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NEW APPOINTMENTS HOMECOMING 2008 MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS ALUMNI HOLIDAY GATHERING & AWARDS<br />

Launching the<br />

<strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong><br />

Capital Campaign


Campus Clips<br />

A.<br />

B.<br />

E<br />

C. D.<br />

E. F.<br />

A. Following a successful drive for Goodwill Industries of Western New York and <strong>School</strong> 45, excited students fill a truckload of boxes and bags packed<br />

with clothes, books and more.<br />

B. Beth Munro, Grace Munro ’10 and Robert Ivers scrutinize a piece of artwork during a visit to <strong>Nichols</strong> for the opening of Beth and her father Robert’s show,<br />

“Two Generations: How We See,” which displayed until January in the <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong> Gallery in the Glenn and Awdry Flickinger Performing<br />

Arts Center.<br />

C. Seniors Nick Williams, Brian Griffith, and Hannah Kloepfer star in “The Proposal” from the Fall Play production of “Three Farces and a Funeral.”<br />

D. <strong>Nichols</strong> eighth-graders and faculty members stand in front of the Capitol Building on their class trip to Washington, D.C.<br />

E. Members of House Ontario in the Middle <strong>School</strong> jump for joy after winning the tug of war competition on Field Day 2008.<br />

F. Urban Studies students meet with Tom Kucharski, President & CEO of Buffalo Niagara Enterprise and parent of Thaddeus ’10. (standing, l to r) Will Yood ’09,<br />

Alyssa Murrett ’09, Eliza Cheyney ’09, Tom Kucharski, Will Gisel ’09; (sitting) Matt Franz ’09, Alayla Henry ’09, Jessica Demakos ’09 and Caitlin Collins ’09.


ditor’s Note<br />

Right now, people are largely worried about the economy, and who can blame them? News<br />

headlines foster doubts about job security, providing for our families and sustaining our<br />

current lifestyles. Nearly everywhere you turn, the outlook seems grim. I’m pleased to say<br />

our stories are more encouraging.<br />

While <strong>Nichols</strong> is certainly not immune to the economic crisis in any fashion, we<br />

remain hopeful as a <strong>School</strong>. At events such as the Alumni Holiday Gathering or the recent<br />

Junior Poetry Paper Breakfast, optimism prevailed. Guests<br />

focused on all there is to celebrate – recognizing each<br />

other’s accomplishments, reconnecting with friends and<br />

conquering an especially long paper. Another momentous<br />

commemoration came with the 100 Years of <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

Hockey celebration, which brought a huge group of<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> fans to campus for a special weekend of sharing old<br />

memories and making new ones. I hear countless alumni<br />

say that coming back to <strong>Nichols</strong> is a pleasant experience<br />

every time.<br />

With every day that passes, I grow exceedingly aware<br />

that members of the <strong>Nichols</strong> community are thankful.<br />

Alumni are appreciative of the foundation of success they<br />

received here and current students are grateful to attend<br />

a <strong>School</strong> that offers an exceptional education. Faculty and staff celebrate the camaraderie<br />

that comes with working toward the common goal of shaping young minds and ensuring<br />

that students can afford a <strong>Nichols</strong> education for years to come. The generous contributions<br />

of those who have given and continue to give to the <strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong> Capital Campaign<br />

and to our Annual Fund are clear proof of this.<br />

Now more than ever, it is important to stay positive and give back to <strong>Nichols</strong> whenever<br />

and however you can. In doing so, we help our <strong>School</strong> remain strong and benefit students<br />

for generations to follow.<br />

During challenging times or otherwise, you are welcome to stop by the corner of Colvin<br />

and Amherst to see that our <strong>School</strong> is full of people who are still smiling.<br />

Keep in touch,<br />

Staff<br />

Winter 2009<br />

Editor<br />

Nina Cimino<br />

ncimino@nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong><br />

Contributors<br />

Richard C. Bryan, Jr.<br />

Sarah Gelman Carney ’92<br />

Nina Cimino<br />

Sandy Smith Cunningham ’93<br />

Larry Desautels<br />

Neil Farmelo<br />

Holly Fewkes<br />

Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75<br />

Gyda Higgins<br />

Connie Klinck Klopp N’73<br />

Heidi LaRou<br />

Ron Montesano<br />

Jill C. Robins<br />

Mary Rech Rockwell<br />

Tim Vanini ’87<br />

Sheila-Zohara Zamor<br />

Designer<br />

Kelley Rechin, Duffy Moon Design<br />

Photographers<br />

Sarah Gelman Carney ’92<br />

Nina Cimino<br />

Susan B. Ervolina<br />

Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75<br />

Wm. F. “Kim” Kimberly ’47<br />

Andrea Mancuso<br />

Tom Maynor ’81<br />

Ron Montesano<br />

Nina M. Cimino<br />

Director of Marketing and Communications<br />

– means “that which is true” and is pronounced “taw alay théss.”<br />

is published three times a year by the Development Office.<br />

Telephone: 716-876-3450 • Fax: 716-875-3931<br />

Third Class postage paid at Buffalo, New York<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> is an inclusive community. Acceptance granted to qualified students.<br />

Cover: The focal point of the <strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<br />

<strong>org</strong> Capital Campaign is a 24,000 square foot<br />

sustainable Math/Science Building. Read the<br />

full story on page 36.<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

1250 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14216 • 716-875-8212 • www.nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong>


Are You<br />

Missing Out?<br />

Your classmates, friends and<br />

teachers are making new<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> connections. If you<br />

are not a part of the online<br />

conversation, check it out:<br />

Contents<br />

Headmaster’s Report ................................................................................. 5<br />

Financial Rescue Bill Includes Sweetener for Charitable Giving ................ 6<br />

2008-2009 Faculty and Staff Appointments ............................................... 7<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> Welcomes New Alumni Board Members, Retains President ........ 8<br />

New Members of the Board of Trustees .................................................... 9<br />

Looking at “The World in 2009”.................................................................. 11<br />

Girls Varsity Soccer ................................................................................... 12<br />

Fall 2008 Athletics Recap ......................................................................... 14<br />

Friend Sarah Carney, Director<br />

of Alumni Relations and the<br />

Annual Fund, join the <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> Alumni Group and<br />

become a fan of <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong>.<br />

2008 Big Green Athletic Dinner and Auction ............................................ 15<br />

Legacies ................................................................................................... 16<br />

After <strong>Nichols</strong> – Emma Rosen ’07 ............................................................. 21<br />

2008 Alumni Award Winners .................................................................... 22<br />

2008 Alumni Holiday Gathering ................................................................ 24<br />

25th Anniversary of Young Writers’ Workshop ........................................ 28<br />

Of Many, One Community ....................................................................... 30<br />

Join the <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Alumni Network.<br />

Save the Date<br />

Larry Desautels Named Graham W. Smith ’48 Chair .............................. 33<br />

After <strong>Nichols</strong> – Mike Keiser ’63 ................................................................ 35<br />

Launching the <strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong> Capital Campaign ............................... 36<br />

Author Linda Sue Park Visits <strong>Nichols</strong> ........................................................ 42<br />

Author Spotlight – John R. Trimble ’58 .................................................... 43<br />

Homecoming ............................................................................................ 44<br />

“American Teen” ....................................................................................... 46<br />

June 5, 2009<br />

Corrections &<br />

Clarifications<br />

Salvatore Torre graduated in June of 2008<br />

and now attends Trinity College. His name<br />

was previously misrepresented in the<br />

“Class of 2008 College Choices List.” We<br />

apologize for any confusion this caused.<br />

Big Green Initiative Column ..................................................................... 48<br />

Professional Development is Flourishing at <strong>Nichols</strong> ................................. 50<br />

In Memoriam ............................................................................................ 53<br />

Class Notes .............................................................................................. 54<br />

Faculty Profile – Mary Sykes .................................................................... 67<br />

4 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


y Richard C. Bryan, Jr.<br />

Headmaster’s Report<br />

Often when asked “How are things going at <strong>School</strong>?” I respond with the<br />

phrase, “peaks and valleys,” invoking the image of the natural highs and<br />

lows associated with the education of adolescents on a daily basis. When<br />

communicating with parents and alumni, it is tempting to focus only on<br />

the positives, for we are succeeding as a school on so many levels. But,<br />

it’s important to be realistic and open about the challenges facing the<br />

<strong>School</strong>, especially in this period of economic uncertainty.<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong> is guided by a strategic<br />

planning process that allows us to objectively<br />

look at how well the <strong>School</strong> is doing,<br />

and generate new ideas while remaining<br />

flexible to deal with unforeseen issues and<br />

roadblocks. Most importantly, it has moved<br />

the <strong>School</strong> forward. We have changed from<br />

an institution that measured its success from<br />

local standards to a vision that is higher. We<br />

have, in the words of author Jim Collins,<br />

moved from “good to great.”<br />

In the past two years, the administration<br />

and the Board of Trustees have developed<br />

many new strategic initiatives. We surveyed<br />

the parent body about the <strong>School</strong>’s program<br />

and effectiveness of communication. This<br />

fall, we launched a survey for alumni,<br />

exploring levels of preparation for college<br />

and career choice, as well as satisfaction<br />

with communication and current direction.<br />

From the parent survey,<br />

we learned these important results:<br />

1. How satisfied are you that the <strong>School</strong> is<br />

achieving its mission and core values?<br />

Extremely satisfied..................... 50.4%<br />

Satisfied...................................... 42.7%<br />

Total: ......................................... 93.1%<br />

2. How satisfied are you that the <strong>School</strong><br />

is fostering an environment where all<br />

members of the <strong>School</strong> community feel<br />

included and affirmed?<br />

Extremely satisfied..................... 32.9%<br />

Satisfied...................................... 43.6%<br />

Total: ......................................... 76.5%<br />

3. How satisfied are you that the <strong>School</strong><br />

makes consistent progress in building<br />

and sustaining an inclusive community?<br />

Extremely satisfied..................... 37.6%<br />

Satisfied...................................... 43.6%<br />

Total: ......................................... 81.2%<br />

4. In your family’s choice of <strong>Nichols</strong>, what<br />

were the top three values that rated as<br />

“Extremely important<br />

and/or Important?”<br />

A. Academic opportunities:...... 97.2%<br />

B. Small class size:...................... 97.1%<br />

C. College placement record:.... 94.3%<br />

We were fortunate to have 46% of our<br />

parents participate in the survey, providing<br />

a good research sampling. Ninety percent<br />

report satisfaction or extreme satisfaction<br />

with overall communication at <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

Parents reported satisfaction or extreme<br />

satisfaction with the general helpfulness<br />

of staff (92%), student evaluations and<br />

comments (88%), communication with<br />

teachers (86%) and communication<br />

with administrators (77%). The majority<br />

of respondents prefer e-mail overall<br />

(over 75%) and report being satisfied<br />

or extremely satisfied with each of our<br />

main communication tools, including the<br />

magazine, the newsletter, the web site<br />

and e-mail. 93% agree or strongly agree<br />

that <strong>Nichols</strong> does its best to keep them<br />

informed about school news/happenings.<br />

In terms of curriculum, parents reported<br />

satisfaction or extreme satisfaction in the<br />

following subject areas: English (95%),<br />

social studies (93%), science (88%), foreign<br />

languages (85%), physical education and<br />

health (83%), arts and music instruction<br />

(82%), math (74%) and technology (65%).<br />

Our parents scored us overwhelmingly<br />

positive on extra-curricular programs with<br />

satisfaction or extreme satisfaction reported<br />

in the following subject areas: athletic<br />

program (77%), the arts (69%) and extracurricular<br />

activities and clubs overall (65%).<br />

Finally, there were areas that parents<br />

felt needed work. While 74% felt satisfied<br />

or extremely satisfied with school safety,<br />

many commented that they would like<br />

to see an emergency alert notification<br />

system being used at <strong>Nichols</strong>. The <strong>School</strong><br />

responded by launching such a system this<br />

fall. Striving to maintain excellence in<br />

College Counseling remains a passionate<br />

topic for parents, so we are taking steps to<br />

continue our individualized approach and<br />

constantly evaluate our program as the<br />

landscape around us changes dramatically.<br />

While communication was generally rated<br />

high, we recognize the need for more<br />

continued on next page<br />

Winter 2009<br />

5


consistent communication with teachers<br />

throughout the marking period and more<br />

prompt responses to phone calls and<br />

e-mails.<br />

From this survey, and as a result of<br />

discussions among Trustees, faculty and<br />

students, five main pillars were established<br />

as the foundation of our strategic thinking.<br />

They are:<br />

• Create the ideal learning environment<br />

• Provide a dynamic, progressive curricular<br />

and extracurricular program<br />

• Attract and retain the highest caliber<br />

students, faculty and staff<br />

• Support and stay connected with our<br />

graduates, the total school constituency,<br />

and the wider WNY community<br />

• Assure a strong financial condition<br />

Throughout this year, we will develop<br />

initiatives to meet these goals. They<br />

include in depth assessments of our athletic<br />

and arts programs, financial aid policies,<br />

faculty/staff evaluations and professional<br />

development opportunities. In December,<br />

members of the Board of Trustees and the<br />

administration met to begin to revise our<br />

five year financial plan, which is critical<br />

to our future planning. We are focusing<br />

attention and resources on our college<br />

guidance and counseling program, as well<br />

as developing new strategies for increasing<br />

the applicant pool to <strong>Nichols</strong>. Our goals<br />

are to support the pursuit of our 21st<br />

century competencies in every aspect of<br />

the academic program, assure that our<br />

technology resources are sufficient, and<br />

devise creative opportunities for faculty to<br />

collaborate and analyze our curriculum.<br />

Keeping true to our mission and core<br />

values, this planning effort can only<br />

succeed with a shared vision for the future.<br />

“Serving grades 5-12 on an urban campus<br />

of the highest caliber, <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong> is a<br />

diverse independent school community,<br />

nationally recognized for developing<br />

motivated, adaptive and empathetic<br />

scholars who are prepared to thrive as<br />

contributing members of our increasingly<br />

global world.”<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> continues to thrive because<br />

of the quality of our faculty and staff,<br />

the wisdom and vision of our volunteer<br />

leadership, and the generosity of alumni,<br />

parents and friends. You challenge us to<br />

excel beyond the status quo and drive us to<br />

raise our standards. Thank you for joining<br />

us and supporting our efforts as we embark<br />

into the 21 st century.<br />

Financial Rescue Bill<br />

Includes Sweetener<br />

for Charitable Giving<br />

For anyone 70 ½ or older, the advantages of direct giving from your IRA have been<br />

extended through 2009. You can now make a direct gift to <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong> from an<br />

IRA without tax consequences. In addition, there are advantages to doing charitable<br />

giving in this way, which the following questions and answers demonstrate.<br />

Q: Should I use my IRA for charitable gifts?<br />

A: Definitely; the amount given is not in your estate. IRA assets in your estate are<br />

subject to estate tax and probate costs, and your heirs pay income tax on the<br />

IRA proceeds when received by them. Thus, using your IRA for gifting avoids<br />

taxes and costs.<br />

Q: Are there other tax advantages to me, immediately?<br />

A: Several. You don’t increase your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), which saves<br />

deductions and exemptions; you may also use the charitable gift to meet your<br />

RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) without it being subject to income tax;<br />

and there is no 50% of AGI limitation.<br />

Q: How much can I give?<br />

A: You can choose up to $100,000 in calendar year 2009. (At present, we do not<br />

know if it will be extended beyond 2009.)<br />

Q: How do I do this? What do I do now?<br />

A: Contact Neil Farmelo, Director of Planned Giving, in the Development<br />

Office at <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>. Call 716-876-3450, ext. 223, or e-mail him at<br />

nfarmelo@nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong>. He will give you details and answer your questions.<br />

6 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


New Faculty and Staff<br />

2008-2009 Faculty and Staff Appointments<br />

by Nina Cimino<br />

Lisa Ackendorf has been<br />

appointed Controller and<br />

will manage the Business<br />

Office and Human<br />

Resources. She comes to<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> with extensive<br />

financial management<br />

and human resource<br />

experience in both the not-for-profit and<br />

corporate sectors. She has a bachelor’s degree<br />

in Accounting from SUNY at Buffalo and<br />

is a Certified Public Accountant. Most<br />

recently, she was the Director of Finance<br />

at Commercial Insurance Consultants,<br />

an insurance consulting firm located in<br />

Williamsville, N.Y.<br />

Caitlin Crowell joins<br />

the faculty as an<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> history<br />

teacher, as well as coadvisor<br />

of the Verdian.<br />

Caitlin graduated with<br />

a bachelor’s degree<br />

from SUNY at Buffalo.<br />

She earned her master’s degree from the<br />

University of Southern Florida and is<br />

currently finishing her doctorate at Yale<br />

University in African American Women’s<br />

History. Caitlin has taught Women’s<br />

Studies at SUNY at Buffalo and American<br />

History at the University of Southern<br />

Florida and Yale University. Caitlin filled<br />

in for her father, Bob Crowell, for several<br />

weeks last fall and found that she enjoyed<br />

teaching <strong>Nichols</strong> students.<br />

Annette Kellogg joins<br />

the Development Office<br />

as Administrative<br />

Assistant after working<br />

as a Receptionist at<br />

Elmwood Franklin<br />

<strong>School</strong> for six years. In<br />

addition to independent<br />

school experience, she brings a<br />

background of strong <strong>org</strong>anizational skills<br />

to <strong>Nichols</strong>. Annette and her husband,<br />

Steve Kellogg, Jr. ’81, have two boys,<br />

Steve ’10, Lachlan ’12.<br />

Laurie Ousley joins<br />

the Upper <strong>School</strong><br />

English Department,<br />

in addition to duties of<br />

advising <strong>Nichols</strong> News.<br />

Laurie graduated with<br />

a bachelor’s degree in<br />

English from Rhode<br />

Island College. She then went on to<br />

earn her master’s in English from Clark<br />

University. She finished her doctorate in<br />

English at SUNY Buffalo in 2003. Laurie<br />

has taught English at Clark University,<br />

SUNY at Buffalo and Trocaire College.<br />

She most recently worked as the Director<br />

of the Liberal Studies program at Trocaire<br />

College.<br />

Adrienne DeCarlo<br />

Ptak ’98 joins the<br />

Admissions Office as<br />

Associate Director of<br />

Admissions. Adrienne<br />

graduated from Franklin<br />

and Marshall College<br />

with a bachelor’s degree<br />

in sociology and a concentration in<br />

women’s studies. She worked in the<br />

Admissions Office at Trinity-Pawling<br />

<strong>School</strong> for four years before returning<br />

to Buffalo.<br />

Chuck Ptak joins<br />

the College Office<br />

as Assistant College<br />

Counselor, teaching<br />

one class in the English<br />

Department and<br />

coordinating the Senior<br />

Project Program. In<br />

addition, he is Head Coach of Boys and<br />

Girls Squash and the Assistant Coach<br />

of Boys Lacrosse. Chuck graduated from<br />

Franklin and Marshall College with a<br />

bachelor’s degree in American Studies.<br />

He went on to earn his master’s degree in<br />

Liberal Studies from Wesleyan College.<br />

Chuck previously taught English and<br />

coached squash and lacrosse at the Webb<br />

<strong>School</strong> and, most recently, Trinity-Pawling<br />

<strong>School</strong>.<br />

Christine Roach returns<br />

to the Middle <strong>School</strong><br />

History Department as<br />

a part-time teacher. She<br />

instructs two sections of<br />

seventh grade American<br />

history. Christine taught<br />

full time in the Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong> in the early nineties before getting<br />

married and raising a family. Christine<br />

graduated from Williams College in 1988<br />

and is married to Williams classmate and<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> alumnus, Michael Roach ’84.<br />

Christine, Mike and their four children<br />

reside in Buffalo, N.Y.<br />

Jill Robins joined the<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> staff in May as<br />

the Director of Special<br />

Events & Database<br />

Manager in the<br />

Development Office.<br />

Jill graduated from the<br />

College of Charleston<br />

with a degree in Corporate Communication.<br />

Upon graduation, she moved to Chicago<br />

and worked in Association & Conference<br />

Management at Smith Bucklin. A native<br />

of Buffalo, Jill returns after working for<br />

the Foundation for the Greater Baltimore<br />

Medical Center, where she spent four years<br />

<strong>org</strong>anizing special events and fundraising.<br />

In addition, Jill worked for a Baltimore race<br />

management company, helping <strong>org</strong>anize<br />

local running events.<br />

New Appointments<br />

Denise Hathaway – Administrative Assistant,<br />

Head of Upper <strong>School</strong> and Front Office<br />

Formerly Administrative Assistant, Development<br />

Gyda Higgins – Director of Parent Relations<br />

Formerly Administrative Assistant,<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong> Front Office<br />

Connie Klopp – Administrative Assistant,<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong> Front Office<br />

Formerly Administrative Assistant, Admissions<br />

Emma Wadsworth – Wellness faculty member<br />

and Administrative Assistant, Admissions<br />

Formerly Administrative Assistant,<br />

Head of Upper <strong>School</strong> and Front Office<br />

Sheila Zohara-Zamor – French faculty member<br />

and Director of Multicultural Affairs<br />

Winter 2009<br />

7


<strong>Nichols</strong> Welcomes New Alumni<br />

Board Members, Retains President<br />

by Nina Cimino<br />

Hugh M. Russ III ’78<br />

After completing the 2007-2008 year,<br />

Hugh M. Russ III ’78 continues to serve as<br />

President of the<br />

Alumni Board for<br />

2008-2009. Hugh<br />

is Chair of the<br />

2008-2009 Annual<br />

Fund, a 2008-2009<br />

Headmaster’s<br />

Society Committee<br />

member and a<br />

Class Agent.<br />

An active trial<br />

lawyer, Hugh concentrates his practice in<br />

business litigation, insurance litigation,<br />

personal injury actions, products liability<br />

cases, toxic torts, and employment<br />

discrimination litigation. Hugh earned<br />

a juris doctorate from SUNY at Buffalo<br />

<strong>School</strong> of Law and a bachelor’s degree from<br />

Harvard University.<br />

Hugh serves on the Board of Directors<br />

for Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He<br />

resides in Snyder, N.Y., with his wife Linda,<br />

their children, Oliver ’09 and Caroline ’10,<br />

and their dogs Mac, Sammie and Daisy.<br />

Ned Franz ’91<br />

Ned Franz ’91 is currently on long-term<br />

leave from Eli Lilly and Company, based in<br />

Indianapolis, Ind. He previously served as<br />

a Senior Sales Rep<br />

for the company<br />

and worked for<br />

Bank of America<br />

in Capital Markets<br />

before that. Ned<br />

is a graduate of<br />

Canisius College<br />

and Pfeiffer<br />

University.<br />

Ned and his<br />

wife, Bridget<br />

McIntee Franz ’91, have twin four-yearolds,<br />

Emmy Kate and Laura Grace, and<br />

two dogs, Maddie and Ellie. The family<br />

relocated back to Buffalo last June.<br />

Ned is a member of the Elks Club, the<br />

Carmel Dads’ Club, the YMCA and the<br />

Ballantyne Country Club in Charlotte,<br />

N.C. His other hobbies include coaching<br />

Boys Varsity Lacrosse and participating in<br />

Men’s League Soccer.<br />

Ellen Hassett ’84<br />

Ellen Hassett ’84 is a Management<br />

Consultant, providing strategic services to<br />

tech-based businesses and markets, such as<br />

information technology and electronics,<br />

energy and utilities, biotech and medical<br />

devices. She also<br />

is Principal and<br />

Sole Proprietor<br />

of e-sagacity.<br />

Ellen graduated<br />

from American<br />

University with a<br />

bachelor’s degree<br />

in Literature. She<br />

also completed an<br />

academic study<br />

with The Folger Institute.<br />

Ellen previously worked as Director of<br />

Custom Market Research & Marketing<br />

Services for INPUT; Manager of Market<br />

Research, former TidePoint; Managing<br />

Analyst, IT & Telecom, former Markowitz<br />

& McNaughton (now nxtMOVE); and<br />

Policy Analyst & Team Leader, former<br />

Washington International Energy Group<br />

(now part of PA Consulting).<br />

Ellen also serves as a Strategic Associate<br />

for Business & Economic Development,<br />

Buffalo Biosciences and a member of the<br />

MIT Technology Review Research Panel.<br />

She is published through Educause Center<br />

for Applied Research and serves on the<br />

Steering Committee for Youth Leadership<br />

Erie County. She splits her time between<br />

Buffalo, N.Y. and Washington, D.C.<br />

Blake Walsh ’98<br />

Blake Walsh ’98 is Assistant Director<br />

of Donor Relations & Stewardship in<br />

the Office of Development at SUNY<br />

at Buffalo. He previously worked as<br />

Assistant Director of Classes & Reunions<br />

for the Harvard Alumni Association. He<br />

received a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan<br />

University.<br />

In addition, Blake is pursuing a master’s<br />

degree in higher education administration<br />

at SUNY at<br />

Buffalo. He also<br />

serves as a Class<br />

Agent for the<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> Class of<br />

1998.<br />

A die-hard<br />

Bruce Springsteen<br />

fan, Blake is<br />

working on starting<br />

a cover band in<br />

his honor. He plays hockey and soccer<br />

whenever he can, loves guitar and dabbles<br />

in piano. He lives for reuniting with longdistance<br />

friends and has enjoyed seeing<br />

many of his friends return to Buffalo lately.<br />

Blake is glad to be back amidst what he<br />

believes is the beginning of Buffalo’s return<br />

to glory.<br />

Hugh and the members of the Alumni Board welcome your comments<br />

and suggestions at alumnioffice@nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong>.<br />

8 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


New Members<br />

of the Board of Trustees<br />

by Nina Cimino<br />

Cornelia L. Dopkins<br />

Cornelia L. Dopkins, a retired educator,<br />

worked at <strong>Nichols</strong> for 25 years in a variety<br />

of roles, including History Department<br />

Chair, President<br />

of the Cum Laude<br />

Society, Dean of<br />

the Faculty, Chair<br />

of the Curriculum<br />

Committee,<br />

Associate Director<br />

of College<br />

Counseling and<br />

Head of the Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong> – twice.<br />

She attended the Shipley <strong>School</strong> before<br />

receiving her Bachelor of Arts and Master<br />

of Arts in Teaching degrees from Harvard<br />

University and another master’s degree<br />

from SUNY at Buffalo. She graduated<br />

magna cum laude.<br />

Cornelia is a teacher and lecturer<br />

for the Larkin Center. She serves on<br />

the <strong>School</strong> Committee for the Harvard<br />

Radcliffe Club of Western New York,<br />

and is a past President and past Secretary<br />

of the club. Cornelia formerly acted as<br />

Elder, Stewardship Chair and Trustee of<br />

Westminster Presbyterian Church, and<br />

has sat on the Boards of the Erie County<br />

Botanical Gardens and the Presbyterian<br />

Homes of Western New York.<br />

Cornelia resides in Buffalo, N.Y., with<br />

her husband Richard. Their three children<br />

attended <strong>Nichols</strong>: Anne Elizabeth Dopkins<br />

’86, Dr. Jane Dopkins Broecker ’89 and<br />

Seth Dopkins ’90.<br />

Edwin M. “Tim” Johnston III ’78<br />

Edwin M. “Tim” Johnston III ’78<br />

graduated from <strong>Nichols</strong> in 1978 and is<br />

Managing Partner for Sandhill Investment<br />

Management. He graduated from Yale<br />

University in 1982 and received his<br />

Master’s of Business Administration from<br />

Boston University in 1991. He achieved<br />

highest honors while in business school.<br />

Tim has served on the Boards of<br />

Elmwood Franklin<br />

<strong>School</strong>, Kaleida<br />

Health Foundation,<br />

the Zoological<br />

Society of Buffalo,<br />

the Church<br />

Mission of Christ<br />

and the Buffalo<br />

Squash Racquets<br />

Association.<br />

He resides in<br />

Buffalo, N.Y., with his wife, Alexandra, and<br />

their three children: Elliot ’10, Alison and<br />

Leyton ’16.<br />

Larry A. Montani<br />

Larry A. Montani is co-Managing Director<br />

for Niacet Corporation, a diversified<br />

specialty chemical company, in Niagara<br />

Falls, N.Y. Larry is a Civil Engineering<br />

graduate from Merrimack College, and<br />

also earned a Master’s Degree in Business<br />

Administration from SUNY at Buffalo.<br />

Larry is the Vice Chair of the Niagara<br />

University Board<br />

of Advisors, and<br />

is a current Board<br />

member and past<br />

President of the<br />

Greater Niagara<br />

Manufacturers<br />

Association. He<br />

previously served<br />

on the Board of<br />

Directors for the<br />

Heart and Soul Food Pantry in Niagara<br />

Falls, and as a member and past President<br />

of the Stella Niagara Education Park<br />

Board of Directors. His community service<br />

also includes initiatives with the Health<br />

Association of Niagara County and the<br />

local chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis<br />

Society.<br />

Larry met his wife Mary while attending<br />

Merrimack. They have five children: James<br />

’02, Christine ’04, David ’06, Rosemary ’09<br />

and Stephen ’11. Larry and his family live<br />

in Lewiston.<br />

Jon M. Williams<br />

Jon M. Williams is Owner and President<br />

of Ontario Specialty Contracting, Inc. Jon<br />

graduated from St. John Fisher College<br />

with a bachelor’s degree.<br />

Jon is founder<br />

of the Friends of<br />

the Franciscan<br />

Center. Since<br />

2003, he has been<br />

a Board member<br />

of ABC Worker’s<br />

Compensation<br />

Trust. Jon also<br />

belongs to a host<br />

of professional and<br />

trade <strong>org</strong>anizations.<br />

Jon resides in Synder, N.Y., with his<br />

wife Heather and their children, Joseph<br />

’09, Tess ’10 and Ian ’14. Their daughter<br />

Nora graduated from <strong>Nichols</strong> in 2007 and<br />

now attends the University of Toronto.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

