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TODAY<br />

S P R I N G 2 0 1 1<br />

<strong>Celebrating</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Arts</strong><br />

Alumni Profile:<br />

Bob Bakish ’81, CEO and Chairman, Viacom International<br />

Creating Original Opera:<br />

A Lower <strong>School</strong> Tradition<br />

Handbell Ensembles: A D-E Legacy<br />

Our Own (<strong>Englewood</strong>) Idol: Erica Butler ’11


North Jersey Interscholastic Conference Patriot Division Champions<br />

Get Into<br />

The Game<br />

Be Part of a Winning Team!<br />

A big win takes an all-out team effort. Our Bulldogs showed us over this<br />

past basketball season just what a team that works toge<strong>the</strong>r can do!<br />

Congratulations, boys, you made us proud!<br />

Annual Fund 2010–11 is in <strong>the</strong> home stretch, but<br />

we need <strong>the</strong> WHOLE TEAM—parents, alumni, faculty<br />

and friends—to step up if we are to meet our goal<br />

of providing our students with <strong>the</strong> best education<br />

possible. The Annual Fund is a winning effort that<br />

provides <strong>the</strong> margin of excellence for our students!<br />

Make your online gift now at www.d-e.org/giving<br />

or call Pat Boig at 201-569-9500, ext. 3411.<br />

If you’ve already given, many thanks for being<br />

part of our winning team!<br />

Visit www.d-e.org and<br />

support D-E today!


HEAD’SMESSAGE<br />

A flourishing arts environment and an educational approach that values passion and inspiration are<br />

two ways <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> nurtures graduates who will “engage creatively and compassionately in<br />

<strong>the</strong> world.”<br />

Dear Friends,<br />

Our <strong>School</strong> Mission, Profile of<br />

a Graduate, and Core Values<br />

comprise our three foundation<br />

documents. Toge<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong>se documents<br />

describe who we are as a school,<br />

supporting all we do, as well as who<br />

we aspire to become as a school. In<br />

particular, our Profile of a Graduate<br />

speaks to <strong>the</strong> following:“our graduates<br />

will continue to cultivate <strong>the</strong>ir talents<br />

and pursue <strong>the</strong>ir passions,”and“our<br />

graduates will engage creatively and<br />

compassionately in <strong>the</strong> world.”<br />

In a TED Talk that I shared with our<br />

community on my Twitter page (DrD_DE),<br />

Ken Robinson talks about how students<br />

lose <strong>the</strong>ir creativity in schools, <strong>the</strong><br />

research that supports that claim, and<br />

changing educational systems to ensure<br />

that students remain as creative as <strong>the</strong>y<br />

are when <strong>the</strong>y begin school. Interestingly,<br />

in-depth study of a topic leads not only to<br />

expert knowledge, but also to an<br />

understanding of how it is connected to<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r topics and provides students with<br />

an opportunity to learn more about how<br />

<strong>the</strong>y learn. Allowing students <strong>the</strong> option<br />

of pursuing a topic in which <strong>the</strong>y are<br />

extremely interested—or with a member<br />

of our faculty who is inspired as well—<br />

allows students to see passion and<br />

develop <strong>the</strong>ir own passions in education.<br />

In this issue of D-E Today, centered on<br />

<strong>the</strong> arts, you will find myriad examples of<br />

how our students, faculty, alumni, and<br />

parents are all developing <strong>the</strong>ir passions.<br />

Through exceptional explorations in <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong>atre, instrumental and vocal music,<br />

<strong>the</strong> visual arts, literature, and more,<br />

members of our community are<br />

achieving exciting personal development<br />

and ultimately benefiting society.<br />

We start with entertainment industry<br />

executive Bob Bakish ’81, whose focus<br />

is on popular music and culture; and<br />

Mark Shapiro ’77, a lauded conductor of<br />

opera, orchestra, and vocal ensembles.<br />

We report on a student who was selected<br />

by national audition to play with a jazz<br />

ensemble at events of <strong>the</strong> 53rd Annual<br />

Grammy Awards, and ano<strong>the</strong>r who won<br />

<strong>the</strong> highly competitive 2011 <strong>Englewood</strong><br />

Idol contest. We explore <strong>the</strong> history<br />

and ongoing D-E tradition of handbell<br />

ensembles. In faculty leadership, we<br />

have Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Chair Gregg Emery, who<br />

continues to bring toge<strong>the</strong>r both alumni<br />

and students to present compelling<br />

exhibits in our Swartley Gallery.<br />

Performing <strong>Arts</strong> Chair John Littlefield<br />

continues to be an integral member of our<br />

wonderful resident chamber ensemble,<br />

315 East, and is preparing his orchestra<br />

for a London trip this summer. We also<br />

showcase <strong>the</strong> Lower <strong>School</strong>’s Creating<br />

Original Opera program. Alumni who are<br />

now professionally active in <strong>the</strong> arts have<br />

often found <strong>the</strong>ir interest sparked as a<br />

result of this unique experience.<br />

Current literature depicts a growing<br />

concern with students who “burn out”<br />

before college. The compelling<br />

documentary film, Race to Nowhere,<br />

which we recently screened as part of our<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong> Series, speaks to stresses<br />

that children now go through to build <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

“resume,” losing <strong>the</strong>ir love of learning and<br />

creative spark in <strong>the</strong> process. At <strong>the</strong> same<br />

time, in his research with Harvard, Tony<br />

Wagner has found that this generation of<br />

children is interest-driven, self-directed,<br />

constantly connected, multi-tasking, and<br />

creative. We find <strong>the</strong>y want to make a<br />

difference, and <strong>the</strong>y want to do interesting<br />

and worthwhile work.<br />

To prepare <strong>the</strong>m, <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

is regularly developing new ways for our<br />

students to learn critical thinking and<br />

problem-solving skills. Our students are<br />

learning to work collaboratively and to lead<br />

by influence. We are creating programs—<br />

with <strong>the</strong> opportunity for artistic expression<br />

amongst those programs—encouraging<br />

students to be agile and adaptable,<br />

because <strong>the</strong>y must have those skills in<br />

an entrepreneurial, ever-changing world.<br />

I hope you enjoy this issue and will find<br />

yourself, too, inspired to celebrate your<br />

passions and to “engage creatively and<br />

compassionately in <strong>the</strong> world.”<br />

Sincerely,<br />

Dr. Rodney De Jarnett<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong><br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong><br />

Core Values<br />

At <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> we all come<br />

to grow. We seek growth in respect,<br />

honesty, judgement, commitment,<br />

courage and community and expect<br />

each of us to work towards living<br />

<strong>the</strong>se, our shared values. We<br />

believe <strong>the</strong> opportunity to grow is a<br />

precious gift, one that brings out<br />

our best selves.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

1


TABLEOFCONTENTS<br />

4 |<br />

6 |<br />

8 |<br />

10 |<br />

18 |<br />

22 |<br />

FEATURES<br />

Alumni Profile: Bob Bakish ’81<br />

Creating Original Opera<br />

A Lower <strong>School</strong> Experience that Endures<br />

Handbell Ensembles<br />

A D-E Tradition<br />

Alumni Profile: Mark Shapiro ’77<br />

<strong>Arts</strong> in Our <strong>Englewood</strong> Community<br />

Erica Butler ’11 Wins Idol Contest<br />

Literary <strong>Arts</strong><br />

Appreciating Calliope Magazine<br />

Frimi Sagan’s 40+ Years of Service<br />

Our Mission<br />

As a community of learners, <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> strives to foster in each student a<br />

passion for life-long learning. We seek<br />

excellence, honor, integrity, and embrace<br />

diversity in order to develop <strong>the</strong> skills, values<br />

and courage to meet <strong>the</strong> challanges of a<br />

changing world and make it better.<br />

Above: Comedian “Larry David” and baseball great “Reggie Jackson” were<br />

two of <strong>the</strong> individuals featured in this year's Middle <strong>School</strong> Living Wax<br />

Museum event.<br />

Below: Middle <strong>School</strong> students produced an original “Water is Life” video<br />

and recited poetry at <strong>the</strong> 30 Miles in 30 Days Safe Water Campaign kick-off<br />

assembly. See “Last Look” for details.<br />

Right: D-E cross country runners relaxed after a successful meet earlier<br />

this year.<br />

CAPTIONs


12 |<br />

14 |<br />

16 |<br />

20 |<br />

36 |<br />

24 |<br />

28 |<br />

34 |<br />

44 |<br />

57 |<br />

59 |<br />

60 |<br />

CAMPUS/COMMUNITY EVENTS<br />

Spring 2011 Fashion Show & Luncheon<br />

Swartley Gallery Happenings<br />

2011 Reunion Weekend Preview<br />

New Alumni Society Announced<br />

<strong>Celebrating</strong> Cultural Diversity<br />

The Inspirational Debbie Rivera ’11<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong> Series 2010–11<br />

DEPARTMENTS<br />

Alumni Happenings<br />

Student Standouts & Faculty Endeavors<br />

Athletics Highlights<br />

Class Notes<br />

In Memoriam<br />

Bulldog Bookshelf<br />

Last Look<br />

The D-E Safe Water Campaign<br />

TODAY<br />

D-E Today is published by:<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> Communications &<br />

Publications, in partnership with <strong>the</strong><br />

Development & Alumni Relations Office.<br />

Comments are always welcome. Please<br />

address <strong>the</strong>m to:<br />

Editor, D-E Today<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

315 East Palisade Avenue<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>, NJ 07631<br />

phone: 201-569-9500, ext. 3408 or<br />

fax: 201-569-1676 or<br />

email: tausne@d-e.org<br />

Editor/Director of Communications<br />

and Publications:<br />

Liz Tausner<br />

Contributors:<br />

Pat Boig<br />

Jamie Dalgliesh ’13<br />

Maria Sanchez-Gardner ’78<br />

Leslie Virostek<br />

Graphic Design:<br />

Peapod Design, New Canaan, CT<br />

Photography:<br />

Covers photography by Harrison Co ’10 and<br />

Colleen White (northjerseymedia.com).<br />

O<strong>the</strong>r photos by Joe Camporeale<br />

(NorthJersey.com), Harrison Co,<br />

Jim Healey (Peapod Design), Bob King<br />

(northjerseymedia.com), Ken Laudau ’82,<br />

Gordon Marquardt ’12, John McCabe, Taylor<br />

Rago ’12, and Len Rubenstein. Additional<br />

photography supplied through D-E alumni,<br />

faculty/staff, parent & student submissions.<br />

Printing:<br />

Albert’s Printing, Long Island City, New York.<br />

Proofreading:<br />

Leslie Virostek<br />

On <strong>the</strong> front cover:<br />

Lower <strong>School</strong> students taking a bow after<br />

performing <strong>the</strong>ir original opera production<br />

(see inside).<br />

On <strong>the</strong> back cover:<br />

Erica Butler ’11 in her winning <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol<br />

performance at <strong>the</strong> Bergen Performing <strong>Arts</strong><br />

Center earlier this year (see inside).


ALUMNIPROFILE<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

4<br />

Bob Bakish ’81: Entertaining a Global World<br />

He’s <strong>the</strong> head of Viacom International Media Networks, and <strong>the</strong> evolving global media environment<br />

is his business.<br />

Bob Bakish ’81 began working<br />

as an executive for <strong>the</strong> media<br />

giant Viacom in 1997.<br />

Coincidentally, that was <strong>the</strong> very<br />

same year that DVDs became<br />

available in <strong>the</strong> U.S. for <strong>the</strong> first time.<br />

Over <strong>the</strong> next decade, DVDs would<br />

rise in popularity and become an<br />

important revenue stream for<br />

studios and media corporations. Fast<br />

forward to today: DVD sales have<br />

significantly declined as consumers<br />

increasingly choose less expensive<br />

and more immediate digital and<br />

streaming media. What will <strong>the</strong> next<br />

big thing be? You can bet that Bakish,<br />

who has steadily worked his way up<br />

Viacom’s corporate ladder, is already<br />

thinking about it. Earlier this year he<br />

was appointed president and CEO of<br />

Viacom International Media<br />

Networks (VIMN). Keeping ahead of<br />

trends in technology and evolving<br />

consumer attitudes is just one of <strong>the</strong><br />

challenges he contends with in a<br />

global, fast-paced industry.<br />

Bakish, who will be <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>’s<br />

Commencement speaker and a 2011<br />

recipient of <strong>the</strong> Distinguished Alumni<br />

Award, is a graduate who is truly engaged<br />

with <strong>the</strong> increasingly inter-connected<br />

“changing world” of <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s mission<br />

statement. His company owns many of<br />

<strong>the</strong> world’s most popular premier<br />

multimedia entertainment brands—<br />

including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy<br />

Central, and BET—which are seen globally<br />

in more than 600 million households in<br />

160 countries and 34 languages. Bakish<br />

is also chairman of <strong>the</strong> board of<br />

Viacom18, <strong>the</strong> company’s joint venture in<br />

India, and serves on <strong>the</strong> boards of <strong>the</strong><br />

company’s joint ventures with BSkyB, <strong>the</strong><br />

largest subscription-based television<br />

broadcaster in <strong>the</strong> United Kingdom, and<br />

Telecom Italia Media.<br />

The Complexity of a<br />

Global Business<br />

Bakish grapples with a mind-boggling level<br />

of detail on <strong>the</strong> one hand, and a lot of<br />

strategic, big-picture thinking, and project<br />

management on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r. “Because it’s<br />

truly a global job, <strong>the</strong>re’s an incredible<br />

amount of complexity,” says Bakish. With<br />

so many diverse markets, <strong>the</strong>re are loads<br />

of differences to address, from distribution<br />

to regulation, local programming, and of<br />

course cultural preferences. Says Bakish,<br />

“The sheer breadth and scale of it is<br />

fundamentally challenging.” At <strong>the</strong><br />

broader level, <strong>the</strong> challenge is getting a<br />

global workforce to embrace common<br />

strategies and work toge<strong>the</strong>r on specific<br />

opportunities, and also to develop<br />

programming that can cross international<br />

and cultural boundaries. Recently Bakish<br />

worked on adapting and introducing <strong>the</strong><br />

telenovela TV format, which is typically<br />

associated with Hispanic language<br />

channels, to Nickelodeon and MTV. One<br />

success story is Nickelodeon’s highly<br />

rated House of Anubis teen mysterydrama<br />

soap series. Based on a series from<br />

Nickelodeon Holland, <strong>the</strong> new show<br />

premiered this January in <strong>the</strong> United<br />

States, and in February in <strong>the</strong> United<br />

Kingdom. (There is a German version<br />

as well.)<br />

Not surprisingly, Bakish travels for business<br />

a great deal—in fact, a little more than half<br />

<strong>the</strong> year. His office is in New York City, but<br />

in a single month he might spend a week<br />

in Los Angeles, a week in Madrid, and a<br />

week in Mumbai. In <strong>the</strong> world of<br />

international business, notes Bakish,<br />

“There’s no substitute for going places.”<br />

And, when <strong>the</strong> business is<br />

entertainment, <strong>the</strong>re can be some<br />

interesting perks—such as developing,<br />

promoting, and attending special events<br />

with rock stars and o<strong>the</strong>r celebrities. A<br />

particularly memorable one for Bakish<br />

was MTV’s 2009 Europe Music Awards in<br />

Berlin. Bakish was <strong>the</strong>re when, as part of<br />

<strong>the</strong> show, <strong>the</strong> Irish rock band U2 gave a<br />

free concert at <strong>the</strong> Brandenburg Gate to<br />

commemorate <strong>the</strong> 20th anniversary of<br />

<strong>the</strong> fall of <strong>the</strong> Berlin Wall. Bakish says<br />

<strong>the</strong> visually stunning, historically<br />

meaningful, and electrifying performance<br />

was amazing and unforgettable.


Bob Bakish ’81 (left) with President Cristina de Kirchner of Argentina at an MTV event.<br />

Preparation Paves <strong>the</strong><br />

Way for Opportunity<br />

Bakish didn’t plan to become <strong>the</strong> media<br />

chief executive he is today. He says that if<br />

<strong>the</strong>re is a lesson to be learned from his<br />

career trajectory, it is that solid<br />

preparation and hard work will make<br />

possible a variety of opportunities. His<br />

preparation, he notes, began at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>. Though his strengths as a<br />

student were always in math and science,<br />

he now recognizes <strong>the</strong> great foundation he<br />

received in English and writing. The work is<br />

hard at D-E, notes Bakish, but it pays off.<br />

“You really are working and investing in<br />

yourself,” he says. “I think <strong>the</strong> primary<br />

thing I got from <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> was a<br />

fantastic education.”<br />

After <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>, Bakish earned a<br />

bachelor’s degree in operations research<br />

from Columbia’s <strong>School</strong> of Engineering<br />

and Applied Science. It proved to be a<br />

good foundation in real-world problem<br />

solving. He started a job in network<br />

systems at AT&T, but decided to expand<br />

his options. He earned an M.B.A. from<br />

Columbia’s Business <strong>School</strong> and began a<br />

career of management consulting,<br />

eventually finding his way to marketing<br />

and to <strong>the</strong> prestigious Booz Allen &<br />

Hamilton firm, in <strong>the</strong> media and<br />

entertainment division. He had just made<br />

partner at Booz Allen and was “on a<br />

perfectly good career path” when he was<br />

invited to join Viacom. Bakish took <strong>the</strong><br />

leap. He says that if you work hard and<br />

make yourself a valued professional, life is<br />

going to present you with big decisions.<br />

His advice: “Think about it, make a<br />

choice, and never look back.”<br />

Ano<strong>the</strong>r of Bakish’s convictions is that<br />

dedication to work should never take<br />

over a person’s whole life. “Everybody is<br />

replaceable,” notes Bakish. “You’ve got<br />

to enjoy o<strong>the</strong>r things in your life.” Bakish<br />

values time spent with his wife, Deedra,<br />

and two daughters, one in high school<br />

and one in middle school. For recreation,<br />

he enjoys skiing with his family, listening<br />

to music, and playing <strong>the</strong> guitar. Bakish<br />

also makes time to serve on Columbia<br />

Business <strong>School</strong>’s Board of Overseers<br />

and Media Forum and <strong>the</strong> Engineering<br />

<strong>School</strong>’s Board of Visitors.<br />

Moving Forward<br />

On a regular day when he’s not traveling,<br />

Bakish begins his work at about 6:45<br />

a.m. On <strong>the</strong> drive from his Connecticut<br />

home to <strong>the</strong> city he’ll make a phone call,<br />

typically to one of <strong>the</strong> senior executives<br />

running a part of <strong>the</strong> business in Asia or<br />

Europe. His drive home around 6:00 p.m.<br />

will include ano<strong>the</strong>r Asia call. It’s one of<br />

<strong>the</strong> things you have to live with when<br />

running an international business across<br />

multiple time zones, notes Bakish: “The<br />

New York office and <strong>the</strong> Asia office are<br />

never open at <strong>the</strong> same time.”<br />

It’s a busy life, but a rewarding one for<br />

someone who enjoys problem solving,<br />

working with people, strategizing, and<br />

implementing in a rapidly evolving global<br />

environment where <strong>the</strong> answer isn’t<br />

always clear. “I can get bored pretty<br />

easily, and this is not a job you get bored<br />

with,” he says. “I like making a plan,<br />

executing it, and seeing it work. It’s fun<br />

to move something forward.”<br />

In <strong>the</strong> end, he observes, <strong>the</strong> fundamental<br />

question for his company, which brings<br />

films from Paramount and award-winning<br />

global sensations like South Park to <strong>the</strong><br />

world, is not what <strong>the</strong> technology will be or<br />

how to navigate <strong>the</strong> complexities of<br />

various markets, but “How do we make<br />

<strong>the</strong> best entertainment?” He says,<br />

“People still want to be entertained. And<br />

one can argue that when you look around<br />

at <strong>the</strong> world today, a little entertainment<br />

is a good thing.”<br />

U2 and Jay Z performing at <strong>the</strong> Brandenburg Gate, in a special concert produced by MTV.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

5


6<br />

In presenting <strong>the</strong>ir original opera, fifth graders showcase <strong>the</strong>ir creativity, while developing life<br />

skills and learning about careers in <strong>the</strong> arts.<br />

On April 28 in <strong>the</strong> Hajjar<br />

Auditorium, <strong>the</strong> Silver<br />

Shooting Stars opera<br />

company presented its opera, called<br />

Turned Inside Out, to great acclaim.<br />

The 42-member opera company<br />

wrote <strong>the</strong> storyline, composed <strong>the</strong><br />

music, created <strong>the</strong> sets, devised <strong>the</strong><br />

costumes, orchestrated <strong>the</strong> sound,<br />

lighting, and public relations, and<br />

managed <strong>the</strong> show. It’s an<br />

impressive feat, particularly<br />

because <strong>the</strong> Silver Shooting Stars<br />

are also known as <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> fifth grade. Creating<br />

from scratch an entirely original<br />

opera—from <strong>the</strong> first germ of an<br />

idea to <strong>the</strong> fully realized<br />

production—is a project fifth<br />

graders at D-E have been<br />

undertaking since 1986.<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> CREATINGOPERA<br />

The fifth graders’ accomplishment is part<br />

of a program called Creating Original<br />

Opera, which is supported by <strong>the</strong><br />

Metropolitan Opera Education<br />

Department and takes place in schools<br />

all over <strong>the</strong> world. It’s also a major<br />

component of <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>’s fifthgrade<br />

academic curriculum that gives<br />

students insight into careers in <strong>the</strong> arts<br />

and develops such life skills as<br />

collaboration, negotiation, problem<br />

solving, and planning.<br />

Lower <strong>School</strong> Music Director Mary<br />

Heveran runs <strong>the</strong> program at D-E and<br />

explains that it begins in <strong>the</strong> fall, when<br />

students brainstorm to create a name<br />

and logo for <strong>the</strong>ir opera company. This<br />

year’s name, Silver Shooting Stars,<br />

acknowledges <strong>the</strong> 25th anniversary<br />

of <strong>the</strong> opera program at D-E and <strong>the</strong><br />

fact that an alumnus is shooting a<br />

Members of <strong>the</strong> Silver Shooting Star Opera Company perform Turned Inside Out this April 2011,<br />

<strong>the</strong> 25th year of <strong>the</strong> Creating Original Opera program.<br />

documentary film about <strong>the</strong> program<br />

(see sidebar).<br />

Students also brainstorm ideas about<br />

<strong>the</strong> story <strong>the</strong>ir opera will tell. Heveran<br />

says <strong>the</strong> operas always feature children<br />

exploring and resolving some sort of<br />

conflict. But <strong>the</strong> plots can be about<br />

anything. Heveran loves this early stage<br />

in <strong>the</strong> process. “I am continually amazed<br />

and surprised and delighted,” she says.<br />

“Every year <strong>the</strong>ir ideas are so different<br />

from <strong>the</strong> year before. It’s amazing how<br />

you start out with a blank paper, and<br />

<strong>the</strong>n suddenly, something new exists.”<br />

The next important step is that each<br />

job—from actor to writer to carpenter—<br />

is discussed, and children apply for<br />

positions. Each job carries with it real<br />

responsibility. The electricians learn<br />

about electricity and face <strong>the</strong> task of<br />

designing <strong>the</strong> lights (often tin cans with<br />

wire). Costume designers must consider<br />

who <strong>the</strong> characters are—and what <strong>the</strong>y<br />

might symbolically represent—before<br />

creating costumes. Composers start with<br />

<strong>the</strong> lyrics and write one song at a time.<br />

Notes Heveran, “They make <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

own deadlines, and <strong>the</strong>y have to be<br />

responsible for <strong>the</strong>ir own work.” For<br />

Heveran, it is important for students<br />

“to see how <strong>the</strong>ir jobs as students can<br />

translate into a professional job.”<br />

In <strong>the</strong> early part of <strong>the</strong> year, students<br />

also learn from professionals. They<br />

attend an opera at <strong>the</strong> Met (this year<br />

it was The Queen of Spades, by<br />

Tchaikovsky) and learn from visiting<br />

professionals who come to campus to do<br />

workshops and presentations. Guests<br />

have included a professional drummer


whose Broadway credits include The<br />

Lion King, and a tenor who has sung<br />

on Broadway in A Little Night Music.<br />

The performance is usually scheduled for<br />

<strong>the</strong> last week of April, with a preview/<br />

dress rehearsal performed for <strong>the</strong><br />

preschool, and a show <strong>the</strong> next evening<br />

for parents and o<strong>the</strong>r members of <strong>the</strong><br />

community. The shows belong entirely to<br />

<strong>the</strong> fifth graders. The adults who have<br />

provided guidance all along are strictly<br />

hands-off. Says Heveran, “If <strong>the</strong>re’s a<br />

prop missing, or a problem with <strong>the</strong><br />

lighting, <strong>the</strong> kids have to deal with it.”<br />

Each one of <strong>the</strong> fifth graders feels a<br />

great sense of accomplishment about<br />

this collaborative effort. For Mary<br />

Heveran and o<strong>the</strong>r educators, <strong>the</strong>re are<br />

many o<strong>the</strong>r things to celebrate. Seeing<br />

a shy child gain <strong>the</strong> confidence to stand<br />

up on stage and perform a solo is one.<br />

Seeing students become inspired to<br />

seek careers in <strong>the</strong> arts is ano<strong>the</strong>r.<br />

Ally Hirschlag ’02, who now runs an<br />

off-Broadway <strong>the</strong>ater company<br />

(www.marconi<strong>the</strong>atre.com), says that <strong>the</strong><br />

fifth-grade opera experience was<br />

extremely important. A lead actor in her<br />

class’s opera, she says, “As we began<br />

rehearsing it, since <strong>the</strong> show was literally<br />

being built up as we went along, it was<br />

easy to put our two cents in to most of<br />

<strong>the</strong> songs and dialogue.” This<br />

collaborative style and collective<br />

ownership made an impression. “It was<br />

very much a round-table kind of creative<br />

process,” she says, noting “that is exactly<br />

<strong>the</strong> kind of <strong>the</strong>ater company I have<br />

endeavored to create.” She says, “It takes<br />

good communication, <strong>the</strong> willingness to<br />

cooperate and compromise, and an open<br />

mind to have a truly successful creative<br />

team, and <strong>the</strong> fifth grade opera was my<br />

first glimpse into that world.”<br />

David Torsiello ’01, an actor who recently<br />

toured nationally with Dora <strong>the</strong> Explorer<br />

Live! Search for <strong>the</strong> City of Lost Toys,<br />

agrees that <strong>the</strong> Creating Original Opera<br />

program gave him insight into just how<br />

many people collaborate to bring to<br />

fruition a professional performance. “As<br />

a professional performer, I have been<br />

aware that my contribution to an entire<br />

production has been only a minor part<br />

of <strong>the</strong> big picture. Most of my colleagues<br />

do not realize <strong>the</strong> many people that<br />

contribute to a single production,” he<br />

says. “Next time you are handed a<br />

program at a show, read it from cover<br />

to cover and you will be amazed at what<br />

went into that show.”<br />

Lower <strong>School</strong> students wait excitedly on <strong>the</strong> steps leading up to Hajjar Auditorium before an opera<br />

production dress rehearsal.<br />

Torsiello recalls vividly his performance<br />

as “Jesse,” a soccer player who is injured<br />

in a game, in his class’s opera, In <strong>the</strong><br />

Shadow of a Dream. He says, “The opera<br />

program has helped me appreciate how<br />

music and performance are more than<br />

just a personal calling. Music has a social<br />

component that touches nearly every<br />

aspect of <strong>the</strong> world. The program teaches<br />

students about not only creation, but<br />

Documenting <strong>the</strong> Creative Process<br />

collaboration, inspiration and <strong>the</strong> beauty<br />

of sharing those components with<br />

audiences.” He also notes, “Learning how<br />

to work with <strong>the</strong> talents of o<strong>the</strong>rs within<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir respective fields has allowed me<br />

to adapt to <strong>the</strong> professional world in a<br />

positive way. These are valuable lessons<br />

that are not readily discovered in a<br />

classroom, but are extremely important<br />

in almost any profession.”<br />

Filmmakers Max Sturm ’05 and Joe Alessi ’06 have seen <strong>the</strong>ir collaborative<br />

works receive great acclaim. Their film, Lyrical Medicine Chest, was <strong>the</strong><br />

winner of PBS’s Reel 13 competition and selected by Anthology Film Archives<br />

in New York City (see sixtyfortysix.com). This year <strong>the</strong> pair is collaborating with<br />

o<strong>the</strong>rs to do a full-length feature documentary that showcases <strong>the</strong> opera program<br />

at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>. Says Sturm, “The fifth grade opera program is unique in that<br />

<strong>the</strong> students must do it all. They must learn to collaborate, deal with complex peer<br />

interactions, everything. The results are poignant, sometimes funny, and very<br />

moving and compelling. I was and still am fascinated and energized by <strong>the</strong> power<br />

of what kids can do when <strong>the</strong>y all come toge<strong>the</strong>r.”<br />

Sturm says that he was one of those shy, introverted kids who came to believe in<br />

his ability as a performer, thanks to <strong>the</strong> opera program. He says, “Participating in<br />

<strong>the</strong> fifth grade opera was absolutely one of <strong>the</strong> highlights of my <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong><br />

education. The experience inspired me to continue pursuing performing arts<br />

opportunities. Later I successfully<br />

auditioned for roles in D-E Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong> <strong>the</strong>atrical productions,<br />

including Little Me and Pippin.”<br />

Sturm and Alessi’s film will capture<br />

<strong>the</strong> entire process of putting toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />

a successful production. Says Sturm,<br />

“We hope to successfully release <strong>the</strong><br />

film to <strong>the</strong> independent film circuit<br />

later this year.”<br />

Max Sturm ’05 (center, with glasses) performing in <strong>the</strong> opera that inspired him to initiate a<br />

film documentary about <strong>the</strong> program.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

7


8<br />

A Beloved Tradition<br />

A tradition that began at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong> in <strong>the</strong> 1950s has become a favorite of each new<br />

generation of students.<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> HANDBELLENSEMBLES<br />

A D-E tradition, handbell ensembles are a popular activity for Middle and Upper <strong>School</strong> students.<br />

With two sets of handbells,<br />

three Middle <strong>School</strong><br />

handbell classes per<br />

semester, and three year-long Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong> bell classes, it’s clear that<br />

handbells are one of <strong>the</strong> most<br />

popular musical activities at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>. First introduced into<br />

