovered that I loved teaching,” shared Michael. He also realized that it was common for composers to write music and be part of a wider community. Michael is well-known in the greater Boston area as a teacher, musician, and composer. He taught at Wheelock College for 15 years, at Berkeley College of Music, and in the preparatory division of The New England Conservatory . Written to honor Frank L. Battisti, the NEC wind ensemble conductor when Michael studied there, and published by Boosui and Hawkes, the serenade uses the same instrumentation as a piece by 19th-century composer Antonin Dvorak: two oboes, two clarinets, three horns, three bassoons, a cello, and a double bass. Michael describes his serenade as as ‘vaguely sounding like music,’ and he uses it routinely as a teaching tool in his advanced music theory classes at CSW. In addition to teaching, Michael also created CSW’s “Ensemble in Residence,” Trio

Tremonti. An impressive group of three esteemed musicians: a pianist, cellist, and a violinist—they receive on-campus rehearsal space and an eager audience in exchange for guiding both CSW music students and the wider community.

“I think it really exemplifies the type of egalitarian community that this place is.”

“Our students gain so much from observing musicians of this caliber,” Michael added. “It is truly a way of fostering something precious and rare for high school students to experience first-hand.”

“I can never waste time. There are lots of deadlines for composing and if I’m not teaching or planning a lesson, then I’m most likely working on a new composition.”

Michael wears several hats on campus. In addition to his teaching role, he is a member of the Capstone Committee, SHARE (Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Empowerment Team), the Academic Advisory Council, and leads a tight-knit advisory group.’

Time is of the essence for Michael. How else could he balance life as a department chair, teacher, composer and father?

As a matter of fact, at the time of this interview, Michael was preparing for the performance of a new piece he had composed for the Wind Ensemble Chorus at the NEC. His excitement for the upcoming recital was infectious, an energy that will most likely feed directly into his A-block class in the Mugar Center for the Performing Arts.

“I loved the first name basis. It helped reinforce the non-adversarial teaching style that was so present here,” he shared. “There was also a real love of learning coming from the students.” Lunch duty with his advisees is one of Michael’s favorite moments.

Arlo Furst ’04 is a 2008 graduate of Colorado College, where he majored in anthropology. He currently works as Assistant Director of Communications at Keys School, a K-8 independent school in Palo Alto, California. He resides in San Francisco, where he drinks too much coffee and attempts to practice yoga.

from the desk of...

From the Desk of...Andrew Strominger ’72 Andrew Eben Strominger ’72 is a theoretical physicist who has made groundbreaking contributions to quantum gravity and string theory. He discovered an exact mathematical equivalence between three disparate phenomena that have been separately studied for the last half-century: quantum field theory soft theorems, asymptotic symmetries, and the memory effect. This discovery has

deep implications for the infrared structure of all gauge and gravitational theories ranging from collider physics to the black hole information paradox. Recently, he co-authored a paper with Stephen Hawking, unveiling new black hole information.

Below is an excerpt from a Scientific American article written by Seth Fletcher that helps explain their finding.

Stephen Hawking’s New Black-Hole Paper, Translated: An Interview with Co-Author Andrew Strominger The Harvard physicist explains the collaboration’s long-awaited research on the black-hole information paradox

In the mid 1970s, Stephen Hawking made a string of unnerving discoveries about black holes—that they could evaporate, even explode, and destroy all information about what had fallen in. Physicists spent the next 40 years sorting through the wreckage. Then last year, at a conference in Stockholm, Hawking said that he and some collaborators were close to a solution to the so-called black-hole information paradox. Details, however, would have to wait. Now the details are here—at least some of them. This week Hawking, the University of Cambridge physicist Malcolm J. Perry, and the Harvard University physicist Andrew Strominger posted a paper online in which the authors claim to make real progress toward solving the black-hole information paradox. Despite the inviting title—“Soft Hair on Black Holes”—the paper is mercilessly technical, so I asked Strominger to walk me through it. An edited transcript of our conversation follows. SETH FLETCHER: Physicists are comfortable with all sorts of insane-sounding ideas, but the idea that black holes destroy information is not one of them. Why is this something that they cannot abide? ANDREW STROMINGER: Black holes destroying information means that the world is not deterministic. That is, the present doesn’t predict the future perfectly, and it also can’t be used to reconstruct the past. That’s sort of the essence of what a physical law is. Going way back to Galileo or earlier, the idea of a physical law is that you start out with

bodies in some state of motion and interacting, and you use the physical laws to determine either where they will be in the future or where they must have come from. So it’s a very big thing if black holes destroy information. It’s a very big thing to say that we cannot use physical laws in the way that we’ve been accustomed to for thousands of years to describe the world around us. Now just because it’s a very big thing doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. In a way, the history of physics is the history of learning that things that we thought had to be true weren’t true. We used to think that space and time were absolute. We used to think the Earth is the center of the universe. All of these things seemed completely obvious and well defined. And one by one they went by the wayside. That could happen to determinism, too. The very fact that the universe has a beginning seems to be in contradiction with determinism, because if you have nothing and then there’s something, that’s not deterministic. So determinism should be on the table. And indeed when Hawking first came out with his argument [that black holes destroyed information], it seemed like such a good argument that many or even most of the people who listened to it believed that determinism was over. But three things happened that have changed that. The first is that you can’t just throw up your hands and say we can’t describe the universe. You need some kind of alternative— some sort of probabilistic laws or something. And Hawking and other people put out some formalism that enables you to have

probabilistic laws, and so on, but it was rather quickly shown to be internally self-inconsistent. The second thing was that experimentally it’s not plausible to say that determinism breaks down only when you make a big black hole and let it collapse because according to quantum mechanics and the uncertainty principle, you would have little black holes popping in and out of the vacuum. And so you would have to violate determinism everywhere. And the experimental bounds on that are truly extraordinary. So experimentally there are very serious consequences if there are even teeny, tiny violations of determinism. SF: And in a new paper that you, Stephen Hawking, and Malcolm Perry posted online, you argue that you’ve taken some concrete steps toward explaining how information can get in and out of a black hole. The first step in your argument is to undercut some of the assumptions underlying Hawking’s original argument using “new discoveries about the infrared structure of quantum gravity.” Can you tell us about these discoveries?

Photo by Anna N. Zytkow

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AS: Infrared structure means the behavior of things that vary at the longest wavelengths. I discovered in the last two years what I think are some hugely surprising facts about the long wavelength structure not just of quantum gravity but also of quantum electrodynamics. It was clear that [these facts] had profound implications for the black hole information puzzle. They implied that some of the things that had been assumed in the argument that black holes destroy information were demonstrably wrong. And that’s how this all got started. SF: Let’s walk through those two assumptions. One involves the final evaporation state of a black hole, and the other is the no-hair theorem. AS: The first one has to do with the vacuum. The lowest energy thing is the vacuum. And it’s always been assumed that the vacuum in quantum gravity or in quantum electrodynamics is unique—that there’s only one zero-energy state. And what I’ve shown in the last couple of years is that that assumption is wrong. There are in fact infinitely many different vacuum states. SF: Stephen Hawking is an author on this paper, so I take it he agrees that his original argument was flawed in this way. AS: Right. I think that’s why he got excited. People have made all kinds of crazy criticisms of his argument, and to the best of my impressions, he’s correctly objected to all of them. But this one, he heard it and he seemed to immediately agree that this was the key. There is a logical stream that we are following through now, and we’re going to see what its implications are. I’m sure there are going to be more surprises. But this is a first step in working out those implications. SF: The next step in the paper seems crucial: you say that the no-hair theorem is unfounded, and that, in fact, black holes have “soft hair.” AS: Right. In my earlier work I said that just by these conservation laws that I discovered, black holes must have some kind of hair. But I didn’t really know how it could be described in equations. SF: In the new paper, “soft hair” refers to “soft” photons and gravitons. What does “soft” mean in this context? AS: Soft means not very much energy, or zero energy. That usage has been around since maybe the 1960s. The crucial subtlety is if you take the vacuum and you add to it a photon with some energy E you get a new state. It’s a different quantum state with energy E, and it has a different angular momentum because the photon has a spin.