9


SAVE THE<br />

DATE!<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Derby Day Auction<br />

Saturday, May 2<br />

Can You Help Us Find These Lost Alumni?<br />

We do not want them to miss their Reunion on June 5, 2009. If you have an address,<br />

e-mail or phone number for them, please contact the Alumni Office at<br />

alumnioffice@nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong> or 716-876-3450.<br />

Theodore Messenger ’24<br />

Willard Schultz ’24<br />

Earle Cantor ’29<br />

Homer W. Hendee ’29<br />

Ralph D. M<strong>org</strong>an ’34<br />

Houston Cheyney ’39<br />

Allan B. Chirgwin ’39<br />

Henry W. Crosby, Jr. ’39<br />

Robert J. Dobmeier ’39<br />

Robert W. Oldman ’39<br />

William O. Kuhns ’44<br />

Dana E. Rice ’44<br />

Paul Lautensack ’49<br />

Dorothy Slater ’49<br />

Harry B. Mains ’54<br />

Daniel J. McDonald ’54<br />

William F. Peck, Jr. ’54<br />

Joseph A. Sanders ’54<br />

Davy W. Babcock ’59<br />

David M. Bankard ’59<br />

Timothy A. Riggs ’59<br />

Thomas E. Koester ’59<br />

Dr. Peter H. Schabacker ’59<br />

Vernon E. Schaller ’59<br />

Paul J. Speyser, Jr. ’59<br />

Curtis Siegel ’59<br />

Harold F. Sahlen, Jr. ’64<br />

Stephen S. Burgess ’64<br />

Peter B. Burke ’64<br />

John A. Ericsson ’64<br />

David M. Anderson ’69<br />

Michael Anderson ’69<br />

Paul E. Backhurst ’69<br />

Louis S. Faber ’69<br />

Thomas E. Jacobs ’69<br />

James Jerge ’69<br />

Eugene Koch ’69<br />

Timothy S. Kochery ’69<br />

Christopher Michel ’69<br />

David Moot ’69<br />

Vincent L. Barber ’74<br />

Alan P. Bellanca ’74<br />

Ann Brady ’74<br />

Mark Ehrenreich ’74<br />

Cynthia Epps ’74<br />

William S. Fanning ’74<br />

Francis A. Fote, Jr. ’74<br />

Dr. Harold M. Ginsberg ’74<br />

Wynne Kulick Weinstein ’74<br />

Douglas P. Hamilton ’74<br />

Robert E. Shea, Jr. ’74<br />

Patrick R. Shields ’74<br />

Reginald V. Williams III ’74<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e W. Hawk, Jr. ’74<br />

Stephen Ambrus ’79<br />

Thomas A. Batt ’79<br />

Christoph A. Bergmann ’79<br />

Colette Free ’79<br />

Eric D. Goller ’79<br />

Katrina V. T. Hamilton ’79<br />

Gregory K. Houlahan ’79<br />

Timothy Kensinger ’79<br />

John Kim ’79<br />

Thomas F. Letchworth ’79<br />

Helen Makohon ’79<br />

Lt. Patrick M. McCool, U.S.N. ’79<br />

Vincent M. S<strong>org</strong>e ’79<br />

Jay D. Yung ’79<br />

Kevin J. Danahy ’79<br />

James R. Branston, Jr. ’79<br />

Thomas P. Bilbao, Jr. ’84<br />

Anne L. Slubowski ’84<br />

Jennifer E. Cramer ’84<br />

Michael S. D’Anna ’84<br />

Caroline Wright Feeney ’84<br />

Susan Yang Taylor ’84<br />

Robert L. Ticknor ’84<br />

Dr. J. Christopher Kuhn ’84<br />

Michael D. Langan, Jr. ’84<br />

Christopher A. McElvein ’84<br />

Andrew J. V. McMahon ’84<br />

James C. Norwalk ’84<br />

Dr. Kenneth S. Piver ’84<br />

Mark A. Sulkowski ’84<br />

Susan Bradley Ullrich ’84<br />

Dr. Sarah Burstein Blair ’84<br />

Dr. John L. O. Butsch ’84<br />

Piper A. Campbell ’84<br />

Carl A. Contino III ’84<br />

Dr. Elizabeth B. Drenning ’84<br />

F. Lambert Haley, Jr. ’84<br />

Jeffrey Haque ’84<br />

Christopher W. Hart ’84<br />

Susan Clauss ’89<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e M. Richards ’89<br />

Derrick M. Irwin ’89<br />

Robert K. Gerstenzang ’89<br />

Jennifer S. Bodnik ’89<br />

Gregory Bravo ’89<br />

Priscilla Dahl ’89<br />

Stephen A. DeMarchi ’89<br />

Karthik B. Achar ’89<br />

Severin S. White ’89<br />

Scott D. Weinstein ’89<br />

Paul A. Saydak ’89<br />

Keri Rozanski Bozzo ’89<br />

Brenden T. Readett ’89<br />

Kim Phillips ’89<br />

Pitt Petri III ’89<br />

Jeffrey S. Miller ’89<br />

Timothy A. McLean ’89<br />

Jessica Mancuso ’89<br />

Kedar Lele ’89<br />

Janice M. Lee ’89<br />

Andrew Lee ’89<br />

Erik Goshin ’89<br />

Jane K. Girard ’89<br />

Ben Kondo ’94<br />

Lindsey DeLange Schultz ’94<br />

Karen J. Chung ’94<br />

Anthony C. Antonacci ’94<br />

Dominic E. Yu ’94<br />

Peter J. Brown ’94<br />

Paul S. Greenman ’94<br />

John P. Horvatis ’94<br />

Case Q. Kerns ’94<br />

Ronald M. Mendelow ’94<br />

Shandeep S. Momi ’94<br />

Gary P. Occhino ’94<br />

Geoffrey J. Oravec ’94<br />

Luis E. Irene, Jr. ’94<br />

Ethan N. Mitchell ’99<br />

Anita Nathan ’99<br />

Niels P. Bergsland ’99<br />

Amy B. Mepani ’99<br />

Quinn Kayser Hillegass ’99<br />

Margaret L. Stevenson ’99<br />

Stefanie J. Lewczyk ’99<br />

Joon J. Lee ’99<br />

Hadley Graham ’99<br />

Evan R. Creelman ’99<br />

Terence E. Barnes II ’99<br />

Safe A. Brewer ’99<br />

James A. Lorentz ’99<br />

Ethan A. Green ’99<br />

Valerie F. Hill ’99<br />

Kyle M. Hess ’99<br />

Matthew Doemland-Kenna ’04<br />

10 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Looking at “The World in 2009”<br />

Executive Editor of The Economist Visits <strong>Nichols</strong> as Kew-Raiser Lecturer<br />

by Nina Cimino<br />

On Oct. 30 and 31, <strong>Nichols</strong> welcomed Daniel Franklin, Executive<br />

Editor of The Economist, as part of the Kew-Raiser Lecture Series.<br />

The Kew-Raiser Lecture was established in memory of C. Taylor<br />

Kew and C. Victor Raiser, both 1958 graduates of <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />

The lectureship supports visits from people who make significant<br />

contributions in the fields of art and public policy.<br />

During his visit, Dr. Franklin delivered an address to the<br />

community and spoke at a school assembly, in addition to meeting<br />

with students in AP Government, Urban Studies and Economics<br />

classes.<br />

The evening lecture<br />

covered the presidential<br />

election, the value of each<br />

candidate, the vast support of<br />

Barack Obama worldwide and<br />

the 12 most significant events<br />

in the year ahead. Dr. Franklin<br />

was careful to communicate<br />

that each candidate possessed<br />

qualified skill sets that would<br />

offer a variety of strengths<br />

in the White House and the<br />

world at large, but noted that<br />

most outside of the U.S. were<br />

in support of Obama.<br />

In an unscientific poll<br />

on Economist.com, an<br />

overwhelming majority of the<br />

world favored Obama as the<br />

next American President. Just before the election, The Economist<br />

officially endorsed Obama on Oct. 30, saying: “America should<br />

take a chance and make Barack Obama the next leader of the free<br />

world.”<br />

When addressing the most significant monthly happenings in<br />

2009, Dr. Franklin offered valuable global insight. His list included<br />

the following events:<br />

January: a new U.S. president is sworn in<br />

February: Ireland bans incandescent light bulbs<br />

March: Barbie ® turns 50<br />

April: NATO turns 60 and a summit will be held in<br />

Strasbourg and Kehl<br />

May: the deadline for elections in India, the world’s biggest<br />

democracy<br />

June: the opening of Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest building<br />

July: the International Year of Astronomy will be in full swing<br />

August: the second anniversary of the credit crunch<br />

September: the German general election<br />

October: many predict that Chicago will win the site of the<br />

2016 Olympics<br />

November: the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall<br />

December: the deadline for post-Kyoto “Copenhagen” accord<br />

Robert Rahn ’66, Margaret Kew and Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor of<br />

The Economist, chat after the Kew-Raiser Lecture.<br />

When speaking to the <strong>School</strong>, Dr. Franklin focused on the three<br />

areas in which, he believes, the world is looking to the U.S. for<br />

leadership: the economy, security and democracy. He said the world<br />

is looking to our country with “hope that change in the White<br />

House and change in the U.S. will strengthen the economy.”<br />

He also believes that there have been particular areas of tension<br />

in recent years regarding security, such as the Gulf War and the War<br />

in Iraq, which have divided many Western allies. Yet, he thinks the<br />

world has exaggerated expectations of the United States, saying:<br />

“America will not solve our problems, and why should it?”<br />

Lastly, Dr. Franklin said the<br />

world is looking to the U.S. as<br />

the beacon of democracy for the<br />

world. Since the collapse of the<br />

Soviet Union, there was a great<br />

spread of democracy around the<br />

world, but some countries seem<br />

to be moving backward and<br />

spreading democracy is not going<br />

well now. He said, “It turns out<br />

that is hard to do by force.”<br />

Dr. Franklin closed his<br />

address with the hopeful notion<br />

that there are many democratic<br />

elections occurring around<br />

the world next year. In India,<br />

over 1 billion people will vote;<br />

the European Union votes for<br />

Parliament in June; and there are<br />

elections in Germany next September. Other countries holding<br />

elections include Afghanistan, Iraq and Indonesia.<br />

“My hope for the American election, beyond who wins, is<br />

that this passion for politics, this subject matter that leads to<br />

conversations, spreads into some of these other countries,” said Dr.<br />

Franklin.<br />

In closing, Dr. Franklin was asked what it’s like to be editor of<br />

a magazine. He said: “It’s an enormous thrill, but it’s also a pretty<br />

horrendous responsibility at times.”<br />

Editors worry about everything from providing accurate figures<br />

to matters of style and word usage, Dr. Franklin told the audience.<br />

They must give great attention to detail, so much that they spend<br />

every Monday morning in a meeting where they discuss the week’s<br />

issues and each section of the magazine, determine arguments to<br />

take on each issue and designate lead articles. He feels this allows<br />

the publication to offer a more rounded view of all arguments<br />

presented, and also helped shape their discussion of who to endorse.<br />

At a time when discussion largely focuses on economic and<br />

political conditions worldwide, the <strong>Nichols</strong> community was thrilled<br />

to host such an exceptional speaker for the Kew-Raiser Lecture<br />

Series.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

11


Girls Varsity Soccer<br />

Defining Team Success<br />

By Larry Desautels<br />

At a Friday team dinner, the night before the N.Y. State Catholic Soccer Championships that <strong>Nichols</strong> hosted this<br />

year, I spoke very briefly about the season. Perhaps borrowing from a poet’s impulse to make small something large<br />

or even momentous, I offered the following:<br />

More than anything, as a coach I want you to be good at what do, to love your work, to be proud that you belong to<br />

something bigger than yourselves. (Ever the grammarian: notice the lack of “and” in that construction—in my mind,<br />

they constitute a singular “thing”—the “team thing.”)<br />

Their gift to me, and to one another, was the 2008 season, one which will be remembered for its statistical success<br />

(21-2), of course, but more for the sense of team identity and commitment to excellence.<br />

I have coached the Varsity Girls Soccer team since arriving at<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> in 1979. Girls’ athletics have improved immeasurably in<br />

those three decades. As I reminded them at our closing dinner, they<br />

are fortunate to be athletes in a time when athletic competition<br />

knows few gender boundaries. Strength and toughness in the mind,<br />

body and spirit are qualities that are finally revered in both sexes.<br />

In what they accomplished this season, they all send a powerful<br />

message about the valuable role of sports in building character, selfconfidence<br />

and teamwork not just to young women who saw them<br />

play, but to everyone.<br />

Because sport lends itself so easily to statistical analysis, I will<br />

include some numbers. We won the Monsignor Martin League,<br />

with a 10-0 record, and won the post-season MML tournament<br />

with victories of 8-0 and 5-0. We won both the Lockport and<br />

Wilson Booster Tournaments, and we split with Rochester Aquinas,<br />

knocking them out of the national rankings with a 2-1 victory<br />

before dropping a 5-3 game nine days later, for our first loss. We<br />

also beat one of Pennsylvania’s best teams, Mercyhurst, 3-1. During<br />

the season we outscored the opposition 149-20. We finished as one<br />

of the State’s top-ranked teams, and a number of our athletes have<br />

been recognized with post-season honors, but more should have.<br />

Please see the Sports Recap for the full list of recognitions.<br />

12 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Sports<br />

Above Left: The Girls Varsity Soccer<br />

team poses proud in green and white<br />

war paint at Homecoming 2008.<br />

Above: Bethany Novak ’10 jumps to save<br />

a ball in net.<br />

Left: The team’s leading goal scorer,<br />

Bri Smith ’10, fights across the field with<br />

the ball.<br />

A number of individual scoring<br />

records also were set this season:<br />

Bri Smith ’10 broke her own singleseason<br />

goal record (51) with 59,<br />

thereby becoming the top scorer in<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> history; Kaitlin Donahoe<br />

’09 broke her own assist record (24)<br />

with 28, moving her into first place<br />

all-time for assists with 63; Bethany<br />

Novak ’10 and Adele Jackson-<br />

Gibson ’09 combined for 12 shutouts,<br />

a single-season record, and Jackson-Gibson ended her career<br />

with a record 31 blankings.<br />

Granted, the final game of the campaign provided<br />

disappointment. Sacred Heart (Hempstead, Long Island) overcame<br />

two <strong>Nichols</strong> leads – the first with less than three minutes remaining<br />

in regulation, and the other in the first of two mandatory overtimes<br />

– to force a third, sudden death frame. The winning goal, off a<br />

corner kick, left <strong>Nichols</strong> players tearful yet reflective. Eleven players<br />

left the field not just saying, but believing, that had they done,<br />

individually, a single thing better, at any point in the contest – that<br />

had they made one crisper clear or one sharper pass, we would have<br />

won. That is collective responsibility – the single most important<br />

goal that had been set by the team<br />

back in August.<br />

In an era of selfishness, this group<br />

of young women showed a loyalty<br />

to, and sympathy for, one another.<br />

They recognized their roles, from<br />

the defenders who would never see<br />

their names in print, to the injured<br />

players who never played a single<br />

minute all season yet showed for<br />

every practice. They learned to<br />

anticipate one another’s moves, and<br />

moods, to blend into team patterns – that “collective focus,” prized<br />

but rare in sports today.<br />

At the end of my dinner talk, I anticipated the season end, and<br />

the shape of things to come:<br />

If there is one thing that disappoints me, it’s not the fact that we lost<br />

one game that particular Friday in Rochester, or even that we could lose<br />

tomorrow or Sunday, but that 12 of you are graduating and I will not get<br />

to watch you compete again, together, as you did this fall. This particular<br />

team will no longer be a regular part of my life after this Sunday, except<br />

in my memory, where you will be a little faster, more skilled, and if<br />

possible, even sweeter in disposition. As if my dreams could deliver such<br />

a gift!<br />

Winter 2009<br />

13


Fall 2008 Athletics Recap by Holly Fewkes<br />

Boys Varsity Cross Country (1-4)<br />

Boys Varsity Cross Country finished the<br />

season with a 1-4 record, losing two of those<br />

races by a narrow margin. With only five<br />

seniors graduating, the team looks forward<br />

to retaining three quarters of their team next<br />

fall. Most Valuable Runners were Sean Griffin<br />

’10 and Ed Spangenthal ’10. Eric Larson ’10<br />

received the Coaches Award.<br />

Girls Varsity Cross Country (11-3)<br />

Girls Varsity Cross Country finished their<br />

best season in eight years with an 11-3<br />

record. They recorded their first-ever regular<br />

season wins against Sacred Heart and Mt.<br />

Mercy and placed second at the Monsignor<br />

Martin League finals edging rival Immaculata.<br />

Runners who placed in the league finals<br />

include Paige Peltan ’11 (sixth), Kristen<br />

Via ’09 (11 th ), Rachael Moreland ’09 (12 th ),<br />

Lauren Lewis ’10 (14 th ) and Grace Munro ’10<br />

placed seventh in Varsity-B. Peltan was<br />

named First Team All-Catholic and Via,<br />

Moreland and Lewis were named Second<br />

Team All-Catholic. Grace Munro ’10 was<br />

named to the Varsity-B All-Catholic Team.<br />

Paige Peltan represented the team at the<br />

state finals after breaking all <strong>Nichols</strong> Cross<br />

Country records. She also was the Checkers/<br />

Runner’s Roost Runner of the Week for Week<br />

#7. The girls finished ranked 10 th in small<br />

schools in WNY Final XC Poll.<br />

Varsity Field Hockey (15-4)<br />

The Varsity Field Hockey team had a<br />

tremendous season. They finished second in<br />

the CISAA league and were semi-finalists<br />

of the CISAA tournament. The season was<br />

highlighted by a trip to New York City for the<br />

state tournament. They rolled to a 6-0 victory<br />

in the state quarter finals over Spence <strong>School</strong><br />

and then lost a tough semi-final game 1-0<br />

versus Holy Child. The team’s Sportsmanship<br />

Award went to Jill Tokarcyzk ’10. The Most<br />

Valuable Player was Jacquie Greco ’09.<br />

The Coaches Award winners were Jessica<br />

Demakos ’09 and Alyssa Murrett ’09, and the<br />

Most Improved Player was Shelby Wilde ’12.<br />

The team wishes the seven seniors the best of<br />

luck. Jill Tokarcyzk and Katie Flaschner ’10<br />

have been named captains for next fall.<br />

Varsity Football (3-7)<br />

Football began the season with two straight<br />

wins over Archbishop Walsh and Upper<br />

Canada College. The team also secured a<br />

nice win over Niagara Catholic at the end of<br />

the season. In between, they battled Charles<br />

Finney in two tough losses, one in overtime<br />

and the other by one point in regulation.<br />

They also had positive efforts against St.<br />

Mary’s of Lancaster. The Most Valuable<br />

Player was Dan Franz ’09. The Coaches<br />

Award went to Jimmie Adams ’09. Ari<br />

Goldfarb ’10 was the Most Improved Player.<br />

The team wishes the seven seniors the best<br />

of luck.<br />

Boys Varsity Golf (14-1-1)<br />

Boys Golf enjoyed a stellar season. They went<br />

undefeated in the Monsignor Martin League<br />

regular season and recorded victories over<br />

Lew-Port, Orchard Park and Western Reserve<br />

on Homecoming. They finished fourth in the<br />

MML Championship and they capped off<br />

their season by winning the Midwest Prep<br />

Tournament. Chris Stegemann ’09 recorded<br />

a low stroke average of 36.83 and Charlie<br />

Stein ’11 won the most varsity points with 36.<br />

The Coaches Awards went to Ben Meyer ’09<br />

and Chris Stegemann. The Most Improved<br />

Golfers were Andrew Poturalski ’12 and<br />

Charlie Stein. Senior Captains Ben Meyer<br />

and Chris Stegemann will be greatly missed.<br />

Boys Varsity Soccer (10-10-1)<br />

The boys celebrated a very successful season<br />

including two thrilling overtime victories<br />

enroute to the Monsignor Martin League<br />

Championship. They defeated St. Joe’s 2-1 in<br />

overtime in the semi-finals and enjoyed the<br />

championship victory with a 1-0 overtime<br />

victory over St. Francis. The boys traveled<br />

to Long Island for the state semi-finals<br />

where they matched up against a tough St.<br />

Anthony’s team and lost 4-0. The Most<br />

Valuable Player was Bennett Kenyon ’09. The<br />

Coaches Award went to Christian Ying ’11<br />

and the Most Improved Player was Will Gisel<br />

’09. The following students were named to<br />

the Monsignor Martin League All-Catholic<br />

team: First Team: William Cecere ’09, Drew<br />

Winkel ’09 and Bennett Kenyon; Second<br />

Team: Will Gisel, Chris Walter ’11 and<br />

Christian Ying; Honorable Mention: Charles<br />

Rockwell ’09 and James Randaccio ’11.<br />

Girls Varsity Soccer (21-2)<br />

Girls Varsity Soccer enjoyed a thrilling season<br />

complete with close, hard fought games on<br />

some days, and runaway scores on others.<br />

Their 21-2 record is one of the best in school<br />

history and they outscored opponents 149-20!<br />

They were regular season Monsignor Martin<br />

League champs, as well as MML Tournament<br />

champs. They trounced Bishop Kearney 14-0<br />

in the Catholic State Semi-finals only to<br />

fall short in double overtime in the finals to<br />

Sacred Heart of New York City. The Most<br />

Valuable Players were Kaitlin Donahoe ’09<br />

and Bri Smith ’10. The Coaches Awards went<br />

to Erin Collins ’09 and Molly Scherer ’09.<br />

Haley Welch ’11 and Zoe Jackson-Gibson ’12<br />

were the Most Improved Players. The team<br />

finished as one of the state’s top ranked teams.<br />

Many players garnered league and local<br />

honors. MML First Team: Adele Jackson-<br />

Gibson ’09, Maya Jackson-Gibson ’11, Grace<br />

Marlette ’09, Bri Smith and Kaitlin Donahoe<br />

’09; MML Second Team: Kelsey Welch,<br />

Erin Collins, Catherine Williams ’12. ALL-<br />

METRO First Team: Bri Smith and Adele<br />

Jackson Gibson; ALL-METRO Newcomer<br />

of the Year: Catherine Williams. ALL WNY<br />

First Team: Adele Jackson-Gibson, Bri Smith<br />

and Kaitlin Donahoe; ALL WNY 2 nd Team:<br />

Maya Jackson-Gibson.<br />

Girls Varsity Tennis (9-3)<br />

The Girls Varsity Tennis team finished with<br />

one of their best records in school history,<br />

often winning matches by a 5-0 score.<br />

Individual matches resulted in a 47-13 record.<br />

Playing in an independent league, they<br />

have represented themselves as one of the<br />

top teams in Western New York. The Most<br />

Valuable Player was #1 ranked player Pamicka<br />

Marinello who finished with an 8-3 record.<br />

The Coaches Awards went to Sabrina Gill ’09<br />

(7-3 at 1 st Doubles) and Rosemary Montani<br />

’09 (5-2 at Doubles) and Carly Buchheit ’09<br />

(4-1 at 2 nd Doubles) was the Most Improved<br />

Player. The team is grateful to the five seniors’<br />

contributions to the team and they will be<br />

missed!<br />

Girls Varsity Volleyball (8-10)<br />

Girls Varsity Volleyball celebrated one of<br />

their most successful seasons in years! They<br />

had some key victories throughout the season:<br />

twice each over Cardinal O’Hara, Niagara<br />

Catholic and Hutch Tech and once versus<br />

Mt. Mercy. They received a third seed for the<br />

league tournament and lost in the quarter<br />

finals. The Most Valuable Player was Moriah<br />

Camp ’09. The Coaches Awards went to<br />

Siobhan Hanley ’09 and Ilona Haidvogel<br />

’09. Isabel Farhi ’09 was named the Most<br />

Improved Player.<br />

14 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


A.<br />

B.<br />

C. D.<br />

E.<br />

A. Student athlete Jacqueline Greco ’09 models an authentic <strong>Nichols</strong> Ice Hockey warming coat from the 1940s, which was a big item for the Live Auction.<br />

B. Lambros Touris, Bob T<strong>org</strong>alski, Suzanne Gicewicz-Touris and Louis Avino listen to the program’s opening, given by Athletic Director Rob Stewart.<br />

C. Ron Montesano, golf coach and Upper <strong>School</strong> Spanish teacher, and Don Wagner, soccer coach and Upper <strong>School</strong> math teacher, enjoy the evening’s<br />

festivities.<br />

D. Student athlete volunteers Meaghan Heldwein ’11, Moriah Camp ’09 and Jillian Tokarczyk ’10 take a break from promoting “foul towels.”<br />

E. Ron T<strong>org</strong>alski ’85, Head Coach of SUNY at Buffalo’s baseball team and <strong>Nichols</strong> Hall of Famer, served as the Big Green guest speaker.<br />

2008 Big Green Athletic<br />

Dinner and Auction<br />

by Gyda Higgins<br />

A wonderful evening was enjoyed by all at the 10th Annual Big<br />

Green Athletic Dinner and Auction. The timing was perfect for<br />

holiday shopping and our guests certainly did a great deal of that<br />

throughout the evening at both the silent and live auctions.<br />

This year, the Big Green raised almost $20,000 for the Athletic<br />

Department at <strong>Nichols</strong>!<br />

The successful event was accomplished through the hard work<br />

and effort of our dedicated volunteers who made up the Committee.<br />

Chaired by parent Barbara Regan, the Committee worked day and<br />

night to prepare the beautiful baskets and presentations that graced<br />

the tables. Committee members included Stephanie Angelakos,<br />

Chris Augustine, Debbie Bourne, Joanne Broad, Caitlin Gillmeister,<br />

Josanne Greco, Maryanne Grenda, Shirley MacKinnon, Joanne<br />

Ryan, Wendy Schutte, Judy Smith, Jackie Spangenthal, Suzanne<br />

Gicewicz-Touris, Vicki Via, Laurie Wright and Jan Zasowski.<br />

Behind the scenes, more volunteers worked to ensure the night<br />

ran smoothly: Sarah Gelman Carney ’92, Annette Kellogg, Bridget<br />

Lutz, Mary McCarthy, Jill Robins, Rob Stewart and Beth Stone.<br />

While the crowd enjoyed a fabulous dinner presented by our<br />

own Chef Mark Shaffer, our guest speaker, Ron T<strong>org</strong>alski ’85, Head<br />

Coach of SUNY at Buffalo’s baseball team and member of the<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> Athletic Hall of Fame, addressed the audience. Once Ron<br />

shared his sports insight with us, John “the Gavel Slammer” Munro<br />

and Rob “the Canadian Connection” Stewart took over for the Live<br />

Auction action.<br />

Thank you to all those who contributed and attended this year’s<br />

event! If you weren’t able to be there, make a mental note to join us<br />

next year. The casual evening is a great deal of fun and a great way<br />

to connect with other parents and alumni, while helping to support<br />

our phenomenal student athletes!<br />

Winter 2009<br />

15


Legacies<br />

Matthew J. Buyers ’14<br />

Grandson of John W. Buyers ’61<br />

Colin J. Campbell ’11<br />

Son of Jay B. Campbell ’79<br />

Julia L. Accetta ’10<br />

Daughter of Lynn Azurin Accetta ’80<br />

Amber L. Ball ’10<br />

Daughter of John E. Ball ’79<br />

Evan F. Brason ’16<br />

Son of Todd W. Brason ’76<br />

Emily J. Carlson ’11<br />

Daughter of Richard A. Carlson, Jr. ’72<br />

Martha H. Alford ’11<br />

Daughter of Julie Genco Alford ’84<br />

Daughter of J. Scott Alford ’84<br />

Granddaughter of J. Keith Alford ’59<br />

Sarah C. Bassett ’09<br />

Daughter of Kingman Bassett, Jr. ’77<br />

Granddaughter of Kingman Bassett ’41<br />

Sydney M. Brason ’14<br />

Daughter of Todd W. Brason ’76<br />

Nina C. Amato ’16<br />

Daughter of Wendy Castiglia Amato ’86<br />

Alison D. Bellows ’09<br />

Daughter of Ann Duffy Bellows N’67<br />

Granddaughter of Charles G. Duffy Jr. ’27<br />

Larkin P. Brinkworth ’10<br />

Son of Dennis J. Brinkworth III ’79<br />

Alexandra M. Castiglia ’15<br />

Daughter of Gregory J. Castiglia ’84<br />

Daughter of Valerie A. Zingapan ’84<br />

Elizabeth A. Andersen ’16<br />

Daughter of Kristan Carlson Andersen ’80<br />

Granddaughter of Charles C. Carlson ’52<br />

Samuel M. Benatovich ’09<br />

Son of Sheldon B. Benatovich ’60<br />

Dennis J. Brinkworth IV ’09<br />

Son of Dennis J. Brinkworth III ’79<br />

Jeremy J. Castiglia ’12<br />

Son of Gregory J. Castiglia ’84<br />

Son of Valerie A. Zingapan ’84<br />

Kendall G. Appelbaum ’13<br />

Daughter of Mark J. Appelbaum ’85<br />

Bradley A. Bourne ’12<br />

Son of James A. Bourne, Jr. ’79<br />

Grandson of James A. Bourne ’54<br />

Joel Brinson ’14<br />

Son of Colin M. Brinson ’85<br />

Barton W. Chambers, Jr. ’11<br />

Son of Barton W. Chambers ’82<br />

Son of Karen Keller Chambers ’82<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Robert E. Chambers ’34<br />