<strong>the</strong> music curriculum at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> in <strong>the</strong> 1950s, handbells have<br />

become one of D-E’s more beloved<br />

and enduring traditions. Says Matt<br />

Schukis, choir director, “Kids love <strong>the</strong><br />

fact that <strong>the</strong>y are playing a set of bells<br />

that has history.” Meanwhile, visiting<br />

alumni often feel nostalgic. Says<br />

Schukis, “They’ll remember what bell<br />

<strong>the</strong>y played. They’ll come back and<br />

say, ‘Can I see my bell?’”<br />

What’s great about handbells? Everything,<br />

says Schukis. For starters, <strong>the</strong>y make<br />

beautiful music—in many styles and<br />

genres—without requiring ensemble<br />

members to have years of experience or<br />

deep technical knowledge. “I can take an<br />

8th grade student and have him ring a bell,<br />

and I can bring in a professional handbell<br />

player to ring <strong>the</strong> bell, and it sounds <strong>the</strong><br />

same,” notes Schukis.<br />

Which is not to say that handbells are not<br />

a rewarding challenge. Handbell players<br />

know that every single note counts, and<br />

<strong>the</strong>y strive for perfection. As Schukis points<br />

out, “Unlike any o<strong>the</strong>r music ensemble,<br />

you’re it. Nobody else is playing your part.<br />

If you’re in <strong>the</strong> orchestra and you play<br />

clarinet, <strong>the</strong>re are o<strong>the</strong>rs who are playing<br />

<strong>the</strong> same part.”<br />

As <strong>the</strong> students quickly learn, precise<br />

timing and teamwork are very important<br />

and require a great deal of practice. Plus,


One of <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s six handbell ensembles performed this holiday season at a local community center.<br />

for some songs, students standing next<br />

to each o<strong>the</strong>r might be sharing a bell<br />

between <strong>the</strong>m, and <strong>the</strong>y must coordinate<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir movements closely. “The students<br />

know what to do, how to problem solve,”<br />

says Schukis. “They have to work it out<br />

when <strong>the</strong>re are shared bells.”<br />

No one could have predicted that<br />

handbell choirs would become such an<br />

enduring tradition, but legendary retired<br />

music teacher Joe Erwin says that <strong>the</strong><br />

handbells were a hit from <strong>the</strong> beginning.<br />

Erwin was a new faculty member at <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong> in <strong>the</strong> 1950s when <strong>the</strong><br />

first set of bells—from <strong>the</strong> famous<br />

Whitechapel foundry in England—were<br />

delivered to <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>. They had<br />

been ordered by music teacher Helen<br />

Williams, who was retiring. Erwin, who<br />

had some experience with handbells,<br />

decided to follow through and get <strong>the</strong><br />

bells anyway. He arranged a piece of<br />

music and taught a group of faculty<br />

members to play it. Then, at a chapel<br />

ga<strong>the</strong>ring of <strong>the</strong> student body, <strong>the</strong> bells<br />

were unveiled and <strong>the</strong> faculty showed<br />

<strong>the</strong> girls just what kind of magic could be<br />

created with a handbell performance. All<br />

<strong>the</strong> girls wanted to try it, and handbells<br />

have been a thrill for <strong>Dwight</strong> and <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> students ever since.<br />

Matt Schukis says that handbell<br />

ensembles breed a special kind of<br />

camaraderie, and Joe Erwin agrees.<br />

He says, “Music is an expression of a<br />

deep human nature. It seems like<br />

music making, but it’s really friendship<br />

making.”<br />

He also remembers a number of times<br />

when <strong>the</strong> handbells have created a<br />

sense of community. There was <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> trip in <strong>the</strong> 1970s to Romania with<br />

<strong>the</strong> choir and bell choir. There was also a<br />

memorable Fa<strong>the</strong>r-Daughter Dinner—a<br />

tradition attended by <strong>Dwight</strong>’s seniors<br />

and <strong>the</strong>ir dads. The daughters were<br />

delighted and amazed when <strong>the</strong> dads<br />

got up and performed a handbell piece<br />

that Erwin taught <strong>the</strong>m. Erwin, who had<br />

arranged <strong>the</strong> piece, had added in a<br />

clever and playful discordant ending,<br />

which brought <strong>the</strong> house down.<br />

With <strong>the</strong> growing popularity of <strong>the</strong><br />

handbells, <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> acquired a<br />

second set of bells in <strong>the</strong> 1980s. These<br />

Schulmerich handbells, cast in <strong>the</strong><br />

United States and used by <strong>the</strong> Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong>, don’t have <strong>the</strong> history of <strong>the</strong><br />

Whitechapel bells, but <strong>the</strong>y have <strong>the</strong><br />

advantage of being easier to learn on.<br />

Schukis explains, “Whitechapel bells are<br />

still made <strong>the</strong> way <strong>the</strong>y were made back<br />

in <strong>the</strong> 1500s. They are basically small<br />

exact replicas of tower bells,” he says.<br />

They were originally created so ringers<br />

could practice without having to be in <strong>the</strong><br />

tower. The Schulmerich bells, in contrast,<br />

are made to be handbells, designed with<br />

more modern technology, and can be<br />

adjusted for sound and ease of playing.<br />

Schukis says it is not uncommon for D-E<br />

students to try handbells for <strong>the</strong> first<br />

time in 8th grade and continue to play<br />

<strong>the</strong>m through senior year.<br />

A staple of winter and spring concerts,<br />

<strong>the</strong> handbell ensembles are always a<br />

fan favorite. Schukis points out that<br />

while audiences love <strong>the</strong> distinctive<br />

sound of <strong>the</strong> bells, listening is only<br />

part of <strong>the</strong> enjoyment. Because of <strong>the</strong><br />

graceful motion of ringing <strong>the</strong> bells and<br />

<strong>the</strong> precise timing, a handbell concert<br />

gives <strong>the</strong> impression of something that<br />

is beautifully choreographed. Says<br />

Schukis, “It’s really fun to watch.”<br />

Spring 2011<br />

9


ALUMNIPROFILE<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

10<br />

Mark Shapiro ’77: His Forte Is Conducting<br />

From <strong>the</strong> classics to new and rarely performed music, Shapiro has made his<br />

mark as an intellectually curious and versatile conductor.<br />

Mark Shapiro ’77 conducting Poulenc’s opera Les Mamelles de Tirésias at <strong>the</strong> Juilliard <strong>School</strong> in<br />

December 2010. Photo by Nan Melville.<br />

Variety is <strong>the</strong> spice of life.<br />

That aphorism might possibly<br />

be <strong>the</strong> best way to describe<br />

<strong>the</strong> infinitely interesting banquet<br />

that is Mark Shapiro’s existence as<br />

a conductor of choral groups,<br />

orchestras, and opera. The 20-year<br />

artistic director of both Cantori<br />

New York and <strong>the</strong> Monmouth Civic<br />

Chorus, Shapiro is highly sought<br />

as a visiting and guest conductor.<br />

He has worked with Juilliard Vocal <strong>Arts</strong>,<br />

<strong>the</strong> Nova Sinfonia chamber orchestra of<br />

Halifax, and <strong>the</strong> Bridgeport (Connecticut)<br />

Symphony, among o<strong>the</strong>rs. Recent special<br />

engagements have included conducting<br />

New York’s St. Cecilia Chorus in Carnegie<br />

Hall and presenting a Handel oratorio in<br />

a 5,000-seat Roman amphi<strong>the</strong>ater in<br />

Vaison-la-Romaine, France.<br />

Yes, Mark Shapiro goes to many different<br />

places—geographically and artistically<br />

too. Although he is a devotee of <strong>the</strong> great<br />

composers—Beethoven’s 5th Symphony<br />

is one of his favorite works—he has<br />

become known as a very versatile<br />

conductor and a champion of new and<br />

neglected music. A longtime collaborator<br />

with Teatro Grattacielo, an opera<br />

company that specializes in little-known<br />

verismo operas, Shapiro has also worked<br />

with <strong>the</strong> Center for Contemporary Opera<br />

and is an astonishing four-time winner of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Adventurous Programming Award<br />

of <strong>the</strong> American Society of Composers,<br />

Authors and Publishers.<br />

As if all of that weren’t enough, Shapiro<br />

is also a teaching faculty member at<br />

Long Island University and Mannes<br />

College The New <strong>School</strong> for Music. For<br />

fun, he also heads <strong>the</strong> conducting<br />

program and teaches at <strong>the</strong> European<br />

American Musical Alliance in Paris<br />

every summer.<br />

“I love teaching,” says Shapiro. “I think<br />

its one of <strong>the</strong> best ways to understand<br />

what you’re doing. There’s a whole<br />

problem solving element to conducting<br />

and teaching that is enormously<br />

interesting.”<br />

Variety is indeed <strong>the</strong> spice of life. Notes<br />

Shapiro, “One of <strong>the</strong> things I dread in life<br />

is boredom, and that is never a problem.”<br />

The Role of <strong>the</strong><br />

Conductor<br />

At <strong>the</strong> most basic level, a conductor<br />

must have an understanding of music<br />

and a knack for communicating with<br />

and organizing people. But Shapiro<br />

doesn’t think <strong>the</strong>re is only one “right”<br />

interpretation of a piece of music—even<br />

<strong>the</strong> classics can be fresh. In this way,<br />

<strong>the</strong> conductor can be thought of as a<br />

sort of chef: He takes ingredients that<br />

are available (a particular piece of music,<br />

a particular ensemble of musicians) and<br />

with a certain know-how and flair (a little<br />

more articulation here, a measure of<br />

ritardando <strong>the</strong>re…) creates something<br />

distinctive and memorable.<br />

Nor does Shapiro think of himself as <strong>the</strong><br />

big boss. One of his favorite metaphors


is that a conductor is a sort of jockey.<br />

(“Not that I’ve ever been on a horse!” he<br />

declares.) It’s a matter of directing and<br />

channeling <strong>the</strong> energies of something<br />

that’s very much alive and in motion.<br />

Says Shapiro, “To my mind, both <strong>the</strong><br />

piece and <strong>the</strong> musicians are alive.”<br />

The result of Shapiro’s labors is a<br />

complex, coordinated, public<br />

performance that draws on <strong>the</strong> talents<br />

of dozens of musicians and engages<br />

audiences of hundreds or perhaps<br />

thousands of people. Yet each<br />

performance begins in a very quiet,<br />

private, and personal way when Shapiro<br />

sits down—sometimes at <strong>the</strong> piano—to<br />

explore <strong>the</strong> music score for <strong>the</strong> first<br />

time. Where to begin? “You look for <strong>the</strong><br />

elements of <strong>the</strong> music that are surprising<br />

or personal to <strong>the</strong> composer,” says<br />

Shapiro. “I try to find out what sort of<br />

music it is—What world am I in? I spend<br />

a lot of time just trying to let <strong>the</strong> music<br />

suggest things to me.” Shapiro, who<br />

has a great interest in <strong>the</strong> science,<br />

perception, and cognition of music,<br />

notes that a composer’s choices “offer<br />

a window into <strong>the</strong> mind.”<br />

Even when <strong>the</strong> conductor has a clear<br />

sense of <strong>the</strong> way he wants to interpret<br />

<strong>the</strong> music, rehearsals evoke new ideas.<br />

“The live performance is different from<br />

what you imagined,” says Shapiro. “I<br />

always try to be in front of <strong>the</strong> ensemble<br />

with a kind of open-minded attention.”<br />

D-E Orchestra to Go Abroad<br />

After all, he points out, <strong>the</strong> musicians<br />

bring <strong>the</strong>ir own strengths and<br />

experiences to bear. While he avoids<br />

listening to recordings of music he is<br />

going to undertake, Shapiro values<br />

<strong>the</strong> interplay between himself and his<br />

musicians. He says, “I think it’s great<br />

to get ideas from o<strong>the</strong>r people.”<br />

While Shapiro has worked with some<br />

amazing professionals—renowned<br />

singers Harolyn Blackwell and Barbara<br />

Dever among <strong>the</strong>m—he also works with<br />

highly talented but amateur groups.<br />

He notes, “I really enjoy working with<br />

ensembles and helping <strong>the</strong>m achieve<br />

more than <strong>the</strong>y thought <strong>the</strong>y could.<br />

That’s hugely rewarding.”<br />

Proximity to Great Works<br />

Shapiro grew up in a family that<br />

appreciated many kinds of music, from<br />

folk to opera. He took piano lessons in his<br />

youth and enjoyed singing in <strong>the</strong> chorus as<br />

a student at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>. At that time<br />

he didn’t know he would make a career in<br />

music. That didn’t come until later, at Yale<br />

University, where he started a small vocal<br />

ensemble and conducted pieces he knew<br />

from high school and college classes, along<br />

<strong>the</strong> way to earning his bachelor’s degree in<br />

music, summa cum laude. He went on to<br />

obtain diplomas in orchestral conducting<br />

from <strong>the</strong> École Normale de Musique in<br />

Paris, where <strong>the</strong> foundation in French he<br />

gained from D-E first proved its tremendous<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> musicians will have <strong>the</strong> opportunity to perform for<br />

new audiences and to experience <strong>the</strong> vibrant history and culture of<br />

London and its environs on an eight-day tour June 11–18.<br />

The trip includes sightseeing excursions to <strong>the</strong> Houses of Parliament,<br />

Buckingham Palace, <strong>the</strong> Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Windsor<br />

Castle, Stonehenge, Bath, and more. The orchestra will perform three<br />

concerts while abroad, one of <strong>the</strong>m in Banqueting House, <strong>the</strong> last surviving<br />

building from <strong>the</strong> Palace of Whitehall.<br />

Music Department faculty member John Littlefield explains how students<br />

were selected for <strong>the</strong> trip. “We held auditions in <strong>the</strong> fall, and 34 students<br />

were accepted to what we have titled <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> Touring<br />

Orchestra,” he says. The group will perform a number of pieces on <strong>the</strong>ir tour,<br />

including Mozart’s “Jupiter Symphony” (first movement), Ravel’s “Pavanne for<br />

a Dead Princess,” Dvorak’s “Czech Suite” (last movement), and Gershwin’s<br />

“Prelude No. 2.”<br />

usefulness, and <strong>the</strong> Peabody Conservatory,<br />

where he studied under <strong>the</strong> tutelage of<br />

Gustav Meier. Shapiro also holds a<br />

doctorate in choral conducting from<br />

Stonybrook University.<br />

He does not remember <strong>the</strong> first piece<br />

he conducted when he was just starting<br />

out, but he does remember tackling<br />

Beethoven’s epic 80-minute-long<br />

Missa Solemnis, a demanding, rarely<br />

performed masterwork that requires<br />

coordinating an orchestra, a chorus, and<br />

four vocal soloists. At <strong>the</strong> time it was an<br />

ambitious piece for his age and stage of<br />

development as a conductor. Shapiro<br />

calls it “one of <strong>the</strong> first mountains I felt<br />

I climbed” and “a game changer.”<br />

It is a masterpiece he still loves today.<br />

In fact, Shapiro feels that one of <strong>the</strong><br />

best things about his professional life is<br />

having <strong>the</strong> opportunity to put himself into<br />

<strong>the</strong> mindset of a great composer or into<br />

<strong>the</strong> world of an amazing piece of music.<br />

“There are a lot of rewards about <strong>the</strong><br />

work,” he says. “I think one of <strong>the</strong> things<br />

that actually comes right back to some of<br />

my experiences at <strong>Dwight</strong> is <strong>the</strong> proximity<br />

to greatness.” As a student, Shapiro<br />

remembers how exciting it was to be<br />

exposed to and to learn from great works<br />

of art—whe<strong>the</strong>r in literature, music,<br />

or <strong>the</strong> visual arts. Notes Shapiro, “The<br />

general respect for masterpieces was so<br />

much a part of <strong>the</strong> fabric of <strong>Dwight</strong> when<br />

I was <strong>the</strong>re—and I think is still <strong>the</strong>re.”<br />

The Annual Fund<br />

enhances excellence<br />

at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>.<br />

Give online at<br />

www.d-e.org<br />

Spring 2011<br />

11


A”RUNAWAY”SUCCESS<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

12<br />

The 2011 D-E Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> presented its 2011 Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon on March 2 at<br />

<strong>the</strong> Rockleigh Country Club, benefiting <strong>the</strong> Faculty & Staff Fund.<br />

Abiannual event that is<br />

hosted by <strong>the</strong> Special Events<br />

Committee of <strong>the</strong> D-E<br />

Development Office <strong>the</strong> Spring<br />

Fashion Show and Luncheon<br />

welcomed approximately 300<br />

guests and featured more than 50<br />

beautiful runway looks from Saks<br />

Fifth Avenue of The Shops at<br />

Riverside. Apparel from designers<br />

Armani Collezioni, Akris Punto,<br />

Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, and<br />

many more were showcased,<br />

ranging from must-have casual to<br />

stunning formal fashions.<br />

From left: Gretchen Walker of Saks Fifth<br />

Avenue, Associate Director of Development<br />

Bea Movsesian, and Lenora Klein and Robin<br />

Modell, co-chairs of <strong>the</strong> 2011 Fashion Show.<br />

The event included a special<br />

announcement and presentation of <strong>the</strong><br />

first-ever <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Community Achievement Award. Alexis<br />

Cooperman, a <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

parent, trustee, and dedicated volunteer,<br />

was honored by Karen Aboodi, president<br />

of <strong>the</strong> D-E Board of Trustees. Aboodi<br />

noted, “Alexis embodies an unflagging<br />

commitment to <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>, to<br />

making our <strong>School</strong> <strong>the</strong> best it can be.”<br />

Fashion Show guests had <strong>the</strong> opportunity<br />

to win several enticing raffle prizes,<br />

including Broadway tickets, gift baskets<br />

from local retailers and specialty shops,<br />

and tickets to professional sports events.<br />

A highlight of <strong>the</strong> event took place in <strong>the</strong><br />

days following, when D-E parent Rima<br />

Amirsaleh was <strong>the</strong> lucky winner of a pair<br />

of diamond and pearl Nini Earrings, valued<br />

at more than $11,000. Saks Fifth Avenue<br />

generously contributed <strong>the</strong> earrings for<br />

<strong>the</strong> raffle and gave <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong> 10% of all<br />

proceeds from sales at <strong>the</strong>ir Riverside<br />

store from March 2 through March 4.<br />

During <strong>the</strong> event and in <strong>the</strong> days following,<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong> Dr. Rodney De Jarnett<br />

expressed his sincere thanks to all those<br />

involved in <strong>the</strong> show’s tremendous<br />

success. “This event would not have been<br />

possible without <strong>the</strong> creativity, dedication,<br />

and literally hundreds of hours of time<br />

contributed by our exceptional Fashion<br />

Show volunteers and D-E staff members,”<br />

he said. “I wish to express my sincere,<br />

personal gratitude to both Lenora Klein<br />

and Robin Modell, our 2011 Fashion<br />

Show and Luncheon Committee co-chairs,<br />

for yet again planning and executing an<br />

incredible, memorable event. Lenora and<br />

Robin expertly managed a dedicated<br />

committee of Fashion Show volunteers,<br />

all of whom deserve our thanks.”<br />

Amber Sabathia and Kelly Spitzley (center)<br />

and <strong>the</strong>ir guests.<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong> Rodney De Jarnett, Alexis<br />

Cooperman, who received <strong>the</strong> Community<br />

Service Award, and Robin Modell and Lenora<br />

Klein, event co-chairs.<br />

Helen Herssens (center) with some of her guests.<br />

From left: Helen Jerome, Stephanie Wolfer,<br />

and Kathy Leventhal.


Spring 2011<br />

13


SWARTLEYGALLERY<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

14<br />

Where Art and Artists Flourish<br />

Swartley Gallery is a place where student and alumni artists show work and share ideas.<br />

“Off <strong>the</strong> Wall” Exhibit<br />

Showcases Works<br />

by Young Alumni<br />

Vivid, conceptual influences of street art<br />

were noted by visitors to “Off <strong>the</strong> Wall,”<br />

a special exhibit featuring works by<br />

young D-E alumni earlier this year in D-E’s<br />

Swartley Gallery. The artists “have been<br />

influenced by <strong>the</strong> urban landscape and<br />

culture that swirls around and within each of<br />

<strong>the</strong>m,” according to Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Department<br />

Chair Gregg Emery, who curated <strong>the</strong> show.<br />

Pieces by Joshua Williams ’02, Geobany<br />

“Bowz” Rodriguez ’00, and Veronique “Acet”<br />

Broussard ’00 leveraged digitally manipulated<br />

work, stencils, grafitti, and more traditional<br />

approaches to painting and drawing on ra<strong>the</strong>r<br />

untraditional surfaces. Emery noted in his<br />

exhibit remarks that “(All) use <strong>the</strong>ir personal,<br />

creative voices to speak <strong>the</strong>ir mind, share<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir story and make <strong>the</strong>ir individual mark<br />

upon <strong>the</strong> collective consciousness of this<br />

world on a local and global level.”<br />

Alumni Designers Share Ideas, Experience<br />

Erica Sellers ’08 and<br />

Seung Paik ’99<br />

stopped by <strong>the</strong><br />

Swartley Gallery recently<br />

to share <strong>the</strong>ir work with<br />

D-E students. Sellers is a<br />

junior at Rhode Island<br />

<strong>School</strong> of Design (RISD),<br />

and Seung graduated<br />

from RISD and has worked<br />

as a designer for lead<br />

corporate brands including<br />

Reebok, Nike, and Under<br />

Armour, to name a few.<br />

Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Chair Gregg<br />

Emery noted, “These<br />

young D-E alumni<br />

graciously contributed<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir time to visit our Innovative Design, AP Portfolio, and AP Studio Art classes.<br />

Our students were excited to have this chance to benefit from <strong>the</strong>ir expertise,<br />

viewpoints, and wonderful personalities.”<br />

Works by alumni artists were featured at <strong>the</strong> “Off <strong>the</strong> Wall” exhibit, showcasing urban-inspired <strong>the</strong>mes and media.<br />

Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Chair Gregg Emery (left) and faculty member<br />

Marisol Diaz (2nd from right) welcomed visiting young<br />

alumni Seung Paik ’99 and Erica Sellers ’08 to <strong>the</strong> arts<br />

center, where <strong>the</strong>y spoke to several AP classes.


D-E student artists ga<strong>the</strong>red for a photo at <strong>the</strong> opening reception for <strong>the</strong> Senior Spotlight Exhibit.<br />

This striking poster promoted <strong>the</strong> 2011 Senior Spotlight Exhibit in <strong>the</strong><br />

Swartley Gallery.<br />

Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Are Alive at D-E!<br />

To see more, and read <strong>the</strong> D-E Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Blog, visit www.d-e.org/arts!<br />

Katie Yook’s work “What’s <strong>the</strong> Best Nation?<br />

Donation.” won Best in Show at this year’s Senior<br />

Spotlight exhibit.<br />

Senior Art Spotlighted<br />

This year’s Senior Spotlight Exhibit featured<br />

painting, sculpture, and mixed media by<br />

students Jenny Lee ’11, Eunice Her ’11,<br />

Hadar Naftalovich ’11, and Katie Yook ’11. The<br />

show was curated by Shireen Kahn ’11. Katie<br />

Yook’s painting “What’s <strong>the</strong> Best Nation?<br />

Donation.” won Best in Show honors.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

15


REUNION2011<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

16<br />

Save <strong>the</strong> Date!<br />

June 3–5 is our 2011 Reunion and Commencement Weekend at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong>. For<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong>, <strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> for Boys, and D-E <strong>School</strong> graduates from class years ending in<br />

1 and 6, milestone year celebrations are also planned.<br />

A Reunion Preview<br />

This year’s Reunion includes a<br />

“Jazz Rock Jam” featuring<br />

Jazz Rock alumni and current<br />

instrumental students, and directed<br />

by Rob DeBellis; a Leggett Hall<br />

room dedication ceremony<br />

commemorating 40+ years of<br />

service of retiring English<br />

Department faculty member<br />

Frimi Sagan; and <strong>the</strong> traditional<br />

Reunion Soiree “under <strong>the</strong> tent”<br />

on Leggett Field.<br />

Special Honorees<br />

During <strong>the</strong> Reunion, Head of <strong>School</strong><br />

Dr. De Jarnett will be joined by special<br />

presenting guests to honor Robert<br />

Bakish ’81 and Karl Zimmermann ESB<br />

’61, winners of <strong>the</strong> 2011 Distinguished<br />

Alumni Award. Bob Bakish is president<br />

and CEO of Viacom International Media<br />

Networks. He will also be <strong>the</strong> graduation<br />

speaker for <strong>the</strong> Class of 2011 on<br />

Sunday, June 5. (See profile on page 4.)<br />

A writer, photographer, and lecturer, Karl<br />

Zimmermann is <strong>the</strong> author or co-author<br />

of 23 books. He has been published in<br />

magazines, with stories appearing in<br />

Travel & Leisure, Gourmet, Trains,<br />

Classic Trains, Americana and<br />

Passenger Train Journal (he served as<br />

contributing editor to both), Cruise Travel,<br />

Bon Appetit, Locomotive & Railway<br />

Preservation, and many o<strong>the</strong>rs. He is<br />

also a frequent contributor to <strong>the</strong> travel<br />

sections of newspapers across <strong>the</strong><br />

country including <strong>the</strong> New York Times,<br />

Washington Post, Los Angeles Times,<br />

Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, and


Chicago Sun-Times. On <strong>the</strong> web,<br />

Zimmermann has written a monthly<br />

column, “All Aboard!,” for trains.com<br />

and feature articles and news for<br />

expedia.com. He is an accomplished<br />

photographer; many hundreds of his<br />

photographs are in print—in both his<br />

own books and o<strong>the</strong>rs, and in <strong>the</strong><br />

aforementioned magazines and<br />

newspapers. After concluding a 25-year<br />

career as teacher and administrator in<br />

independent schools, including director<br />

of development at ESB and D-E from<br />

1965 to 1978, Zimmermann began in<br />

1990 an ongoing relationship with<br />

Browning Associates, a consulting firm<br />

that specializes in counseling schools<br />

on development and related matters.<br />

Zimmermann has served as lecturer,<br />

study leader, and tour host aboard <strong>the</strong><br />

GrandLuxe Express and for Smithsonian<br />

Associates and <strong>the</strong> Society of<br />

International Railway Travelers.<br />

The <strong>School</strong> will also recognize <strong>the</strong> 2011<br />

inductees into <strong>the</strong> D-E Athletic Hall of<br />

Fame. Baseball, basketball, and football<br />

player Robert Brisk ’76, is a former<br />

faculty member and served as Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong> principal at D-E from 1980 to<br />

1999. Susan Brisk Sharp D ’71 earned<br />

multiple varsity letters and was <strong>the</strong><br />

1971 MVP in field hockey, basketball,<br />

and lacrosse.<br />

Don’t Miss It!<br />

For an overview of all Reunion<br />

2011 events, please refer to <strong>the</strong><br />

inside back cover of this issue<br />

of D-E Today. To download <strong>the</strong><br />

official Reunion event invitation,<br />

review <strong>the</strong> schedule in more<br />

detail, or RSVP online, visit<br />

www.d-e.org/alumni or<br />

contact Alumni Director<br />

Maria Sanchez-Gardner ’78, at<br />

201-569-9500, ext. 3413, or<br />

email sanchm@d-e.org.<br />

Last year’s dinner cruise around Manhattan was a big hit at Reunion. This year all members of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Leggett-Umpleby Society are invited. See story below.<br />

Leggett-Umpleby Society Formed<br />

The Alumni Relations Council is very pleased and proud to announce<br />

<strong>the</strong> founding of <strong>the</strong> Leggett-Umpleby Society, a group for alumni and<br />

alumnae of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong>, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> for Boys and<br />

eventually <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> who have reached <strong>the</strong>ir 50th<br />

Reunion. If you graduated 50 years ago or more, you are automatically a<br />

member and invited to attend <strong>the</strong> Society’s events.<br />

According to Co-chairs Nancy Robin Jaicks D ’55 and Armand Pohan<br />

ESB ’60, <strong>the</strong> purpose of this society is to provide occasions for alumni and<br />

alumnae to ga<strong>the</strong>r and connect with each o<strong>the</strong>r. Whe<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong>se ga<strong>the</strong>rings<br />

are centered on art, music, or education, you can be sure <strong>the</strong>y will provide<br />

an opportunity to learn as well as spend time with old and new friends.<br />

The first event for <strong>the</strong> Leggett-Umpleby Society was a reception on April 8<br />

in Hulst House prior to this year’s final Head of <strong>School</strong> Series concert by<br />

315 East, our resident professional chamber ensemble. Approximately 25<br />

members of <strong>the</strong> Society were in attendance and enjoyed <strong>the</strong> reception with<br />

Dr. De Jarnett before <strong>the</strong> concert.<br />

As part of Reunion Weekend, Society members are invited to enjoy a<br />

dinner cruise around Manhattan, which is being sponsored by Co-Chair<br />

Armand Pohan. Register online for this event on <strong>the</strong> Reunion 2011<br />

reunion registration page at www.d-e.org/alumni or by contacting Maria<br />

Sanchez-Gardner by phone at 201-569-9500, ext. 3413, or by email at<br />

sanchm@d-e.org.<br />

More events will be scheduled for <strong>the</strong> fall. Says, Co-chair Nancy Robin Jaicks,<br />

“If you belong to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong> or ESB Class of 1961, or an earlier class, you’re<br />

in luck! We hope to see you at ga<strong>the</strong>rings of <strong>the</strong> Leggett-Umpleby Society.”<br />

For more information about <strong>the</strong> Leggett-Umpleby Society, please call<br />

Development Director Pat Boig at 201-569-9500, ext. 3411.<br />

Use your smartphone’s QR code reader to register and<br />

pay online for <strong>the</strong> upcoming Reunion.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

17


ARTSINOURCOMMUNITY<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

18<br />

“<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> students, faculty, and alumni took part in <strong>the</strong> annual fundraiser known<br />

as <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol at <strong>the</strong> Bergen Performing <strong>Arts</strong> Center. This year one of our own was <strong>the</strong><br />

winning contestant.<br />

Our Idol: Erica Butler ’11<br />

Absolutely shocked” are just<br />

some of <strong>the</strong> words that Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong> student vocalist Erica<br />

Butler ’11 still uses to describe how<br />

she felt when she learned that she<br />

had won <strong>the</strong> coveted title of 2011<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> Idol. Butler dazzled with<br />

her extraordinary performance of<br />

“Superwoman” and several o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

popular music hits before a sell-out<br />

crowd at <strong>the</strong> Bergen Performing <strong>Arts</strong><br />

Center on January 7, becoming <strong>the</strong><br />

first-ever student from <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> to be named as <strong>the</strong><br />

contest winner.<br />

Erica with her parents Eric (far left) and Iris<br />

Butler, and Alexander Diaz, Bergen PAC Director<br />

of Education (far right).<br />

Auditions for <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol are open<br />

to any high school student living in, or<br />

attending school in <strong>Englewood</strong>, NJ.<br />

Hundreds auditioned, and Erica was<br />

one of only 11 semi-finalists selected to<br />

perform. The popular competition<br />

benefits <strong>the</strong> Dr. John Grieco Scholarship<br />

Fund. (See Judy Aronson sidebar.)<br />

Erica, who names stars Alicia Keys and<br />

Jessie J as two of her favorite<br />

Erica performed with fellow D-E student Ethan First ’11 on guitar, for her winning performance in<br />