But now suppose you consider a limit where that energy goes to zero. Then you’re adding to the vacuum something that has no energy. So it’s still a zero energy state, but you’ve changed its angular momentum. The first thing you have to do is to be very precise about what you mean about two states being different. And what I did, in a way that I think the world of theoretical physicists agrees with, is I made all of this very precise. What we learn from that is that if you add a zero-energy particle to the vacuum, you get a new state. And so there are infinitely many vacua, which can be thought of as being different from one another by the addition of soft photons or soft gravitons. What we showed in this present paper is that this is also true for black holes. SF: In the paper, you argue that these particles, which together form the soft hair, are deposited on the black hole by something called “supertranslation.” Can you explain that process? AS: The horizon of a black hole has the weird feature that it’s a sphere and it’s expanding outward at the speed of light. For every point on the sphere, there’s a light ray. So it’s composed of light rays. But it doesn’t get any bigger and that’s because of the force of gravity and the curvature of space. And, by the way, that’s why nothing that is inside a black hole can get out—because the boundary of the black hole itself is already moving at the speed of light. There’s this symmetry of a black hole that we all knew about in which you move uniformly forward and backward in time along all of the light rays. But there’s another symmetry, which is the new thing in this paper (though various forms of it have been discussed elsewhere). It’s a symmetry in which the individual light rays are moved up and down. See, individual light rays can’t talk to each other—if you’re riding on a light ray, causality prevents you from talking to somebody riding on an adjacent light ray. So these light rays are not tethered together. You can slide them up and down relative to one another. That sliding is called a super-translation. SF: So the soft photons and gravitons implanted by supertranslations store information in that they are “quantum pixels” on an information-storing “holographic plate.” AS: Let me go back to the soft photons or gravitons in flat space. As the energy of a particle goes to zero, its wavelength spreads out over a larger and larger region. And when its energy is zero, there’s a sense in which you can think of it as living on the boundary of spacetime. Now the horizon of a black hole

is a three-dimensional surface. There are the two angular directions around a sphere. And then there is the timelike direction, which is actually lightlike because the horizon is moving at the speed of light. And that lightlike direction has a boundary. If you go to the end of those light rays there’s a boundary. And that boundary is where the hologram lives. So the soft photons or gravitons—when you add them to the black hole—they can be thought of as living at that boundary. We show that when a charged particle goes in, it adds a soft photon to the black hole. So it adds hair to the black hole. And more generally if any particle goes in—because all particles carry mass and are coupled to gravity—they always add a soft graviton. So there’s a kind of recording device. These soft photons and gravitons record information about what went into the black hole— infinitely more information than we previously believed is recorded by this mechanism. Now whether all information is recorded by this mechanism… I’m pretty sure the answer to that is no, but there are generalizations of this mechanism and then it’s a lot more confusing. SF: You write in the paper that there is a suggestive relationship between the minimum size of these soft hairs and the Planck length and the Hawking-Bekenstein formula, which relates the entropy of a black hole to the area of its event horizon. AS: The area-entropy law that [Jacob] Bekenstein and Hawking derived 40 years ago makes a prediction. If we have all the ingredients for understanding quantum black-hole dynamics, it makes a prediction for how many holographic pixels there are. SF: Is there a clear road ahead? AS: I’ve got a list of 35 problems on the board, each of which will take many months. It’s a very nice stage to be in if you’re a theoretical physicist because there are things we don’t understand, but there are calculations that we can do that will definitely shed light on it. There’s something much richer and bigger and at the same time more enigmatic than the supertranslations called the superrotations - another kind of symmetry at infinity where you don’t just shift the light rays up and down, but you move them relative to one another. You interchange them. If we can make sense of them, they’re going to be more important. I also think that there is a very vital connection with studies that people have been doing of entanglement entropy. That needs to be incorporated into this general framework. So there are many very concrete things to do at this point.

SNAPSHOTS OF SUPPORT DAVID FAX ’72

A LIFE OF VICTORIES What prompted you to make your first gift to the school? I felt a need to give back to an institution that provided so richly to my educational and personal development. Not only did the CSW curriculum and structure more than adequately prepare me for college, but the friends that I made among my classmates created lifelong cherished memories. Why did you choose CSW? CSW was not my choice, but rather was a decision my parents reached after a strong recommendation from African American parents of an earlier CSW graduate. What do you think of when you remember being at CSW? I remember forward-thinking and open-minded faculty who encouraged me to express myself even when my views differed from their own. I think of my phenomenal dorm parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peirce, and the best roommate I ever could have hoped to have, Rob Moir ’72. I remember learning to ski, learning to sail, and I constantly think of the warmth of great friends. You’re a retired Lieutenant Colonel, what is an accomplishment that you are most proud of ? Without question, I consider my greatest professional accomplishment becoming the first African American to command an Operations Support Squadron (OSS) that consisted of 275 officers and airmen who managed an airfield, control tower, base operations, and warfare planning unit. That command served as a double victory to me because I was also the first non-rated officer (pilot or navigator) to command an OSS.

What skills did you learn at CSW that have carried forward today? There were many skills that I attribute to my CSW experience, but the one that I would consider the most significant is critical thinking. From science courses to my studies of literature, I learned to question opinions while respecting authority, to see issues multidimensionally, to treat people with compassion, and to have confidence in my own ability to do the right thing. What do you do to stay content? I enjoy photography. It’s my passion. I just wish I were better at it. Is there anything in particular that makes you feel good to support at CSW today? I simply hope that others who have a similar background as my own will discover their own path through the CSW experience. David Fax ’72 is a management analyst at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations and resides in Bowie, MD. He has two sons: Elliot and Evan, and he plans to attend Reunion in June with his wife Shirley.

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SARAH JANE HORTON ’81: PART OF THE MISSION

What prompted you to make your first gift to the school? My first gift was actually made in 1979 when I would have been a sophomore! In retrospect I think someone smart must have been working in the development office at the time because giving at that early stage in my high school career must have made an impression on me. It prompted a life-long commitment to giving of which I am now proud. Why did you choose CSW? I attended a very small, public school in Cambridge (with my classmate Beth Katz ’81) and had heard that CSW had a wonderful theater department. That was what brought me to CSW. What do you think of when you remember being at CSW? I remember sitting in Lee Wilson’s classroom in the back of the old music building, listening to the Tchaikovsky symphonies for a class called “Archetypes in Music” and making eye contact with a classmate. It was a moment of recognition between us that we were in the presence of something greater than ourselves. Oprah Winfrey would call it an “Aha!” moment. CSW was a place where we all could feel safe to have those moments in a shared space. Share one of your most proud moments. In the fall of my freshman year, my new friend, Coriander Mumford ’79, was cast as the lead in The Good Person of Szechwan by Bertolt Brecht. She was a new transfer in her junior year. I remember there was some opposition from the theater kids to Robin Wood giving Coriander the lead because she was new, but Robin never made popular choices and, because of that, I think she was deeply respected. I only had a small role in that production, but I was so proud to be a part of it!

What skills did you learn at CSW that have carried forward today? My greatest takeaway was learning how to advocate for myself. With the Mod Plan you had to fight during registration to make sure you got the schedule you wanted! What a nightmare that must have been for the administration to handle all that scheduling! Anyway, when I got to college I knew from the get go that I wasn’t going to just take what was given me. If I wanted a class with a particular teacher, I made sure I got it! This I learned at CSW (where I think I managed to sign up for every elective that Steve Cohen offered). Oh, and I also learned that everything is interesting, when taught well. If I hadn’t known that from CSW, I would probably not have taken a political philosophy lecture at Sarah Lawrence taught by Michael Davis. I didn’t have any interest in philosophy but had heard that he was a great teacher. I ended up studying philosophy for my remaining three years at Sarah Lawrence and then during my year abroad at Oxford University. What do you do to stay happy? I love my family, I knit, I walk my dog. Is there anything in particular that makes you feel good to support at CSW today? I love going back to visit CSW to see what they are doing now. The current head, Jane Moulding, is truly visionary and while there are new buildings and new faculty, it still has the same dynamic spirit that I enjoyed. It is still fulfilling its mission to inspire passionate learning. So, it makes me happy to know that I’m still (in a small way) a part of that mission! Sarah Jane Horton ’81 lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Larry, and children Rosalie, 17 and Peter, 16. She sings as a soloist at The Plymouth Church in Brooklyn and with the Collegiate Singers in Manhattan, and is an active volunteer and executive board member with The Brooklyn Women’s Exchange, a non-profit, volunteer-run, gift store supporting hand crafts in Brooklyn Heights.

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Getting Outside the Bubble: How CSW Students Engage with the World By John Butman P’02 How do CSW students engage with the world beyond the school environment? How do they form a worldview? How does CSW support their efforts to build their knowledge and understanding of what lies beyond the quad? These are some of the questions I explored in conversations with eight CSW students and four teachers -- all from very different backgrounds and with very different experiences in and with the wider world. In their ideas and stories, I felt a fundamental, age-old tension between the desire to burrow deep and passionately into the familiar and

relatively bounded CSW experience and the drive to push beyond personal and institutional limits into the world where things may be unfamiliar, uncertain, full of risk, and jangling with opportunity. At CSW, both impulses—to keep close and to wander afar—are experienced and synthesized within the context of the school’s core, progressive values: A focus on social justice and human equality. An awareness of the distorting lens of privilege. Deep curiosity. An appreciation of ambiguity and process. A love of learning by doing.

For me, the conversations were poignant because they brought back memories of my own experience as a parent chaperone on the Paris leg of a Mod abroad with my son, Jeremy ’02, and his clssmates—led by the redoubtable French Teacher Denise Chamberlain —in the spring of 2002. That fall, the preparations for the trip—always a time filled with anxiety and expectation—were made all the more intense after the terror attacks of September 11. Should we cancel the trip? Should we go? It was an early instance of the now-familiar question that we find ourselves confronting in

the wake of every grave disruption to the world order: Should we alter our actions in response to what has occurred? I am happy to say that parents and students agreed—with much discussion, as is the CSW way, but without much hesitation— to go. I did my best with those wonderful, clever kids and my high school French. Jeremy returned home from his stay in Aix en Provence exhausted, exhilarated, and with a penchant for delving into distant cultures and outside ideas that still can be clearly seen in many ways, including his fondness for Jacques Derrida, the largely inscrutable French philosopher. But that’s another story. I began by inquiring about that essential element in the development of a worldview: sources of news and information. How do CSW students learn of what’s going on? How do they reach out? How are they reached? Jose Melo ’19, put it succinctly. “My phone,” he said.