Aliena R.M. Aubrecht ’10<br />

Daughter of Christian F. P. Aubrecht ’86<br />

16 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Elizabeth E. Bourne ’15<br />

Daughter of James A. Bourne, Jr. ’79<br />

Granddaughter of James A. Bourne ’54<br />

Austin M. Burger ’09<br />

Grandson of Lewis D. McCauley ’50<br />

Dieter M. Clauss ’10<br />

Son of Julia Ladds Clauss ’75


John P. Clinton ’09<br />

Son of Marshall Clinton, Jr. ’62<br />

Grandson of Marshall Clinton ’32<br />

Grandson of Andrew O. Peek ’24<br />

Stephen A. Dhillon ’16<br />

Son of Lisa A. Hansen ’83<br />

Haley A. Fromen ’10<br />

Daughter of John J. Fromen, Jr. ’79<br />

Grace E. Hamlin ’12<br />

Daughter of H. Ward Hamlin ’64<br />

Erika Cromwell ’16<br />

Daughter of Brian G. Cromwell ’76<br />

John A. Ennis ’15<br />

Son of James S. Ennis ’81<br />

Hannah Gardner ’12<br />

Daughter of Jonathan H. Gardner ’77<br />

Cameron A. Hejna ’14<br />

Son of Anthony J. Hejna ’86<br />

Lauren Cromwell ’16<br />

Daughter of Brian G. Cromwell ’76<br />

Kathryn Ennis ’13<br />

Daughter of James S. Ennis ’81<br />

William J. Gisel ’09<br />

Son of William G. Gisel, Jr. ’70<br />

Ethan A. Hejna ’16<br />

Son of Anthony J. Hejna ’86<br />

Ryan W. Cromwell ’13<br />

Son of Brian G. Cromwell ’76<br />

Caroline Fenn ’12<br />

Granddaughter of James A. Bourne ’54<br />

Brian W. Griffith ’09<br />

Son of Timothy E. Griffith ’77<br />

Laura A. Hettrick ’09<br />

Daughter of Jane Cox Hettrick ’78<br />

Daughter of John L. Hettrick, Jr. ’73<br />

Great Granddaughter of<br />

Adrian J. Allard ’28<br />

Rachel A. Cromwell ’10<br />

Daughter of Brian G. Cromwell ’76<br />

Elizabeth A. Fitch ’13<br />

Daughter of Annette Holzman Fitch ’82<br />

Charles H. Gurney ’10<br />

Son of Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75<br />

Son of Charles L. Gurney III ’75<br />

Grandson of E. W. Dann Stevens ’44<br />

Grandson of Charles L. Gurney II ’38<br />

Great Grandson of Horace W. Reed ’22<br />

William D. Hibbard III ’16<br />

Son of William D. Hibbard II ’80<br />

Jeffrey J. Davis ’14<br />

Grandson of Marshall E. Davis ’43<br />

Brian T. Franz ’11<br />

Son of Thomas A. Franz ’76<br />

Schyler Gurney ’14<br />

Granddaughter of<br />

Stephen S. Gurney ’51<br />

Caroline M. Hogan ’14<br />

Daughter of Katherine B. Roach ’83<br />

Jessica G. Demakos ’09<br />

Daughter of Peter G. Demakos ’70<br />

Daniel K. Franz ’09<br />

Son of Thomas A. Franz ’76<br />

Ilona M. Haidvogel ’09<br />

Daughter of Dale B. Haidvogel ’67<br />

Lindsay K. Hogan ’16<br />

Daughter of Katherine B. Roach ’83<br />

Winter 2009<br />

17


John D. Hourihane ’14<br />

Son of Wendy Zimmer ’81<br />

Samuel M. Jones ’15<br />

Son of Peter M. Jones ’74<br />

Grandson of Albert M. Jones II ’39<br />

Hannah A. Kloepfer ’09<br />

Daughter of Ge<strong>org</strong>e J. Kloepfer II ’68<br />

Granddaughter John G. Kloepfer ’42<br />

Theodore E. Marks III ’14<br />

Son of Theodore E. Marks II ’78<br />

Sophie R. Hourihane ’16<br />

Daughter of Wendy Zimmer ’81<br />

Ava B. Karet ’15<br />

Daughter of Michael A. Karet ’87<br />

Granddaughter of Jack A. Karet ’52<br />

John C. Knox ’11<br />

Son of Seymour H. Knox IV ’73<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Seymour H. Knox, Jr. ’15<br />

Cary L. Marlette ’09<br />

Daughter of Michael J. Marlette ’71<br />

Granddaughter of Edward N. Marlette ’37<br />

Edwin M. Johnston IV ’10<br />

Son of Edwin M. Johnston III ’78<br />

Grandson of Edwin M. Johnston, Jr. ’51<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Nelson T. Montgomery ’16<br />

Brendan Karet ’11<br />

Son of Michael A. Karet ’87<br />

Grandson of Jack A. Karet ’52<br />

Anna S. Magavern ’15<br />

Daughter of Samuel D. Magavern II ’81<br />

Granddaughter of James L. Magavern ’51<br />

Elizabeth L. Marlette ’13<br />

Daughter of Peter S. Marlette ’76<br />

Daughter of Helen Ladds Marlette ’77<br />

Granddaughter of Edward N. Marlette ’37<br />

Leyton W. Johnston ’16<br />

Son of Edwin M. Johnston III ’78<br />

Grandson of Edwin M. Johnston, Jr. ’51<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Nelson T. Montgomery ’16<br />

Chloe Keating ’15<br />

Daughter of Lisa Massaro Keating ’82<br />

William D. Maloney ’09<br />

Grandson of Ge<strong>org</strong>e R. Duryea ’45<br />

Grace C. Marlette ’09<br />

Daughter of Peter S. Marlette ’76<br />

Daughter of Helen Ladds Marlette ’77<br />

Granddaughter of Edward N. Marlette ’37<br />

Alexandra W. Jones ’14<br />

Daughter of Ian W. Jones ’80<br />

Granddaughter of Albert M. Jones II ’39<br />

Lachlan C. Kellogg ’12<br />

Son of Stephen Kellogg, Jr. ’81<br />

Grandson of Stephen Kellogg, Sr. ’55<br />

Nicola Marcucci ’14<br />

Grandson of John M. Wadsworth ’55<br />

Great Grandson of Irvine J. Kittinger ’23<br />

Alexandra M. Mathews ’11<br />

Daughter of Karen L. Mathews N’71<br />

Lauren D. Jones ’11<br />

Daughter of Ian W. Jones ’80<br />

Granddaughter of Albert M. Jones II ’39<br />

Stephen Kellogg III ’10<br />

Son of Stephen Kellogg, Jr. ’81<br />

Grandson of Stephen Kellogg, Sr. ’55<br />

Derek R. Marks ’11<br />

Son of Theodore E. Marks II ’78<br />

Frederick G. Maynor ’14<br />

Son of Thomas G. Maynor ’81<br />

Son of Clare T. Poth ’81<br />

Colin W. B. Kennedy ’11<br />

Grandson of William R. Kinkel ’46<br />

M. Graham Marks ’10<br />

Son of Theodore E. Marks II ’78<br />

Stephanie G. Militello ’09<br />

Daughter of Marilynn Propis Militello N’71<br />

18 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Sarah A. Miller ’12<br />

Daughter of Robert L. Miller, Jr. ’73<br />

Granddaughter of Robert L. Miller, Sr. ’45<br />

Victoria L. Nachreiner ’09<br />

Daughter of<br />

Lorraine Hoffman Nachreiner ’79<br />

Jacob N. Parentis ’15<br />

Son of Michael A. Parentis ’86<br />

Son of Michelle Rosenberg Parentis ’86<br />

James A. Randaccio ’11<br />

Son of Alan R. Randaccio ’82<br />

Peter O. Montante ’14<br />

Son of Alexandra Llugany Montante ’86<br />

Matthew O’Connor ’16<br />

Son of Scott H. O’Connor ’85<br />

Max G. Pergament ’11<br />

Son of Diane Gardner ’79<br />

Lee S. Randaccio ’09<br />

Daughter of Brad F. Randaccio ’75<br />

Michael Montante ’13<br />

Son of Alexandra Llugany Montante ’86<br />

Hanna O’Neill ’12<br />

Daughter of Wende A. Mix ’77<br />

Ralegh R. Petri ’16<br />

Son of Pitt Petri, Jr. ’57<br />

Philipp A. Rimmler ’09<br />

Son of Anne Beltz Rimmler ’75<br />

Benjamin M. Muggia ’15<br />

Grandson of Donald E. Miller ’60<br />

Rachel E. O’Neill ’09<br />

Daughter of Wende A. Mix ’77<br />

Caroline E. Pierce ’09<br />

Daughter of Frederick G. Pierce II ’73<br />

Granddaughter of Frederick S. Pierce ’35<br />

Alison J. J. Root ’09<br />

Daughter of Lisann Jacobs ’79<br />

Sydney M. Muggia ’12<br />

Granddaughter of Donald E. Miller ’60<br />

Oscar C. Ostendorf ’13<br />

Son of Ge<strong>org</strong>e H. Ostendorf, Jr. ’83<br />

Grandson of Ge<strong>org</strong>e H. Ostendorf ’58<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Renwick A. Ostendorf ’25<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Edward G. Zeller, Jr. ’25<br />

Great Grandson of Robert E. Chambers ’34<br />

David W. Pierce ’11<br />

Son of Frederick G. Pierce II ’73<br />

Grandson of Frederick S. Pierce ’35<br />

Caroline M. Russ ’10<br />

Daughter of Hugh M. Russ III ’78<br />

Granddaughter of Hugh M. Russ ’47<br />

Lyman B. Munschauer ’09<br />

Grandson of Edward F. Walsh ’43<br />

Jonathan Plotkin ’10<br />

Son of Susan Pitterman Plotkin ’79<br />

Oliver J. Russ ’09<br />

Son of Hugh M. Russ III ’78<br />

Grandson of Hugh M. Russ ’47<br />

Shannon G. Nachreiner ’12<br />

Daughter of<br />

Lorraine Hoffman Nachreiner ’79<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e H. Ostendorf III ’11<br />

Son of Ge<strong>org</strong>e H. Ostendorf, Jr. ’83<br />

Grandson of Ge<strong>org</strong>e H. Ostendorf ’58<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Renwick A. Ostendorf ’25<br />

Great Grandson of<br />

Edward G. Zeller, Jr. ’25<br />

Great Grandson of Robert E. Chambers ’34<br />

Nicholas J. Prise ’11<br />

Son of Kevin M. Prise ’82<br />

Maxwell M. Scott ’16<br />

Son of Patrick V. Scott ’84<br />

Winter 2009<br />

19


David A. Sherris, Jr. ’13<br />

Son of David A. Sherris ’79<br />

John H. Tank ’13<br />

Son of Erica Procter Tank ’79<br />

Christopher M. Walter ’11<br />

Son of Joseph R. Walter ’76<br />

Alec E. Yerkovich ’16<br />

Son of Edward D. Yerkovich ’80<br />

Matthew P. Sherris ’15<br />

Son of David A. Sherris ’79<br />

Anna E. Tantillo ’13<br />

Daughter of Theresa Giallanza Tantillo ’81<br />

Madeleine D. Waters ’10<br />

Daughter of Henry D. Waters, Jr. ’73<br />

Granddaughter of Henry D. Waters ’48<br />

Great Granddaughter of Jesse C. Dann ’18<br />

Luke A. Yerkovich ’12<br />

Son of Edward D. Yerkovich ’80<br />

Edward G. Spangenthal ’10<br />

Son of Edward J. Spangenthal ’79<br />

Joseph F. Tantillo ’11<br />

Son of Theresa Giallanza Tantillo ’81<br />

Christopher P. White ’11<br />

Son of W. Michael White ’81<br />

Will E. Yerkovich ’15<br />

Son of Edward D. Yerkovich ’80<br />

Paige F. Spangenthal ’15<br />

Daughter of Edward J. Spangenthal ’79<br />

William L. Tiftickjian ’11<br />

Son of David D. Tiftickjian ’78<br />

Great Grandson of Brainard E. Prescott ’28<br />

Catherine Williams ’12<br />

Daughter of John D. Williams ’80<br />

Granddaughter of Reginald V. Williams, Jr. ’49<br />

William R. Zacher, Jr. ’12<br />

Son of Darcy Donaldson Zacher ’88<br />

Son of William R. Zacher, Sr. ’86<br />

Grandson of Daniel R. Donaldson ’58<br />

Grandson of William H. Zacher ’55<br />

Jacob Stark ’10<br />

Great Grandson of Cameron Baird ’22<br />

Kristen E. Tiftickjian ’14<br />

Daughter of David D. Tiftickjian ’78<br />

Great Granddaughter of<br />

Brainard E. Prescott ’28<br />

Nicolette M. Winder ’11<br />

Granddaughter of J. Bruce Forbush ’49<br />

Sommer Zacher ’13<br />

Daughter of Darcy Donaldson Zacher ’88<br />

Daughter of William R. Zacher, Sr. ’86<br />

Granddaughter of Daniel R. Donaldson ’58<br />

Granddaughter of William H. Zacher ’55<br />

D. Brady Stevens ’15<br />

Son of Gregory D. Stevens ’74<br />

Grandson of E. W. Dann Stevens ’44<br />

Great Grandson of Horace W. Reed ’22<br />

Tyler A. Trammell ’15<br />

Son of Mark H. Trammell ’78<br />

Andrew E. Wolney ’14<br />

Son of Ann Flynn Wolney ’78<br />

Jacob A. Zimmer ’11<br />

Son of Gregg L. Zimmer ’80<br />

Annawade M. Stevenson ’14<br />

Daughter of Wade Stevenson ’63<br />

Granddaughter of<br />

Charles P. Stevenson ’36<br />

20 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Lucas H. Walsh ’12<br />

Son of Theodore B. K. Walsh ’73<br />

Grandson of John N. Walsh Jr. ’39<br />

Colin R. Wright ’16<br />

Son of Erin Teach Wright ’76<br />

Son of Jonathan R. Wright ’66<br />

Grandson of Richard I. Teach ’50<br />

Grandson of William S. Wright ’34<br />

Rachel L. Zimmer ’13<br />

Daughter of Gregg L. Zimmer ’80


After <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

Emma Rosen ’07 Explores<br />

Academics at MIT and Beyond<br />

by Sarah Gelman Carney ’92 and Nina Cimino<br />

What has your path since <strong>Nichols</strong> been like?<br />

I graduated in 2007, and I’m now a sophomore at Massachusetts<br />

Institute of Technology. My main interests are Biological Engineering<br />

and Economics, and I have also started to learn German.<br />

What extra-curricular activities are you involved in at college?<br />

Class Social Chair: I was elected to the Class of 2011 Council. Along<br />

with seven other members, I help manage a budget of $25,000 to<br />

<strong>org</strong>anize events and activities for my class on campus as well as in Boston.<br />

I am also very much involved with MIT’s abroad program, MISTI<br />

(MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives). After my<br />

summer internship in Paris, France, MISTI selected me to be an<br />

Ambassador.<br />

How did <strong>Nichols</strong> prepare you for college?<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> trained me to remain focused and keep chugging away.<br />

Classes such as Ms. Hejna’s Advanced Geometry and Mr. Brunner’s<br />

AP Physics C rewarded hard work and independent thinking. In<br />

college, when I think a problem set might just kill me, I can just lock<br />

myself up in the library and get it done.<br />

What is your favorite thing about college?<br />

I love the down-to-earth attitudes of the students at MIT. Prior<br />

to arriving at MIT, I never imagined just how hard students here<br />

work, or how much people at MIT genuinely care about what they<br />

are studying. However, I also didn’t expect that some sort of fun on<br />

campus could be found every night of the week! MIT students are<br />

collaborative and inclusive. There is no mean-spiritedness, and most<br />

of us subscribe to the age-old dictum of “work hard, play hard.”<br />

I understand you’re involved in some exciting science-related studies.<br />

Tell us about this.<br />

Through MIT’s abroad program, I applied for a research scholarship in<br />

France. I was offered an internship in the laboratory of my first choice –<br />

Genevieve’s Almouzni’s laboratory of Nuclear Dynamics and Genome<br />

Plasticity, at the Curie Institute in Paris. I explored histone dynamics<br />

and, more specifically, the functions and roles of Histone Chaperone<br />

Protein NASP. After the post-doc for whom I worked guided me<br />

through the first week, teaching me many basic but vital procedures, I<br />

was responsible for designing my own experiments and analyzing my<br />

own data. At the conclusion of my internship, I presented my findings<br />

to the laboratory.<br />

What is your favorite <strong>Nichols</strong> memory?<br />

Chicken Patty sandwiches. Seasoned waffle fries at the Rink.<br />

Mr. Stratton getting down on all fours to play The Lion in<br />

Emma Rosen ’07 spends the summer of 2008 in Paris. She and Nick<br />

Calluzzo, a classmate at MIT, take a break from the lab to walk along the<br />

Pont Neuf and have dinner.<br />

“Androcles and the Lion.”<br />

Writing a comedic skit for the eighth-grade talent show and<br />

performing it with about 10 other members of the class of 2007.<br />

What do you like to do on the weekends?<br />

After a week of little sleep, lots of work and late-night meetings, I<br />

have successfully convinced myself that weekends are a time to let<br />

loose. I enjoy cooking meals with friends, trying new restaurants in<br />

Boston, walking to Boston Commons to see movies, browsing the<br />

stores on Newbury, and checking out a local concert or comedy show.<br />

Lately, much of my time has involved sitting with friends around a<br />

projector watching the latest Palin interview or a Tina Fey satire.<br />

Friday and Saturday evenings, I engage in intellectual symposiums<br />

complete with milk and juice beverages and classical music…(I trust<br />

my parents are reading this).<br />

Not to be generic, but where do you see yourself in five years?<br />

Ten years?<br />

Most probably, five years from now, I think I’ll still be in school –<br />

graduate school or professional school.<br />

Ten years from now – well, I’m still figuring out exactly which<br />

academic trajectory I’d like to pursue.<br />

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?<br />

When I was deciding where to go for college, Mr. Kramer told me<br />

that it’s not so much about where one goes, but it’s about what one<br />

does once one gets there. He helped me to figure out which college<br />

would be best for me, not by giving me any specific advice, but by<br />

asking me the right questions – thanks Mr. Kramer.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

21


On Saturday, Dec. 20, alumni and friends gathered at <strong>Nichols</strong> for the 2008 Alumni Holiday Gathering. Guests celebrated with a<br />

ceremony for award winners in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center and a cocktail party in the Rand Dining Room.<br />

Gregory J. Castiglia ’84 and<br />

Valerie A. Zingapan ’84<br />

2008 Distinguished Alumni Award<br />

Our <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong> Class Agent system is the foundation upon<br />

which a successful alumni program is built. Our accomplishments<br />

are a reflection of volunteers like you. You possess a desire to keep<br />

in touch with classmates, who have an ability to communicate<br />

current information about our <strong>School</strong>, who have a willingness to seek<br />

alumni support for the Annual Fund, and whose overall enthusiasm<br />

for <strong>Nichols</strong> strengthens relationships between our <strong>School</strong> and our<br />

friends.<br />

In the fall of 1980, you met on your <strong>Nichols</strong> freshman orientation<br />

trip. In your junior year, you became a couple. On October 24, 1992,<br />

you were married. Over the years, other educational institutions were<br />

lucky enough to share your academic vigor: Bryn Mawr College,<br />

Dartmouth College, Medical College of Pennsylvania, College of<br />

Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, and the State<br />

University of New York at Buffalo’s Medical <strong>School</strong>, which saw you<br />

both complete your residencies.<br />

In addition to all your accomplishments as medical professionals<br />

in our community, you are raising four wonderful children. We are so<br />

fortunate to have you as current <strong>Nichols</strong> parents. Jeremy is a member<br />

of our freshman class and Alexandra is a member of our sixth grade.<br />

Bradley and Olivia attend Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, the school<br />

you helped save when it was in jeopardy of closing in 2005.<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> benefits from your hard work and wisdom on several<br />

fronts. As Class Agents for the Class of 1984, you are consistently<br />

updating us with alumni contact information and helping us locate<br />

“lost” alumni. You always make a personal gift to the Annual<br />

Fund and have been committed members and volunteers of our<br />

Headmaster’s Society, our most generous group of donors. While<br />

under your guidance as Co-chairs of the Alumni Division, the levels<br />

of both alumni<br />

participation<br />

and alumni<br />

dollars have<br />

increased. You<br />

have both served<br />

on the Alumni<br />

Board and you<br />

are champions<br />

behind the grill at<br />

our Homecoming<br />

barbeques.<br />

Valerie, we also<br />

are thankful<br />

for your<br />

contemplative<br />

contributions as<br />

a current member<br />

of our Board of<br />

Trustees.<br />

Few can match your energy, loyalty and generosity. As leaders,<br />

you take your work here seriously and you complete each task with<br />

a smile. Your dedication to <strong>Nichols</strong> today is a reflection of your<br />

dedication to <strong>Nichols</strong> as students. It is a great pleasure to name<br />

you, Gregory J. Castiglia ’84 and Valerie A. Zingapan ’84, as<br />

Distinguished Alumni of <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />

Sally K. Walsh<br />

2008 Honorary Alumna Award<br />

What makes independent schools so special are its people. What<br />

makes <strong>Nichols</strong> so special is people like you. Perhaps your love<br />

affair with <strong>Nichols</strong> began when you married one of our own, your<br />

husband Jack who is celebrating his 70th Reunion this year. You<br />

have watched numerous members of your family give and receive<br />

awards over the years. Finally, it is our turn to recognize the woman<br />

who has been behind the scenes and on the bench for all of us!<br />

In the 1950s, you became a <strong>Nichols</strong> parent and in the 1990s,<br />

a <strong>Nichols</strong> “Grammy.” You have been the consummate volunteer,<br />

supporter and friend.<br />

Most recently, you<br />

dedicated your time<br />

to the Grandparent<br />

Division of our<br />

Annual Fund,<br />

writing hundreds of<br />

personal notes to<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> grandparents<br />

for support of our<br />

<strong>School</strong>. However,<br />

your role as our #1<br />

Fan is what we cherish<br />

most. Your devotion<br />

and enthusiasm are<br />

contagious.<br />

You have been in<br />

the stands, and on<br />

the sidelines, from<br />

Lawrenceville to Ridley College, from Gerard Gymnasium to<br />

Dann Memorial Rink, from Peek to Strauss Truscott Field. If there<br />

is a game, you are there – and despite the weather, you are there.<br />

Regardless of if you know anyone on the team, you are there. At<br />

over 2,000 different <strong>Nichols</strong> events, contests, concerts, parties,<br />

plays, Reunions, dedications, award assemblies, you support us, you<br />

cheer for us, you take pride in us.<br />

It is a <strong>Nichols</strong> tradition to recognize members of our teams<br />

with honors for extraordinary contributions to a season, the team<br />

and the <strong>School</strong>. You have earned them all: our Coach’s Award<br />

for sharing your heart and soul, and our Most Improved Player,<br />

for getting better every year. Finally, you are our MVP, one of our<br />

most valuable people. Sally Keating Walsh, it is our honor and<br />

privilege to name you an Honorary Alumna of <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />

Congratulations.<br />

22 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Awards<br />

Joseph J. (Jerry) Castiglia<br />

2008 Honorary Alumnus Award<br />

Your successes in the business world, in addition to many areas<br />

of community and public service, are numerous. We at <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

are honored that you have included us as a beneficiary of your<br />

expertise, enthusiasm and devotion.<br />

Perhaps your most rewarding role at <strong>Nichols</strong> has been sharing<br />

pride with Barbara as parents of Gregory ’84 and Wendy ’86; in-laws<br />

of Valerie ’84; grandparents of Nina Amato ’16, Jeremy Castiglia<br />

’12 and Alexandra Castiglia ’15.<br />

As a member of our Board of Trustees, you served two terms:<br />

1985-1989 and 1997-2003. As President of the Board from 1987-<br />

1989, you provided particularly strong leadership of our strategic<br />

planning process and showed a desire to continually improve<br />

faculty salaries. Also, you have faithfully committed yourself to the<br />

maintenance and growth of the <strong>School</strong>’s endowment as a member<br />

of our Endowment Committee. Once again, you demonstrated your<br />

commitment to <strong>Nichols</strong> by graciously accepting our invitation to<br />

Chair our current Capital Campaign, <strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong>. In addition<br />

to your dedicated years of service, you have been very generous in<br />

your support of <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />

A statement from a profile of you, from several years ago, is<br />

so appropriate to your leadership here at <strong>Nichols</strong>: “Mr. Castiglia<br />

exudes a quiet authority.” Your mission driven way has so often<br />

helped us remain focused on the big picture, without getting lost<br />

in the details. Quiet and dignified, yet powerful and successful,<br />

your leadership has inspired those who work with you to perform<br />

and produce at the highest level, while considering it a privilege to<br />

endeavor with you in the common cause.<br />

For all you have done for <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>, and for all you have<br />

done for<br />

the greater<br />

Western<br />

New York<br />

community, we<br />

thank you. In<br />

recognition of<br />

your loyalty,<br />

friendship and<br />

generosity, we<br />

are honored<br />

to name<br />

you, Joseph<br />

J. (Jerry)<br />

Castiglia, an<br />

Honorary<br />

Alumnus<br />

of <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong>.<br />

Clay W. Hamlin ’63<br />

2008 Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49 Award<br />

As an alumnus, you are a member of one of our most cohesive,<br />

supportive classes ever, and your friendships are your priority. You help<br />

keep friendships alive with frequent communication and activities that<br />

have nurtured lifelong bonds, which began during your <strong>Nichols</strong> years.<br />

You contribute to the high sense of class unity that lives on today.<br />

As a Trustee since 2003, you have shared your vast experiences<br />

in business and real estate with us. You bring an outside perspective<br />

that has been very helpful to Board discussions and deliberations.<br />

We appreciate your frequent trips back to campus, making it possible<br />

for you to remain close to <strong>Nichols</strong>. We treasure your leadership and<br />

generosity.<br />

In addition to lending us your precious time and expertise, you are<br />

one of the most generous donors to our Annual Fund, having always<br />

been a leader in your Reunion class giving. You are one of the most<br />

significant donors to our current <strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong> Capital Campaign.<br />

Along with some of your friends, your class of 1963 has pledged nearly<br />

$5 million toward our new Math/Science Building, affectionately<br />

named Center ’63. Without a doubt, the support of you and your<br />

classmates helped create the momentum for this successful campaign.<br />

To quote your 1963 Verdian, “Clay, undaunted by the pressures<br />

that engulf others, always tries to see the bright side of life. Yet,<br />

sense of responsibility, which reveals itself through his conscientious<br />

mastery, underlies his light-hearted manner.” Forty-five years later,<br />

this statement remains true. In recognition of your extraordinary<br />

contributions to <strong>Nichols</strong> as an alumnus living out-of-town, it is a great<br />

pleasure to name you, Clay Winston Hamlin III ’63, the recipient of<br />

the Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49 Award.<br />

Clay Hamlin ’63 was unable to receive his award in person<br />

and shared these remarks:<br />

I am very surprised and honored to receive this wonderful<br />

recognition from <strong>Nichols</strong>…But I have to tell you sincerely that<br />

whatever I have done for <strong>Nichols</strong>, <strong>Nichols</strong> has done a lot more<br />

for me.<br />

It has been a privilege for me to attend <strong>Nichols</strong> and then see<br />

it grow, change and improve. Except for the influence of my<br />

parents and family, nothing has meant more in my development<br />

than this school, my lifelong <strong>Nichols</strong> friends and the <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

community. These experiences have influenced me for the<br />

better my whole life and have been an enduring source of joy<br />

and strength.<br />

Besides the academics, athletics and friendship, <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

demanded, and taught us the importance of, character… I’m<br />

glad that <strong>Nichols</strong> demanded good character of me… Nothing<br />

is more important – including grades and getting into college.<br />

The challenge for our <strong>Nichols</strong> students is to adhere to their good<br />

character when those around them do not. If they do, they<br />

will be the true leaders of the future and will find success and<br />

happiness for themselves and others they touch…<br />

In closing, I want to thank <strong>Nichols</strong> and all of you for all you<br />

have done for me. Buffalo is a great place and will always be<br />

my home, and to me, <strong>Nichols</strong> is synonymous with the best of<br />

Buffalo. And thanks to Jackie, Warren, Mike, Willy and everyone<br />

in the Class of 1963, as well, for your friendship and what you<br />

have meant to me.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

23


A.<br />

B.<br />

C.<br />

D.<br />

F.<br />

E.<br />

2008 Alumni<br />

Holiday Gathering<br />

24 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

A. Matt Felser ’05, Eric Walton ’05, Chris Covelli ’05, Ian Walton ’06,<br />

Phil Jadd ’05 , Ben Duggan ’05, Andrew Stegemann ’05 and Joe Walter ’05<br />

B. Bridget McIntee Franz ’91 & Ned Franz ’91 and Wendy Lebowitz Pressman<br />

’83 & Michael Pressman<br />

C. Ward Hamlin ’64 and Emma Hamlin ’06<br />

D. Sarah Yerkovich ’84, Greta Flickinger Barton ’78 and Ann Flynn Wolney ’78<br />

E. Howie Saperston ’58, Dave Strachan ’51 and Kim Kimberly ’47<br />

F. Peppy McLean and Dennis McCarthy ’52


G.<br />

H.<br />

I. J.<br />

K.<br />

L.<br />

G. Greg Stevens ’74, Newton Sears ’05 and Will Cheyney ’05<br />

H. Jackie Ennis & Jim Ennis ’81 and Ian Jones ’80 & Monica Jones<br />

I. Ellen Hassett ’84, Joy Trotter ’84, Joan Rice ’84<br />

J. (back) Greg Castiglia ’84, Ellen Hassett ’84, Sarah Yerovich ’84 and Joan Rice ’84; (front) Valerie Zingapan ’84 and Joy Trotter ’84<br />