<strong>the</strong> 2011 <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol event.<br />

inspirations, has been singing solos and<br />

playing piano since she was 10, and is<br />

active in her church choir as well as in<br />

D-E’s own Jazz Rock ensemble. One of<br />

several in her family who sings, including<br />

her fa<strong>the</strong>r and older sister Dana<br />

Butler ’07, Erica speaks in a somewhat<br />

soft but strong voice. Singing, however,<br />

is ano<strong>the</strong>r matter. Her quiet demeanor<br />

in <strong>the</strong> classrooms and hallways of D-E<br />

is at odds with her incredible on-stage<br />

presence. She says, “With music, I can<br />

just let go…Music is my passion.”<br />

A D-E Lifer who still fondly remembers<br />

<strong>the</strong> Lower <strong>School</strong> principal greeting her<br />

each morning at drop-off, Erica says<br />

Math Department faculty member<br />

Shakeh Tashjian and Student Services<br />

Director Erika Raser are among those<br />

who have helped to mentor and support<br />

her during her education at <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />

Erica hopes to pursue a combined major<br />

of music and business when she begins<br />

college in <strong>the</strong> fall at George Washington<br />

University in Washington, DC.<br />

Since winning <strong>the</strong> title of 2011<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> Idol, Erica has been honored<br />

with invitations to sing at a number of<br />

local ga<strong>the</strong>rings, including an assembly<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Bergen Academies, and a recent<br />

meeting of <strong>the</strong> New Jersey State<br />

Legislature’s Tourism and <strong>the</strong> <strong>Arts</strong><br />

Committee. Following her moving,<br />

improvisational performance of


Erica takes a bow after her performance for a<br />

meeting of <strong>the</strong> New Jersey State Legislature’s<br />

Tourism and <strong>the</strong> <strong>Arts</strong> Committee.<br />

With an event as successful<br />

as <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol<br />

competition, you can bet<br />

that a number of people are working<br />

pretty hard behind <strong>the</strong> scenes. Judy<br />

Mitzman Aronson ’78 is one of <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

Aronson is a history teacher at both<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-Morrow High <strong>School</strong> and The<br />

Academies @ <strong>Englewood</strong> who helps<br />

to put on <strong>the</strong> event every year. (She<br />

is also a proud graduate of <strong>the</strong> Class<br />

of 1978, and counts D-E Alumni<br />

Director Maria Sanchez-Gardner ’78<br />

and D-E parent Linda Reiter ’78 “as<br />

some of my good friends.”) While<br />

music is a passion for <strong>the</strong> contestants,<br />

Aronson’s passion is clearly<br />

community building, which is<br />

a huge aspect of <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol.<br />

Aronson explains that <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol<br />

was <strong>the</strong> brainchild of community<br />

visionary John Landes, former president<br />

of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> Area Community<br />

Foundation. It was originally designed to<br />

bring toge<strong>the</strong>r students from three area<br />

high schools: The <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong>, <strong>Dwight</strong> Morrow High <strong>School</strong>, and<br />

<strong>the</strong> Academies @ <strong>Englewood</strong>. Today it is<br />

open to all high school students in<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>. Says Aronson, “<strong>Englewood</strong><br />

“You Raise Me Up” and “America <strong>the</strong><br />

Beautiful,” Assemblyman Mat<strong>the</strong>w<br />

W. Milam, <strong>the</strong> committee’s chairman,<br />

joked that he wished Erica could be<br />

available at regular 15-minute<br />

intervals to sing during <strong>the</strong> remainder<br />

of <strong>the</strong> meeting, to “keep <strong>the</strong><br />

committee inspired.”<br />

Contestants in <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol perform<br />

not just for <strong>the</strong> love of <strong>the</strong> stage, but<br />

also for prizes donated by local<br />

vendors. Past first place winners of<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol competition have<br />

been granted an all-day recording<br />

session at Bennett Studios in<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> coupled with cash prizes<br />

supported by <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> Area<br />

Community Foundation. In addition,<br />

this year’s <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol and 1st and<br />

2nd runners up will be awarded a Dr.<br />

John Grieco Scholarship. The “Idols”<br />

later perform both toge<strong>the</strong>r and as<br />

soloists at local area community<br />

centers, schools, and senior centers.<br />

Idol is more than a musical competition;<br />

it is a way for <strong>Englewood</strong>’s high school<br />

students to get to know each o<strong>the</strong>r on<br />

a different level, outside of school, and<br />

on <strong>the</strong>ir own terms. This event has<br />

become a great way for performing arts<br />

students and staff to get to know and<br />

trust each o<strong>the</strong>r.”<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> Idol is also <strong>the</strong> largest<br />

annual fundraiser for <strong>the</strong> Dr. John<br />

Grieco Scholarship Fund, which is<br />

named after <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> public<br />

school superintendent who spearheaded<br />

<strong>the</strong> creation of <strong>the</strong> Academies @<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> as well as o<strong>the</strong>r initiatives.<br />

Aronson is <strong>the</strong> founder and advisor to<br />

<strong>the</strong> fund. Organizers of <strong>the</strong> Idol event<br />

are students in <strong>the</strong> Dr. John Grieco<br />

Scholarship Fund elective and club,<br />

which focuses on teaching students<br />

all aspects of event management,<br />

from creating budgets to designing<br />

marketing plans to ticket and T-shirt<br />

sales to event production.<br />

Aronson, who lives in Tenafly with her<br />

husband, Mark, and children Jacob, Sam,<br />

Lizzie, and Molly, says that many people<br />

deserve credit for Idol’s success, notably<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> English teacher and<br />

D-E Well Represented<br />

at Idol Competition<br />

Judy Aronson ’78: Passionate for <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> Community<br />

At <strong>the</strong> 2011 <strong>Englewood</strong> Idol event, Erica<br />

Butler took top honors, but plenty of o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

D-E students performed at <strong>the</strong> show.<br />

Impressive performances by Gina Marie<br />

Enriquez ’14 and Brian Park ’12 placed <strong>the</strong>m<br />

among <strong>the</strong> 11 semi-finalists. Lexi Byron ’11,<br />

Kara Byron ’13, Zoe Oz ’13, Taylor Gilroy ’11,<br />

Danni Chalfin ’13, and Erica Klein ’11, who<br />

call <strong>the</strong>ir group SixChix, also performed as<br />

dancers and won <strong>the</strong> title of “Best Dance<br />

Crew.” In addition to <strong>the</strong>se performers, Ethan<br />

First ’11 provided musical accompaniment to<br />

Erica Butler; Michael Hajjar ’11 served as<br />

co-MC; and Alexander Koren ’12 and Andre<br />

Amirsaleh ’13 provided intermission juggling<br />

entertainment. Alan Brown, D-E Upper <strong>School</strong><br />

Dean and one of <strong>the</strong> many enthusiastic fans<br />

in <strong>the</strong> audience, called <strong>the</strong> performances<br />

“absolutely electrifying. This was a great night<br />

for <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong>!”<br />

Dance Club advisor Vicky Frankel, who<br />

lends her choreographic talents to <strong>the</strong><br />

competition. She says, “The program<br />

[continues to thrive] with incredible<br />

support from people like Vicky Frankel,<br />

and both donated and in-kind support<br />

from organizations such as <strong>the</strong> Bergen<br />

PAC, <strong>Englewood</strong> Area Community<br />

Foundation, The Community Chest, TD<br />

Bank, Bennett Studios, and a number<br />

of o<strong>the</strong>r local, dedicated organizations<br />

and businesses.”<br />

The approximately $5,000 raised by <strong>the</strong><br />

event this year is indeed a big reward, but<br />

it’s not <strong>the</strong> only one for Aronson. She<br />

relishes <strong>the</strong> idea that Idol brings students<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r. “When performers are on stage,<br />

it is of course great fun for <strong>the</strong>m, but it’s<br />

also a blast to be cheering from <strong>the</strong><br />

audience,” she says. “At <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong><br />

evening you vote for <strong>the</strong> winner. An<br />

invisible bond forms as <strong>the</strong> evening goes<br />

on. Kids realize that even though <strong>the</strong>y<br />

attend different schools <strong>the</strong>y have a lot in<br />

common. There’s this magic that takes<br />

over as <strong>the</strong> evening goes on, and by <strong>the</strong><br />

time <strong>the</strong> Idol is crowned, everyone is on<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir feet cheering for <strong>the</strong> winner, no<br />

matter what school <strong>the</strong>y go to. I love<br />

that moment.”<br />

Spring 2011<br />

19


CULTURALDIVERSITY<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

20<br />

The Art of <strong>Celebrating</strong> Cultural Diversity<br />

Two events held this spring at D-E and presented in part by <strong>the</strong> newly created Office of Multicultural<br />

Initiatives did an effective job of showing how differences can be a beautiful thing.<br />

Cultural Showcase Inspires<br />

Aspecial assembly held on <strong>the</strong> eve of <strong>the</strong> 2011 Spring Break showcased <strong>the</strong><br />

incredibly rich array of diversity found within <strong>the</strong> D-E <strong>School</strong> community.<br />

Featuring all Upper <strong>School</strong> students in memorable vocal, dance, poetry,<br />

spoken word, and instrumental performances, <strong>the</strong> first annual INSPIRE Multi-<br />

Cultural Showcase took place in Schenck Auditorium and<br />

left a vivid impression.<br />

In <strong>the</strong> opening words of one of <strong>the</strong> INSPIRE Club presenters, Jay Kapur ’11 noted<br />

that <strong>the</strong> club hopes to “provide education, improve communications and sponsor<br />

celebrations for all members of <strong>the</strong> D-E community, [believing] that we can work<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r to create an environment of respect, trust, equity and justice.”<br />

Danny Chang ’12 (left) and Alberto Jimenez ’13<br />

performed “Hembra,” a Peruvian song, at an<br />

assembly showcasing D-E’s cultural diversity.<br />

Rachna Agarwal ’12, ano<strong>the</strong>r INSPIRE<br />

club member, stated that <strong>the</strong> assembly<br />

was “intended to be more than a show<br />

of talent. Our goal [was] to expose us to<br />

that special something that comes from<br />

sharing one's culture with o<strong>the</strong>rs.”<br />

Assembly program highlights included<br />

a soulful rendition of “Drunken<br />

Confessions,” performed by US students<br />

Brian Park ’12 and Justin Kim ’11; a<br />

Peruvian guitar duet; and a dance<br />

segment based on <strong>the</strong> song “Waka<br />

Waka” from <strong>the</strong> 2010 FIFA World Cup.<br />

Student Gillian Garcia ’13 recited a<br />

beautiful poem titled “The Children of<br />

Cuban Exiles” by Sonia Guerra, and<br />

Ariella Witter ’13 shared her own<br />

compellingly personal perspective on<br />

“<strong>the</strong> browning of America” in a narrative<br />

entitled “My Modern Family.” Witter’s<br />

family heritage is Jamaican, Chinese,<br />

and Puerto Rican.<br />

Clinton Carbon, INSPIRE Club faculty advisor and director of <strong>the</strong> D-E Office<br />

of Multicultural Initiatives, praised <strong>the</strong> students and faculty who worked so many<br />

hours to put <strong>the</strong> assembly toge<strong>the</strong>r. He says, “We definitely achieved our goal to<br />

celebrate and honor <strong>the</strong> soul and spirit of members of our community.”<br />

INSPIRE President<br />

Honored<br />

Debbie Marie Rivera ’11 is one of<br />

only 24 Bergen County students<br />

to be recognized with a 2011<br />

Youth Certificate of Merit from <strong>the</strong><br />

Dr. Martin Lu<strong>the</strong>r King, Jr. Birthday<br />

Observance Committee of Bergen County.<br />

Debbie Rivera with Sen. Robert Menendez,<br />

who visited D-E for <strong>the</strong> INSPIRE Club’s<br />

Hispanic Heritage Recognition Assembly in<br />

October.<br />

Nominated by <strong>the</strong> D-E Office of<br />

Multicultural Initiatives, Debbie received<br />

her award at a program on January 17 at<br />

Temple Emeth in Teaneck, also receiving<br />

at that time several certificates of<br />

recognition from New Jersey officials,<br />

including <strong>the</strong> Bergen County Executive’s<br />

Office and U.S. Congressman Steve<br />

Rothman. The award program highlights<br />

outstanding academic achievement and<br />

service to school and community, that<br />

goes beyond membership and which<br />

exemplifies <strong>the</strong> ideals of Dr. King.


Debbie Rivera ’11 at <strong>the</strong> MLK Honors event, with her D-E mentors including Clinton Carbon,<br />

director of <strong>the</strong> D-E Office of Multicultural Initiatives (2nd from left), and Joseph Murphy, chair of<br />

<strong>the</strong> D-E Ethics Department (far right).<br />

Debbie was nominated for her<br />

outstanding work in revitalizing INSPIRE,<br />

<strong>the</strong> D-E student diversity club; her<br />

participation on <strong>the</strong> D-E Hearing Council<br />

(for which she was elected by her fellow<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> students and faculty/staff<br />

members); her participation as a<br />

member of <strong>the</strong> D-E contingency to <strong>the</strong><br />

NAIS Student Diversity Leadership<br />

Conference in December 2010; and,<br />

finally, her work with her church as a<br />

Sunday <strong>School</strong> teacher and volunteer<br />

with New Jersey SEEDS. Debbie is also a<br />

senior-freshmen mentor to an advisory of<br />

students, and she has been manager for<br />

<strong>the</strong> volleyball team since freshman year.<br />

Clinton L. Carbon, director of <strong>the</strong> Office<br />

of Multicultural Initiatives, noted,<br />

“Debbie is a student who personifies our<br />

Profile of a Graduate, and, frankly, all <strong>the</strong><br />

ideals of Dr. King's work. Whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />

considering Debbie’s work with <strong>the</strong><br />

INSPIRE club throughout this entire year<br />

with compelling events, or her everyday,<br />

cheerful disposition, Debbie works hard<br />

to welcome all students. She is a<br />

wonderful ambassador for our school,<br />

and she believes in working on special<br />

initiatives that will have a future life<br />

within our community.”<br />

Debbie says, “I stand strong for promoting<br />

differences amongst our student body,<br />

and I think that it is very important to<br />

educate each o<strong>the</strong>r about what we each<br />

represent. I have been involved in<br />

diversity clubs since middle school and<br />

participated in conferences such as <strong>the</strong><br />

Young Latina Conference by Latinas<br />

United in Political Power and <strong>the</strong> annual<br />

Teens Talk About Racism with Marianne<br />

Murphy (wife of Ethics Department faculty<br />

member Joe Murphy). One of <strong>the</strong> things<br />

that I’ve been particularly involved in<br />

shaping is INSPIRE, <strong>the</strong> new version of<br />

<strong>the</strong> diversity club, and <strong>the</strong> Diversity<br />

Steering Committee with students and<br />

faculty. INSPIRE is my favorite club on<br />

campus and although it is a new club,<br />

I see it being a strong establishment<br />

many, many years from now.”<br />

Debbie says that her motivation on<br />

diversity issues comes in part from her<br />

family circumstances as “a firstgeneration<br />

daughter of an immigrant<br />

family.” She notes, “I will be <strong>the</strong> first<br />

one in my home to graduate from high<br />

school and go on to college.”<br />

Last fall, Debbie began organizing an<br />

assembly for Hispanic Heritage month.<br />

Held at <strong>the</strong> beginning of October, <strong>the</strong><br />

assembly featured a speech by U.S.<br />

Senator Robert Menendez, <strong>the</strong> only<br />

Latino senator and chairman of <strong>the</strong><br />

Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force.<br />

(He is also <strong>the</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r of D-E graduate<br />

Alicia Menendez ’01.) Debbie, who<br />

hopes to work in <strong>the</strong> government<br />

someday was thrilled when Sen.<br />

Menendez agreed to participate. “I<br />

was so surprised and extremely excited<br />

about his presence because he is a<br />

Latino I look up to and admire as a<br />

politician,” she says.<br />

As INSPIRE’s president, Debbie also<br />

helped to organize <strong>the</strong> club’s recent<br />

assembly that showcased cultural<br />

differences within <strong>the</strong> D-E community.<br />

She says, “The Spring INSPIRE Assembly<br />

was also a labor of love.”<br />

Next fall Debbie is headed to<br />

Washington, DC, to join <strong>the</strong> prestigious<br />

Georgetown University Scholars Program,<br />

where she will begin her college studies<br />

in political science.<br />

A “Beautiful” Book<br />

Reading<br />

In an event jointly sponsored by <strong>the</strong> D-E<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> student group Circle of<br />

Women and <strong>the</strong> Office of Multicultural<br />

Initiatives, author Rosie Molinary presented<br />

her book, Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to<br />

Radical Self-Acceptance.<br />

The book Beautiful You: A<br />

Daily Guide to Radical Self-<br />

Acceptance was featured in a<br />

D-E community reading by<br />

visiting author Rosie Molinary.<br />

Reading<br />

select<br />

passages<br />

to a large,<br />

attentive<br />

group of D-E<br />

students,<br />

teachers, and<br />

staff at <strong>the</strong><br />

Imperatore<br />

Library,<br />

Molinary<br />

outlined how<br />

her book can<br />

help readers<br />

to “discover<br />

365 ways<br />

to shore<br />

up <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

confidence, encourage self-awareness,<br />

and get reacquainted with <strong>the</strong>ir beautiful,<br />

brilliant selves.”<br />

Marisol Diaz, D-E visual arts faculty<br />

member and advisor to Circle of Women,<br />

remarked, “Beautiful You is an action plan<br />

to give women what <strong>the</strong>y need to champion<br />

and fully live <strong>the</strong>ir own lives, coaching<br />

<strong>the</strong>m into <strong>the</strong> most extraordinary—and<br />

necessary—habit of treating <strong>the</strong>ir whole<br />

selves well.”<br />

Molinary’s presentation drew from her<br />

personal experience, as she described<br />

herself as “a Latina, Gringa, daughter,<br />

sister.” In a PowerPoint presentation,<br />

Molinary provided intriguing before and<br />

after slides that demonstrated how<br />

supermodels and celebrities need<br />

“hours of preparation” in order to fulfill<br />

contemporary society’s hyper-inflated<br />

standards of physical perfection.<br />

Clinton L. Carbon, director of <strong>the</strong> D-E<br />

Office of Multicultural Initiatives, noted,<br />

“[We] were very pleased to sponsor<br />

Ms. Molinary for this reading. Her work<br />

is inspirational [and] informative, and<br />

her topic could not be more timely for<br />

students and faculty of both genders<br />

and all races.”<br />

Spring 2011<br />

21


LITERARYARTS<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

22<br />

Calliope Showcases Students’ Creativity<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>’s award-winning literary magazine is a labor of love for its editors and a<br />

treasure for <strong>the</strong> entire community.<br />

Every spring brings a new edition<br />

of Calliope, <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>’s<br />

literary magazine. Chock full of<br />

poetry, prose, photography, and<br />

various kinds of artwork, Calliope is<br />

a showcase for student writers and<br />

artists. It also represents a year’s<br />

worth of work on <strong>the</strong> part of <strong>the</strong><br />

member students who meet weekly<br />

throughout <strong>the</strong> year to critique and<br />

cull submissions. Steve Petkus, <strong>the</strong><br />

magazine’s faculty advisor, notes that<br />

Calliope members take <strong>the</strong>ir role of<br />

“workshopping” submissions very<br />

seriously. During review, names are<br />

withheld in an effort to foster a nonbiased<br />

environment. The students’<br />

efforts produce a quality publication<br />

that has been recognized with<br />

numerous awards over <strong>the</strong> years.<br />

From its humble origins to its glory<br />

today, Calliope has inspired and<br />

influenced many creative alumni,<br />

including some who have gone on<br />

to literary or artistic careers.<br />

A Long History<br />

Calliope’s roots go back to <strong>the</strong> early years<br />

of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong> and a publication<br />

called <strong>Dwight</strong>onia, which was a<br />

combination of <strong>the</strong> official graduation<br />

program, alumnae news, and literary<br />

magazine. Then in 1949 The Scribblers<br />

was established as an honorary<br />

association sponsored by <strong>the</strong> English<br />

Department. Seven senior girls were<br />

chosen to meet, discuss plays/books, and<br />

read <strong>the</strong>ir own literary works. There was<br />

a prose and poetry contest for <strong>the</strong> entire<br />

school and later a revival of an “honor<br />

book” containing what were considered<br />

to be outstanding compositions. In<br />

approximately <strong>the</strong> same timeframe, <strong>the</strong><br />

A sampling of some of Calliope’s creative covers over <strong>the</strong> years.


monthly <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong> newspaper called<br />

The Penton reported news on <strong>the</strong> school<br />

events. Then in 1958 Calliope was<br />

established, replacing The Penton and<br />

incorporating <strong>the</strong> literary works of <strong>the</strong><br />

student body.<br />

The modern era of Calliope might be<br />

said to have begun in 1973, when<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong> merged with <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> for Boys and a<br />

relatively new faculty member named<br />

Frimi Sagan became <strong>the</strong> advisor.<br />

Sagan’s 15-year tenure would see<br />

Calliope grow in size, scope, and<br />

quality. “When we started, it was a<br />

small pamphlet with only an occasional<br />

sketch,” notes Sagan. “When <strong>the</strong><br />

schools merged, it became ambitious!<br />

We decided to ask students to contribute<br />

artwork. We [also] decided to make it<br />

much more comprehensive.”<br />

More than a<br />

Few Awards<br />

In <strong>the</strong> 1980s, Calliope became a<br />

member of <strong>the</strong> Columbia Scholastic<br />

Press Association (CSPA), an<br />

organization that is affiliated with <strong>the</strong><br />

Columbia University <strong>School</strong> of<br />

Journalism and that promotes quality<br />

in student publications. D-E students<br />

took a big step toward putting toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />

a polished literary magazine, and editors<br />

began to take <strong>the</strong>ir work very seriously.<br />

Notes Sagan, “They had to learn how to<br />

be tactful without destroying ambition<br />

of <strong>the</strong> writers and <strong>the</strong> poets. We all<br />

were crazy about <strong>the</strong> magazine and<br />

utterly committed.”<br />

Student editors began submitting<br />

Calliope to CSPA for both rated critiques<br />

and entry into a separate national<br />

competition. Calliope has done extremely<br />

well in recent decades in <strong>the</strong> critique<br />

category, earning Silver Medalist<br />

certificates from 2000 to 2003 and Gold<br />

Medalist certificates seven years in a<br />

row, from 2004 to 2010. In addition, <strong>the</strong><br />

magazine has earned awards at <strong>the</strong><br />

national level in what <strong>the</strong> CSPA calls <strong>the</strong><br />

"Crown Awards.” Frimi Sagan remembers<br />

what it was like when Calliope received<br />

its very first awards: “We practically<br />

threw ourselves out of <strong>the</strong> window!<br />

What an affirmation of our efforts.”<br />

Many of <strong>the</strong> awards came during <strong>the</strong><br />

tenure of Nancy Melser, who took over in<br />

<strong>the</strong> late 1980s, and more recently with<br />

Debbie Minsky as faculty advisor.<br />

A Profound Impact<br />

Calliope has had a profound impact on<br />

many alumni who have gone on to creative<br />

careers. Diane Barzman Heiman ’76,<br />

author of See What You Can Be: Explore<br />

Careers That Could Be for You! (American<br />

Girl Library), is a former editor of Calliope.<br />

“Mrs. Sagan, through her gentle<br />

enthusiasm, nurturing comments, and<br />

insightful support gave me courage to<br />

submit my poems and essays to Calliope,”<br />

she notes. “To see my own words in print,<br />

when I felt vulnerable, was so affirming.<br />

Calliope started me on my present career.”<br />

Mark Shapiro ’77, an opera, choral, and<br />

orchestral conductor (see Alumni Profile<br />

Frimi Sagan Retiring after 43 Years<br />

Frimi Sagan and students, in a moment<br />

that has been replayed hundreds of<br />

times in <strong>the</strong> English classrooms of<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>.<br />

on p. 10), has fond memories of coediting<br />

Calliope, and also contributing.<br />

“Working on <strong>the</strong> magazine helped me<br />

cultivate a sensitivity to language and<br />

poetry that has been useful in my<br />

subsequent work as a conductor of vocal<br />

music,” he says. “The skill set needed to<br />

produce <strong>the</strong> magazine—working with a<br />

team to coordinate a multiplicity of<br />

elements in time to meet a deadline—<br />

has also been invaluable.”<br />

Artist Mat<strong>the</strong>w Weinstein ’82, whose<br />

works can be found in public and private<br />

collections around <strong>the</strong> world, notes,<br />

“I wrote some very, very bad poetry for<br />

Calliope. But I grew up to make some very<br />

good art, and this is where it started.”<br />

Nurturing Calliope to become <strong>the</strong> awardwinning<br />

publication it is today is just<br />

one part of <strong>the</strong> legacy of English<br />

Department faculty member Frimi Sagan, who<br />

will be retiring from <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> at <strong>the</strong><br />

end of <strong>the</strong> school year, after 43 years of<br />

teaching.<br />

It is no exaggeration to say that she has had<br />

an impact on <strong>the</strong> lives of literally thousands of<br />

D-E alumni, nurturing students’ love for great<br />

literature, streng<strong>the</strong>ning <strong>the</strong>ir ability to read,<br />

think, and write critically, and personally living<br />

our <strong>School</strong> mission by fostering a passion for<br />

life-long learning. She will always be<br />

remembered for her wonderful smile,<br />

encouraging manner and voice, and for her<br />

famous Russian literature course. Soroya Zarghami Gage ’79, a news writer and<br />

producer for NBC Universal News (and a former editor of Calliope) attests that reading<br />

Anna Karenina in that class changed her life. “With <strong>the</strong> modest whisper of a <strong>the</strong>rapist<br />

and <strong>the</strong> neutrality of a ma<strong>the</strong>matician, she guided me through lust, murder, betrayal,<br />

jealousy and revenge,” she says of Sagan. “She suggested that adult life was going to<br />

be very interesting and, thanks to her, it is.”<br />

Claudia Weinstein ’78, a producer and writer for 60 Minutes and member of Calliope,<br />

also remembers Sagan’s influence. She says, “My memories of this class and Mrs.<br />

Sagan aren’t just about being 16 and reading a great book, but also about being<br />

guided by a teacher of such kindness, intellect, grace, and encouragement—a person<br />

who valued our minds, encouraged us to do <strong>the</strong> same, and showed us we had <strong>the</strong><br />

intellectual stamina to stand on our own, voice our opinions, and move forward into<br />

<strong>the</strong> world.”<br />

A special celebration honoring Frimi Sagan’s service to <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong> will take place<br />

during <strong>the</strong> 2011 Reunion Weekend. We will ga<strong>the</strong>r at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June<br />

4, in Hulst House. The dedication of <strong>the</strong> Frimi Sagan Classroom will follow<br />

immediately <strong>the</strong>reafter in Leggett Hall. We welcome and encourage members of <strong>the</strong><br />

D-E community to share <strong>the</strong>ir memories and tributes about Frimi for <strong>the</strong>se events,<br />

and for future publication. To submit a tribute or for more information about Reunion<br />

Weekend events, please email Alumni Director Maria Sanchez-Gardner ’78 at<br />

sanchm@d-e.org.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

23


<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

24<br />

ALUMNIHAPPENINGS<br />

From <strong>the</strong> traditional Alumni Holiday Party in New York to smaller ga<strong>the</strong>rings, including a pizza<br />

party in Washington, DC, for young alumni, various social events for D-E alumni provided casual,<br />

memorable opportunities to catch up with fellow classmates, friends, and faculty members.<br />

Alumni involvement in on-campus events greatly benefited educational and community initiatives<br />

at <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>. For Reunion 2011 information and o<strong>the</strong>r upcoming alumni events, please visit<br />

www.d-e.org/alumni.<br />

Young Alumni DC Dinner<br />

Young alumni based in Washington, DC, ga<strong>the</strong>red for a pizza party with<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong> Dr. De Jarnett (left), Upper <strong>School</strong> Principal Joseph<br />

Algrant (back center), and Lower <strong>School</strong> Principal Peter Davies (right).<br />

Director of Development & Alumni Relations Pat Boig also attended.<br />

Annual Jazz Rock/<br />

Alumni Faculty Lunch<br />

Alumni came toge<strong>the</strong>r for <strong>the</strong> traditional pre-Winter Break Jazz Rock<br />

performance and luncheon in <strong>the</strong> dining hall.<br />

Alumni-Faculty Holiday Party<br />

From left: Jordan Yuelys ’78, Kris Kossmann ’80, Paul Marber ’78,<br />

Bruce Sheckowitz ’78, and “Cici” Kossmann Wilkinson ’80, who<br />

graciously hosted <strong>the</strong> party in her home.<br />

From left, former English Department faculty member John<br />

Brancato, Alison Desir ’03, ARC Chair Mark Jerome ’85, and<br />

Helen Jerome.


