THE CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL OF WESTON MAGAZINE
Spring2006
theGryphon
Jane Moulding Head of School Margie Combs Editor, Director of Communications Jan Miner Director of Development Anne Hart Director of Alumni Affairs Jill Burrows Director of Development Communications Colby Falconer Director of Annual Fund Contributing Photographers: Jill Burrows Margie Combs Jeff Farbman Contributing Writers: Jill Burrows Margie Combs
T H E
C A M B R I D G E
S C H O O L
O F
W E S T O N
M A G A Z I N E
Design: Kristin Reid The Cambridge School of Weston is a coeducational college preparatory school for grades 9 –12 and post graduate. Inquiries for academic year admission should be directed to Trish Saunders, Director of Admissions, at 781-642-8650. The Gryphon magazine welcomes class notes and photographs by alumni, parents, and friends. Please email to alum@csw.org or send to: Anne Hart Director of Alumni Affairs The Cambridge School of Weston Georgian Road Weston, MA 02493 Phone: 781-642-8647 Fax: 781-398-8344 Website: www.csw.org Cover: Carly Reed ’09 (left) and Haley Grove ’09 perform “Amigas Neuvas” in this year’s spring dance concert, March 2006.
Cover Photo by Jeff Farbman
The
Gryphon
Spring 2006
Features From Atoms to Ecosystems
8
Alumni: Spanning the Continents
12
Three Generations
21
Departments Head’s Message
2
News & Notes
3
Reunion 2006
18
Class Notes/In Memoriam
22
Announcements
32
Back Page: Seth Jacobs ’82
Above: A war scene sketched on location in Iraq by Steve Mumford ’89
Jane Moulding:
Affirming Who We Are In this final glorious stretch of the academic year, the green grass of the quad thickens, the thwack of the ball against the bat sounds out from the lower fields, and the singers and dancers of the spring musical draw us into their performance. New families decide on CSW, returning students register for classes, seniors wrestle with their range of choices for college: all of these things mark the renewal, growth, and re-affirmation of who we are, and why we are. This year, the official re-accreditation of our school by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) highlights the glory of spring in a new way. Not only does it affirm who we are, it gives us opportunities for growth. In October 2005, a visiting committee of teachers and school administrators from NEASC spent three days at CSW as part of our accreditation process. They had already reviewed a thorough self study of all our programs and procedures that we had submitted the previous August. During their visit, they conducted scores of interviews with students, teachers, and staff, and observed classes in session. As a result, in February 2006, the Commission on Independent Schools voted to grant The Cambridge School of Weston continued accreditation. In particular, the committee commended CSW on seven major factors:
Kate Etcheverry ’06, Kate Kernochan ’07, and Nina Thompson ’07
take in the first sunny day of spring 2006 on the quad.
• The extraordinary breadth, depth, and rigor of the school’s academic program in association with the willingness of the school to support innovative course offerings. • The commitment of the school to build on and support the arts program, and power of the school’s program to foster creativity in all who participate. • The quality of relationships among and between the students and faculty, predicated on a mutual respect and trust for each and every individual. • The progress made by the school over the past ten years, and the willingness of the faculty, administration, and trustees to confront challenges head-on. • The passion exhibited by the faculty for their respective teaching disciplines, and the conveyance to the students by the faculty of their love of learning. • The dedication and effectiveness of the Board of Trustees during a period of transition and growth in fund raising, facilities, and enrollment. • The improvements made to the physical plant of the school over the past several years, and for the planned expansion of academic facilities. These commendations sum up, beautifully, the Cambridge School of today: dedication, depth, rigor, commitment, quality of relationships, and passion. In addition, the report, which is available in the school library, listed helpful recommendations that will challenge us to grow and progress to the next step. Already, we are taking steps to implement these recommendations. We’ll be focusing on building an inclusive process as we create our next strategic plan for the school; evaluating our internal decision-making processes and clarifying the roles of faculty and administration; directing our energies toward developing a strong plan for technology, as well as enhancing our program of supervision and evaluation for all employees; and establishing a planning process that clarifies the role of the residential program in the life of the school. Acting on these recommendations ties into our mission as a progressive school, which values investigating and re-visiting the how and the why of what we do. On the last day of the committee’s visit to the school, James Clements, committee chair and head of school at Tilton School in New Hampshire, commented “how strongly and deeply the mission of (CSW) permeated everything that we saw.” As you read this latest issue of the Gryphon, you too will witness the power of our mission as you read about the lives of our alums and how they continue to hold CSW in their hearts and minds. Likewise, as you read about our ninth grade science students taking on their first academic challenges at CSW. The living embodiment of CSW’s mission—and the greatest affirmation of who we are—is, and always will be, our students.
Jane Moulding, Head of School
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new s & notes
Teaching Excellence Aw ard Marilyn Del Donno, chair of CSW’s Science Department, has received the 2006 Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence. The award, given annually by Amgen, the world’s largest biotechnology company, honors extraordinary science teachers who significantly impact their students through exemplary science teaching, and who achieve demonstrated results in science learning. Del Donno, who graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1972, and holds an A.B.D. in Biological Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, will receive a $5000 unrestricted cash award from Amgen. In addition, Amgen is awarding a $5000 restricted grant to CSW for the expansion or enhancement of a school science program, science resources, or the professional development of the school’s science teachers. Del Donno won the award based on her creativity of teaching method, effectiveness in the classroom, motivational ability, instructional ability, and her plan for the use of grant money to improve science education resources in her school.
Self Portrait by Jennifer Lipton ’08
Art Students Shine Two CSW students captured national awards this year from the 2006 Boston Globe Scholastic Art Awards competition. Jennifer Lipton ’08 received a national Gold Key for her self portrait, and Peter Nichols ’06 won for his portfolio of fine art work. These two national award-winners emerge from this year’s impressive lineup of seventeen CSW students who earlier won awards at the regional level. Winning regional level Gold Keys were Lipton in Drawing, and Rebecca Loeb ’06 in Mixed Media. Silver Key regional winners were Jamie Kearney ’07 in Computer Art, and Holly Rhame ’07 in Mixed Media; and Honorable Mentions went to Mark Peck ’09 and Aya Ikemame ’06, both in Mixed Media. In addition, CSW had eleven portfolios win nominations to advance to the national level of competition, the second highest number of any independent or public high school in the state – eight in art, and three in photography. Portfolio nominees in photography were Ella Brandon ’06, Amanda Taylor ’06, and Chan-Hee Soh ’06; and students whose art portfolios were nominated for national competition were Sang Ah Anh ’06, Connie Huang ’06, Ameila Meath ’06, Sarah Merkle ’06, Eliza Murphy ’06, Peter Nichols ’06, Tom Witschonke ’06, and Maxine Wolfe ’06.
Science teacher Marilyn Del Donno Gryphon Spring 2006 3
Science Oly mpians A team of CSW students competed against forty other high schools in this year’s Massachusetts State Science Olympiad in March 2006. Rayna Edwards ’06, Lillian Wilson ’06, Sarah Lindeman ’07, Miwa Oseki Robbins ’07, Jim Ku ’09, Adam Sachs ’09, and Sam Rodriques ’09 spent a day at Framingham State College taking on creative science challenges. Edwards and Rodriques received a silver medal for the “Write It Do It” event. “One student was given a structure, and had to write a description of how to build it; the second student was given the parts and the description and had to build the structure,” explained science teacher Liz Nee, who accompanied the students. “It’s the first time we have won an award in the Olympiad, and is a huge accomplishment in light of the extreme competition.”
Sarah Lindeman ’07 and Miwa Oseki Robbins ’07 build and
Science teacher Liz Nee (far left) with CSW’s Science Olympiad students.
Rayna Edwards ’06 and Sam Rodriguez ’09
launch a catapult at the 2006 Science Olympiad.
Hair Takes the Stage
Student director Kareema Thomas ’08 (left), on stage with Meron Hailekiros ’08, and Yelena Jeune ’07.
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On February 22, the CSW community gathered in the Moir Theatre for the student-produced Heritage, Her-I-tage and HairI-tage, a hilarious comedy by Adrienne Dawes, which, in just ten minutes, explores accepted notions of what black women should do with their hair. Cast members Yelena Jeune ‘07, Kareema Thomas ‘08, and Devinny Eke ’07 depicted characters who pressure a sixteen-yearold (played by Meron Hailekiros ’08) to relax her hair and read Ebony magazine as a way to learn more, and be proud of, her black heritage. “This comedy is humorous and light-hearted,” said Thomas, who directed the play, “but it’s meant to bring up thoughtprovoking questions about the black community’s tradition of straightening our hair rather than wearing it in a more natural style.” The students worked closely with Theater Department chair Robin Wood, and artistic and technical director Lisa Hirsch, to design sound, lighting, costumes, and props, and develop theatre skills.
Lydia Carmichael ’08
Music Students Selected for All State Festival CSW student musicians Susanne Feld ’06 (alto), Tom Witschonke ’06 (tenor), and Lydia Carmichael ‘08 (bassoon) were selected to participate in this year’s All State Festival and Concert sponsored by the Massachusetts Music Educator’s Association (MMEA). The three were chosen following two rounds of competitive auditions in the Northeastern District competition, and following statewide auditions in early January 2006. The students rehearsed eight hours a day in the two days prior to the All State Concert, which was held in March 2006 at Symphony Hall in Boston.
Around the World
Service Learning Around the World
At CSW’s first Multicultural Service Fair in February 2006, nine students presented vivid portrayals of the community service projects they completed both here and abroad over the last year. Most students completed their service learning work over the previous summer, but one student, Steven Grant ’07, spent an entire year in Portugal studying Portuguese through AFS Intercultural Programs USA. One of the presenting students, Amanda Taylor ’06, was inspired to travel to India to take photographs at the Bala Gurukulam orphanage in Chennai. The documentary project became Taylor’s senior Capstone Project. Another student, David Olesky ’06, presented a slide show of his five-week trip to an orphanage in South Africa. Olesky helped community members complete a colorful, twenty-seven-foot long mural using paints purchased with donations from CSW students. Also presenting were Stephen Holland ’07 and Michelle DeKenis ’08, who completed projects in Ecuador and Thailand respectively through the Global Routes program; Eric Ginsburg ’06, who worked through Putney Student Travel to spend time in El Salvador; Miwa Oseki Robbins ’07, who worked on a Navajo reservation in Arizona; Becca Kaplan ’06, who did community work in Costa Rica through The Experiment in International Living; and Jeremy Carter-Gordon ’07, who worked through Village Harmony to generate good will by performing concerts in both South Africa and Europe. In addition to hearing the presentations, CSW students had an opportunity to speak with representatives from several community service organizations, and to sign up for volunteer opportunities.
