WFS Winter 2021 Magazine

QuakerMatters Wilmington Friends School Winter 2021

SIMPLICITY PEACE INTEGRITY COMMUNITY EQUALITY STEWARDSHIP

Winter 2021 Contents

1 From the Head of School 2 From the Alumni Board Clerk 3 Connecting Alumni 4 Homecoming 2020

This school year, we are focusing

11 From the Archives

on the Quaker testimony

14 School News

EQUALITY. A core value of our

25 125 Years of Miscellany:

institution, this is perhaps the

most complex, and something

28 Fall Sports

that we continuously strive for

30 Alumni Spotlights: Mike Coleman ’88 and David Linton ’78

and learn more and more about.

Please tell us what EQUALITY means to you by emailing us at alumni@wilmingtonfriends.org.

A History of Whittier

33 Class Notes 36 In Memory 37 In Closing: The Importance of Being Earnest, Online!

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair, David Tennent Matthew Lang ’08 Vice Chair, Dorothy Rademaker Christopher W. Lee ’82 Treasurer, Christopher Buccini ’90 Deborah Murray-Sheppard Secretary, Russ Endo Debbie Pittenger Jennifer G. Brady Laura Reilly Karen-Lee Brofee Christopher Rowland ’95 William Chapman Aubree Wellons Brian Fahey Rob Friz ’86 Alumni Association Board Liaison, Lathie Gannon Martha Poorman Tschantz ’85 Scott W. Gates ’80 Richard Grier-Reynolds Home & School Association Board Noreen Haubert Liaison, Michelle Silberglied Susan Janes-Johnson

MISSION Wilmington Friends, a Quaker school with high standards for academic achievement, challenges students to seek truth, to value justice and peace, and to act as creative, independent thinkers with a conscious responsibility to the good of all.

Everyone showed school spirit on Blue & White day during Spirit Week!

ALUMNI BOARD 2020-2021 Matthew Lang ’08, Clerk Jonathan Layton ’86, Vice Clerk Erin Bushnell ’96 Stanita Clarke ’06 Drew Dalton ’97 Emily David Hershman ’09 Raven Harris Diacou ’06 Alexandra Poorman Ergon ’77

Erika Kurtz ’99 Christopher W. Lee ’82 Andy McEnroe ’04 Adrienne Monley ’02 Katharine Lester Mowery ’02 Raymond Osbun ’71 Richie Rockwell ’02 Thomas Scott ’70 James Simon ’60 Martha Poorman Tschantz ’85

ADMINISTRATION Head of School, Kenneth Aldridge Assistant to the Head of School, Ann Cole Associate Head for Finance and Operations, William Baczkowski Assistant Head for Academics, Michael Benner Head of Lower School, Julie Rodowsky Head of Middle School, Jonathan Huxtable Head of Upper School, Rebecca Zug Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Melissa Brown Director of Communications and Strategic Marketing, Susan Morovati Finizio ’87 Director of Development, Chad O’Kane

Professional photography by Elisa Komins Morris. Please send any comments or corrections to info@wilmingtonfriends.org.

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From the Head of School Dear Friends, In mid-November, our first grade students gathered outside the lower school for the annual monarch butterfly migration. This yearly activity is a culmination of curricular connections between their science and Spanish classes, and an important tradition that both the students and teachers look forward to. These young students learn about the transformation of the butterfly, how it starts as an egg on a leaf, turns into a caterpillar (whose job it is to eat and eat), and then forms a chrysalis, where it stays for weeks until the butterfly emerges. From Delaware, the monarch butterflies then fly back to Mexico to start the process from the beginning.

Seeing this activity felt especially poignant this year, as we have watched the transformation of our school and community since last spring.

This magazine is different from any previous winter issue of Quaker Matters. There are no picture spreads of 700 people gathered for Homecoming weekend, winter concerts, drama performances on stage, fans in the bleachers at athletic competitions.

Approaching the 2020-2021 school year, we knew how important it was for us to physically be here and recognized that our primary focus had to be how to safely and successfully bring students, from preschool through twelfth grade, back to campus. I am incredibly proud of our remarkable faculty and staff. Their ability to rise to this challenge is nothing short of inspirational. I have watched them look at how a traditional school year would be delivered, and instead of saying, “This can’t happen,” they have said, “I will make this work.” They transformed curriculums and classrooms, found new ways to connect with their students and their colleagues. Not only have they continued to provide the learning experience that made WFS unique before, but they have also created new, meaningful experiences in the wake of a pandemic. They have rethought and reimagined everything, from virtual collaborations between grades and divisions to virtual field trips across the globe.

Many of these experiences were possible because of the enhancements to our one-to-one technology program. Laptops are now provided to every student in fourth through twelfth grade and iPads to preschool through third grade. The impact these devices have on our ability to instruct students goes beyond a pandemic. They provide new and innovative ways to deliver our curriculum, both in school and when we face the need for our students to be virtual.

Our traditions look different this year. The senior class introduced themselves to their first grade buddies over Flipgrid (an interactive website that promotes video discussions). Our college visits are virtual (more than 175 so far!). The Smith McMillan 5K was a Facebook Live event. But there has been so much joy: welcoming six new faculty members; Spirit Week; a fall sports season; three new alumni award recipients. We continue to serve our community: eighth graders helped remove invasive wineberry plants from Alapocas Woods; the lacrosse team volunteered at a Scoop or Treat event; third graders held a coin drive to benefit Wilmington families during the holiday season. We are thriving: we had two upper school students named National Merit Commended Scholars; another student was published in The Concord Review; our middle school band still took the field for Homecoming, cheering on our athletic teams in spirit, if not in person.

As we continue to address this year’s Quaker testimony of equality, we are making important progress with initiatives including our climate assessment and our commitment to ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of our program. Our Lower School Project is moving forward, design plans were presented to the greater community earlier this year and it is our continued hope that in the coming years this new building will play a central role in having our community together on one unified campus.

Wishing you and your family joy and light in the new year!

In friendship,

Ken Aldridge Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters

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From the Alumni Board Clerk Dear Friends, Similar to how the school year ended, it had an unconventional start. Students returned to WFS learning in a hybrid format, which combined in-person and virtual instruction, wearing masks, and toting camp chairs so they could eat lunch and learn outside. Alumni events also took a different format this year, with all gatherings hosted virtually.

In the winter edition of the magazine, I usually reminisce about a successful Homecoming and reflect on the strong connections that are palpable on campus when alumni return to WFS. While we were not able to cheer on the WFS sports teams in person or gather together on campus, there was still a strong sense of camaraderie during our virtual Homecoming events which took place on Saturday, October 24, 2020.

The day began with Head of School Ken Aldridge participating in the virtual Smith McMillan 5K Run/Walk and thanking our generous sponsors on Facebook Live. The starting line looked different this year, but alumni from all over North America participated and sent us their photos. It was great to see Quakers in Washington, DC, VA, CA, and Canada, running or walking in memory of Jonathan Bacon Smith ’83 and Wendy Smith McMillan ’77. Later that day, we gathered for a virtual community meeting for worship honoring faculty/staff with 15+ years of service to WFS and hosted a panel discussion with Ken Aldridge and WFS faculty working on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the School. Faculty from all three divisions spoke about integrating DEI initiatives into their curriculum, and I was grateful, again, to hear how committed WFS teachers are to providing their students with all the information needed to be well-rounded, empathetic citizens.

That evening during the Homecoming and Reunion celebration, we honored the 2020 Alumni Awardees, as well as Alumni essential workers during the pandemic. Eden Wales Freedman ’99 received the Young Alumna Award, Tom Scott ’70 received the Outstanding Service Award, and Carol Quillen ’79 received the Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award. All three are truly inspirational and spoke eloquently about the impact of their WFS experiences. This virtual reception was not a replacement for the in-person celebration that usually occurs, and I encourage you to join me at Homecoming 2021 to honor these individuals in person.

In closing, I would like to thank all the alumni who helped make our first virtual Homecoming and Reunion a success. We appreciate your continued support as we find different ways to connect our community. It was great to see the smiling faces of alumni, faculty/staff, and friends on the screen!

Thank you for all you do in support of WFS,

Matt Lang ’08

Join Wilmington Friends on LinkedIn! Add Wilmington Friends as your alma mater on LinkedIn! Now you can officially list WFS as your alma mater on your LinkedIn profile and connect with alumni who have done the same. Under Education, add WFS by searching for Wilmington Friends School and clicking on the logo that appears. Once you've done this, you can easily start networking with other WFS alums!

Join Us. 2

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LinkedIn Instagram

Connecting Alumni This fall, multiple alumni groups connected with the School and one another via Zoom video conferencing. As much as we prefer the opportunity to gather in person, technology allows us to continue to have meaningful dialogues with the Friends community.

Virtual Conversation with Dan Pfeiffer ’94 On August 6, 2020, Dan Pfeiffer, #1 New York Times bestselling author, cohost of “Pod Save America,” and one of Barack Obama’s longest-serving advisors, had a virtual conversation with Head of School Ken Aldridge. Dan was the White House Director of Communications under President Obama (20092013) and senior advisor to the president (2013-2015). He talked about his time in the White House, shared his thoughts on the recent election, and reflected on his experience at WFS. Over 80 alumni and friends joined us. We are grateful to Dan for sharing his time with our community! If you are interested in watching a recording of the conversation, please visit wilmingtonfriends.org/ alumni/alumni-events.