Alumni Share Advice about <strong>Arts</strong> Careers<br />

Maintaining your passion<br />

through every rejection…<br />

Always believing in your<br />

personal creativity…Understanding<br />

<strong>the</strong> psyche of perennial optimist<br />

SpongeBob Square Pants…<br />

These were just some of <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>mes<br />

eight <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> alumni in artsrelated<br />

careers conveyed to students<br />

this April as part of <strong>the</strong> “Spark an IDEA”<br />

<strong>Arts</strong> Festival. IDEA is a student-created<br />

organization that stands for Intensifying<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>Arts</strong>. Working primarily<br />

with Development & Alumni Relations<br />

Director Pat Boig and Alumni Director<br />

Maria Sanchez-Gardner ’78, students<br />

drew upon <strong>the</strong> tremendous resource that<br />

is <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>’s alumni population<br />

to create an event in which professionals<br />

could share <strong>the</strong>ir experiences with<br />

students. The eight alumni guests spoke<br />

in both small group discussions and large<br />

assembly presentations. O<strong>the</strong>r highlights<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Festival included performances<br />

in which <strong>the</strong> alumni showcased <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

instrumental and vocal talents (see<br />

photos), and a highly appreciated video<br />

sneak preview of upcoming Nickelodeon<br />

Channel programs, provided by President<br />

Cyma Zarghami ’80. A brief Q & A<br />

session followed each presentation,<br />

which for many was <strong>the</strong> best part of <strong>the</strong><br />

entire event.<br />

According to Michael Hajjar ’11,<br />

President of IDEA, <strong>the</strong> festival was <strong>the</strong><br />

result of nine months of planning. He<br />

noted, “Our goal was to encourage more<br />

students involved in <strong>the</strong> artistic realm in<br />

and outside of D-E. We want students to<br />

realize that alumni, who may have<br />

participated in <strong>the</strong> arts while attending<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong>, now work in<br />

<strong>the</strong> arts world and have interesting<br />

careers and lives.”<br />

Cyma Zarghami ’80 spoke with students following<br />

her assembly presentation in Schenck Auditorium.<br />

Alumni Presenters at <strong>the</strong><br />

“Spark an IDEA” <strong>Arts</strong> Festival<br />

Laurie Woodrow ’78<br />

Executive Vice President, Fierce<br />

Entertainment, Los Angeles, CA<br />

Woodrow has 20 years experience in<br />

international film distribution and<br />

specializes in acquisitions and worldwide<br />

distribution of all types of films including<br />

major film titles as well as award-winning<br />

festival films.<br />

Laurie Woodrow ’78 discussed her career<br />

in film production and her background in<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r areas of <strong>the</strong> fine arts, including her<br />

experience as a Guggenheim Museum intern.<br />

Paul Lucas ’79<br />

Principal, Paul Lucas Productions<br />

Lucas produces and manages plays and<br />

readings in New York and Edinburgh,<br />

Scotland. This year he is proud to be<br />

producing A Conversation with Edith<br />

Head, Dai (Enough), and Woody Sez on<br />

<strong>the</strong> Fringe as well as several o<strong>the</strong>r works.<br />

Cyma Zarghami ’80<br />

President, Nickelodeon and MTV<br />

Networks’ Kids & Family Group<br />

Zarghami, a recipient of <strong>the</strong><br />

Distinguished Alumni Award of <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong>, joined Nickelodeon<br />

in 1985 and became <strong>the</strong> channel’s<br />

general manager in 1996 overseeing<br />

all aspects of programming, scheduling,<br />

acquisitions, marketing and<br />

management of <strong>the</strong> network. In 2006,<br />

she was promoted to president of <strong>the</strong><br />

Kids & Family Group, which includes<br />

Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Movies,<br />

Noggin, The N, and Nicktoons Network.<br />

Sabrina Peck ’80<br />

Director, Choreographer,<br />

Performing <strong>Arts</strong> Faculty<br />

A recipient of <strong>the</strong> D-E Distinguished<br />

Alumni Award, Peck conceives, directs,<br />

and choreographs original <strong>the</strong>ater<br />

works infused with movement and<br />

music. Recent works include Waiting,<br />

with former Bosnian refugees at Wave<br />

Hill Gardens in New York; and To <strong>the</strong><br />

River, with 40 children from Hell’s<br />

Kitchen. As a director, Peck likes to<br />

collaborate with playwrights, and recently<br />

she and playwright Chiori Miyagawa<br />

conceived and developed The Antigone<br />

Project, a re-imagining of <strong>the</strong> Sophocles<br />

play by five contemporary women. Peck<br />

initiated <strong>the</strong> City Steps, NYC’s public<br />

school arts program. She recently<br />

choreographed The Clean House at<br />

Lincoln Center Theater.<br />

Sabrina Peck ’80 (left) discussed dance and<br />

creative movement with Michael Hajjar ’11<br />

(IDEA Club president) and Upper <strong>School</strong><br />

faculty member Vicky Frankel.<br />

Andrew Burton ’83<br />

Keyboardist, vocalist, and composer<br />

Burton has been a member of bands<br />

that have signed with major record<br />

companies and has performed at <strong>the</strong><br />

Beacon Theatre, Radio City, Carnegie<br />

Hall and on The Craig Ferguson Show,<br />

PBS, and <strong>the</strong> Jools Holland Show. He has<br />

toured four different continents and has<br />

arranged, recorded for, and appeared<br />

with bands for major artists including<br />

Robert Plant, Ian Hunter, and Nils<br />

Lofgren. He has also played music for<br />

major films like Revolutionary Road.<br />

He currently owns and operates his own<br />

project studio in Hoboken called Tannery<br />

Row Recording, which is known for its<br />

vintage keyboard equipment.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

25


ALUMNIHAPPENINGS<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

26<br />

Members of <strong>the</strong> IDEA Club ga<strong>the</strong>red with Sidd Khosla ’94 (3rd from left) following his presentation,<br />

which included a moving performance of his song “Today It’s Friday.” Also pictured are language<br />

arts faculty member Dori Levin ’93 (4th from left) and Alumni Director Maria Sanchez-Gardner ’78.<br />

Chip Thomas ’99 provided a brief but very<br />

well-received riff during his remarks about<br />

playing drums with and managing PaperDoll.<br />

Chip Thomas ’99<br />

Musician, PaperDoll, rock band<br />

Thomas is a member of <strong>the</strong> indie rock<br />

band PaperDoll, which is based in New<br />

York City. The band gained national<br />

attention in <strong>the</strong> U.S. in early 2010 when<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir song “If Nothing Happened” was<br />

featured in a national TV commercial for<br />

Vick’s Dayquil. The same song was also<br />

named in Blender’s “Five Songs We<br />

Love” in March 2010. He currently is also<br />

working for a start -up music company,<br />

Nxtm, LLC, formerly an MTV entity.<br />

Clients include Taylor Swift, Justin<br />

Timberlake, and many indie bands.<br />

The Schmid Pavilion Campaign Update<br />

When Chris Schmid decided to retire from coaching<br />

last year after 33 very successful years, a group of his<br />

former players wanted to find a way to honor “Schmiddy”<br />

for all that he has done for generations of young people at D-E.<br />

Toward that end, a volunteer committee led by Jay Agresta ’84,<br />

Stephen Borg ’86, Ryan Goodman ’01, Mike Kopko ’03, Michael<br />

Malhame ’88, and Paul Marber ’78 announced <strong>the</strong>ir intention to<br />

build <strong>the</strong> Schmid Pavilion on Solomon Field. This pavilion will provide<br />

a covered area for fans and athletes to ga<strong>the</strong>r both before and<br />

after games. The campaign for <strong>the</strong> pavilion has begun and to date,<br />

approximately $65,000 has been raised from soccer alumni and<br />

friends of Schmiddy toward a goal of $150,000. The great news<br />

for D-E is that Schmiddy only retired from coaching soccer.<br />

Fortunately for students at D-E, he remains very active at <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> as Middle <strong>School</strong> athletic director and head of <strong>the</strong> Physical<br />

Education Department.<br />

The Committee is committed to raising <strong>the</strong> remainder of <strong>the</strong> funding<br />

needed for <strong>the</strong> pavilion. For more information, please call Pat Boig or<br />

Maria Sanchez-Gardner in <strong>the</strong> Development and Alumni Relations<br />

Office at 201-569-9500, ext. 3411 or 3413 respectively. To make a<br />

gift to <strong>the</strong> campaign, you may do so online at www.d-e.org/schmid.<br />

Sidd Khosla ’94<br />

Lead Vocalist and Musician, Goldspot,<br />

rock band<br />

Khosla founded <strong>the</strong> band Goldspot in<br />

1999 in Los Angeles and since <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>y<br />

have recorded two albums. Tally of <strong>the</strong><br />

Yes Men, which was released in 2007,<br />

and And <strong>the</strong> Elephant is Dancing, which<br />

was released last fall, have both been<br />

very successful. He also has branched<br />

into writing music for soundtracks<br />

including <strong>the</strong> film Today’s Special,<br />

which was released last fall.<br />

Jesse Mills ’97<br />

Violinist<br />

A Juilliard graduate, Mills has performed<br />

in prestigious venues throughout <strong>the</strong><br />

U.S., Canada, and Europe, including<br />

London, Vienna, Paris, Amsterdam,<br />

Milan, Dresden, and Brussels. Two time<br />

Grammy-nominated Mills is known as a<br />

pioneer of contemporary works, a<br />

renowned improvisational artist, as well<br />

as a composer. He is a member of Duo<br />

Prism, an ensemble that plays a full<br />

spectrum of works composed for piano<br />

and violin duo and which won first prize<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Zinetti International Competition<br />

in Italy in 2006. Mills also regularly<br />

appears with 315 East, D-E’s resident<br />

professional chamber ensemble, which<br />

performs in <strong>the</strong> Head of <strong>School</strong> Series.


Spring 2011<br />

27


28<br />

Members of <strong>the</strong> D-E community exemplify <strong>the</strong> Core Value of “community” every day. Here are just a<br />

few examples of our student and faculty members’ recent initiatives and notable accomplishments.<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> STUDENTSTANDOUTS&FACULTYENDEAVORS<br />

Olivia Guidera ’11 (center) with Coaches Kim Franco and Michelle Carstens, after <strong>the</strong> North Jersey Field Hockey Coaches Association senior<br />

showcase game.<br />

Olivia Guidera ’11<br />

The milestones just kept coming<br />

this winter for miler Olivia Guidera<br />

’11, who made D-E <strong>School</strong> history<br />

in February by becoming <strong>the</strong> first <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> athlete to medal in a State<br />

Group championship. In <strong>the</strong> Non-Public<br />

B Girls 1600-meter run, Olivia made a<br />

final lap charge, sweeping past her four<br />

opponents for a finish that took sixth<br />

place in <strong>the</strong> race, knocked six seconds<br />

off her best time, and qualified her for<br />

<strong>the</strong> NJ Indoor State Meet of Champions.<br />

Earlier in <strong>the</strong> season, Olivia won <strong>the</strong><br />

1600-meter race at <strong>the</strong> North Jersey<br />

Track and Field Championship at <strong>the</strong><br />

Rothman Center of Farleigh Dickinson<br />

University. It marked <strong>the</strong> first time since<br />

1992 that a <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> athlete<br />

won a winter track varsity event.<br />

While her individual achievements are<br />

impressive, Olivia is very much a team<br />

player and team leader. A four-year<br />

starter for <strong>the</strong> varsity field hockey team,<br />

she served as captain in 2009 and 2010<br />

and received league and county honors.<br />

Deflecting praise, she notes, “The D-E<br />

coaches are great. They help to build<br />

teams that are very close, amidst<br />

players with many different perspectives.<br />

At <strong>the</strong> same time, we have fun, and<br />

[with <strong>the</strong>ir guidance], we see that we all<br />

bring a different strength to <strong>the</strong> table.”<br />

Off <strong>the</strong> track and field, Olivia is copresident<br />

of <strong>the</strong> D-E Gay Straight Alliance<br />

Club (GSA), a member of <strong>the</strong> Yearbook<br />

staff, and a student with environmental<br />

science aspirations.<br />

This year she is enrolled in Honors<br />

Chemistry and Honors Biology classes,<br />

and she also enjoys AP Environmental<br />

Sciences with D-E Upper <strong>School</strong> Science<br />

faculty member Don McNeil, whom she<br />

describes as “awesome.” Her Senior<br />

Focus Project is concentrated on <strong>the</strong><br />

critical environmental issue of water<br />

safety, in part based on a service project<br />

she did in Thailand several years ago.


Alexander Koren ’12<br />

The competitions hosted by <strong>the</strong><br />

International Juggler’s Association<br />

(IJA) sound like a lot of clowning<br />

around. For example, <strong>the</strong>re is <strong>the</strong> soap<br />

juggling contest to see who can juggle wet<br />

soap for <strong>the</strong> longest time, and a contest<br />

called trick matching, in which someone<br />

names a trick and a juggler must perform<br />

it to stay in <strong>the</strong> competition.<br />

But for Alex Koren ’12, juggling is a<br />

serious passion. He’s was <strong>the</strong> kid who<br />

taught himself to juggle at <strong>the</strong> age of nine<br />

by picking up three tennis balls and<br />

practicing every day for hours and hours,<br />

“inside, outside, and everywhere.” Today<br />

he can handle various numbers and<br />

kinds of balls, clubs, yo-yos, and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

items. In fact, at a recent IJA festival in<br />

Pittsburgh, Alex won a first place medal in<br />

Chinese yo-yo speed tossing and was<br />

third in <strong>the</strong> blind juggling contest, which<br />

involves juggling with eyes closed.<br />

Alex’s passion for juggling led him to<br />

found <strong>the</strong> D-E Juggling Club in 2009.<br />

(See d-ejuggling.org for video clips of <strong>the</strong><br />

group.) When his club was approved by<br />

Faculty Member Publishes<br />

Mystery, Proceeds Benefit Human<br />

Rights Group<br />

Longtime D-E photography teacher and Yearbook<br />

faculty advisor John McCabe has published his<br />

murder mystery, Johnny Red, to raise funds for a<br />

human rights group. For several years, Johnny Red has<br />

been included in <strong>the</strong> D-E Community of Readers Program<br />

and has met with a positive response from many students.<br />

McCabe notes, “It’s enjoyable to<br />

not only talk about my book with<br />

students and to hear <strong>the</strong>ir reactions<br />

to it, but I also enjoy sharing <strong>the</strong><br />

actual process of writing with <strong>the</strong>m.”<br />

All proceeds from sales of Johnny<br />

Red will be devoted to <strong>the</strong> National<br />

Labor Committee (NLC), a nonprofit<br />

organization dedicated to eliminating<br />

child labor and sweatshop abuses. The NLC has visited D-E<br />

several times as part of <strong>the</strong> Upper <strong>School</strong> assembly<br />

program and, with help from students across <strong>the</strong> country,<br />

has made a huge difference in assisting hardworking<br />

people who live in unimaginable poverty.<br />

Above: The front cover of Johnny Red, a murder mystery by D-E<br />

photography faculty member John McCabe, features a photo of<br />

McCabe’s son Dan ’02 on a New York street.<br />

Alex Koren ’12 demonstrates his juggling<br />

talent.<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>, Alex felt a strong sense of<br />

being supported as an individual. He<br />

says, “The <strong>School</strong> made me feel like I<br />

was accepted, even with a hobby that<br />

was off <strong>the</strong> beaten track.”<br />

Since <strong>the</strong>n, Alex has introduced o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

club members to <strong>the</strong> joys of competition.<br />

At <strong>the</strong> IJA festival in Pittsburgh, Vice<br />

President Andre Amirsaleh ’13 made it<br />

into <strong>the</strong> finals of <strong>the</strong> Chinese yo-yo high<br />

toss. Alex has been to juggling conventions<br />

in such places as Lexington, KY, and<br />

Winston-Salem, NC, and says that <strong>the</strong>se<br />

Males Earns Doctorate<br />

ga<strong>the</strong>rings help him to continue to<br />

learn from fellow jugglers from around<br />

<strong>the</strong> world. He proudly notes that <strong>the</strong><br />

ethos of <strong>the</strong> Juggling Club also involves<br />

teaching and learning. “Everyone<br />

participates in teaching o<strong>the</strong>rs, and<br />

some have even made <strong>the</strong> effort to<br />

visit senior centers to put on a<br />

performance,” he says of club<br />

members. “It’s a great feeling seeing<br />

<strong>the</strong> skills that <strong>the</strong> Juggling Club<br />

shares, being transformed into a<br />

passion by fellow students.”<br />

Alex balances his love for juggling<br />

with playing guitar in <strong>the</strong> Jazz Rock<br />

ensemble, playing soccer, and of<br />

course keeping up with his academic<br />

work. His favorite classes include<br />

Philosophy and Computer Sciences<br />

because <strong>the</strong>y “broaden my mind and<br />

make me look at subjects from a<br />

different perspective.” Believe it or<br />

not, he says, juggling has made him<br />

a better student. “I came to realize<br />

that without my juggling, my work<br />

ethic wouldn’t be what it is today,”<br />

he says. “Juggling has taught me<br />

that when I make a mistake, I can<br />

try again until I get it right.”<br />

Science faculty member Nancy Males received a doctoral<br />

degree in educational leadership earlier this spring, with a<br />

concentration in educational technology, from University of<br />

Phoenix. She started <strong>the</strong> program four years ago; <strong>the</strong> majority of her<br />

course work was taken online, with residencies each summer in<br />

Washington, DC.<br />

Her dissertation addressed how public teachers in Abbott districts in<br />

New Jersey integrate technology into <strong>the</strong>ir classrooms. Designated by<br />

<strong>the</strong> New Jersey Supreme Court, Abbott districts are low-performing<br />

districts that have students with a low socioeconomic status. Males<br />

hypo<strong>the</strong>sized that teachers who were new to teaching and teachers<br />

who were new to <strong>the</strong>ir school (experienced or not) would use<br />

technology less because of <strong>the</strong> stress of being in a new classroom.<br />

This is a particularly important issue since <strong>the</strong>re is a high turnover<br />

rate of faculty in <strong>the</strong>se schools. What she found was that experience<br />

level, age, and education level are important factors in whe<strong>the</strong>r or not<br />

a teacher integrates technology.<br />

“The research was a wonderful experience. The educational technology<br />

portion is something I’m extremely interested in,” says Males. “In fact,<br />

one reason I came to D-E was because of <strong>the</strong> emphasis on technology,<br />

particularly <strong>the</strong> tablet program. I hope to use <strong>the</strong> experience gained<br />

from my doctoral program to continue looking for and trying out <strong>the</strong><br />

best practices involved in educational technology in my classroom.”<br />

Males, whose daughter Kelly teaches 4th grade in <strong>the</strong> Lower <strong>School</strong>,<br />

holds her B.S. and M.S. from Texas A & M University and has been at<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> since 2005.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

29


STUDENTSTANDOUTS&FACULTYENDEAVORS<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

30<br />

Daryl Johns ’14<br />

Acoustic bass player Daryl<br />

Johns ’14 enjoys performing<br />

with D-E’s jazz rock ensemble<br />

and stage band. This past February,<br />

however, Daryl played a few somewhat<br />

higher profile gigs—namely, events<br />

associated with <strong>the</strong> 2011 Grammy<br />

Awards in Los Angeles.<br />

Selected by national audition for <strong>the</strong><br />

High <strong>School</strong> Grammy Jazz Band, Daryl<br />

played at a tribute event honoring Barbra<br />

Streisand as <strong>the</strong> MusiCares Person of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Year, and at a Grammy Awards<br />

ceremony after-party. Daryl and his<br />

fellow musicians even attended <strong>the</strong><br />

53rd Annual Grammy Awards as guests<br />

of The Recording Academy—with a walk<br />

up <strong>the</strong> red carpet. While in LA, <strong>the</strong> high<br />

schoolers also had a recording session<br />

at <strong>the</strong> legendary Capitol Studios in<br />

Hollywood.<br />

“It was great to spend 10 days with so<br />

many talented young musicians who<br />

share <strong>the</strong> same passion for this great<br />

music,” notes Daryl, adding, “Someday I<br />

hope to walk that red carpet on Grammy<br />

night again to get my own Grammy.”<br />

It would be no surprise if he did. Daryl is<br />

no stranger to national and international<br />

recognition for his jazz prowess. He was<br />

a semi-finalist in <strong>the</strong> 2009 Thelonious<br />

Monk International Bass Competition<br />

and received an honorable mention<br />

nod and this endorsement from Monk<br />

himself: “Daryl represents everything<br />

this music is about, his respect for <strong>the</strong><br />

history belies his youth.” Last year Daryl<br />

received “Best Soloist” and “Best<br />

Original Song” honors in Downbeat<br />

magazine’s 33rd Annual Student<br />

Music Awards.<br />

Daryl’s connection to jazz might be<br />

considered hereditary. His mo<strong>the</strong>r is<br />

Debbie Keefe, a musician who teaches<br />

saxophone, flute, and o<strong>the</strong>r reed<br />

instruments at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>. His<br />

fa<strong>the</strong>r is critically acclaimed drummer<br />

and composer Steve Johns, with whom<br />

Daryl has played and recorded. “My<br />

parents are both jazz musicians so I grew<br />

up with it,” says Daryl.” I have met and<br />

played with some of <strong>the</strong> greatest jazz<br />

musicians in <strong>the</strong> world, and I am always<br />

impressed with all <strong>the</strong> great stories <strong>the</strong>y<br />

tell on and off <strong>the</strong> bandstand.”<br />

Jazz bassist Daryl Johns ’14, back on <strong>the</strong> D-E campus after performing with <strong>the</strong> High <strong>School</strong><br />

Grammy Jazz Band in Los Angeles.<br />

Daryl has already recorded his first CD<br />

with his own jazz trio at <strong>the</strong> Bennett<br />

Studio in his hometown of <strong>Englewood</strong>,<br />

and is currently doing recording projects<br />

at <strong>the</strong> hallowed studios founded by<br />

Rudy Van Gelder, who has been<br />

called <strong>the</strong> greatest recording engineer<br />

in jazz history.<br />

Daryl has patiently and passionately<br />

honed his craft by playing in <strong>the</strong> awardwinning<br />

Manhattan <strong>School</strong> of Music<br />

Pre-College Big Band and Improv<br />

Ensemble and attending New Jersey<br />

Performing <strong>Arts</strong> Center’s Jazz for Teens<br />

program, through which he has<br />

performed with such jazz greats as Les<br />

Paul, Randy Brecker, Jimmy Owens, and<br />

Dave Liebman.<br />

Daryl calls jazz “America’s classical<br />

music,” and loves <strong>the</strong> role his instrument<br />

plays in an ensemble. “I love playing jazz<br />

bass because it provides <strong>the</strong> foundation<br />

for <strong>the</strong> rest of <strong>the</strong> band,” he says, noting,<br />

“I don’t think I picked <strong>the</strong> bass, I think<br />

<strong>the</strong> bass picked me.”<br />

To learn more about Daryl visit his<br />

website at: Daryljohns.com.


D-E Students Earn<br />

National Scholastic<br />

Writing & <strong>Arts</strong> Awards<br />

Five Upper <strong>School</strong> students were<br />

honored earlier this spring by <strong>the</strong><br />

2011 Scholastic Art & Writing<br />

Awards, hosted by <strong>the</strong> Alliance for Young<br />

Artists & Writers. The national program<br />

is recognized as <strong>the</strong> one of <strong>the</strong> most<br />

prestigious recognition and scholarship<br />

programs for teenage artists and<br />

writers in <strong>the</strong> U.S. Since 1923, some of<br />

America’s most celebrated writers have<br />

been recognized by The Scholastic Art<br />

& Writing Awards while <strong>the</strong>y were<br />

teenagers, including: Truman Capote,<br />

Bernard Malamud, Joyce Maynard,<br />

Sherley Anne Williams, Joyce Carol<br />

Oates, and Sylvia Plath. This year a<br />

record-breaking 12,000 works of art<br />

and writing were submitted.<br />

A past Gold Key winner, Joshua Kurtz ’13<br />

was honored this year for his work in<br />

both poetry and persuasive writing. Brian<br />

Kosnik, D-E faculty member and Josh’s<br />

English teacher, noted, “I speak on<br />

behalf of <strong>the</strong> entire English Department<br />

when I say that we are all proud of Josh.”<br />

In art, Jennifer Lee ’11 received<br />

recognition for her work in painting, as did<br />

Olivia Lim ’12, who had two acrylics that<br />

each received Gold Key recognition. Mixed<br />

media works by Stephanie Moon ’13 and<br />

Hannah Oh ’15 were also among those<br />

recognized. Stephanie was also honored<br />

for her work in sculpture. Gregg Emery,<br />

chair of <strong>the</strong> D-E Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Department,<br />

commented: “The Visual <strong>Arts</strong> Department<br />

is extremely proud of this year’s<br />

Scholastic Award artistic winners. This<br />

recognition is a testament to <strong>the</strong>ir hard<br />

work, abundant creative curiosity, and<br />

artistic ability. Notably, being regional<br />

winners in such a competitive area of<br />

<strong>the</strong> country is an added honor for <strong>the</strong>se<br />

young artists.”<br />

Artists who received a Gold Key Award<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn NJ Region were invited<br />

to display <strong>the</strong>ir work at <strong>the</strong> Montclair<br />

Art Museum’s Education Gallery for<br />

several weeks in February and March.<br />

All literary and artistic pieces that<br />

received a Gold Key award at <strong>the</strong><br />

regional level have been forwarded to<br />

<strong>the</strong> National Scholastics Art and Writing<br />

Award, for consideration for fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

recognition in June 2011.<br />

DWIGHT-ENGLEWOOD AWARDEES<br />

Joshua Kurtz ’13–2 Gold Key Awards for Writing<br />

Jennifer Lee ’11–Gold Key & Honorable Mention Awards for Art<br />

Olivia Lim ’12–2 Gold Key Awards for Art<br />

Stephanie Moon ’13–3 Gold Key Awards for Art<br />

Hannah Oh ’15–Gold and Silver Key Awards for Art<br />

Joshua Kurtz ’13, Gold Key awardee for writing, is pictured here with English teacher Brian Kosnik<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Carson Reading Room.<br />

This acrylic piece is one of two paintings that<br />

received top-level Gold Key recognition for<br />

Olivia Lim ’12.<br />

One of junior Jennifer Lee’s striking mixed<br />

media pieces, which won Scholastic Gold Key<br />

and Honorable Mention nods.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

31


STUDENTSTANDOUTS&FACULTYENDEAVORS<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

32<br />

The Art of Science<br />

Using <strong>the</strong> art of videography and<br />

some artistic engineering,<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> students in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Middle and Upper <strong>School</strong> Divisions<br />

were recognized recently for significant<br />

achievements in two competitive<br />

scientific awards programs.<br />

Student Videos Earn<br />

Recognition, <strong>School</strong> Wins<br />

$5,000 Grant<br />

In a national video contest sponsored<br />

by <strong>the</strong> Chemical Heritage Foundation in<br />

conjunction with <strong>the</strong> Dow Chemical<br />

Company, three 9th grade teams from<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> received “Top 20”<br />

honors. Called “It’s Elemental,” <strong>the</strong> contest<br />

challenged students to make a video<br />

that creatively presented <strong>the</strong> historical,<br />

scientific, and societal significance of<br />

one of <strong>the</strong> elements in <strong>the</strong> periodic table.<br />

More than 700 videos were submitted.<br />

The D-E team of Maeve O’Brien ’14 and<br />

Alexa Kaufman ’14 created a video about<br />

zinc with an original rap song soundtrack;<br />

<strong>the</strong> video by Amy Wang ’14, Ellie Polite<br />

’14, and Jamie Spingeld ’14 featured<br />

three phosphorus molecules discussing<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir similarities, differences, and uses;<br />

and Angely Prieto ’14 and Gary Finn ’14<br />

introduced <strong>the</strong> world to <strong>the</strong> superhero<br />

known as Super Sodium. All of <strong>the</strong><br />

students are freshman in <strong>the</strong> advisory<br />

groups of Dr. Nancy Males and<br />

Dr. Marco Pagnetti.<br />

By placing in <strong>the</strong> top 20, all three videos<br />

went on to compete in a viewer’s choice<br />

competition. What’s more, <strong>the</strong>y earned<br />

D-E's nationally recognized “It’s Elemental”<br />

online video contest winners (all from <strong>the</strong><br />

Class of 2014) with <strong>the</strong>ir chemistry teachers<br />

from <strong>the</strong> D-E Science Department, Dr. Marco<br />

Pagnotta (back row) and Dr. Nancy Males<br />

(foreground, far right).<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> Science<br />

Department <strong>the</strong> opportunity to<br />

compete in an essay contest for a<br />

$5,000 grant. In March, D-E was<br />

informed that it was one of only 11<br />

schools in <strong>the</strong> nation to receive <strong>the</strong><br />

grant, which will be used to purchase<br />

equipment for science lab work. Nancy<br />

Males explains: “We wrote <strong>the</strong> grant<br />

essay asking for funds to purchase<br />

spectrophotometry equipment and<br />

molecular model kits to enhance <strong>the</strong><br />

molecular biology units that we teach<br />

in 9th and 10th grade. It's sometimes<br />

difficult for students this age to make<br />

some of <strong>the</strong> abstract connections that<br />

we want <strong>the</strong>m to make. Purchase of<br />

this equipment will allow us to develop<br />

more hands-on opportunities to help<br />

<strong>the</strong> students better visualize <strong>the</strong><br />

concepts.”<br />

Bulldog ’Bots Place Second in<br />

State Robotics Competition<br />

Critical Mass, <strong>the</strong> D-E robotics team,<br />

placed second at <strong>the</strong> New York State<br />

FIRST Tech Challenge Championship<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Javits Center in New York. The<br />

team went undefeated in every round<br />

until <strong>the</strong> final match, losing by only a<br />

few points. Opposing teams included<br />

Horace Mann, Stuyvesant High <strong>School</strong>,<br />

and Bronx High <strong>School</strong> of Science.<br />

The team distinguished itself early on<br />

in <strong>the</strong> field of 64, which was split into<br />

two divisions, according to team<br />

advisor Marco Pagnotta. “Our intrepid<br />

squad not only seeded first after four<br />

undefeated matches to become an<br />

alliance captain, but <strong>the</strong>n went on to<br />

win our division’s single elimination<br />

play-offs,” he says. “But, our threeteam<br />

alliance lost in a best two-outof<br />

three nail-biter to <strong>the</strong> overall<br />

champions from <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r division.”<br />

A few more points in <strong>the</strong> final match<br />

would have earned <strong>the</strong> team an<br />

invitation to <strong>the</strong> FTC World<br />

Championship in St. Louis.<br />

The Critical Mass team included<br />

Co-Captains Nick Canelos and<br />

Denver Cohen (chief builder);<br />

seniors Taylor Derchin and Liz Kim;<br />

sophomores Danielle Katan, Leah<br />

Steinmetz, and Rhea Kothari; and<br />

freshmen Clement Hathaway, Clifford<br />

Yudkoff, Oscar Uribe, Joseph<br />

Chartouni, and Allan Lee.<br />

Quick Takes<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> students Rachel Cole<br />

’12 and Jessica Lee ’12, both varsity<br />

soccer players, were named earlier this<br />

year to <strong>the</strong> Top 100 of <strong>the</strong> national<br />

TopDrawerSoccer.com rankings. Rachel<br />

is ranked #66 nationally in her age group<br />

and is ranked #4 in New Jersey. Jessica<br />

is ranked #99 nationally and is ranked<br />

#5 in New Jersey. For more information<br />

visit www.topdrawersoccer.com/<br />

players-to-watch.<br />

Soccer phenom Rachel Cole ’12 was ranked<br />

#4 in New Jersey and #66 in <strong>the</strong> U.S. earlier<br />

this year.<br />

Senior Marti Satnik ’11 had an article<br />

published in <strong>the</strong> Jewish Advocate<br />

earlier this year. The article, “Planting <strong>the</strong><br />

Seeds of Peace: Reflections on a<br />

Summer Challenging Preconceptions,”<br />

focused on Seeds of Peace, a camp in<br />

Otisfield, ME, “where teenagers from<br />

across <strong>the</strong> Middle East and North<br />

America work on conflict resolution and<br />

finding commonalities.” Marti spent a<br />

summer at <strong>the</strong> camp after being<br />

accepted as an American Delegate or<br />

“seed” with <strong>the</strong> mission “to cultivate a<br />

small path toward peace.” Her article<br />

vividly describes <strong>the</strong> range of emotions<br />

that she felt during <strong>the</strong> experience,<br />

particularly in <strong>the</strong> weeks following her<br />

return from <strong>the</strong> camp, when she visited<br />

Israel and Jordan with her family. The<br />

article can be read in its entirety at:<br />

www.www.jstandard.com.