David Olesky ’06
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Faculty Inspired by People of Color Conference Four CSW faculty and staff members traveled to Dallas, Texas, in December 2005 to attend the People of Color Conference sponsored by the National Association of Independent Schools. English teacher Mo Nunez, math teacher Shubha Sunder, science teacher Liz Nee, and admissions counselor Judith Tauriac attended classes and participated in discussions exploring issues of diversity and equity in schools. All four found the conference energizing. “This conference is a time of encouragement that helps sustain faculty of color through the rest of the year,” said Nee, who also attended the conference last year. “I came back with a greater sense of connection with other educators of color doing this kind of diversity work.” Judith Tauriac also found the conference strengthening. “I came away with a renewed conviction to help CSW’s goal of hiring a more racially diverse faculty and staff,” she said. Tauriac found two sessions especially helpful: one on defining middle income in independent schools, and another on creating safe places and support groups for African American youth.
From left: Judith Tauriac, Shubha Sunder, Liz Nee, Mo Nunez
Students Attend Model U.N. Conference CSW this year sent four student delegates to the Concord Academy Model United Nations Conference. Chelli Keshavan ’06, Harlan Leiberman-Berg ’08, Miwa Oseki Robbins ’07, and Eddie Wyrwicz ’08 accompanied faculty sponsors Ben Ibbetson and Juan Sanchez to the statewide conference held at Concord Academy in December 2005. The annual event provides high school students an opportunity to model the diplomacy and negotiation of United Nations proceedings. Acting as the representative of Iraq, Leiberman-Berg received an Honorable Mention Award from the Model U.N. General Assembly.
Spanish teacher Ben Ibbetson (far left) with Eddie Wyrwicz ’08, Harlan Leiberman-Berg ’08, Miwa Oseki Robbins ’07, and Chelli Keshavan ’06.
Model U.N. Conference 6
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CSW Hosts Alabama Choir In April 2006, a thirty-eight member choir from Hartselle High School, in Hartselle, Alabama, treated the CSW community to a mid-day musical performance. They presented a varied repertoire, including a Swing era medley, a rousing rendition of the spiritual, “Ezekiel Saw de Wheel,” and a medley of songs from the popular Kenny Loggings Broadway show Footloose. Because the group is primarily a “show” choir, they used aerobatic flips and other highly stylized choreographed movements to accompany many of their musical numbers. Currently on tour in the Northeast, the choir also performs music from classical, jazz, swing, pop and other idioms. CSW Music Department chair Michael Weinstein, who was instrumental in bringing the choir to CSW, said: “The performance was fun and a great learning experience for both schools.”
Meiman Performs at CSW Renowned concert pianist Dominic Meiman ‘64 returned to campus on February 26 for a very special concert in the Mugar Center for the Performing Arts. Meiman, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University, and completed post-graduate work in theory and composition at Mannes College of Music, studied piano with Joseph Prostakoff. He is currently a student of Sophia Rosoff, the master teacher and pianist. Meiman is also the arranger, co-librettist, and lyricist of The Ring of the Fettuccines, a children’s opera, which was taped by WGBH in Boston for Kraft Music Hall. The opera aired on CBS cable television, and was performed at the Kennedy Center, the Detroit Institute, and at numerous educational institutions.
CSW Librarian Spearheads Panel The important collaboration between librarian and teacher in research-based teaching was the topic of a panel discussion organized and moderated by CSW’s library director Gayle Pershouse at the February 2006 meeting of the Cooperative Library Association. Participating as panelists were Eileen Juncewicz, CSW associate librarian, and Karen O’Meara Pullen, CSW assistant head of school. They were joined on the panel by representatives from Thayer Academy and Wilbraham Monson Academy.
CSW’s library director Gayle Pershouse (seated, center) with panelists (from left) Dan Levinson, chair of Thayer Academy History Department, Karen Starr, director of Thayer Academy library, Todd Felton, former English Department chair at Wilbraham Monson Academy, Eileen Juncewicz, CSW’s associate librarian, and Karen O’Meara Pullen, CSW’s assistant head of school. Gryphon Spring 2006 7
Keeping the
Heat
All ninth graders begin their CSW education by taking the foundation science course called From Atoms to Ecosystems. Also known as FATE, the course unites three sub-disciplines – biology, chemistry, and physics – and exposes students to a heavy dose of statistics. While gaining essential science skills needed to succeed in upper level courses, FATE students also acquire a deeper understanding of protecting and preserving the environment.
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It’s ten o’clock in the morning and all fifteen students in Karen Bruker’s science class are up on their feet. Some are clustered around foil and tape contraptions, others are poised in front of whacky-looking towers made of cork and cotton balls. All are pouring hot water into the center of these constructions and hastily clicking stop watches. If you get closer you’ll hear them discussing time versus temperature, cooling curve, and rate of heat loss. The “Keep the Heat” lab is one of several engaging exercises in the two-mod course From Atoms to Ecosystems. This particular lab challenges students to design and construct the most efficient heat-retaining unit around a beaker of warm water. Based on research and analysis of scientific articles, students decide what materials they are going to use to construct their “house” or “nest,” and what configuration they believe will keep the heat the longest.
“They have to justify the reasons behind each type of material they’ve chosen, why they’ve decided on the specific amounts of material used, and why they believe it will prevent heat loss,” said Bruker. “This helps them not only organize their thoughts but go deeper into the concepts we’ve researched about heat and energy transfer.” By the end of the lab, students have gained important scientific skills: how to analyze and collect data, how to read and absorb scientific articles, and how to write up lab reports. Most importantly, during the process, they’ve made their own discoveries. “I learned that in order for materials to be good insulators they have to be dry and have a high heat storage capacity,” said Alex Kotlikoff ’09, who insulated his beaker with clay. “It was a very creative experiment where we got to test the science.” Classmate Emma Brown ’09 agreed. “Everyone had their
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“We want kids to have a sense of stewardship toward the earth. One of the ways we do that is to reinforce the interdisciplinary nature of the ecosystem – which is why we unite biology, chemistry, and physics in this course. We see them as connected and we want to give kids a constant sense of looking at the whole.” Tad Lawrence, science teacher own really inventive ideas. The designs we thought would win, the ones with dirt or dog hair, didn’t. The ones that kept layering materials performed the best.” Getting students excited and personally engaged in scientific study is a major goal of the FATE curriculum. Students are handed the reins, sometimes as a class and other times individually, to design experiments. They are free to choose what to research for their final projects. And, as Sophie Goldsmith ’09 described her recent FATE experience, the class never stops moving. “There are a lot of chemicals exploding and fun labs where you are making things and designing experiments,” testified Goldsmith. “There’s never a dull moment in FATE.” Activities and labs presented in the FATE course can vary from teacher to teacher since the course is not content driven. Nevertheless, three goals remain universal: to hook kids into science, to provide the important science skills to succeed in upper level courses, and to instill in students the value of preserving the environment. “We want kids to have a sense of stewardship toward the earth,” confirmed science teacher Tad Lawrence, who has been teaching FATE for eight years. “One of the ways we do that is to reinforce the interdisciplinary nature of the ecosystem – which is why we unite biology, chemistry, and physics in this course. We see them as connected and we want to give kids a constant sense of looking at the whole.” Fellow science teacher and Science Department chair Marilyn Del Donno, who designed and launched FATE fifteen years ago, takes the concept a step further in the way she focuses her FATE classes. As part of a deeply held value in the school’s Science Department, she emphasizes the importance of renewable energy sources and environmentally-safe energy policies. “Sustainable awareness is one of our overarching goals and a common thread through much of our science curriculum,” said Del Donno. “We want our ninth graders to be turned on to
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these concepts now, and yes, we hope they’ll be the ones to pick up on alternative fuels or conservation strategies later in life.” One of the most potent ways to teach kids the value of sustainability is to directly apply what they are learning in class to the real world. In addition to various hands-on labs exploring the properties of heat and energy, Del Donno’s students borrow an electrical bill from their parents. They determine how many kilowatts of electricity are being used in their households, and what percentage of the bill is due to the cost of generating that electricity. In addition, they look around their home and identify what devices use the most energy at any one time. The lesson expands to the wider world when students go on to examine the database for Total World Energy Consumption. Students make scatter plots, pie charts, and histograms comparing one country’s energy use with another, and examine the sources of energy consumed in Massachusetts and throughout the United States. “Part of what we try to do is to give students a sense of the validity of the information they are reading in the newspapers and in other sources. We talk about sample size, for example, and give them the tools to do their own statistical analysis,” said Del Donno. Another phase of the class challenges students to research different types of renewable energy sources and then debate which ones are the most effective for CSW’s campus. Students are assigned one of three technologies: photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and geothermal heating. They work together in groups to build a case for why their assigned technology would be the best and most cost effective, both for the world in general and for CSW’s new “green” Science and Art Gallery Building scheduled to open in 2007. Like many other students, Emma Brown had received some exposure to renewable energy concepts before coming to CSW. However, she came away from FATE with a much deeper
knowledge. “I knew something about wind power but not photovoltaics,” she said. “I was surprised to learn how much renewable energy could help the world and still isn’t being used.” Whether or not today’s FATE students will go on to become scientists or engineers who advocate for renewable energy sources remains to be seen. But if students’ final projects in this year’s Mod 2 FATE class are any indication, these ninth graders will take their heightened awareness of sustainability out into the world. In one project, Emma Brown tested angles of wind turbines blades for greatest efficiency; in another, Colin Mills ’09 researched the ecological advantages of “green” burial and cremation; and in a third, Alex Kotlikoff designed a way to transfer energy from the motion of cars on the highway into electric energy. After doing some mathematical calculations, Kotlikoff discovered you could power a small city by using his design. “FATE expanded my knowledge of renewable energy sources, and I see now how it might be applied in the world to better preserve the world’s ecosystems,” testified Kotlikoff. “I’m encouraged to do something about it.”
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alumni
Spanning the Continents If we were to join CSW alums as they pursue their careers today we would find ourselves in every location imaginable, and engaging in all types of study and service. The three alums profiled here take us on scientific sojourns to Bahamian islands, artistic journeys through desert war zones, and transforming paths through cyberspace. The common thread between them is their CSW experience – an education they say supplied them with the tools and the footing to strike out in any direction.