LGBTQ+ Cocktail Chatter On November 19, 2020, LGBTQ+ alumni and allies gathered for a virtual conversation with alumnus and former Trustee Zachary Dutton ’06. The first event of its kind, alumni from the Classes of 1959-2020 participated in the event and discussed their experiences at WFS. Please stay tuned for future LGBTQ+ events!

Zooming with Ken Head of School Ken Aldridge met with alumni from Colorado for a virtual happy hour. He spoke with 90 percent of the U.S.-based “Fifty-twoers” thanks to class agent Fred Pardee’s marshaling. And, he convened a lunchtime gathering of members of the 1748 Society, who generously include Wilmington Friends in their estate plans.

Save the Date!

April 26th

Friends Golf Outing and Post Golf Gathering at Bidermann Golf Club Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters

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HOMECOMING IN A

PANDEMIC?

Despite the hybrid schedule, students were able to celebrate Spirit Week. These fun lawn signs were placed at each campus to make the days even more festive!

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YES!

We learned this year that it is possible to have Homecoming, even during a

pandemic. This year’s celebration included Spirit Week, reunions, a virtual Smith McMillan 5K, events, varsity games, and a unique half-time pep band performance. Thank you to everyone who joined us; it was wonderful to connect with many of you, even if we had to do so in a virtual space. We plan to celebrate the 2020 Alumni Award recipients and reunion classes ending in 0, 5, 1, and 6 at Homecoming 2021. Please save the date: October 29-30, 2021!

DEI Panel Discussion with WFS Faculty

A virtual conversation with Head of School Ken Aldridge Current faculty members––Lara Munch, Karen Horikawa, Carlos Charriez, Amanda McMillan, Rose Gnade, and Erica Childs––joined Head of School Ken Aldridge for a virtual conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion work at Friends. They discussed programs and topics taught in the curriculum addressing DEI initiatives, as well as professional development and growth opportunities for faculty and staff, such as SEED and the newly introduced READ (“Read and Educate ourselves on Anti-Racism and Diversity”) Journal groups. A few of the books and programs the faculty have read or participated in are featured in the slide. To watch the Zoom recording of the discussion, visit wilmingtonfriends. org/alumni/homecoming/a-conversation-with-wfs-faculty.

Virtual Meeting for Worship in honor of Faculty and Staff with 15+ years of service to WFS

Homecoming Meeting for Worship is an event that alumni and faculty look forward to each year, and we were happy to continue the tradition virtually this year. Almost 30 alumni and friends from all over the country, along with several faculty/staff with 15+ years of service, joined us. We were pleased to honor those in attendance: Bill Baczkowski, Sara Gaines, Harry Hammond, Lynn Puritz-Fine, Lesley Dennis Tryon ’71, Terry Maguire, and Janet Jones.

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Smith McMillan Virtual 5K Benefiting Financial Aid Endowment

The pandemic didn’t stop us from continuing with the Homecoming tradition of the Smith McMillan 5K, held in memory of Wendy Smith McMillan ’77 and Jonathan Bacon Smith ’83, and benefiting Financial Aid Endowment at WFS through the The Jonathan Bacon Smith ‘83/Wendy Smith McMillan ‘77 Memorial Fund. The 2020 Smith McMillan 5K was reimagined and held in a virtual format. While we missed being together on the starting line on School Road, the silver lining was that we had participation from alumni

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and other community members from all over the country.

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Head of School Ken Aldridge proudly wearing his SM5K shirt, held a Facebook Live event in place of our usual in-person race activities. Ken thanked our run clerks and committee, our sponsors, and our participants. Participants ran/walked on their own time and sent pictures of their participation. We even included a family-friendly scavenger hunt for added family fun. Thank you to all who planned, participated, and sponsored our 2020 SM5K. We were grateful for the continued community support despite our inability to be together.

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Thanks so much to this year’s SM5K committee members: Melissa Bilek, Jon Clifton ’80, Susan Kelley, Lisa TownsendRaber ’77, and Sarah Singleton Turick ’95.

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10 3 4 1. Ken Aldridge; 2. Muriel, daughter of Mary Kunkemueller ’84; 3. The Powers Family; 4.

Dave Gertler; 5. Marie DeVoll ’18; 6. The parents of the senior Cross Country team members; 7. The O’Kane family, scavenger hunt winners; 8. Members of the Jones and Blackett families; 9. Brian Nilstoft ’89; 10. Trelly Vergara-Shaikh ’89

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Virtual Class Reunions Thank you to those who organized and attended the virtual reunions for the Classes of 1955, 1958, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1985, 1990, and 2000 for the evening of Homecoming Saturday!

Class of 1985

Class of 1955

Class of 1960 Class of 2000

Class of 1980

Original kangaroo artwork by Jesse Parker ’19 Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters

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Virtual Homecoming and Reunion Celebration WFS community members came together to honor the 2020 Alumni Award recipients: Eden Wales Freedman ’99, Tom Scott ’70, and Carol Quillen ’79, and alumni essential workers during the pandemic. Thirty-three guests joined us, representing alumni from Classes in the 50s to the 2000s. Thank you to Emily David Hershman ’09 for compiling the special video honoring alumni essential workers. The program also featured a special performance of “Let’s Go Friends!” by the middle school band! To watch the Zoom recording, visit www.wilmingtonfriends.org/alumni/homecoming.

Distinguished Alumna of the Year 2020 Carol E. Quillen ’79 Dr. Carol Quillen is the current and first female president of Davidson College. She has increased recruitment of students from all backgrounds and led a comprehensive campaign that raised over $550 million, with over $212 million for scholarships. The president of The Aspen Institute describes her as “a transformational leader with a brilliant mind, a devotion to students, and the courage of her convictions. Davidson College has become an even more remarkable institution because of her vision, will and skill.”

In a 2012 Charlotte Magazine interview she reflected on the impact of her Friends experience as “Quakers believe there’s a little bit of God in everybody, and it’s your job to find it... . There was very little hierarchy, a lot of consensus-building and paying a lot of attention to very strong objections, even from a really tiny minority.” At Rice University, where she taught History and was Vice President and Vice Provost, she applied her spirituality as director of the Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance. Carol also realized while at WFS that “learning is liberating,” and it has the power to free you from unquestioned assumptions. This belief inspired her work in education and has helped her to make a significant impact on Davidson. As Alison Mauzé, Chair of the Davidson Board of Trustees, says, “Dr. Quillen embraces the dynamic nature of higher education and thrives in leading others through the process of change. She is collaborative, inclusive and leads with magnificent heart and mind.

Davidson has been so fortunate to have her at the helm through the years, and we will be forever grateful for her work.”

Carol engages with Friends today because she believes in the School’s mission and her family’s influence of giving back to those who help you grow. Her father, Judge Bill Quillen ’52, was a dedicated class agent and worked tirelessly to make sure his class reached 100% participation to the Annual Fund year after year. Her mother, Marcia Stirling Quillen ’56, was the former director of development at WFS, and her sister, Tracey Quillen Carney ’80 was the former director of communications at WFS. She credits her Friends teachers Harry Hammond (History) and Kerry Brown (English) for teaching her the process of discovery and inquiry, and she fondly recalls participating—despite very limited talent— in musicals directed by Violet Richman. Carol hopes that WFS continues to represent the kind of education that is accessible and offers immense value to students from all backgrounds. Carol’s work in higher education has been extremely impactful, and we are proud to honor her with the Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award.

Tom Scott ’70 Outstanding Service Award Tom Scott ’70 has worked tirelessly to strengthen the Wilmington community. From a young age, Tom’s parents, Robert and Margaret (Muff) Scott, taught him the importance of giving back, and he has continued to carry on their legacy by supporting numerous non-profit organizations in the area. In addition to Tom’s volunteer work, he is the founder and owner of Incite Solutions, a software development and information management company helping organizations find technology-based solutions. Incite Solutions’ client base includes Fortune 500 companies, smaller firms, and non-profit organizations. Incite Solutions, along with its partner company 82North, has helped numerous non-profit organizations host successful events and reach their fundraising goals. Tom’s knowledge, coupled with his generosity, have allowed him to have an immense impact on Wilmington.

“I was compelled to volunteer at a very young age. I was probably about six,” said Tom in a Delaware Today article about Wilmington Garden Day. Tom grew up with Garden Day; his mother was a volunteer and leader of the event for many years, and now Tom is a Board member and the organization’s treasurer. The proceeds from Garden Day benefit two local organizations: Friendship House and St. Michael’s School and Nursery.

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In addition to Garden Day, Tom is very involved with Christ Church in Greenville, DE. He’s been active on the Outreach Committee for many years. He manages the allocations process, where the church annually awards over $200,000 in grants to local non-profit organizations. Tom also advocates and coordinates volunteer opportunities for parishioners at these same organizations. He was a member of the Global Missions Committee and was one of the first people to participate in the mission trip to the Dominican Republic 19 years ago. In partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic, the group has built a water treatment plant, a solar energy project, and the Episcopal Academy for Little Kiddies Preschool in the village of Jalonga.

Tom currently serves on the Board of the Kennett Pike Association and is a former Board member of Friendship House and Wilmington Friends School. He provides support for numerous organizations, including Lutheran Community Services, Urban Promise, Limen House, SOAR, Connecting Generations, and the Delaware Nature Society. Tom and his wife Betsy Lord Scott ’70 foster puppies for the Delaware Humane Association regularly, and they have nurtured hundreds of puppies through the years. They also hosted a teenager from NYC’s Fresh Air Fund for 8 years.

Tom has also remained involved with WFS, serving as a long-time member of the Alumni Board, and dedicated class agent and reunion host.