K. Ron Emerson ’78, Doug Hamberger & Jennifer Jarvis Hamberger ’81 and Hugh Russ ’78<br />

L. KC Bryan White ’97, Ginna Walsh, Liza Walsh Keenan ’97 and Upper <strong>School</strong> Head, Aranya Maritime<br />

Winter 2009<br />

25


M.<br />

N.<br />

O. P.<br />

Q. R.<br />

2008 Alumni<br />

Holiday Gathering<br />

M. Jerry Castiglia & Barbara Castiglia and John Bozer ’45 & Joan Bozer<br />

N. Fred Cohen ’61, David Tiftickjian ’78 & Darlene Tiftickjian<br />

O. Dan Donaldson ’58, Marilyn Miller, Stuart Angert ’58 and Donald Miller ’60<br />

P. Kristan Carlson Andersen ’80 & Robin Bronstein and Kelly Ostendorf<br />

Q. Bill Mathias ’63, Chuck Kreiner ’63 and Warren Gelman ’63<br />

R. Jeremy Castiglia ’12, Valerie Zingapan ’84 and Bradley Castiglia<br />

26 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


S.<br />

T.<br />

U.<br />

V.<br />

W.<br />

S. Bridget McIntee Franz ’91, Callie Ostendorf and Patty Gelman<br />

T. Eli Tubbs ’70, Michael Walsh ’70 and Ge<strong>org</strong>e Ostendorf ’83<br />

U. Dick Shaughnessy ’51 and Jack Walsh ’63<br />

V. Norma Marlette and Ed Walsh ’43<br />

W. Dan Wiedenhaupt ’06, Ben Walsh ’07, Will Gurney ’06 and Kyle Resetarits ’06<br />

Winter 2009 27


Kristan Carlson Andersen ’80<br />

teaches a class on the<br />

importance of writing good<br />

thank you notes.<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> Commemorates the<br />

25th Anniversary of<br />

Young Writers’ Workshop<br />

by Nina Cimino<br />

Over 160 of Western New York’s most outstanding writing students<br />

participated in the annual Young Writers’ Workshop at <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> on Nov. 15. The workshop, offered free of charge, is open to<br />

participants in grades four through six from all local schools.<br />

Young Writers’ Workshop, which has been a popular event<br />

at <strong>Nichols</strong> for the past 25 years, always fills up quickly. Students<br />

have enjoyed this motivating program with little change over the<br />

years, and the growing enthusiasm for popular book series, such as<br />

“Harry Potter” and “Twilight,” keeps children excited about the<br />

possibilities writing offers.<br />

The program is designed to stimulate young students’ writing<br />

techniques through exposure to a variety of workshops including<br />

topics such as poetry, news writing, autobiography, advertising,<br />

drama and fiction. Students can be nominated by their parents,<br />

English teachers or principals for their creativity and love of<br />

writing. Following words from a keynote speaker, three workshops<br />

are led by 16 volunteers from <strong>Nichols</strong> and the greater community.<br />

This year, <strong>Nichols</strong> welcomed students from schools around<br />

W.N.Y, including D’Youville Porter, Eden, Lindbergh, St. Mark,<br />

Highgate Heights, Gilmore <strong>School</strong>, Maple East, Heim, Spruce,<br />

28 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Forest, St.<br />

Andrew’s Country<br />

Day, Our Lady<br />

of Mt. Carmel,<br />

Nardin, Jefferson,<br />

St. Gregory the<br />

Great, Trinity,<br />

Christ the King,<br />

Huth Road,<br />

Catholic Academy,<br />

Ohio Elementary, Hamburg, Hoover, <strong>Nichols</strong>, Mary Queen of<br />

Angels, Notre Dame, Sts. Peter & Paul, Holland Elementary,<br />

Meadow Elementary,<br />

Eggert Road, Orchard Park Middle, Transit Middle, St. John the<br />

Baptist, City Honors, Stella Niagara, Tapestry Charter <strong>School</strong><br />

and Depew Middle.<br />

Ronald S. Montesano, Spanish teacher and freelance writer,<br />

among other titles, gave the Keynote Address<br />

at the 2008 Young Writers’ Workshop. Ron<br />

began in Spanish to test the kids’ listening<br />

skills and get a solid point across: You must<br />

know your audience in order to be a successful<br />

writer.<br />

“If I don’t know my audience, what I have<br />

to say might get lost, might be misunderstood,<br />

might not matter,” he said. “Your words should<br />

matter. You should know your audience. Must it<br />

be a single audience? No.”<br />

Ron continued: “You have the opportunity<br />

to write for more than one audience. You write<br />

tests and papers for your teachers, you write<br />

notes and e-mails to your parents, grandparents,<br />

uncles and aunts, you send texts, status updates and IMs to your<br />

friends, sisters, brothers and cousins, and those three audiences<br />

represent the first and closest circle of readers that you have. What<br />

happens when you decide to write as a profession or career for other<br />

people, for newspapers or magazines at your middle school or your<br />

high school, for web sites or blogs, for movie companies or radio<br />

station, or in some medium that hasn’t even been invented yet?<br />

If you know your<br />

readers, they won’t<br />

be able to put your<br />

work down.”<br />

Ron also<br />

stressed the<br />

importance of<br />

being a good<br />

listener: “In order<br />

to be a good or a<br />

great writer, you also need to cultivate your listening skills. A wise<br />

and former colleague of mine here at <strong>Nichols</strong> taught me to do just<br />

that. This fellow was beloved for his listening skills. He was an<br />

English teacher, a guitarist and singer, an actor and a friend for all<br />

students and teachers. He showed me how important an open and<br />

accurate ear truly is. If you want to be a good friend, if you want to<br />

be a great daughter or son, if you want to be a writer, you should<br />

really work at listening. Not hearing, listening.”<br />

Eager students await instruction from the teacher of their first workshop of the day.<br />

“In order to be<br />

a good or a great<br />

writer,<br />

you also need to<br />

cultivate your<br />

listening skills.”<br />

Being a freelance writer himself, Ron spoke<br />

about how he contributes to a number of local<br />

and regional magazines about golf, his favorite<br />

skill. He said he loves to tell people about the<br />

two local publications for which he writes<br />

because they are fundamentally so dissimilar<br />

and have rather different audiences.<br />

Ron also cautioned against a common<br />

downfall for writers: “As another wise English<br />

teacher once told me, don’t fall in love with<br />

your first draft,” he said. “You can, however,<br />

like it a lot, but don’t be afraid to edit.”<br />

Lastly, Ron encouraged children to turn<br />

off the television and read everything they<br />

come in contact with. “Read everything! Read soup can labels,<br />

read billboards as mom and dad drive by at ten miles per hour, read<br />

t-shirts, read neon signs, read coupons, read recipes and slogans and<br />

license plates and baseball caps and autographs and CD labels and<br />

novels and poems and short stories and articles and essays and blogs<br />

and drama and song lyrics and anything on which your eyes can<br />

focus,” he said.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

29


(standing, l to r) Will Savino and Larkin Brinkworth,<br />

(seated, l to r) Michelle Ho, Grace Munro, Madame<br />

Sheila-Zohara Zamor, Cokie Hasiotis and Julia Accetta<br />

sit in the Square St. Roch in Le Havre. All from<br />

the class of 2010, these students started <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

French in fifth-grade with Madame.<br />

Of Many,<br />

by Madame Sheila-Zohara Zamor<br />

One Co<br />

30 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Multicultural Affairs at <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

supports an inclusive community in which all of its members know<br />

that they are welcome and that their contributions and opinions<br />

are valued.<br />

To that end, we have several threads for discussion of<br />

multiculturalism at <strong>Nichols</strong>. They include SUMA (Students United<br />

for Multicultural Awareness), Global Horizons, the One Community<br />

Committee, SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity), a<br />

blog sharing family traditions, and there is also a welcomed overlap in<br />

our programs for Wellness, the Big Green Initiative and Community<br />

Service.<br />

Our goal is to develop the awareness of and an appreciation<br />

for our diverse population. The <strong>Nichols</strong> community, consisting of<br />

current and former students, their families, and our faculty and staff,<br />

has origins and experiences that span the globe. Most of the time, we<br />

assume that we are all the same, and we may be tempted to dwell on<br />

our similarities and overlook that which makes us unique, that which<br />

influences our beliefs, our decisions and our actions. It is important to<br />

embrace our differences.<br />

Our efforts include working with students in the Upper <strong>School</strong><br />

to discuss pertinent questions and concerns regarding diversity at<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong>. The forum for such topics is SUMA. With the high school<br />

students, issues of intolerance around the country and world are<br />

presented in order to learn what our peers may think about such<br />

topics. In our discussions, we search for solutions for promoting<br />

tolerance and understanding for differing opinions. In the Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong>, our SUMA student volunteers join together to share<br />

information and stories from diverse cultures with younger students.<br />

Global Horizons, led by Thomas Michaud and Yajie Zhang in<br />

the Upper <strong>School</strong>, was developed to provide an opportunity to delve<br />

deeper into the international community to learn more about the<br />

major concerns in current affairs around the world. Global Horizons<br />

sponsors discussion groups for all members of our school during the<br />

high school break known as X-period. They design and maintain a<br />

bulletin board displaying international events in the news, and also<br />

provide general information regarding the origins of the groups who<br />

visit <strong>Nichols</strong> during the exchanges from Spain, France and Costa<br />

Rica. We had a successful discussion period with students from the<br />

Spanish exchange in which <strong>Nichols</strong> students who are unable to<br />

host or travel could interact with their counterparts from Gijón and<br />

ask those questions curious teenagers have about the world outside<br />

Western New York.<br />

Multicultural efforts should engage our parent community as<br />

well. We are elated to have begun the One Community Committee,<br />

chaired by Mary Rockwell. The parents in this group are working<br />

together in support of our efforts to recruit members of our own<br />

families who can volunteer time to speak to our students and their<br />

classes as primary sources for global issues. Personal histories enrich<br />

our students. We also have families whose roots span generations in<br />

Buffalo and its surrounding area to form the strong neighborhoods<br />

that support our school. In our community, we have families<br />

hosting international students, and parents and grandparents who<br />

emigrated from another country to live and work in W.N.Y. The One<br />

Community Committee will assist with the International Dinner and<br />

Global Horizons. In both divisions, we have family members sharing<br />

their experiences with our students and faculty.<br />

This year, we have four international students at <strong>Nichols</strong> who<br />

are hosted by <strong>Nichols</strong> families. These students have left their parents<br />

and siblings, their homeland and friends to obtain an educational<br />

experience in the United States. We are grateful to the families<br />

who are hosting them. Host families agree that these students have<br />

enriched their lives because they open a window into their culture,<br />

and we give them an opportunity to live our life in America and our<br />

beloved Buffalo. These types of relationships are mutually beneficial<br />

as they give everyone involved varying perspectives on everyday<br />

happenings, experiences we may take for granted.<br />

At times, we may hesitate to host because we feel that it turns our<br />

world around. We feel we may have to change who we are in order<br />

to host; we feel that our house must be perfect, and we certainly can’t<br />

argue or say what we think! Yet, getting to know us as we are is part<br />

of the reason these students decide to travel abroad to learn about<br />

America up close. They learn that the experience is unique, that we<br />

each are different and yet, we share basic needs. It is the friendships<br />

continued on next page<br />

mmunity<br />

Winter 2009<br />

31


f<strong>org</strong>ed during these exchanges that are valuable. They have changed<br />

my life, and I hope more families volunteer for this opportunity.<br />

Faculty members have come together for the past few years in a<br />

multicultural book discussion group called SEED. The books we’ve<br />

chosen have spanned issues including diversity in learning styles with<br />

Mark Haddon’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night Time,”<br />

sexual orientation in Daphne Scholinksi’s “The Last Time I Wore<br />

a Dress” and “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven”<br />

explores Native American culture through Sherman Alexie’s<br />

engaging short stories. This year, we’ve included books from Just<br />

Buffalo’s Babel series, and we look forward to discussing “Persepolis”<br />

by Marjane Satrapi and Isabel Allende’s “House of Spirits.” We<br />

wanted be part of the Buffalo reading the same books. SEED also<br />

will show two films: “Persepolis” to discuss the transfer from graphic<br />

novel to animation, and “Whale Rider”<br />

whose protagonist is a 12 year-old Maori girl<br />

in New Zealand. In our discussions, we learn<br />

from each other, and we open ourselves ups<br />

to different perspectives. These conversations<br />

are quite meaningful and our different from<br />

those that emerge in faculty meetings and<br />

coffee breaks.<br />

In an effort to share our family traditions<br />

with our school community, a blog entitled,<br />

“One Community” was started to share those<br />

stories that form the people we have become<br />

and are becoming. From the importance of<br />

the Ramadan and Yom Kippur observances to<br />

the impact of travel, jam making and hunting<br />

with our family, these stories link us to each<br />

other. These stories serve as a mirror for some<br />

of us, reminding us of similar traditions in<br />

our homes and histories. Other stories are<br />

windows into which we peer to discover<br />

something new. These are the treasures of one<br />

community. Please consider sharing your story<br />

with us.<br />

In my discussions with the Directors of<br />

Wellness, the Big Green Initiative (BGI)<br />

and Community Service, it seems there is<br />

always a multicultural link that can be made.<br />

In Wellness, our cultural identity shapes who<br />

we are. Our family values and our personal<br />

choices make us a culture unto ourselves.<br />

As we share our opinions, our concept of health, our perspective on<br />

issues regarding well-being – physical, emotional and spiritual health<br />

– it is important to identify where and how our ideas are formed. If<br />

one feels that they are not valued, if they perceive that they cannot<br />

enjoy the same rights as others, an individual’s general health may<br />

be compromised. Our Wellness initiative is designed to help provide<br />

members of our community with the tools required to cope with<br />

stressful situations and help students find solutions that address their<br />

concerns.<br />

In an effort to<br />

share our family<br />

traditions with our<br />

school community,<br />

a blog entitled,<br />

“One Community”<br />

was started to<br />

share those stories<br />

that form the<br />

people we have<br />

become and are<br />

becoming.<br />

This year, The Big Green Initiative promoted a service project<br />

working with the Apollo Project, a consortium of members who<br />

work to reduce our carbon footprint in W.N.Y. This particular<br />

project brought students and adults to the Black Rock/Riverside<br />

neighborhood to help weatherize homes and reduce heating costs.<br />

Students had the opportunity to explore an urban neighborhood in<br />

the area. Environmental and ecological concerns affect every part of<br />

our world. Green thinking and green living is a multicultural issue.<br />

Community Service opportunities are everywhere. This past<br />

summer, I learned that <strong>Nichols</strong> students served people all over the<br />

United States and in the world, including work with First Nation<br />

people in the base of the Grand Canyon and as far off as Fiji. Here<br />

in Buffalo, our students in the sixth grade read stories and play math<br />

games with kindergarten students at <strong>School</strong> 54 on Main Street in<br />

Buffalo. All of our families have contributed<br />

clothing, coats and books to students at<br />

International <strong>School</strong> 45 as well. For many of<br />

these families, Buffalo is their first contact with<br />

the United States of America. Our families<br />

come together to support these endeavors and<br />

their impact on these various communities is<br />

valued.<br />

The Multicultural Affairs program at<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> serves to make explicit the ways in<br />

which we are a community of many ideas,<br />

voices, challenges, dreams and talent. There<br />

are great challenges in promoting disparate<br />

viewpoints. Can we be completely tolerant?<br />

An educational institution such as <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

provides a place to explore concepts, test<br />

notions, and to learn what community is.<br />

There are many viewpoints, and at times<br />

there is conflict. From conflict there can be<br />

great creativity, evolutionary developments<br />

and finally, understanding. Our community<br />

can be one community when we balance our<br />

individual needs and goals with that of the<br />

larger community. We can be one community<br />

when our personal objectives do not infringe<br />

upon those of others. We can be one great<br />

multicultural community when we value and<br />

celebrate our differences, noting that there is<br />

not one way to see the world or to accomplish<br />

a task.<br />

Multicultural Affairs is a work in progress, but with the help<br />

of the entire <strong>Nichols</strong> community – past, present and future – we<br />

ultimately support our mission embodied by the words of Joseph<br />

Allen: “to train minds, bodies and hearts for the work of life, and to<br />

carry into all we do the highest ideals of character and service.”<br />

If you are interested in becoming a host family for an<br />

international student, please contact Sheila-Zohara Zamor at<br />

716.876.3500.<br />

Sheila-Zohara Zamor is a mother of two children, Sinead and Seamus,<br />

French teacher in our Middle <strong>School</strong>, Director of Multicultural Affairs<br />

and has been a part of the <strong>Nichols</strong> community for the last seven years.<br />

32 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Larry Desautels Named<br />

Graham W. Smith ’48 Chair<br />

Nationally Renowned Writer Visits <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

as First Smith Visiting Fellow<br />

by Nina Cimino<br />

To honor the memory of Graham Wood Smith ’48 and to celebrate and promote writing<br />

at <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>, the Ge<strong>org</strong>e G. & Elizabeth G. Smith Foundation started the Graham<br />

W. Smith ’48 Fund in fall 2008. We are pleased to announce Larry Desautels as the first<br />

Graham Wood Smith ’48 Chair.<br />

Established to award a Chair to a deserving member of the <strong>Nichols</strong> English Department,<br />

the Graham W. Smith ’48 Chair will enable the recipient to fund a visiting writer or writers<br />

to come to <strong>Nichols</strong> to work with students with a particular interest in writing. It is the<br />

responsibility of the recipient of the chair to arrange for the visiting authors, who will be<br />

known as the Smith Visiting Fellows.<br />

The first Smith Visiting Fellow, Baron Wormser, spent the week of Dec. 1 at <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

Wormser is a busy writer, widely known for his poetry, short story collections and a new<br />

memoir about living off the grid in Maine for 25 years.<br />

As Robert Finch<br />

of The Boston Globe<br />

described “The<br />

Road Washes Out in<br />

Spring,” Wormser’s<br />

latest work: “All in<br />

all, this is the best<br />

book about rural New<br />

England life since<br />

Jane Brox’s ’Here and<br />

Nowhere Else.’ Its<br />

scope is narrow but its<br />

reach is vast.”<br />

In 2000, Wormser<br />

was appointed Poet<br />

Laureate of Maine<br />

by Governor Angus<br />

Baron Wormser, the first Smith Visiting Chair, works with<br />

Dr. Andrew Sutherland’s English students.<br />

King. He served in<br />

that capacity for six<br />

years and visited<br />

many libraries and schools throughout Maine. He currently resides in Cabot, Vt., with<br />

his wife. Since 2002, he has taught in the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of<br />

Southern Maine. He works widely in schools with both students and teachers.<br />

Wormser has received the Frederick Bock Prize from Poetry and the Kathryn A. Morton<br />

Prize along with fellowships from Bread Loaf, the National Endowment for the Arts and<br />

the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. In 2000, he was writer in residence at<br />

the University of South Dakota. For eight years, he led the Frost Place Seminar at the Frost<br />

Place in Franconia, N.H.<br />

In addition to giving a school reading and a public reading in the Boocock Reading<br />

Room, Wormser visited many Upper and Middle <strong>School</strong> classes while at <strong>Nichols</strong>. For more<br />

information about the author and his works, visit www.baronwormser.com.<br />

We are thrilled to have been visited by this distinguished writer. Thank you to the<br />

Graham W. Smith family for establishing this fund.<br />

Reunion 2009 will take place<br />

on Friday, June 5 &<br />

Saturday, June 6.<br />

All alumni are invited<br />

and welcome to attend<br />

the on campus events<br />

of Friday, June 5.<br />

The celebration begins with our<br />

traditional “Welcome Back” program<br />

in the Flickinger Performing<br />

Arts Center at 5:00 p.m.,<br />

immediately followed by<br />

the All Alumni Class Cocktail Party<br />

in the Quadrangle.<br />

Save the<br />

Dates<br />

1934<br />

75 th Reunion<br />

1939<br />

70 th Reunion<br />

1944<br />

65 th Reunion<br />

1949<br />

60 th Reunion<br />

1954<br />

55 th Reunion<br />

1959<br />

50 th Reunion<br />

1964<br />

45 th Reunion<br />

1969<br />

40 th Reunion<br />

1974<br />

35 th Reunion<br />

1979<br />

30 th Reunion<br />

1984<br />

25 th Reunion<br />

1989<br />

20 th Reunion<br />

1994<br />

15 th Reunion<br />

1999<br />

10 th Reunion<br />

2004<br />

5 th Reunion<br />

Do not miss this special event!<br />

We look forward to seeing you<br />

at <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

33


Please Support the<br />

2008-2009 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Annual Fund<br />

Please support <strong>Nichols</strong> by making your pledge or gift today. Your generosity<br />

will help <strong>Nichols</strong> stay current with the best technology, offer an evolving<br />

curriculum and support teachers connecting with students.<br />

Please make your tax-deductible gift today. We have enclosed a remittance<br />

envelope for your convenience or you may donate online at www.nicholsschool.<br />

<strong>org</strong>. If you have already given, thank you for your generosity.


After <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

Mike Keiser ’63 Transitions from Recycled<br />

Paper Greetings to Global Reach Golf<br />

Yet never loses touch with the people and<br />

the campus of <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

by Ronald S. Montesano<br />

Let’s begin with perhaps the most important topic: the Judgy<br />

Lytle Scholarship. Could you discuss its beginnings as well as its<br />

importance for those involved?<br />

First and foremost, Judgy Lytle ’64 was a good friend, exceedingly<br />

popular with people of all ages. He had a magnetic personality, was<br />

smart and athletic, so it came as a shock to all when we received<br />

news that he had died in his freshman year at Cornell. While driving<br />

through the Cotswolds region of England around Easter some time<br />

ago, I thought that if we started a scholarship in his name, we would<br />

continue to remember him as he should be recalled. <strong>Nichols</strong> was very<br />

open to the idea, friends chipped in and the scholarship has grown<br />

from funding one student per year to as many as seven. [We average<br />

two to three Lytle Scholars per year, with about 12 scholars in the<br />

school at any given time.] Our goal is to continue to increase this<br />

number as we go forward.<br />

The Class of 1963 is generously supporting the construction<br />

of Center ’63, our new math/science building. What an exciting<br />

development. Tell us your thoughts on its importance to the<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />

It is ironic that the class of 1963 is building a Math/Science Building<br />

when so few of us were much more than inept at Science while at<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong>. It was not for a lack of trying, but with the exception of a<br />

few of us, we were extremely poor science students. Mind you, it is<br />

does not mean that we ever undervalued the sciences and math. That<br />

might be our class standard: you don’t have to be good at science to<br />

support the sciences.<br />

Tell us about Recycled Paper Greetings, a company that<br />

you somewhat recently sold?<br />

Nothing from <strong>Nichols</strong> led me in that direction. It was an<br />

opportunistic decision on my part. Recycling and ecology were big<br />

in 1971. My wife and my college roommate indicated that we could<br />

do this and revolutionize the world. We broke even year one and<br />

built a good sized company. The goal was always to use as much<br />

100% recycled paper as possible and create a demand for it. That’s<br />

always the goal with recycling, to create the demand, be it aluminum,<br />

asphalt or paper.<br />

Your new direction in life<br />

is, as you put it, Global<br />

Reach Golf. It all began<br />

with Bandon Dunes…or<br />

did it?<br />

My motto is that<br />

wherever there are<br />

great sites in the world,<br />

there can be great golf.<br />

My first course was the<br />

Dunes Club in New<br />

Buffalo, Mich. It is a<br />

nine-hole course that<br />

was so enjoyable and<br />

aesthetically-pleasing<br />

Mike Keiser ’63 stands with his daughter,<br />

Dana Keiser, at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort<br />

in Bandon, Ore.<br />

to build that I wanted to do more. I was phasing out of RPG at the<br />

time and into the golf industry. I was very lucky to find what are now<br />

2,500 acres at Bandon Dunes. The site was far enough from Portland<br />

that the city didn’t influence. I realized at once that, if you’re smart,<br />

you keep dreaming and never actually go ahead and try to pull it off.<br />

However, since you go around once in life and you certainly can’t<br />

take it with you, I went ahead and it worked out. Understand that<br />

it should not have worked out yet it somehow did. It was the avid<br />

golfers of the world, who had read the avid golfers-who-are-writers’<br />

stories that came to play and spread the word.<br />

Tell us about future projects.<br />

For students at <strong>Nichols</strong>, the great lesson that I can teach is to look<br />

beyond Buffalo and the United States, to achieve a global reach. In<br />

the town of Bridport, Tasmania, a friend named Richard Sattler, a<br />

Tasmanian-born Aussie (or Taussie), owned a 12,000 acre potato farm<br />

with, as he called it, miles and miles of worthless dunes. Couldn’t be<br />

farmed, couldn’t graze cattle, so we convinced him to enter a new<br />

business. The site is less remote than Bandon Dunes and now contains<br />

a course called Barnbougle Dunes, designed by Tom Doak. Bill<br />

Coore has been contracted to build a second course called Lost Farm.<br />

There will now be two links course in Asia on the same property, an<br />

uncommon thing. Lost Farm and Old MacDonald, the newest course<br />

at Bandon Dunes Resort, will open the same year, in 2010.<br />

There is also Cabot Links, a piece of property on Cape Breton<br />

Island in Canada that was used previously for mining and is now<br />

poised to be another great seaside golf course. It will be an 18-hole<br />

public course and will begin construction in August of 2009.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

35


A.<br />

B.<br />

36 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Launching the<br />

<strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong><br />

Capital Campaign<br />

by Nina Cimino and Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75<br />

Once in a lifetime events take careful orchestration, more than a little elbow grease, and enough<br />

heart and enthusiasm to attract an eager following. The public kick off of our <strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong><br />

Capital Campaign created a stir, bringing with it all the fun and anticipation we hoped for.<br />

After much discussion about how and when to kick off this event, the event <strong>org</strong>anizers decided<br />

fall was best. The anniversary of the opening of <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong> was on Sept. 26, making it an ideal<br />

date for this celebration.<br />

A. The celebration gets started in the Quad.<br />

B. Nick Williams ’09 (center) leads a science experiment with<br />

help from some classmates, Middle <strong>School</strong> student Alex<br />

Syntelis-Jones ’15 (left of center) and David Pegado ’10 (right).<br />

C. <strong>Nichols</strong> dancers dazzle the crowd on stage.<br />

C.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

37


D. E.<br />

“We wanted to show off our best asset – our kids,” said<br />

Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75, Assistant Head for Advancement.<br />

“Everyone agreed that the students should be the focus, rather<br />

than a lot of talking heads sharing the details of the campaign.”<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> Arts Department Chair, Kristen Kelley,<br />

spearheaded the student talent portion of the program, and<br />

<strong>org</strong>anizers worked with arts faculty and Frank Brunner of the<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> Science Department, starting last spring and<br />

leading up until the event. The team spent months coming<br />

up with a list of acts including vocal, dance, instrumental and<br />

science presentations. Performers included Middle and Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong> students, with a variety of interests and talents.<br />

The evening of the performances, Headmaster Richard C.<br />

Bryan, Jr. said, “I am sure that you will watch in awe and with<br />

a tremendous sense of satisfaction and joy, performances and<br />

demonstrations by some of the brightest, gifted and most talented<br />

young people anywhere.”<br />

Curt Steinzor, the school’s Technical Director, worked lights<br />

and stage aspects. In the end, the event <strong>org</strong>anizers came up with<br />

a robust list of two-minute acts in order to keep the program<br />

moving along at a healthy pace. With one dress rehearsal the<br />

night before the big event, the kids were a resounding success.<br />

“The combination of a group of very talented individuals<br />

added up to a great deal of creativity and energy on stage that<br />

evening,” said Gurney.<br />

Jock Mitchell ’66 spearheaded a video to highlight the passion<br />

of the <strong>Nichols</strong> community, which is driving this campaign. David<br />

Collins Productions filmed and edited the piece, shooting over<br />

50 members of the faculty and staff, students, alumni, parents,<br />

Trustees and friends.<br />

People from all facets of our community share what <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

means to them. Here is a sampling of their inspiring words:<br />

Elliot Johnston IV ’10: “<strong>Nichols</strong> is challenging and diverse.”<br />

Stuart H. Angert 58, former Trustee: “The students that<br />

pass through these walls are the beneficiaries of best in class<br />

education, and are well prepared for a world that’s accelerating<br />

and changing.”<br />

Andrew Sutherland, Ph.D., Upper <strong>School</strong> English<br />

Department faculty member: “<strong>Nichols</strong> means community for<br />

me, and that’s why I teach here. I get to develop a relationship<br />

with my students over time, and that’s something that I hadn’t<br />

experienced in other places.”<br />

Lise J. Buyer ’78: “<strong>Nichols</strong> means a rigorous education and<br />

one where you get pushed beyond where you think you can go,<br />

that serves you incredibly well ever afterwards.”<br />

Claudia O’Keefe, Middle <strong>School</strong> Math Department faculty<br />

member: “It’s awesome being here, seeing the kids in the<br />

classroom for the last 13 years, seeing them on the sports fields for<br />

the last 10 as I’ve been coaching, I really get to know more about<br />

them as a person, not just what they are as a math student.”<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e H. Ostendorf ’59: “I think <strong>Nichols</strong> gave me all of<br />

my basic foundation for life. Really, outside of my family, I can’t<br />

think of anything that has been more important to me than<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>.”<br />