Jose, who was born in the Dominican Republic, has set up his device to ping him when stories of interest—mostly about politics and science—pop up on nyt.com. Above all, he likes to think and talk about the future, especially space technology. In April, when the reusable SpaceX Falcon 9 stuck its landing on a drone ship off the Florida coast, Jose’s phone informed him immediately. Online venues and social media— Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat, Buzzfeed, Instagram—are favored sources of news and information for the students I talked with and, as we all know so well, the volume and flow of material is endless and can be overwhelming. So it was also almost heartwarming to discover that traditional media—the print newspaper, the radio, and the television—are not completely outré. Sarah Stockdale ’17, for example, is not opposed to opening an ear to an NPR report on her parents’ car radio on the way to school, especially

if the story features art or music. Hope Johnson ’17, too, may not read the newspaper or watch the news “by choice,” but sometimes her parents will pass along a newspaper article about social justice or they’ll watch the television news together. This reveals a prevalent method of information attainment today: references by friends and family. Connor Rooks ’18 says he gets lots of information through Facebook. “It’s all so there, because people are always sharing minute-long videos— ‘this is something you should know about!’—or trending topics.” But when Connor wants more indepth exploration—his interests include the international banking system and immigration issues—he’ll tune into BBC radio, read the Sunday Times, or watch Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. While having access to a multitude of sources and media forms can be a boon to developing a worldview, there is a

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great difference between being much-informed and being well-informed, said Rachel Hirsch, CSW history teacher. When she started at CSW in 1999, she saw the teacher’s role as helping students find and access relevant information. “We were co-pilots with students as they navigated their way to information,” she said. Today, since students have virtually infinite information access, the teacher’s role is to help them learn how to evaluate material, be critical of sources, and avoid some of the pitfalls ever-present in that bottomless reservoir of content. The act of corroboration, for example, used to be considered essential when conducting any kind of inquiry, to ensure the veracity and accuracy of a fact or a story or a data point. But, today, a Google search will typically yield up a quantity of hits that confirm the existence of a piece of information or reinforce an opinion. “Whatever the viewpoint is,” says Connor, “you can find things that will agree with you.” He feels, as a result, that he must “spend more time looking for things that argue against my own arguments.” One positive current within the information torrent is that those opposing viewpoints are available in abundance, which is not the case the world over. Ziyu Yan ’18, whose family lives in southern China, has experienced the problem of what we might call anti-corroboration. “It’s hard to get something negative about China in Chinese sources,” she says. “But here, we can easily find an opposing view.” Informing oneself—even well-informing oneself—is not the same as engaging with the world and students and teachers make a sharp distinction between awareness and engagement. “When students are confronted with information well outside their self-appointed perimeters,” said Anjali Bhatia, history teacher since 2010, they “react with interest and concern.” Whether and how this interest turns into engagement depends on the student. For some, engagement may involve beyond-the-ordinary interactions that take place in ordinary places, in and outside school. “I think it’s important to have serious talks with people, whether it’s kids, my parents,” says Sammy Hankaoui ’18. “If I have time on the train, I’ll talk to the train conductor.” Sammy, whose family hails from Morocco, particularly seeks out conversation about Islam and how it figures into the current political climate. If talking with proximate people can bring insight that adds to a worldview, people provide even richer material

John Butman P’02 is the author of Breaking Out: How to Build Influence in a World of Competing Ideas (Harvard Business Review Press, 2013) and co-author, with Simon Targett, of the forthcoming New World, Inc: The Founding of America as a Business Enterprise, 1550-1620 (Little, Brown 2017).

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when they express a range of views, ideas, and behaviors emerging from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences: It’s no wonder that travel has long been considered a surefire method of “broadening” oneself. What better way to meet and engage with people one might not encounter on campus, at home, or in their everyday orbit? As Mark Twain put it: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness… Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” But travel has evolved since 1869, when Innocents Abroad was published. Lizzie Clackson ’18, thinks travel only makes a valuable contribution to a worldview when pursued, not as an exercise in sightseeing, but as a learning experience, and as a privilege not to be abused. “What’s really important, if you have the means to travel, is to go out and see the culture,” she says. “Not just observe it like they’re animals. Be in it and try and feel the way they feel. Not take it for yourself, but feel that connection and understand the way people live.” Rose Crawford ’18, agrees that “travel is a big part of how I shape my worldview.” She worked in Haiti several summers after the earthquake of 2010, living with a Haitian friend and teaching art at a summer program for young kids. Talking with people who had never left the island, watching children walk a mile to access drinking water, seeing a newborn baby die in a hospital for lack of nutrients, “changed the way I saw poverty and the way I saw different parts of the world.” This emphasis on deep engagement with people informs CSW’s many off-campus initiatives, including the Mod abroad courses that take place in France, Panama, and China/Taiwan. This year, 12 CSW students travelling with two teachers pioneered a trip to South Africa that combined social justice and community service, an idea that originated in Black Studies class. “It was completely life changing for me,” says Lizzie. “We learned about the culture and how we can make change.” Is that the desired progression? From awareness to engagement to change? Short answer: yes. On these trips, “I witness a lot of growth,” says Awa Diop, Spanish and French teacher and International Program Advisor, who travelled with CSW students to Panama this spring. Students gain

a heightened awareness not only of the culture in which they are temporary inhabitants, but also of their own. That includes politics. In France, Diop saw students “looking at American politics in a different context. The fact that they were removed physically from the United States gave it a different twist. Which brings us, inevitably, to the election. “It is a nerve-wracking time,” Sarah said, not only because of the near-term implications of who will take office, but because of what it signifies even farther into the future. “Thinking about the reality of having someone like Trump as president, it’s kind of frightening,” she said. “How do you interact with people who are so vastly different in thinking about what they want for their government or for their future and in this land that we live in?” While CSW students follow the election and many participate by speaking out—primarily on social media—in support of a candidate or cause, teachers sense there is less drive to engage with the process as actively and directly as in elections past, with volunteering, attendance at rallies, and the like. “When Barack Obama was elected, there was an incredible energy at the school,” said Ben Ibbetsen, Spanish teacher and college counselor since 2000. “Now [the energy] is manifesting itself in a different way: there is a significant amount of apprehension. You hear it at the lunch table. You hear it in class.” This may be evidence of an emerging view that the political system, as a whole, is not a locus of social justice and that elected officials, including the president, do not have sufficient power to effect real change. Students see more potential in movements such as “Black Lives Matter” to create awareness and influence conversations that can lead to transformation. A question lurked within our discussions: Is it really possible or necessary for anyone to synthesize all that information and awareness, all those experiences and engagements, into an articulate worldview? Bhatia believes it is. “I most certainly think that it is possible for high school students to develop a well-formed worldview while in school, and I have the fervent belief that it is important for them to do so,” she said. “Much of what a student believes, admires, and adopts as opinion is initially developed in high school.” For this reason, it may be that school has become more central than ever to students, their lives, and their ability to convert awareness into engagement with the world—even in this age of information access, travel, off-campus engagements, choice, and opportunity. That’s because CSW can be the necessary safe haven for learning and development while also providing a reliable portal into the outer world, at a time when stepping beyond one’s everyday boundaries involves heightened risks. None of us can come to a complete understanding of the world or develop a perfectly-shaped worldview. But at CSW, students are “adamant that the edge of their world not be the edge of CSW,” said Hirsch. Students are concerned that school can be a bubble and—while eager to sample and savor all the goodness within the bubble—they know they cannot live inside it forever and must start their global engagement now.

“AS YOU GET OLDER, YOU START TO EXPERIENCE LIVING,” SAID JOSE. “EVENTUALLY, YOU WILL GET A WORLDVIEW.”

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An imaginative response to recent world news on advancements of space travel BY BRIAN WALKER

SPACE RACE So I was talking to my good friend, Joe Neckbone, the other day, over a couple of beachside root beers. I was all worked up about SpaceX. They’d just brought a rocket back from outer space and landed it perfectly, in a waiting boat. What it meant, I told skeptical Joe as he belched like a flu-ridden bullfrog, was that the success brought humankind even closer to celestial colonization.

“Uh-huh.” Joe sipped his A&W. “Next?”

“You mean living on the moon?” Joe laughed and burped again. “Better off trying to repopulate Detroit.” He said the idea was pure fantasy, better fit for pages in science fiction novels than the New York Times. “Last I heard, NASA was pretty much shut own, anyway.”

“Four is a lot less than 1,400,” Joe agreed. “Still might need to pack a lunch. Or a lifetime.”

That’s not true.” I explained that NASA was still very much a player. Other private companies, like Virgin Galactic and XCOR were heavily involved in the space race, too. “A bunch of scientists and other big wigs just met at MIT. They think we might be able to live on Mars, one day.” “One day. Like one day, we’ll have flying taxis?” I warned my friend not to laugh. We already have autonomous cars, drones sold at toy stores, and Google Glasses. Serious minds with motivation and money predict that today’s high school generation will make space travel routine. NASA even has a suit, the Z-2, specifically designed for walks on Martian soil. “So what?” Joe said. “Mars is a dustball. Who’d want to live there?” “Forget Mars, then. How about Kepler-452b? It orbits a star, just like Earth. Astronomers and scientists agree that it should sustain human life. Think about it,” I said. “Earth’s twin, discovered only a year ago.” “And how far away is it?” “1,400 light years.”