He and Betsy are loyal and generous supporters, being True Blue donors, as well as 1748 Planned Giving Society members. They sent their children, Clay Scott ’15 and Lex Scott ’16, to WFS “to help them be more open, inquisitive, and engaged people,” as Tom said. When asked why he continues to give back to WFS, he said, “I want to support a school who empowers their students to be good people, along with being good students.”

WFS is honored to recognize Tom with this year’s Outstanding Service Award. His involvement with both WFS and the broader Wilmington community, all while being humble, is impressive and appreciated.

Young Alumna of the Year Dr. Eden Wales Freedman ’99 Dr. Eden Wales Freedman ’99 is an accomplished scholar and author. She recently became the Vice Provost for Faculties and Academic Affairs at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. Before joining Saint Mary’s, she was an associate professor of English, the founding director of diversity studies, and the department chair of communication, literature, and arts, as well as the Dr. Thomas R. Feld Chair for Teaching Excellence and deputy Title IX coordinator at Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Eden published her first book in February 2020. Reading Testimony, Witnessing Trauma: Confronting Race, Gender, and Violence in American Literature won the 2020 Eudora Welty Prize and encourages readers to engage with literary representations of race, gender, and trauma both critically and empathically. In addition to her publications, Eden has taught American literature and gender, race, and sexuality studies and has led seminars concerning bystander awareness and white fragility to combat sexual and racial violence on college campuses. Eden’s work focuses on empathy and social justice. Her life’s mission, her husband Matthew Freedman said, “...is to find a path to serve a community.”

Eden credits WFS with instilling in her the values she holds today. She said, “The emphasis Friends places on equity, inclusivity, and care for vulnerable populations shaped my development. Friends’ mission, to challenge students to seek truth, to value justice and peace, and to act as creative, independent thinkers with a conscious responsibility to the good of all, continues to inform me. Today, I teach and write about marginalized populations and how we respond to one another across difference and in times of crisis. I was privileged to begin thinking about these important subjects early, due to the strength and values of my Friends education.”

The wonderful teachers Eden had at Friends influenced her choice to become an educator. Today, she strives to “help students develop the creative, critical, and empathic skills they need to succeed in diverse careers, lead meaningful lives, and contribute to their communities,” just as the faculty at WFS did for her. She went on to say, “When I teach, write, and lead today, I think back to my Friends education and the privilege I received from attending school there. I will never stop paying that gift forward.” Through her work as an educator and academic administrator, she is committed to “respecting the light that shines within all.”

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Eden is active in her community, volunteering as a Big Sister in the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program of Cedar Rapids; a member of the Sexual Assault Response Team for the Victims’ Advocate group of Linn County; and an editor for the Afghan women’s writers project, where she helps translate and give literary voice to the stories of Afghan women who have survived ineffable trauma. Eden’s achievements illustrate she is truly “letting her life speak.” We are so proud to call her a WFS alumna and honor her with the Young Alumna of the Year Award.

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SPIRIT WEEK Homecoming isn’t complete without Spirit Week. Fall varsity sports teams (except football) had contests during the week, and while we couldn’t have a pep rally this year, the middle school band still played the halftime favorite, “Let’s Go Friends,” on the football field and a video was shared with the community. Students dressed up each day to show their school spirit, and the upper school Spirit Committee and Dance Club created a Homecoming Dance Challenge. We were also pleased that many families contributed to our service collection for the Ministry of Caring.

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From the WFS Archives A History of Cartoons and Caricatures at WFS

By Terence Maguire WFS Archivist

Cartoons and caricatures have been an important part of American journalism for a long time. Thomas Nast of Harper’s Weekly pilloried political corruption and racism before and after the Civil War. Bill Mauldin followed American troops throughout WWII and brought their experiences home to the American public with humor and pathos. Herblock of the Washington Post attacked McCarthyism, white supremacy, Richard Nixon, and the Vietnam War during his seven decades career. Barry Blitt of The New Yorker has reached great heights of satirical fame skewering former President Trump.

Cartoons and caricatures, demonstrating irreverence and satire, have also been a rich and creative part of the Whittier Miscellany over much of its 125-year history--though not in recent years.

The Whittier Miscellany was first published in April, 1895, 11 years after the Whittier Literary Society was founded, with permission from John Greenleaf Whittier himself.

(Whittier was a Quaker and among the most popular American poets of the 19th C.) It was a literary magazine: poetry, short stories, and opinion essays populated the pages of this annual and soon thereafter thrice-yearly publication.

Apart from some impressive covers, there was little artwork included in the first few decades of Whittier. This patriotic (if un-Quakerly) cover, just after World War I, was drawn by Emma Holland ’22.

Roger G. Taylor was the first cartoonist/artist whose work was seen over several years. His first effort was this soccer player that introduced the sports section. He also did two fine covers in the 1921-22 school year, including the one depicted top right and then closed the year with caricatures of every senior, including himself. He aspired to be a professional cartoonist. Curiously, he seems not to have graduated; his name is not on the commencement program, and I have been unable to find any mention of him on the web or in alumni files.

Taylor may have created a tradition that lasted for decades, however. The June issue of the Whittier was the Senior issue, celebrating graduation and devoting most of its pages to their formal photos, accomplishments, quirks, and ambitions. Frequently each senior had a small cartoon or caricature of her or him, generally funny, sometimes edgy. Some seniors were probably not amused. Caricatures of the athletic prowess and injuries of Faxie Flinn ’50, the enthusiasm of Frannie Walker ’53, and the etiquette lessons of Nancy Wier ’54 were probably a source of honest fun, but perhaps the depiction of class members as overweight, or apathetic (and there were such caricatures) were not appreciated.

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Not surprisingly, during the 1960s edgy cartoons with implicit social commentary began to appear in theWhittier Miscellany. Two late members of the class of 1968, Stephen Burns and John Wyeth, used their skills to lampoon fellow students in these two cartoons.

Burns was also the art editor of the 1968 yearbook and all of the senior section photos were enmeshed in the psychedelic style popular in the late 1960s.

The first Whittier cartoonist whose work satirized both school and national issues was almost certainly the finest cartoonist the School had ever produced: Mike Cooperson ’83. Many of us who knew his work from 1979-1983 assumed that he would become a nationally successful cartoonist working for the Post, The New Yorker, or some other major publication. In fact, at Harvard for undergraduate and Ph.D. studies, he became a scholar of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and is now a professor at UCLA in that same field. Interestingly, he created a cartoon with a commentary about “the college game” when he was a sophomore at WFS. Cooperson’s cartoons almost always appeared in conjunction with articles of opinion; staff editorials (opinion pieces upon which the entire staff reached consensus); individual op-eds; and even letters to the editor. His style was bold, vigorous, and decidedly liberal/progressive. President Reagan was a favorite target. Some of Cooperson’s other targets, which accompanied other staff editorials, were the gun lobby and proposed federal support for tax breaks for private schools.

This was a time when the staff of the Whittier Miscellany–– under excellent editors such as Crystal Nix Hines ’81, Susan Prince ’82, Dave Vernarde ’83, and editorialist John Bonifaz ’84––was strongly progressive, and Cooperson’s cartoons were a powerful reinforcement for those views.

On the other hand, there was a strong belief among the Whittier staff that opposing views should be represented, and it was common for each issue to host Pro/Con editorials on controversial issues. One such issue was women’s involvement in the U.S. military.The MCoop signature often appeared two, even three times in a single issue.

If Cooperson’s editorial cartoons leaned left, his successor as primary Whittier cartoonist, Peter Bethke ’85, was more conservative. He tackled such issues as political bias by WFS faculty. Bethke also created a memorable right-angle cartoon to support the opposed side to the issue of U.S. disarmament vis-a-vis the Soviet Union. He focused on school matters as well, such as the perception that students were subjected to excessive pressure for achievement.

He had a good sense of fun, gently mocking the notion of a “math team” in interscholastic competition, and even poked fun at himself in the cartoon of being too burdened with his cartooning duties to pay attention to his schoolwork.

After Bethke graduated, Alex deCampi ’89, (who left after her junior year to attend Princeton) maintained the tradi12

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tion of satirical, politically edgy cartooning, as shown by two below that seem to represent both sides of the political divides of the 1980s.

Luise Stromberg ’89 and Joy Linker ’93 drew cartoons for the Whittier, focusing mostly on in-school subject matter.

Both went into art professionally.

One cartoonist, in February 1994, captured well the anxiety discussed in an article on new college testing procedures and created a number of effective cartoons during that school year. Efforts to identify this person were made to staff members of that year, but with no success so far. If anyone out there can tag this mystery artist, please help.

In 2007, Diane Murray ’08 captured and lampooned aspects of school life.

The frequency and political nature of Whittier cartoons was much diminished, however. Why? Certainly anyone reading the Whittier knows that the staff has been as much concerned with school, regional, national, and international issues as much as were the staffs of 30 to 40 years ago. Do stock images from the web make it easier to copy and paste?

Have young people at Friends grown kinder and gentler, less eager to skewer pomposity and accepted wisdom? Have national political events and figures become too absurd to make fun of, self-parodies that cannot be topped? Maybe all three factors apply.

Below: Whittier cover art by Roger Taylor; Middle School Handbook cover by Mike Cooperson 83; Whittier cover art

by Katherine Collison ’(19)19.

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SCHOOL NEWS A New School Year:

Embracing “the change” and maintaining “the same” We began the school year with

much uncertainty ahead of us. Could we wear masks all day? Would we be able to distance? How would our new drop-off and pick-up procedures go?

And most of all, how long would we be able to remain on our campuses for learning?