Maya Jackson-Gibson ’11: “I love <strong>Nichols</strong> because I get to<br />

experience something new everyday.”<br />

Henry Waters ’48: “<strong>Nichols</strong>…it means everything.”<br />

These responses and many more wonderful words were turned<br />

into three two-minute vignettes. For their debut viewing, these<br />

short videos were effectively interspersed among acts throughout<br />

the evening.<br />

D. Lise Buyer ’78, David Tiftickjian ’78 and Hugh Russ ’78<br />

E. The <strong>Nichols</strong> Upper <strong>School</strong> Chorus<br />

C. Jackie Beecher and Jock Mitchell ’66 chat under the party tent.<br />

D. Bob Battel ’56, Wyn Eaton ’55 and David Laub ’56<br />

38 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


F. G.<br />

William G. Gisel, Jr. ’70 closed the ceremony and announced<br />

that we are over $19 million to our goal and have $4 million to<br />

go. He also thanked Joseph J. “Jerry” Castiglia, our Campaign<br />

Chairman, and all our leadership donors to date, and invited<br />

everyone to participate in a reception to celebrate the launch of<br />

the campaign and <strong>Nichols</strong>’ birthday.<br />

Although rain threatened all afternoon, guests emerged<br />

from the Flickinger Performing Arts Center just after 8:00 p.m.<br />

to a starlit sky and twinkling lights. The tent in the quad was<br />

filled with champagne, cupcakes and spectacular food made<br />

by our Chef, Mark Shaffer, and served by our own students.<br />

Thanks to parent Jackie Beecher’s creative talents, beautiful<br />

floral arrangements and signs boasting <strong>Nichols</strong> ideals served as<br />

décor, and entertainment was provided by Babik, the band of<br />

Josh Assad ’97.<br />

To top off the night, confetti shot down from the ceiling,<br />

while students carried in a huge birthday cake and guests joined<br />

in singing happy birthday to <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>. The festivities<br />

created quite a buzz and guests are still talking about the party.<br />

A special thank you to Event Chairs Wendy and Dave Schutte,<br />

parents of Connor ’15 and Caroline ’12, whose tireless leadership<br />

crafted this amazing evening. It was, however, a true team effort.<br />

The whole Event Committee worked hard to create the once in<br />

a lifetime event. Thank you to Jackie & John Beecher, Nancy &<br />

Greg Stevens ’74, Kathy & David Gates, Nancy & Marc Tetro,<br />

Lisa & Patrick Hotung, Sasha & Edward Yerkovich ’80 and Jill<br />

Robins, Director of Special Events.<br />

As Headmaster Bryan put it, “<strong>Nichols</strong> would have not<br />

become the place it is today without the thousands of hours that<br />

are given each year by one of the most dedicated and committed<br />

group of people anywhere – our volunteers.”<br />

Although the economy is in recession, we remain optimistic.<br />

The <strong>Nichols</strong> community has gathered around its dear school<br />

in challenging economic times before, and this time is no<br />

exception. With the construction of the new building underway,<br />

we continue to see tremendous support from our community in<br />

terms of volunteerism and gifts.<br />

Jane Cox Hettrick ’78 is serving as our Major Gifts Chair.<br />

She helped <strong>org</strong>anize 13 receptions in the homes of Trustees<br />

and Campaign volunteers to provide a venue for Headmaster<br />

Rick Bryan to tell the campaign story. Discussions focused on<br />

four elements: the addition of a new sustainable Math/Science<br />

building, adding two new artificial turf athletic fields, improving<br />

our traffic system on campus, and growing our endowment.<br />

The quiet phase of this campaign has been very successful, but<br />

we still need the support of our community to see us through the<br />

final phase. We are currently planning alumni gatherings across<br />

the country to share our plans with more of our community this<br />

spring.<br />

Visit our campaign web site for more information:<br />

www.<strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong>.<br />

<strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong><br />

Winter 2009 39


A.<br />

B.<br />

C.<br />

G<br />

G<br />

<strong>nicholsfuture</strong>.<strong>org</strong><br />

Campaign Receptions<br />

40 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


D. E.<br />

F. G.<br />

A. Edwin M. “Tim” Johnston III ’78 and Rick Smith ’79<br />

B. Rick Bryan and Li Wei & Xiang Zhou<br />

C. Dave & Wendy Schutte and Patricia & Leonard Deni<br />

D. Denise Fulton and Denise Muggia<br />

E. Melissa Balbach ’83, John Bace, Beth Marks and Ted Marks ’78<br />

F. David Corbett, Laura Cuthbert and Monica Jones<br />

G. Zana Cabat-Borovcanin, Stephanie Angelakos and Caroline Lund<br />

Winter 2009 41


Park’s Newbery winning book, “A Single Shard” is about the secrets of ancient Korean potters.<br />

Author Linda Sue<br />

Park Visits <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

Middle <strong>School</strong>ers Welcome Newbery Winning Author<br />

by Nina Cimino<br />

This fall, <strong>Nichols</strong> had the pleasure of hosting the John Newbery Medal winning author, Linda<br />

Sue Park. She visited the Middle <strong>School</strong> to meet with students from all grade levels and talk<br />

about her experiences as a writer. Park has written several young adult and children’s books, a<br />

few of which our students read this summer.<br />

The seventh and eighth grade students read “When My Name Was Keoko,” the sixth<br />

grade read “Single Shard” in the spring and the fifth grade read “Kite Fighters.” Our fifthgraders<br />

also made kites like the ones in the book, which they flew and now have on display in<br />

the Middle <strong>School</strong> Atrium and Pond.<br />

Park, who has written 14 published books, talked about growing up in an era without CDs,<br />

DVDs and personal computers. She said that books were a main source of amusement for her<br />

because, although they had TV, it only had<br />

four channels.<br />

“People love stories,” said Park. “It’s<br />

how we learn and how we get entertained.”<br />

Park said she loved to read and write<br />

as a child. When she was 10 years old,<br />

she entertained a story contest in the<br />

newspaper and won. In an interview, a<br />

reporter asked young Park what she would<br />

like to be when she grew up. Her answer: I<br />

want to be an author of children’s stories.<br />

“I feel really lucky that my childhood McKenna Geiger ’15 poses with her handmade kite.<br />

dream came true,” said Park.<br />

When speaking about how she works, Park calls herself a “rewriter” because she feels one<br />

should write and edit in a continuous process, until reaching the final version. She encouraged<br />

the students to “write and rewrite” their own work, and to think of it as they would any skill<br />

they are trying to hone – whether a musical instrument, drawing or playing a sport. She<br />

stresses one should “do it over and over and get better each time.”<br />

A resident of Rochester, N.Y., Park lives with her husband, their two children and her<br />

writing companion – a shelter dog named Fergus. She loves Dance Dance Revolution, a<br />

popular interactive game, and watching all sports, although she especially enjoys baseball<br />

and comes from a soccer-loving family. For more about the author, visit her web site at www.<br />

lspark.com.<br />

rt Exhibits<br />

Upcoming<br />

Flickinger Gallery<br />

Art Exhibits<br />

Jan. 26 - March 15<br />

Biff Henrich<br />

March 16 - May 10<br />

Robert Holland<br />

May 11 - July 15<br />

Gigi Gatewood ’99<br />

42 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Author Spotlight<br />

John R. Trimble ’58<br />

by Heidi LaRou, S.L.M.S.<br />

What started as a simple endeavor became<br />

a walk down memory lane. The process of<br />

creating a nostalgic alumni book display<br />

unearthed a multitude of literary treasures,<br />

old and new. Watching it come together<br />

on the shelf inspired excitement, as we<br />

wondered “Where are they now?” The new<br />

column “Author Spotlight” will feature a<br />

variety of distinguished alumni authors and<br />

their notable works.<br />

This edition’s featured author is John<br />

Trimble, Ph.D. from the<br />

class of 1958. Touted by<br />

many as “the best book<br />

on writing ever written,”<br />

is the timeless “Writing<br />

with Style: Conversations<br />

on the Art of Writing.”<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> English teacher,<br />

Patrick J. Long ’85, fondly<br />

recalls stumbling upon<br />

this gem in the library as<br />

a student at <strong>Nichols</strong>. The<br />

kind, encouraging advice<br />

within had a transformative<br />

effect on Long’s writing.<br />

Says Long, “That tattered<br />

copy of ’Writing with<br />

Style’ has followed me into<br />

college, into the Navy,<br />

and then back to <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

when I began teaching….<br />

Even as a lawyer, I turned to Dr. Trimble’s<br />

masterpiece countless times, as a check<br />

on my own writing, and as a guide for<br />

others. Now all my students read ’Writing<br />

with Style.’ Few books can change a life.<br />

’Writing with Style’ did. Mine.”<br />

Reviewer Matthew Cheney reports,<br />

“Few of the ideas Trimble explores have<br />

ever been stated more clearly or gracefully.<br />

The best chapter, to my mind, is the first:<br />

’Thinking Well.’ Plenty of books talk<br />

about this subject, or pass over it quickly,<br />

or allude to it, but I don’t know of any<br />

which give it the importance it deserves<br />

aside from this book, and I’ve never seen<br />

the case stated with, simultaneously,<br />

such practicality and eloquence. It is the<br />

meeting of those two qualities which makes<br />

Trimble’s book unique.”<br />

After receiving his doctorate in English<br />

from U.C. Berkeley, Trimble left California<br />

to join the English faculty of the University<br />

of Texas in Austin. There, he initially<br />

taught Shakespeare and 18 th century British<br />

literature. In 1975, with the publication<br />

of the first edition of “Writing with Style,”<br />

Trimble was asked to build and direct UT’s<br />

nascent upper-level expository writing<br />

program. This led to a sea change in his<br />

John Trimble ’58 (center) works with University of Texas at Austin students from his<br />

Advanced Expository Writing seminar.<br />

professional life. He spent the bulk of his<br />

time teaching writing and editing courses,<br />

chiefly Advanced Expository Writing,<br />

which he created from scratch and which<br />

he went on to teach each semester for the<br />

next three decades.<br />

Trimble thanks <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong> for<br />

teaching him “a strong work ethic, criticalthinking<br />

skills, an ample vocabulary, a<br />

keen interest in languages both foreign<br />

and domestic, and the ability to write<br />

competent prose.” He also credits his<br />

education at <strong>Nichols</strong> for his acceptance<br />

into Princeton, as well as having been<br />

hired by The Buffalo News as a result of<br />

having won the Gleaner Award at <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

“That fateful summer brought me into<br />

daily contact with two Pulitzer Prize-<br />

winners (whose desks mine sat between),<br />

introduced me to the wonderful world of<br />

journalism, taught me the nuts and bolts<br />

of editing, made me conscious of style,<br />

and gave me the practice of writing for<br />

publication eight hours a day. And all of<br />

that managed to color virtually every day<br />

of my life thereafter. I thank <strong>Nichols</strong>, too,<br />

for introducing me to so many memorable<br />

teachers and classmates. Perhaps my<br />

fondest memories of all are of Mr. Boocock,<br />

our gnome-like resident<br />

philosopher-king, ever<br />

kind, ever genial, who<br />

never failed to smile at<br />

all of us and nudge us on<br />

to greater achievement.”<br />

John currently resides<br />

in the retirement ’nest’<br />

of his dreams, a Tuscanstyle<br />

villa located in the<br />

mountains of Colorado.<br />

“My days remain full here<br />

– lots of writing, editing,<br />

reading, hiking, skiing,<br />

stone wall-building,<br />

gardening, mulch- and<br />

manure-hauling, deer<br />

gazing, wine-sipping . . .<br />

I’ve never been happier.<br />

I have a true soul mate at<br />

my side, I have five kids<br />

who are each a credit to their community, I<br />

enjoy excellent health, and I get to awake<br />

each morning to snow-capped Pikes Peak<br />

(elevation 14,110 ft.), whose base is just a<br />

short hike from our home. Nothing quite<br />

beats living in the Rockies.”<br />

Cheers to you, John Trimble! Your<br />

success is our reward.<br />

Editor’s Note: The next time you visit the<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> campus, check out the author display<br />

in the Development Office. It includes books<br />

from many of our alumni authors, whom we<br />

hope to feature in coming issues. If you have<br />

been published and would like to let us know,<br />

please contact the Alumni Office today.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

43


A.<br />

Homecoming<br />

by Sarah Gelman Carney ’92<br />

On Oct. 17 and 18, the sun was out as<br />

we welcomed alumni of all ages back to<br />

our great <strong>School</strong> for two terrific days of<br />

connections, hot dogs, family and fun.<br />

Many came to watch our stellar student<br />

athletes compete and to honor the<br />

memory of two wonderful alumni with the<br />

dedication of Strauss Truscott Field.<br />

On Friday, we all watched as the Class<br />

of 2009 ushered in a terrific Spirit Day,<br />

donning togas, while the rest of the school<br />

was proudly outfitted in green and white.<br />

The Upper <strong>School</strong> then participated in<br />

the Fall Community Service Day where<br />

students, lead by their advisers, traveled<br />

out into Western New York to lend a hand<br />

44 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

in various volunteer activities. Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong> students participated in the display<br />

of school spirit as well, wearing green and<br />

white gear and face paint.<br />

On Friday afternoon, the Upper<br />

<strong>School</strong>’s Spirit Olympics, Chalk Art<br />

competition and the Parents’ Association<br />

BBQ fired up the crowds for our Football<br />

Game and the Varsity Field Hockey game.<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong> Soccer kicked off<br />

Saturday. The grill was heating up as the<br />

Fall Book Discussion, led by members of the<br />

English Department, got underway in the<br />

Boocock Reading Room. The featured book<br />

was “Personal Days,” by alumnus Ed Park ’88.<br />

In addition to the terrific sports,<br />

cheering fans and a fabulous Alumni<br />

Board BBQ, the highlight of this year’s<br />

Homecoming was the Strauss Truscott<br />

Field Dedication, which welcomed a very<br />

special group of Strauss and Truscott family<br />

members, fans and friends who listened<br />

intently to remarks and remembrances.<br />

Headmaster Rick Bryan opened the<br />

dedication, and presented a book of<br />

memories and letters to Heidi Truscott and<br />

a photograph to Gerry and Sue Strauss. He<br />

also welcomed and thanked Ted Truscott<br />

’79 who spoke about the gift he made in<br />

honor of his father, Ge<strong>org</strong>e Truscott ’55,<br />

and friend, Bob Strauss ’79.<br />

Hugh M. Russ III ’78, Alumni Board


B.<br />

C.<br />

D.<br />

President and friend of the honored, shared<br />

remembrances of Ge<strong>org</strong>e and Bob:<br />

Mr. Truscott was a great man, and I miss him<br />

already. Even though I knew the end was near,<br />

I don’t feel as if I was ready for him to leave<br />

us. In the last few days, I have been reflecting<br />

on what he meant to me.<br />

I have so many memories of Mr. Truscott<br />

that I could fill a book. I still remember the first<br />

real research paper that he suggested I write<br />

and in GAPHE (geography, anthropology,<br />

politics, history and economics) on apartheid<br />

in South Africa. I believe the paper started my<br />

lifelong interest in race relations.<br />

Mr. Truscott was present at many of the<br />

most significant events in my life. Not all of<br />

the events happened at <strong>Nichols</strong>. Mr. Truscott<br />

somehow arranged to come stag to my wedding<br />

with Mr. Waters, who also came stag. They<br />

might have had fun. Mr. Truscott was at the<br />

Waters’ house across the street from our house<br />

on the day I got into Harvard. He came over<br />

to celebrate.<br />

I was on the field in Rochester playing<br />

fourth team football when Bruce Anderson<br />

died. I learned that day how precious and<br />

fragile life is. I learned many things from<br />

Mr. Truscott that fall. In practice one day, an<br />

eighth-grader repeatedly bullied me, because<br />

I was a seventh-grader and smaller than he.<br />

Mr. Truscott taught me the art of a wellplaced<br />

forearm shiver to the chin of the bully.<br />

He never bullied be again. Mr. Truscott also<br />

taught us the art of the well‐placed humorous<br />

insult, when we took ourselves too seriously<br />

that fall. I remember several years later, when<br />

Ted Truscott returned an interception for a<br />

touchdown against Shady Side. I tried to tell<br />

Mr. Truscott what a great play Ted had made.<br />

Mr. Truscott said that we could have timed<br />

Ted’s run to the end zone with a sun dial.<br />

I always admired how Mr. Truscott<br />

quietly took care of his nephew (and my<br />

classmate), Doug Jebb, whose father died too<br />

young. Mr. Truscott was so graceful in keeping<br />

an eye on Doug, and his pride in Doug’s many<br />

athletic successes was openly visible. Mr.<br />

Truscott seemed to know when to push Doug<br />

and when to protect him. I imagine that he was<br />

a great father.<br />

In later years, we played against each<br />

other in the famous Thursday night basketball<br />

league. Our basketball was terrible, but his<br />

humor was always perfect. Each time I saw<br />

A. Alexandra Logel ’09, Co-president of the<br />

Student Council, paints the face of Laura<br />

Franz, daughter of Ned ’91 and Bridget<br />

McIntee Franz ’91.<br />

C. Rick Bryan and his grandson, Mac, son of<br />

Justin and KC Bryan White ’97<br />

D. Craig Semple ’98, Jennifer Jarvis Hamberger<br />

’81, Jim Ennis ’81 and Jackie Ennis<br />

E. Ted Truscott ’79, Kathleen Truscott, Heidi<br />

Truscott, Bibber Truscott Jebb, Betsy Truscott<br />

Mueller ’80, Tod Jebb ’74 and Andrew Jebb<br />

him, he would give me a warm, “Hullo,<br />

Hugh,” and he would ask me to call him<br />

“Ge<strong>org</strong>e.” It took me about 10 times to call<br />

Mr. Truscott “Ge<strong>org</strong>e,” but I finally did.<br />

While Ge<strong>org</strong>e may have left us physically,<br />

I don’t believe he is gone. Ge<strong>org</strong>e remains<br />

with us in the life lessons he taught us and<br />

the memories he gave us. I can still hear his<br />

enthusiastic “Hullo, Hugh” when I am on<br />

campus. I still stand up to bullies, and I hope<br />

to laugh at myself when I begin to take myself<br />

too seriously.<br />

My best memories of Bob Strauss actually<br />

arise out of the time we spent together at<br />

Harvard, not at <strong>Nichols</strong>. Although I knew<br />

Bob at <strong>Nichols</strong>, where he was a year behind<br />

me, I grew to know Bob better at Harvard. I<br />

would frequently encounter Bob on the streets<br />

of Cambridge.<br />

In those days, Bob always seemed to be<br />

in a hurry. Bob was always on his way to do<br />

something seemingly more important. While he<br />

would stop to tell me what was going on with<br />

his life and while he would always have a kind<br />

word for me, Bob was always hurrying to get<br />

to the next place, the next activity, the next<br />

class. Bob had such a sense of purpose, a sense<br />

of purpose in everything he did.<br />

Most of the rest of us, 25 or 30 years<br />

ago, were sort of drifting. Bob knew exactly<br />

where he was going and what he was going to<br />

do when he got there. To this day, I admire the<br />

sense of purpose he always had. As we gather<br />

to name this field in Bob’s memory, my wish is<br />

that we all discover that sense of purpose in our<br />

lives that Bob so deeply felt.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

45


Directed, Written and Produced by Nanette Burstein ’88<br />

Thanks to Nanette Burstein ’88, Paramount<br />

Vantage and ALLIED, Paramount’s advertising<br />

and public relations firm, <strong>Nichols</strong> Upper <strong>School</strong><br />

students were treated to an advance screening of<br />

the film “American Teen.” Many compare the film<br />

to the 80s sensation “The Breakfast Club,” but<br />

with a twisted humor that only the instantaneous –<br />

and in the film, ruthless – nature of text messaging<br />

can offer.<br />

Student Jack Collins ’09 reviewed the film and<br />

spoke with his fellow students to get reactions.<br />

Following the showing, students met in advisory<br />

groups to discuss difficult teen issues addressed in<br />

the film. The plot of “American Teen” provided<br />

a priceless starting point for conversation, in<br />

addition to many laughs.<br />

“American Teen” Film Review<br />

Jack Collins ’09<br />

Award winning director and 1988 <strong>Nichols</strong> graduate Nanette<br />

Burstein’s latest documentary, “American Teen,” is a look at<br />

high school life through the eyes of five high school teens.<br />

Taking place in Warsaw, Ind., it portrays the challenges and<br />

conflicts faced by high school teens throughout the country by<br />

allowing us to see senior year through the eyes of students from<br />

all ends of the social spectrum.<br />

By giving us this variety of viewpoints, Burstein’s film<br />

shows us that every single student experiences highs and lows<br />

in their high school career, but that those who remain true to<br />

themselves emerge from that atmosphere of turmoil and anxiety,<br />

ready to face the world.<br />

Burstein also directed the award-winning “The Kid Stays in<br />

the Picture” and Oscar nominated “On the Ropes.” In order to<br />

determine the best possible location for her latest documentary,<br />

Burstein extensively researched high schools across America.<br />

After originally reviewing more than 100 schools, she narrowed<br />

her list down to 10 finalists, interviewing seniors at each<br />

institution.<br />

Through this process, she determined that Warsaw best<br />

exemplified the characteristics and problems faced by high<br />

school seniors across America. Through this process, Burstein<br />

met the stars of this film: Hannah Bailey (a liberal rebel who<br />

doesn’t fit the “norm”), Colin Clemens (a basketball star),<br />

Megan Krizmanich (a drama queen), Jake Tusing (a band nerd),<br />

Mitch Reinholt (a heart throb) and a host of others. The film<br />

alternates between the viewpoints of these students. It lets us in<br />

on their thoughts, inhabitations and greatest fears. “American<br />

Teen” succeeds by allowing us to identify with these central<br />

characters and the problems they face on a day to day basis.<br />

The film was met with a mix of soaring approval and<br />

criticism by <strong>Nichols</strong> students. “I loved the ending,” beamed<br />

Erin Collins ’09. “I thought it really portrayed high school life,”<br />

agreed Kaitlin Donahoe ’09. “I can really identify with the<br />

characters,” reflected Kerry Collins ’11.<br />

Others did not really care for it. “Wasn’t anything new,”<br />

said a stoic Peter Loree ’10. “The basketball was not very good,”<br />

admonished Brandon Fink ’09.<br />

Some students even went so far as to question the<br />

authenticity of the documentary. “It just looked scripted,” said<br />

Kevin Crowley ’09. “The documentary has a sensationalized<br />

feel,” added Kevin Hughes ’09. “I thought there was no possible<br />

way that it was all live footage or else how could they possibly<br />

know who was texting who?” Chris Stegemann ’09 reiterated.<br />

Critical analysis aside, “American Teen” is a feel good<br />

movie, if not an inspiring story of teens overcoming the<br />

daunting challenges of not only pleasing your parents and fitting<br />

in with your friends, but of finding yourself. No matter what<br />

your opinion of the film, it still portrays some essential truth,<br />

and is well worth watching.<br />

Editor’s Note: “American Teen” is now available on DVD.<br />

46 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Nanette Burstein ’88<br />

on the set of “American Teen”<br />

Photo by James Rexroad<br />

47


Big Green Initiativ<br />

Fifth-graders Liza Ryan,<br />

Erika Cromwell, Kaitlyn Dolan<br />

and Emma Hobika measure<br />

the circumference of the tree.<br />

48 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


y Tim Vanini ’87, Ph.D.<br />

The BGI is off to a great start this year!<br />

We have been involved with a number<br />

of community efforts both on and off<br />

campus, and our students have represented<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> well. As we have interacted with<br />

others in the Buffalo community, many<br />

people have been impressed with the<br />

school’s commitment to environmental<br />

stewardship.<br />

Energy Efficiency and Green Power<br />

Starting this past summer, we made strides<br />

with improving our energy efficiency and<br />

starting to implement green power. The<br />

school finished installing a new energy<br />

efficient boiler system in Mitchell Hall.<br />

This was similar to the energy updates that<br />

were completed for Albright Hall in the<br />

summer of 2007.<br />

In September, we signed an agreement<br />

with NOCO Energy to implement 10<br />

percent Green Power (five percent<br />

windmill and five percent small hydro) into<br />

our energy strategy. Facilities and Students<br />

of Environmental Awareness & Action<br />

are revamping the on-campus recycling<br />

program. The goal is to improve efficiency<br />

of the program via color uniformity with<br />

our bins as well as logistics.<br />

Western New York Environmental Alliance<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> also was present for the first<br />

Western New York Environmental<br />

Alliance sponsored by the Community<br />

Foundation of Greater Buffalo. Through<br />

the leadership of Clotilde Perez-Bode<br />

Dedecker, Executive Director of the CFGB,<br />

Alliance of Western New York<br />

The students had the opportunity<br />

to aid homeowners in the nearby Black<br />

Rock and Riverside neighborhoods with<br />

the weatherization of their homes. From<br />

caulking to hot water blankets to helping<br />

educate individuals about additional New<br />

York State programs and steps to conserve<br />

energy, they did it all.<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> was the only high school<br />

participating. The following students were<br />

involved in the event, as well as current<br />

parent Sam Magavern ’81, who was one of<br />

the <strong>org</strong>anizers for the event: Tori Vossler<br />

’10, Rene Sobolewski ’10, Julia Accetta<br />

’10, Tommy Unger ’10, Lincoln Lam ’10,<br />

Will Savino ’10, Grace Munro ’10, Maddie<br />

Vershay ’10, Nick Williams ’09, Zach<br />

Hoefler ’09, Ed Spangenthal ’10 and Kelsey<br />

Ryan ’10.<br />

Environmental Summit<br />

In September, the Big Green Initiative and<br />

Students for Environmental Awareness<br />

and Action participated in the 4th<br />

Environmental Summit at Daemen<br />

College. <strong>Nichols</strong> was - once again - the<br />

only high school in attendance.<br />

In addition to hosting vendors, the<br />

conference provided a forum for sharing<br />

ideas on how to green one’s environment.<br />

Discussions ranged from energy efficiency<br />

of the home, eco-friendly cleaning<br />

products, home gardening and how<br />

local businesses contribute to the Green<br />

Economy.<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong>ers<br />

Hug Trees<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> Campus<br />

Tree Survey<br />

by Allan Hayes<br />

To get a better understanding and<br />

appreciation of the natural world<br />

around them, <strong>Nichols</strong> fifth-graders<br />

have been identifying and labeling<br />

every tree on the campus. Their<br />

results form the initial data for<br />

comparative measurement in years<br />

to come about growth and change.<br />

A total of 283 trees were<br />

measured. The data our students<br />

collected to date is summarized<br />

below for trees (> 3’ high and non<br />

shrub):<br />

Arborvitae: 109<br />

Maple: 43<br />

Crimson King: 14<br />

Sugar: 13<br />

Nonnative: 6<br />

Silver: 6<br />

Norway: 2<br />

Japanese: 2<br />

Crabapple: 33<br />

Pine: 19<br />

Austrian: 17<br />

White: 2<br />

Spruce: 14<br />

Colorado/Blue: 8<br />

Norway: 6<br />

Pear, Bradford: 12<br />

Linden, European: 10<br />

e Column<br />

Trustee and mother of Adrian Dedecker<br />

’08, the CFGB <strong>org</strong>anized a series of<br />

meetings to bring environmental interest<br />

groups together in order to streamline<br />

environmental solutions for the Greater<br />

Buffalo community.<br />

Apollo Alliance of Western New York<br />

On Saturday, Oct. 4, a group of <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

students participated in the Home Energy<br />

Conservation Kit program via the Apollo<br />

Daemen College asked <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

to discuss the composting project that<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> math teachers Josh Ring and<br />

Jody Kuhns have been <strong>org</strong>anizing over the<br />

last few years.<br />

Our student representatives, Will<br />

Savino ’10 and Tom Unger ’10, gave<br />

a 10-minute presentation on the<br />

environmental efforts at the school.<br />

They did a wonderful job in representing<br />

themselves and <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

Two White Oaks were considered<br />

not only the largest, with<br />

circumference readings of 281<br />

and 283 centimeters, but an arbor<br />

expert who helped the class<br />

with their identification, said they<br />

were both around 150 years old<br />

and probably the oldest trees on<br />

campus.<br />

Favorite trees among our fifthgraders<br />

included Gingko, Horse<br />

Chestnut, Bradford Pear and<br />

Crabapple.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

49


Professional Development<br />

is Flourishing at <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

by Nina Cimino with contributions from Mary Rech Rockwell, Ph.D.<br />

The <strong>Nichols</strong> faculty is frequently described as the heart of the <strong>School</strong>, and it’s no secret that their lessons teach more than what will be<br />

included in an exam.<br />

Current students are quick to compliment their teachers, coaches, club leaders and advisers, and credit them for their success. They leave<br />

a lasting impression on our alumni, inspiring them to embrace challenges, pursue certain career paths and come back to visit years later.<br />

Our faculty is made up of more than just experts in their subject area; these individuals truly have passion for their specialty. They<br />

practice their work – whether writing, researching or performing – and take measures to ensure that they are constantly learning and<br />

growing themselves.<br />

Our generous alumni and friends have established four different funds – Kenneth Strachan Memorial Fund, Robert E. Dillon Memorial<br />