“Well, what about Alpha Centauri? That’s the closest star system to ours. Only about four light years away.” I explained that the system contained three stars, probably with orbiting planets in the Goldilocks Zone. No one was sure, though, because no mission had been close enough.

“Maybe not. Robots don’t eat.” I told him about ‘Starshot,’ the collaborative effort from Stephen Hawking and Yuri Milner to dispatch thousands of cellphone-sized robots to the star system. They would travel at roughly one-fifth the speed of light, reaching Alpha Centauri in about 20 years. It wouldn’t be just a fact-finding mission, but one centered on human survival, since Hawking believes we will have to leave the planet within the next 1,000 years. Joe sniffed. “Global warming? You know we just had a snowstorm in April, right?” “That’s part of it,” I said growing frustrated. Sometimes Joe Neckbone was dense. “Forget about that part. Think of this: In our lifetime, they might find another Earth, basically right next door. We could leave here and start over again, having learned from our mistakes. President Obama just signed a bill that allows asteroid ownership, so you know this is real.” “Obama did that?” Joe finished his root beer. He’d voted twice for the President and, given the choices, planned to write in his name, again. “Why didn’t you tell me he was on board? This is serious.” He flagged down a passing man with drinks for sale. “Two more A&Ws, please?” We clinked our bottles in a toast and I stared at the moon, still visible in broad daylight. How would it feel to drink a toast from there, looking at the Earth? I didn’t know, but wanted to. My kids would find out, though, for sure.

Brian F. Walker is a former CSW English faculty member, basketball coach, and admissions officer. He grew up in East Cleveland, where he ran with gangsters, drug dealers, and thugs until age 14, when he was sent to an elite boarding school and a world he had no way of understanding. He won a grant for fiction writing from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, in addition to numerous awards for playwriting, short stories, and journalism. Brian lives on Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands with his wife and children.

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“Landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth within a decade” was a national goal set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. On July 20, 1969, Astronaut Neil Armstrong took “a giant step for mankind” as he stepped onto the moon. Six Apollo missions were made to explore the moon between 1969 and 1972. In April 1981, the launch of the space shuttle Columbia ushered in a period of reliance on the reusable shuttle for most civilian and military space missions. Twenty-four successful shuttle launches fulfilled many scientific and military requirements until January 1986, when the shuttle Challenger exploded after launch, killing its crew of seven. The space shuttle will continue to carry out important space missions, particularly supporting the International Space Station. The Columbia disaster in 2003 signaled the need to step up the development of its replacement. Future space launch systems will be designed to reduce costs and improve dependability, safety, and reliability. In the meantime most US military and scientific satellites will be launched into orbit by a family of expendable launch vehicles designed for a variety of missions. Other nations have their own launch systems, and there is strong competition in the commercial launch market to develop the next generation of launch systems.

2026

2003 1981 1969

Big Steps in Space Discovery The big NASA spacecraft that began orbiting Mars a decade ago delivered huge advances in knowledge about the Red Planet. NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has revealed in unprecedented detail a planet that held diverse wet environments billions of years ago and remains dynamic today. One example of MRO’s major discoveries was the possibility of liquid water being present seasonally on present-day Mars. It drew on three key capabilities researchers gained from this mission: telescopic camera resolution to find features narrower than a driveway; spacecraft longevity to track seasonal changes over several Martian years; and imaging spectroscopy to map surface composition. Scientists using radar data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have found a record of the most recent Martian ice age recorded in the planet’s north polar ice cap. The new results agree with previous models that indicate a glacial period ended about 400,000 years ago, as well as predictions about how much ice would have been accumulated at the poles since then. The results help refine models of the Red Planet’s past and future climate by allowing scientists to determine how ice moves between the poles and mid-latitudes, and in what volumes. SpaceX currently staffs more than 4,000 people, working on the goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

Mars One is a not for profit foundation with the goal of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars. To prepare for this settlement the first unmanned mission is scheduled to depart in 2020. Crews will depart for their one-way journey to Mars starting in 2026; subsequent crews will depart every 26 months after the initial crew has left for Mars. “We are farther down the path to sending humans to Mars than at any point in NASA’s history,” Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator said during an event at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. that detailed NASA’s manned Mars plans. Credits: NASA/JPL

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130 Years at CSW By Amy Meneely In 1886, the year the Cambridge School for Girls was begun by Arthur and Stella Gilman, the first gasoline-powered automobile was invented, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated and labor unions organized nationally to push for an eighthour work day. Electricity was not widely available, segregation was increasing in the south, and women did not have the right to vote. The sad movement toward pushing Native American Tribes onto reservations was just beginning. It’s hard to imagine the breadth of change the school has lived through. However, the school we now know as The Cambridge School of Weston has been inviting students to find their voices, explore new ideas, and push boundaries since those early years when Headmistress Mary Haskel dared to teach the work of Walt Whitman to young women on Marlborough Street in Boston.

In 1931, amidst the Great Depression, John French moved the Cambridge School to Weston and made it co-ed. He envisioned a new kind of school and was influenced by the progressive education movement of the time. It was a radical idea among New England schools, and he had great hopes that the experiment would set an example for other schools. He believed in self-motivation by natural curiosity and desire to master new skills. This entrepreneurial approach would have served students well in a decade when traditional jobs were scarce.

Ten years later, Arnold “Arnie” Simmel ’43 recalls being at the Cambridge School (before “Weston” was part of the name) when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. That Christmas, classmate Bobby Pearce ’42 wrote and produced Christmas in the Toyshop which Arnie describes as “a political satire of dictatorship, an unsubtle reminder of Hitler, and, for me, a memorable play.” The following year, Arnold remained at school over Thanksgiving break when news about a fire at the Coconut Grove Night Club in Boston came over the radio. A horrible tragedy killing almost 500 people, the incident prompted new building codes and fire ordinances for restaurants and clubs. The night of the fire, Arnie had been visiting housemaster Bob Harvey, which wasn’t unusual, as Arnie fondly remembers lively interactions with his teachers. Mr. Harvey, who was a conscientious objector, often held discussions with students on topics such as philosophy or modern art, and was a big influence on Arnie. He also fondly remembers the Discussion Club with Charlie Cummings, who was then the much-loved American History teacher and assistant principal of the school. Learning then, as it does now, often happened in lively exchanges between teachers and students in and out of the classroom.

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CSW enjoyed a period of strong growth in the 1950’s and 1960’s under the leadership of Adolphus Cheek, who expanded the physical campus, the student body, and the faculty, supporting a student-centered, progressive education. Robert Friesen ’71 recalls that Mr. Cheek’s death in 1968 coincided with huge cultural shifts including the civil rights movement, women’s rights, and the sexual revolution. The school’s proximity to liberal Boston and the political upheaval of the time put CSW at the center of this cultural revolution. “CSW,” recalls Robert, “went alternative.” Dress codes were relaxed, hair styles were long, and political sentiments ran high, leaving a lasting impact on the school and its students.

Following the May 2, 1970 killing of four students at Kent State University during a Vietnam war protest, millions of students across the nation went on strike, and Robert remembers CSW as the “strike headquarters for high schools in New England.” Students became involved in grassroots organizing and mobilization against the war, and in pursuit of civil rights. He recalls a tense march with a group of students from Brandeis University to join a protest in Boston “at a time when carrying peace placards and walking with long hair through Waltham was a matter of taking one’s life into one’s hands. I recall unsympathetic police escorts through portions of that march and threatening remarks from supporters of the US presence in Vietnam.”

Today, CSW is still very politically engaged. Naomi Wastewater Weekes ’09 recalls the excitement of the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. Two weeks shy of voting age herself, Naomi recalls the passion on campus during the campaign, with anxiety running high and arguments breaking out on campus. She remembers crying with a group of students, including many students of color, gathered in the dorm watching the election results. There was a school-wide assembly to watch Obama’s acceptance speech, and the excitement on campus was palatable. While at CSW, Naomi started a weekly race discussion group that included students, faculty, and staff. These conversations have continued on campus in a variety of settings in recent years, encouraged through a campus-wide focus on social justice and multicultural programs both in and out of class. Of course, politics aside, Naomi can’t forget being on campus for the 2004 and 2007 World Series when the Red Sox shook the curse and made Boston proud. The social, political and technological changes in the last 130 years are astounding, but while CSW has continued to adapt, it remains a place where students can exchange ideas, challenge the status quo, and find the power of their unique voices.