Days were structured in a hybrid of in-person and virtual instruction. To minimize the number of students in the building at once, middle schoolers were on campus on Mondays and Tuesdays; upper schoolers on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays were reserved for deep cleaning.

Lower schoolers could meet on campus more frequently because they were organized in cohorts, with in-person instruction Monday through Fridays, meeting for half of the day on Wednesdays to allow for deep cleaning in the afternoon. Some families opted to have their children learn virtually all of the time, while some teachers needed to teach virtually. We hired instructional facilitators and made technology enhancements to make this possible.

Fall sports were put on hold, but that decision was reversed by the DIAA, and we proceeded with preseason beginning in late September. With no access to locker rooms for safety precautions, we relaxed our dress code so students wouldn’t have to change.

From the first day of in-person learning, students have been serious about following safety protocols and engaging in school life. Said Rebecca Zug, Head of Upper School, “For those students who are in-person, they seem to be managing the mask protocols very well.

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many have been excited about sports after school. Some clubs are effectively up and running (Mock Trial, Yearbook, The Whittier school newspaper, Robotics, Random Acts of Kindness, Agenda) so that helps amplify the school experience. If students have to quarantine, they seem to take it in stride, thanks to the heroic efforts of teachers and IT staff to make live-streaming possible.”

Mitigation protocols worked well on our campuses, and we altered the schedule for middle and upper schoolers to increase in-person learning, bringing in all students each day of the week except for our virtual Wednesday.

In addition to logistics, there was––and still is––much more to consider while educating in a pandemic. Academic success, mental health, and building community were all being tackled in new ways.

Said Upper School Choir Director & IB Music teacher Margaret Anne Butterfield, “to even the most experienced educators, this feels like the first year of teaching. Because there are so many things to juggle with students in front of you AND on the screen, trying to provide equal experiences for all students requires far more planning and preparation. And while the instructional piece is important, tending to the emotional needs of teenagers often needs to take precedence.”

Meredith Jones Joppa ’00, one of the School’s consulting psychologists, noted the positives that have come about in regards to student well-being. “One of the silver linings this year is that people have been paying a lot more attention to kids’ and teens’ mental health. We have student support teams in every

Some faculty members teach from home due to the pandemic and work closely with instructional facilitators. Top: US art teacher Cynthia Stan Mellow is onscreen as teacher Mary Roberston serves as her instructional facilitator; Cynthia poses in front of her green screen in her home studio. division. Deans, grade deans, learning support, advisors, and division heads– these people are in constant communication. We have learning profiles and are differentiating instruction to benefit all students.”

Just like teachers, school administrators have also encountered issues unlike what they were used to. For Associate Head for Finance and Operations Bill Baczkowski, one of the biggest challenges is “trying to figure out what is the right answer to questions I never thought we’d have to answer, often without much guidance from outside resources.”

And some of the decisions made––such as pivoting to virtual learning on a few occasions or supporting our athletic conference’s no-spectator policy at sporting events––were met with mixed feelings. Said Chad O’Kane, Director

of Development, “It is impossible to please everyone. Every decision will be seen negatively by some group of people. At the end of the day, our focus is on keeping everyone healthy and safe, and that means physically, socially, and emotionally healthy. As school leaders, we agonize over these decisions and never take our responsibility lightly.”

Trying to maintain the “old way” of doing things worked in some instances, but not in others. Upper School and IB Visual Arts teacher Cynthia Stan Mellow said, “Change is stressful and ‘the same’ is stressful. It has something to do with art. You talk about identifiable things and non-identifiable things.

When it comes to the two extremes, in the middle it is abstract. From “the change” to “the same,” how are we going to find the abstraction where the two are going to meet and have a new way of seeing?”

Safety Measures and Protocols at School

Classrooms were reconfigured to accommodate adequate spacing and to face desks in one direction.

This “new way of seeing” could be thought of as another silver lining through this pandemic. What new ideas are best-suited for our school today and in the future, regardless of the state of the pandemic? It is important for us to keep this question at the forefront, as we balance the daily tasks of educating children, as well as the strategic thinking about educating children.

Amidst the challenges of the hybrid format, being back together after full virtual learning last spring––whether on campus or learning/teaching virtually–– has brought a sense of familiarity and joy. Said Head of School Ken Aldridge, “in schools, students, teachers, and parents look for those moments that are familiar. Whether someone is new to the school or returning for the year, school traditions and the academic calendar play an important role. Even if we can’t do things ‘the way we used to do them,’ it’s important to find those moments and milestones that keep us anchored to our school community.”

One of the biggest takeaways from this most recent journey was summarized

by Lower School Spanish teacher Lara Munch. “Kids are resilient and will rise to challenges and adversity when provided the support and skills to do so.”

Outdoor spaces are great for classes, lunch, and break, weather-permitting.

Mask-wearing, social-distancing, and hand-washing are part of the daily routine.

Each morning, families complete a health screening form for each student, and show a daily code before entering the buildings.

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Senior Ice Cream Social Before the start of school, Head of School Ken Aldridge hosted an ice cream social for the Class of 2021. It was the first time they gathered together on campus in nearly six months. While staying socially distant, it was a great chance for the students to catch up and talk about the year ahead.

Senior/First Grade Buddies Each year, first graders and seniors are paired as buddies to get to know one another and do activities together throughout the school year. Not letting the pandemic stop them, seniors and first graders created introductory Flip Grid videos to tell their buddies all about themselves. Interests included sports, Harry Potter, dancing, and more. They also used Flip Grid to share holiday greetings, and seniors made cutouts of themselves for their buddies to color, Flat Stanley-style.

College Guidance Kickoff In September, juniors met in the library (distanced and masked) for their college guidance kick off, learning all about the college process and planning for the year.

Eighth Grade Service Project In coordination with Delaware State Parks, eighth grade biology students participated in a service project in Alapocas Woods. Their work included wineberry plant removal as a follow up to their recent study of invasive species and the impact on the environment, economy, and human health. Wineberry plants are prolific in Alapocas Woods, often competing for the same resources necessary for native plants to thrive.

Author “Visits” Lower Schoolers Fourth and fifth grade students were treated to a visit by spooky author, Lindsay Currie. She spoke about the research process, the revision phase, and encouraged students to find a way to "reset" when they are frustrated with writing.

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Mock Election Though most of our upper schoolers are too young to vote, they were able to participate in a mock election in November organized by the upper school World Affairs Committee.

Third Grade Math Fun Answer math facts correctly, dress Teacher Michelle! Each correctly answered math fact by third graders equaled an article of clothing or accessory Teacher Michelle had to wear. So much math fun!

Running across the US In the lower school, each grade is keeping track of their miles run in PE for a chosen destination in the United States to run to.

Some grades have already run to Ocean City, the Statue of Liberty, and Raleigh!

College Visits Virtual college visits at WFS kicked off with a visit from Lafayette College. There were over 175 college visits scheduled in the fall!

One-to-One Technology Program Fourth graders spent time in the beginning of the year learning all about their new laptops! This year, as part of the School’s one-to-one program, fourth graders joined students in fifth through twelfth grades in having a school-issued laptop. All preschool through third grade students now have school-issued iPads.

Sixth Graders Design Experiments for Lower School Students As part of their experimental design unit, sixth graders developed experiments that tested a question they were curious about (for example: how well can you memorize items from a list in 30 seconds). In order for the experiment to be reliable, they had to control all variables and develop a means of collecting data. Lastly, they had to identify a group of individuals suitable for collecting data - WFS fifth graders! The sixth graders loved having the freedom to design their own experiment for others. Fifth graders not only enjoyed being part of these experiments, but also expressed how much they couldn't wait to be in the sixth grade so that they could be the ones designing the experiments for the next group of fourth and fifth graders.

IB Chemistry Just as a fingerprint is unique to each person, the color of light emitted by metallic salts heated in a flame is unique to each metal. In this laboratory activity, WFS Advanced and IB chemistry students observed the characteristic emission spectra of various metallic ions.

Scoop or Treat!

On October 31, WFS upper school lacrosse players volunteered with Sling Shot Lacrosse in partnership with the City of Wilmington and the Delaware Chapter of US Lacrosse at a "Scoop or Treat" event--a combination “trunk” or treat and lacrosse clinic for kids new to the sport. Participants also received free gear and clothing. Sling Shot Lacrosse was founded in 2018 by WFS parent Tom Morrison "to expose, engage and EMPOWER Delaware Inner City girls and boys to a sport they had no idea existed." The event took place at Eden Park and, of course, mask use and social distancing was practiced.

Thanksgiving Coin Drive In lieu of their annual food drive to benefit the Basket Brigade of Delaware, third graders sponsored a coin drive. The students spent time sorting, counting, and rolling the coins.

In only four days, they managed to raise just over $380 in coins to benefit families in the Wilmington area. We heard that many of our younger students dipped into their personal piggy banks to support the cause!

Mental Health Awareness In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, ninth graders wrote inspiring messages on the sidewalk as part of their Health & Human Dynamics class.

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Experimenting At Home In fifth grade science, it is difficult to do some science experiments in the classroom as usual, so students are given some alternative activities for them to do at home, safely. In this experiment, students used copper pennies to test what chemicals would remove the tarnish from them. They then used the pennies in that solution to copperplate a steel nail.

IB Bio Lab Days IB Biology students spend two devoted lab days developing their own research questions and experiments based on the concepts and skills that they have learned. This year student investigations include studying factors that affect rates of photosynthesis and germination, oxidation of apples, glucose concentrations in ripening fruit, respiration in yeast, gluten formation in bread, osmolarity in aquatic plants, vitamin C concentrations in fruit, and investigating factors that increase rates of pancreatic cancer.