D-E Lower <strong>School</strong> music faculty<br />

member Mary Heveran, who is also<br />

mayor of <strong>the</strong> City of Leonia, NJ, and D-E<br />

parents Sheilagh Cirillo and Stephanie<br />

Goldman-Pittel, were honored by <strong>the</strong><br />

Women’s Rights Information Center at<br />

that organization’s 2011 “Girls Night<br />

Out” Awards Dinner on February 9.<br />

“<strong>Celebrating</strong> women who exemplify<br />

philanthropy and voluntarism and<br />

inspire o<strong>the</strong>rs to give back,” <strong>the</strong> event<br />

recognized each woman for her<br />

countless hours of dedicated service<br />

to her respective community. An<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>-based nonprofit, <strong>the</strong> Center<br />

provides a place for women in transition<br />

to gain career, life, and resource-building<br />

skills that can change <strong>the</strong> direction of<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir economic futures for <strong>the</strong> better.<br />

From left: D-E community members Sheilagh<br />

Cirillo, Stephanie Goldman-Pittel, and Mary<br />

Heveran, all honorees at <strong>the</strong> Women’s<br />

Information Network’s “Girl’s Night Out” event.<br />

Sara Park ’11 won honors earlier this<br />

year as a semifinalist in <strong>the</strong> 2010<br />

Siemens Competition in Math, Science<br />

and Technology, for her math research<br />

paper on “The Unit Area Triangle<br />

Problem.” Sara worked with Prof. Dan<br />

Ismailescu of Hofstra University on her<br />

abstract, and focused on a “timeless”<br />

question raised by <strong>the</strong> Hungarian<br />

ma<strong>the</strong>matician Paul Erdos, as follows:<br />

“Does <strong>the</strong>re exist an absolute constant c<br />

such that any measurable planar region<br />

R of area contains <strong>the</strong> vertices of unitarea<br />

triangle?” The Siemens competition<br />

recognizes high school students “who<br />

are willing to challenge <strong>the</strong>mselves<br />

through science research.” According<br />

to Sara’s research: “Results suggest<br />

that <strong>the</strong> answer to <strong>the</strong> general question<br />

is affirmative.”<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong> student (and talented<br />

baker) Erik Peterson ’14, along with<br />

his fellow 8th grade classmates, Noah<br />

Kaplan ’14 and Jack Foreman ’14,<br />

creatively initiated a bake-off in <strong>the</strong> D-E<br />

dining hall in <strong>the</strong> month of December.<br />

Erik’s Milk-Free Chocolate Cake recipe was<br />

one of several that were baked and <strong>the</strong>n,<br />

through taste tests, selected by a group<br />

of judges, including Middle <strong>School</strong> math<br />

faculty member Kimberly Klein. Toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />

with D-E’s own Chef Luke, and with help<br />

from Sheila Sullivan, dining hall director,<br />

<strong>the</strong> boys worked out a plan for converting<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir recipes for serving a family of eight<br />

to serving <strong>the</strong> D-E Middle and Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong>s—more than 600 diners!<br />

Eigth-grader Erik Peterson with D-E Dining<br />

Services’ Chef Luke, before serving his<br />

Milk-Free Chocolate Cake.<br />

Lower <strong>School</strong> language arts faculty<br />

member Janet Glass had an article<br />

published in <strong>the</strong> fall 2010 issue of<br />

Learning Languages: <strong>the</strong> Professional<br />

Journal of <strong>the</strong> National Network for<br />

Early Language Learning. Writing about<br />

foreign language instruction for students<br />

through grade 5, Glass discusses her own<br />

fulfilling (and successful) approach at D-E,<br />

featuring students’ paired practice<br />

sessions, oral presentations, even a visit<br />

by Don Quixote (obligingly played by D-E<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> Ethics Department Chair<br />

Joseph Murphy). In 2008 Glass was<br />

honored as National Teacher of <strong>the</strong> Year<br />

by <strong>the</strong> American Council of Teachers of<br />

Foreign Language (ACTFL). To read <strong>the</strong><br />

article in its entirety, visit www.NNELL.org.<br />

D-E Clubs, Actively<br />

Supporting Their Causes<br />

The second annual D-E Fights Against<br />

Cancer (DEFAC) Club’s “March Madness”<br />

fundraiser earned more than $2,000 for<br />

cancer prevention efforts. The event<br />

featured a series of fun, fast-paced<br />

basketball games between Upper <strong>School</strong><br />

classes, including <strong>the</strong> finals between <strong>the</strong><br />

Class of 2013 and some courageous (and<br />

good-humored) D-E faculty members.<br />

DEFAC members promoted <strong>the</strong> event with<br />

<strong>the</strong> sale of wristbands, which helped to<br />

buy points for <strong>the</strong> teams, and snacks sold<br />

during <strong>the</strong> games.<br />

The D-E Upper <strong>School</strong> AIDS Awareness Club<br />

recognized International AIDS Week in<br />

February, organizing and presenting an<br />

impressive, week-long array of guest<br />

speakers, including medical professionals<br />

and human services organizations. The club<br />

concluded <strong>the</strong>ir week with a trip to God’s<br />

Love We Deliver (GLWD), an organization<br />

that serves terminally ill patients in <strong>the</strong><br />

New York City area. Club members helped<br />

prepare meals and spent <strong>the</strong> early<br />

afternoon navigating downtown Manhattan,<br />

delivering food to six GLWD clients.<br />

Members of <strong>the</strong> AIDS Awareness Club at <strong>the</strong><br />

offices of God’s Love We Deliver in New York.<br />

The D-E Amnesty International Club<br />

sponsored a special Hulst House lecture<br />

and Q&A session in March with<br />

Abdalmageed Salih, a refugee from Darfur.<br />

Salih chairs HAND (Human Rights &<br />

Advocacy Network for Democracy),<br />

a consortium of Darfuri human rights<br />

groups. With a slide-show presentation, he<br />

discussed how fundamental resources such<br />

as water and oil have dictated <strong>the</strong> tide of<br />

events in <strong>the</strong> troubled region. Earlier this<br />

year, <strong>the</strong> AI Club celebrated International<br />

Human Rights Week, including screening<br />

<strong>the</strong> Academy Award-nominated<br />

documentary Burma VJ, and several<br />

members of <strong>the</strong> club attended <strong>the</strong> United<br />

Nations’ Student Conference on Human<br />

Rights at <strong>the</strong> UN in New York.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

33


ATHLETICSHIGHLIGHTS<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

34<br />

A Season of D-E Milestones<br />

2010–11 Winter Athletics Recap<br />

The boys varsity basketball team celebrates <strong>the</strong>ir County Tournament win.<br />

Boys Varsity Basketball<br />

This year’s boys varsity basketball<br />

season was one of <strong>the</strong> best in recent<br />

history. The Bulldogs finished with<br />

a 23-3 record, tying <strong>the</strong> school record for<br />

most wins in a season.<br />

The Bulldogs captured <strong>the</strong> North Jersey<br />

Interscholastic Conference (NJIC) Patriot<br />

Division crown with a perfect 17-0 league<br />

record. The team also won <strong>the</strong> Bergen<br />

Holiday Tournament at River Dell High <strong>School</strong><br />

for <strong>the</strong> first time since 2001. For <strong>the</strong> second<br />

year in a row <strong>the</strong> Bulldogs were invited to <strong>the</strong><br />

prestigious Bergen County Jamboree, and for<br />

<strong>the</strong> third consecutive season <strong>the</strong>y qualified<br />

for <strong>the</strong> state tournament.<br />

Captains Zach Hodges ’11 (averaging 16.9<br />

points per game and 3.4 assists) and<br />

Wesley Dickinson ’12 (21.3 points per<br />

game, 9.4 rebounds) led <strong>the</strong> squad, with<br />

contributions from a strong supporting cast.<br />

Zach and Wes both reached 1,000 career<br />

points (see sidebar), were unanimous first<br />

team all-league picks, and were selected<br />

all-Bergen County, with Zach being named<br />

first team and Wes being named to <strong>the</strong><br />

second team as a junior. In addition, Keion<br />

Osbourne ’13 and Robert Zeller ’13 were<br />

named second team all league and Austin<br />

James ’13 was selected as an all-league<br />

honorable mention. “I am very proud of<br />

<strong>the</strong> accomplishments of this year’s team,”<br />

said Coach Eli Goldberger. “They raised<br />

some eyebrows around <strong>the</strong> county with<br />

<strong>the</strong> upset win over Tenafly and <strong>the</strong>ir effort<br />

against a group-four power Hackensack<br />

who went on to reach <strong>the</strong> final four of <strong>the</strong><br />

Jamboree.” With Zach Hodges being <strong>the</strong><br />

only senior, <strong>the</strong> future looks very bright for<br />

Bulldog basketball.<br />

The Bulldogs were victorious against <strong>the</strong><br />

Newark Academy in a 23-3 season.<br />

Basketball player Wesley Dickinson ’12 is<br />

joined by his parents, Mark and Theresa<br />

Dickinson, and Athletic Director and Coach Eli<br />

Goldberger, shortly after he earned his historic<br />

1,000th point.<br />

After chalking up his historic 1,000th point,<br />

Zach Hodges ’11 is congratulated by Coach<br />

Goldberger.


Dickinson, Hodges<br />

Make Basketball<br />

History<br />

As impressive as <strong>the</strong> boys varsity<br />

basketball team’s effort was, <strong>the</strong><br />

season was remarkable for a few<br />

incredible individual accomplishments.<br />

Both Zach Hodges ’11 and Wes<br />

Dickinson ’12 reached <strong>the</strong> milestone<br />

of having scored 1,000 career points.<br />

Zach’s 1,000th point took place<br />

during <strong>the</strong> Bulldogs’ victorious game<br />

against Bergen County League rival<br />

Cresskill. He received a standing<br />

ovation from a wildly enthusiastic<br />

and supportive crowd and was<br />

joined by his family and Coach Eli<br />

Goldberger on <strong>the</strong> court mid-game to<br />

mark <strong>the</strong> historic event. Goldberger<br />

noted, “What can I say about Zach<br />

Hodges? He is truly <strong>the</strong> heart and<br />

soul of this program. He leads by<br />

example and has raised <strong>the</strong> bar of<br />

expectation among his peers simply<br />

by his determination and will. I am<br />

so happy for Zach. To score 1,000<br />

points and to do it against Cresskill<br />

in front of a terrific home crowd—and<br />

to clinch a league championship on<br />

<strong>the</strong> same night! I couldn’t think of a<br />

better scenario!”<br />

Zach ends his career with 1,081<br />

points and is currently 4th all-time.<br />

Junior center Wes Dickinson scored<br />

<strong>the</strong> 1,000th point of his career in<br />

February, in a game against <strong>the</strong><br />

Leonia Lions. With 7:44 remaining<br />

in <strong>the</strong> second quarter, Wes sank a<br />

history-making free throw. He went<br />

on to finish with a game high of 24<br />

points, leading <strong>the</strong> Bulldogs to a<br />

50-40 victory. Coach Goldberger<br />

commented, “This is a terrific<br />

individual accomplishment for<br />

Wesley! What makes it more<br />

meaningful to me is that Wes never<br />

once asked me if he was close or<br />

how many points he needed to reach<br />

a thousand. Wes is about TEAM first<br />

and foremost, and that is what<br />

makes him such a great player.”<br />

With a total of 1,305 points (2nd all<br />

time) after <strong>the</strong> season, Wes is just<br />

76 points shy of Josh Williams ’02,<br />

whose 1,381 points tops <strong>the</strong> list of<br />

D-E’s all-time leading scorers.<br />

Lady Bulldog Jennifer Stone ’11 was honored at her last girls varsity basketball game by Coach<br />

Rich Muller, her family, and teammates.<br />

Winter Track<br />

Winter track had its best year in<br />

some time, growing in numbers<br />

and accomplishments. The<br />

team’s ranks and quality were helped by<br />

an infusion of new sophomores and<br />

juniors. Megan Kwon ’12, Jamie Dalgleish<br />

’13, Alexandra De Los Reyes ’13, Jessica<br />

Lee ’12, Vanessa Pike ’13, and Leah<br />

Steinmetz ’13 were able competitors<br />

among a number of hard-working<br />

sprinters. Superb races from Victoria Ngo<br />

’12 toward <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> season earned<br />

her <strong>the</strong> rank of <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s sixth-fastest<br />

800-meter runner. On <strong>the</strong> boys’ side,<br />

Rolando Tan ’13, Amit Shah ’12, and<br />

Franco Lombardi ’14 showed great<br />

improvement throughout <strong>the</strong> season.<br />

Kudos also go to Emily Shaw ’11, who<br />

aided athletes and coaches alike.<br />

Our veterans took <strong>the</strong> team to a level of<br />

accomplishment not seen in decades.<br />

Coming off <strong>the</strong>ir cross country seasons,<br />

Alec Jiao ’11 and Marc Rosenberg ’14<br />

won medals in two large invitational<br />

meets. With her victory in <strong>the</strong> 1600-meter<br />

race in <strong>the</strong> North Jersey Invitational,<br />

Olivia Guidera ’11 became <strong>the</strong> first<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> athlete to win an<br />

invitational event since 1992. At <strong>the</strong> end<br />

of <strong>the</strong> season, Olivia in <strong>the</strong> 1600 and<br />

Libby Ward ’11 in <strong>the</strong> 3200 became<br />

<strong>the</strong> first <strong>Dwight</strong> athletes to medal in <strong>the</strong><br />

county championship in years. Their<br />

performances made <strong>the</strong>m <strong>the</strong> second<br />

fastest 1600-meter and 3200-meter<br />

runners, respectively, in <strong>the</strong> school’s<br />

history. At <strong>the</strong> state meet, Olivia became<br />

<strong>the</strong> school’s first athlete to medal in a<br />

state group competition when she took<br />

sixth place in <strong>the</strong> 1600. (Read more<br />

about Olivia on page 28.) Libby Ward<br />

and Alec Jiao took seventh place in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

races, just one place shy of <strong>the</strong> medals.<br />

Girls Varsity Basketball<br />

This year’s girls varsity basketball<br />

team struggled from <strong>the</strong> start with<br />

injuries to key players, including<br />

Rachel Cole ’12, April Flaim ’12, Rachel<br />

Porth ’12, and Christine Colon ’12.<br />

Struggling to find a cohesive starting<br />

five, <strong>the</strong> team finished 1-20 on <strong>the</strong> year.<br />

The disappointing record, however,<br />

doesn’t tell <strong>the</strong> whole story of a very<br />

competitive season. Of <strong>the</strong> 20 losses,<br />

10 were decided by 10 points or fewer,<br />

including a tough overtime loss to<br />

Waldwick, a one-point loss to Leonia, a<br />

three-point loss to Pompton Lakes, and<br />

two four-point losses to Patriot A division<br />

champions New Milford and Patriot B<br />

division champions Emerson. The<br />

Lady Bulldogs’ one win of <strong>the</strong> season<br />

came against Saddle River Day. Captain<br />

Jen Stone ’11 was <strong>the</strong> only senior.<br />

This season Coach Rich Muller marked<br />

<strong>the</strong> 500th game he’s coached and his<br />

25th year of coaching.<br />

The team looks good for next year, with<br />

a number of returning seniors leading<br />

<strong>the</strong> way, along with with sophomore first<br />

team all-league guard Haley Brescia ’13<br />

and freshman second team all-league<br />

post player Lindsay Saftler ’14.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

35


<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

36<br />

HEAD’SSERIES<br />

<strong>Celebrating</strong> Exceptional <strong>Arts</strong> Professionals:<br />

2010–2011 Head of <strong>School</strong> Series<br />

The D-E Head of <strong>School</strong> Series<br />

continues to showcase<br />

exceptional professionals in<br />

<strong>the</strong> performing arts. This academic<br />

year <strong>the</strong> series featured special new<br />

events, including a film screening<br />

and a discussion with <strong>the</strong> director<br />

of <strong>the</strong> National Counterterrorism<br />

Center, Michael Leiter ’87.<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong> Dr. Rodney De Jarnett,<br />

who initially envisioned and <strong>the</strong>n<br />

launched <strong>the</strong> program in 2008, noted,<br />

“Our 2010–2011 Series has fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />

established D-E as a vibrant center<br />

for intellectual and cultural learning at<br />

all levels.”<br />

The <strong>School</strong>’s resident professional<br />

chamber ensemble, 315 East, kicked<br />

off this year’s series in <strong>the</strong> fall with a<br />

program called “From Vienna to Prague.”<br />

The concert included works by Mozart<br />

and Dvorak, and a stirring trio for cello,<br />

flute, and piano by Bohuslav Martinu.<br />

Next in <strong>the</strong> series was “Reel Music:<br />

Sounds of Cinema,” presented in<br />

November by Jazz Vistas, D-E’s resident<br />

professional jazz ensemble, with jazz<br />

adaptations of music featured in movies,<br />

including Lolita, Spike Lee’s Do The<br />

Right Thing, and The Man with <strong>the</strong><br />

Golden Arm.<br />

In January, Jazz Vistas presented “From<br />

Boogaloo to <strong>the</strong> Beatles,” an electrifying<br />

performance inspired by music from <strong>the</strong><br />

1960s. The concert was appealing to<br />

both Woodstock-era fans and classic jazz<br />

lovers. Among pieces performed were<br />

adaptations of <strong>the</strong> Beatles’ “Come<br />

Toge<strong>the</strong>r”; John Coltrane’s “26-2”; “Time<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Season” by <strong>the</strong> Zombies; Jefferson<br />

Airplane’s “White Rabbit”; and “Do Right<br />

315 East: A Chamber Ensemble performing at Schenck Auditorium earlier this year.<br />

Music Department faculty member Robert DeBellis (left), director of Jazz Vistas, with fellow<br />

instrumentalists at <strong>the</strong>ir 1960s-<strong>the</strong>med concert, “From Boogaloo to <strong>the</strong> Beatles.”


Woman” by Aretha Franklin. Guitarist<br />

Mark Bowers wowed <strong>the</strong> standing-roomonly<br />

crowd with Hendrix-inspired riffs,<br />

and vocalist DK Dyson encouraged<br />

backup vocals from D-E students,<br />

including Sarah Elrafei ’11, GinaMarie<br />

Enriquez ’14, and Estee Levy ’13.<br />

Following Head of <strong>School</strong> Series<br />

tradition, each event included a<br />

memorable buffet designed to match<br />

<strong>the</strong> performance <strong>the</strong>me and deliciously<br />

crafted by local caterer Food for Thought.<br />

The “Boogaloo” jazz concert, for example,<br />

featured snacks reminiscent of <strong>the</strong><br />

1960s, including Ritz crackers with<br />

CheeseWhiz, fondue pots (though <strong>the</strong>y<br />

contained vegetable dip), and trays of<br />

chocolate Yodels.<br />

In March, <strong>the</strong> series branched out to<br />

include a screening of <strong>the</strong> acclaimed<br />

documentary film Race to Nowhere<br />

(see sidebar).<br />

Two April events wrapped up <strong>the</strong> series.<br />

The first was a performance by 315 East<br />

titled “Musical Rearview Mirror.” It<br />

featured <strong>the</strong> works of Stravinsky,<br />

Mendessohn, Mozart, and Bach, which<br />

were performed in reverse chronological<br />

Race to Nowhere Screening<br />

A young musician enjoyed <strong>the</strong> chance to meet <strong>the</strong> performers backstage after Jazz Vistas’ “Reel<br />

Music” concert.<br />

order. The second was a special<br />

presentation in Hajjar Auditorium<br />

featuring Michael Leiter ’87, who is <strong>the</strong><br />

director of <strong>the</strong> National Counterterrorism<br />

Center in Washington, DC. A graduate of<br />

Columbia University and Harvard Law<br />

<strong>School</strong>, Leiter has served in a number of<br />

roles within <strong>the</strong> intelligence community.<br />

In his current role, he reports directly to<br />

President Obama.<br />

Overall, <strong>the</strong> events in <strong>the</strong> series were well<br />

attended and well received by <strong>the</strong> D-E<br />

community. Noted Dr. De Jarnett, “We<br />

are especially grateful to our 2010–<br />

2011 Head of <strong>School</strong> Series Sponsors<br />

for <strong>the</strong>ir generous support.” This year’s<br />

sponsors include: The Grace and<br />

Mercy Foundation and Telebrands, Inc.<br />

(Platinum Level); Brencourt LLC,<br />

Gensler and NY Waterways (Gold Level);<br />

Paul and Elizabeth De Rosa (Silver<br />

Level); FLIK (Bronze Level); and Willis<br />

HRH, Aetna, and Dean Street Greenery.<br />

Several anonymous sponsors also<br />

supported <strong>the</strong> series.<br />

In March <strong>the</strong> Head of <strong>School</strong> Series presented Race to Nowhere, a<br />

documentary film that has caught <strong>the</strong> interest of critics, educators, and<br />

parents. Despite stormy wea<strong>the</strong>r with torrential rain and high winds, an<br />

audience of several hundred parents and D-E faculty and staff turned out<br />

for <strong>the</strong> screening in <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s Schenck Auditorium. The film’s main<br />

<strong>the</strong>me focuses on how our nation’s youth are coping (or not) with a range<br />

of contemporary stresses. Touching on such issues as <strong>the</strong> pressure on<br />

high school students “build <strong>the</strong>ir resume” for college applications and <strong>the</strong><br />

challenges of increasingly heavy homework loads of students as young as<br />

4th and 5th grade, <strong>the</strong> film touched a nerve with all those present.<br />

Head of <strong>School</strong> Dr. Rodney V. De Jarnett began <strong>the</strong> screening by<br />

challenging attendees to think about how <strong>the</strong> film resonated with <strong>the</strong>m,<br />

including <strong>the</strong>ir approaches to <strong>the</strong>ir children and how <strong>the</strong>y handle<br />

academic responsibilities. At <strong>the</strong> end of <strong>the</strong> film De Jarnett moderated<br />

comments from <strong>the</strong> audience, assisted in part by <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s three<br />

division principals. Upper <strong>School</strong> Principal Joe Algrant spoke about<br />

achieving balance in <strong>the</strong> lives and workloads of Upper <strong>School</strong> students,<br />

and how this year’s modified schedule is helping. Middle <strong>School</strong> Principal<br />

Kathy Christoph noted how <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s “Activity Period” enables all<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong> students to pursue a number of special interest clubs<br />

during <strong>the</strong> school day.<br />

A film screening of <strong>the</strong> critically acclaimed documentary Race to Nowhere was<br />

included in this year’s Head of <strong>School</strong> Series.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

37


HEAD’SSERIES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

38<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> would like to thank <strong>the</strong> following sponsors for <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

support of <strong>the</strong> Head of <strong>School</strong> Series.<br />

Violinist Jesse Mills ’97 joined 315 East: A Chamber Ensemble for an<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> morning assembly “preview” prior to <strong>the</strong> group’s<br />

performance on April 9, entitled “Musical Rearview Mirror” and featuring<br />

works by Stravinsky, Mendelssohn, Mozart and Bach.<br />

Michael Leiter ’87 (back row, 4th from left) joined his classmates following his<br />

engrossing discussion on April 12 on his role as director of <strong>the</strong> National<br />

Counterterrorism Center, as part of <strong>the</strong> 2010–11 Head of <strong>School</strong> Series season.<br />

Michael spoke in Hajjar Auditorium to a near-capacity (and<br />

highly appreciative) audience made up of parents, past<br />

parents, fellow alumni, faculty, staff, and students.


HEAD’SSERIES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

40


Snapshots of D-E Life:<br />

Winter2010–Spring2011<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

42<br />

The campus of <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> was alive this winter and early spring with myriad athletics,<br />

arts, and o<strong>the</strong>r activities. Some special events included <strong>the</strong> Winter <strong>Arts</strong> Festival, a compelling Lower<br />

<strong>School</strong> assembly on Anti-Bullying, <strong>the</strong> Middle <strong>School</strong>’s annual Pack <strong>the</strong> Gym, Egypt Day and Living Wax<br />

Museum events, Upper <strong>School</strong> student-directed One Act Plays, Coffee House, and o<strong>the</strong>r compelling<br />

performances. Students were active in <strong>the</strong> Lower <strong>School</strong>'s exploratory Big Dig, <strong>the</strong> D-E Fights Against<br />

Cancer Club's March Madness fundraiser, <strong>the</strong> Amnesty International Club’s presentation of guest<br />

speakers, and many o<strong>the</strong>r worthwhile endeavors shown in <strong>the</strong> following photo collage.


Spring 2011<br />

43


CLASSNOTES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

44<br />

Class notes may be submitted to your Class Representative(s) or to <strong>the</strong> Alumni Office at<br />

alumninews@d-e.org at any time. Deadline for submission for <strong>the</strong> Fall 2011 D-E Today issue<br />

is July 1, 2011. <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> reserves <strong>the</strong> right to edit submissions for length and clarity.<br />

Class Notes are not a vehicle for advertising professional services. Please send contact and<br />

address changes by email to Sharon Rein, development database manager, at reins@d-e.org.<br />

Do you enjoy catching up with<br />

your classmates? Are you a<br />

good writer? WE NEED YOU! Be<br />

a Class Representative (Rep) and help<br />

keep your Class up to date on what’s<br />

happening with your classmates.<br />

During your major class reunions,<br />

you will be contacted to help form a<br />

committee to plan your reunion<br />

activities and contact classmates.<br />

If you are interested in becoming a<br />

Class Representative or volunteering on<br />

one of <strong>the</strong> school’s standing committees,<br />

please contact Alumni Director Maria<br />

Sanchez Gardner ’78 at 201-569-9500,<br />

ext. 3413; or email sanchm@d-e.org.<br />

D 33<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Marion Leggett Whyte<br />

Delray Dunes Club<br />

7 Slash Pine Drive<br />

Boynton Beach, FL 33436<br />

Email: mwjomama84@aol.com<br />

D 36<br />

Eugenia “Deedee” Pepper Wattles writes<br />

<strong>the</strong> following about her late husband<br />

Walter C. Wattles: “A recent tribute was<br />

posthumously paid to Walter for being<br />

<strong>the</strong> biggest fundraiser for <strong>the</strong> Highland-<br />

Cashiers Hospital. For 40 summers, we<br />

loved having family and friends at our<br />

second home we built at Highland, NC.<br />

Walter’s love of <strong>the</strong> area was <strong>the</strong> impetus<br />

for his raising over three million dollars<br />

for its hospital. In grateful appreciation,<br />

<strong>the</strong> hospital recently mounted a sizeable<br />

bronze plaque in Walter’s likeness on<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir wall.”<br />

D 37<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Alleyne Ma<strong>the</strong>ws Tanham<br />

One Washington Square Village<br />

West Building, Apt. D-12<br />

New York, NY 10012<br />

D 38<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Mary Rolston<br />

310 Elm Road, Apt 228<br />

Princeton, NJ 08540<br />

Email: mjrolston@webtv.net<br />

Mary Rolston is still breathing and<br />

moving and hopes to make <strong>the</strong> 75th<br />

reunion in 2013!<br />

D 39<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Irene Jones Reinert<br />

5111 Palmer Ranch Parkway<br />

Sarasota, FL 34238-4499<br />

Laura Gilbert Tupper doesn’t have much<br />

news to report. However, she thinks of<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> (now <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong>) <strong>School</strong><br />

often. She wonders who is left from <strong>the</strong><br />

noble class? She is still influenced by all<br />

she learned and “observed” while at<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>…and she loved her one year as a<br />

faculty member!<br />

E 40<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

Don Coffman reports that he is retired and<br />

has outlived his IRA…that’s <strong>the</strong> best he<br />

could do. He and Gloria just celebrated<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir 66th wedding anniversary!<br />

D 42 & E 42<br />

Class Reps needed:<br />

Dorothy Ma<strong>the</strong>is Thornhill and husband<br />

Arthur Thornhill Jr. both remember <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

great undergraduate days side by side on<br />

E. Palisade Avenue!<br />

D 43<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Elizabeth Nutt Barnes<br />

P.O. Box 7309<br />

Macon, GA 31209-7309<br />

Email: barnesward@citcom.net<br />

Mary Soons McCarty writes that she and<br />

Stuart are newly moved to North Carolina in<br />

a lovely cottage at a great “senior” place<br />

near <strong>the</strong>ir daughter, Ann, who lives in Oak<br />

Ridge. All <strong>the</strong> children are in good health<br />

and lots of fun: Stuart II is in Broom County,<br />

NY; Jane is in Princeton, NJ; and Mary Croft<br />

is in Portland, OR. She feels lucky to have<br />

good health and 66 years of marriage. She<br />

remembers that Miss Leggett came to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

wedding on February 8, 1944!<br />

E 43<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Haydock H. Miller, Jr.<br />

2225 Calle Cacique<br />

Santa Fe, NM 87505-4944<br />

Email: doc_miller@cybermesa.com<br />

D 45<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Jeanne Minor Walton<br />

908 Kern Springs Road<br />

Woodstock, VA 22664<br />

Email: jwalton@shentel.net


Elizabeth Quarles Ryden has been living<br />

in a long-term retirement home, Casa<br />

Dorinda, for almost 10 years. While Santa<br />

Barbara, CA, is a beautiful location, she<br />

misses old friends in Scottsdale, St. Louis,<br />

and <strong>Englewood</strong>. Her husband, Reinhardt<br />

A. Ryden, died last year after three years<br />

of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Medical Center. She would love to<br />

hear from anyone old enough to<br />

remember her! Please call her at<br />

821-969-8181.<br />

D 46<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Marjorie Sherriff Rohde<br />

40 Vine Street<br />

Wrentham, MA 02093<br />

Email: marjorierohde1871@verizon.net<br />

Phone: 508-243-5462<br />

Patricia Browning Knowlton is still<br />

“hanging out” in <strong>the</strong> same home for 51<br />

years! Lil Garside Durkee lives nearby so<br />

<strong>the</strong>y get toge<strong>the</strong>r often.<br />

D 47<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Ann Emmons Petri<br />

6829 Lemon Road<br />

McLean, VA 22101-5422<br />

Email: annwmp@verizon.net<br />

Ann Emmons Petri and her husband, Bill,<br />

have “reached <strong>the</strong> point in life where we<br />

have grandchildren choosing to live with<br />

us. We live in a highly desirable job area<br />

with many federal government positions<br />

available and so far, out of <strong>the</strong> 13, two<br />

(Danny and Jess) have stayed with us with,<br />

hopefully, more to come.”<br />

E 47<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Hal Curtis<br />

1641 Wildwood Road<br />

Ukiah, CA 95482<br />

Email: curtises@pacific.net<br />

D 48<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Keats Van Alstyne Smith<br />

215 Club Road<br />

Baltimore, MD 21210-2252<br />

Email: kvaspow@verizon.net<br />

Robin Merrill Ogilvie reports that this past<br />

July 3rd, grandson Alex Chalier married<br />

Rachel Martin at <strong>the</strong> Washington<br />

Crossing Inn in Pennsylvania. In August<br />

she spent time researching her<br />

Revolutionary Redcoat GGG-grandfa<strong>the</strong>r<br />

in Nova Scotia. Such fun!<br />

E 48<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Donald A. Anderson<br />