PERSPECTIVE

Vilnis Ezerins ‘78 A Happy & Successful Non-Conformist EDITED FROM A RECORDED INTERVIEW BY CHRISTINE CHAMBERLAIN ‘63 “THE REALITY IS THAT I HAVE BEEN SELFEMPLOYED SINCE THE AGE OF SIX, AND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE COST OF MY EDUCATION, WHICH MY FATHER COVERED, I HAVE BEEN SELF-SUPPORTING SINCE I WAS 13 YEARS OLD. AT EIGHT YEARS OLD I WAS READING EVERY BUSINESS BOOK IN MY LOCAL LIBRARY. I HAVE EARNED MONEY ALL MY LIFE, THROUGH VARIOUS ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES.” When Vil was nine years old, he wrote and selfpublished a book -- How to Make Money in the Mail Order Business. He marketed it on his own and sold eight copies, seven of which were returned for refunds on the grounds that “it read as though a child had written it.” Between the ages of 6 and 43, Vil started 41 different companies ranging from a restaurant, to a few real estate-centric companies, to several selling related enterprises, to eventually finding a niche in technology related businesses. As a teenager, Vil had two sources of income. “I was in the Volkswagen restoration business,” he said. He and a group of students restored Volkswagens and CSW even provided a facility where they could work. One of the teachers actually bought a car. When Vil’s science teacher at CSW presented the curriculum, it didn’t get Vil’s attention. So the teacher asked him to relate his interests in restoring Volkswagens to science. Vil proposed

an examination of the car’s internal combustion engine. The teacher approved of a project to strip down the engine and put it back together again. Even though he ran out of time before completely rebuilding it, Vil received credit and it expanded his perspective on connecting learning to his passions. It was while he was a CSW student that Vil co-founded the Teachers' Bookshop in Concord, Massachusetts, a mail order company, similar to an early version of Amazon, marketing alternative education books available in print for teachers. He rented a house in the commercial zone in the center of Concord, lived upstairs, and turned the ground floor into a retail educational bookstore. At the time, his passion was direct mail marketing. His customers and suppliers may not have known that he was only a teenager. His biggest customer was the Anchorage Alaska School System. At CSW, Vil’s closest friends included two German students, an Iranian student and two Italian students. “That connection was significant for me because I was born in America, but I was not born American. I was culturally different.” Vil’s parents emigrated from Latvia during the Second World War. When they dropped him off at the local public school kindergarten class, he didn't speak a word of English. "I think my mother understood that I wasn't going to succeed at public school, and she was actively involved in the discussions as to what would work for me,” Vil shared. Although he describes himself as a "misfit—" defined as a person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others, often in an uncomfortable way—he was certain that he also had two strong traits: he was a very fast learner and he was very independent. Geometry class is a good example. During his first class, Vil realized that geometry fascinated him. He read the textbook cover to cover, returned the next day claiming that he was ready for the final exam, and aced it. "Well, what do we do

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with you for the rest of the Mod?" the teacher asked, then offered the idea that Vil become a teaching assistant for the remainder of the term. “In most environments, I would have been considered ‘difficult’ and non-conforming,” Vil added. “At CSW I wasn't. I was extremely grateful to CSW for those kinds of things.” Following CSW, Vil attended UMass Amherst. He was sitting in an economics lecture when the professor said, "You guys are at UMass, not Harvard, and you need to be preparing yourself for mid-level executive positions. That's who you're going to be." Vil said, "I'm in the wrong place." He recognized that CSW would never have made such an assumption. “They definitely didn't pigeonhole anyone.” From the very beginning, Vil had a strong feeling that he could never be successful in a structured corporate environment. While he has never been on someone else’s payroll, he fondly recalls volunteering as a teller at his university credit union, “just for social exposure.” Since selling his most successful business at the age of 43 in 2003, Vil has been dedicated to keeping himself challenged and active. In addition to assisting and investing in businesses internationally, he has travelled to more than 60 countries, is an avid skier (more than 60 days per year), enjoys long distance bicycle riding, including trips through Thailand and Vietnam, and studies mindful living and meditation. These days, Vil consults with businesses and is focused on identifying an optimal business strategy. “It is a skill; it's a trait and an asset,” he adds. “But, only if you can communicate what you envision and persuade other people to embrace it.” A few years ago, Vil fulfilled a lifelong dream: attending Harvard Business School, where he completed a three-year program to learn how to communicate businesses’ best practices to others. “In reflecting on my time at The Cambridge School of Weston, I understand that it wasn't that my time there changed who I was, nor did they try. They allowed me to be.”

Christine Harland (Marston) Chamberlain ’63 is an alumna of Wellesley College who has travelled, lived,and worked abroad, first in Bahrain, and later in Fiji and the United Kingdom. For more than two decades, she profiled individuals from different cultures, both for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers in the United States and Europe, and for the Gulf Air in-flight magazine. She created Camden Writers n 1997 - a unique business that curates and publishes personal histories. Christine serves on the CSW Board of Trustees.

THEN

NOW

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leaving a legacy:

a view from the inside

“During my time there, CSW was filled with very capable and

talented students, as well as faculty who were demanding yet caring and accessible, in a community that supported us all. The skills I learned at CSW—notably writing and critical analysis—as well as the personal values nurtured by the school, helped me through college and beyond during the various phases of my professional life.

Jonathan Guest ’69

There came a time to say thank you to CSW and the best way for us to make a larger gift than we can to the annual fund was by naming the school as a beneficiary under our wills..”

Join Jonathan and many others. Learn more about how to leave your legacy at CSW. The Patience Lauriat Society is an honorary association of individuals who have made planned gifts or provisions in their bequests to The Cambridge School of Weston. The society is named after Patience Lauriat ’46, who left a portion of her estate to CSW. Her gift to the school was her way of acknowledging what the school had taught her and had helped her accomplish, and she was the first to honor the school in this way. To learn more about becoming a member and to find out how planned giving can benefit you and The Cambridge School of Weston, please contact: Rebecca Schultzberg Director of Alumni/ae and Development rschultzberg@csw.org | 781.642.8611 www.csw.org/giving

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GUSTAVO BRASIL

Assistant Registrar

JORDY ROSS ’05

SATINDER PARMAR ’17

Do you have a favorite CSW moment or a fond CSW memory?

There are so many, but one of the best moments was when Alisa Amador ’14 sang “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder in Rock Pop Ensemble.

Oh jeez, there are so many of these! I thought the chili cook off a few years ago was a blast. It was great to involve students, teachers and staff in a single event. Eating tons of chili was also a plus.

Spending my 17th birthday in France, during the Mod-abroad program. I spent the morning touring Montpellier with my host mom, a sunny afternoon in the park and wrapped up the evening with an unforgettable dinner.

As a ninth grader, my favorite memory is recent. I was part of an amazing three-person group in Myths and Patterns. We made a “crime map” for the story of Beowulf, framing him as the killer of Grendel. We had so much fun with the process and presenting the epic poem.

What is one surprising thing about you?

I used to be a breakdancer when I was in middle school.

I watch way too much Food Network, embarrassingly.

I find myself having good organizational skills, doing well in school, and maintaining a social life all at once; I’ve always been told you have to pick one or the other, but breaking boundaries is my kind of thing.

I used to eavesdrop... at the dinner table, in the car, watching TV… when my parents thought I wasn’t listening, I was! Before I could spell, the only protection was spelling out important words; it was like speaking another language. Though today, I try not to eavesdrop!

What was your childhood dream?

My first dream was to be a stunt performer.

To be a diplomat (a magical diplomat) or a dragon. I would have been cool with either. I think I still might be cool with either.

In elementary school, I always had two: winning the spelling bee and becoming a doctor--I came second in the spelling bee and am now more interested in the areas of humanities, politics, and social justice.

I really wanted to climb Mount Everest, and I still do. Though, as a third grader, I was much more persistent. I practiced climbing during every snowstorm; going to my local nature preserve and climbing the rocks. Looking back, it seemed extremely dangerous but today, at my height, I see that the rocks were only 12 feet tall!

Where do you get your world news?

I try different sources for headlines but my favorites are PBS, CNN, and the BBC. I also listen to talk radio while driving. Mostly CBS news WBZ 1030 AM.

NPR, New York Times, and my family helps clue me in to things I might have otherwise missed.

I frequently get my world news from the BBC, as they “aim to provide international news broadcasting of the highest quality,” in addition to CNN, Al Jazeera, social media (Facebook/Twitter), and family/friends.

I try to use a variety of resources, with different viewpoints from around the world. My favorites are: BBC, Le Monde, and Buzzfeed. Though I still try to be critical of what I am digesting.

What quality do you most admire in others?

Compassion.

The ability to imagine a scenario from alternate points of view, and empathize with those approaching life from a different angle.

Honesty, loyalty, and confidence always call for the best look--you just can’t go wrong with them.

Selflessness and willingness to give unselfishly to others. I admire those who care about others’ troubles and are willing to help. I have seen and experienced many selfless acts at CSW, both large and small, and I hope I contribute as well.

1 2 3 4 5

Music Teacher

KELLY FULLER ’19

Photos from Alumni/ae Gatherings Held from Coast to Coast! Through the fall and spring, CSW hosted alumni/ae events in New York City; Boston; Washington, DC; Los Angeles; and San Francisco.