Fund, Glenn W. Flickinger Sabbatical Program and Hardner Family Summer Stipends – to enhance professional development of faculty and<br />

staff, allowing them to pursue opportunities ranging from advanced degree programs to travel and study experiences.<br />

The training and programming that result from use of these funds often allow for hands on learning in the classroom. When this<br />

interactive learning comes to fruition, students have a greater connection to what they learn and have increased levels of retention.<br />

This summer, several faculty members utilized funds to enhance their curriculums. Each of the following pieces, written from the faculty<br />

member’s perspective, highlights the incredible experiences that were possible with help from the Hardner Family Summer Stipends.<br />

Through the Norbert H. Hardner Foundation and Dr. Gerald and Sara Hardner, Sara ’81, Margaret ’82, Rebecca ’84, Jared ’88 and<br />

Elizabeth ’01, the stipends offer financial support for faculty members to pursue professional development in the summer months, beyond the<br />

course work or workshops covered by our endowment funds. The hope is for faculty to explore their passions, enhance their teaching skills,<br />

examine best practices in their area or seek personal renewal through travel or experience.<br />

Exploring Museums<br />

and Galleries in England<br />

and France<br />

by Anne Thomas<br />

I was fortunate to receive a Hardner grant for travel during the<br />

Summer of 2008. The grant helped me to visit art museums and<br />

galleries in London and Oxford in England, as well as in Paris,<br />

France. My specific interest during these visits was in late 19 th and<br />

20 th century paintings, though I also took advantage of opportunities<br />

to see ancient Greek and Roman art, and visit places of interest in<br />

Paris.<br />

In London, I focused my attention on the Tate Modern and the<br />

Tate Britain. The Tate Modern, located on the South Bank of the<br />

Thames in a re-furbished power station, houses an eclectic variety<br />

of modern art representing key movements: Dada, Expressionism,<br />

Futurism, Minimalism, Nouveau Realisme, Pop Art, Postmodernism,<br />

Surrealism, Vorticism, and Russian Constructivism (there was a<br />

wonderful exhibit of Russian Poster Art while I was there).<br />

The Tate Britain is a very different gallery, situated on the North<br />

Bank in a neo-classical building, and featuring exclusively British Art<br />

from the 15 th century to the present. Although paintings dominate<br />

the museum, recent works in photography, video, sculpture and<br />

performance also are featured. Of particular interest to me were the<br />

overtly political (anti-Thatcher) works of artists such as Gilbert and<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e, and Chris Ofili, as they conveyed a sense of what living in<br />

England has been like since I left.<br />

The Musee d’Orsay and the Pompidou Center were the museums<br />

in which I spent the most time in Paris. The d’Orsay, a museum<br />

in an old railway station, features late 19 th and 20 th century art,<br />

while the Pompidou Center, housed in one of France’s most famous<br />

deconstructionist buildings, is devoted exclusively to cutting-edge<br />

modern exhibits: paintings, installations, video and film. In the<br />

d’Orsay, I gained a greater appreciation for Manet’s paintings, as well<br />

as many others. The Pompidou Center enabled me to learn more<br />

about Weimar artists such as Ge<strong>org</strong>e Grosz, Max Ernst, Otto Dix; the<br />

primitivism of Jean Dubuffet; and the European Pop Art of Martial<br />

Raysse.<br />

Of course, just walking around Paris is an education in of itself.<br />

The Marais proved especially interesting: looking at Henry IV’s urban<br />

renewal project (Place des Vosges – which also contains the Victor<br />

Hugo museum); reading the many plaques commemorating those<br />

who were victims of the Nazi Occupation (the Marais contains the<br />

old Jewish area of Paris), visiting a Jewish café which was the site of a<br />

1983 terrorist bombing; and observing the vibrant Jewish community<br />

that still resides in the Marais. Similarly, the left bank, and especially<br />

the 5 th Arrondissment, proved fascinating for the visible scars left by<br />

the Revolutions of both 1789-1794, and 1968. I also greatly enjoyed<br />

visiting St. Chappelle, which is a superb example of High Gothic<br />

Rayonnant style architecture.<br />

I am extremely appreciative of the financial assistance which<br />

enabled me to spend so much time visiting the above museums. With<br />

the dollar in dire straits this summer, such a visit proved especially<br />

expensive. However, the knowledge of, and increased appreciation<br />

for the art I was able to examine, will undoubtedly help me in both<br />

the Art History and European History classes that I am teaching this<br />

academic year.<br />

50 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Trout in the Classroom<br />

by Sandy Smith Cunningham ’93<br />

During the 2008-2009 school year, the Middle <strong>School</strong> will be<br />

participating in Trout Unlimited’s “Trout in the Classroom”<br />

program thanks to funding from the McCarthy Family Fund. We<br />

are the first school from Erie, Niagara, and Wyoming counties to<br />

participate in this program.<br />

The “Trout in the Classroom” program allows students to raise<br />

trout from eggs to fry, with our efforts culminating in the release of<br />

the trout into a state-approved stream within our watershed. Over<br />

the course of the<br />

school year, this<br />

project will provide<br />

many opportunities<br />

for interdisciplinary<br />

as well as multigrade<br />

level<br />

involvement.<br />

The basic<br />

timeline for this<br />

project is as follows:<br />

• Early fall: set up<br />

aquarium and get<br />

all equipment up<br />

and running<br />

• Late fall: get eggs<br />

from NYS DEC<br />

• Winter: raise<br />

trout<br />

• Spring: release<br />

trout into NYS<br />

DEC approved<br />

stream<br />

This summer, Susan Allen and I worked on setting up contacts<br />

and curricular opportunities for the students. With help from<br />

Chuck Godfrey, a retired math teacher from Williamsville South<br />

and the local Trout Unlimited coordinator for Trout in the<br />

Classroom, we were able to get the program in motion.<br />

As of November, the project is in full swing. The tank, along<br />

with chiller, aeration, and filtration systems has been up and<br />

running since late September. We received the eggs from a local<br />

hatchery in Randolph, N.Y. on October 28. The eggs began to<br />

hatch on November 5, and by November 15 th we had roughly 150<br />

alevin in the hatching basket.<br />

Plans for the school year include opportunities such as:<br />

th<br />

• 5 Grade Science: 5 th grade science students are responsible for<br />

monitoring the physical aspects of the tank and record keeping.<br />

Inspections will be on a daily basis with the results noted in a<br />

binder. The monitoring will need to happen for the duration of<br />

the project. Currently, students rotate these duties weekly.<br />

th<br />

• 6 Grade Math: 6 th grade math students will be responsible for<br />

figuring out how much the trout need to be fed at different stages<br />

in their development. 6 th grade students will be allowed to feed<br />

the trout based on their calculations.<br />

• 7th Grade Science: 7th grade science students have been exploring<br />

the topic of ecosystems and habitats as they pertain to trout.<br />

Over the course of<br />

the year, 7th grade<br />

science students will<br />

be responsible for<br />

monitoring water quality<br />

parameters in the<br />

aquarium. 7th grade<br />

science students also<br />

will conduct a field<br />

stream survey in the<br />

spring.<br />

• 8th Grade Science:<br />

8th grade biology<br />

students will have the<br />

opportunity to explore<br />

trout anatomy and<br />

physiology, as well as<br />

the life cycle of trout.<br />

Lessons may include:<br />

the trout body, a trout<br />

dissection demonstration,<br />

an exploration<br />

of the trout life cycle,<br />

and a lesson that will include observation of trout behaviors<br />

including how they move, breathe and respond to stimuli. In addition,<br />

8th grade students may join the 7th grade in their spring<br />

stream survey, specifically looking at macroinvertebrate populations<br />

as indicators of water quality.<br />

th<br />

• 6 Grade/7 th Grade English: English students will have the opportunity<br />

to keep journals about the trout during different stages<br />

in their development over the year.<br />

There is a web site following this project located at: http://mail.<br />

nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong>/~scunningham@nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong>. Daily and<br />

weekly updates are provided at the various links located on the left<br />

hand side of the page.<br />

continued on next page<br />

Winter 2009<br />

51


Summer Adventure at<br />

Falconry <strong>School</strong><br />

by Mary Sykes<br />

Through the generosity of the Hardner family, I spent a week at the<br />

Canadian <strong>School</strong> of Traditional Falconry located outside a small<br />

town an hour’s drive north of Toronto, Ontario. Built in the 1980s<br />

as both a falconry school and a tourist attraction for birds of prey,<br />

the falconry center is home to many different raptors: bald eagles,<br />

golden eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and racing pigeons.<br />

The owner,<br />

an eccentric,<br />

fiercely<br />

independent<br />

man named<br />

Wilfred Emonts,<br />

breeds all his<br />

birds, literally<br />

hundreds<br />

of them, in<br />

captivity and<br />

makes a living by<br />

selling them to<br />

individuals (such<br />

as falconers in<br />

Saudi Arabia<br />

and Scotland),<br />

businesses (like<br />

African Lion<br />

Safari), and<br />

zoos all over the<br />

world. After<br />

spending time<br />

in Wilf’s company, we students dubbed him “the bird whisperer”;<br />

although his techniques appear unorthodox, Wilf’s breeding success<br />

rate, ability to train birds, and his passion for what he does are<br />

completely apparent.<br />

We students spent half the day in the classroom learning about<br />

birds of prey, the history of falconry, and how to train animals.<br />

We made our own leather jesses to tie onto our birds’ legs, and we<br />

practiced our falconer’s knot. Then we headed outside to work with<br />

red-tailed hawks. Donning a think leather glove and a falconer’s<br />

bag filled with pieces of day-old chicks (falconry is not for the faint<br />

of heart!), we learned how to tempt a bird from its perch onto<br />

our gauntlet and then teach it to fly to our glove from a distance<br />

of many feet. Training a hawk takes infinite patience and (I now<br />

understand) much skill.<br />

I gained a great deal of respect for the falconers of the Middle<br />

Ages, and I appreciate why they were so highly esteemed in<br />

medieval noble and royal households. Although we didn’t use our<br />

birds to hunt, Wilf spends many rewarding days pursuing prey with<br />

his prized peregrine falcons. The diploma I earned from this course<br />

qualifies me to apply for a license to own my own bird. At this<br />

point, teaching about falconry is more than enough for me.<br />

Calendar<br />

of Upcoming Events<br />

Monday, Feb. 16 - Tuesday, Feb. 17<br />

Winter Break, <strong>School</strong> Closed<br />

Thursday, Feb. 26<br />

Chicago Alumni Event<br />

Friday, Feb. 27<br />

Choreographers’ Showcase, Flickinger Performing Arts Center<br />

Monday, March 9<br />

Professional Day, No Classes<br />

Friday, March 20<br />

Cabaret, Flickinger Performing Arts Center<br />

Tuesday, March 24<br />

San Francisco Alumni Event<br />

Friday, March 27<br />

Spring Vacation, Begins at end of school day<br />

Monday, April 13<br />

Classes resume from vacation<br />

Wednesday, April 15<br />

New York City Alumni Event<br />

Tuesday, April 21<br />

Flick Fest, Flickinger Performing Arts Center<br />

Saturday, April 25<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> Spring Dance Concert,<br />

Flickinger Performing Arts Center<br />

Thursday, April 30<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> Spring Concert, Flickinger Performing Arts Center<br />

Saturday, May 2<br />

Derby Day Auction<br />

Thursday, May 7 & Friday, May 8<br />

Board of Trustees Meeting<br />

Thursday, May 7 – Saturday, May 9<br />

Upper <strong>School</strong> Play, “Almost, Maine,” Middle <strong>School</strong> Pond<br />

Thursday, May 14<br />

Headmaster’s Society Reception &<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong> Band Concert, Flickinger Performing Arts Center<br />

Sunday, May 17<br />

Prince Lecture with Tony Horowitz<br />

Thursday, May 21<br />

Middle <strong>School</strong> Choral Concert, Flickinger Performing Arts Center<br />

Monday, May 25<br />

Memorial Day, <strong>School</strong> Closed<br />

Friday, May 29<br />

Awards Day and Verdian Day<br />

Friday, June 5<br />

117 th Commencement, Reunion 2009<br />

52 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


Alumni<br />

David Archbald ’43 – Oct. 27, 2008<br />

Joseph Block ’45 – Oct. 14, 2008<br />

A. Watson Bray ’46 – Dec. 24, 2008<br />

Thomas R. Cowper ’65 – March 8, 2007<br />

Jennifer Ehret ’86 – Nov. 20, 2008<br />

Finley R. Greene, Jr. ’60 – Oct. 7, 2008<br />

Laurie Brock Lisk N’71 – Nov. 13, 2008<br />

John R. Moot ’39 – Dec. 10, 2008<br />

Friends<br />

Philip C. Barth – Aug. 13, 2008 – Brother of Roger Barth ’56,<br />

Father of Philip ’75 and Grandfather of Charles ’06<br />

Alberta Brady – Oct. 5, 2008 – Mother of Calvin ’71 and Ann ’74<br />

Michael R. Brannen – Aug. 1, 2008 – Grandfather of Evan<br />

Brannen ’11, James Montani ’02, Christine Montani ’04, David<br />

Montani ’06, Rosemary Montani ’09 and Stephen Montani ’11<br />

Lynn Bunis – Aug. 1, 2008 – Wife of Donald ’58<br />

Isaura Campos – Nov. 2, 2008 – Grandmother of Christian ’94,<br />

Michael ’96, Sara ’01 and Katie ’04<br />

Clinton Cherry – Nov. 13, 2008 – Grandmother of<br />

Tyler Trammell ’15<br />

In Memoriam<br />

Mrs. Lenora Coe – Jan. 8, 2009 – Grandmother of<br />

Michael Stenclik ’05, Katie ’07 and Allison ’12<br />

Ann Gates – July 2008 – Sister of Peter ’73 and Brad ’76<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e Giotis – Sept. 26, 2008 – Father of Alex ’08<br />

James Grant – Nov. 16, 2008 – Father of James ’69 and Thomas ’69<br />

Terrell M. Griggs – Dec. 2, 2008<br />

F. Lambert Haley – Nov. 17, 2008 – Father of Buddy ’84<br />

Jevene Littlewood – Nov. 29, 2008 – Grandmother of<br />

Alissa Vogelsang ’02 and Curt ’06<br />

Marion Osborn – Nov. 17, 2008 – Sister of Russell ’43<br />

John C. “Jack” Oshei – Nov. 20, 2008 – Brother of William’65<br />

and Robert ’62<br />

Adelaide Robb – Nov. 25, 2008 – Wife of David ’53<br />

Margaret Roblin – Oct. 29, 2008 – Wife of Daniel ’70<br />

Joseph Rubé – May 23, 2008, Father of Paul ’81 and Elizabeth ’78<br />

Ruth W. Ryerson – Nov. 9 – Mother of Scott ’63<br />

Luisa Casals Viguera – July 7, 2008 – Mother of Adele ’82<br />

Mr. Frederick Yuhl – Dec. 20, 2008 – Grandfather of<br />

Andrew Wright ’06, Timothy ’08 and Lindsay ’12<br />

Curious what’s going on with fellow alumni? Wondering when the next<br />

event is? Want to make a gift online? Need details about Reunion?<br />

Visit www.nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong><br />

and click on ALUMNI!<br />

Winter 2009<br />

53


Editor’s Note: As a result of our recent alumni<br />

survey, we were pleased to receive a tremendous<br />

amount of Class Notes this issue. Despite our<br />

best efforts to include all news and notes in a<br />

timely fashion, we had to pause in time for our<br />

deadline. We plan to include all remaining notes<br />

in the next edition. As always, please e-mail news<br />

updates to alumnioffice@nicholsschool.<strong>org</strong>.<br />

1929<br />

80th Reunion<br />

Robert North, Jr. writes, “in memory of Ray<br />

Verrill (a former faculty member) I am into<br />

poetry, as was my wife Marion de Mauriac.<br />

On my walks in the halls of Delaware Tower<br />

I recite to myself, or anyone who will listen,<br />

poetry of A.E. Housman or the greatness of<br />

Omar Khayyam.”<br />

1938<br />

Rit Moot writes, “I have recently retired<br />

as President of the Western New York<br />

Foundation. My active practice as a trial<br />

lawyer ended with the Attica case years ago.<br />

I now work part time in the Estates & Trust<br />

Department at Damon & Morey where I<br />

greatly enjoy an office downtown with my<br />

associates, where I have been for over 50<br />

years.”<br />

1946<br />

Frederick Batson enjoys visiting his four<br />

college student grandchildren: two at<br />

Dartmouth and one each at Franklin Olin<br />

College of Engineering and University of<br />

British Columbia.<br />

1947<br />

The Buffalo International Film Festival<br />

named A. R. “Peter” Gurney, Jr. ’47,<br />

award-winning playwright, author and<br />

educator, to its Board of Advisers. Gurney<br />

has written over 40 plays including<br />

“Indian Blood,” “The Dining Room” and<br />

“Buffalo Gal,” which recently played in<br />

New York City.<br />

1948<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e Hoover relocated his business to<br />

Virginia in 1979. His two sons, Torry and<br />

Jeff, work with him as does his son-in-law,<br />

Jerry Bowers. They are celebrating their<br />

96 th year in the precious metal business.<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e is in his 57 th year with the company<br />

and still works nearly full-time.<br />

John Turk writes, “I am a volunteer docent<br />

at the South Carolina State Museum, where<br />

I conduct tours of our exhibits for school<br />

children from 1st through 8th grades.”<br />

1949<br />

60 th Reunion<br />

Robert Dillon volunteers on several<br />

non-profit boards, mostly in the area of<br />

health care. He also does fundraising for<br />

some non-profits, mostly in education and<br />

health care. He visits his children and<br />

grandchildren locally and in Maine and<br />

Vermont. He is a member of three indoor<br />

tennis groups and tries to jog a little.<br />

1950<br />

Dwight Hanny writes, “My wife of 56<br />

years and I are semi-retired. I created a<br />

family business, which keeps asking me to<br />

consult when needed. We summer in Bay<br />

Beach in Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. I<br />

am a consultant to various small business<br />

enterprises.”<br />

Allan Lefcowitz is retired and writing.<br />

Working on the 5th edition of “The<br />

Creative Writer’s Handbook” (Prentice<br />

Hall, 2009) and writing plays. The trick<br />

on the latter is to get them staged and it<br />

happens on occasion. He had one of his<br />

plays performed by the Brooklyn Playwrights<br />

Collective in December. He worked for<br />

President Obama and volunteered for the<br />

D.C. Foreign Film Festival.<br />

Alfred C. Ryan has been retired in North<br />

Florida since 1995. He is the proud parent<br />

of six children and seven grandchildren<br />

stretching from Maine to California to<br />

Australia. He is active in Community Theater<br />

and has done 24 plays in past 10 years.<br />

1951<br />

John Burke is retired and is currently<br />

Chair of Salisbury Tree Board and a<br />

Board member of Piedmont Behavioral<br />

Healthcare and NC Council of Community<br />

Agencies.<br />

David McCain travels with his wife and<br />

classmates from Washington and Lee<br />

University and works with Watervap, LLC<br />

to promote it in the oil and gas industry to<br />

clean up production water.<br />

1952<br />

William Bradley is involved in a variety of<br />

activities including the Buffalo Rotary Club<br />

and the Salvation Army.<br />

W.P. Vance Luedeke writes, “Hi ’52ers!<br />

Yes, I am still living and kicking. And still<br />

working 20+ hours weekly at Holy Cross<br />

Episcopal Church, where the grounds, job<br />

and people are wonderful. My best wishes<br />

to y’all. I haven’t f<strong>org</strong>otten our 50 th !”<br />

Following retirement from Harvard as a<br />

development economist, Charles Mann<br />

founded Development Communications<br />

Workshop. He mentors students in this<br />

subject and in producing educational<br />

documentaries about economic<br />

development issues.<br />

54 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong>


1953<br />

Willard Frank is retired, but still teaching<br />

for Old Dominion University, as well as<br />

the Naval War College. He is active in<br />

research and writing, with multiple books<br />

and articles done or in progress. He writes,<br />

“My 50 th <strong>Nichols</strong> Reunion in 2003 remains<br />

a highlight to me.”<br />

James Herlan is enjoying retirement and<br />

being a grandparent.<br />

Darrell Scattergood volunteers with two<br />

agencies for emergency communications<br />

and he is on the Board of two retirement<br />

facilities.<br />

1955<br />

Robert Gorski is the Board Administrator<br />

for Glen Eagles at Valleybrook Property<br />

Owner’s Association, Inc. He also likes to<br />

travel (mainly cruises) and has been the<br />

mentor to several young people who needed<br />

a father figure to get on the right track.<br />

Keith Herbst had an article published<br />

in the Fall 2008 issue of WNY Heritage,<br />

entitled “Engineering for Speed.” It is<br />

his second article to appear in WNY<br />

Heritage, which stems from research for his<br />

latest book, “Daredevils of the Frontier.”<br />

The book, now in print, chronicles auto<br />

racing in Upstate New York and Ontario<br />

from 1935 to 1960.<br />

Peter McGennis is retired but continues<br />

to do design work for several industries.<br />

He spends time at his summer home in<br />

Canada, playing golf and coaching amateur<br />

hockey.<br />

Class Notes<br />

achieve better disease control. He is teaching<br />

Donald Miller writes, “Retired Dec. 31,<br />

2007 from the active practice of medicine<br />

as an internist, for 37 years, with the<br />

Buffalo Medical Group. I was a Clinical<br />

Associate Professor of Medicine at SUNY<br />

at Buffalo’s <strong>School</strong> of Medicine until 2005.<br />

Currently live in Orchard Park, N.Y., with<br />

my wife of 44 years.”<br />

Theodore Putnam retired and is living<br />

in Hilton Head for six or more months<br />

a year and resides in Buffalo during the<br />

summer. He will be working in a free clinic,<br />

Volunteers in Medicine, doing General<br />

Pediatrics and Endocrine/Diabetes.<br />

1957<br />

Robert Carter is working at Habitat and<br />

renovating a house in Ashland, Ore.<br />

James Cole writes, “I work part time in an<br />

orthopedic practice. I gave up surgery a few<br />

years back. I have done orthopedic work in<br />

Africa twice and plan to go back in 2010.”<br />

Frederick Cooley is still working at almost<br />

70, is very active in church, mission work,<br />

community and building full-size wooden<br />

boats.<br />

Robert McCormick is mediating divorce,<br />

domestic violence, corporate and civil<br />

disputes.<br />

Charles A. Smith is retired in Florida<br />

enjoying life. He writes, “I travel, go in<br />

my boat, play golf, tennis, bike, go to the<br />

gym, and see a lot of friends who visit from<br />

Buffalo and other areas.”<br />

Max Stachura retired from his academic<br />

position. He is pursuing improved access<br />

to health care for the underserved in<br />

the U.S. and the world, using advanced<br />

telecommunication technologies. Max is<br />

exploring real time monitoring of chronic<br />

diseases in patients living their lives in order to<br />

medical students and providing health care.<br />

Personally, he is enjoying the richness of life<br />

with his wife, children and grandchildren.<br />

1958<br />

Marc Comstock is still developing the<br />

business he and his wife began 20 years ago,<br />

educating primary care health providers,<br />

such as N.P.s, P.A.s and M.D.s.<br />

William Leed writes, “Living in Buffalo<br />

doing volunteer works and assisting<br />

veterans and retirees in Western New York<br />

and reopening the Chief Petty Officers<br />

Club on Niagara River for all the veterans<br />

of W.N.Y. and Canadian military forces.”<br />

Hugh McLean is the member of two nonprofit<br />

Boards, serves on several committees<br />

and plays tennis regularly. Hugh and his<br />

wife, Peppy, also travel regularly.<br />

James Sanders lives in the Atlanta, Ga.<br />

area and enjoys the southern weather. He<br />

has been retired for several years.<br />

1959<br />

50 th Reunion<br />

Howard Benatovich is working and<br />

enjoying his grandchildren. He has been<br />

married for 42 years to Lana.<br />

DeWitt Clinton is semi-retired on the<br />

southern Maine coast doing part-time<br />

financial advisory services, he volunteers<br />

on half dozen non-profit boards.<br />

Michael Tannhauser is basking in election<br />

results, watching his diet and traveling<br />

overseas four months each year.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

55


1960<br />

Paul Kritzer retired from Journal<br />

Communications (Milwaukee) after<br />

24 years as general counsel on Dec. 31,<br />

2007. He is now splitting time between<br />

Wisconsin and South Carolina.<br />

1962<br />

William Baetz is working full time as an<br />

anesthesiologist at Carilion Clinic, a Level<br />

I trauma center in Roanoke, Va. When<br />

time permits, he and his wife, Vicki, enjoy<br />

hiking and travel in the Blue Ridge. They<br />

also spend time traveling to visit their<br />

three children who are in Portland, Maine;<br />

Washington, D.C., and Dayton, Ohio.<br />

David Desmon is the Senior Vice President<br />

Wealth Management Advisor for Merrill<br />

Lynch in Williamsville, N.Y.<br />

1964<br />

45 th Reunion<br />

Howard Schweitzer owns and manages<br />

a Grand Island Holiday Inn resort and<br />

conference center.<br />

John Spitzmiller and his wife, Amy,<br />

spent 47 days during the summer of<br />

2008, pedaling their way across America,<br />

starting in San Francisco and ending<br />

in Portsmouth, N.H. They rode with<br />

about 29 other riders from all over the<br />

world. Pedaling a total of 3,875 miles and<br />

averaging a little over 82 miles a day, they<br />

traveled through 12 states and raised over<br />

$18,000 for Child & Family Services of<br />

Buffalo (an <strong>org</strong>anization John has been<br />

involved with for more than 30 years) and<br />

Nardin Academy (where Amy worked for<br />

more than 30 years before retiring).<br />

Anyone interested in learning more about<br />

John and Amy’s adventure can go to their<br />

blog: www.johnamyspitz.blogspot.com.<br />

1967<br />

Thomas Anderson writes, “I am producing<br />

stories for 60 Minutes. In the past two years,<br />

I have done several stories on Senator John<br />

McCain, whom I have known for more than<br />

10 years.”<br />

1968<br />

Peter Gow works as a College Counselor<br />

in an independent progressive day school<br />

in Boston.<br />

Tom Keiser ’68 and his wife Vicky celebrate<br />

at the wedding of Leigh Keiser Lyndon,<br />

daughter of Lindy and Mike Keiser ’63.<br />

Taken at the wedding of Andrew Lyndon and Leigh Keiser Lyndon: (l to r)<br />

Tom Keiser ’68, Mark Lytle ’62, Gretchen Lytle, Lindy Keiser, Patty Gelman,<br />

Mike Keiser ’63, Leigh & Andrew Lyndon, Warren Gelman ’63, Leslie Goldstein,<br />

Tom Goldstein ’63, Helena Keiser and Bruce Keiser ’65<br />

Michael O’Connell is surviving the teen<br />

years with his 16 year-old-son. He is looking<br />

forward to retiring in Wilmington, N.C., in<br />

his downtown 1920s bungalow with a 32’<br />

front porch, 15 minutes from the beach.<br />

Donald Tracy works full time in Pediatric<br />

Radiology in Boston. He is married with<br />

two sons in college. Don still plays hockey.<br />

1963<br />

Charles Hobbie has been litigating on<br />

behalf of federal employees to protect their<br />

rights since 1979.<br />

Sandy Maisel is a professor at Colby<br />

College and the Director of the Goldfarb<br />

Center for Public Affairs and Civic<br />

Engagement at Colby College.<br />

56 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

1966<br />

Henry Deperro and his wife, Barbara,<br />

have been living in Manhattan for the<br />

past 10 years enjoying the wonders of New<br />

York City. Henry continues to work as the<br />

Facilities Manager of the Ford Foundation<br />

responsible for managing a world class,<br />

land marked building in the city, and from<br />

time to time, he oversees projects at its 12<br />

overseas locations.<br />

1970<br />

Charles Blaine writes, “I am in journalism,<br />

as I have been since college. I write a daily<br />

column on financial markets. I have been<br />

in financial journalism since 1978.”<br />

Timothy McNamara writes, “Working<br />

with educators in low-performing schools<br />

around the country and outside the U.S., I<br />

am author of four math resource books for<br />

K-12 teachers, and currently living outside<br />

of Rochester with my wife (and have two<br />

grown children living out of the area).”