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Traveling Libraries This school year, students don’t go to the library; the library comes to them!

Behind My Mask Students read the bilingual story, “Detrás de Mi Cubrebocas,” and created individual “Soy Yo!” drawings sharing who is behind their masks in Spanish!

Coronas (Crowns) for Three Kings ZOOM style! Kindergartners decorated their “coronas” (crowns) in anticipation of the Three Kings’ visit.

NEWS The WFS Home and School Association (H&S),

clerked by Amy Blake, Tonya Baynes, and Fola Adebi, has been very adept at maintaining its goal of community connection and support whilst also navigating the limitations imposed by the pandemic.

During the first semester of the 2020-21 school year, H&S held socially distant lawn chats with new parents in order to provide support to those new to our community. They were able to have two of their much-loved annual fundraisers, the Mum Sale, and the Gifts and Greens Sale, and they held their fall Scholastic Book Fair in a virtual format.

On a beautiful Saturday in November, H&S also held their first-ever Yoga on the Lawn event. This was thanks to WFS parent Erin Rubano, a skilled yoga practitioner who generously donated her time and knowledge to this event.

H&S also used their time and financial resources to bring two important speakers to our community via Zoom.

Marissa Colston, Dean of Diversity and Inclusion at Westtown School, presented “Engaging in Courageous Conversations.” Based on the knowledge that race is a topic that is often avoided or talked about in indirect ways, we learned to have discussions that are courageous and honest. H&S saw a big turnout for this event, with many engaged parents, faculty, staff, and trustees interested in the topic.

Mum Sale Volunteers: Pictured left to right: Melissa Bilek, Brian Legum, Sarah Singleton Turick ‘95 (Mum Sale clerk), and Paul Gaskell.

Lani Nelson-Zlupko, Ph.D. also returned via Zoom to speak to the community. As a follow-up to a Summer 2020 parenting presentation, in December Dr. Nelson-Zlupko presented “Parenting in a Pandemic.”

Dr. Nelson-Zlupko provided coping tools for parents/ guardians as they faced a winter of pandemic fatigue.

Strategies for managing family dynamics and peer relationships, including identifying stress vs. anxiety, preparing for the holidays, handling differences in COVID management socially, the challenges of screen time, and achievement stress were presented.

H&S is also continuing its ongoing support of the Emmanuel Dining Room (EDR) with monthly food deliveries from our dedicated volunteers. The clerks of the EDR service project are Kristine and David Tuttleman.

Yoga on the Lawn (Erin Rubano is pictured front right)

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IN THE

“A R T R O O M ”

Landscape Drawing Ninth grade Visual Arts Foundations students work on mark-making with charcoal to draw the landscape.

Top Teacher!

Congratulations to WFS lower school art teacher Teal Rickerman on being named one of Delaware's Top Teachers! Teal, thank you for your creative mind, loving spirit, and gift of inspiring each and every one of your students.

A Lower School Tradition Fourth graders worked hard on their coil pots, a tradition that’s been a part of the lower school for more than 50 years!

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Global Museum Visits In 2020, if you can’t actually visit the museum, you bring the museum to you!

International Baccalaureate HL Year 1 and Year 2 and Visual Arts Majors Year 1 took part in a virtual study research field trip. The itinerary of the study included virtual visits via website access to global museums, analysis of the museum collections, and highlights of exhibits, as well as the creation of visual notes and studio artwork.

Uplifting Messages Seventh grade art students particpate in the Uplifting Message project each year. In addition to being inspiring, the goal is for the messages to be clear and succinct.

Honoring MLK

I at E D FS W

There have been several initiatives implemented this

The upper school honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by welcoming Brendon Jobs, DEI Director at The Haverford School, for a presentation entitled “How to Be An Upstander: A Workshop for Helping Kids Speak Up When It Counts.” In his talk, Brendon described what “upstanding” means and how to practice it, and walked the students through some scenarios asking them what they would do in those situations.

school year as we focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Trina Gary of Brown-Gary Associates led the WFS all-staff workshop on diversity, equity, and inclusion just prior to the first day of school. Faculty and staff learned about distinguishing between simply observing, assigning meaning, and understanding our influencers. They also learned about how implicit bias sustains systemic racism, how white fragility is an obstacle, and how they need

to be mindful of their own vulnerabilities.

Trina is also conducting interviews within the school community as part of a cultural climate assessment. Once complete, she will compile her findings into a report that will include recommendations. We look forward to seeing her report and putting her recommendations into action.

During our October 9 Professional Development day, WFS kicked off faculty/staff READ (Read and Educate ourselves on Anti-Racism and Diversity) journal discussion groups, focusing on the New York Times article “This Is the Casual Racism That I Face at My Elite High School” and the concept of restorative justice. Faculty and staff connected through Zoom breakout rooms for honest and open discussions. Two more sessions were subsequently held, and are now a regular part of the school year.

Middle School Leaning into Equity Awareness and Diversity Conference In the fall, seventh and eighth graders participated in an interscholastic, virtual conference, “Leaning into Equity Awareness and Diversity (LEAD),” focused on diversity, social justice, and activism. The purpose of the LEAD conference is to shine light on various forms of diversity (race, gender, disability, etc.) and to lead students in brainstorming solutions for making their school communities more inclusive and aware. The conference began with a keynote address

by Dr. Michael Fowlin, who draws on his experiences as a psychologist and actor to bring hidden or silent perspectives to light. Following the keynote, students interacted with their peers in small workshops on current events, multiculturalism, and dilemmas. The experience kickstarted the year-long and school-wide theme of “equality” as well as the tri-annual middle school “deep dive” into issues of race, privilege, and cultural competency.

Third graders listened to the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and then thought of their own wishes to make the world a better place.

The WFS lower school's annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration was just as moving this year, even though we could not gather all together in person. This Zoom event included a slide show of the kindergarteners' messages of peace inspired by Dr. King instead of the usual peace march, as well as a period of shared silent worship.

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Baby Study Comes Full Circle!

The WFS preschool program draws from complemen-

tary components of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, providing students with unlimited possibilities for cooperation, imagination, and discovery.

Three years ago, WFS preschool teachers Adrienne Meade and Lisa Morgan noticed while observing their young students’ play that the children seemed especially interested in... babies. In particular, pretend play involving babies - some wanted to be the baby, while others wanted to be the caretaker. Several of the children, who were three and four years old at the time, had just welcomed new baby siblings into their families, and their teachers wondered if this play was part of them processing the change in their lives and helping them to better understand their new family member.

To encourage the children’s questions and inquisitivity around the subject, Teachers Adrienne and Lisa decided to invite the four new baby siblings and their caregivers to class to help answer some of the student’s questions about babies.

Before the baby guests arrived, the class generated a list of questions about babies and created a table. For each baby, they wanted to know: How old are you? How many teeth do you have? What do you eat and drink? What makes you feel

Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters

happy? What makes you feel fussy?

When the day of the visit came, the students carefully interviewed the caretakers and observed the babies. To their amazement, the students realized that all four babies had connections (similarities) and differences. They also discovered that the caretakers all shared similar responsibilities, such as feeding, holding, and bathing the babies.

At the conclusion of the study, Teachers Adrienne and Lisa asked their students to complete the sentence, “Babies are…” Some of their responses included: fussy, thirsty, tired, cute, hungry, crying, and beautiful.

“I am always amazed by the depth and sophistication of my young students’ thinking,” Teacher Adrienne said. “They show me over and over again that they want to dig deep and make meaningful connections - I just have to provide them with the opportunities and tools to do it.”

Three years later, the study has come full circle with three of the baby subjects now enrolled as students in Teacher Adrienne and Lisa’s class. Their older siblings (now in first and second grades) couldn’t be happier to have them at school with them.

MAKING MUSIC!

Holiday Music Celebration One of the most anticipated traditions for students, faculty, and staff each year is what we affectionately call “The Thing in the Gym.” This is when the entire school comes together in the West Gym to share holiday songs and skits on the last day of school before Winter Break.

The celebration ends with the collective singing of the “Twelve Days of Christmas.” For each verse, students in preschool through first grade sing about the partridge in the pear tree, second graders sing about the turtle doves, third graders sing about the french hens and so on, with the fifth graders relishing their chance to belt out “five golden rings!” It’s the last time seniors participate with only one verse as they sing about the twelfth day. While not all together, the students sang their parts in smaller groups this year and the music department created a video. Students watched this, along with other video performances from around the school, in small groups just before they headed into break.

Music Education Continues Pictured below: The middle and upper school choirs spread out well (and stay masked!) in the Theater for their classes; the IB Music class had an in-school studio day to work on some of their IB assessments, with some students able to perform for their classmates and record perfromances for submission to the IB as part of their Internal Assessment portfolios; the gyms are perfect spaces for the middle and upper school bands. Musicians wear special face masks and use instrument covers to keep everyone protected.

Lower schoolers, organized in cohorts, were able to continue their music education. And there are many ways to learn about music!

For instance, fourth grade students read the book “The Straight Line Wonder” by Mem Fox, which reminded them to celebrate each other’s differences. When applied to music, they discovered that not all music is written in standard notation, the melodic line can take on many forms, and we may interpret unconventional music notation differently. They then created visuals to portray different sounds.

Instead of winter concerts, music teachers at all grade levels captured performances on video during the school day and shared the links so that families could enjoy them in the comfort of their own homes.

While not the same as joining together in the Theater, it was still a beautiful way to kick off the holiday season.