Boston Jenn Pinck ’73, Christ

ian Nolan P’10, Kelle Lou

Bob Loss ’69, Joan Curhan

’55, Christine Chamberlain

aillier

’63 ’92, ulding, Joakim S. Schmidt Tom Evnas P’06, ’10, Jane Mo ’91 low Hall Kenneth T. Johnson ’00, Wil

New York

Arnie Simmel ’43

’05 Liz Cohen ’04, Jordan Clark

NYC, November 2015

on the road • 65

Washington, DC

caid ’65, Bill Kincaid

Launi Agee ’65, Marilyn Kin

David Stern ’78, Elizab eth

Leigh ’78, Jeff Day ’75

Eduardo Tugendhat ’72

hes ’09, Nathan Riley ’08

Ella Holman ’09, Olivia Hug

, Adrienne Fairley ’73, David Fax ’72, Andrea Riedy ’73

California

SF February 25, 2016

LA February 21, 2016

66 • The

Gryphon Spring 2016

CLASS NOTES

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! This issue includes notes submitted from November 2015 to May 2016. Everyone is invited to submit news to the alumni/ae office. Please email news and photos to alum@csw.org

Spring 2016 Gryphon

Margaret Colt Domini ’44 writes: I’m still staggering along! Spent the month of May in Lucca, Italy with my sister and various family and friends who passed through. I am a new great grandmother to Ivy Kinder, granddaughter of my daughter Amy Domini - lovely. David Sanderson ’45 writes: I am clearing out my files, and so I make a bold move to send you my collection of The Cambridge Crier from the 1940’s. I was associated with the “Crier” in various enjoyable capacites, and it launched me on an undistinguguished career in journalism. I next edited a shipboard newspaper on a troopship bound for Japan, and then the newspaper of the 62nd Signal Battalion in Sendai Japan. After that I edited the Silliman Salamander at Yale, and then was associated with the Harvard Law School Record. (Not the prestigious Law Review). After that I devoted myself to the law, until I retired at age 85, and to mountain climbing, which I still do, but on a much reduced scale. Beyond that, I enjoy the pleasures and problems of three children and six grandchildren. Teri Ross Fields ’46 writes: I am living in an assisted living facility and it’s wonderful. Great staff and many friends. Christopher Hodgman ’48 writes: I retired recently and am gradually learning to appreciate a much less complicated life and schedule. I do

continue to interview applicants to the University of Rochester Medical School and to do a little teaching. Joan Tutin Weiss ’48 writes: Still alive at 85 and have joined the 21st century by acquiring a “Trainer.” She is extremely helpful and I am now sufficiently motivated to exercise at home as well. Mary Ann Marcus ’48 writes: To staff at The Cambridge School and all my old friends from the class of 1948 (John French era). Always nice to hear from you. This year I turned 84 and sold my house (full of a lifetime of travel and art collecting) to move to a retirement community that has many of my friends from University of Arizona State. Already enjoying a new life, cheers! Edith Cook Smith ’49 writes: I’m retired but working almost full-time for the Democrats as a member of the Sonoma County Democratic Central committee. I think fondly of The CSW but not the New England weather. I’m a confirmed Californian now but am sorry my 3 3/4 grandchildren can’t attend Cambridge School.

Horace Briggs ’51 writes: At my age, no news is good news. Ann Sears Wilke ’51 writes: Living quietly between the western shore of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains with our two little doggies,

Benji, a Yorkie Mix and Radar, our blind and deaf Shih Tzu and cats, Marmalade, Rusty and Blue Grey, Richie, all rescues from local SPCAs. Thomas Davis ’53 writes: I retired in June 2015 as CEO of Davis Packaging International Company. Nina Meyers Susman ’55 writes: We are now living full-time in Tucson. If any classmates are in the area feel free to call,would love to hear from you. Hugh A. Stubbins, III ’57 writes: I am recently retired from my Architectural Practice in Camden, Maine after many fun and rewarding years designing and building homes, hospitals, commercial and corporate buildings, as well as several international projects. Moved to Beaufort, South Carolina in 2013 and now occupy my time with painting, drawing, and piloting my airplane.

Harry Meserve ’60 writes: I wrote a piece on Earl McGilverie who was a coach at CSW during the late 1950s: It is not the ones who have the power; these I resent. It is not the ones who are lauded and celebrated; they have already been rewarded. And certainly it is not the ones who are perfect; they seem other-worldly. It is the ones who, quietly and without fanfare, show a way forward. Earl was a dorm-father and athletic coach (a Business major at

class notes • 67 Steve Fine ’55 Hello Cambridge School friends, Ariel and I are retired and living in Cotacachi, Ecuador. Cotacachi is essentially on the equator where it is never too cold, and is about 8000 feet high in the Andes where it is never too hot. It is like springtime the year around, and the days and nights are always of equal length. We like the temperate climate but at times we miss the seasonal variations of the States. The pictures here are of my immediate neighborhood, which is on the edge of town, so they are not the usual tourist type pictures you generally see. If you want to contact me for more pictures and information, use my email address: sbfine38@gmail.com. Abrazos, Steve

Most of the streets in my part of town are pretty plain but there are exceptions. For example, the view on one of our side streets appears as you look away from town. You can see a mural at the end of the street and Mount Imbabura in the background. But turn 180 degrees and the street becomes plain, like my street. There are many buildings and houses that appear unfinished because they have beams and bars extending upward from their roofs. This odd construction allows the owners to claim their building is “unfinished” because they are still “adding another story,” exempting them from the annual property tax. There is a lot of local mural art here and in my opinion, it is better than the usual graffiti you see in the US. This mural on a nearby side street, like so many other murals here, has the words “Te amo,” which means “I love you.” Teenage art.

My street, just outside my apartment complex, looking uphill toward town. The streets are paved with pavers shaped as shown in the picture and set in sand for ease of removal to allow access to underlying electrical and water structures. All apartments and houses have high fences or high metal gates located at the sidewalk to discourage theft. The brown gate on the right is the entrance to my apartment complex.

Babson Institute in Boston) at the overachieving and socially acceptable prep school that I was sent away to when I was a boy, along with the other teenage rejects and wannabes. I did not think much about it at the time; I just survived, getting grades just low enough to irritate my father. But in sports—at which I had barely enough talent to fill a thimble—Earl taught us about being a team and made sure that everybody played (not just the handsome stars). I tried as hard as I could to be part of the team. At the end of the year, awards were given out and I was indifferent because only the stars get those kind of rewards. But this time, here was a little trophy (with athlete rampant on it) called “Most Improved” and naming the sports: football (6 man), basketball, baseball; and just above this, my name. I don’t think even then that I learned the lesson, but it has been taught to me over and over in my life, first of all at Parris Island (Marine boot camp) and on 50-milers in the swamps of North Carolina. Even now, so many years later, Earl quietly and simply still is there to tell me to keep on keepin’ on and to honor myself for effort and persistence even when the talent is not there. Maybe, that is the talent. Carol Wills ’61 writes: I am volunteering with Tall Ships Bermuda and we are preparing for another trans-Atlantic tall ships race in June 2017. Bermuda will also be hosting the finals of the America’s Cup Races in June 2017, so it will be a very busy and exciting time on this Island. Otherwise, am still retired, nothing new to report. John Bowditch ’63 writes: I’m building a major exhibit for the local Children’s Hospital. Still working 3 days a week but I am now officially emeritus. I enjoy the creative aspects of my work.

Roberta Shapiro Saperstein ’64 writes: I have now returned to my CSW self as an artist. I was nuturted by Thea Kann (who came to my 1970 wedding) and Liz Upham in the old art shack. I have been a resident of the Hebrew Home of Greater Washington for 7 years where I won the “Artist of the Year” award and the community-wide elder art exhibit in which I was awarded the coveted artist badge. I have exhibited Japanese paper cuts, collage, jewelry, weaving and currently acrylic and water colors. I specialize in sea creatures and tree frogs. I am an ace poker player and give my winnings to my grandson, Joseph of Ithaca, NY. His mom is on the faculty of Cornell. I teach Hebrew. I play Rumicubes, a great game if you have not tried it. But I’d love to hear from old friends (and be visited by Bob Fogel). Nicholas F.W. Hanks ’65 writes: I am in Africa April through October and sorry to have missed the reunion. Christina (Iroquois Indian Museum) and I (Hanks Aero Adventures) would love to hear from you. Email: operations@selfflysafari.com Helen Miranda Wilson ’66 writes: My work was recently feautered at Lori Bookstein Fine Art, 138 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY. Anki Wolf ’67 writes: I have sold my home in Waban, MA after 35 years, and made my NH home my permanent residence. I am enjoying retirement after a fulfilling career as a neuropsychologist, having worked part-time at McLean Hospital. I am busy traveling, skiing, and golfing. My two sons, Matt (34, working in real estate development) and Jake (31, working as director of an overnight camp) are both living in the Metro Boston area.

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Gryphon Spring 2016

Anne Loring Cate ’68 writes: I’m currently living in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Detlev Simonis ’68 writes: I’ve recently retired from my daily job, but still on the Board of Directors, Chairman of Programs, at the American Petroleum Institute (API) in Houston. Sandra Weisberg Ropper ’68 writes: Still working at Harvard as archivist on a program of chemical and biological disarmament issues. Proud grandmother of Theo 2.5 years old and Max 6 months. All good! Robert Bowie, Jr. ’68 writes: I have retired from the business law firm I founded 25 years ago and have sold controlling interest to my partners. I am now dedicating my efforts to public service and the arts, see www.bowie. com. I owe much of my good fortune to CSW and still love the friends I made there. John Rosenthal ’69 writes: Our two boys both got married within 4 months! Andrew and Jenny Rosenthal live in San Francisco. Scott Rosenthal and Sarah Molinoff in Brooklyn. Classmate John Adelman ’69 is still star scientist at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland.

Jacqueline T. Reizes ’70 writes: I am enjoying retirement though I do miss teaching after nearly 40 years. We are traveling often, availing ourselves of Face time in order to “see” our grandson aged 2.5 years old in Colorado and doing the usual reading, museum visits, Big Apple outings and music making. In a recent article in the New York Times about fitness and wearable techwrites: Elise Bloustein ’71, a 62-year-old Brooklynite, calls the Fitbit she’s worn daily since last Christmas “my little health whisperer” that asks, “Have you walked today?” It has made her “hungry for walking,” she said, prompting her to triple her daily mileage, improve her diet and exercise habits.