1971<br />

David Aquilina writes, “Still living in<br />

Minneapolis with my wife, Linda Cantu<br />

and son, Tony. Contemplating what life<br />

will have in store for us next year when we<br />

become empty-nesters when Tony starts<br />

college. For the past eight years, I have<br />

been self-employed as a freelance writer<br />

and public relations consultant. It’s the<br />

longest I’ve ever had any one ’job,’ and I<br />

doubt I’ll ever have a ’real’ job again.”<br />

Lawrence Giordano writes, “Since<br />

graduating from the Ge<strong>org</strong>etown<br />

University Law Center in 1978, I have<br />

lived and worked in Knoxville, Tenn. I am<br />

a litigation attorney practicing principally<br />

in the areas of Business Tort Defense and<br />

Education Law, and an Adjunct Professor<br />

at the University of Tennessee College of<br />

Law where I have taught in the Advocacy<br />

Program for about 15 years. Each summer,<br />

I join the faculty at the Emory University<br />

<strong>School</strong> of Law in Atlanta, where I teach<br />

Trial Practice.” He and his wife, Kristie<br />

Thomas Giordano, have two sons: Brad,<br />

a student at the University of Virginia<br />

<strong>School</strong> of Law, and Evan, a student at the<br />

University of Tennessee. Lawrence also<br />

coaches soccer at the club, high school<br />

and college levels, and is very involved<br />

in the work of Catholic Charities of East<br />

Tennessee, where he is a member of the<br />

Board of Trustees and recently became<br />

President-elect.<br />

1973<br />

David Comerford writes, “As General<br />

Manager of the Buffalo Sewer Authority,<br />

I am working in Mayor Byron Brown’s<br />

administration and not raising sewer rents.<br />

I still live in Buffalo with Mary Kay, my<br />

wife of 30 years, although my daughters<br />

Kate ’97 and Jen ’97 are living out of<br />

town. I have three grandchildren, which<br />

keeps this old guy happy and busy.”<br />

Sally McKendry Haungs writes, “I am<br />

currently living in Brighton (Rochester),<br />

N.Y., with my husband, John. I am active<br />

as a volunteer for the Rochester Institute<br />

of Technology E. Phillip Saunders College<br />

of Business Women’s Alumni Network.<br />

This is an <strong>org</strong>anization to foster women<br />

leadership and growth for fellow RIT<br />

alumni.”<br />

Robert Morten lives in Mobile County,<br />

Alabama with his wife, Cynthia, and their<br />

10-year-old daughter Annaleise.<br />

Katie Vogt Schneider writes, “My work<br />

with the Community Foundation for<br />

Greater Buffalo, Read to Succeed, the<br />

Canisius College Board and the work that<br />

my husband Jake does professionally and<br />

for the community, occupy most of my<br />

time. All four of my children are in Buffalo<br />

starting their own businesses and careers. I<br />

feel honored and overjoyed to share Buffalo<br />

with my kids, as well as with my Dad who<br />

still lives in town.”<br />

Rick Zeller writes, “I am married with<br />

three kids, living two miles down the road<br />

from where my wife grew up in Canterbury,<br />

N.H. I am in my 16 th year at a school very<br />

similar to <strong>Nichols</strong>, but only about 375<br />

students, grades 6-12. I teach middle school<br />

history and coach middle school girls in<br />

soccer and lacrosse.”<br />

1974<br />

35th Reunion<br />

Peter Jones recently moved back to Buffalo<br />

from the New York City area with his<br />

family after having traveled around the<br />

world. Peter is consulting for a financial<br />

service firm in Washington, D.C.<br />

Deborah Raines writes, “I am a professor in<br />

the College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic<br />

University. I teach in my specialty area,<br />

maternal-child nursing, conduct research<br />

and <strong>org</strong>anize a variety of activities for<br />

incoming freshmen, including the freshman<br />

online community, freshman reading<br />

program and a freshman living community<br />

experience for pre-nursing students.”<br />

Douglas Pleskow writes, “I am Co-director<br />

of Endoscopy at Beth Israel Deaconess<br />

Medical Center/Harvard Medical <strong>School</strong>.<br />

I have an active practice in therapeutic<br />

endoscopy and gastroenterology. I have<br />

developed several novel endoscopic<br />

devices. I am married to Randi Gordon<br />

Pleskow, M.D., whom I met at SUNY at<br />

Buffalo <strong>School</strong> of Medicine. I have three<br />

children: Sara, Heather and Rebecca.”<br />

R. Penfield Starke writes, “I am an<br />

attorney for the FDIC. I am busy closing<br />

banks.”<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e Sinks writes, “I am in the midst<br />

of a three-year personnel exchange<br />

assignment with the Office of the Secretary<br />

of Defense for Policy, Office of European<br />

and NATO Policy. An exciting, sometimes<br />

challenging, but always interesting<br />

professional development exercise. I am<br />

also happily married with two dogs, but no<br />

children. Still active in tennis and skiing,<br />

and enjoy travel and Community Theater.”<br />

When Scott A. Weiss passed away on<br />

Oct. 23, 1993, a tree and this plaque were<br />

dedicated in his memory by members of<br />

his family and friends. The memorial was<br />

recently relocated because of construction,<br />

but on a visit this fall from Scott’s mother,<br />

Bryna Weiss, who makes a trip to visit<br />

this site every year, a new location for this<br />

special tribute was chosen. The tree now<br />

rests on the east wall of the Dann Memorial<br />

Rink between the front and back fields.<br />

Edmund Wick writes, “I am the Director<br />

of the Counsel’s Office for the Minority<br />

Leader in the N.Y.S. Assembly where I<br />

supervise the legislative activities of nine<br />

attorneys. I am also the lead analyst in the<br />

conference on housing, racing, gaming and<br />

consumer affairs issues. In my spare time, I<br />

practice a little law with my dad in Depew.”<br />

1975<br />

David Alexander writes, “I just<br />

transitioned to Yahoo! Inc., working<br />

with global accounts on national and<br />

international branding campaigns. My wife<br />

and 10-year-old daughter enjoy living in<br />

the heart of Boston.”<br />

Winter 2009<br />

57


Paul Moravec, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer<br />

Prize in Music, announced his new work<br />

and world premiere: Brandenburg Gate,<br />

performed with the Orpheus Chamber<br />

Orchestra which took place at Carnegie<br />

Hall in New York City on Oct. 16.<br />

Antoinette Pignataro is working as a<br />

physician fulltime, owning and caring<br />

for her waterfront home, and raising a<br />

wonderful son.<br />

Father William Weiksnar is serving as<br />

pastor at St. Anthony of Padua Church, an<br />

urban, largely Hispanic, Catholic parish in<br />

Camden, N.J.<br />

1976<br />

Alexandra Stathacos Crowe is living in<br />

the Boston area with husband Peter and<br />

ninth-grade twins, Marika and Matthew.<br />

Alexa, Marcie Siegel Shealy, Debbie<br />

Genco Powell, Sibby Waters Tayor and<br />

Betsy Zeller Rollins spent a wonderful<br />

May weekend in Newport, R.I., celebrating<br />

their joint 50 th birthdays.<br />

Lucy Neale Duke writes, “I live in<br />

suburban Baltimore with my husband,<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>e, and our two daughters, Molly<br />

(12) and Hope (11). Our oldest daughter,<br />

Elizabeth, graduated from college last<br />

spring and is living and working in the<br />

D.C. area. I started a new job this fall as<br />

College Counselor at Cristo Rey Jesuit<br />

High <strong>School</strong>, a college prep school for low<br />

income students in Baltimore City.”<br />

Louisa Jerauld Levine is enjoying life in<br />

L.A. with her husband, Jeff, and their two<br />

boys: James (19), who returned in June<br />

from a year in India and Brazil and who<br />

now attends Santa Monica College, and<br />

Henry (16) who is learning photography<br />

and is in the school play.<br />

1977<br />

Rick Halpern writes, “I am serving as<br />

the Principal of one of the University of<br />

Toronto’s largest colleges and directing<br />

its several academic programs. We also<br />

are very involved in outreach to the city’s<br />

immigrant communities and in working<br />

with community partners to provide service<br />

learning opportunities for our students. My<br />

teaching and research is focused on race and<br />

58 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

labor in a number of contexts, especially the<br />

United States and South Africa.”<br />

Molly Stevens was recently selected as a<br />

Fellow of the Environmental Leadership<br />

Program’s New England Regional<br />

Network Class of 2009. The mission of<br />

the Environmental Leadership Program<br />

is ’to inspire visionary, action-oriented and<br />

diverse leadership to work for a just and<br />

sustainable future.’ Molly continues her<br />

work as a cookbook author and teacher,<br />

living near Burlington, Vt.<br />

1978<br />

John Houck designs disc golf courses around<br />

the country, and promotes the love of disc<br />

golf with his wife and Co-CEO, Dee.<br />

William Magavern lives in downtown<br />

Sacramento with his wife and two children,<br />

who will soon be ages 12 and 14.<br />

Kimberly Buchheit Robinson writes, “I<br />

am currently V.P. of the Board of Directors<br />

of the Jack Kerouac Writers in Residence<br />

Project of Orlando, Inc. and I volunteer as<br />

an Official Photographer for Farm Aid.”<br />

Robert Seidenberg writes, “I am living in<br />

Austin, Texas, building houses, rehabbing<br />

historic homes, writing and producing<br />

music when time allows and playing lots<br />

of Ultimate Frisbee (yes, still....), most<br />

notably at the World Championships<br />

in Perth, Australia at the end of 2006.<br />

Most recently, I recruited classmate Scott<br />

Rathke to join our team at the North<br />

American Grand Masters Championships<br />

in Montreal.”<br />

Deborah Lansky Waitkus is living in<br />

Phoenix and running a business-golf<br />

company in which she stages events for<br />

corporations and associations, as well<br />

as programs to educate (on and off the<br />

golf course) how to incorporate golf as<br />

a strategy for achieving objectives. This<br />

involves many workshops, speaking<br />

engagements and on-course programs.<br />

Eric Ward writes, “I live in Durham, N.C.,<br />

with my wife, Gerty, and three children:<br />

Carl, Fred and Alice. Gerty teaches science<br />

at Durham Academy and all three children<br />

attend there. I work for the Two Blades<br />

Foundation, a non-profit that promotes the<br />

development of disease resistance in crops.”<br />

1979<br />

30th Reunion<br />

Peter Bellas is a litigation partner at the<br />

law firm Genovese Joblove & Battista, P.A.<br />

Penny Benatovich writes, “I am producing<br />

promos and advertising for broadcast and<br />

cable networks (Discovery Channel, HBO,<br />

ABC), as well as still having my own<br />

production company. Recently I created a<br />

show that ran on A&E Network about a<br />

one of a kind matchmaker from Buffalo.”<br />

Dennis Brinkworth’s WJ Morrissey’s<br />

restaurant and Irish pub, a Cobblestone<br />

District favorite, received three stars in<br />

a recent review by Janice Okun of The<br />

Buffalo News.<br />

Jeffrey Clifford lives in London, England<br />

and works in emerging markets investments<br />

and asset management at Standard Bank<br />

Plc.<br />

David Duryea is a Program Manager<br />

for the U.S. Navy Special Operations<br />

Forces Undersea Mobility Systems.<br />

He is responsible for the acquisition,<br />

development and maintenance of U.S.<br />

Navy Special Operations undersea<br />

capabilities.<br />

Darby Johnson lives in the Seacoast area<br />

of N.H. with her husband, Drew, and their<br />

son, Cooper (4).<br />

Michael Montesano writes, “I have<br />

recently left the faculty of the National<br />

University of Singapore to assume a<br />

research position at the Institute of<br />

Southeast Asian Studies, also in Singapore.<br />

While at ISEAS, I shall be working on a<br />

book examining commerce and society in<br />

20 th century provincial Thailand. Earlier<br />

this year, the NUS Press released ’Thai<br />

South and Malay North: Ethic Interactions<br />

on a Plural Peninsula,’ of which I am<br />

Co-editor. This July had me in Rangoon,<br />

Burma, for a second straight year, to<br />

lecture on Southeast Asian history and<br />

historiography to university faculty and to<br />

begin a long-term research project on social<br />

change in urban centers on the Irrawaddy<br />

Delta during the past 80 years. Finally, I<br />

have served for the past two years as an<br />

Independent Director of First Ship Lease<br />

Trust, a Singapore-listed business trust with<br />

a diversified fleet of vessels on long-term<br />

bare-boat charter. Old friends, as well as


members of the <strong>Nichols</strong> community who<br />

may pass through Singapore, may contact<br />

me at michael.montesano@gmail.com.”<br />

James Neathery is a resource broker<br />

to help people in developing countries<br />

provide for themselves while advancing<br />

the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is an adjunct<br />

professor of mission and intercultural<br />

studies at Dallas Theological Seminary.<br />

1980<br />

David Green is living in Scarsdale, N.Y.,<br />

with his wife and practicing academic<br />

hematology at New York University. His<br />

daughter is a freshman at N.Y.U.<br />

David Hale lives in Central New York with<br />

wife and three school-age children. He is in<br />

a senior administrative position at Colgate<br />

University.<br />

Edward Yerkovich writes, “After moving<br />

back to Buffalo from Los Angeles over 14<br />

years ago, I am living on the Lake Shore<br />

with my wife, Sasha, and my three sons,<br />

Luke ’12, Will ’15 and Alec ’16, who are<br />

all proud students at <strong>Nichols</strong>.”<br />

1981<br />

Lynne Pfeifer Pelos still makes her home<br />

in Minneapolis with husband, Perry, and<br />

kids, Ellen (14) and Andy (11). She hopes<br />

to someday move to Oregon where her new<br />

vineyard/winery is located. This has been a<br />

focus of the last 10 years.<br />

Colleen Serafin writes, “I work full time<br />

at an automotive supplier in the Southeast<br />

Michigan area running usability studies on<br />

advanced in-vehicle systems. When I’m<br />

not working, I’m attending my daughter<br />

Miranda’s Varsity Field Hockey and Soccer<br />

games. She is a junior at Greenhills <strong>School</strong><br />

in Ann Arbor where Peter Fayroian (past<br />

Head of the Upper <strong>School</strong> at <strong>Nichols</strong>) is<br />

now Head of <strong>School</strong>. We enjoy traveling to<br />

San Francisco several times a year and to<br />

Martha’s Vineyard every summer.”<br />

Lawrence Teruel has a private Ear, Nose<br />

and Throat practice southeast of Tucson.<br />

He is married with two young children,<br />

ages 3 and 2.<br />

1982<br />

Lisa Benatovich Brosofsky writes,<br />

“Working full time implementing pension<br />

administration systems and living in<br />

Providence with my husband, Dan, and<br />

our twin 8-year-old daughters, Jillian and<br />

Sarah, and our new kitten, Clementine.”<br />

Gale Burstein writes, “We (my husband<br />

and two kids) moved back to Buffalo from<br />

Atlanta three years ago. I am currently<br />

the Medical Director of Epidemiology,<br />

Surveillance and STD Control at the Erie<br />

County Dept. of Health and an adolescent<br />

medicine physician at the Women and<br />

Children’s Hospital of Buffalo.”<br />

Annette Holzman Fitch is living in Buffalo<br />

with her husband, Michael, and their two<br />

children John (9) and Elizabeth (14).<br />

Elizabeth is an eighth-grader at <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

Thomas Luscher was recently promoted<br />

to Captain, U.S. Navy. He is currently<br />

pursuing a master’s degree at the Army<br />

Senior War College in Carlisle, Pa. He<br />

has been selected to command the Naval<br />

Air Base in New Orleans, La., for his next<br />

assignment.<br />

Alan Randaccio is living in Williamsville,<br />

N.Y., with his wife and three children.<br />

His oldest son, James, is a sophomore at<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong>. Alan owns and runs his Real<br />

Estate Development & Home Building<br />

business, coaches youth hockey, and is<br />

a member and past President of Buffalo<br />

Niagara Builder’s Association.<br />

Stephen Sanders writes, “I am living in<br />

Buffalo with my wife Wendy and two<br />

children, Jacqueline (Buffalo Seminary<br />

class of 2010) and Parker (Elmwood<br />

Franklin <strong>School</strong> class of 2013). We have<br />

a summer residence on the Canadian<br />

lakeshore in Point Abino. We are members<br />

of the Buffalo Canoe Club and Saturn<br />

Club. I actively captain a sailboat in local<br />

races and regional regattas. I have served<br />

on the Board of Directors at the Buffalo<br />

Canoe Club and am currently on the<br />

Advisory Board at The Salvation Army<br />

of Buffalo. I graduated from the SUNY at<br />

Buffalo <strong>School</strong> of Management’s Center for<br />

Entrepreneurial Leadership core program<br />

in 2006.”<br />

1983<br />

Christian Tiftickjian ’83 married<br />

Jacquelyn Kenefick on Aug. 23 in Buffalo.<br />

Tracy Narins Welchoff is living in<br />

Clarence with her husband, two children<br />

(ages 10 and 12) and a chocolate lab. Tracy<br />

works as a psychologist specializing in<br />

children, anxiety disorders, eating disorders<br />

and sport psychology.<br />

Holly Flickinger Williams writes, “I<br />

substitute teach in a private elementary<br />

school in Durham, N.C., called Duke<br />

<strong>School</strong>. I also tutor elementary aged<br />

students in reading. I volunteer four hours<br />

a week at my childrens’ school, attend<br />

classes at Duke University, present science<br />

programs for children and adults as a<br />

Master Gardener, and study the martial art,<br />

Ninjutsu.”<br />

1984<br />

25th Reunion<br />

Join our Facebook Group called <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

<strong>School</strong> ’84 (25 th Reunion).<br />

Nicole Braxton Brodie writes, “Hello,<br />

Class of 1984! Wow how time flies. I will<br />

definitely be attending the class reunion<br />

in June 2009. Looking forward to seeing<br />

everyone. Recently, I have successfully<br />

completed my Ph.D. in Educational<br />

Administration. I reside in Jonesboro, Ga.<br />

(near Atlanta) with my husband and three<br />

children.”<br />

Jennifer Joyce just relocated to the San<br />

Francisco Bay area with her husband and<br />

three kids.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

59


Pamela Bos Kefi is living in Buffalo<br />

with husband and three kids. She is the<br />

Executive Director of the International<br />

Institute, which promotes global awareness<br />

and assists immigrants to become fully<br />

contributing members of the community.<br />

Joan Saab is living in Rochester with her<br />

husband and two sons. She is teaching Art<br />

History and directing the Visual Culture<br />

Program at the University of Rochester.<br />

1985<br />

Mark Appelbaum is currently coaching<br />

Girls Junior Varsity Hockey at <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

His daughter Kendall is in eighth grade at<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> and his daughter Jayne will be in<br />

fifth grade next year, hopefully at <strong>Nichols</strong>.<br />

James Beardsley lives in the Washington,<br />

D.C. metro area, but is currently a<br />

mobilized Navy reservist deployed to<br />

Kuwait. Dan was mobilized by the Navy<br />

in February to manage team of over 500<br />

sailors conducting customs inspections<br />

on personnel heading home from Iraq<br />

and Kuwait. He has been in contact with<br />

L.C.D.R. Sam DeCastro ’91 and plans<br />

to see Sam when he completes his tour in<br />

Afghanistan and heads home this summer.<br />

Dana Simon Breen and her family just<br />

moved to Grosse Pointe, Mich., where her<br />

husband became the Associate Head at<br />

University Liggett <strong>School</strong>. Dana is currently<br />

the CEO of their household – driving kids to<br />

activities, volunteering in classrooms, doing<br />

laundry, cleaning and grocery shopping.<br />

She has enjoyed eating dinners with her<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> classmate, Lila Morris Hyde and<br />

her husband, Bill, who also are in the Grosse<br />

Pointe area. Her kids think that playing at<br />

the Hyde’s house is awesome.<br />

Andrew Harrison has been traveling<br />

the country since 2004 with the show<br />

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, helping<br />

deserving families across America realize<br />

their dreams of a new home.<br />

Gail Karet writes, “I live in the Chicago<br />

area, where there is much excitement<br />

over the Obama election and hope that<br />

this will help the city’s bid to host the<br />

2016 Olympics. I have a husband and two<br />

children, Susan and John. I am the aunt<br />

of Brendan ’11 and Ava Karet ’15, two<br />

current <strong>Nichols</strong> students.”<br />

60 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Christopher Lascola writes, “My days<br />

are some combination of clinical work,<br />

research, soccer and tennis with Laura and<br />

the two boys, and golf whenever I can. Life<br />

is busy but great.”<br />

Joseph McNamara writes, “My wife is a<br />

program manager in the space division<br />

at Moog for the Orien rocket capsule.<br />

I manage a couple ITT businesses and<br />

finished my first Ironman triathlon last<br />

spring.”<br />

J. Bradley Rauch writes, “Besides working<br />

a lot lately, I am living in Orchard Park,<br />

N.Y., with my wife, Krissie, and four<br />

children: Hannah, James, Grace and Lilli.<br />

I am coaching junior alpine ski racing in<br />

the winter months and spending time in<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>ian Bay, Canada in the summer.”<br />

David Weiskopf and his wife, Amy, are<br />

thoroughly enjoying being parents. Kate<br />

Elisabeth Weiskopf was born on Dec. 20,<br />

2007.<br />

1986<br />

Laylah Ali’s untitled work of ink, gouache,<br />

colored pencil and ballpoint pen on paper<br />

(2008) is being lent by the artist, courtesy<br />

of Miller Block Gallery in Boston. It is<br />

currently featured in “Laylah Ali: Notes/<br />

Drawings/Untitled Afflictions,” which was<br />

on exhibit at DeCordova Museum and<br />

Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Mass., from<br />

November 2008 through Jan. 4, 2009.<br />

Kyle Randolph Bacon has been named the<br />

new Principal of James Madison Middle<br />

<strong>School</strong> in Prince Ge<strong>org</strong>e’s County Public<br />

<strong>School</strong>s in Upper Marlboro, Md. Kyle is<br />

overseeing a student population of 960<br />

students, over 70 staff members and a<br />

sizeable budget. In addition, in September,<br />

Kyle completed his first half marathon in<br />

the 3 rd Annual Parks Half-Marathon in<br />

Rockville, Md.<br />

Robert Drago relocated back to Western<br />

New York (Pittsford) in May to serve<br />

as president of Fleischer’s Bagels, Inc,<br />

a private equity backed frozen food<br />

manufacturer based in Rochester.<br />

Carrie Marcy Hamlett writes, “My<br />

Delaware Park tennis team went to the<br />

National Amateur Tennis Championships<br />

in Arizona this October and we came in<br />

third place in the country. I attribute my<br />

love of the game to my tennis at <strong>Nichols</strong>!<br />

Justin Kellogg’s wife, Leslie, was my<br />

teammate! I am living in Buffalo with<br />

my husband and two kids, and ran for<br />

Democratic committee woman and won<br />

this fall in my district, and received my real<br />

estate license this summer. Also went to<br />

Ohio to campaign for Obama.”<br />

Scott Kareff is raising a family of three on<br />

Long Island with his wife and working in<br />

New York City at Schulte Roth & Zabel as<br />

a transactional IP/IT attorney.<br />

Mark Preisler runs ESPNEWS.<br />

William Sanford is in his 10 th year teaching<br />

high school science and is a Commander<br />

in the U.S. Navy Reserves, after eight years<br />

active duty and 10 years in reserves. He<br />

also is in his 13 th year as a youth leader for<br />

his church’s senior high youth group.<br />

1987<br />

Rachel Henrich Bronwyn writes, “I<br />

am teaching next door to my husband –<br />

my best friend. I am working for social<br />

justice; I am fighting ’the man’ and I am<br />

ensuring that this democracy does not<br />

perish from the earth. I am speaking truth<br />

to power; I am offering my students the<br />

most certain and sure form of love there<br />

is: my unwavering belief in their goodness,<br />

intelligence and potential. I am selling<br />

hope in all its myriad forms.”<br />

Sareer Fazili is a trial attorney working<br />

with Cellino and Barnes, P.C. He is married<br />

with two daughters, ages 6 and 2. The<br />

family lives in Rochester, N.Y.


Tonya McKee Sieracki lives in<br />

Williamsville, N.Y., with her husband of 17<br />

years and their three children. She finds it<br />

an everyday adventure to be a teacher in<br />

the Buffalo <strong>School</strong>s.<br />

J. Tim Vanini recently made the 2009<br />

Marquis Who’s Who © in America.<br />

1988<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> is proud to announce that<br />

four alumni were chosen to receive<br />

Business First’s 40 Under 40 honor<br />

this fall: Brian Anderson ’88,<br />

Peter Bergmann ’88,<br />

Allison Gioia Flammer ’90 and<br />

Adrienne Leetch Leibowitz ’88.<br />

Congratulations to them on this<br />

special recognition of their<br />

incredible professional and personal<br />

contributions to our community<br />

in Western New York.<br />

Nanette Burstein recently made a feature<br />

length documentary called “American<br />

Teen,” which was released in movie theaters<br />

this summer and screened at <strong>Nichols</strong> this<br />

fall. She is currently directing commercials<br />

and attached to direct a fiction feature<br />

movie this spring with Warner Bros. Studio.<br />

W. Justin Clayton is working on U.S.<br />

bilateral relations in Tokyo.<br />

Lawrence Gallick is living in Buffalo<br />

but telecommuting to Portland, Ore. and<br />

applying to law schools.<br />

Christopher Galvin is teaching public high<br />

school elective classes: Digital Multimedia<br />

and Traditional Black and White<br />

Photography. He and his wife, Jody, have<br />

three boys Seamus (7), Kieran (4) and Evan<br />

(2). The family lives in East Aurora, N.Y.<br />

Jared Hardner is managing an<br />

environmental consulting firm that operates<br />

in U.S., Latin America, Asia and Africa.<br />

His work primarily focuses on conservation<br />

of biodiversity. He is the father of twins who<br />

are turning four in January. The family is<br />

living in New Hampshire.<br />

Rebecca Sherburne Hylkema is raising<br />

a beautiful family of four children with<br />

her husband, Aaron. They are living in<br />

the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge<br />

Mountains, S.C., and enjoying year round<br />

pleasant weather. Rebecca is a school<br />

counselor in a small rural K-3 public school.<br />

Susan Hearn Kaiser is living in Central<br />

Mississippi enjoying working with her<br />

patients. She lives with her husband, Ken,<br />

and they have two children, Jimmy and<br />

Kimmy, who are in elementary school now.<br />

They get back to Buffalo to see family and<br />

friends once a year.<br />

Deena Kotlewski works full time for<br />

Montgomery County Public <strong>School</strong>s as<br />

a school counselor, helping a very needy<br />

population. She has a part-time private<br />

practice where she does psychotherapy with<br />

children, adolescents and their families.<br />

She lives with her husband and dog in<br />

Washington, D.C., and loves the culture<br />

and vibe of the city.<br />

David Levy is working for the Federal<br />

government, taking care of two aging<br />

parents, seeking a serious relationship, and<br />

enjoying life as much as possible.<br />

Alise Shuart is in her second year of teaching<br />

and coaching at the Montclair Kimberley<br />

Academy. She completed her first marathon<br />

in 2007 and hopes to complete another one<br />

sometime soon. She also keeps herself busy<br />

with working over the summer as an Athletic<br />

Director at an all-girls summer camp.<br />

1989<br />

20 th Reunion<br />

Karen Burgess Chiantella writes, “I am<br />

looking forward to my son Dylan’s first<br />

birthday on Thanksgiving Day, and we are<br />

expecting our second on April 15 – Tax<br />

Day! Very appropriate, as my husband is a<br />

tax attorney.”<br />

Rich Denning is happily living in Buffalo<br />

with his wife, Katie, and their two kids:<br />

Claire (3 ½) and Molly (7 months).<br />

Josh Nussbaumer, Chris Healey,<br />

Howie Saperston and Sawyer Saperston,<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> Class of 2027, get ready for the<br />

2008 Bills home opener at the<br />

Saperston’s home in Snyder, N.Y.<br />

Matt Kolken and his wife, Natasha, gave birth<br />

to twins on Oct. 9: Alexander weighed 6 lbs.,<br />

6 oz., and Catherine weighed 4 lbs., 9 oz.<br />

Dina Drago Sheward is married with a<br />

daughter in Kindergarten. She is living in<br />

Charlotte, N.C., teaching preschool.<br />

David Sommerstein was the recipient of a<br />

2008 National Edward R. Murrow Award<br />

for journalism excellence from the Radio-<br />

Television News Directors Association.<br />

David is North County Public Radio’s<br />

Assistant News Director and reporter. His<br />

three-part report, “Farm to Farm, Family<br />

to Family,” was judged Best News Series<br />

by a small market station. It explores<br />

the migration of Mexican and Central<br />

American farm workers in and out of rural<br />

communities of New York, how migrants<br />

are affecting rural communities and what<br />

the future may hold. “Farm to Farm,<br />

Family to Family” can be heard at http://<br />

www.northcountrypublicradio.<strong>org</strong>/news/<br />

farmtofarm.php.<br />

John (Henderson) Wray has written and<br />

published “Lowboy,” his third novel.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

61


1990<br />

Patricia Duggan Brostek writes, “My<br />

husband is continuing his Marine Corps<br />

career as a student at the U.S. Army JAG<br />

<strong>School</strong> in Charlottesville, Va., earning<br />

his LLM degree. I am a freelance quilt<br />

instructor at area shops and busy with<br />

our daughters’ dance, soccer and Scouts<br />

schedule. We are enjoying the Blue Ridge<br />

Mountains and all the area has to offer!”<br />

Kathryn Biltekoff Kelly writes, “I live<br />

in beautiful Corvallis, Ore., with my two<br />

boys and my husband. I teach science in a<br />

local middle school and also do some work<br />

promoting technology for classrooms.”<br />

Mathew Kushner is living in Charlotte<br />

and working with his dad and two sisters.<br />

Lisa Ciavaglia Lostumbo recently moved<br />

back to Buffalo with her husband, John,<br />

and their two children, Luke (4) and Sara,<br />

(1½).<br />

1991<br />

Jay Blair is living in Buffalo and working<br />

as a first Vice President of Investments for<br />

Smith Barney.<br />

Sonia Shah-Pandya is a full time physician<br />

in a suburb of Richmond, Va. She is<br />

married and has two children: Deven (6)<br />

and Alisha (9 months). She has been<br />

married for almost 10 years to Paras Pandya<br />

from Grand Island, N.Y., an ER physician.<br />

David Vallas is an attorney working in<br />

Chicago. He is married with identical twin<br />

daughters.<br />

Ben Wilton received his Master of Fine<br />

Arts degree in Ceramics from SUNY at<br />

New Paltz in May. He will be an adjunct<br />

professor there this fall.<br />

1992<br />

Lori Notz Beck is currently working as<br />

a Scrub Nurse at the local hospital in<br />

Amsterdam, N.Y., and is looking into<br />

going back to school to pursue becoming a<br />

Registered Nurse First Assistant. When she<br />

is not working, she enjoys spending time<br />

with her daughter, Camryn (10).<br />

62 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Gordon Brott and his wife, Meghan,<br />

welcomed Alexander David Brott on<br />

Nov. 10.<br />

Stephanie Baker Katzman is running the<br />

Rhinelander Nursery <strong>School</strong> in New York<br />

City.<br />

Aaleya Koreishi has been on the faculty at<br />

Duke Eye Center for two years, while her<br />

husband was doing a fellowship in retina<br />

surgery. They moved to Dallas/Ft. Worth,<br />

Texas this past summer. They started new<br />

jobs with amazing sub-specialty groups in<br />

the area. Aaleya is a cornea, cataract and<br />

refractive surgery specialist for Cornea<br />

Associates of Texas.<br />

Ryan Mulderig writes, “I have two<br />

daughters, Delaney and Regan Mulderig,<br />

which keep my wife, Carol, and I very busy.”<br />

Amanda Wagle locally runs and chairs<br />

a state-wide Master of Arts in Teaching<br />

Program, working closely with the Buffalo<br />

Public <strong>School</strong> system to recruit and prepare<br />

teachers for high-needs environments.<br />

1993<br />

Thomas Dowling writes, “I work at the<br />

World Bank as a trade economist and teach<br />

economics at the Ge<strong>org</strong>e Washington<br />

University <strong>School</strong> of Business. This coming<br />

year I am excited to do a lot of traveling<br />

for work and pleasure: Bangladesh, Korea,<br />

Brazil and Slovenia. I am also working on a<br />

cookbook and playing a lot of squash.”<br />

David Klepser writes, “I’m still in<br />

Charlotte, N.C., with my wife, Rebecca,<br />

and two boys: Drew (5) and Owen (3). I’m<br />

still working in real estate development,<br />

focusing on urban mixed-use projects.”<br />

Leslie Biltekoff Myers lives in New York<br />

City with her husband, Todd, and their<br />

daughter, Ella, who was born on Sept. 14.<br />

Carrie Giambra Silliman is living in<br />

Williamsville, N.Y., with her husband,<br />

Luke, son, Austin (4) and daughter, Brooke<br />

(9 months). She works full time as a<br />

Nurse Practitioner in the Department of<br />

Medicine with GU, sarcoma and melanoma<br />

cancers with Drs. Trump and Wong. In her<br />

spare time, she also is pursuing an M.B.A.<br />

from Canisius College on a part-time basis.<br />

Mark Travers and his wife, Maansi,<br />

welcomed Matthew Travers on Aug. 2,<br />

weighing 7 lbs., 11 oz. The family lives in<br />

Hamburg, N.Y.<br />

1994<br />

15 th Reunion<br />

Ted Bloomberg is living in New York with<br />

his wife, Jamie, and their newborn son,<br />

Micah. Ted works at TD Ameritrade and is<br />

enjoying fatherhood.<br />

Ajit Nemi recently started a clinic in the<br />

metropolitan Atlanta area specializing in<br />

cataract surgery, laser vision correction and<br />

aesthetics. Visit www.seewithlotus.com.<br />

Heather Smith, Executive Director of the<br />

political powerhouse Rock the Vote, was<br />

interviewed by NPR on Nov. 7 to discuss<br />

how history was made beyond the election<br />

of the first African American President.<br />

Heather reported that young voters turned<br />

out in record numbers, and voted for<br />

Obama about 2-1 over John McCain.<br />

1995<br />

Christopher Catanzaro is living in East<br />

Aurora, N.Y., with his wife, Jen, and their<br />

son, Jackson (1 ½).<br />

Ryan Lang writes, “As a Dewey & LeBouef<br />

associate, I advise the firm’s clients on<br />

insurance regulatory and related matters<br />

which includes advice pertaining to state,<br />

national and international legislative<br />

developments. I provide advice to the<br />

London insurance market, providing<br />

regulatory, compliance, transactional and<br />

tax advice to Lloyd’s, the International<br />

Underwriting Association of London, and<br />

the individual syndicates and underwriting<br />

managers.”