20 Devon Court<br />

Spring Lake Heights, NJ 07762<br />

Email: andwri@yahoo.com<br />

Don Anderson spoke with Bob Briggs,<br />

currently in Oregon enjoying life with his<br />

wife of many years. Bob spends most of<br />

his time writing poetry, enjoying music,<br />

and in his spare time relaxing using<br />

meditation. Except for running into Frank<br />

Sparrow in Korea during <strong>the</strong> war, he<br />

really has not seen any of <strong>the</strong> whole<br />

bunch. Don says he “continues to reside<br />

in Spring Lake caring for my wife, Amy,<br />

who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.<br />

Both Doug Ix and George Gallup helped<br />

me celebrate my 80th in June. It was a<br />

great party!”<br />

D 49<br />

Please send news to your Class Rep:<br />

Ann Satterthwaite<br />

1615 34th Street NW<br />

Washington, DC 20007-2711<br />

Phone: 202-342-0203<br />

Fax: 202-337-8607<br />

Email: asatt@aol.com<br />

Carol Remington Mathis and her<br />

husband, Norman, are enjoying <strong>the</strong>ir first<br />

great grandchild! She says happily,<br />

“There is nothing like a baby to bring joy<br />

to all <strong>the</strong> family.”<br />

D 50<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

From Sophie McClanahan Barnes (<strong>the</strong><br />

woman formerly known as “Fifi”): “Each<br />

time I look under my class year for <strong>the</strong><br />

news from anyone else still alive, I am<br />

disappointed. Where are you all? I am<br />

here in Westport, CT, cozily ensconced in<br />

what’s left of <strong>the</strong> shredding safety net for<br />

elderly/disabled citizens. Thank you,<br />

Eleanor Roosevelt and Francis Perkins,<br />

may <strong>the</strong>y not have to roll over in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

graves! The growing numbers of us who<br />

are disengaged from <strong>the</strong> stock-marketeer<br />

class continually thank <strong>the</strong>m and at <strong>the</strong><br />

same time fear for our children and<br />

grandchildren. Yes, I am an active<br />

progressive (turned poet), retired reluctant<br />

salesperson, who is able, at last, to think<br />

about <strong>the</strong> world outside of being anxious<br />

for my own personal morrow. I want to<br />

do something about it and am trying to<br />

steepen my own learning curve in that<br />

regard. Anyone else? My phone is<br />

203-293-4375, email:<br />

sophiebarnes2001@yahoo.com, and I<br />

can be found on Facebook.”<br />

E 50<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Marshall Umpleby<br />

1012 Hillview Drive<br />

Ashland, OR 97520<br />

Phone: 541-488-2428<br />

Email: mumpleby@mind.net<br />

Bill (Marshall) Crozier writes: “In 1944/45<br />

Bert Hanselpacker fired up our 7th grade<br />

imaginations with readings from Nordoff<br />

and Hall’s The Mutiny on <strong>the</strong> Bounty. A<br />

subsequent long-distance exchange of<br />

correspondence (and stamps) with<br />

Pitcairn’s postmaster advanced my interest<br />

and a lecture by Irving Johnson of Yankee<br />

fame that highlighted diving for Bounty<br />

relics firmly established Pitcairn as my<br />

lifetime travel priority. Not too long ago, on<br />

<strong>the</strong> way from Santiago to Papeete, I had a<br />

chance to spend a brief sojourn on ’my’<br />

island. I could have stayed a month; it<br />

thoroughly exceeded my expectations.<br />

Subsequently, at auction, I acquired a<br />

piece of <strong>the</strong> Bounty’s English oak hull,<br />

suitably charred from when <strong>the</strong> mutineers<br />

burned <strong>the</strong>ir ship to avoid detection. One<br />

could underestimate <strong>the</strong> power available to<br />

<strong>the</strong> teachers of young boys. ESB had some<br />

outstanding teachers.”<br />

From Marshall Umpleby: “Mimi and I will<br />

celebrate our 50th anniversary in March<br />

with a trip to <strong>the</strong> big island of Hawaii,<br />

along with daughters Sarah and Amy plus<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir partners. We continue to volunteer<br />

for <strong>the</strong> Ashland Independent Film Festival<br />

and for <strong>the</strong> Oregon Shakespeare Festival,<br />

which broke its all-time record for ticket<br />

sales, 450,000-plus, for <strong>the</strong> second year<br />

in a row. We recently flew to California,<br />

visiting Amy in Nevada City and Sarah in<br />

San Diego. From <strong>the</strong>re we took a train to<br />

Santa Barbara for <strong>the</strong> International Film<br />

Festival, <strong>the</strong>n ano<strong>the</strong>r train to Emeryville,<br />

where my nephew, a professor of<br />

philosophy at Cal, and his family live. In<br />

place of grandchildren we have three grand<br />

ferrets, four grand horses, a grandnephew<br />

and grandniece. Life is good!”<br />

Spring 2011<br />

45


CLASSNOTES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

46<br />

D 51<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Elinor Lockwood Yeo<br />

133 Day Street<br />

Newton, MA 02466<br />

Email: revelinor@alumnae.smith.edu<br />

Kathleen MacGregor Randolph<br />

continues to enjoy Arizona, travel to<br />

Maine to visit her son and his family,<br />

Alaska for cool wea<strong>the</strong>r, and excursions<br />

to California for a change of scenery.<br />

She is sorry to miss <strong>the</strong> 60th reunion.<br />

She sends her best regards to all!<br />

E 51<br />

Class Rep:<br />

James Webster<br />

4277 Bitterroot Road<br />

Reno, NV 89509-0640<br />

Email: jwebster@gabelli.com<br />

To all my classmates from <strong>the</strong> ESB Class<br />

of 1951: I have been thinking of a way to<br />

honor our <strong>School</strong> on <strong>the</strong> occasion of our<br />

60th Reunion and what I’ve come up<br />

with is a Challenge for all of us! For each<br />

and every one of our Classmates who<br />

gives $60 in honor of our 60th Reunion,<br />

I will match that $60! It would be great<br />

to have 100 % of our Class making a gift<br />

in honor of our time at ESB! What do you<br />

say, gentlemen? You can call Pat Boig in<br />

<strong>the</strong> Development Office at 201-569-<br />

9500, ext. 3411, or go online and make<br />

your gift at www.d-e.org/supporting.<br />

Can’t wait to hear how many of you<br />

make a gift! Best regards, Jim Webster.<br />

D 52<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

Joan Lyman Larson sent in this note:<br />

“Bob and I are still very active in golf and<br />

tennis. I sold paintings this past summer<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Historical Society Show in Quogue.<br />

All our children and grandchildren are<br />

doing well. I feel very lucky. I just visited<br />

my Aunt Dorothy Lyman Hewitt D’ 29<br />

and Emily Lyman Mussells D ’33, who<br />

are 98 and 94, respectively! Amazing!<br />

We had fun talking about how great<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong> was and still is.”<br />

Audrey Stein Merves reports: “Life in<br />

Philly is hectic and fun for us. We<br />

became grandparents for <strong>the</strong> 8th time<br />

on May 4, 2010. Our youngest daughter,<br />

Jennifer Robbins, and husband Brian<br />

have a son, Nicholas Ethan. He lives a few<br />

blocks from us, so we see him every few<br />

days. What fun. We moved into <strong>the</strong> city two<br />

years ago from <strong>the</strong> suburbs. I love it—Stan<br />

not so much. Driving to his office on <strong>the</strong><br />

expressway during rush hour is no fun. I<br />

am busy in civic affairs. I sit on a board at<br />

<strong>the</strong> University of Pennsylvania, on a board<br />

at Temple University, and just took on<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r directorship as a board member<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Walnut Street Theater, <strong>the</strong> oldest<br />

<strong>the</strong>ater in America. I am enjoying all of it,<br />

and it does keep me busy. Three of our<br />

grandchildren graduate from college this<br />

spring, one each from Emory, Oglethorpe,<br />

and Lawrence universities. Three more are<br />

sophomores at Harvard, Maryland, and <strong>the</strong><br />

U.S. Air Force Academy, and one is still in<br />

high school. If anyone from our class has<br />

relocated in or near Philly, please contact<br />

me; it would be fun to spend a lunch<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r and talk of <strong>Dwight</strong> days.”<br />

E 52<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

Vincent Felitti sent in <strong>the</strong> following news:<br />

“I am a semi-retired internist living with<br />

my wife in La Jolla, CA, for <strong>the</strong> past 43<br />

years. I have three adult children and get<br />

to travel a fair amount now; invited<br />

because of medical research I’ve been<br />

involved in. Things have worked out well,<br />

overall. I haven’t been in <strong>Englewood</strong> for a<br />

half century, but it would be nice to see<br />

what happened to <strong>the</strong> school. On<br />

reflection, it was a remarkably fine place<br />

and I’m grateful for <strong>the</strong> demands <strong>the</strong><br />

Masters put on us, even though that<br />

gratitude might have been lacking <strong>the</strong>n.”<br />

The passing of Tommy Johnson is noted<br />

on page 58 (In Memoriam). Jon Foote<br />

ESB ’53 composed a poetic tribute called<br />

“Tommy, you were my Best Friend.”<br />

The following is an excerpt:<br />

At Eaglebrook, we began to part,<br />

you being a year older.<br />

Your speed was a legend and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

than that, my memories fade a little.<br />

Despite <strong>the</strong> fade, <strong>the</strong>y revive some on <strong>the</strong><br />

soccer field—when Gov. Dummer and PA<br />

games brought us toge<strong>the</strong>r as opponents.<br />

I still couldn’t catch you, you were much<br />

too fast—<br />

But I evened <strong>the</strong> field by scoring one that<br />

won <strong>the</strong> game at last.<br />

Our lives have gone down different trails<br />

And haven’t crossed too often…<br />

BUT in <strong>the</strong> end, my thoughts are clear.<br />

First Best Friends never part, as <strong>the</strong><br />

Mem’ries live forever!<br />

D 53<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Cynthia Walz Doggett<br />

Two Thornton Lane<br />

Concord, MA 01742<br />

Email: cwdogg@aol.com<br />

Anne “Vyt” Vytlacil lives in Washington,<br />

DC, and has her own architectural<br />

firm with a specialty in residential,<br />

commercial, and institutional renovation<br />

projects, combining contemporary design<br />

with historic preservation. She is <strong>the</strong><br />

daughter of modernist painter Vaclav<br />

Vytlacil, and after his death a few years<br />

back she donated her fa<strong>the</strong>r’s house,<br />

studio, and land to <strong>the</strong> Art Students<br />

League of New York, which <strong>the</strong>n<br />

established The Vytlacil <strong>School</strong> of<br />

Painting and Sculpture. Well done, Vyt!<br />

Carvel Glidden is a member of <strong>the</strong><br />

Belfast (Maine) Life Drawing Group,<br />

which held an exhibit of figurative work<br />

at Belfast’s Clifford Gallery last June.<br />

The show, titled “The Figure Revealed,”<br />

contained a range of work in sculpture,<br />

bas relief, charcoal, and pencil drawings,<br />

paintings, and portraits, shaped wire<br />

figures, and even an artist’s sketchbook.<br />

Carvel was one of <strong>the</strong> exhibitors. The<br />

Belfast Life Drawing Group provides a<br />

way for serious artists to study <strong>the</strong> figure,<br />

avoiding <strong>the</strong> cost of instruction by<br />

sharing modeling fees. The purpose of<br />

<strong>the</strong> exhibit was to acknowledge <strong>the</strong><br />

commitment of this group to <strong>the</strong> classic<br />

art practice of drawing from a live model.<br />

Mimi Dickey Smith has been weaving<br />

on a loom for over 20 years. She has<br />

participated in national weaving<br />

workshops and seminars. An<br />

accomplished artist, she experiments with<br />

different weave structures, and pushes<br />

<strong>the</strong> traditional techniques to new levels<br />

by exploring new designs, colors, and<br />

textures. A patient teacher, she loves to<br />

see her students expand <strong>the</strong>ir skills and<br />

succeed in what she loves to do. She is a<br />

long-time member of <strong>the</strong> Weaver’s Guild<br />

of Rochester, NY, where she teaches. In<br />

October 2011, she will teach at <strong>the</strong><br />

Eastern Great Lakes Fiber Conference in<br />

Chatauqua, NY.<br />

Camilla Vilas Durfee is also a teacher.<br />

For <strong>the</strong> past several years she has been<br />

teaching English (part time) to<br />

Georgetown University’s international<br />

students, who range in age from 17 to<br />

35, and come from 30 countries. Over


<strong>the</strong> year, she and Gib travelled to Hong<br />

Kong, Hanoi, Vietnam, and Boulder, CO,<br />

and to <strong>the</strong> quaint village of Cambria, CA,<br />

to visit three of <strong>the</strong>ir far-flung children.<br />

They also drove to St. Catharines,<br />

Ontario, where <strong>the</strong> International Masters<br />

Rowing Regatta took place. Camilla won<br />

four medals!<br />

In August, Beverly Vahlteich Delaney and<br />

Bill enjoyed a two-week, 3300-mile motor<br />

coach tour out West to visit “Majestic<br />

Parks.” The scenery was indescribable<br />

and Old Faithful in Yellowstone did not<br />

disappoint. They will be moving to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

new home at Crane’s Mill, <strong>the</strong> retirement<br />

community in West Caldwell, NJ, in <strong>the</strong> fall,<br />

so Beverly continues to downsize <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

six-bedroom home in Cleveland Heights,<br />

plus choosing paint colors, carpeting, and<br />

kitchen countertops for <strong>the</strong>ir new one.<br />

Benita Galanti Jones writes: “We are very<br />

happy to be able to say that life still<br />

manages to move along past pathways,<br />

albeit more slowly. Summer in Norfolk<br />

means gardening. We are now considering<br />

what has not been a particularly<br />

successful pond—too shady for water lilies<br />

and too inviting for herons for goldfish—<br />

into a bog garden where we can grow<br />

shade-loving plants.” She and Ian had a<br />

fascinating trip from Moscow to St.<br />

Petersburg. Beni still can’t believe she was<br />

actually in Red Square and <strong>the</strong> Kremlin!<br />

On a sad note, Carole Neri Lembo’s<br />

husband, Gregory, died in July 2010. She<br />

and Greg were married for 38 years. Greg<br />

was an avid croquet player who was a<br />

member of <strong>the</strong> Green Gables Croquet Club<br />

in Spring Lake, NJ, and <strong>the</strong> Palm Beach<br />

(Florida) Croquet Club.<br />

E 53<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Hugh Mitchell<br />

147 Hillside Avenue<br />

Rochester, NY 14610-2441<br />

Email: goshawk@frontiernet.net<br />

D 54<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

Daniel and Debborah Dunn Wessels are<br />

enjoying <strong>the</strong>ir four grandchildren, ages 3,<br />

5, 10, and 13, who, with <strong>the</strong>ir respective<br />

parents, spent Christmas with <strong>the</strong>m. They<br />

see her sisters, Andrea Dunn Williams D<br />

’57 (husband is Robert Williams ESB ’54)<br />

and Alice Dunn Martin D ’58 (husband is<br />

William N. Martin) and <strong>the</strong>ir families<br />

during <strong>the</strong> summer in Christmas Cove,<br />

ME. We hope to get toge<strong>the</strong>r with a few<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> Class of 1954 ladies later this<br />

spring at Judith Pike Robertson’s place.<br />

D 55<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

In <strong>the</strong> spring of 2010, Nancy Robin Jaicks<br />

moved from New Jersey to Manhattan.<br />

She writes, “I absolutely love it! I recently<br />

attended <strong>the</strong> soiree given by <strong>the</strong> school<br />

and Cici Kossmann Wilkinson ’80, a<br />

former student of mine, just a few blocks<br />

from here. Very crowded, filled with former<br />

students I enjoyed seeing, and fun. Last<br />

fall I travelled to Sao Paulo, Brazil, where<br />

my children were born in <strong>the</strong> ’60s. It was a<br />

reunion and very stimulating. Lots of<br />

plans for more travel.”<br />

D 56<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Susan Carter<br />

100 West Hudson Avenue, Apt. F4<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>, NJ 07631-0026<br />

Susan Carter sent in <strong>the</strong> following report:<br />

“Over Thanksgiving, I visited with my<br />

nephew, Tyler Carter, his wife, Katharine,<br />

and <strong>the</strong>ir three-year-old daughter, Sadie,<br />

in beautiful Sarasota, FL. The wea<strong>the</strong>r<br />

was perfect and it was lovely to be all<br />

toge<strong>the</strong>r. Mimi Hesse Davis of Pompano<br />

Beach, FL, is delighted that she now has<br />

a second home to visit near her daughter<br />

in Connecticut. Also, she enjoys painting,<br />

and sells her paintings and prints on<br />

eBay. Check out her website at<br />

http://stores.ebay.com/mimisart-954...<br />

and click on <strong>the</strong> red door to see her<br />

work. I took peek and was really<br />

impressed. Her grandson, Charlie, 15<br />

years old, is now <strong>the</strong> #1 mountain bike<br />

rider in New Zealand! Our 55th reunion<br />

is June 3rd and June 4th. Sure hope you<br />

can join us! Hasta La Vista!”<br />

D 57<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Sandra Agemian Borg<br />

310 Walnut Street<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>, NJ 07631<br />

Email: SandyBorg@northjersey.com<br />

Natalie Beaumont spent Christmas in<br />

Hawaii with sister Carol Whitesell D ’52<br />

and was able to sing in her choir for<br />

Christmas. Natalie writes, “The Head of<br />

<strong>School</strong> Series concerts are great and I<br />

recommend <strong>the</strong>m to all music lovers. I<br />

sometimes attend <strong>the</strong>m with Susan<br />

Carter D ’56 and Helen Homans. One<br />

great feature is that some of our D-E<br />

students participate with <strong>the</strong> pros; many<br />

of which are faculty members. The recent<br />

jazz concert I saw was superb in all ways:<br />

musically and entertainment-wise with so<br />

many unique touches…and for a very<br />

minimal cost. O<strong>the</strong>r than that, I still tutor<br />

through <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> Library’s Literacy<br />

Program; I enjoy singing in two groups-choir<br />

and Senior; and do some folk and<br />

ballroom dancing, and, as of a year ago I<br />

became <strong>the</strong> secretary of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong><br />

Historical Society.” Natalie also visited<br />

Penny Atwood Kruger in San Francisco<br />

this year and <strong>the</strong>n onto Santa Barbara<br />

to spend time with her son who is a<br />

wrestling coach and a black belt in judo.<br />

Sara Heilman is living in Chicago and<br />

working full time with high school<br />

students in a contained special<br />

education high school in <strong>the</strong><br />

neighborhood. During <strong>the</strong> summer, Sara<br />

crews on a sailboat on Lake Michigan<br />

and enjoys time with her son and his<br />

wife and her daughter who are nearby.<br />

Nancy Kolar Bowen is living in<br />

Charleston, VT, and heads to Virginia<br />

often to visit with children and<br />

grandchildren. Faith Reinhardt King<br />

wrote in November that she had been<br />

on a 20-day cruise to <strong>the</strong> Panama Canal.<br />

She hopes to have ano<strong>the</strong>r fantastic trip<br />

soon. Stephanie Knoch Marchand is<br />

wintering in Florida and has a summer<br />

home in Vermont. Son Geof is <strong>the</strong> IT<br />

person for <strong>the</strong> Athletic Department at<br />

UVM and daughter Deb has her own<br />

design business. Whit and Steph<br />

celebrated <strong>the</strong>ir 50th wedding<br />

anniversary. Sally Sparrow Horton is<br />

in Florida and had a visit with Shirley<br />

Cookman Babington and Andy Dunn<br />

Williams.<br />

Life is going well for Penny Atwood<br />

Kruger, who lives in San Francisco and<br />

enjoys her two granddaughters, who<br />

fortunately live nearby. Penny’s stepson,<br />

Mark, lives in Boulder where his wife is a<br />

professor at <strong>the</strong> University of Colorado.<br />

Their children are both fencers and<br />

compete in <strong>the</strong> U.S. and Europe. Terry<br />

Stratton Flagg has visited Penny when<br />

she visits her two daughters. Terry sent<br />

in this update: “While not retired as a<br />

landscape designer or as a life coach, I<br />

relish <strong>the</strong> more relaxed rhythm of<br />

working on my own. I am especially<br />

inspired working for an organization,<br />

Spring 2011<br />

47


CLASSNOTES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

48<br />

One to One Women Coaching Women,<br />

which serves a deserving and<br />

underserved population of women who<br />

cannot afford life coaching. Tom and I<br />

recently immersed ourselves in an<br />

enlightening and challenging yoga retreat<br />

in <strong>the</strong> Bahamas. Our ’Jan Plan’ allowed<br />

us <strong>the</strong> delicious experience of spending<br />

<strong>the</strong> month of January in California near<br />

where our two daughters live with <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

families. The next milestone will be my<br />

50th reunion at Wheaton College, which<br />

promises to be a banner celebration.<br />

With fond memories of our days toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />

at <strong>Dwight</strong>.”<br />

D 58<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Gale Hartung Baldwin<br />

One Allwood Road<br />

Darien, CT 06820-2413<br />

Email: gale9023@aol.com<br />

D 59<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

E 59<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Peter Rousselot<br />

Email: peter.rousselot@gmail.com<br />

Dr. Richard Vann<br />

Email: rvann@dan.org<br />

D 60<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Rose Satterfield, D.M.D.<br />

7459 Allison Road<br />

Pelham, NC 27311<br />

Telephone: (336)388- 0139<br />

Email: rsat@mebtel.net<br />

Judith Kytle Hanshaw sends her<br />

congratulations to <strong>the</strong> Class of 1960<br />

on a great past reunion. She continues<br />

to enjoy <strong>the</strong> 50th reunion photos and<br />

stories.<br />

In Connecticut, Mary Riker McAllister is<br />

back at work teaching remedial reading<br />

after recovering from a broken leg. The<br />

Rev. Bobbie Weeks Miner and husband<br />

spent some time this winter in Florida;<br />

Connie Bayles von Maur and Bobbie are<br />

planning a get-toge<strong>the</strong>r for us sometime<br />

in 2012 and hope many of our class will<br />

join in. Rose Satterfield is sad to report<br />

from North Carolina that her mo<strong>the</strong>r<br />

passed away in October at <strong>the</strong> age of 96<br />

(see In Memoriam on page 58). Rose is<br />

hosting her 14-year-old grandson from<br />

Germany for <strong>the</strong> year. He is attending <strong>the</strong><br />

8th grade here in <strong>the</strong> U.S. She says, “It is<br />

interesting being a parent again!”<br />

Elena Love and Ginny Weleck Ricken<br />

had lunch recently in Arizona where <strong>the</strong>y<br />

both reside. Gretchen Priemer Lawler,<br />

Ph.D., has checked in from Indiana and<br />

reports she was very pleased to receive<br />

<strong>the</strong> D-E Today bulletin after many years<br />

out of <strong>the</strong> loop.<br />

E 60<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Armand Pohan<br />

Email: APohan@aol.com<br />

Michael Sloane is retired and still lives<br />

on a two-mile private lane in Allamuchy,<br />

NJ, where he has been for <strong>the</strong> last 42<br />

years. He continues to be active in local<br />

and county government. For hobbies, he<br />

restores and uses antique farm tractors<br />

and antique electronic equipment, and<br />

he is still building a model railroad that<br />

he started back in 1952. For more<br />

details, see www.fotki.com/mikesloane.<br />

D 61<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Donna Dederick Ward<br />

Meadowood Farm<br />

557 Bennett Hill Road<br />

Shaftsbury, VT 05262<br />

Email: hungrytrout@comcast.net<br />

Eleanor “Missy” Evans Grose been living<br />

in London since 1989 and still enjoying<br />

it. She and her husband have a small<br />

financial company that <strong>the</strong>y run toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />

(Tom’s <strong>the</strong> boss, she’s <strong>the</strong> cleaning<br />

lady!). They have four children: twin girls<br />

who live in Singapore who each have<br />

three children, ano<strong>the</strong>r girl who lives just<br />

outside of London who has one child,<br />

and a son in NYC who works for Google<br />

and is getting married this summer.<br />

From Susan Stellar: “I’ve been in<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> since 2008, assisting my<br />

parents in <strong>the</strong> home many of my<br />

contemporaries will remember. Before<br />

that, after retiring from <strong>the</strong> City of<br />

Detroit, I taught middle school science<br />

<strong>the</strong>re. Last year I reconnected with<br />

Karen Lane Fierstein. Now Karen, Patty<br />

Thomson Russell and I are <strong>the</strong> de facto<br />

50th Reunion Committee. I’ve enjoyed<br />

my new old friends so much that I am<br />

really looking forward to a great weekend<br />

in June. I’ve also been in touch with <strong>the</strong><br />

Cassebaum family: Anne D ’61, Frances<br />

Galloway D ’59, and Mary Elizabeth<br />

(“Lucy”) Meyer D ’66. Their home was my<br />

second home during our <strong>Dwight</strong> days.<br />

Mrs. Cassebaum still lived around <strong>the</strong><br />

corner until her death in April 2010 at <strong>the</strong><br />

age of 101! This September <strong>the</strong> four of us<br />

spent a delightful evening going to<br />

Greenwich Village to see a play directed<br />

by my bro<strong>the</strong>r’s partner. (Unfortunately,<br />

<strong>the</strong> manager of <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ater was not only<br />

a jerk, but also a crook, and <strong>the</strong> IRS<br />

padlocked <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>ater one day after it<br />

opened.) I’ll use this opportunity to<br />

encourage all <strong>Dwight</strong> ’61 classmates to<br />

come to our 50th Reunion in June. See<br />

you <strong>the</strong>re!”<br />

E 61<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Warren M. Duffy<br />

20 Glattly Drive<br />

Denville, NJ 07834<br />

Email: Wmmfduffy@aol.com<br />

Last June Ian Harris and his wife moved<br />

from <strong>the</strong>ir home in Milwaukee to Walnut<br />

Creek, CA, to be closer to her son and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

grandchildren. I have just finished my<br />

seventh book, Books not Bombs: Teaching<br />

Peace since <strong>the</strong> Dawn of <strong>the</strong> Republic<br />

(Charlotte, NC: Information Age Press,<br />

2010), co-authored by Chuck Howlett.<br />

(See Bulldog Bookshelf on page 59.)<br />

D 62<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

Marianne L. Olmsted missed <strong>the</strong><br />

Nantucket Reunion this past year, but<br />

plans to go in 2011. Margaret “Margo”<br />

Clark Swezey was recently married to<br />

Wayne Swezey. She is a “Jersey girl”<br />

again! They will spend part of <strong>the</strong>ir time at<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir house on Martha’s Vineyard. Wayne<br />

and she knew each o<strong>the</strong>r as teenagers<br />

back in <strong>Englewood</strong>!<br />

From Roberta LaBan Culver: “Here’s a<br />

photo taken December 20 at a small<br />

ga<strong>the</strong>ring celebrating my mo<strong>the</strong>r’s 100th<br />

birthday! In <strong>the</strong> photo are, left to right:<br />

Anne McClanahan Bourne, Eve LaBan<br />

Drew D ’64, Joan Ursillo Pukash D ’64,<br />

and Roberta LaBan Culver. Susan Carter<br />

D ’56 also stopped by <strong>the</strong> previous day<br />

to wish my mo<strong>the</strong>r a happy 100th!” (See<br />

photo next page.)