’65 Larry Davis Geologist As a geologist and environmentalist, Larry Davis ’65 believes there is always something of interest to admire and explore anywhere in the world. “Science is about action,” said Davis. “I urge my students to get out of the classroom and become actively involved in doing science out in the real world.” For this reason, at any given moment, you might find him leading an expedition of students to excavate and map an old copper mine site dating back to 1900 in Vermont, creating a geological survey of features in a state park in Connecticut, studying crystals in bat caves in Slovenia, or using machete knives to cut a swath through the jungle in search of invasive plants in the Bahamas. Currently, Davis— who has an AB and AM in Geology from Washington University, and a PhD in Geological Sciences from the University of Rochester—is professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of New Haven. He teaches the school’s environmental geology courses, and conducts research in several areas of environmental geology and hydrogeology. Most recently, Davis has been conducting research in San Salvador, one of 700 islands that make up the Bahamas Archipelago where Columbus is believed to have first set foot in the New World. The research is part of a long-term study that Davis and his students have been conducting at the Gerace Research Center (GRC) at The College of The Bahamas. The GRC is one of the world’s foremost centers for the study of
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archaeology, biology, geology, and marine science. “Each year, students, professors, and researchers from more than a hundred colleges and universities worldwide arrive at the center to study and conduct research in the tropical environment,” said Davis. In San Salvador, Davis and his students are contributing to the scientific understanding of the island’s hydrology, or natural “plumbing.” The goal is to more fully understand the distribution of water and its interaction with the land surface and underlying soils and rocks. Their results will not only help protect the water supply on the island itself, but will also be applicable to other Bahamian islands and to parts of Florida as well. This past February, on his way to pursuing his geological interests while on vacation in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, Davis returned to CSW to share his experiences in San Salvador with students in Marilyn Del Donno’s chemistry class. “The class was impressed by the far reaching applications of Davis’ work,” said Del Donno. “They gained a greater appreciation for how science is truly on the forefront of finding solutions to real life problems.” Davis finds locations for new, environmentally-safe landfills, locates the causes of ground water pollution, examines landslides along rivers to determine how best to reduce erosion and flooding, and looks at open space and wetlands for mapping and planning purposes. “It’s very clear that it is much easier, and less expensive, to prevent a problem than it is to try and fix it afterwards,” he said.
“I urge my students to get out of the classroom and become actively involved in doing science out in the real world.” 1965 yearbook photo As compelling as Davis’ interest in environmental research and study is his passion for geology, which was sparked when he was only five years old and on vacation with his family in Maine. During the entire visit, his family spent many hours searching for, and examining, crystals in old, abandoned mica mines, an experience that shaped Davis into being a self-avowed “rock hound.” The family’s expeditions into mines also captured the imagination of Davis’ sister, CSW alum Emily ’68, who is a fellow geologist and owner of Speleo Books, one of the world’s largest dealers of caving books and supplies for cavers, bat scientists, and bat enthusiasts. “Geology is an historical science where the present is our key to the past,” said Davis. “Many of the earth’s geological mysteries remain unmapped, and geology has the wonderful appeal of allowing me to explore the earth as a detective. The clues are all there in the geological records.” A new area of interest to Davis is his work on acid mine drainage (sometimes referred to as AMD). This is when polluted water in areas where there has been surface mining, deep mining,
or coal refuse piles, drains into creeks, rivers, and water supplies. Sometimes the drainage has occurred for decades or centuries. “The contaminated water is often reddish-brown in color indicating high levels of oxidized iron,” said Davis. “You certainly would not want this drainage to make its way into your drinking water.” Davis credits CSW with helping to ignite his love of learning. “I felt entirely at home in Herma Biermann’s earth science class, which further introduced me to tons and tons of rocks and minerals. I also very much appreciated the way in which students were challenged to explore ideas and examine subjects that sparked their curiosity,” Davis said. “CSW made me what I am today.”
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alumni
’57 Susan Gordon Strausberg President & CEO
“Information that used to take days and sometimes weeks to make it into the public eye, if at all, is now there in real time, thanks to our technology.”
1957 yearbook photo
As the president, CEO, and co-founder of the award-winning Web-based company EDGAROnline, Susan Gordon Strausberg ’57 delivers critical financial information to investors, corporations, and lawyers in less time than it takes them to turn on their computers. “The information is online in nanoseconds,” confirmed Strausberg, who partners with her husband in running the business. (Marc Strausberg is chairman of EDGAROnline.) “Information that used to take days and sometimes weeks to make it into the public eye, if at all, is now there in real time, thanks to our technology.” In 1994, Strausberg and her husband embarked on what would prove to be a groundbreaking project in the world of finance. At the time, two developments were brewing that would revolutionize the way financial information could and would be transmitted. One was the Internet. The other was EDGAR—an electronic filing system mandated by the Securities and Exchange Commission through which all U.S. public companies must report earnings and stock transactions electronically rather than on paper. “We saw a tremendous opportunity,” said Strausberg, speaking on the phone from EDGAROnline’s headquarters in Norwalk, Connecticut. “The SEC database was an incredibly vast and
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valuable trove of financial information. The establishment of EDGAR was going to make the data visible and easy to access; and the Internet was going to provide a high speed way to get that information out to the world. It seemed obvious to us that this was a convergence opportunity.” The result is EDGAROnline, an Internet site launched in 1995 that delivers critical financial information on institutional holdings, insider trades, earnings calls, and IPO filings within seconds of the data appearing at the SEC. Not only does the site deliver filings instantly, but specially built software can sort, compile, and analyze the information in valuable and revealing ways. Through sophisticated tables and analytical charts, corporations can see how they measure up to their competitors, or how executives are being paid at other companies. More potently, the public is able to see when and how CEO’s may be “cooking the books.” “Suddenly you are able to spot an Enron in the making – the figures just jump out,” said Strausberg. “It’s all done with proprietary software that understands what to look for and extracts the critical data instantaneously. That’s transforming technology.” In 2005, EDGAROnline was named one of the fastest growing tech companies in Connecticut for the fifth year in a
row. And this year, three of EDGAROnline’s software products are on the short list for the 2006 Codie Award by the Software and Information Industry Association. EDGAROnline is the most current example of Strausberg’s skill at bringing together the right forces to make things happen. She also has a stunning record of accomplishment producing books and creating films. “I’m good at taking lots of disparate parts and making sure they come together all at the same time,” said Strausberg. “Basically, I’m a producer, and I’m very happy with what I do.” In the late sixties, she created her own literary publication. To ensure its success, she and a few colleagues put together an advisory board of notable women, including Betty Freidan and Gloria Steinem, to recommend books that would be of interest to women. Those recommendations, along with reviews of the books and original illustrations, were compiled by Strausberg into a sought-after publication, The Womens Guide to Books. Not long afterwards, a few of Strausberg’s filmmaking friends suggested she apply the same skills and concepts to the film industry. In short order, she convened the necessary components to co-produce The Last of the Blue Devils: the Kansas City Jazz Story, a movie (still available) about the music of several jazz greats, including Count Basie and Joe Turner. She also produced the film: It Came From Hollywood, a compilation of the best moments of the worst movies, distributed by Paramount Pictures.
The ability to self-start innovative projects and see them come alive is something Strausberg has been honing for years, beginning with her education at CSW. “I always wanted to do my own thing,” said Strausberg. “My education at CSW, and later at Sarah Lawrence, where I majored in political science, reinforced my tendency to be an entrepreneur and to think outside the box.” Arriving at CSW as a sophomore, Strausberg said she was surrounded with a “terrific environment,” and good teachers, many of whom she now remembers better than her college professors. “The teachers I really liked a lot were Howe Derbyshire and Hans Biermann, and his wonderful wife (Herma),” recalled Strausberg. “I was drawn to history and political science; that’s what Hans taught. And the headmaster, Mr. (Dolph) Cheek, was wonderful too.” If she were to choose one word that characterized her CSW experience, Strausberg said it would be empowering. “You may not know it talking to me right now, but I was very reserved and very vulnerable,” said Strausberg. “At The Cambridge School I didn’t feel intimidated – that was very important. I felt very encouraged in doing what I needed to do.”
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alumni
’89 Steve Mumford Artist
1989 yearbook photo
Too late to be formally embedded with the first wave of coalition troops in Iraq, Steve Mumford ’89 purchased a ticket to Kuwait City, arriving in April of 2003, with a press pass from artnet.news, an online arts magazine, and the hope that he would somehow find a way to reach Baghdad. His goal was to chronicle the war in a series of drawings as a modern-day, combat artist. “I’m not interested in producing art in a vacuum. To be significant, art must be meaningful to other people. As artists, we must address some of the more dire political and historical contexts of our time,” said Mumford in a telephone conversation from his studio in New York City. Fortunately for Mumford, two French journalists, enroute to Iraq in a rented SUV, offered him a ride. It took them two weeks to travel north from Kuwait to Basra and all the way to Dahuk near the border with Turkey, finally arriving in Baghdad, just two weeks after the city had fallen to Coalition forces. During this first sojourn in Baghdad, Mumford spent a couple of weeks with the 3rd Infantry Division, second battalion, commanded by Lt. Colonel Scott Rutter. “I showed up at Division headquarters just as Commander Rutter arrived, riding perched atop his Bradley armored vehicle. Over the roar of the tank’s engines, I told Rutter that I’d like to come along to make art,” said Mumford. “Rutter quickly and enthusiastically embraced the idea.” Over a two-year period, ten months in all, Mumford completed four separate tours in war-torn Iraq. He created hundreds of beautifully rendered drawings while traveling, part of the time, embedded with troops in Baghdad, Basra, Kirkuk, and other cities. He also traveled on his own, walking the streets of the recently liberated Baghdad, always equipped with pen, ink and sketchpad. “When you are in the war zone, you’re living with a heightened sense of awareness. Drawing allowed me to capture the spaces in between the bombs,” he said.