Rob Moir ’72, Director of the Ocean River Institute, has been named a Worldwide Branding Executive of the Year in Environmental Stewardship & Conservation. While inclusion in Worldwide Branding is an honor, only a small selection of members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, years of service, and the credentials they have provided in association with their Worldwide Branding membership. Oliver W. Griffith ’72 writes: I retired in January from my job as communications head for the World Bank in Europe. This follows three years running the American Chamber of Commerce in France and over 20 years as a US diplomat. All this was hard to foresee when I graduated from CSW and Wesleyan, where I was a music major. I will stay in France and welcome CSW visitors. Wendy Harwood Van Der Bogart ’74 writes: So glad to announce not only the marriage of our daughter in September 2014 but also the birth of our granddaughter Talia Faith Harden, on September 2, 2015. A big year. Lisa Brodey ’76 writes: After living in Umbria and picking olives near my home, I’m back living stateside in Washington, DC. Benjamin B. Brodey ’78 writes: Trying to stay sane in Chapel Hill with 4 kids - 9 - 16 years old and a wife who is a literature professor at UNC Chapel Hill. My work keeps me busy with research on the early diagnosis of schizoprenia.

Elissa K. Rogovin ’81 writes: I am currently working as a realtor. I serve the communites of Boston and surrounding areas including Newton, Brookline, Needham, Lexington, Cambridge and Somerville.

Jenny Elshtain ’81 writes: I am currenlty working as an adjunct faculty member at Indiana Univeristy. I enjoyed attending the CSW Reunion in 2015 and hope to be able to attend again in June 2016. Carrie Aizley ’82 writes: Happily living and working in Los Angeles. Keeping busy with our kids; 12-year old and 14-year old boys. Life is full and good! Ivan Ohare Brodey ’85 writes: I just finished photographing the Norweigen Parliment building on behalf of the gonverment for it’s 100th anniversary. I am married and living in Stockholm with our lovely daughter Iris, 2 years old. Adam Preston Buckley ’86 writes: I was recently promoted to Cheif Information Officer for the University of Vermont Health Network, a four-hospital system. I live in Vermont with my wife Amy, and daughter Olivia and son Luke. Kathleen (Katie) Willis ’88 writes: I recently visited campus for my son Oliver’s application! In May I will graduate from BU School of Theology with a Masters of Divinity. Sacha Knop ’88 writes: I have so many fond memories of good times and wonderful teachers [at CSW].

Amos Trout Paine ’90 writes: Moved with my wife back to Mass! Glad to be in the Commonwealth. Living in Marblehead, no yacht, small house but a great school district for my 14-year old Carolina. WE ARE in Mass. Samuel Sebaduka Mbowa ’91 writes: We (wife Alexa and 2 daughters, Adelaide 6 and Annabel 3) just moved to Uganda in December of last year. It is has been a long journey back to our home land that I left at the age of 2. It has been a great and emotional return to see my daughters spend time with their cousins, grandparents etc. I am not sure we will make it back to the states for the reunion. However, rest assured I will be there in spirit.

class notes • 69

Talia Fried ’91 writes: I live in Tel Aviv and am also a mama. I worked in peace education here and went back for my Ph.D. a few years ago, researching waste. Alexis V. Lozada ’92 writes: I am currently a Senior Product Specialist with SAP Labs, LLC. I love to hear from CSW! My son and I should plan a visit some time soon. Elliott Eggleston ’96 writes: I am working for Wikimedia Foundation. Happy to be working in open source.

Ariel Hall ’00 writes: I am currently performing and facilitating participatory artworks at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, installing a series of commissioned temporary public artworks for the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, and co-curating TEDx events in Maine. I also maintain an active studio art practice. Julia L. Pancoe ’00 writes: I currently am working as the Director of Fine Art Associates a small art gallery in Boulder, Colorado. I’ve also been working in the healing arts for the last 10 years, which I love. Robin Plimpton-Magee ’00 writes: My wife and I had a baby - Andrew - September 1, 2015. Chia-yu Lin ’01 writes: After graduating from CSW in 2001, I moved to NY and Japan for schooling. I have been living in Taiwan alone for 8 years. Since my family and a lot of friends live in the states, I visit the country (usually NY and Utah) every year for at least a month. Claudia K. Lux ’05 writes: I received my Masters in Social Work degree from the University of Texas in 2015 and am currently living in Austin, Texas. Anna Rushford ’07 writes: I have recently moved back to Boston from Brooklyn, NY and am finishing my Masters in Social Work at Simmons College in May of this year. I am currently working at the US Department

of Veteran’s Affairs Boston as a social work intern, doing psychotherapy in an outpatient clinic predominately treating symptoms associated with PTSD. I’d love to get in touch with any other CSW alums now that I am in the Boston area! Carra Cheslin ’07 writes: I am currently working at the City Kids Wilderness Project, in the Washington, DC area, as the Program Director, for High School and Alumni Programs. I am doing well! Mark Peck ’09 writes: I am currently living in Helsinki, Finland. Between global adventure travel expeditions, I enjoy life as an Internet technology merchant, a fine arts photographer and published essayist. An honors graduate of Clark University, I eventually plan to pursue university graduate studies in Finland. Emma Ward ’10 writes: I am currently working at Barnes Bronson Casting and starting my first season-long casting job on a television show for ABC Family. Sarah D’Angelo ’10 writes: Sarah and Cooper Evans ’10 are living and working at the Verde Valley School in Sedona, AZ and will be moving back to the Boston area in June 2016. Olivia Buntaine ’11 writes: Hi CSW! This is a little late, but I was elected student speaker for my graduation from Scripps College last spring. My speech was based a lot on the anti-sexual violence work I did in college, and I credit so much of that to the ways I learned to think about activism and feminism at CSW. Anya Peck ’11 writes: I graduated from Colby College May 2015, concentrating in neurobiology. I am now serving as an Educational, Healthcare and Nutritional officier at the charitable women’s collective in Guatamala City. I enjoy helping to uplift a grateful community. After I return to the USA by mid 2016, I may be seeking graduate or professional university studies.

XinYi Chen ’11 writes: I am currently an undergraduate student at Princeton University. Margaret Draper ’12 is excelling as a three sport athlete at Williams College - field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse. CSW recently heard from Dakota Zarganis ’12 who is living in GarmischPartenkirchen, Germany working for the US Army Child and Youth Services. Dakota graduated from Guilford College with a BA in Psychology. Claire L. Kerper ’14 writes: I am currently an Engineering student and research assisitant at Smith College.

IN MEMORIAM Charles Alberts ’73 Alex Bair ’13 Daniel A. Collins, Jr. ’61 Bill Eddy, former CSW faculty Alan Frank ’40 Anne Sharples Frantz ’29 Roger Mott Hewlett ’45 Priscilla Weld Huntington ’40 Joyce Bartol de Kozlowski ’44 Mark Levine ’50 Eleanor Grose Locke ’34 Bruce McFarlane ’52 Hugh McKenny ’52 Henry Merrill ’44 Lesley Davison Perrin ’47 William Pokross ’56 Barbara Solomon ’63 Charles W. Spencer ’49 Julia Merrill Tams ’46 Conrad White ’54 Richard G. Wyner ’60

70 • The

Gryphon Spring 2016

IN MEMORIAM

Conrad “Connie” White ’54 Conrad White died in Providence, Rhode Island, on November 9, 2015. At CSW he was known as “Connie,” popular and proud of his friendship with every single classmate. He once described his experience at CSW as “motivating and inspirational.” He has left a permanent and positive mark on the school’s history. As CSW’s first African American student, Connie was a positive and stimulating presence. As a student, ham radio was one of his many hobbies. He and friends would also often follow directions printed in magazines to build transmitters. He established the first campus radio station that is still used today. As a young alumnus, he joined the Board of Trustees and played an active role engaging alumni to attend reunion and other events for many years. “It was an education that gave me a lot of confidence,” he shared for a Harvard University article published in the late 1990s. An employee of Harvard University since 1982, Connie served as Director of the Media Production Center for many of those years, after

It was Conrad who was entrusted with the key for weekend access to the wood working shop for those who had ongoing projects. He was always working away in the background managing the music at the school dances and managing the lighting and other backstage stuff. And I, as an unwilling participant in CSW’s six-man football team (yes back in those days football was for boys, girls did field hockey) recall Conrad as the key quarterback while I, being tall was end and recipient of Conrad’s accurate long range down field passes. I cringe at recollections of my all too frequent fumbles. I had imagined that he would be ‘the last man standing,’ but sadly that was not to be. We will all miss him. Eric Terzaghi ’54 Connie was my first friendship with a person of another color — I came from such a pure white environment. That I liked him, that I enjoyed him that I looked up to him changed the course of my life profoundly and for the better. Mary-Lou Weisman ’55

holding positions as Stage Manager, Television Director and Studio Operations Director at WGBH in Boston. Passionate about aviation, electronics, folk music and sailing, he credited his mother as a strong single parent who told him to take advantage of all the opportunities he could get in life. As a result of his mother’s employment connection to the founder of The Hampton Institute (now Hampton University), a very socially integrated African American college in Virginia, Connie once shared that he felt fortunate to grow up in a community where he never felt prejudice. He was instilled with a sense of self-confidence and steadfastness that friends and colleagues were moved by throughout his life. Connie will be remembered for his warmth, love of learning, and his positive inner strength. Connie’s formal obituary ran in The Boston Globe on December 9, 2015. A link to the obituary can be found along with our story on the website (www.csw.org) in the news archive from December 2015.