E 63<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Dr. Charles E. Kordula<br />

9 Elm Place<br />

Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677<br />

Email: yo_corto@yahoo.es<br />

E 64<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Wouter de Nie<br />

9 St. Peter’s Road, Apt. 7<br />

Tamaqua, PA 18252<br />

Email: wouter_denie@yahoo.com<br />

D 65<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Lynn Henschel Klein reminisces: “Seems<br />

like we should be rehearsing a song for<br />

Mr. Erwin and preparing a paper for<br />

Mrs. Pershouse…but that is yesterday!<br />

Today, being hot cougars inside and<br />

outside is completing our paper and<br />

singing life’s song. Remember, use <strong>the</strong><br />

best of yesterday to enjoy today and <strong>the</strong><br />

best of today to plan tomorrow. Use our<br />

well-honed intelligence to prepare and to<br />

plan and to share. That is following our<br />

song and getting an ‘A’ in life.”<br />

E 65<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Andrew L. Odell<br />

36 Wayside Lane<br />

Scarsdale, NY 10583<br />

Email: alodell@duanemorris.com<br />

D 66<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Wendy Schnee Geisler<br />

2342 Fountain Way<br />

San Antonio, TX 78248<br />

Email: wsgeisler@aol.com<br />

The Bachrach Family at <strong>the</strong> Festival of Trees, in Michigan, where Anina and Ben, founding members,<br />

are on <strong>the</strong> Board. This 26-year event benefit supports <strong>the</strong> Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation.<br />

Cornelia Ursillo Corderone has retired as<br />

<strong>the</strong> chair of <strong>the</strong> Board of Review for <strong>the</strong> NJ<br />

Department of Labor.<br />

This year Anina Erslev Bachrach is looking<br />

forward to <strong>the</strong> wedding of her son, Andrew,<br />

in her garden in June. This is such a<br />

compliment. (She has always been a<br />

gardener not a housekeeper.) Drew is in<br />

luck. Lucy, his wife to be, is a chef. Anina<br />

will be thinking of her own wedding in her<br />

parents’ garden. Time flies and comes full<br />

circle. Ben and she are retired and now<br />

live in Estero, FL, and Dearborn, MI. It is<br />

nice to have <strong>the</strong> best of both worlds.<br />

E 66<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Michael Kazin<br />

4113 Leland Street<br />

Chevy Chase, MD 20815<br />

Email: mk8@georgetown.edu<br />

Jack Piermont’s son got married in August.<br />

Peter Smith is looking forward to <strong>the</strong> 45th<br />

reunion <strong>the</strong> weekend of June 3 and 4!<br />

D 67<br />

Class Rep needed:<br />

Susan Law Dake now has four<br />

grandchildren under age 5: Sunaina,<br />

Ryan, Liam, and Emelia.<br />

E 67<br />

Class Rep:<br />

William Bierce<br />

512 Bedford Road<br />

Mount Kisco, NY 10549-4520<br />

Email: Wbierce@biercekenerson.com<br />

D 68<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Allie Kissam Delventhal<br />

Email: akd50@earthlink.net<br />

Barbara Grabell has lived in Central<br />

Oregon for over 30 years. She owned a<br />

successful specialty dessert business in<br />

Bend and was involved in commercial<br />

cattle ranching for many years, along<br />

with her husband. She now lives on a<br />

ranch outside of Bend with her two<br />

Dutch-born Friesian geldings and<br />

rescued Lhasa Apsos (she is involved<br />

with Lhasa Apso rescue organizations),<br />

as well as a few o<strong>the</strong>r four-legged<br />

children. She has worked for <strong>the</strong> State<br />

of Oregon for <strong>the</strong> past 16 years.<br />

Mildred Faulkner Waale updates: “I<br />

continue to work as a certified learning<br />

disabilities teacher-consultant (LDTC) on<br />

<strong>the</strong> Scotch Plains-Fanwood High <strong>School</strong><br />

Child Study Team. As with many local<br />

school districts, our district has seen a<br />

vast ’changing of <strong>the</strong> guard’ as<br />

thousands of public service employees<br />

left active duty to retire, in response to<br />

<strong>the</strong> changes implemented by <strong>the</strong> current<br />

NJ administration. My LDTC work<br />

continues to be fulfilling, as I help special<br />

needs students transition throughout<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir high school experience and on to<br />

adulthood/post-secondary education/<br />

<strong>the</strong> world of work. At <strong>the</strong> same time, I<br />

have, at my ‘mature’ stage in life, opted to<br />

pursue a doctorate in education (Ed.D. in<br />

educational administration) at Rutgers<br />

University, to re-activate many of <strong>the</strong><br />

management and accounting skills that<br />

have remained untapped since my<br />

transition from business management<br />

(telecommunications) to education, back<br />

in 2001. I am hopeful that this degree<br />

Spring 2011<br />

49


CLASSNOTES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

50<br />

and certification will enable me to effect<br />

my last career transition, from LDTC to<br />

school business administrator, and that I<br />

will be able to join all <strong>the</strong> Class of ’68<br />

retirees in retirement 10 years hence.<br />

For now, I am thoroughly enjoying <strong>the</strong><br />

renewed access to new ideas and<br />

stimulating conversation among my fellow<br />

colleagues who are traveling this path<br />

with me at this time. I have continued<br />

to keep my toe in <strong>the</strong> world of project<br />

management, and am an active volunteer<br />

in <strong>the</strong> New Jersey Chapter (PMINJ) of <strong>the</strong><br />

national Project Management Institute<br />

(PMI). I am currently director of <strong>the</strong><br />

Scholarships Committee, a group that<br />

reviews applications and awards<br />

scholarship to graduating high school<br />

seniors (sons/daughters of PMINJ active<br />

members), on <strong>the</strong>ir way to attend a<br />

four-year undergraduate college. This<br />

year, this committee extended <strong>the</strong><br />

scholarships to also include master’s in<br />

project management candidates at PMIaccredited<br />

educational institutions.”<br />

My husband, Jens, and daughter, Anna<br />

Ka<strong>the</strong>rine (now 21), continue to support<br />

me in my educational pursuits, and<br />

continue to be an essential source of joy,<br />

light, inspiration, and encouragement<br />

in my life. Jens continues his work<br />

providing Danish controllers for American<br />

and Canadian smokehouse oven<br />

manufacturers, while also inventing<br />

speaker systems in our basement. He<br />

enjoys his monthly and weekly meetings<br />

with different audio groups, such as <strong>the</strong><br />

NJ Audio Society. Anna Ka<strong>the</strong>rine enjoys<br />

her work as a classroom teacher’s<br />

assistant for special needs students in<br />

a private school in northwestern NJ, and<br />

her part-time work as an assistant dance<br />

instructor for young children at our local<br />

YMCA. My best wishes to all of <strong>the</strong><br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> family as you continue<br />

to support our current students—<strong>the</strong><br />

next generation of leaders—in <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

educational and working pursuits.<br />

E 68<br />

Class Rep Needed:<br />

Seth Guggenheim, senior assistant bar<br />

counsel for <strong>the</strong> Virginia State Bar, has<br />

accepted an invitation to join <strong>the</strong> adjunct<br />

faculty at <strong>the</strong> American University<br />

Washington College of Law. With ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

adjunct professor, he is teaching a<br />

course called “Trial Advocacy: Ethics for<br />

Trial Lawyers.” Seth recently moved from<br />

his home in Be<strong>the</strong>sda, MD, to<br />

Washington, DC.<br />

D 69<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Ali Chase Hassan<br />

3519 Hilltop Lane<br />

Plano, TX 75023-8030<br />

Email: achase1@pisd.edu<br />

Editor’s note: Our apologies to Ali Chase<br />

Hassan for <strong>the</strong> misprint of her note<br />

concerning her son’s marriage. The<br />

correct information is as follows:<br />

Ali Chase Hassan had a fabulous time in<br />

Pasadena, CA, for son Chase MacLeod’s<br />

wedding to Melissa Martin on March 7,<br />

2010. They had met at SMU in 2004.<br />

Wedding was at <strong>the</strong> Huntington Langham<br />

Hotel, built in <strong>the</strong> 1920s as a Ritz, and<br />

attended by oodles of Chi Os and Pikes,<br />

and lovingly officiated by Julia Fuller.<br />

Ali reports: “I’ve been promoted up to<br />

high school, and am now <strong>the</strong> lead<br />

counselor for a new high school my<br />

district is building and opening later<br />

this summer—very exciting and way<br />

overwhelming, but I’m honored and<br />

flattered and all is fantastic! Have a<br />

business conference in Austin next<br />

month and am hoping to see Nell<br />

Gorman! My son, Chase, has also<br />

been promoted by his corporate and<br />

commercial real estate company to be<br />

an associate vice president, and is now<br />

leading a team in <strong>the</strong>ir Orange County,<br />

CA, office. He and wife Melissa and <strong>the</strong><br />

twin Labrador retrievers moved out <strong>the</strong>re<br />

in January, just as I took my new position!<br />

We’re all great and very blessed.”<br />

E 69<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Richard H. Hunter<br />

1138 King Street, 3rd Floor<br />

Christiansted, St. Croix<br />

U.S. Virgin Islands 00820<br />

Email: rhunter@islands.vi<br />

From Marc Falon we received this note:<br />

“Hello to all: I am 60 now, and saving for<br />

retirement, which hopefully will be in a<br />

few years. I have temporarily given up my<br />

career in <strong>the</strong> music industry, after<br />

working years ago with Robert Palmer<br />

and Isaac Hayes, both of whom have<br />

passed away. I have permanently given<br />

up my career in <strong>the</strong> computer industry<br />

also. My only source of income (currently)<br />

is my third career, working as an<br />

insurance producer, with a New Jersey<br />

license, creating sales leads for The<br />

Hamilton Group, which is a large<br />

insurance agency located in Cedar<br />

Knolls. I am still living in my house in<br />

Bergenfield, and I am ’single’ with two<br />

daughters, one 14 years old, and <strong>the</strong><br />

o<strong>the</strong>r 27. I just returned from a beautiful<br />

cruise to Bermuda, where I sailed with<br />

my current lady, Pam. I have just taken a<br />

few weeks off, just to relax, and feel very<br />

refreshed and healthy. When I retire in a<br />

few years, I will get back into writing and<br />

producing original music. I am involved<br />

with many genres and still have my own<br />

24-track studio to record in. I would love<br />

to hear from my fellow classmates from<br />

ESB ’69, and also from friends I<br />

remember from <strong>the</strong> classes of 1968 &<br />

1970. It seems to me that my class from<br />

1969 is <strong>the</strong> most elusive of all classes,<br />

because every time I get <strong>the</strong> bulletin,<br />

<strong>the</strong>re is nobody saying anything about<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir lives, except Rick Hunter!”<br />

D 70<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Sharon Levine<br />

2200 N. Central Road Apt. 9T<br />

Fort Lee, NJ 07024-7595<br />

Email: smlrehab@nj.rr.com<br />

E 70<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Samuel L. Davis<br />

Email: Sam@dsslaw.com<br />

Steve Abrams<br />

Email: steve@sjabrams.com<br />

Steve Abrams sent in this news of a visit<br />

with a classmate: “Dave Yarock and wife<br />

Laurie Meyer D ’71 live in Tenafly, NJ.<br />

Dave has purchased a horse farm in<br />

Liberty, NY, and converted it into a venue<br />

for training trotters. Last summer, Dave<br />

arranged a tour of <strong>the</strong> farm for me. It is<br />

impressive indeed. Among o<strong>the</strong>r stellar<br />

features, it houses one of <strong>the</strong> East’s few<br />

indoor mechanical trotting wheels. After<br />

<strong>the</strong> tour, I drove <strong>the</strong> 10 miles from Dave’s<br />

farm to Monticello Raceway and watched<br />

Dave win a race. That victory capped a<br />

summer-long racing series. In a winner’s<br />

circle presentation, racetrack authorities<br />

presented Dave with an elegant plaque<br />

for having won <strong>the</strong> series.”


Dave Yarock wins!<br />

D 71<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Marcy Cohen Gregory<br />

Email: MarcysanMS@aol.com<br />

Elaine Ober<br />

Email: emober24@gmail.com<br />

Elaine Ober and Marcy Gregory Cohen<br />

are in <strong>the</strong> midst of planning our Class<br />

of ’71 40th reunion get-toge<strong>the</strong>r on June<br />

3rd and 4th, so, all classmates, keep<br />

your eyes peeled for update postings on<br />

our Facebook class page, <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong>-<br />

Class of 1971.<br />

E 71<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Merrick Cohen<br />

16 Nelson Drive<br />

Chestnut Hill, MA 02467<br />

Email: mlcohen@rcn.com<br />

Merrick Cohen is looking forward to<br />

catching up to his classmates at <strong>the</strong><br />

upcoming 40th reunion <strong>the</strong> weekend of<br />

June 3 and 4. He sent in <strong>the</strong> following<br />

update: “I have a wonderful native<br />

Bostonian wife and two active teenage<br />

boys and an awesome Goldendoodle. My<br />

mo<strong>the</strong>r still lives in <strong>Englewood</strong> and when<br />

in <strong>the</strong> neighborhood, I always walk down<br />

memory lane and revisit my days at <strong>the</strong><br />

old ESB. I fondly remember Adolph<br />

Amend and his role in helping me move<br />

forward. ESB had great teachers and I<br />

hope D-E has <strong>the</strong> same.”<br />

D 72<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Emily Klotz<br />

40 Richard Street<br />

Tenafly, NJ 07670<br />

Email: eklotz@rcn.com<br />

Melissa Mettler Abrams writes: “It was<br />

with great sadness that I read about <strong>the</strong><br />

death of Janet Stork. I can still remember<br />

her laugh. She was always smiling and<br />

happy. Sorry too to hear about Mr. Kidder.<br />

I’ve lost touch with Terry Kidder…do you<br />

read <strong>the</strong> Alumni News, Terry? If so, give<br />

me a call at 970-391-5942. I’d love to<br />

hear from you.”<br />

E 73<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Michael Bruno<br />

21 Whippoorwill Road<br />

Armonk, NY 10504-1328<br />

Email: msb@stonebridgepartners.com<br />

David Hovsepian<br />

2400 West El Camino Real, #307<br />

Mountain View, CA 94040<br />

Email: hovsepian@stanford.edu<br />

D 73<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Suzanne Nutt<br />

Email: snutt@syarch.com<br />

74<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Campbell-Rodriguez<br />

334 Jefferson Avenue<br />

Cresskill, NJ 07626<br />

Email: brodri@juno.com<br />

75<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Stefan Bucek<br />

7148 Via Carmela<br />

San Jose, CA 95139-1125<br />

Email: skbucek@comcast.net<br />

Gary Mass is living in Fort Lee and<br />

working in <strong>the</strong> healthcare industry with<br />

his bro<strong>the</strong>r, Bobby Mass ’79. It is nice<br />

to have <strong>the</strong> business three miles from<br />

home, so he can often cycle to work.<br />

In his spare time, he loves road cycling,<br />

having done over 5,400 miles this past<br />

year including eight centuries and two<br />

double centuries. His son, David Mass<br />

’06, just graduated from <strong>the</strong> University<br />

of Delaware with a degree in finance and<br />

accounting. Gary just got a Lab puppy,<br />

so now <strong>the</strong>re is a new “baby” in <strong>the</strong><br />

house. Candy and he traveled recently to<br />

Scandinavia this past summer and went<br />

on a Caribbean Cruise over New Year’s.<br />

76<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Alisa Liskin Clausen<br />

Varnaesvej 171<br />

DK 6200<br />

Åbenrå, DENMARK<br />

Email: alisaclausen@gmail.com<br />

Linda Dabagian Galgano<br />

248 Purdue Court<br />

Paramus, NJ 07652<br />

Email: Ldab58@hotmail.com<br />

Linda Dabagian Galgano sends this<br />

news: “My youngest son, Mat<strong>the</strong>w, will<br />

graduate from Monmouth University in<br />

May. My eldest son, Rich, is a financial<br />

planner, living in New Milford. I regularly<br />

see Randi Woodrow who I’m glad to say<br />

is back on <strong>the</strong> East Coast, and Seta<br />

Nazarian-Albrecht ’75. When Randi<br />

comes into town, I get to see her sister,<br />

Laurie ’78, who continues to run<br />

marathons around <strong>the</strong> world. I continue<br />

to work at <strong>the</strong> Paramus Barnes & Noble,<br />

hosting famous and not-so-famous<br />

author signings, along with running<br />

fundraisers and discount purchasing for<br />

schools and nonprofits. I am busy honing<br />

up my Facebook skills as I am working<br />

on our 35th Reunion (can that be<br />

possible?). Please look for our Facebook<br />

Group: <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> Class<br />

of 1976 and get up-to-date information<br />

on <strong>the</strong> weekend’s events. Please<br />

encourage fellow classmates to get in<br />

touch. My significant o<strong>the</strong>r, a middle<br />

school principal, and I are <strong>the</strong> proud<br />

parents of three (sometimes four) dogs,<br />

all of which are rescues. We look forward<br />

to a smaller house, larger property, and<br />

more dogs one day!”<br />

77<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Robin Goldfischer Hollander<br />

370 Lydecker Street<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>, NJ 07631<br />

Email: hollander@nj.rr.com<br />

Mark Shapiro conducted <strong>the</strong> St. Cecilia<br />

Chorus in a performance of <strong>the</strong> Mozart<br />

Requiem and music by Morton Lauridsen<br />

and David Randolph at Carnegie Hall on<br />

April 9. He recently conducted Poulenc’s<br />

comic opera Les Mamelles de Tiresias<br />

at <strong>the</strong> Juilliard <strong>School</strong>, and Handel’s Saul<br />

in <strong>the</strong> 5000-seat amphi<strong>the</strong>ater in Vaisonla-Romaine,<br />

France. He is currently<br />

celebrating his twentieth season as<br />

artistic director of Cantori New York, with<br />

Spring 2011<br />

51


CLASSNOTES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

52<br />

whom he won a third ASCAP Adventurous<br />

Programming Award in 2010, and also of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Monmouth Civic Chorus. Upcoming<br />

engagements include a performance of<br />

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony in Halifax,<br />

Nova Scotia, with <strong>the</strong> chamber orchestra<br />

Nova Sinfonia. (See alumni profile on<br />

page 10.)<br />

78<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Maria Sanchez Gardner<br />

Phone: 201-569-9500, ext. 3413<br />

Email: sanchm@d-e.org<br />

Paul Marber<br />

37 Sullivan Drive<br />

Jericho, NY 11753-1938<br />

Email: Rebramp@aol.com<br />

John Lucker writes: “My wife, Meghan,<br />

and I have been married for almost 22<br />

years and have spent that whole time<br />

living in Simsbury, CT, with our three sons:<br />

Connor (19), Taran (16), Piers (14).<br />

Connor is a freshman at Hobart College.<br />

We also have a 4-year-old Shitzu named<br />

Lily. I am active in my community as a<br />

sports coach, Boy Scout leader, and a<br />

smart growth community group leader.<br />

I’m also <strong>the</strong> lead plaintiff in a class<br />

action lawsuit to have an extremely<br />

neglected and mismanaged historic<br />

cemetery in Queens—where my paternal<br />

grandparents are buried—restored,<br />

endowed, and perpetually managed<br />

(http://www.baysidecemeterylitigation.com).<br />

Professionally, I am a partner with<br />

Deloitte Consulting where I lead <strong>the</strong><br />

firm’s Advanced Analytics & Modeling<br />

capability. I consult with clients in many<br />

different industries to help with <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

use of data and analytic methods to<br />

better understand and manage <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

businesses. I also write and speak<br />

extensively for professional journals and<br />

trade groups. I have fun keeping in touch<br />

with many of my fellow <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> alums on Facebook and LinkedIn.”<br />

Claudia Weinstein works at 60 Minutes<br />

and lives in Manhattan with her daughter,<br />

Noa, a high school freshman, and <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

feral poodle.<br />

79<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Elizabeth Mettler Bacon<br />

Blair Academy<br />

P.O. Box 600<br />

Blairstown, NJ 07825<br />

Email: quenames@yahoo.com<br />

Alice Athanasiou Gabriele sent this<br />

update and a message to all our<br />

alumnae: “I was diagnosed with ovarian<br />

cancer this year. I was Stage 2, so <strong>the</strong><br />

prognosis is pretty good. At this stage we<br />

aim for cure ra<strong>the</strong>r than remission. Right<br />

now I am clear but am still undergoing<br />

treatment. Ovarian cancer is a silent<br />

killer as very few are diagnosed at my<br />

stage and lower. I was having yearly<br />

vaginal sonograms and blood tests (CA<br />

125) as my mom died from <strong>the</strong> disease<br />

two years ago; o<strong>the</strong>rwise I, too, would<br />

probably have waited to go to <strong>the</strong> doctor.<br />

I urge all women to ask for a yearly<br />

vaginal sonogram and have <strong>the</strong>m semiannually<br />

if <strong>the</strong>y are high risk…Everything<br />

else is fine--Andrew is a senior at<br />

Princeton, Ali is a sophomore at<br />

Muhlenberg, and Chris is a freshman at<br />

Cold Spring Harbor High <strong>School</strong>. Andrew<br />

was recently named Academic All-Ivy<br />

(he was captain of varsity sprint football<br />

for two years). Ali plays lacrosse at<br />

Muhlenberg (I coached her and her<br />

friends through 6th grade). Chris is our<br />

golfer—he won an award for having <strong>the</strong><br />

lowest average score in his age group<br />

for Long Island in <strong>the</strong> Met PGA summer<br />

tournaments. I must focus on <strong>the</strong>se<br />

positives with what transpired this year,<br />

so please excuse me for being so proud.”<br />

Paul Lucas writes: “After being stateside<br />

for most of <strong>the</strong> past six or seven months,<br />

I’m heading over to London on Monday<br />

for <strong>the</strong> Opening Night of Woody Sez in<br />

<strong>the</strong> West End. I’ve been working on this<br />

production since 2007, when I had it in<br />

Edinburgh. In February, I hope to be<br />

going to LA for a gala DVD release and<br />

to accept an award for a short film<br />

competition that I won. I’m hoping to<br />

catch up with Cheryl Stotter Magnuson<br />

’82, Courtney Starrett Zani ’82, Bitsy<br />

Osder ’82, and Joey Langer ’84 while I’m<br />

<strong>the</strong>re. In February/March I have Taylor<br />

Mac on tour in Australia and New<br />

Zealand, but ra<strong>the</strong>r than go to Oz again,<br />

I’ve decided to take my first trip to India.<br />

I’m really excited. If <strong>the</strong>re are any D-E<br />

alumni in Mumbai or Delhi, let me know.”<br />

Richard Mueller sends greetings to<br />

friends and classmates. He lives in<br />

Alpine, NJ, and is very busy with his<br />

cardiology private practice and vein<br />

center in Manhattan. He is on <strong>the</strong> staff<br />

at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and an<br />

assistant professor of medicine at Weill<br />

Cornell Medical College. His wife, Jill, and<br />

he spend most weekends in<br />

Westhampton Dunes. Their younger<br />

daughter, Jacqueline, is a star student<br />

athlete at Tenafly High (one of only two<br />

freshmen on <strong>the</strong> varsity basketball team,<br />

and a county all star last year as an 8th<br />

grader at Alpine). Her older sister, Bridget<br />

(herself a former hoops star at Alpine), is<br />

a junior at Tenafly and is looking at<br />

colleges. “Dick” hangs out now and <strong>the</strong>n<br />

with David Yamner and sees some D-E<br />

alumni as patients.<br />

Heidi Skolnik is heading to China to<br />

present to <strong>the</strong> Shanghai Institute of<br />

Sports Science her new book Nutrient<br />

Timing For Peak Performance. She<br />

enjoyed a career highlight this past<br />

year when she did nutrition counseling<br />

for performers in <strong>the</strong> Broadway hit<br />

Billy Elliott.<br />

Soraya Zarghami Gage is a 20-year<br />

veteran of NBC News and now serves<br />

as executive producer of NBC Learn—<br />

<strong>the</strong> education arm of NBC— after serving<br />

as its senior editorial producer since<br />

2006. In her role, she has overseen <strong>the</strong><br />

content production for three websites,<br />

including NBC Archives on Demand,<br />

iCue, and What’s Your iCue?, a<br />

Facebook application. She also oversees<br />

production of original content for <strong>the</strong><br />

site, including more than 300 original<br />

mini-documentaries about U.S. history<br />

produced for <strong>the</strong> websites. Soraya has<br />

traveled throughout <strong>the</strong> Middle East with<br />

American troops covering various stories<br />

on Iraq and Afghanistan. She also met<br />

with King Hussein of Jordan years ago<br />

for a story on Jordan.<br />

80<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Dr. Bard Cosman<br />

8708 Nottingham Place<br />

La Jolla, CA 92037-2128<br />

Email: cosman@sbcglobal.net


81<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Kenneth Lenskold<br />

Email: kenlenskold@yahoo.com<br />

After years of practicing out of state,<br />

Larry Milgrim has moved back home. He<br />

has an ENT and cosmetic facial plastic<br />

surgery practice in Teaneck. Recently<br />

elected to Castle Connelly “Top Cosmetic<br />

Doctors and Dentists” as well as being<br />

listed in “Best Doctors in America” for<br />

many years, he specializes in sinus<br />

problems and facial surgery such as<br />

nose jobs and facelifts, Botox and<br />

Juverderm. He is so excited to be back<br />

home with friends.<br />

82<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Patricia Arlin Bradley<br />

52 Washington Avenue<br />

River Edge, NJ 07661-2431<br />

Email: pabradley@aol.com<br />

83<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Ron Pomerantz<br />

Email: ronpomerantz@yahoo.com<br />

Lisa Canino D’Alessandro<br />

Email: lisa@candal.net<br />

Scott Berrie was featured in a recent<br />

article for <strong>the</strong> Bergen Record. In July,<br />

Scott moved his family to <strong>the</strong> Israeli<br />

capital from Manhattan for a year while<br />

he lays <strong>the</strong> groundwork for <strong>the</strong> 2012<br />

<strong>the</strong>atrical release of Jerusalem, I Love<br />

You. Berrie’s Impulse Creative<br />

Productions LLC is licensed to produce<br />

<strong>the</strong> next film in Emmanuel Benbihy’s<br />

“Cities of Love” series. Like <strong>the</strong> earlier<br />

Paris, Je t’aime (2006) and New York, I<br />

Love You (2009), this cinematic ode to<br />

Jerusalem will weave toge<strong>the</strong>r about a<br />

dozen short segments from well-known<br />

directors and writers.<br />

Dan Dubelman got a chance to play<br />

guitar with Robby Krieger of <strong>the</strong> Doors<br />

for <strong>the</strong> Pat Tillman Memorial Event.<br />

Dan performed in New York with Steve<br />

Holley, <strong>the</strong> former drummer from Paul<br />

McCartney and Wings, who also plays<br />

with Andy Burton in Ian Hunter’s band.<br />

Andy recently performed with Bruce<br />

Springsteen and Garland Jeffreys.<br />

Brooke Shields took time out between<br />

sets to say hello to seniors Michael<br />

Hajjar ’11, Brian Hajjar ’11, and Alexa<br />

Danoff ’11 during her final performance<br />

at Feinstein's at <strong>the</strong> Loews Regency in<br />

Manhattan earlier this year. Schedule<br />

conflicts made it impossible for Brooke to<br />

participate in <strong>the</strong> April IDEA Alumni <strong>Arts</strong><br />

Festival (see pages 25-26) but she was<br />

able to spend some quality time with <strong>the</strong><br />

very appreciative students.<br />

84<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Amy Shlafer Gerber<br />

23 Rio Vista Drive<br />

Alpine, NJ 07620<br />

Email: shlafe627@aol.com<br />

Kenneth Handel<br />

237 East Enid Drive<br />

Key Biscayne, FL 33149-2206<br />

Email: Kenhandel@aol.com<br />

Leslie Gerber Harris<br />

420 East 72nd Street, Apt. 5E<br />

New York, NY 10021<br />

Email: leslieharris@nyc.rr.com<br />

Kaveh Alizadeh is <strong>the</strong> president of <strong>the</strong><br />

Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, which<br />

is <strong>the</strong> largest and oldest private academic<br />

practice in North America. He was named<br />

top doctor in New York area by Castle<br />

Connolly, and best plastic surgery group<br />

and cosmetic surgeon of 2011 by LI Press.<br />

Kaveh recently founded Operation Restore<br />

Hope, which provides education, research,<br />

and free care to children in need around <strong>the</strong><br />

globe. Classmate Angela Miglietta-Comeau<br />

has been instrumental in <strong>the</strong> Foundation as<br />

a board member helping Kaveh and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

surgeons make trips to Afghanistan, Burma,<br />

Iraq, and Haiti. Kaveh is currently treating a<br />

6-year-old girl with full surface body burns<br />

from <strong>the</strong> conflict in Palestinian-occupied<br />

territories. Kaveh’s recent reconstructive<br />

surgery on a 9-year-old Iraqi boy with facial<br />

injuries from an IED explosive device was<br />

featured on <strong>the</strong> CBS show 60 Minutes in<br />

March. Kaveh lives with his wife and two<br />

daughters in Manhattan. If alumni or<br />

students are interested in helping <strong>the</strong><br />

Operation Restore Hope Foundation or<br />

participating in future trips, please visit<br />

www.lipsg.com and contact Kaveh.<br />

When Mindy Merdinger Blackstock could<br />

not find a Girl Scout troop for her 10-yearold<br />

daughter, Bayla, she decided to start<br />

one. Now she is <strong>the</strong> proud troop leader<br />

for her daughter and her school friends.<br />

Because Mindy works full time, <strong>the</strong>y meet<br />

on weekends.<br />

85<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Laura Nadel Eisen<br />

5013 Benton Avenue<br />

Be<strong>the</strong>sda, MD 20814<br />

Email: jellyfish5@comcast.net<br />

Marc Jerome<br />

Email: mjerome@monroecollege.edu<br />

86<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Alisa Gettenberg Lessing<br />

150 East 69th Street, Apt 7A<br />

New York, NY 10021<br />

Email: alisa.lessing@rcn.com<br />

On August 22, 2009, Toju Omatete<br />

married Elya Rafikova in Washington, DC.<br />

They met at <strong>the</strong>ir yoga studio! Two months<br />

later, Elya accepted a research position<br />

at UC Santa Cruz. So finally last June,<br />

Toju resigned from eight years as a GED<br />

program coordinator and instructor at<br />

<strong>the</strong> Latin American Youth Center in DC,<br />

packed up and drove across country to<br />

join Elya in Santa Cruz. To quote Toju,<br />

“Hmm, DC to Santa Cruz? Absolutely no<br />

complaints!” Toju is <strong>the</strong> former president<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Oberlin College Class of 1990 and<br />

is quite involved with his alma mater’s<br />

Alumni Council. He is working on a big<br />

cluster (’90,’91,’92) 20th reunion<br />

happening this May.<br />

Ca<strong>the</strong>rine Prendergast is currently<br />

director of undergraduate rhetoric<br />

programs at <strong>the</strong> University of Illinois:<br />

“Each year as I prepare 100 staff to<br />

teach academic writing to 4,000-plus<br />

incoming first year students, I remember<br />

with gratitude <strong>the</strong> extra care Mrs. Falk<br />

took to help me when I was a struggling<br />

writer.” Ca<strong>the</strong>rine has also recently<br />

published Buying into English: Language<br />

and Investment in <strong>the</strong> New Capitalist<br />

World, a book that explores <strong>the</strong> global<br />

chase to learn and master English.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

53


CLASSNOTES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

54<br />

87<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Elissa Gross<br />

Email: horseback1024@aim.com<br />

James Liu<br />

Email: LJLiu@aol.com<br />

Michael Leiter paid a special visit to <strong>the</strong><br />

D-E campus this spring as a featured<br />

presenter in <strong>the</strong> 2010–11 Head of<br />

<strong>School</strong> Series. Michael is director of <strong>the</strong><br />

National Counterterrorism Center in<br />

Washington, DC. See pages 36–38 for<br />

more details.<br />

Emily Reisbaum lives in Carroll Gardens,<br />

Brooklyn, with husband Scott Medintz<br />

and <strong>the</strong>ir children, Solomon (11), Joshua<br />

(9), and Miranda (5). She is a lawyer and<br />

recently founded a boutique law firm with<br />

two terrific partners. They focus on<br />

litigation and counseling relating to<br />

complex commercial and intellectual<br />

property matters ( www.cgr-law.com).<br />

She can’t believe it’s been almost 25<br />

years since high school: “It does feel<br />

like forever ago, but we just can’t be<br />

that old!”<br />

Greg Russell sent in <strong>the</strong> following update<br />

on his life: “Since our time at <strong>Dwight</strong>, I’ve<br />

had a great time dispatching my pre-med<br />

degree and working in <strong>the</strong> completely<br />

unrelated world of entertainment! I’m<br />

well primed to produce a film/TV series,<br />

and to that end, I’m now writing to share<br />

a project I am developing. It is an<br />

animated feature film/TV series along<br />

<strong>the</strong> lines of Disney/Pixar’s movie Cars.<br />

Combine that with some Transformers, Xmen,<br />

and a few o<strong>the</strong>r goodies, and<br />

<strong>the</strong>re’s a hint at where we’re going with<br />

it. Think about motorcycles in this<br />

context. The exciting part: As a long-time<br />

fan of <strong>the</strong> rock group Rush (literally since<br />

I was 13), it is an honor and privilege to<br />

say that I am partnering on <strong>the</strong> project<br />

with Neil Peart, drummer/lyricist for<br />

Rush, who is also a best-selling novelist.<br />

Neil has become a good friend and we<br />

ride motorcycles toge<strong>the</strong>r, and on tour in<br />

various places across <strong>the</strong> US.<br />

Accomplished sci-fi writer Kevin J<br />

Anderson (Star Wars, Dune, X-Files<br />

novels) is on board. Our concept artist is<br />

Marc Gabbana (The Matrix, Star Wars).<br />

Check out marcgabbana.com if you have<br />

a moment. Sound design is being done<br />

by Soundelux (Shrek, Godzilla, Nine,<br />

etc.), who are friends of mine. We have<br />

developed compelling concept art for<br />

several characters, have written<br />

treatments for <strong>the</strong> script and trailer, and<br />

are now looking to create a two-minute<br />

animation to present to <strong>the</strong> major film<br />

studios and toy manufacturers.”<br />

88<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Christopher Green<br />

Email: chris@producersguild.org<br />

Elizabeth Youngman<br />

Email:<br />

eyoungman@redcarpetoccasions.com<br />

89<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Lydia Bartletta Cochran<br />

1669 Belle Isle Circle<br />

Atlanta, GA 30329<br />

Patti Smith Barrett<br />

Email: pasmith68@hotmail.com<br />

Marc Leibman moved to Woodcliff Lake<br />

from Tenafly last August. He is still<br />

practicing law in Fort Lee with Kaufman,<br />

Bern, Deutsch & Leibman.<br />

90<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Brett Goldstein<br />

Email: goldsbr@yahoo.com<br />

91<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Alexis Charnee<br />

480 Stuyvesant Avenue<br />

Ru<strong>the</strong>rford, NJ 07070<br />

Email: AlexisCharnee@yahoo.com<br />

Robin Schulman<br />

1142 18th Street<br />

San Francisco, CA 94107<br />

Email: schulman@adobe.com<br />

Robin Schulman and Byron Walden were<br />

married on June 25, 2010, at <strong>the</strong> Yale<br />

Club in New York City. In celebration of<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir wedding, Robin and Byron<br />

constructed a wedding-<strong>the</strong>med<br />

crossword puzzle, which appeared on<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir wedding day in <strong>the</strong> New York Times,<br />

and <strong>the</strong>y distributed copies of it to <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

wedding guests, including DeAnne<br />

DeFuccio Canavan, Peggy Vermont,<br />

Robin’s bro<strong>the</strong>r, Andrew Schulman ’95,<br />

and sister, Aimee Schulman ’02. Times<br />

crossword editor Will Shortz was quoted in<br />

Time Out magazine citing Robin and<br />

Byron’s puzzle as one of his favorites.<br />

92<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Elsie Mak<br />

7000 Boulevard East, Apt. 28G<br />

Guttenberg, NJ 07093-5036<br />

Email: makelsie@hotmail.com<br />

Bradley Tevelow<br />

Email: btevelow@yahoo.com<br />

Beth Del Colliano Pasmantier is living in<br />

Westchester, working in advertising, has<br />

two terrific little girls, ages 7 and 5. She<br />

would love to have coffee and/or playdates<br />

with any alumni in <strong>the</strong> area! Hope<br />

everyone is well. She can be reached at<br />

Bethdelco@gmail.com.<br />

93<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Paola Lefcovich-Miller<br />

230 Central Park West, Apt. 12J<br />

New York, NY 10024<br />

Email: enana2000@hotmail.com<br />

94<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Eevin Hartsough<br />

527 Ninth Avenue, Apt. 2B<br />

New York, NY 10018<br />

Email: EevinH@gmail.com<br />

Rafi Jafri<br />

25 Snyder Road<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> Cliffs, NJ 07632<br />

Email: rjafri@alumni.uchicago.edu<br />

Laura Swain<br />

234 Thompson Street, Apt. 5<br />

New York, NY 10012-1342<br />

Email: lauraswain@hotmail.com<br />

Elizabeth “Liz” Jefferies de Villegas, her<br />

husband, Arnoud, along with <strong>the</strong>ir son,<br />

Felix, welcomed <strong>the</strong>ir second boy, Adrien,<br />

on November 9, 2010, in Newport, RI.