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Many of the drawings predictably capture the difficult scenes one would expect from a war zone: soldiers on patrol, the aftermath of an explosion, a soldier saluting at the memorial service of a fallen soldier. But Mumford also captured, in exquisite detail, everyday life in Iraq: a portrait of a shopkeeper’s son, life in the marketplace, spectacular views of the city from a rooftop, kids playing soccer next to the Tigris River, an artist painting in his studio. “Each drawing would take about an hour to complete, and the people I was depicting would come and go as I was drawing, so the narrative evolves over time,” said Mumford. Although he was aware that he was in a war zone, and learned to expect the disconcerting sound of a distant or not-so-distant bomb or mortar exploding, Mumford was moved to record Iraqis trying to get on with their lives. As he sketched, Iraqis would form a big circle around him watching and commenting liberally in Arabic about whether Mumford was accurately capturing the person or situation he was drawing. “Although it was very difficult to work in such a public forum, the crowd always made me feel more relaxed as it was obvious that they were enjoying watching me draw. Iraqi culture is a hospitable culture, and Iraqis were always inviting me to lunch or tea.” For many individuals who have seen them, the drawings evoke a more personal response than a photo. “It’s very important for people to experience the war through the eyes of an artist. While photos capture a decisive moment, drawing is more about lingering in a place and editing the scene in a wholly subjective way,” said Mumford. A compilation of Mumford’s powerful drawings, accompanied by his running narrative of the events he witnessed firsthand, has been recently published in a book called Baghdad Journal. His work has been exhibited in galleries nationwide, including the Meadow’s Museum in Dallas, Texas; the Cranbrook Art Museum
in Cranbrook, Michigan; and, in New York, the Postmasters Gallery and P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, an affiliate of The Museum of Modern Art. He has also been profiled in a New York Times feature article, was interviewed by PBS’ The Lehrer Report, and was tapped as ABC’s Person of the Week. Mumford has a diploma from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and a MFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. His love of drawing, however, was solidified at CSW, where he enjoyed a passion for comic book art, and drew inspiration from art teacher Randy Darwall, who first taught him about perspective. From his CSW experience, Mumford took away “an admiration of the school’s fierce encouragement of independence of thought and action.” After graduating from CSW, Mumford enrolled in the University of California at Santa Cruz as an anthropology major. Taking some time off from his studies, Mumford satisfied his penchant for travel and enthusiasm for anthropology by traveling to South America where he painted members of indigenous Indian tribes in Brazil and Peru. Today, Mumford lives and works on New York City’s Lower East Side with his artist wife, Inka Essenhigh, and has this advice for aspiring young artists: “Remain true to your own artistic vision,” he said. “The best art is always the most honest.”
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reunion 2006
The campus was buzzing all weekend, May 19 and 20, as more than 200 CSW alumni returned to celebrate Reunion 2006. Alumni, their families, and former faculty members enjoyed class events, a family BBQ, workshops taught by CSW teachers, and the alumni dinner. This year, Larry ’46 and Neal ’45 Nathanson (the first set of brothers!), both MDs, were awarded the Distinguished Alumni Honor for their work in the field of medicine. Receiving the Distinguished Faculty Honor was former chair of the CSW Music Department Joe Schaaf who stirred fond memories by conducting alumni at reunion dinner in a rousing rendition of Dona Nobis Pacem. For a full album of Reunion 2006 photos visit our website at www.csw.org.
Nancy Crawford Sutcliffe, John Herzan, and Jill Preyer, all ’66
Eliza Kluchman Klureza ’86 with her
daughter, Maggie
Dave Varon ’87 with his daughters
David Dixon ’81
Class of 1996
Class of 1966
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Morris McClellan’66 with Robert Shapiro ’66
Julia Merrill Tams ’46 with Paul Sapir ’46
Robin Engel Finnegan with Edith Lockhart Di Francesco, both ’81
50th Reunion Event at Head of School Jane Moulding’s home
John Thompson, trustee and P’05, P’07, with Justin Neutra ’85, and Head of School Jane Moulding
Martha Gray and Alissa Wilson ’96
Student Play: Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Classmates Larry Nathanson and Phillip Dawson ’46
Trumbull Smith with admirers
Class of 1986
Class of 1981 Sonia Arias, Aprille Ericsson, and Laura Persky Holzberg, all ’81
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Recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Honor: Drs. Neal ’45 and Larry ’46 Nathanson
Joe Schaaf
Milestone classes from ’41-’96 presented the school with a collective gift of $80,000, presented at the alumni dinner by Larry Nathanson ’46 and Edith Lockhart Di Francesco ’81.
Distinguished Alumni and Faculty Honors 2006 On May 20, before an appreciative audience of alumni, faculty, and staff, CSW conferred its 2006 Distinguished Alumni Honor to physician brothers Larry Nathanson ’46 and Neal Nathanson ’45, and a Distinguished Faculty Honor to former music chair Joe Schaaf. The Distinguished Alumni Honor is given annually at Reunion to an individual, or individuals, for their achievement, involvement, loyalty, integrity, support, curiosity and generosity of spirit. Drs. Neal and Larry Nathanson share this year’s honor for their stellar individual contributions and major advancements to the field of medicine, particularly in the areas of AIDS and cancer research, and their service to others. Larry Nathanson, MD, FACP, former CSW trustee, who was educated at Harvard College and the University of Chicago Medical School, and completed a residency at Harvard Medical School, is a professor of medicine emeritus at SUNY, the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He was previously a research fellow in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a clinical research associate at Dana Farber Cancer Institute (Children’s Cancer Research Foundation). He also served as chief, Medical Oncology Service, New England Medical Center Hospital (1969-80), and was an associate professor in medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Most recently, Larry was the founder of Oncology Consultants, an anti-cancer drug research consulting business in Cambridge, MA. Larry has pioneered medical research on the hormonal effects of estrogen and testosterone on breast and prostate cancers, and the efficacy of drugs in cancer treatment. He is one of the first in his field to complete research on treating cancer using immunologic agents and using a combination of chemotherapies concurrently in the anti-cancer effort. Drawing on his undergraduate study of physics throughout his career, Larry has applied rigorous scientific methods to treating cancer patients more effectively. “My love of the sciences was fostered by CSW faculty Hans Biermann and his wife Herma,” said Larry. He also praised CSW for giving students major responsibility for engaging in independent research and synthesizing the knowledge gained into coherent essays. “That helped hone my writing and thinking skills.” Neal Nathanson, MD, has made significant contributions to the epidemiology of viral diseases. He is currently associate dean for Global Health Programs at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. He was educated at Harvard University as an undergraduate and at the School of Medicine, and completed his clinical training in internal medicine at the University of Chicago
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as well as postdoctoral training in virology at Johns Hopkins University. His distinguished career includes stints as head of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Public Health, chair of the Department of Microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical School (1979-1994), vice provost for research at the University of Pennsylvania (2000), and director of the Office of AIDS Research (OAR) at the National Institutes of Health (1998 - 2000) where he managed a $3 billion dollar research budget. While at Johns Hopkins, he launched The American Journal of Epidemiology, the first major journal dedicated exclusively to the field. During his tenure at the University of Pennsylvania, Neal authored long and short versions of Viral Pathogenesis, the definitive book that is still considered to be the standard text book on viral disease. Early in his career, Neal served as chief of the newly formed Poliomyelitis Surveillance Unit at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), from 1955-1957, that investigated the cause of a polio outbreak in 1955. It became a public health crisis when two hundred individuals died after receiving the vaccine. “The story ran on the front page of the New York Times for two months,” said Neal. The unit successfully isolated the cause of the problem, helping to restore public confidence in the vaccine during a critical period in its early history. “The faculty at CSW were a small but amazing group of individuals who provided students with a remarkable education. I am sure that they would be considered outstanding teachers by anyone’s standard.” Joe Schaaf, who received the Distinguished Faculty Honor, chaired the Music Department from 1960 to 1972, and was the Barn dorm parent for nine years. He has become a legend in his own time for engaging the entire CSW community in making and enjoying beautiful music. “The entire school sang in chorus two times a week. We also had a performing chorus of from 50 to 60 students, an orchestra, and several chamber music groups,” said Schaaf. Among Schaaf ’s fondest memories of the school was a production of the Play of Daniel, performed by the Class of ’66. It was a “very challenging medieval music drama with the students performing at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre,” he said. Schaaf also taught a rigorous Musical Literature and Analysis course. Of his tenure at CSW, Schaaf said: “It was a great time in the life of the school, and a wonderful place to be.”
THREE GENERATIONS Celebrate Their Time at CSW When Cordelia Welch ’09 arrived to attend her first class at CSW in fall 2006, it would signify a special moment in her family’s history. Cordelia’s mother, Stephanie Berk ‘73, and Cordelia’s grandmother, Sue Steinert Poverman ’47, both attended CSW, as did a fourth member of the family, Sue’s sister, Audrey Steinert, who graduated in 1951. To mark the historical moment, Sue Poverman presented her granddaughter with the beautiful Gryphon ring she had treasured as a student. Recently, when all three met on the CSW campus to reminisce about their strong and positive memories of CSW, they agreed that their CSW teachers have been both inspiring and accessible. “We were never force-fed facts,” said Sue Poverman. “Learning to think was a requirement.” Poverman, who sang in both the glee club and with a madrigal group—and remembers being required to write her own madrigal as a condition of singing with the group—observed that the school has always been very strong in music and the arts. “The school very much appealed to the imagination,” said Poverman. “There were always famous writers, musicians, or other artists on campus who were intensely interesting and would get us all fired up about the work they were doing.” Today, granddaughter Cordelia particularly enjoys CSW’s
Mod System because “you become accustomed to different teaching styles, and classes are conducted in a more open environment.” Cordelia’s grandmother, and her mother, Stephanie, enjoyed participating in classes that were conducted at round tables. “The classes were small enough that you could engage in intense conversations,” said Stephanie. Stephanie also said she especially revered faculty member Roland Gibson, or “Mr. Gibson,” as he was known. Poverman fondly remembers science teacher Hans Biermann, whose high standards helped her “breeze through science classes in college.” At least two generations of the family have engaged in sports at CSW. Sue Poverman thoroughly enjoyed field hockey, and played the game all through college. Today, Cordelia is a valued member of the school’s very energetic and acrobatic cheerleading team. All three appreciate the school’s emphasis on creating community. Sue Poverman, who was a day boarder, has vivid recollections of the fire that destroyed the Red Barn dormitory in 1946. Her family generously invited five displaced students into their home for several weeks. Recalled Poverman: “That was typical of the spirit of the school. They were like family.”
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class notes
We Want to Hear From You! Everyone is invited to submit news to the Alumni Office. This issue of the Gryphon includes Class Notes received through April, 2006. Please send your news (including photos) before Sept. 1, 2006, to be included in the fall 2006 issue. Notes can also be sent via email to alum@csw.org.
1930s Priscilla Wallace Strauss ’33:
“Am I getting close to being the oldest grad? Still playing tennis, riding horseback, and traveling wherever.” Marjorie Hill Noon ’39: “A
great year – finally had a solo art show of my oil paintings. Exhausting, but very satisfying. The big event of the year was a family Thanksgiving here with all eleven of our descendants present, including two-month-old twin great grand-children. What more could anyone want!”
1940s Robert Ehrmann ’40: “I’m
now a heart health enthusiast, having undergone quintuple coronary bypass surgery last February, with aortic valve replacement. Anyone want to work out on my new treadmill?”
new grandson last year. So far, have survived the prices and absence of local snow, cut and stacked four cords of wood for heating, and am preparing my nine-foot yacht for launch in salt water. Put in tomatoes and deer fence, and prepping for earthquakes.”