Regan Marsh is in Malawi, which is in<br />

Southeastern Africa, working for Partners<br />

in Health in a local clinic. Her husband also<br />

is in the area running a non-governmental<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization and doing research for<br />

University of Pennsylvania.<br />

Matthew Miller is practicing commercial<br />

litigation and entertainment law in<br />

Orchard Park, N.Y.<br />

Matthew Roland writes, “I am relocating<br />

back to Buffalo with my wife, Briana,<br />

and son, Brady (17 months old). I will be<br />

working at Iskalo Development Corp. as<br />

Development Project Manager.”<br />

1996<br />

Bridget Scanlon Baroody lives in Atlanta<br />

with her husband and two dogs. She<br />

currently works in sales for General Electric<br />

providing loans on commercial real estate.<br />

Marquita Knight Booze lives in Spokane,<br />

Wash., with her husband and two children.<br />

Rebekah Lowinger Elliot writes, “I am<br />

teaching middle school English for the<br />

Buffalo Public <strong>School</strong>s (just got tenure!)<br />

and working on a master’s degree in<br />

Educational Technology at Buffalo State<br />

College.”<br />

Kelly Grotke writes, “I am living in<br />

Bellingham, Wash., working as a Case<br />

Manager at a transitional housing<br />

apartment complex for survivors of<br />

domestic violence and their children. I also<br />

coordinate a children’s enrichment program<br />

that focuses on healing and empowerment,<br />

and teach a life skills class to clients in our<br />

homeless housing program.”<br />

Krista Contino Krahn writes, “I am<br />

currently living with my husband where Dr.<br />

Rockwell said I’d be back in AP European<br />

History class: Minnesota. My husband,<br />

Zeb, is a post-doctoral researcher at the<br />

University of Minnesota in the physics<br />

department. I am an attorney with Fish &<br />

Richardson, where my practice centers on<br />

patent prosecution.”<br />

Mandy Marsh is finishing up her M.B.A.<br />

at Boston College and is planning to move<br />

back to New York City.<br />

Jacob Oleksiak is currenly living in<br />

Charlotte, N.C., with his wife, Jacqueline,<br />

and working as a Cost Analyst with the<br />

Shaw Group’s nuclear power division.<br />

Evan Pozarny lives in Brentwood, Calif.,<br />

and works in Commercial Real Estate as a<br />

broker.<br />

Amanda Greene Webster and her<br />

husband Ben and son, Maxwell Chase<br />

(2), welcomed new baby, Annabel Grace<br />

Webster, on July 5. They live in Hood<br />

River, Ore.<br />

Laura Lombardo Yusick and her husband,<br />

Matthew, welcomed new daughter, Ella Mae<br />

Yusick, on July 28. They live in Snyder, N.Y.<br />

1997<br />

Amy Hall Browne is living in Durham,<br />

N.C., and enjoying staying at home with<br />

her almost two-year-old son.<br />

Ashley Dayer is working as an Education<br />

and Outreach Director for Klamath Bird<br />

Observatory, advancing bird and habitat<br />

conservation in Oregon and California.<br />

Alison Rackl Haefner writes, “My<br />

husband and I just had our baby girl, Riley<br />

Patricia Haefner, on Sept. 21.”<br />

Christopher Kercher lives in Manhattan<br />

with his wife, Cory, who is a resident in<br />

pediatrics at New York Presbyterian/Weil<br />

Cornell Medical Center. Since graduating<br />

from NYU Law in 2004, he has been<br />

practicing corporate litigation at the law<br />

firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.<br />

Safina Koreishi writes, “I am living in<br />

Portland, Ore., with my husband. We moved<br />

here in 2005 for family medicine residency. I<br />

am doing two residencies. I am finished with<br />

family medicine and will finish preventive<br />

medicine in June 2009 along with my<br />

master’s in public health. I will start clinical<br />

work for a Yakima Valley Farmworkers<br />

Clinic, Rosewood, which is a federally<br />

qualified community health center serving<br />

an underserved community in Portland. My<br />

interests are underserved medicine, social<br />

justice, health system reform, primary care<br />

advocacy and public health in general.”<br />

Jacob Mascari recently returned from his<br />

honeymoon in Thailand. He is living in<br />

New York City with his wife, Christina,<br />

and working in Fixed Income at M<strong>org</strong>an<br />

Stanley. He just ran the 2008 ING New<br />

York City Marathon.<br />

On July 26, Dan Crane and Josselyn<br />

Shamos were married in the Twentieth<br />

Century Club in Pittsburgh. Dan graduated<br />

from SUNY at Fredonia in 2001 and<br />

serves as the Webmaster for Lanxess Inc.,<br />

a chemical company headquartered in<br />

Pittsburgh. Josselyn received a master’s<br />

degree from Ohio State University in<br />

June and begins a Ph.D. program in<br />

Communications at Duquesne University<br />

at the end of August. They will live in<br />

Shadyside, a section of Pittsburgh wellknown<br />

to <strong>Nichols</strong> athletes.<br />

KC Bryan White writes, “I am living in<br />

Cleveland, Ohio, with my husband, Justin,<br />

and my son, Mac. I coach soccer, basketball<br />

and lacrosse and I am a member of the<br />

National Board of Trustees for the Cystic<br />

Fibrosis Foundation.”<br />

1998<br />

Polly Graser is a Consultant for<br />

Accenture. She is currently deployed<br />

to a project with Royal Dutch Shell as<br />

an HR-IT business analyst. She lives in<br />

Leiden, which is not far from Amsterdam,<br />

and encourages fellow <strong>Nichols</strong> alumni to<br />

contact her if they plan on passing through<br />

the Netherlands.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

63


C. Taylor Greene married Rachael M<strong>org</strong>an<br />

Peters on Sept. 13 in Amagansett, N.Y.<br />

The couple lives in Brooklyn.<br />

Alexis Muscato lives in Buffalo, N.Y.,<br />

and works in the Commercial Lending<br />

Department at M&T Bank. Alexis is a<br />

Class Agent for the Class of 1998.<br />

1999<br />

10 th Reunion<br />

Zachary Augustine is finishing his last<br />

year of law school at NYU; next year he’ll<br />

be working in New York in the corporate<br />

department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind,<br />

Wharton & Garrison.<br />

Clark Banach writes, “I started a business<br />

with an undergraduate classmate. We own<br />

Sparkable, a web advertising firm in Buffalo,<br />

N.Y. We service a few high profile clients:<br />

SUNY at Buffalo, Kaleida, Canisius College,<br />

Prometheus Books, Hunt Real Estate,<br />

Bocce Pizza and some other smaller groups.<br />

Sparkable owns North Star Media Studios<br />

and Angelic Ink, a professional media<br />

studio and a small publishing house. We<br />

took some proceeds and began a non-profit,<br />

Creative HOPE. I coach Division I Premier<br />

U.S.A. Rugby at Canisius College and was<br />

selected as a NYS U-19 Allstar coach in<br />

2007. I also received a full scholarship to<br />

graduate school and I will be receiving my<br />

M.B.A. in marketing and international<br />

business from Canisius College in 2009, after<br />

completing my degree at the Berlin <strong>School</strong><br />

of Economics. I sit on the M.B.A. Student<br />

Advisory Board, as well as the Justice in<br />

Action Work Group at Canisius College.”<br />

Ellie Walsh Beasley is the Associate<br />

Director of Leadership Gifts and University<br />

of Virginia’s Darden <strong>School</strong> of Business.<br />

Ellie and her husband, Andrew, live in<br />

Charlottesville.<br />

Gigi Gatewood will be receiving her<br />

M.F.A. in photography from Rhode Island<br />

<strong>School</strong> of Design in spring of 2009.<br />

Benjamin Siracusa Hillman writes, “I just<br />

started as a law clerk to a federal district<br />

court judge in Bridgeport, Conn. I also<br />

recently got married. My wife, Betty, and<br />

I live in New Haven, Conn. We will be<br />

moving to San Francisco next August,<br />

64 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

where she will be doing dissertation<br />

research and I will be clerking for a federal<br />

court of appeals judge.”<br />

Michael Radolinski has joined the New<br />

York office of Toronto-based law firm Osler,<br />

Hoskin & Harcourt LLP as an associate in<br />

the Tax Department.<br />

John Soron is currently a 2L at SUNY<br />

at Buffalo’s Law <strong>School</strong> and still on<br />

Active Duty as an Army Captain. He is<br />

participating in an Army program designed<br />

to take experienced line officers and<br />

educate them for service in the JAG Corps.<br />

John was previously stationed in Germany<br />

for four years and has completed two<br />

combat tours in Iraq (2004, 2005-2006).<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> classmates gathered on Oct. 25, at<br />

the wedding of Meg Stevenson and Corey<br />

Auerbach: (front row) Ellie Walsh Beasley<br />

and Evans Mitchell (back row) Andy<br />

Snyder, Corey Auerbach, Meg Stevenson<br />

Auerbach, Katie Sadler, Gigi Gatewood<br />

and Amelia Booth.<br />

2000<br />

Michael Aylward is transitioning from<br />

academic life to the policy/political arena<br />

in Portland, Ore.<br />

Jeremy Green is completing his Ph.D. at<br />

Yale.<br />

Michele Jammal writes, “I am in my third<br />

year of teaching. After completing my<br />

master’s degree at Roberts Wesleyan, I was<br />

hired at Byron-Bergen Elementary <strong>School</strong><br />

and have been teaching third grade.”<br />

Juliet Rackl married Evan Bloodgood on<br />

June 14. Juliet and Evan graduated from<br />

the McDonough <strong>School</strong> of Business at<br />

Ge<strong>org</strong>etown University in 2004. They<br />

currently live in Manhattan, where Juliet<br />

works in corporate mergers and acquisitions,<br />

and Evan in real estate finance.<br />

2001<br />

Elizabeth Hardner writes, “I am the<br />

Development Associate in the Office<br />

of Foundation Relations at MIT. I am<br />

responsible for supporting the needs of the<br />

<strong>School</strong> of Humanities, Arts and Social<br />

Sciences (SHASS) and the <strong>School</strong> of<br />

Architecture and Planning (SAP). I joined<br />

MIT in September, after completing a<br />

Master’s in Business Administration at<br />

the European Business <strong>School</strong> in London.<br />

While in graduate school, I served as an<br />

intern at New Philanthropy Capital, where<br />

I studied the effectiveness and sustainability<br />

of grant-funded projects. Prior to moving<br />

overseas, I worked as a Senior Accountant<br />

with Fidelity Investments.”<br />

Jacqueline Maciejewski is living in<br />

Philadelphia, working on her second master’s<br />

and is doing safety testing for new drugs.<br />

Shannon Meyerhoff is living in Moscow<br />

and working as an English teacher, editor<br />

and translator.<br />

Catherine Plumb is teaching at a private<br />

school outside of Indianapolis for the gifted<br />

and talented. She teaches Earth Science<br />

and Human Anatomy. She also is coaching<br />

high school swimming at another local<br />

private school, Park Tudor. She is earning<br />

a master’s degree in K-8 Science with an<br />

online school, Walden University.<br />

Wendy Stone teaches History, coaches field<br />

hockey and lacrosse, runs a boys’ dormitory,<br />

is the Assistant Athletic Director and an<br />

adviser at Berkshire <strong>School</strong> in Sheffield,<br />

Mass. She also is taking graduate classes at<br />

Wesleyan University at night. She travels<br />

during the summer, in addition to coaching<br />

lacrosse.<br />

2002<br />

Dana Bergantz is living in Charlotte, N.C.,<br />

with her fiancé Lee Michelsen and working<br />

as a freelance photographer for both St.<br />

John Photography and Dana Bergantz<br />

Photography.


Amanda Gershberg writes, “I’m living<br />

in New Jersey doing marketing and sales<br />

for a cheese manufacturer, distributor and<br />

importer. I love my job and my new friends<br />

in Jersey, and also being so close to New<br />

York City”<br />

Nicole Grew is enjoying life in Chicago.<br />

Nomiki Konst writes, “I am living in Los<br />

Angeles doing the acting thing. It has<br />

been going very well, as I am represented<br />

and currently a working actor. I also have<br />

been taking extra classes on the side to<br />

keep my language skills going, French and<br />

Spanish. I just got back from a trip to Asia<br />

this summer. I’m also still active in politics<br />

and got a chance to go to the National<br />

Democratic Convention in Denver this<br />

past August.”<br />

James Montani married Oriana Eyllon<br />

on Aug. 31. Upon completion of his<br />

mechanical engineering degree at Union<br />

College, he was commissioned in the U.S.<br />

Marine Corps in 2006. He is currently<br />

stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif.<br />

Alison Wright writes, “I’m a first-year<br />

graduate student in the English Department<br />

at SUNY at Buffalo, with an informal<br />

concentration in Shakespeare and Gender<br />

Studies, moonlighting as a nanny and a<br />

house cleaner to pay for my books and<br />

candy-addiction, living in Elmwood Village<br />

and taking care of my awesome new dog.”<br />

1st Lt. James L. Montani, USMC married<br />

Oriana Eyllon on Aug. 31 in Waltham,<br />

Mass. Both are graduates from Union<br />

College, Schenectady, N.Y., where the<br />

groom completed a bachelor’s degree in<br />

Mechanical Engineering in 2006 and<br />

earned a commission as an officer in the<br />

United States Marine Corps. Stationed<br />

at Camp Pendleton, the couple resides in<br />

San Clemente, Calif. Montani deployed<br />

in January 2009 with the 13th Marine<br />

Expeditionary Unit aboard the U.S.S.<br />

Boxer.<br />

Pictured together with the bride and<br />

groom are current <strong>Nichols</strong> students<br />

Rosemary ’09 and Stephen Montani ’11,<br />

and <strong>Nichols</strong> alumni Christine Montani<br />

’04, Dave Montani ’06, Adam DeFazio<br />

’99, 1st Lt. Nicholas Arnold, USMC ’02,<br />

and Mario Colucci ’03.<br />

2003<br />

Glenn Gentzke is working for a small<br />

but growing software development and<br />

consulting firm, playing drums for a local<br />

band that is gaining recognition in the<br />

underground circuit, riding his motorcycle,<br />

and skateboarding as frequently as possible.<br />

He also is working with a non-profit<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

Charles Johnson started an online art<br />

gallery at N.Y.U. He recently opened an<br />

actual shop on 25 th Street in the city. He<br />

deals in antique American and European<br />

art.<br />

Michelle Poynton writes, “I graduated from<br />

Boston University’s <strong>School</strong> of Theater with<br />

a degree in Acting. I am currently living<br />

in New York City, and writing plays. My<br />

play ’Pope Joan’ has been fully produced<br />

in Boston and has been entered in the<br />

American College Theater Festival. The<br />

play also will have a short run in New York<br />

City in March. Another new play of mine<br />

may have a production at the ALT Theater<br />

in Buffalo next year.”<br />

2004<br />

5th Reunion<br />

CeCe Butcher is in her Senior Honours<br />

year of study at St. Andrews University.<br />

She is pursuing a five-year degree and<br />

will graduate in June 2009 with an M.A.<br />

Honours Russian (with integrated year<br />

abroad). Her third year of study was spent<br />

in Russia. Currently, she is a captain of<br />

a Girls Football (soccer) team for her<br />

hall of residence and serves as Parties<br />

Representative on her hall’s Committee.<br />

Daniel McKegney recently graduated<br />

from Denison University and was selected<br />

to a Fellowship program at the United<br />

States Golf Association. He welcomes<br />

questions about the career search process<br />

from <strong>Nichols</strong> students and recent<br />

alumni. He also wants to advertise this<br />

unique fellowship position for future<br />

college graduates who were former <strong>Nichols</strong><br />

students. Information about the fellowship<br />

program can be found at http://www.<br />

usga.<strong>org</strong>/aboutus/foundation/fellowship/<br />

fellowship.html.<br />

Brittany Salmon writes “I am taking a<br />

year off to relax after a busy eight years<br />

academically and athletically. I recently<br />

discovered a new sport, speed skating, and<br />

am training full-time for it. On the side, I<br />

am the assistant coach of the <strong>Nichols</strong> Girls<br />

Varsity Hockey team and I am researching<br />

business opportunities for the future.”<br />

Demi Walsh attends Canisius College,<br />

manages a restaurant, bartends at night and<br />

just began helping coach the <strong>Nichols</strong> Girls<br />

Junior Varsity Hockey team.<br />

Christine A. Montani earned a bachelor’s<br />

degree in Foreign Service from Ge<strong>org</strong>etown<br />

University in May. She is employed as a<br />

National Security Analyst with Science<br />

Applications International Corporation<br />

(SAIC) in McLean, Va. Christa resides in<br />

Washington, D.C.<br />

2005<br />

Jane Arcadi attends Canisius College and is<br />

an intern at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.<br />

She will attend the SUNY at Buffalo<br />

Medical <strong>School</strong> in the fall of 2009.<br />

Michael Baldauf attends Florida Gulf<br />

Coast University in Ft. Myers, Fla.<br />

Matthew Felser is a senior at Williams<br />

College and Co-captain of the golf team.<br />

He spent a junior semester in Buenos Aires,<br />

Argentina, and part of last summer working<br />

in Barcelona, Spain. Matt earned All<br />

NESCAC All Sportsmanship Honors for<br />

golf in fall 2008.<br />

Pierre Islam is studying history at the<br />

Johns Hopkins University.<br />

Winter 2009<br />

65


Maddie McQueeny earned All NESCAC<br />

All Sportsmanship Honors for Field Hockey<br />

in fall 2008-2009 at Bowdoin College.<br />

David Mayer attends Vanderbilt University.<br />

Alexander Parker is attending American<br />

University in Washington, D.C., interning<br />

for the Director of the Archives Department<br />

at the Smithsonian National Museum of<br />

American History. He is writing his senior<br />

thesis on American environmental history;<br />

performing in two music groups; and<br />

participating in the campus group Eco-Sense,<br />

which preaches sustainability and seeks to<br />

make the university as green as possible.<br />

2006<br />

Daniel Collins is attending University of<br />

Notre Dame and is cheering on the varsity<br />

teams as the school’s mascot.<br />

William Gurney attends Vanderbilt<br />

University and worked at the Seneca<br />

Gaming Corporation as a marketing intern<br />

during the summer.<br />

Ashley Takacs is currently attending<br />

the University of Pennsylvania studying<br />

Architecture. She is the Senior Design Editor<br />

for the Daily Pennsylvanian, the campus<br />

paper, spending 50 hours per week there, and<br />

overseeing the art direction for the paper.<br />

Ashley also is a writing tutor at Penn’s writing<br />

center. She spent the first part of last summer<br />

in Paris, where she studied architecture with<br />

the Penn Graduate <strong>School</strong> of Design, and the<br />

latter half volunteering at the Darwin Martin<br />

House in Buffalo. She received a grant from<br />

Penn for her work at the Martin House.<br />

Steph Tibollo was awarded SUNY at<br />

Buffalo’s Harry Merrill Gehman Award<br />

(2008). This annual award is given to<br />

students at the undergraduate and graduate<br />

levels, who exhibit academic achievement<br />

and whose intent is to pursue a career in<br />

teaching mathematics.<br />

66 <strong>Nichols</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />

Danielle Tillman is currently enrolled as a<br />

full time student at SIU-Carbondale; she<br />

expects to graduate fall of 2009. Danielle<br />

is a graphic artist at the SIUC Division of<br />

Continuing Education.<br />

Abbe Walsh is finishing her fifth semester<br />

at University of Wisconsin-Madison,<br />

playing on the club hockey team with<br />

fellow <strong>Nichols</strong> alum Jaime Ferrentino.<br />

In January, she will be going abroad on<br />

the Semester at Sea program through the<br />

University of Virginia, during which she<br />

will travel around the world stopping in 12<br />

different countries along the way.<br />

David M. Montani competed for the U.S.<br />

National Team at the 2008 FISA, Under<br />

23 World Rowing Championships held<br />

July 17-20 in Brandenburg, Germany.<br />

Montani, a junior at Fordham University,<br />

was the stroke for the Lightweight Men’s<br />

Four. A total of 54 nations and 792 rowers<br />

competed in the event; the USA entered<br />

14 crews. In his first two years at Fordham,<br />

Dave stroked the undefeated lightweight<br />

four as a freshman, which claimed the gold<br />

medal at the Dad Vail Regatta. He repeated<br />

that feat his sophomore year as the stroke<br />

for the men’s lightweight eight team.<br />

2007<br />

Michelle Berninger is attending<br />

Hamilton College and pursuing internship<br />

opportunities for the summer.<br />

Julia Butcher attends the University of<br />

Denver as a sophomore and French major.<br />

Brandon Davis is a sophomore at Lehigh<br />

University. He interned on a Congressional<br />

campaign, and is pursuing internships in<br />

business and politics.<br />

Sean Heidinger, known for his line Dazzle<br />

Me Formal, has a new cap at New Era<br />

Cap , “The Colvin,” which was inspired by<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> and Buffalo.<br />

Christine Penfold attends Ge<strong>org</strong>e<br />

Washington University and she is interning<br />

at Booz Allen Hamilton in Virginia.<br />

Michael White played on the Iroquois<br />

National U19 Lacrosse team that won a<br />

Bronze Medal at the U19 World Lacrosse<br />

Championships. The World Championships<br />

were held in Coquitlam, British Columbia.<br />

Father and alumnus W. Michael White ’81<br />

coached the team.<br />

2008<br />

Akta Kaushal writes, “I am at American<br />

University and, honestly, it is the best time<br />

of my life. I am double majoring in Political<br />

Science and a Justice (Law and Society)<br />

degree and am minoring in a Middle<br />

Eastern concentration in International<br />

Studies. I am grateful for my experiences<br />

at <strong>Nichols</strong> and even more grateful for the<br />

opportunities presented at my current<br />

university.”<br />

Ryan McNamara is on the radio at Babson<br />

College. He co-hosts a political talk show<br />

at 8 on Sunday evenings. The web site is<br />

radio.babson.edu.<br />

Elisa Peebles writes, “I am currently<br />

approaching the end of my first semester<br />

at New York University. I am adjusting to<br />

my course load, adjusting to my new social<br />

life, finding a new niche in the spoken word<br />

poetry scene, working with friends to create<br />

group projects, starting to network.”<br />

All Alumni Welcome!<br />

Reunion 2009<br />

Friday, June 5, 2009<br />

at 5 p.m.


Faculty Profile<br />

Mary Sykes<br />

What is your position at <strong>Nichols</strong>?<br />

I teach fifth-grade Central Studies, a double<br />

period every day, which includes history,<br />

literature and writing, all centered on the<br />

Middle Ages.<br />

How long have you been teaching at<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong>?<br />

This is my 15 th year.<br />

What was your path leading to<br />

<strong>Nichols</strong> like?<br />

After graduating from the University<br />

of Toronto with a liberal arts degree in<br />

history, literature, language, anthropology<br />

and archaeology, I was unsure about a<br />

career path. A few years later, while living<br />

in Boston, I heard about a teacher training<br />

program at the Shady Hill <strong>School</strong> in<br />

Cambridge. I applied, was accepted, and<br />

spent a year there as an apprentice teacher,<br />

working side by side with master teachers,<br />

learning the craft of teaching through<br />

daily hands-on experience. Additionally,<br />

I took classes from teachers at Shady Hill<br />

who gave seminars on topics important to<br />

teaching. During that incredible year at<br />

Shady Hill, I discovered in myself a true<br />

passion for educating children – I couldn’t<br />

wait for my own classroom! I was hired out<br />

of that program to teach Central Subject<br />

(the same idea as <strong>Nichols</strong>’ Central Studies)<br />

to sixth-graders at The Park <strong>School</strong> in<br />

Brookline, Mass. I taught there for five<br />

years until the birth of my daughter, Emmy.<br />

After moving to Buffalo when Emmy was<br />

young, I looked around for a teaching<br />

position. Cornelia Dopkins, who was then<br />

Head of the Middle <strong>School</strong>, hired me to<br />

teach fifth grade. I’ve been there ever since.<br />

What is your favorite thing about <strong>Nichols</strong>?<br />

The fact that after 15 years I look forward<br />

to coming into school every day. I really<br />

don’t think about what I do as work,<br />

because I truly enjoy it. I give full credit for<br />

the joy I feel teaching at this remarkable<br />

school to my inspiring, supportive<br />

colleagues and to the motivated, talented<br />

students with whom I spend my days.<br />

Do you have a favorite <strong>Nichols</strong> memory?<br />

Anyone who’s been through<br />

fifth grade will tell you that we<br />

stress <strong>org</strong>anization. I’ll never<br />

f<strong>org</strong>et a new fifth-grade parent<br />

informing me that her 10-yearold<br />

son arrived home from his<br />

first day of school announcing<br />

that he had to head upstairs<br />

to <strong>org</strong>anize his binder. The<br />

mother said she almost died<br />

from shock.<br />

What are your hobbies and<br />

interests?<br />

I love the outdoors, so you’ll<br />

find me doing lots of activities<br />

outside: biking, tennis, sailing,<br />

running and gardening. I<br />

also enjoy reading, cooking,<br />

movies and theater.<br />

What is your favorite book<br />

and why?<br />

I don’t really have a favorite<br />

book. I’ve always been an<br />

eclectic reader, and I tend to<br />

enjoy whatever I’m reading<br />

at the time. For me, books<br />

become close friends. Because<br />

I get wrapped up in them,<br />

I tend to feel a sense of loss<br />

when I finish a book, so I always have<br />

the next book I’m going to read on hand.<br />

Just today I reread the children’s book<br />

“Frederick” about a mouse who stores up<br />

good weather memories for the long winter<br />

days ahead. Like Frederick, I’ve been<br />

soaking up our spectacular, colorful fall days<br />

and enjoying them tremendously.


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