It was clear that he had much love, gratitude and affection for the school then and it continued all along his life. I am sure that he was an inspiration to many. Denise Chamberland – past faculty

Connie, we loved you. You were a near perfect model of whom CSW produced and CSW was your second home. We all benefited because of you. Bob Frigoletto ’54

On Sunday, June 19, 2016 following Reunion, CSW hosted a memorial service for Connie White ’54 on The Cambridge School of Weston campus. It was a lovely tribute for friends and

in memoriam • 71

Connie was the center that drew the class of 1954 together. He was a great spirit. Cambridge School would not be the same without his life-long care and attention. Helen Drake Muirhead ’54

loved ones to share memories.

Connie was the one who insisted I get to reunions please after 30 plus years! Everyone was ‘human’ he pointed out, time to join in. He kept CSW connected no matter what, and I’m so glad he rallied to gather us 54’s for our most recent reunion. Ha, several of us, even shared a dorm on that one! I’m recalling our final breakfast when his eyes twinkled up as he described his latest thoughts about scrapping house hunting and getting a trailer to perch on good land…so he could travel simply with “house” all amenities and project space included. Loved that! Yup, my Connie memories will live on as a very real part of my life. Julie Jewett ’54

For us here at school we have lost an iconic figure; a man who watched over us all and made sure we kept the values of CSW front and center all the time. Jane Moulding, Head of School Our class as a unit has another hole in its’ heart, but I’m sure Connie’s presence is held close in the heart of each of us. Penny Elliston ’54 Connie had a lovely and caring spirit which nourished those who came into his life. I am certain we can all remember him leading us in “I am on my way...” We will all miss him. Bruce Beal ’54

The news that he died was still very like the death of a family member. That hollow feeling and the grief will last for a long time. I am sad for all of you who loved him. He was the linchpin for our group. I have often thought about how hard it must have been for Connie as one of only three black students bravely leading us all into integration. Seeing Bob Fortune, Jane Bond and Connie deal with that was amazing. And more than that, Connie built a family and held us all close together with love. I am very thankful for Connie. Bless him. Jill Hinckley ’54 We have truly lost a very dear and loyal friend. There could be no one who was more devoted to every single member of the class of 1954, and who thought of the Cambridge School as the most important part of his formative life. It was a true home to him. His dedication to the school was remarkable, and I would like to think he could be memorialized in some way for that. I hope he lived just the way he wanted to. Our class has lost its anchor. Linda Zonana ’54

I am going to keep this happy moment in my mind: Connie looking his handsome, happy self. I already miss him so much but treasure the time we spent together. Jean Guyton ’5 Connie stayed on to be a rather young dorm parent in my first year at CSW, so I came to know him well and admire him greatly. Reg Vaughan ’56

72 • The

Gryphon Spring 2016

College and University Matriculation for the Class of 2016 American University (2)

New York University (1)

Bard College (2)

Northeastern University (2)

Bard College, Berlin (1)

Oberlin College (4)

Bates College (1)

Oberlin Conservatory of Music (1)

Bennington College (1)

Reed College (2)

Boston University (4)

Rhode Island School of Design (2)

Brandeis University (2)

Sarah Lawrence College (3)

Champlain College (1)

Scripps College (1)

College of the Holy Cross (1)

Simmons College (1)

Colorado College (5)

Skidmore College (3)

Cooper Union (1)

Smith College (2)

Cornell University (2)

Syracuse University (2)

Curtis Institute of Music (1)

Tufts University (1)

Drew University (2)

Tulane University (1)

Earlham College (1)

University of Edinburgh (1)

Emerson College (1)

University of Maryland, College Park (1)

Emma Willard School (PG Year) (1)

University of Michigan (1)

Florida Polytechnic University (1)

University of New Hampshire (1)

Fordham University (1)

University of Rochester (1)

George Washington University (1)

University of Toronto (1)

Grinnell College (1)

University of Vermont (3)

Haverford College (1)

University of Virginia (1)

Indiana University, Bloomington (1)

Vassar College (1)

Ithaca College (1)

Washington U./St. Louis (1)

Juilliard School (1)

Wellesley College (2)

Kenyon College (1)

Wesleyan University (2)

Loyola University New Orleans (1)

Williams College (1)

Merrimack College (1)

Yale University (1)

Michigan State University (1)

As of June 3

text goes here • 73

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ALUMNI/AE REFLECTIONS

Aprille Joy Ericsson ’81: On a Mission A s I reflect on my experiences at T he C ambridge S chool of Weston, I realize that the small, multicultural student body had an unexpected impact on my ability to interact with others who were not like me. My educational training prior had been at predominantly white schools; however, there was rarely time for personal interaction with my classmates. Before high school, my closest friends were a white Jewish boy and girl. By junior high school, I was allowed my flexibility to travel by myself around New York, but my friends’ schedules rarely permitted time for anything other than preparation for classes or for their upcoming Bar/Bat Mitzvahs. At CSW, many of us commuted long hours to and from school together. From time to time we would get together during non-school hours in the city. One of my favorite memories was spending a Sunday with a new friend and her family on a sailboat. I spent a good portion of the morning sleeping and trying to get my sea legs, but it was the coolest and bravest thing I did that spring. It took me out of my comfort zone to hang out on the water with people I hardly knew. I realize now that I must have really trusted her to take that chance. I must say I was still somewhat a loner when it came to academic preparation and having any of my close friends in a similar track of classes. That was the beauty of CSW. Although the student body identifies with the phrase “we are,” we are afforded the opportunity to be I/me. We are supported in our individual endeavors and we were given the educational tools to succeed in whatever choices we made for our future. Twenty years ago, I became the first African American female to receive a Ph.D. in engineering as a federal employee at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) facility. Over the years, I have seen the increase in the number of African American women excelling to leadership positions. However, as I look around the aerospace industry, that is not always the case. NASA GSFC is located in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, a very diverse cultural population. As a result, GSFC employs the most culturally diverse, highly trained employees of all the NASA field centers. With the scrutiny of congressional members we have been tasked to hire and promote African Americans and women in a timely manner. A recent visit to MIT Lincoln Labs, a close neighbor to CSW, exposed the harsh reality that the aerospace industry is still dominated by Caucasian men.

I know that my mission to change this world for the better must continue. We must increase the number of women and minorities creating new technology in fields like aerospace engineering. It takes people with different experiences and ideas to come up with unique solutions. It is my experience as an innovator that when diverse ideas collide, it sparks innovation. We engineers and scientists are agents of change armed with technical solutions. Every day we impact the future of the world. It was a CSW teacher who suggested I enter a minority student engineering program, UNITE (later called MITES), at MIT during the summer of my junior year. That program exposed me to biomedical, civil, and aerospace engineering. I returned to CSW my senior year with a renewed focus on a career as an aerospace engineer. I had not taken physics, chemistry, or pre-calculus but my teachers and others around me understood my determination to become academically prepared for potential entrance at my soon-to-be alma mater (MIT). In three short months, I took the required courses and found a new love for those sciences. I can still remember that “aha” moment when we were taken downstairs to the pool table to get a hands-on understanding of vectors and magnitude in physics class. (And I became a better pool player!) I also remember my chemistry teacher, Al Bernstein, telling me I was going to be a “tech coed” having been an MIT alum. In his class, I enjoyed watching sodium explosions, making aspirin, and blowing glass. Although these experiences helped to prepare me in the STEM disciplines, I cannot ignore the well-rounded experiences I was afforded in American history, poetry, and the multitude of arts classes – drawing, lithograph, pottery, and sculpture. I learned to be a leader on the basketball court, playing point guard, forward, and back up center. That “can-do” attitude that I learned at CSW and from my family has stuck with me today. MIT was not easy. Transitioning to the working world was further complicated by the first space shuttle disaster. My dreams of working in human exploration were put on hold. I had to be nimble and re-plan my goals in the aerospace industry. I faced challenges at Howard University as well.

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As a NASA brat, I can remember when I was first chosen for an internship. I was simply ecstatic at the opportunity to build cutting edge science instruments and aerospace vehicles. I have been very fortunate to work at the NASA GSFC for 25 years. It is an honor to work with so many bright people. NASA has invested in me and afforded me many opportunities to contribute as an engineer to groundbreaking science discoveries, from sexy science like “the Big Bang theory,” investigating black holes and gravitational waves, to earthly concerns, climate change, and space exploration on the moon and Mars. I’ve been a spokesperson for our agency, thus helping to broaden our communities’ scientific knowledge. I’m also afforded the opportunity to speak to many young people across our country and the globe. I try to inspire and have an impact on the future pipeline of engineers and scientists. Who could have asked for a better job with such a profound legacy? My arduous drive to be an aerospace engineer has only been possible through the love and support of my network of communities: Brooklyn, NY; Cambridge, MA; Washington, DC; MIT, Howard University, NASA, and my family and friends all over the US and the world. It has strengthened my resolve to make a difference through my technical training and knowledge. As it is often said, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” I wish all of the CSW family much success in your future endeavors. Live long and prosper!

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