Service Award from the Cleveland Orchestra Musical Arts Association. Klaus served in The Cleveland Orchestra from 1958 to his retirement in 1988. Among his many contributions to the orchestra were the informative series of pre-concert talks that he presented, beginning in 1972. Klaus received the award for extraordinary and distinguished service. Robert Moench ’44: “I still harbor fond memories of Cambridge! Now in our late 70s, Sarah and I have pretty much given up downhill skiing, but we love mountain hiking here in CO and in the Adirondacks. Also travel to distant lands. I’m still much involved in my controversial interpretations of northern England geology, but from a “safely” distant Denver USGS base.” Donald Born ’47 has traded
in his green, rusty, 1949 MGTC for a red, clean, MGTC last summer.
Adeline Thoms Greene ’40:
“Addie and I are still enjoying life together sixty-seven years after The Cambridge School. We hope your students today will have the same memories that long into the future.” Marjorie Moench ’40: “Loving life at 82. So the body has its challenges and it’s so great to be alive! Painting, sculpting, and being with my border collie.” Nancy Ells Terry ’40: “Still
enjoying life on Cape Cod. Most of my children and grandchildren live nearby – a great plus for me.”
Cynthia Morton Hollingsworth ’48: “Alaska and Carrie Lewis ’47 seem very far away: Hi
Carrie! Ditto for San Jose, CA: Hi Abby Wise Simon! Happy to say I see a lot of Angie Bodky Lee ’47, but I am missing Poppy Despotes Gregory ’47!”
1950s Edward Borges ’50:
“Seventy-third birthday was on November 12, 2005. Health: well; wealth: adequate. Best to all!”
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Klaus G. Roy ’41 this year received the Distinguished
Bob Metcalf ’53 and his wife, Katie, visited with Alexis Godowsky Gershwin ’53 as she presented her Gershwin Sings Gershwin on March 8 at the Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood. “The dinner and show were wonderful, and it was enjoyable to see Alexis after 53 years! She looks marvelous and the anecdotes about her famous uncles, George and Ira, were priceless. Alexis is working on producing a national tour of her show. If she happens to be in your area she would welcome all CSW alumni and students.” Bob also met with Peter Haskell ‘55 who was performing in One Step Over by D.B. Levin at Theater East in Hollywood. “I had not seen Peter in 53 years. What a great opportunity to renew our friendship and to see him act. Peter wanted to be specifically remembered to Jo Heit Bertrand ’54, Sandy Ross Behrens ’54, and Peggy Gebelein Kerr Sovek ’52. Renewing these friendships was a wonderful experience!” Rachel Cutler Schwartz ’55:
“Still thinking about our Reunion. It was truly wonderful to see old friends admire the school, and remember good times and bad. Resuming photography with great trepidation and even thinking about getting my piano tuned. Ready to re-enter the world.” Mary Aswell Doll ’58:
James Straus ’50: “I’m still
alive & kicking!” Alan Frank ’40: “Emigrated to California to live with my son, daughter-in-law, and my
grandson is now attending CSW. The third generation of Tugendhats. The school has meant a lot to us all.”
Katharine Logan Tugendhat ’51: “I am so proud that my
“My book, Triple Takes on Curricular Worlds, (Suny Press), is due out Spring 2006, and was
co-written with two colleagues.” Allen E. Hopper ’58: “Hello,
fellow Class of ’58 members. Always look forward to hearing from other Class of ’58 members either online, or at the class e-mail address, csw58class@yahoo.com.” Gay Donham Quereau ’58:
“Love retirement! As busy and happy as ever!” Lisa Esherick ’59 has exhibited
in two art shows recently: one, in Davis, CA, in March 2006, and one coming up in San Francisco in July. Her work can be seen on her website, www.lisaesherick.com.
Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier, during the 10 am service, the church, through my bishop, Tom Ely, will bless my trial marriage to, my commitment to the exploration of, the mystery, love, and potential I call Godde. In other words, the bishop heard my initial profession in vows as a religious member of this diocese. It is my hope that the marriage proves sound and that I eventually take life vows. As in a marriage, things will change, but I cannot say how. As in a marriage, this development in my relationship with the divine will flourish best within a supportive community. In nomen domine, pacem.”
whose work as orchestrator for the successful Richard Rogers Revue, Something Wonderful, is currently touring the US. His CSW recital included selections from Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Scriabin, and Bartok. Emilie Small ’64: “I really
enjoyed the 1964 class reunion. It was wonderful to see and get reacquainted with so many old friends. I am now writing full time and finally am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with my novel. Losing my job in the fall turned out to be the best thing ever! Love to hear from old friends! Please note my new email address is emilie3roses@gmail.com.”
Perry Forbes Williamson ’61:
1960s Loris Phillips Bickum ’60
writes, “I am a grandmother. My grandson, Kyle, is three and a-half years old, and he is in preschool. He’s learning computers, etc. My husband, Gil, is a retired college professor. We are singing with the BCC chorus.” Ronney Marcus Traynor ’60:
“I am having fun with my three grandchildren. I continue to work on my family tree; now I am doing YONA and mtDNA searches. It’s all very interesting, and people are so friendly.”
“My husband is retiring from his position as president of Sterling College this June. I am already retired. Doing tai-chi and water coloring, and am still on a couple of boards, etc. We welcomed a new grandchild in May.” Becky Dennison Sakellariou ’62 has written a book of
poetry to be published this spring called, The Importance of Bone. Emily Hancock ’63:
“Although it’s high time I became a native New Yorker, I still live in Berkeley. Anyone in Manhattan want to trade?”
Laurence R. Davis ’65:
(see profile on page 16) “As I write this, I’m on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, where I have been doing research with my students from, first, Alfred University and, now, the University of New Haven for 20 years. I am studying the island's natural plumbing. Simultaneously, my students and I are working at an old (circa 1900) copper mine site in Vermont, the Ely Mine in Vershire. This has been declared a Superfund site recently due to acid mine drainage, yet the site still has much to preserve in the way
of historical resources. I was on sabbatical last term and worked on San Salvador, off and on, and also headed out for six weeks of geologizing on New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.” Shanti Toll ’66: “I am excited and pleased that I was able to come from Colorado to the ’66 class reunion in May. I created a road trip in my VW pop-up camper with reunion as the center point. In good CSW tradition, I have chartered a different course for my career. While being a public school teacher for 20 years, I created a business producing conscious living fairs in Colorado Springs and Denver. The Celebration Metaphysical Fairs are now the oldest holistic lifestyle fairs in the USA (1978). The fairs support intuitive readings, holistic bodywork, human potential products, and alternative spiritual exploration. My wife, Coreen, and I live in Manitou Springs overlooking the Garden of Gods and Goddesses. Our three kids are lawyers and engineers thriving in Denver, making it very easy for us to visit our four grandchildren. I’m easy to reach at shantitoll@hotmail.com.” Martha Castillo ’66: “After CSW, I earned a BFA in acting
Esther Chase Heitler ’61:
“Greetings from Ann Arbor. I enjoy reading the Gryphon, especially seeing photos from our era (1957-1961). We are semi-retired, spending as much time as possible with four grandchildren, ages ten, seven, and four in Philadelphia, PA, and Raleigh, NC.” Martha Holden ’61 writes, “On December 4, 2005, at
Sarah Jane Hope Chelminski ’64 writes, “Loved the alumni
reunion and the contact with such wonderful classmates.” Tour picture from Alex Dominic Meiman ’64
returned to CSW’s campus on Sunday, February 26, to perform a piano recital. Classmate Lisa Little Leyre ’64, visiting family in the area, was able to attend. Dominic,
Godowsky Gershwin ’53’s current production, Gershwin Sings Gershwin.
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at BU, and ten years later, a master’s degree in art therapy from a small private university in Northern California, where I live now. I’ve been a fulltime abstract artist (mixed media, acrylic, printmaking), exhibiting (mostly) locally since 1994. In the summer of 2004, I discovered Mitch Lyons and clay monoprinting, and that is my primary focus today. In March 2005, I had the privilege of being a visiting artist at SUNY, Plattsburgh. I currently teach mixed media, life drawing classes for teens, and clayprint workshops. I describe myself as a layerist, and colorist. I’m gaining recognition here in Silicon Valley as an artist, art teacher, and occasional curator of special exhibits. I have recently been featured on a cable TV art program, ArtBeats. Life is good. I have now been married to Tom Stewart, a Silicon Valley scientist, for twenty-seven plus years. We enjoyed a seven-year sojourn in North Yorkshire, England (1987-1993). My son, Mike Ciul, (from my first marriage) is a full-time daddy, and part-time musician, in Philadelphia. His wife works for American Friends Service Committee on anti-war projects. They have two beautiful (of course) daughters, Solomaya (Sally), three, and Mary-Ruth, who turned one in April. It was our 40th Reunion in May!”
Peter Nichols ’67 is a visual artist, and is finishing his first literary novel while working at Bennington’s low-residency MFA program in writing and literature.
Ann Barysh ’67 writes,
PA, with daughter, Charlotte, a week ago. My newest passion is jewelry making. I’m also an introduction leader for Landmark Education, which I love. Recently separated, and excited about a new life in the city. See you in 2008!”
“Hello to all! Life is good. I am involved in teacher education. My oldest child, Gabriel, graduated from Oberlin two years ago and is working with “tough” boys. My daughter, Rebecca, attends Earlham College where she is a politics major.”
James Braver ’74: “Back in Madeleine Von Laue ’68 is
now living in Vancouver, WA, where she is the director of a volunteer literacy program. Madeline sadly lost her mother, Hildegarde Hunt von Laue, in November 2005. Roger Conrad ’69: “Back at
Peace Corps again! I am based in Washington, DC, where I am the chief administrative officer for the Inter-America and Pacific region. We cover the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Pacific Islands. My wife, Kathe, works at the State Department’s national foreign service training center, and my daughter, Christine, is in tenth grade at Annandale High School.”
Gryphon Spring 2006
Newton and working in two areas; hospitality finance and still doing my Israel stuff, including US Director for an Israeli homeland security consulting group. I’m representing some of Israel’s finest. I’m still single, having fun, and would love to hear from people at Jbraver987@aol.com.” Wendy Harwood Van der Bogart ’74: “Hello to all, especially Bryn, Mollie, Martha, and Robin Wood.
We are busy doing the college trips with our daughter – perhaps back to Boston for Berklee. I’m still working as a landscape architect for NYS parks – it’s great to be paid to run around in the countryside. My best wishes to all.”