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23

Q

In upper school, all sophomores and older students new to Friends

uaker uest

are required to take the semester-long Quakerism course with teacher Mary Woodward. Early in the course, they are given the Quaker Quest assignment, and present in the last two weeks of the semester. “They usually present in class, but this year when we went virtual after the winter break, I had them adapt their slideshows so they could be viewed individually,” said Mary. “Then they spent a class looking through and commenting on each other’s slideshows.”

For the assignment, students are asked to do something that will have a positive effect on the community (family, school, neighborhood, city, etc.) involving at least one of the Quaker “SPICES” (Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, & Stewardship).

One student sold household items to raise money, then met with a local representative to determine needs in the community, spent the money on school supplies and food, and then passed them out. Another created a TikTok account for people to post about their accomplishments (big or small). She then left them positive messages, and had 908 followers!

Some other projects included handmade greeting cards for seniors at Luther Tower; tutoring other students; a Thanksgiving turkey fundraiser; sewing stuffed animals for charity; sewing pillowcases for Nemours children’s hospital; making virtual books for kids at Nemours; cleaning out a grandparent’s house; holding a coat drive; making care packages for a women’s shelter; and delivering supplies to homeless people on the streets.

In their presentations, students talked about why they chose the project, what they did, who it benefited and how, challenges they faced, and which of the SPICES the project was related to.

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125 Years of Miscellany: A History of Whittier Reprinted from the December 2020 issue of The Whittier Miscellany

by Livingston Zug ’22 Community Editor

2020 was the quasquicentennial, or the 125th anniver-

sary of the first printing of the Whittier Miscellany. The paper, from its origins as a literary magazine in the late nineteenth century to its present state, has a rich history. Originally a literary magazine, the Whittier Miscellany was first printed in April 1895. In the first publications, the magazine consisted of short stories and poetry with the occasional editorial and interpolation, such as the one requesting that readers pay attention to the advertisements at the beginning and end of the magazine. The Whittier also informed its readers about the start and end dates of the current school year, scores and rosters from the sports teams (narrated in a thrilling style), and other details. Alumni notes were included as well.

Nearly a hundred editors, thousands of articles, and scores of issues have passed through since the publication was first conceived. Its history made for a fascinating discovery.

Advertisements were a common feature of the first editions of the Whittier; all types of businesses, from candy stores to Swarthmore College, were mentioned. Swarthmore was founded as a Quaker school thirty years prior to the first publication of the Whittier, and perhaps as a favor to a similar school, the society ran ads for it (at least twice). The society also advertised Friends itself with full page, a drawing of the school building and a description of its services. Perhaps inventing a prototype of a school bus, the school announced that “in order to provide transportation for the children of the lower primary and secondary grades, a carriage has been built and placed in charge of a trustworthy man who will convey the children to and from their homes.” If only students were transported by carriages these days.

For the first members of the society, the name of the paper was a matter of grave significance to many of the members of the society, reported Christopher Ward ’(18)86. “The record again shows the circumspection and deliberation with which the young society approached its problems—a committee of three...was appointed to select a suitable name.” Multiple names were weighed and discarded, until, exhausted from the melee, the question was put to rest by the adoption of the name “The Whittier Miscellany.”

Names such as “The School Index'' and “The Monthly Visitor” were hotly debated. Ultimately, it was named for John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), a Quaker poet and abolitionist, whose work the students evidently admired. Whittier was inducted into the society at the second meeting as an honorary member in recognition of his work. The society met, it seems, for informal purposes, debating issues of importance to the school and generally having a good time. The earliest meetings of the society also reflected many of the matters paramount to the essential functioning of the school.

Chauncery Holcomb, portrayed by Ward ’86 as “dauntless” and a “Patrick Henry,'' helped move the society to demand that the school “abolish calisthenics during recess and substitute rollerskating.” The idea was further amended to request that the school supply the skates itself. The school authorities, perhaps not surprisingly, did not acquiesce to the demands; in response, Ward ’86 labeled the administration’s actions as the “tyranny of our oppressors.” Similar calls were made, such as the plea to make February 22 a school holiday—although, as Ward ’86 pointed out, it was already February 27th, and so the idea was not long for the world.

The first issue itself contained a section describing the fates of the recently-graduated. A Friends alum at Harvard was to take part in the Elizabethan play, and the women of Smith College were soon to festively celebrate George Washington’s birthday. A special advertisement appeared beneath the alumni notes; Mr. Cookman, a teacher in the upper school, was “endeavoring to form a bicycle club for the purpose of taking Saturday spins to visit points of interest in the surrounding country.” The author of the written advertisement claimed that the project was very worthy of approval from everyone in the school and that students would surely benefit from a trip to Valley Forge, where they might understand the rigors of the American Revolution. The first issue announced that correspondence was being both regularly sent and received by students from other students in France and Germany as part of “The International Correspondence Bureau.” The Whittier also did not hesitate from reporting on the athletics, listing with enthusiasm the line up for every football game and analyzing the tactics displayed.

The Whittier has been in print for one hundred and twenty-five years, making it one of the oldest high school newspapers in the country. One hopes that there will be much more to come in the future, and that it will continue to print, so that its spirit will continue to be a part of the school community.

The Whittier Miscellany would like to thank the Archivist, Mr. Maguire, for his help in researching this article.

Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters 25

6th grade

how-tos

One of the traditional sixth grade right-of-passage lessons

at WFS is writing community profiles. Looking for a more pandemic-friendly lesson in writing longer essays, sixth grade English teacher Sean Kerrane thought of the idea of having each sixth grader write a “how-to” essay. This was a manageable way for the students to tackle longer-form writing while focusing on something they already knew well or loved doing.

The how-to essays included life lessons in taking photos and making friends; practical skills like organization and stretching; artistic skills like how to draw a person’s eye; and athletic skills like how to beat a defender in soccer. Also, just in time for Thanksgiving, there were plenty of delicious how-to essays, like how to make a double berry custard pie. “Ahh, the sweet smells of custard and berries. Baking pie isn’t the most fun thing in the world, but the taste is what makes people want to make it,” sixth grader Jared wrote.

Looking to clean and organize your space? According to Pam, there are three steps you need to take to improve your room: cleaning, organizing, and decorating.

The students offered practical advice and also encouragement to their fellow students. “Remember there is no such thing as success or failure when you illustrate. But as long as you like it, it is a success!” Joss wrote about drawing the human eye.

“You have completed a plié combination. Hate to break it to you, but it only gets harder. Keep it in mind that ballet is extremely difficult to master, and you’ve made an outstanding first effort!” Liza wrote in her essay about how to position your feet in ballet.

Once their how-to essays were completed, each sixth grade student signed up to complete another student’s essay. They were asked to then leave a video response on Flip Grid (a website that facilitates video discussions) answering the following questions: What was fun? What was challenging? What was surprising?

“A byproduct of this project is the community we are building and the learning we get to do from each other,” Kerrane said.

This is just one case of the teachers at WFS constantly looking for new ways to engage students while developing their academic skills.

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Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters

We are excited to announce the grand opening of our new online school store, KangasCloset.com. Now you can shop online for apparel, accessories, and more! There is a wide variety of merchandise so you can show your school spirit in many ways. There are great gift ideas too!

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FALL SPORTS 2020 It was like no a fall season we’ve ever seen before, but we are so grateful our student athletes had the opportunity to compete. Because of the pandemic, only varsity competitions were held and games were live-streamed.

A heartfelt congratulations to all of our athletes, coaches, parents and guardians, and fans who cheered our teams on, even from afar. Go Blue!

Cross Country The Cross Country program demonstrated resilience and grit in an unforgettable season.

On the girls’ side, our small but mighty team showed incredible gains this season in their physical and mental preparations to compete.

Their season culminated at the DIAA State meet where they placed 13th out of 23 teams. Each student-athlete improved on their place from the previous year’s State meet.

The boys had an undefeated dual meet record and fin28

Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters

ished the season in 2nd place at the DIAA state meet.

Each of our seniors filled an important role this season and demonstrated for the underclassmen the value of different forms of leadership.

In their four years on the team, the program placed in the top three at states three times. The School had not placed in the top three before this class.

All State First Team Chris Rosado ’21 Third Team Max Leffler ’22

Field Hockey The field hockey squad highlighted their season with a first round upset win over the 5th ranked team.

The Quakers eventually lost a shoot out 4-2 in the second round of the state tournament. Throughout the season, the coaching staff was most pleased with how they played out their own mission statement: let hockey bring us together to an equal playing field to learn, grow, and enjoy the game as equals with our teammates, coaches, and opponents.

All State Division II First Team Rosa Cochran ’21 DISC All-Conference First Team Rosa Cochran ’21 Abby Emsley ’21 Margo Gramiak ’22 Second Team Sophia Brennan ’23 Bella Bukowski ’21 Meghan Malone ’21 Madeline Rowland ’23 Honorable Mention Alexa Donahue ’22 Lucy Wood ’22

Soccer Football The football team finished with two straight wins including a comeback win against Tower Hill after a key interception and a touchdown pass to tie with a minute and a half left in the game. The Quakers made a clutch field goal to win it with seconds on the clock. Despite the shortened season, the team competed well with the small, but mighty, squad.

Congratulations to the following football players: Maxwell Club Nominee, Patrick McKenzie ’21; DIFCA Sportsmanship Award, Isaiah Gaines ’21; DIFCA Academic Award Winners Osi Chukwuocha ’22, Peter Erskine ’21, Andrew McKenzie ’24, Patrick McKenzie ’21, Steven Morris ’24, Donnie Morton ’22, Corey Silberglied ’22, Robby Tattersall ’23.