95<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Nirupama Nukalapati<br />

177 East 93rd Street, Apt. 1A<br />

New York, NY 10128<br />

Email: niru125@aol.com<br />

Sara Siris Nash writes: "I’m currently<br />

living in Manhattan with my wonderful<br />

husband of nine years, Brad Nash, and<br />

our two amazing daughters, Gabrielle (3)<br />

and Elana (almost 1). Brad is a litigator<br />

and of counsel to Schlam Stone & Dolan<br />

LLP. I am a psychiatrist practicing at<br />

Columbia University Medical Center and<br />

specializing in consultation-liaison<br />

psychiatry (seeing patients with<br />

psychiatric problems in <strong>the</strong> general<br />

medical and surgical settings). I am also<br />

<strong>the</strong> proud aunt to Shlomo (10), Binyomin<br />

(2), and Rivka (6 months) Siris, of<br />

Jerusalem, Israel.”<br />

Laura Zaks recently started working with<br />

<strong>the</strong> Azuero Earth Project, an NGO<br />

dedicated to environmental conservation<br />

in Panama. Laura is working on <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

marketing and development from <strong>the</strong><br />

New York area. The website is:<br />

www.azueroearthproject.org.<br />

96<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Joshua Fink<br />

525 East 72nd Street, Apt. 32-H<br />

New York, NY 10021<br />

97<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Chianoo Schneider<br />

391 Morrow Road<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong>, NJ 07631<br />

Email: chianoo.schneider@ey.com<br />

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Glidden has accepted<br />

<strong>the</strong> position of director of legislative<br />

affairs for U.S. Congressman Tim Walz<br />

(D-Minnesota, walz.house.gov).<br />

Congressman Walz is a member of <strong>the</strong><br />

House Committee on Veterans Affairs<br />

and is <strong>the</strong> highest-ranking retired,<br />

enlisted soldier ever to serve in<br />

Congress. Lizzy’s duties will be to<br />

manage <strong>the</strong> congressman’s Washington<br />

office and direct all legislative matters<br />

for <strong>the</strong> congressman and his district.<br />

Lizzy is a 2001 graduate of Union<br />

College and 2006 graduate of <strong>the</strong><br />

Washington College of Law, American<br />

University, cum laude. She is presently a<br />

third-year associate of <strong>the</strong> Washington<br />

law firm of Steptoe and Johnson.<br />

From Michael O’Connor: “I thought I’d<br />

pass along a couple of pictures and<br />

details about a bike ride a couple of us<br />

went on to raise money for a charity called<br />

Operation Smile, an organization that<br />

sends medical teams into mostly Third<br />

World countries to perform corrective<br />

procedures on cleft lip and cleft palate<br />

deformities. In 2009, my bro<strong>the</strong>r, my<br />

cousin, and I rode from NYC to Norfolk, VA<br />

(<strong>the</strong> headquarters of Operation Smile),<br />

and raised $9,000. This year I wanted to<br />

make it a shorter distance to enable us to<br />

open it up to more riders, so my friend<br />

from <strong>the</strong> University of Maryland, Max<br />

Skalatsky, and I put toge<strong>the</strong>r a route that<br />

took us from Washington, DC, to New York<br />

City in October. We called <strong>the</strong> event Miles<br />

for Smiles and all proceeds went to<br />

Operation Smile. Phil Brill-Edwards ’99,<br />

Iyad Baker ’99, classmate Kristian<br />

Kordula, and I all participated in <strong>the</strong> bike<br />

ride that raised almost $30,000 this year.<br />

The four of us and nine o<strong>the</strong>r participants<br />

rode 240 miles over <strong>the</strong> course of three<br />

days and had <strong>the</strong> good fortune of<br />

beautiful wea<strong>the</strong>r and managed to have<br />

great time along <strong>the</strong> way. We are going to<br />

make this an annual event and it will be<br />

held at <strong>the</strong> beginning of October every<br />

year. If any o<strong>the</strong>r D-E alumni or <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

friends would like to join us in 2011, it<br />

would be great if <strong>the</strong>y could email me at<br />

micconnor@hotmail.com and I’ll fill <strong>the</strong>m<br />

in on all <strong>the</strong> details. In <strong>the</strong> meantime<br />

maybe <strong>the</strong>y’d like to check out this year’s<br />

website at www.operationsmile.org/<br />

milesforsmiles.”<br />

98<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Kristin Laoudis<br />

Email: tcbk64@aol.com<br />

Helyett P. Piney<br />

Email: spice317@aol.com<br />

Regina Scarpa<br />

723 Jenney Trail<br />

Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417<br />

99<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Claire Hambrick<br />

Email: ClaireRH@aol.com<br />

00<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Peter Boyer<br />

Email: boyerp5@yahoo.com<br />

Christopher Desir<br />

Email: Cdesir@aol.com<br />

Joseph Go<strong>the</strong>lf<br />

Email: emailme@joego<strong>the</strong>lf.com<br />

Bryan Krane<br />

Email: bryanknj@hotmail.com<br />

01<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Nia Al’Mahdi<br />

Email: AKappa4@aol.com<br />

Roy Ben-Dor<br />

Email: roybendor@gmail.com<br />

Juliana Zapata<br />

Email: julianazapata83@hotmail.com<br />

Avni Doshi majored in art history at Barnard<br />

and <strong>the</strong>n did a master’s at University College<br />

London. Having done research related to<br />

contemporary Indian art, she moved to<br />

Bombay, hoping to get a better understanding<br />

of <strong>the</strong> art world <strong>the</strong>re and to meet <strong>the</strong> artists<br />

she’d studied. She has been working as an<br />

art critic for a while and has written a number<br />

of catalogue essays for artists and galleries.<br />

In January she curated her first show in Delhi.<br />

She also wrote a catalogue for <strong>the</strong> Skoda art<br />

prize, which has been put toge<strong>the</strong>r by a group<br />

of art experts in India as an answer to <strong>the</strong><br />

Turner prize (http://www.<strong>the</strong>skodaprize.com/).<br />

She would like to start an artist’s residency<br />

in India.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

55


CLASSNOTES<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

56<br />

02<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Kate Eyerman<br />

Email: kae22@georgetown.edu<br />

Samantha Silver<br />

30 Bogert Road<br />

Demarest, NJ 07627<br />

03<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Terecille Basa-Ong<br />

Email: terecille@gmail.com<br />

Alison M. Desir<br />

Email: alison.desir@gmail.com<br />

Michael Kopko<br />

Email: kopko@post.harvard.edu<br />

Anthony Arbaiza will be starting as a<br />

business and technology analyst for<br />

Cognizant Technology Solutions Co.<br />

04<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Mat<strong>the</strong>w Kopko<br />

Email: mattkopko@gmail.com<br />

05<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Stephanie Rollo<br />

Email: stephanie.rollo@gmail.com<br />

Roy Moran<br />

Email: royxmoran@gmail.com<br />

Stephanie Rollo and Mark Torossian<br />

were engaged on December 3, 2010.<br />

Stephanie is <strong>the</strong> New Jersey regional<br />

manager to Revolution Prep, an<br />

educational services company committed<br />

to improving and transforming education.<br />

Mark is a vice-president at BNY Mellon<br />

and head of infrastructure cost allocations<br />

within <strong>the</strong> Finance Department. A<br />

November 2011 wedding is planned.<br />

06<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Kathryn Maffetone<br />

Email: jerseysweetie743@aol.com<br />

Larry Stevens was featured recently in an<br />

article in Ezra Magazine, one of Cornell’s<br />

most popular magazines. Larry provided<br />

this note: “From my days at D-E to<br />

graduating from Cornell with honors, to<br />

getting into grad school in DC and Harvard’s<br />

doctorate program after I finish Teach For<br />

America, to now influencing hundreds of<br />

children in Washington, DC, America’s worst<br />

school system…Every day is a challenge,<br />

but God is good and has prepared me for<br />

<strong>the</strong> journey. Thanks to D-E from me for<br />

bringing me to this place in my life.”<br />

Faculty member Marisol Diaz writes:<br />

“How fascinating <strong>the</strong> world is: Last night I<br />

picked up a new art and literary journal<br />

(H.O.W. Journal) from www.howjournal.com<br />

since I am very interested in such<br />

publications, and this Sunday morning<br />

I’m reading it to find one of <strong>the</strong><br />

contributing writers is former D-E student<br />

Emma Larson! Thought this may be of<br />

interest to you all.”<br />

07<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Marc Hajjar<br />

Email: Mjh726@gmail.com<br />

Monil Kothari<br />

Email: Kothari_moni@bentley.edu<br />

08<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Maya Gunaseharan<br />

Email: msg228@cornell.edu<br />

Amina Lawrence<br />

Email: ALawrence@Howard.edu<br />

On September 27, 2010, Lilah Larson<br />

and Daniel Fisher ’06, were married in<br />

a private ceremony in Nyack, NY.<br />

Chris Lo spoke at an exciting Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong> assembly which also featured<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> Idol performances and PAS<br />

Short Films. Chris is currently at Wash<br />

U, was Student Government president<br />

at D-E and has done great things in<br />

his short time out of D-E. The biggest<br />

to date is creating a pay-it-forward<br />

website called <strong>the</strong> Karma Seed<br />

(http://<strong>the</strong>karmaseed.org). He really<br />

wanted to come back and speak about<br />

how influential his experience at D-E has<br />

been for him and introduce Karma Seed.<br />

He described his 15-20 minute talk as<br />

his version of a high school “TED” talk.<br />

09<br />

Class Rep:<br />

Neesha Khanna<br />

Email: neeshakhanna@hotmail.com<br />

10<br />

Class Reps:<br />

Sabrina Garcia<br />

Email: sabg@sas.upenn.edu<br />

Chelsea Payraudeau<br />

Email: Capayraudeau@loyola.edu<br />

Former Faculty/<br />

Staff News<br />

Friends from <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> paid a special visit to former<br />

long-time staff employee Margaret<br />

Raffloer at <strong>the</strong> Plaza at Mill Pond in<br />

Park Ridge, NJ, to celebrate<br />

Margaret’s 90th birthday.<br />

Seated left to right: Gene Wojtyla,<br />

Margaret Raffloer, Robert Carson, and<br />

Lisa Schmid. Standing left to right: Betsey<br />

Carson, Serena Carson, Malcolm Duffy,<br />

Doris Moss, Chris Schmid, Ginny Luciano,<br />

and Alice Praylow.


INMEMORIAM<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> notes with regret <strong>the</strong> passing of <strong>the</strong> following members of <strong>the</strong> extended <strong>Dwight</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong>, <strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> for Boys, and <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> family. Every effort is made to<br />

include members of our community who have passed away as we are made aware of <strong>the</strong> news. Please<br />

forward information to <strong>the</strong> Alumni Office at alumninews@d-e.org or to your Class Representative.<br />

Anita Liskin, Former Teacher, Past Parent,<br />

and Grandparent<br />

Born Antoinette Merker on March 2, 1926, Anita grew up in Paris and<br />

came to America in <strong>the</strong> 1940s. Known for her intellectual curiosity,<br />

warmth, and joie de vivre, she taught French at <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> for<br />

more than 10 years. A graduate of <strong>the</strong> Fashion Institute of Technology, she also<br />

used her knowledge of fashion and design to costume many <strong>the</strong>atrical<br />

performances at <strong>the</strong> <strong>School</strong>. She was <strong>the</strong> beloved mo<strong>the</strong>r of Diana Liskin<br />

Chapman D ’73, David and Max Liskin ’76, Alisa Liskin Clausen ’76, and <strong>the</strong><br />

late Barbara Liskin. She was <strong>the</strong> beloved grandmo<strong>the</strong>r of Elizabeth “Lizza”<br />

Bonagura ’02, Rebecca Bonagura ’02, and Helene Clausen. She was<br />

predeceased by her husband of over fifty years, Louis D. Liskin.<br />

ALUMNAE/ALUMNI<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1936<br />

Julia A. Flitner Lamb<br />

12/3/2010<br />

(See sidebar.)<br />

ESB 1938<br />

Norman"Topper" Cook Jr.<br />

2/5/2010<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1939<br />

Jean Harber Goldstein/Tao Yin<br />

3/16/2009<br />

ESB 1939<br />

Gerald Poor Jacobson<br />

5/25/2010<br />

Robert L. Southworth<br />

8/14/2010<br />

(See sidebar.)<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1940<br />

Lois Brewster Butcher<br />

8/18/2009<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1941<br />

Patricia White<br />

11/12/2009<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1944<br />

Margaret Gaston<br />

1/10/2011<br />

Elizabeth Jean McKown Page<br />

10/5/2010<br />

ESB 1948<br />

George E. Stroub<br />

1/25/2011<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1950<br />

Lois Brenner Barnitt<br />

2/27/2010<br />

Spring 2011<br />

57


INMEMORIAM<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

58<br />

Julia Flitner Lamb D ’36<br />

Julia Appleton Flitner Lamb was a lifelong conservationist, devoting much<br />

of her efforts to <strong>the</strong> protection of <strong>the</strong> Palisades, Hackensack River, and<br />

Hudson River Highlands watershed. A founding and advisory member of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference, she was a key strategist to <strong>the</strong><br />

historic Storm King legal case that helped define <strong>the</strong> environmental movement.<br />

She was <strong>the</strong> recipient of Ford’s 1972 National Conservationist Award. A<br />

graduate of Vassar College, she served on a number of boards, including that<br />

of <strong>the</strong> Greenbrook Sanctuary, <strong>the</strong> Palisade Preservation Coalition, <strong>the</strong> Citizens<br />

Advisory Council to <strong>the</strong> Palisade Interstate Park Commission, <strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong><br />

Garden Club, Women of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and <strong>the</strong> League of Women<br />

Voters. She was a trustee of <strong>the</strong> <strong>Dwight</strong> <strong>School</strong> from 1947 to 1951. She was<br />

predeceased by her husband, Albert Richard Lamb, Jr., M.D. She is survived by<br />

four sons, Albert ESB ’60, George ESB ’64, Thomas ESB ’67, and Peter ESB ’72;<br />

five grandchildren, and three daughters-in-law.<br />

ESB 1950<br />

John Cloud<br />

6/6/2010<br />

Henry Wise<br />

6/16/2010<br />

ESB 1952<br />

Thomas Johnson<br />

10/27/2010<br />

Husband of Judith W. Johnson and<br />

devoted fa<strong>the</strong>r of Thomas Jr. ’85 and<br />

Pamela Johnson Gammill ’87, Tom was<br />

<strong>the</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>r of Patricia Johnson Wood D<br />

’55 (past parent, former employee, and<br />

former trustee of D-E) and Ann Johnson<br />

Frost D ’58, as well as bro<strong>the</strong>r-in-law<br />

Calvin Frost ESB ’58. Tom was an uncle<br />

to Jon Wood ’90 and Margaret “Meg”<br />

Wood Berling ’91; a cousin to <strong>the</strong> Scholl<br />

sisters (Virginia Scholl D ’65, Sarah<br />

Scholl Hedberg D ’68, and Barbara<br />

Baker-Bury D ’62); and a nephew of<br />

Julien Schnoll and Ka<strong>the</strong>rine Johnson<br />

Schnoll D ’28.<br />

ESB 1956<br />

Donn C. Strong<br />

4/22/2010<br />

ESB 1958<br />

Richard Thatcher<br />

10/1/2010<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1959<br />

Julie M. Habers<br />

1/29/2011<br />

ESB 1961<br />

George Mussawir<br />

10/13/2010<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong> 1972<br />

Robin Zaretsky Schlossberg<br />

11/23/2009<br />

DE 1981<br />

Denise Taylor<br />

1/3/2011<br />

FRIENDS<br />

In Remembrance of<br />

Former Faculty and Staff<br />

David Appleton<br />

1/6/2011<br />

Nelle Lane<br />

11/26/2010<br />

Mo<strong>the</strong>r of David ESB ’74, Ellen D’71,<br />

and Robert ESB ’73.<br />

Anita Liskin<br />

11/14/2010<br />

(See sidebar.)<br />

In Remembrance of Current and Past<br />

Parents and Grandparents<br />

Dary Derchin<br />

12/16/2010<br />

Mo<strong>the</strong>r of Taylor-Leigh Derchin ’11.<br />

William J. Follette M.D.<br />

5/20/10<br />

Fa<strong>the</strong>r of Deborah Follette Culbertson<br />

D ’68 and Sharon Follette Tift D ’63.<br />

William E. Ix Jr.<br />

12/26/2010<br />

Former Trustee of ESB and D-E;<br />

husband of Jane Ix, fa<strong>the</strong>r of Elizabeth<br />

Ix Buccellato’85, Gregory ’79, Jeff ’74,<br />

Jon ESB ’72, and William ESB ’71;<br />

cousin of Alexander Ix ESB ’45 and<br />

Douglas Ix ESB ’48.<br />

W. Frank Kearney<br />

11/15/2010<br />

Fa<strong>the</strong>r of Phil Kearney ’84; husband of<br />

Betty Kearney, former librarian.<br />

Virginia Carter Satterfield<br />

10/26/2010<br />

Mo<strong>the</strong>r of Rose Satterfield, D.M.D.<br />

D ’60 and Cynthia Carter Satterfield<br />

D ’66; grandmo<strong>the</strong>r of William A. Keller,<br />

Jr. ’82 and Virginia Keller ’84.<br />

Robert Lyman<br />

Southworth ESB ’39<br />

Robert Lyman Southworth<br />

passed away in his home in<br />

New Milford, CT, on August<br />

14, 2010. His daughter, Pam<br />

Southworth, wrote a beautiful<br />

summary of Bob’s life: “Dad had a<br />

wonderful upbringing in <strong>Englewood</strong>,<br />

where <strong>the</strong> family resided for<br />

approximately 50 years. <strong>Dwight</strong>-<br />

<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong>—or in those days<br />

<strong>the</strong> <strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong> for Boys—<br />

was a significant part of <strong>the</strong><br />

structure which defined my Dad’s<br />

character…a lovely man, a true<br />

gentleman everyone says…Dad<br />

spoke quite often about his football<br />

coach, Luke Ward, teaching <strong>the</strong><br />

values of life through sports and<br />

how his underrated team went on<br />

to win a big game!” Robert is<br />

survived by his wife of 56 years,<br />

Joan Olsen Southworth, his<br />

daughters, Pamela and Diane<br />

Southworth, and his bro<strong>the</strong>r, Walter<br />

Southworth ESB ’43. Any of Bob’s<br />

classmates or friends can contact<br />

Pam at 860-355-0425.


BULLDOGBOOKSHELF<br />

If you are a D-E alumna, alumnus, student, parent, or current or former member of our faculty and/or<br />

staff, we welcome your Bulldog Bookshelf submissions. Please forward information about your<br />

publication(s) to: alumninews@d-e.org. Please plan to provide electronic files of cover art images<br />

and/or any relevant press releases, biographical information, etc., when submitting your publication(s)<br />

for consideration. In lieu of electronic files, hard copies are accepted. Deadline is July 1, 2011.<br />

Peter Balakian ESB ’69<br />

Bruce Black ESB ’72<br />

Ian Harris ESB ’61 and<br />

Chuck Howlett<br />

Ziggurat (Poems)<br />

The University of Chicago Press,<br />

September 2010<br />

Exploring history, self, and imagination,<br />

as well as his ongoing concerns with<br />

catastrophe and trauma, many of<br />

Balakian's new poems wrestle with <strong>the</strong><br />

aftermath and reverberations of 9/11.<br />

Writing Yoga: A Guide to<br />

Keeping a Practice Journal<br />

Rodmell Press, 2011<br />

In a volume that is part memoir and part<br />

writing guide, Black shares tips about how to<br />

keep a practice journal, with guided writing<br />

exercises in each of <strong>the</strong> ten chapters.<br />

Books not Bombs:<br />

Teaching Peace since <strong>the</strong><br />

Dawn of <strong>the</strong> Republic<br />

Information Age Press, 2010<br />

Offering a comprehensive historical<br />

analysis of <strong>the</strong> origins and development of<br />

peace education in America, this book<br />

examines <strong>the</strong> evolution of peace ideology within <strong>the</strong> context of<br />

opposing war and promoting social justice in <strong>the</strong> classroom<br />

and in society.<br />

James Lord ESB ’40<br />

My Queer War<br />

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011<br />

Published posthumously, this memoir tells<br />

<strong>the</strong> story of <strong>the</strong> author’s sexual awakening<br />

as a young soldier during World War II and<br />

his experiences with <strong>the</strong> horrors and<br />

vagaries of war.<br />

Susan Newman, Ph.D. D ’60<br />

The Case for <strong>the</strong> Only<br />

Child: Your Essential Guide<br />

Health Communications, June 1,<br />

2011<br />

The popular Psychology Today blogger and<br />

author of fifteen books, Newman examines<br />

<strong>the</strong> increasingly prevalent phenomenon of<br />

one-child families and offers guidance to parents weighing <strong>the</strong><br />

factors involved in choosing to raise a singleton.<br />

Susan Thomas D ’64<br />

Last Voyage: Selected<br />

Poems of Giovanni Pascoli<br />

Red Hen Press, 2010<br />

Thomas and her fellow translators<br />

introduce <strong>the</strong> work of a well-known 19thcentury<br />

Italian poet, whose poems have<br />

never before been presented in English.<br />

Spring 2011<br />

59


LASTLOOK<br />

<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

60<br />

An Enlightening Assembly and a Community Challenge<br />

This spring, <strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> had a special all-school assembly to explore <strong>the</strong> global issue of<br />

clean drinking water and to kick-off a new student effort called 30 Miles in 30 Days: The D-E Safe<br />

Water Campaign.<br />

By Jamie Dalgleish ’13<br />

The all-school assembly about<br />

safe water occurred on March<br />

10. It was inspired thanks to an<br />

earlier relationship that our <strong>School</strong><br />

established with Blue Planet Network<br />

(BPN), an international nonprofit<br />

organization devoted to solving <strong>the</strong><br />

global drinking water crisis. (Editor’s<br />

Note: BPN’s CEO is Lisa Diaz Nash ’76, a<br />

2009 recipient of <strong>the</strong> D-E Distinguished<br />

Alumni Award.)<br />

The Middle <strong>School</strong> was <strong>the</strong> first to<br />

present, with a skit performed by some<br />

of <strong>the</strong> 7th grade students illustrating<br />

differences between African and<br />

American cultures with respect to water.<br />

For example, <strong>the</strong> skit emphasized that<br />

people in Africa must carry 40 lbs. of<br />

water about four miles (36 laps around<br />

our large gym in <strong>the</strong> Modell’s Sports<br />

Complex), three times a week to get<br />

safe drinking water!<br />

A poem—composed by Middle <strong>School</strong><br />

faculty member Giselle Winters about<br />

<strong>the</strong> differences between how Africans<br />

and Americans perceive water—was<br />

performed by her Home Base class.<br />

Several groups of students presented<br />

<strong>the</strong>ir videos. Some 7th graders<br />

presented a video, emphasizing that<br />

“Water is Life,” noting that, for example,<br />

our bodies are 75% water, and we can<br />

survive weeks without food but only a<br />

couple days without water. Ano<strong>the</strong>r group<br />

of 7th graders showed a video that<br />

compared how far women in Africa must<br />

walk to collect water with <strong>the</strong> distance of<br />

classrooms from water fountains at D-E.<br />

Students in <strong>the</strong> Lower <strong>School</strong>’s 4th grade<br />

class made a video depicting differences<br />

between here and <strong>the</strong> lives of young<br />

African drumming and dancing provided some light-hearted moments at an educational assembly<br />

dedicated to <strong>the</strong> very serious topic of <strong>the</strong> lack of safe drinking water in many parts of <strong>the</strong> world,<br />

including rural Africa.<br />

people in Africa. Additionally Justin<br />

Kim ’11, made remarks and presented<br />

a video titled “Water Trap.” He has<br />

researched <strong>the</strong> water crisis for his D-E<br />

Senior Year Focus Project. Justin refers<br />

to <strong>the</strong> crisis as a “water trap” because<br />

it affects <strong>the</strong> economy, education, and<br />

health in a way from which <strong>the</strong>re seems<br />

to be no escape for <strong>the</strong> people.<br />

A particularly vivid, percussive part of <strong>the</strong><br />

assembly included <strong>the</strong> Upper <strong>School</strong><br />

Dance Club performing a traditional African<br />

dance in tandem with Mr. Levin’s Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong> African drumming class and<br />

students in <strong>the</strong> Lower <strong>School</strong>. Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong> Environmental Club President<br />

Michelle Aboodi ’11, with help from her<br />

fellow seniors, demonstrated <strong>the</strong> incredible<br />

weight of carrying water, compared to what<br />

students carry in <strong>the</strong>ir backpacks.<br />

The assembly introduced <strong>the</strong> new 30<br />

Miles in 30 Days safe water campaign.<br />

Running in April through early May 2011,<br />

<strong>the</strong> campaign involves all students<br />

making a special pledge to walk, run, or<br />

bike 30 miles in 30 days. All are asked<br />

to contribute $30 ($1 per mile achieved)<br />

as part of this pledge.<br />

The money raised will help to fund a new<br />

well for St. Teresa’s Orphanage in<br />

Tanzania, Africa. The organization was<br />

selected for our <strong>School</strong> by BPN. The<br />

number of children at <strong>the</strong> orphanage is<br />

roughly <strong>the</strong> same as <strong>the</strong> D-E Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong>. This well will give <strong>the</strong> children at<br />

this orphanage safe, healthy, drinking<br />

water for at least <strong>the</strong> next 20 years. Just<br />

like water, this will have a ripple effect: as<br />

a result of safe drinking water from <strong>the</strong><br />

well, <strong>the</strong>se orphanage students will be<br />

able to grow up and have an education<br />

and in turn help <strong>the</strong>mselves out of <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

“water trap.”<br />

When all <strong>the</strong> presentations were done,<br />

Headmaster Dr. Rodney De Jarnett urged<br />

everyone to make <strong>the</strong> pledge, saying,<br />

“You can’t simply write a check to do this.<br />

The idea is for all of us to walk, bike or<br />

run 30 miles in one month’s time, to try<br />

to experience what it’s like to have to<br />

travel so far in order to get water that<br />

might not even be safe.”


We Want You Back!<br />

Join Us For These Upcoming D-E Alumni Events<br />

Reunion and Commencement 2011<br />

Reunion Weekend with special celebrations for reunion class years ending with 1 and 6<br />

Friday, June 3<br />

6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. Alumni-Faculty Soiree<br />

8:00 p.m. Jazz Rock Alumni Jam<br />

8:30 p.m. Dinner Cruise Around Manhattan<br />

Saturday, June 4<br />

11:30 a.m. Frimi Sagan Classroom Dedication<br />

12:30 p.m. Alumni Luncheon<br />

2:00 p.m. Alumni Association Annual Meeting<br />

Distinguished Alumni<br />

Induction Ceremony<br />

Robert Bakish ’81<br />

CEO, Viacom International<br />

Karl Zimmermann ESB ’61<br />

Author & Photographer<br />

Saturday, June 4 (continued)<br />

2:30 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony<br />

Robert Brisk ’76, Varsity Football,<br />

Basketball and Baseball<br />

Susan Brisk Sharp D ’71, Varsity Field<br />

Hockey, Basketball and Lacrosse<br />

Evening Major Reunion Class Celebrations<br />

Sunday, June 5<br />

10:00 a.m. Commencement<br />

Robert Bakish ’81<br />

Speaker


<strong>Dwight</strong>-<strong>Englewood</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

315 EAST PALISADE AVENUE, ENGLEWOOD NJ 07631-3146<br />

Non-Profit Org.<br />

U.S. Postage<br />

PAID<br />

Paramus, NJ<br />

Permit No. 703

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