1970s David Holzman ’71: “My
Louise Crane Thorkelson ’74
article on the New Jersey Turnpike appeared in the February issue of Car and Driver.”
is currently living in Valencia, CA, where she is getting ready to retire from TV production after twenty-seven years as a technical director. She is married and has three kids, all adopted. She did dance professionally for a few years after graduating from Goucher College in Baltimore with a BA in dance performance and choreography. She got into local TV in Dayton, OH, and moved to Denver, CO, where she worked in sports (NBA Nuggets and NFL Broncos), then LA, CA, in 1989. She was the first female technical director for a major network (NBC) in 1989. She then moved to FOX, and, in 1992, went freelance. Her credits include: The Nanny, 3rd Rock
Lillian Lin ’73 welcomed grandchild number five, Madison Taylor, and number six, Marcus Jones, this year! Amy McElwain McCoubrey ’73: “I moved to Center City,
Holly Tobias Browde ’73 is
currently working as a music
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lawyer at The Walt Disney Company in Burbank. It’s a dream job, and she looks forward to going to work every day!
from the Sun, and That 70’s Show. Louise married Gary Thorkelson in 1992, who is also in TV (sales and engineering). “I am happy to be a Mom and have many other producer/director projects that I am working on. I would love to hear from my Class of 1974, and anyone else who is in the LA area.” Debra Gomberg Diamond ’75 writes to us, “I graduated
from Northeastern University in 1991 with an engineering degree and got hired at The MathWorks for my first professional job after graduating. I also got married in 1991. In 1993, I had my first child. She has been a blessing to us! I decided to change careers, after getting ready to have a second child, and became a full-time Mom. With four wonderful children at home, being a full-time Mom has been very rewarding. Recently, I have taken another turn in my career path. I decided to branch out and become an entrepreneur. I needed to find something I could do from home, so that I could be there for my children whenever they needed me. This has proved to be most rewarding! My current goals are to help as many women as I can become successful entrepreneurs. This field can sometimes be overwhelming for anyone who wants to strike out and be independent, but I have found some ways to make it successful.” Lisa Brodey ’76 writes, “Sorry
I missed Reunion! I was finishing up my job in Rome, and moved our family to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where I am now the regional environmental officer for the Horn of Africa at the US Embassy.”
Ricky Greenwald ’76 became a clinical psychologist in 1994, and worked in the Kauai (HI) school system, and then on the faculty at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine (NYC). In 2002, he came back home and started the Child Trauma Institute, Inc. (CTI) (www.childtrauma.com) in Greenfield, MA. The institute offers training and consultation in child/adolescent trauma treatment (including EMDR). Antoinette Brey ’78 is now working on her master’s at Salem State College, and continues to teach full time as well as showing her photography and artwork through the Art Guild. She is currently showing at the United Way in WS. Benjamin Brodey ’78 writes, “Lisa Brodey ’76 has been
enjoying the past two years as assistant to the ambassador at the US Embassy in Rome. In September, she is off to Addis Ababa for two years. Ivan Brodey ’82 just finished an advertising campaign for Statoil, the Norwegian oil and gas group.” Martin Cox ’78: “Still in touch with Ginny Wallace ’78, Allison Lenk ’78, Steve Russell ’78, Peter Cornelius ’78, Peter LeMessurier ’78, and Claire DeVore ’78,
and others. Working for a company that was acquired by Microsoft in April, so now I’m working for Microsoft.” Amy Little ’78 was appointed campaign manager for the John Hall for Congress campaign. Amy has broad experience as a political organizer with extensive campaign experience, working on over 20 races at the local, state and national level, including senators Wellstone, Lautenberg, Mikulski, and Harkin. She is an expert on providing training and technical assistance to coalitions and advocacy organizations, and has held executive positions in several non-profits, raising over 30 million dollars. In the 2004 election, Amy was a field director for a national coalition working on voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives in 20 states. The coalition registered over two million people.
Brattleboro, VT. Our children are eleven and a-half, and nine. Joe teaches at Putney School. We spend any spare time in our vegetable and flower gardens. Winter finds us cross country skiing. Greetings to all!”
1980s Dashka Slater ’81 has
released her new children’s book. Baby Shoes hit the stores in May 2006. The book tells the story of a little boy’s new pair of shoes, which don’t stay white very long. “Written for toddlers, preschoolers, shoelovers, and go-go-going people everywhere, it makes a great shower or birthday present. Please check my website: www.dashkaslater.com.” David Dixon ’81 spoke at
CSW’s annual Law Day on April 20, 2006, focusing on the Supreme Court and a woman’s right to abortion.
Paddington Matz-Zwigard ’79 writes, “All is well here in
Sarah Jane Liberman Horton ’81 sent in photos of her
NYC. Three amazing girls, Lucy, nine, Kate, seven, and Jenny, five. Just finishing up a third-year project building a “green home” atop an old building in Tribeca.”
children, Rosalie and Peter Horton, with Tyche Hendricks ’82’s daughter, Amelia Muniz. Sarah Jane and her family visited Tyche in Berkeley last June.
Frances Allderdice WitteHolland ’79: “I am enjoying
Mark Culliton ’82 writes an
teaching kindergarten in
update on life in Dorchester: “Mary DiCicco ’82 and I are
still married, and, when we are not being run too ragged by life, happy. Our two children, Oliver, five, and Julius, three, are doing well as we begin to lead them through the wilds of public education in Boston. We slowly work at fixing up our house as I obsess about the Patriots and Mary dreams of having time to paint again. I now am starting charter schools for kids living in under-resourced communities that are pretty much the exact opposite of CSW, all drill and kill and back-to-basics stuff. However, I still am deeply indebted to CSW, its model, and what it did for me and those I love. In other CSW updates: My brother Chris Culliton ’81 is now officially Harper’s dad (Class of 2023?) and still doing lighting in “the business;” Jim King ’82 has decided that it is time to take on real responsibility and has just passed his written and in-flight exams to become a helicopter pilot; Tony Mack ’82 is writing full time now; Carla Turner Tardiff ’82 and I worked together on an event with the Red Sox a few years ago; Sean Heron ’82 became a dad for the third time; Serge Marek ’82 is still in Hawaii and sends thoughtful emails; and Jennifer Francis Mintzer ’82 still is a mom and a financial whiz. We also
Left: The new Olivia stamp. Olivia is one of several favorite children’s books chosen to be captured as USPS stamps in January, 2006. Olivia is written and illustrated by Ian Falconer ’77. Right: Rosalie and Peter Horton, children of Sarah Jane Liberman Horton ’81, with Amelia Muniz, daughter of Tyche Hendricks ’82.
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25
see Siri Striar ’82 around Cambridge every now and then.”
Cabaret.” (www.dickndubya.us.) Peace. (P.S. We Are!)”
Sydney, Becca, and Josh W.
I hope all is well in Cambie land.”
Tracy Katz ’86: “My daughter,
James King ’82: “Jim left the entertainment business a year or so ago and is now pursuing a career as a helicopter pilot.”
Jordan Elizabeth, was born December 20, 2003. I never imagined being a parent would be as wonderful as it is. She is really a fantastic little person, and I am humbled and honored to be her mommy. I have been working at Harvard School of Public Health for almost five years, and am privileged enough to be able to have lunch with
Charles M. Luce ’83 tells us,
Alex “Tilo” Shimada-Brand ’85 at least once or twice a
“From Boston to Michigan, to Florida, back to Michigan, love found on the Internet, a marriage of ten years; a life in retail and art; it’s all in the middle ground somewhere, the fence between. I’m not the person I was, but then who is?”
week. My daughter is equally lucky to have him as her godfather. Can you believe it’s been almost twenty years since graduation? It hardly seems possible. Would love to hear from any former classmates. Hope all is well with you all.”
Gail Anne Musacchio Marin ’83 writes, “Aloha! I am
Susan Grossman Hartwell ’87: “I am married now and have a sixteen-month-old daughter named Sophia whom we refer to as DANGER GIRL because she loves to climb everything! We are having an amazing time with her, and feel so lucky to have her.”
Judith Dodd Goralnick ’82:
“My husband, Ross, and I have a new baby boy! Ari David joined his big brother, Gabriel, on November 20th. We are all enjoying him very much.”
currently working at West Oahu Realty in our Honolulu office. Boy, who could ask for anything more! Robin and Miuki where are you? Talk to me...please.” Amos Joseph Glick ’85
writes, “Anybody in the Bay Area should come check me out as the Commander in Thief in my new show, “The Dick ‘n Dubya Show: A Republican Outreach
26
Gryphon Spring 2006
1990s Michael Everett ’90 and his wife, Nancy Baker, will be moving from Somerville, MA, to Huntsville, Texas (University of Texas), where Nancy will teach women’s history, and Michael will connect with the art & design department.” Sarajerome Wiley Kominsky ’90 and her husband, Dan ’91,
adopted their second child, an infant girl from California, named Solana Marie. Dan has finished his doctorate and is working at Prime Photonics. Sara is spending a lot of time with the kids but is still teaching and competing. “With a growing family, we have purchased a new house.”
Francesca Rivera ’88 writes,
“I’m back from Panama and teaching/writing in the SF Bay area. I miss all my friends from CSW and think often/wonder about: Seth,
Left: Dashka Slater ’81’s new children’s book Right: Sarah Jane Horton & Bekki Dudley (both ’81)
Lachlan Youngs ’88: “I and some people I know incorporated as a non-profit. It is called the Cape Workshop Collaborative (CWC), and will be a community arts and crafts learning center, primarily for the mentally ill.”