Boys’ soccer had a strong season, finishing as DISC conference co-champs, and playing several tough opponents outside of the conference in their regular-season schedule.

They made it back to the State Tournament this year, playing in the first round.

All State First Team Bruno Yeh ’22

DISC All-Conference First Team Alessio Cristanetti-Walker ’23 Max Grimes ’21 Chaz Manolakos ’23 Bruno Yeh ’22 Second Team Shiloh Connor ’22 Rhys Rademaker ’22 Bennett Ross ’21 Alex Saville ’21

Honorable Mention Second Team Andrés Pardo ’21 Alessio Cristanetti-Walker ’23 AP Rossi ’22 Third Team Chaz Manolakos ’23

Volleyball The Quaker volleyball team had another fantastic season finishing 13-4 (10-2 regular season), going undefeated and winning the DISC Conference, and making it to the State Semifinals for the second year in a row! Led by the seniors, the Quakers did not drop a single set throughout conference play, only dropped 13 sets the entire season, and celebrated Nat Bush’s 1000th assist!

All-State First Team Abby Carian ’22 Second Team Jocelyn Nathan ’23 DISC All-Conference First Team Nat Bush ’22 Abby Carian ’22 Kayla Farley ’21 Jocelyn Nathan ’23 Second Team Reena Robinson ’22

Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Award Congratulations to WFS Assistant Athletic Director Joe Thomson on receiving the 2020 Bruce D. Whitehead Distinguished Service Award from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association!

This award is presented annually to individuals from within the NIAAA membership in recognition of their length of service, special accomplishments and contributions to interscholastic athletics at the local, state, and national levels.

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ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

Mike Coleman ’88

A Coach on and off the Field For Mike Coleman ’88, giving back is part of his DNA. Following his graduation from Wilmington Friends, Mike has remained a fixture at the School as a coach, a mentor, a volunteer, and a financial supporter. Throughout his 23-year stint at the YMCA in Wilmington, running youth sports leagues and summer camps, he refined his skills in youth development, skills he’s brought to his work at Wilmington Friends. “I loved my time at the YMCA,” Mike explained.

“It really helped me to understand a lot about youth development, and also helped me hone my relationship-building skills.”

Mike has been coaching at Friends for decades, and feels that coaching is a real opportunity to connect with young people. “I love coaching. I think about it more as mentorship than anything,” he said. “I always looked up to the coaches I had in youth leagues and at WFS, and so I try to bring that same mentality to my coaching.” Being able to be a mentor, particularly for students of color, has been most rewarding to him. “When (students of color) can see someone like them who went to the School and can understand what they’re going through, that’s an opportunity for me to really make a difference in a kid’s life.”

With that said, Mike is well aware that Friends, like all schools, is not perfect, and he acknowledges that he had tough times as a student of color at Friends. He believes the tough times at Friends, the times of discomfort, were important to his growth, helping him to navigate uncomfortable situations throughout his career.“I would never trade my experience at WFS, the good or the bad,” he said. “And there was certainly more good than bad.”

As a member of the recently formed Black Alumni Advisory Council, Mike is hopeful that he and his fellow alumni can act as a sounding board to help students of color and their families navigate life at Friends. He hopes to help develop a system where kids and their parents or guardians can connect with alumni and engage in dialogue about their experiences. “I’m proud of the work we’ve undertaken as a School community,” he said. “It’s my hope that we get to a point where, when it comes to equity and inclusion, we’re not working on it anymore, we’re just there.”

When asked what is special about Friends, and why it remains such an important part of his life, Mike pointed 30

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to the rigors of academics and athletics. “Friends made me work harder, pushed me to give more academically and athletically than I ever thought I could give,” he said. “When I went to pursue my Master’s degree, I really leaned on the skills and lessons I learned from WFS to get me through.”

He also highlighted the interconnectedness of our community as something unique to Friends. Networking and relationship-building are important in every facet of our lives, he explained. “The Friends connection is always a great foundation to start a relationship.” Wilmington Friends is grateful to Mike for all that he’s done and continues to do in support of the School, in support of young student-athletes at Friends, and in support of the larger Wilmington community. He truly sets an example by letting his life speak.

David Linton ’78

“The Striving, Not The Arriving” David Linton ’78 recently concluded a 35-year career building a boutique merger & acquisition advisory firm. Through “repurposing,” he is now sharing his time, talent and treasure in “servant leadership” with select entrepreneurs and leaders of employment social enterprises. Married to his best friend for 33 years, he and his wife enjoy traveling, sharing a good bottle of Pacific Northwest red, and raising twin King Charles pups. He is an avid reader, especially of the Stoic philosophers.

David believes that a person is fortunate if, over their lifetime, they end up having a few good friends, one or two key mentors, and an institution that serves as the crucible for their learning and growing. “Friends was the latter for me,” he writes. “It provided the initial foundation in my formal education, but perhaps more importantly helped shape my identity, core beliefs, and values. Those are attributes that I carry with me every day, so you could say Friends’ impact has been immeasurable.”

“I am perhaps most appreciative of being given the chance to fail (a lot!) while at Friends. Unfortunately, in today’s protective world, the gift of failure is often held back from us, especially our youth. I count my failures among my most valuable lessons, and whether it was struggling through Mr. Harvey’s algebra class (got to take that one twice!), or sitting at the end of the bench during basketball games, I learned that it’s all about ‘The Striving, Not The Arriving.’ My parents always said it was character-building for me to attend Friends, and they were right!”

David was awarded the Mendinhall and Bush awards. His fondest memories from attending Friends stem from the intimacy and offering of the place. “Where else could I have had the chance to play (sometimes!) three sports, sing in multiple musicals, act in a play, take college-level courses from Master teachers, co-lead a student/faculty/administration-wide business meeting, spend my formative years with all the same peers, have a best friend that always came to my defense and a really great girlfriend, to boot?! To me, Friends was a smorgasbord, and a safe place to put it all out there. As a result, I have always thrived in small, intimate work/play environments and found myself most self-actualized with passionate, authentic people.”

David appreciates that Friends taught him the value of 31

advance preparation, and disciplined teamwork courtesy of Coach Tattersall. He credits his history teacher Harry Hammond with teaching the importance of pattern recognition––of tying the past to the present. Friends developed his confidence by being able to present on stage under the direction of musical theatre director Violet Richman. “I developed empathy and a passion for social justice from one of the most kindhearted lovers of all people, Rick Reynolds.

And I learned the power of expression through the written word from one of Friends’ most authentic teachers, Kerry Brown,” he writes.

His advice to today’s students is, “Fully recognize that you have the “A Team” of subject matter experts right at your fingertips, so do not waste a nanosecond! Engage; Learn From Them; Soak It All In. Friends is your personalized incubator for starting to identify your character traits and develop your unique ability. And discovering what those are will help you get in the right “swim lane” for finding meaning and purpose in your life.

“One other piece of advice, which may be especially apropos in current times, is for students to worry less. I have found that those who are outwardly focused, optimistic, bring positive attitude and energy, and can roll with life’s uncertainties tend to experience the most joy and success. I have had my own personal “moments of truth” during my life, and it’s been both remarkable and comforting to find that the sun really does come up the next day and life does go on. So, just be your best/authentic self and let the chips fall where they may.”

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Additional Ways to Support Friends:

Together we are moving forward. #QuakerStrong

This school year, we have taken extraordinary measures to safely bring our students back to campus and build a better community for all...

Campus modifications to allow physical distancing

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

1 2 3

Facemasks and other supplies to ensure safety and cleanliness

Enhanced technology and training for remote learning

Increased tuition assistance

...and here are 3 ways you can ensure our success:

Make a gift or pledge to the Annual Fund

Your contribution gives us confidence to keep moving forward and flexibility to adapt to unexpected circumstances.

Make an easy recurring gift online

Giving online is simple, safe and secure - and a modest monthly contribution can have a significant impact.

Stay connected

There is a lot going on at Friends and in our world - and we want to hear from you. Check out our website, follow us on Facebook and Instagram, read our communications, and then comment.

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Thank you for caring!

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Class Notes

CLASS OF 1955

Devereaux Rose Eyler and husband, Capt. Tise Eyler, sent this update, “Surprise...We’re escaping tornados, hurricanes, annual evacuations, and multiple power outages at our ages (82-86) we wanted to be near Devy’s son and many friends. A tornado came within 600 feet of our house on Jekyll Isle just before Mother’s Day and scared us to death. Tise made a very quick decision to move - so we did move quickly, with no regrets. We sold our house in 2 days, found our PTC home on Mother’s Day, and moved all within 4 weeks.”

the Archmere offensive line. The boys in blue were led by Rick Hill, John Cox and Hugh Gage (#11). Burnett was outweighed on the defensive line by 70 pounds and barely saw daylight. However, he did see Biden breeze by our secondary twice to score on 75-yard and 40 -ard completions. Archmere prevailed 26-14.

“The Quakers did salvage the season by besting Tower Hill in the season finale, 30-14.”

CLASS OF 1968

Mark Gressle “Tennis took on COVID this past Fall; final score Tennis 6-0; 6-0. While the United States Tennis Association (USTA) canceled almost all Sectional and National tournaments, they did hold sectional tournaments in New England for the 65 years and older tennis leagues. I captain a team named Keep on Truckin’ in deference to the Grateful Dead (and like us, some of them are still playing). One of my best doubles teams has a combined age of 160 years, 20 years greater than my partner and me. But the real victor from this event was beating COVID. Over 120 players came to Boston for the September tournament. We followed safe protocols - masking until on the court, racquet taps only, social distancing while watching, take-out meals, and tailgating in the hotel parking lot.

We proved we can beat this and proved that we can hold more tournaments next summer.”

CLASS OF 1961

Stephen Burnett (#21), with the help of Rick Hill (#41) and sparked by recent political events, sent us this memory, “In the fall of 1960, the Friends School Quakers journeyed up the road to Claymont to meet the resurgent Archmere Auks. Our coaches (Mssrs.

Lafferty, Curtis and Hill) had advised the players that Archmere was having a great season, sparked by a wide receiver named Joe Biden.

The 1960 football team; News Journal article about the WFS vs. Archmere game.

“The Quakers were competitive, despite being severely outweighed by

Mark Gressle ’68 after a doubles win at USTA New England Sectional Tournament in September 2020.

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CLASS OF 1976

Tim Gibbs, MPH, Executive Director of Delaware Academy of Medicine/ Division of Public Health (Academy/ DPHA) and Omar A. Khan ’90, MD, MHS, President of the Board of Academy/DPHA accepted the 2020 Outstanding Affiliate of the Year award from The American Public Health Association (APHA). Upon accepting the award, Omar said, “This means the world to our diverse membership of physicians, dentists, researchers, public health practitioners, community health workers, academics, and student interns.

“Just five years ago we became Delaware’s affiliate to APHA, and it has been an amazing experience which has lead us to grow in ways few of us could have anticipated. Following the example APHA sets, we have attempted to emulate the APHA in our own local manner, for instance, through the development of our own Delaware Journal of Public Health. We have done our best to serve as ambassadors for APHA, its messaging, and its programs – as well as support it through meaningful volunteer work.

“Through this we have forged new relationships, received program funding we would never have been able to access on our own, and participated on a national level in policy and agendasetting. APHA has made us a better local affiliate through the example that APHA staff, leadership, and fellow affiliate members have provided us.

“Thank you for making the 90th anniversary of the Academy/DPHA a special one in a humbling and wonderful manner by bestowing this recognition.”

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President Joe Biden named Louisa Terrell director of his White House Office of Legislative Affairs, the president’s chief ambassador to Congress.

CLASS OF 1990

Michelle Burke Kelly ’90 received the Christiana Care Jefferson Award.

Omar A. Khan ’90 (see note under Class of 1976).

CLASS OF 1991

William L. Masten (Bill) has been named President of Pennsville National Bank, headquartered in Pennsville, New Jersey. Bill is also the Trust Officer of the bank, President of PennBancshares, is married, and has three children.

CLASS OF 1999

Eden Wales Freedman, Ph.D., vice provost for faculties and academic affairs at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, received the Eudora Welty Prize for 2020. The Eudora Welty Prize is named in honor of Mississippi University for Women alumna Eudora Welty.

Eden was recognized at the virtual Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium Oct. 22-24 for her book, Reading Testimony, Witnessing Trauma.

The University Press of Mississippi nominated Reading Testimony, Witnessing Trauma, and a committee of faculty at Mississippi University for women made the selection. They wrote, “This was a very strong field this year.

The committee felt, however, that Reading Testimony, Witnessing Trauma made the greatest contribution to the field by presenting a new approach to understanding Southern Literature and culture, especially through the experience of women writers of color.”

CLASS OF 1987

CLASS OF 2003

In early January 2021, Shirley Padmore Mensah was sworn in for a five-year term as chief magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Missouri. She was formerly a United States Magistrate Judge and served since 2012. She has also served in several leadership roles both within the District Court and across the federal judiciary, including her tenure on the Judicial Conference of the United States Defender Services Committee.

Meghan Baczkowski Pixley sent this news, “I started a new position in October 2020 as Client Services Consultant for RightSourcing Inc. I am supporting our client New York City Health & Hospitals staffing many healthcare roles throughout NYC with numbers increasing steadily due to the Covid 19 pandemic.”

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CLASS OF 1987

Christy Searl shared this photo of her son Jack (age 12) and their family’s “COVID puppy” Cody.

Samantha Saoirse Miller (daughter of Colleen Farrell ’04.

Andrew ’07, Sophia, and Sydney Baczkowski

Baczkowski Cousins ; Bill Baczkowski with granddaughter, Sophia

CLASS OF 2004

CLASS OF 2010

Colleen Farrell and her husband Brian Miller are thrilled to announce the arrival of their first daughter Samantha Saoirse Miller, born on July 14, 2020 at First Hill Swedish Hospital in Seattle, WA.

Dori Brooks and Damian Castro welcomed daughter Carmen Rosana Brooks, born October 20, 2020, weighing 6 lbs, 11 oz.

CLASS OF 2007

John Taggart, running back, signed with The NAZ Wranglers, an Indoor Football League, located in Prescott Valley, Arizona.

Andrew Baczkowski and Sydney Baczkowski announce the birth of their daughter, Sophia Madeline CLASS OF 2012 Baczkowski, born on 10/22/20, weighing Virginia DeWees got engaged to 7 lbs, 10 oz and measuring 20.25 inches. Rebecca Neill on October 24, 2020.

Mom and baby are both doing great.

Virginia wrote, “I had the support of Ben Horstmann and his (now) wife to Sydney and Andrew were married on make the proposal happen!”

7/12/19 and currently reside in Media, PA. Sydney is completing a Doctorate Ben Horstmann married Jessica Colasin Pharmacy (PharmD) from Temple tini on November 7, 2020.

University in May and Andrew works as a Financial Analyst at Brinker Simpson Chelsea Terrell married Elliott Theeke & Co. in Springfield, PA. in October 2020.

Sophia joins WFS cousins Caroline Pixley ’31, Luke Pixley ’33, Cole Pixley ’35, uncle James Baczkowski ’09, and grandfather “Pop,” William Baczkowski, Associate Head of Finance and Operations at WFS.

Hannah Brilliant ’09 and Masha Stine Photo by Elisa Morris

CLASS OF 2016

Ciara Graves is attending Icon Collective College of Music studying music production.

CLASS OF 2008

Evan Bartle works for Second Chances Farm and was named one of the 40 under 40 by the Delaware Business Times.

Phoenix Mellow designed the costumes for the Amazon movie “Sylvie’s Love,” and based her 1950s designs on Karl Lagerfeld’s archives which she was able to access in her work.

Ben Horstmann ’12 and Jessica Colastini

Reid Schmidt is acting in a YouTube series called “Consciously Incompetent.”

CLASS OF 2009

Hannah Brilliant is engaged to Masha Stine. They plan a fall 2021 wedding.

Hannah and Masha are both educators working in the Boston area.

Monica Felder ’09 and Evelyn Andrews

Monica Felder announced her engagement to Evelyn Andrews in November 2020. Monica is currently working as a social worker in Philadelphia.

Dori Brooks ’10 and Damian Castro with daughter Carmen Rosana Brooks

Virginia DeWees ’12 and Rebecca Neill

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In Memory Any time a member of the Wilmington Friends School community passes away, we feel great sadness by the loss. But reflecting on their lives and contributions to the greater good helps us cope and remember the many good things about them.

Please visit our website at https://www.wilmingtonfriends. org/alumni/in-memory to read about these wonderful members of the WFS community. We are now sharing full obituaries online instead of the printed magazine so we can be sure to include all of the information.

If you would like to let us know a friend or family member in our community has passed away, please email Lynne Nathan at lnathan@wilmingtonfriends.org.

Past Trustee: Dr. Leon Emandus Petty Past Faculty: James Franklin Smith Past Faculty: Ronald E. Sutton Class of 1938: Virginia “Ginnie” Mason Morgan Class of 1939: Doris "Deb" Biesterfeld Townshend Class of 1941: Charles “Chuck” Jenkins Booth Class of 1943: Ilse Kutz Altman Class of 1945: Carolyn Schneider Dowds Class of 1945: Doris Seltzer (Sapp) Kane Class of 1951: Charles Sentz Tjersland Class of 1952: Lewis L. Doughton, Jr. Class of 1952: Nancy Fairchild Esty Class of 1952: Wilmot Rufus Jones III Class of 1953: Maris Fisher Krasnegor Class of 1955: Vittorio Ginzburg Class of 1956: Ernst Rolleman "Hasty" Habicht, Jr. Class of 1957: Hugh Winthrop James Class of 1962: Ellen Vera Ginzburg Migliorino Class of 1962: Lucius "John" Harris Class of 1963: Sarah “Sally” Nauman Dougherty Class of 1964: Rigmor “Ria” Jelshøj Lerche Class of 1969: Carol Irwin Williams Mathews Class of 1985: Lauren J. Harvell Powers Class of 1988: Kermit "KJ" Mark Justice

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IN CLOSING

The Importance of Being Earnest, Online!

Upper school students staged an online dramatic live read of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde.

Rehearsing entirely online presented numerous challenges, particularly as students had to share a scene but not a stage. Student performers rose to the challenge admirably, and were excited to bring their vision of Wilde’s classic satire to the community. The play was streamed on Zoom and a recording was made available after the performance.

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

101 School Road Wilmington, DE 19803 www.wilmingtonfriends.org

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Join us online at wilmingtonfriends. alumnifire.com

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Upcoming Events March 6 Quaker Quiz Night -- Virtual!

April 26 Friends Golf Outing & Post Golf Gathering June 5 Commencement June 10 Reception for Class of 2016 Alumni & Parents (Format TBD)

Winter 2021 • QuakerMatters