Wendy Rosenblatt Rands ’90:
“I have two beautiful girls, Victoria, four and a-half, and Isabelle, eighteen months. I went back to work full time
last year as an administrator at a small company in Waltham. Hello to all my friends from the Class of 1990 & 1991!” Choi Kochan ’91: “I started a
new job at Dimock Community Health Center’s Daycare Center. I will be a one-on-one classroom assistant for a threeyear-old child with Pervasive Developmental Disorder. She is a real bright youngster with a lot of potential. Also, I am dating an older gentleman, Jeff Ransom. We have been going out since November 2005. He is a real catch. Our 15th-reunion—can U believe it?!?” Larisa Mann ’91: “Finishing my second year of the PhD in jurisprudence and social policy at Boalt Hall Law School – UC Berkeley. My work is on the social implications of intellectual property law. I recently gave my first (since returning to grad school) paper at a conference. I’m also still a gigging and touring DJ – living in Berlin this summer and DJ’ing around Europe and beyond. Website: http://djripley.blogspot.com; tour website: http://riddimmethod.net/riddimabroad.html, and I write for a New England-based electronic music magazine called Sonic Heart. My partner and I are living (except for this sum-
mer) in Oakland, CA, and unexpectedly (for an avowed Yankee), I’m loving this area and bought my first pair of non-city shoes (i.e. hiking shoes) – stop the presses!” Naomi Mead-Ward Ninneman ’92 writes, “My
husband, Eric, and I are expecting our second child in March of 2006. He or she will join big brother, James Wesley.” Alison Shuman ’93 writes,
“I am completing my master’s degree in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin. I have moved back to the Boston area to conduct my thesis. I am also a staff photographer for Community Newspaper Company, covering eighteen papers on the North Shore.” Shimboon Yoon ’93: “Jim &
I are happy parents of our two-year-old twins: Miller and Claire. I have a private practice in Santa Cruz, CA.” Amy McGovern ’94 won her third term on the Lawrence School Committee in District E. Amy and her husband, Christopher Lathrop ’94, live in Lawrence, MA. Benjamin Wolfgarten ’94: “I
am happy to report that I did achieve a Bachelor of Arts with Second Class Honors,
Upper Division, in recording arts. I owe this in no small portion to CSW, to what you, to what everybody, at the school did for me. I think, no, I am absolutely certain that I would not be the kind of person I am today had I not been at CSW, and, with that, I most probably would not be at this point in my life. Without music, life would be a mistake (Friedrich Nietzsche). Benjamin Wolfgarten Lauterstrasse 22 12159 Berlin Germany h: +49 (30) 3060-2656 m: +49 (177) 777-3114 CP/AH.” Marco Gutierrez ’95: “It’s been 10 years and my parents have finally sent me the Gryphon magazine! The latest news for me is that I did pursue my passion for film making as a cinematographer. I’ve been on the cutting edge of digital cinema technology since it first became available in ’97, and a couple years ago I started a magazine about high end digital cinematography (www.hdcinemag.com). I have to give a big thank you to my CSW photography teachers who introduced me to photography as an art. The pictures I took back then are still my favorites! I live in Austin, TX, and I went to both the University of Texas at Austin and finished at the University of Southern
California. I just bought a house in the hill country of Austin. My film school friends and I started a film production company that has work ranging from the Discovery Channel, to MTV, to underwater 3D IMAX! Some other interesting news is that my sister, Erica Gutierrez, who only spent her sophomore year at CSW, was married this past year! She is now Erica Brock.” Megan Lynes ’95 is in her
third year of divinity school. She is studying to be a Unitarian Universalist minister and is the ministerial intern at First Parish UU in Canton, MA. Last summer, she loved working as a chaplain in the oncology unit of Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and has returned from helping with relief efforts in New Orleans. She was overjoyed to be in Waetie Burnette Kumahia ’95’s wedding last summer,
and to be in school with her again at Andover Newton Theological School.” Andrew Schrock ’96 and Rebecca Diane Sittler were married on Saturday, July 23, 2005. The ceremony and reception took place on a sunny afternoon in Princeton, MA, at the home of Kathleen Sweeney and Edwin Carlson, uncle of the groom. Eric Schrock and Regina Ambroz
were witnesses for their brother and sister. The bride is the daughter of Janice and Edwin Sittler of Grand Island, NE. She received her BA in art with distinction from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and her MFA from the Massachusetts College of Art. She is currently assistant professor of art at the University of Central Florida. The groom is the son of Nancy and Richard Schrock of Winchester. He graduated from CSW, and received his BA in computer science and art with honors from Brandeis University. Andrew is currently a graduate student in communications at the University of Central Florida. Micah Smith ’96: “I am still
living the semi-charmed life of the starving artist. I’m working in stained glass and have found a nice little niche for myself. I planned a crosscountry road trip with my two dogs for early 2006 to find a new place to set up shop. You can see a few of my pieces at http://beachfrontstainedglass.ebsq art.com My email address is BeachfrontGlass@aol.com.” Andrea Fischman ’97: “I would like to share some exciting news about my recent assignment for Boston Magazine, “Top Doctors.” For this unique feature, I was
Left: Elizabeth Katz ’81 and Sarah Jane Liberman Horton ’81
Right: Susan Grossman Hartwell ’87 and Jamie Grossman ’85 pose in CSW’s costume room during a visit with Robin Wood in August 2005
Gryphon Spring 2006
27
privileged to photograph over sixty doctors from four different hospitals in the Boston area. You can view this story in Boston Magazine’s February issue or at: http://bostonmagazine.com/#flash. In other news, check out my recently updated website: http://www.andreafischman.com. Best wishes!” Rebecca Levy ’97: Rebecca
Levy is part of Lineage Dance Company, which helps raise money for other nonprofit organizations, and helps make modern dance accessible to all audiences. Lineage Dance has gone on to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity, Five Acres, AIDS Service Center, and GAIA, among numerous other charities. In addition to helping local groups, for the past three summers, the dancers have traveled across the country holding fundraising performances for various charities. For more information, contact Lineage Dance at (626) 399-3676, or visit www.lineagedance.org. Go Class of 1997! Love from Los Angeles!”
and Zachias (Zachary) is nine months old. I am trying to learn to goldsmith in my free time. My husband also works in a workshop as an ironsmith. We are planning to start a Waldorf Kindergarten in September 2006, which is also keeping us busy. It´s really a different culture and life here but I am slowly finding my way after five years of living here. I often wish I could go back to the CSW days with the motherhood lessons I am now learning.” Devin Powers ’99: “I
graduated last spring from Bennington College, and I’m currently enrolled in the MFA program at Brooklyn College. Things are going fairly well although I’m living in the worst section of Bed-Stuy Brooklyn.”
2000s Jessica Case ’00: “I graduated
from Bard College in 2004, and am now working as a creative arts specialist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.”
here in the summer of 2004, then working for an Israeli Palestinian think tank in Jerusalem for six months. I spent last spring studying at a special environmental institute in the south of Israel. I totally credit my being here now to my mod abroad. During my junior year, I took a mod off and lived in Jerusalem, and interned with a different Israeli-Palestinian organization for a month and a-half, which totally opened my eyes and changed my life. It was the first time I ever met a Palestinian or hung out with Arabs. After being raised an observant Jew, this was a huge metamorphosis. I traveled with new friends in east Jerusalem and Bethlehem and a refugee camp. It inspired me to take Arabic in college, and is part of the reason why I am continuing my studies. I am all about encouraging students to take mods off, especially abroad, because of the giant impact it had on my life. Hope all is well in Weston. Things are starting to get back to normal here in Amman.”
Germany, with my husband, Johannes. We have three beautiful and challenging little children. Lydia, our oldest, is four, Stella is two and a-half,
Left: Marco Gutierrez ’95 Right: Annamaria Grauso Leiste ’98’s children, Lydia, Zachias, and Stella (wearing hats made by Anna).
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Gryphon Spring 2006
Drew Pappone ‘02 just
returned from a long trip abroad, culminating in a stop over in the Gaza Strip. He has now returned to Reed College.
permanent job at Google, and living in San Francisco, California.”
Alexis Tammarino ’01
Samantha Rosen ’03: “I’m doing very well at UMass Amherst. Cheers!”
graduated from Goucher College in December 2005.
Kathryn Case ’04: “I
Tova Scherr ’00 is in Amman
Jacquelyn Lane ’01 graduated
studying Arabic at the University of Jordan. “I was
from Washington University in May 2005. “I spent the
Alison Hobbs ’00: “Just got a Anna Maria Grauso Leiste ’98: “I am living in Munich,
summer taking an intensive course in publishing at Columbia University. A few months later, I landed my first job as the assistant editor of Plenty, a national magazine whose focus is environmentally-conscious living. My first article and masthead appeared in the Feb/March issue. True to the New York experience, I live in a cozy, four-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment in Astoria with three friends who also work in publishing— never a dull moment! I still take voice lessons, and I try to make it to the Met Opera as often as I can. Big hugs to all my friends and teachers from CSW. I can’t tell you how often I reminisce about my high school years. I am so grateful to have received such a unique and enriching educational experience.”
transferred from Bard after my freshman year, and am now at Johnson & Wales for culinary sciences.”
having an amazing time here in Moscow. I am attending one of the best theatre schools in the world, and immersed in a culture unlike anything I have ever experienced. I am loving every moment of it. The work is incredible, and sometimes I feel lost in translation, but it’s exhilarating. I am making some great Russian friends too.” Emily Glassman ’05: “I’ve
been accepted into the National Science Foundation Research Experience at the chemistry department at Wellesley College! Normally, they don’t consider rising sophomores, but somehow I got through! I’m actually going to be doing environmental chemistry. My advisor is professor Chris Arumainayagam, who is studying the effects of certain molecules on the atmosphere.” Lauren Moye ’05 has begun
her first year at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, MA. Jacob Sagrans ’05: “I just finished my first semester at Grinnell College and I am very proud to say that I made it to the honor roll. I think Grinnell is a very good match for me. I’m not sure what I want to major in yet, but I definitely want to further pursue math, environmental studies, and music. I’m also very involved in the choir here, called the Grinnell Singers. In March, performed in Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, which was very exciting for me. I hope everything is going well at CSW. I definitely miss everyone.”
IN MEMORIAM John Schoepperle ’36 passed away, April 22, 2005, at his home in White Plains, NY, following a lengthy illness. He is survived by his sister, Lydia Schoepperle Paxson ’38, and predeceased by his sister,
wife, Evelyn, and sister Janet Thorndike King ’56. Janet Thorndike King ’56
lost her husband, Alvin King, on March 25, 2006. Dorothy Campbell Kleinberg ’56 died on May
Elizabeth Schoepperle Colman Parker ’35.
25, 2005, after battling lung cancer.
Judith Shockett Davis ’40
Dalton L. Baugh ’65 died on
died March 20, 2006, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Nashua, NH. Prior to working as a teacher during WWII, Judith served as a medical technician. She was an avid golfer and bridge player, and a member of the Sudbury Players in Sudbury, MA, where she lived with her husband, Meyer, for many years. Judith is survived by her sons, Andrew, and Larry Davis ’65, and her daughter, Emily Davis ’69.
June 4, 2005. He is survived by his wife, Yukiyo Baugh.
Dr. Italo Evangelista ’48 died
November, 5, 2005. Born in Italy, Italo received his BA from the University of Rome in 1946. Two years later, he came to the United States and studied English at CSW. He was later accepted at Harvard University where he received a second bachelor’s degree, and, from there, received his M.D. from the University of Buffalo Medical School. Italo joined the medical staff of Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett, MA, in 1961, beginning what became a thirty-year tenure. He is survived by his wife, Anna, three children, and eight grandchildren. Beryl Forbes Eddy ’54 died
on June 18, 2005. Sam Thorndike ’55 passed away on March 7, 2006, from cancer. Sam is survived by his
Photo by Elsa Dorfman
William Popp ’04: “I am
Dr. Isreal Rosefsky
Dunbar Secondus Lockwood, father of Carrie Lockwood Underdahl ’82,
died on December 25, 2005. Wendy Jackson Hall ’91
died on November 15, 2005. Formerly of Medfield, MA, Wendy died at Harrison Hospital in Bremerton, WA, after a brief illness. Wendy worked as an animator, a film maker, a teacher, an author, and a promoter of animation since her graduation from Rhode Island School of Design in 1995. Wendy shared her love of animation with the children of Bainbridge Island and other communities through her business, Animated Adventures. She served as president of the Pacific NW Chapter of ASIFA (International Animated Film Association), as board member of ASIFA International, and as a member of the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce. More than anything else, Wendy loved children and sharing her love of animation with them. Wendy is survived by her husband, Porter Hall, her parents, Jane and William Jackson, and her brother, Andrew Jackson. On October 20, 2005, CSW lost a valued friend, Dr. Israel Rosefsky, who died at the age
of ninety-five after more than a half century of medical practice and caring for others. Dr. Rosefsky was the beloved father of Robin Wood, chair of CSW’s Theatre Department, adored grandfather of Jonas ’95, Augusta ’96, and Alexis, and pediatrician to several generations of grateful children and their families. He was also an artist, community benefactor, patron of the arts, and loyal friend of The Cambridge School of Weston. A person of vision and compassion, Dr. Rosefsky became a noted philanthropist who gave generously to causes that he believed in deeply, particularly in the areas of education and the arts, as well as study abroad programs. More than 20 years ago Dr. Rosefsky established the Israel J. Rosefsky Fund for American Sign Language at CSW. The fund supports sign language classes, as well as Pocket Players, a touring children's theater group of CSW students and faculty that performs in ASL and spoken English to hearing and Deaf audiences across the state. Last year, the ASL program funded by Rosefsky garnered national recognition. The members of CSW’s Theater Gryphon Spring 2006 29
In Memoriam (cont.)
Department were honored by the nationally known Learning Center for Deaf Children for “foresight in providing hearing students instruction in ASL and Deaf Culture through theater.” Dr. Rosefsky was also a benefactor of Binghamton University, State University of New York, where he established the Elsie B. Rosefsky Visiting Artist Series following his wife’s death in 1987. In addition, he endowed the Language and Culture Scholarship Fund at the university in 1988 to promote his vision of world peace through language study, travel, and understanding cultural differences. Rosefsky will be remembered by the CSW community with great appreciation and fondness for his lifetime of service to others, and for demonstrating that it is possible to lead an exemplary life of compassion and commitment. The Cambridge School of Weston community was saddened to learn of the death of former CSW music teacher and chair of the Music Department, Sally Speare Lutyens ‘45, who died on July 22, 2005, following a courageous two-month battle with cancer. She was seventy-seven. Sally was endeared to the CSW community—as a young student, as a teacher, and as a committed parent. She met her first husband, Thomas B. Speare ‘45, at CSW, and was the sister-in law of Emilie Speare Coolidge ’49 and Edward Speare ’43, and mother of Sarah Speare ’74, Tom Speare, Christopher Lutyens, and Lesley Lutyens. Not only was Lutyens a well-regarded composer and
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Gryphon Spring 2006
Sally Speare Lutyens
musician, writer, artist, and teacher extraordinaire, but a gifted human being who enriched the lives of all who were fortunate to know her. Her creative spirit, indomitable will, and rare ability to inspire, allowed her to touch many lives at CSW. During her tenure at the school, she formed many life-long friends. As a CSW student, Sally’s talents in dance and theatre, as well as the sciences, gained full expression. She was admired as a strong and versatile writer, and also excelled at basketball. Lutyens dazzled all with her ability to speak eloquently with very few words and to render very precise observations. Sally’s daughter, Sarah, said her mother “was incredibly well-read and articulate, and could hold her own on any subject. She was also dynamic and talented, and everything she touched turned into something extraordinarily unique.” Thomas Speare and Sally began going steady in their junior year. He was not only a serious scholar and intellectual, but was captain of the football team, as was his brother, Edward. The couple separated in their senior year
but re-united six years later when they met again in New York City. During their few years apart, Sally attended Bennington College and the University of Southern California in pursuit of her music career. Three years after Sally and Thomas married, he died, tragically, while crossing the street, struck by a truck as Sally waited for him nearby. Sarah Speare was just three months old at the time, and her brother, Tom, was 18 months. Later, Sally would marry David Mansfield Lutyens, an Englishman. During their six-year marriage, Sally became the mother of Chris and Lesley. In 1962, Lutyens returned to Weston as a piano teacher. In 1965, she joined the CSW faculty and in 1969 became head of the Music Department, where she served until 1974. Lutyens delighted in the many collaborative productions she originated with Martha Gray and Robin Wood, current chairs of the dance and theater departments. Always a trailblazer, Lutyens taught music theory and composition, subjects considered unusual curricula at the high school level. Another measure of her charismatic gifts as a teacher was that many of Lutyens’ students, including Jane Ira Bloom ’72, went on to become professional musicians. “Sally Lutyens was my first music composition teacher and my work with her was some of the most enduring learning that I experienced in my entire music education,” said Bloom, a soprano saxophonist and composer. “She was a maverick – an independent thinker. As an artist, she exemplified excellence and innovation, and
encouraged those same qualities in her students at all levels of musical understanding. I'll never forget how much her ideas and spirit helped to shape my musical journey.” As a professional musician, Sally was a highly regarded composer whose compositions were performed most notably by Chorus Pro Musica in Boston, and the Newport Opera Festival. During her last year, she played, to thunderous applause, an excerpt from her First Light: An Oratorio at the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center in Portland, Maine. It was the final performance of her life. Immediately following the program, Lutyens began to experience severe cramps in her hands. Soon thereafter, she was diagnosed with cancer. Despite the keen sense of loss experienced by the Speare/Lutyens family and the CSW community, Sally Lutyens enjoyed a very rich life that was full of inspiration and creative genius, and her legacy of creating beautiful music endures. Said Sarah Speare, “Her great passion for life was most fully expressed through her music.”
REGIONAL EVENTS Head of School Jane Moulding and members of the alumni and development offices traveled across the country this year to connect with CSW alumni in their home towns. For additional photos of each event please log on to www.csw.org/alumni.
Attendees gather to hear Head of School Jane Moulding’s address at the SF Event
New York
Former faculty member
Zach Feuer ’96, Sandy White ’96, and Hannah Clark ’98.
Joan Gitlow holds court
with alumni.
Augusta Talbot ’67 and Sam Chase ’63 Ellen Titlebaum ’84 and
Kurt Vandenberg
San Francisco
Jane Moulding with William Doll ’91
LA Sandra Caruso ’56 & Holland McFallister ’74
Ellen Ziskind ’57 and Connie White ’55, former
trustee
Harper Della Piana ’84 & Jonathan Davis ’76
Boston Conor Thompson ’01 & Jane Wohlgethan ’00 Gryphon Spring 2006 31
announcements
SAVE THE DATE!
Alumni Reunion Weekend will take place on May 18-19, 2007. Please be sure to mark your calendar!
Upcoming Regional Events
New York City November 13-15, 2006 California January 21-24, 2007 Boston March 13, 2007 Florida March 18-21, 2007 Reunion Weekend May 18-19, 2007
Where are you @?
Please keep the Alumni Office posted on changes of address, email, etc. Forward any and all updates to alum@csw.org. And don’t forget to check www.csw.org for news and information.
Volunteers Needed!
The Alumni Office is looking for volunteers! If you’re interested, please call us at 781-642-8647.
2005-2006 Board of Trustees
Michael Pappone, Chair John Butman, Vice Chair Richard Foster, Secretary Walter Abrams ’65, Treasurer
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Gryphon Spring 2006
Sally Levin Brotman ’63 Jennifer Jones-Clark Rayna Edwards ’06 Amy Cody Diane Garthwaite Daryl Hellman Carolyn Hewitt Sara Honig Polly Howells ’62
Jane Reisman Jampolis ’55 Siri Ardaas K. Khalsa ’07 Jean Kilbourne Gloria Legvold Day McDowell Rob Moir ’72 Jane Moulding Martha Craven Nussbaum Kathleen Olesky
Thomas Riley Joanie Rivera Andrew Ross Peter Stonberg ’61 John Thompson Anki Wolf Javitch ’67
You’ve grown. So have we! What a difference a few years can make. When Seth Jacobs ‘82 arrived at CSW, he thought he disliked both school and learning. “My love of scholarship was quickly awakened by CSW teachers Steve Cohen and Peter Shiras. They were extremely knowledgeable and not at all
authoritarian,” said Jacobs. “They greatly expanded my intellectual horizons.” Since graduating from CSW, Seth earned degrees in psychology and philosophy from Yale University, and a master’s degree in theater from DePaul University. His love of theater, also sparked at CSW (“Robin Wood is the best drama teacher, anywhere”), led him to become a professional actor in Chicago. On his way to perform in a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Seth happened to use the last dollar-and-a-quarter in his pocket to purchase a copy of Heffner’s A Documentary History of the United States. The book stirred a love of history in Seth,
and he entered Northwestern University, earning a PhD in history in 2000. In 2001, he joined the Boston College faculty as a professor of history, and has been reaching new pinnacles of personal and professional success ever since. This year alone, Seth has won the Bernath Book Award from the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR), for his America’s Miracle Man in Vietnam: Ngo Dinh Diem. In addition, he has been granted tenure as an associate
professor at B.C., and is being nominated for a prestigious CASE Professor of the Year Award for his dedication to teaching and commitment to students. Seth regularly donates to CSW because: “In retrospect, CSW was the transforming experience that changed my life.” Since Seth’s day, CSW has also grown, and is currently executing a thoughtful master plan that is transforming the campus. Thanks to alumni like Seth, we’ll be able to keep transforming not only our campus, but also, the lives of our students.
The Cambridge School of Weston Georgian Road Weston, Massachusetts 02493
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T H E G RY P H O N F LI ES A N EW In early June 2006, a beautiful hand-crafted copper Gryphon weathervane—specially commissioned by the parents of this year’s graduating class— was hoisted to the top of CSW’s brand new maintenance facility. It was a special moment for members of the school’s maintenance crew who, since April 2006, have been busy finishing the construction of the building’s interior space. The 7,000 square-foot facility, located at the school’s lower entrance near the athletic fields, brings to completion the first phase of the school’s Lower Field Project, part of the comprehensive master campus plan. Designed by Architerra, the building incorporates a number of sustainable energy elements, including a southern exposure, radiant floor heating, and composting toilets for the athletic fields. It will also house an art woodworking shop for students and faculty.
gryphon