31 Years at Nichols - Nichols School

ALUMNI RESTAURANTEURS
GOLD ALUMNI FEATURES
THE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
REGIONAL ALUMNI EVENTS
Spring/Summer 2013
31 Years
at Nichols
A Tribute to Rick Bryan

Campus Clips
A.
B.
E
C.
D.
F.
E.
A. Sam Stark ’15 and Jake Zarzecki ’15 lend a hand with boxes of donations for
the annual food drive to benefit the Food Bank of Western New York. This
year’s effort was another great success, with over 3,500 pounds of food
donated.
B. Lorena James ‘17 soars through the dance studio during class.
C. Charlotte Young ‘20 and Jenna Dhafir ‘20 enjoy the fare at the fifth grade’s
Medieval Feast.
D. From late January through February, the School hosted writer, Sherry
Robbins, through the Just Buffalo Residency Program. Book artist, Joel
Brenden, worked with students in various English classes as well.
E. Talia Stoffman ’18, Libby Malone ’18, Sheila-Zohara Zamor, Leah Kramer ’17,
Clare von Simson ’17, Kendra Jones ’17, Leanna Jones ’17, Lara Sherris ’17
and Caroline Magavern ’17 on the first Middle School French exchange trip.

ditor’s Note
Staff
Spring/Summer 2013
This month, documentary filmmaker and photographer, Gail Mooney, visited Nichols as
the 2013 Prince Lecturer. The series was established by S. Warren Prince, Jr. ’47 in memory
of his parents and brings accomplished individuals to the School to share their life’s work
with our community. Ms. Mooney met with Upper and Middle School students to speak
about her film, “Opening Our Eyes,” with an open audience.
Ms. Mooney and her daughter took a 99-day journey around the world following 11 people,
on six continents, who devoted their lives to making the world a better place for others. They
created the piece as a call for action to inspire people to make
a change, featuring stories ranging from a young American
woman building a home and school for orphans in Nepal to
a man devoted to rehabilitating homeless youth in Sydney.
The film is beautifully shot and the stories are motivating and
heroic—they stand to make even the most accomplished,
service-oriented among us feel unworthy, but that isn’t their
intention. The hope is to multiply good deeds and move
others to take up a cause with meaning to them.
People feel compelled to make a difference after seeing
the film, but they don’t know where to begin. The options
seem limitless. The everyday outreach at Nichols is
different, without a doubt, but it dawned on me that it is just as touching and important to
our young people. Time that teachers, advisors and other adults in this community spend
with students in need is momentous. From inspiring a lifelong passion to offering support
and a listening ear, our students and alumni alike know what a difference our faculty and
staff make in the lives of our students. That, in itself, may be a life’s calling fulfilled.
Keep in touch,
Nina M. Barone
Director of Marketing and Communications
Interim Director of Admissions
Editor
Nina Barone
nbarone@nicholsschool.org
Contributors
Cory Adamczak
Stephanie Angelakos
Nina Barone
Charlie Barth ‘06
Richard C. Bryan
Genevieve Carbone
Donald D. Ehre ’67
Alex Epstein ‘08
Neil Farmelo
Leslie S. Garcia
Sean Heidinger ‘07
Connie Klinck Klopp N’73
Alex Logel ‘09
Gabriella Pelosi
Kevin Powers
Apryle Schneeberger
Blake Walsh ‘98
Designer
Kelley Rechin, Duffy Moon Design
Photographers
J. Matthew Kianka
Tom Maynor ‘81
Front Cover: Rick Bryan
served Nichols for 31 years,
with 19 years as Head of
School. Read more about his
life and legacy on page 30.
Back Cover: Springtime at the
corner of Colvin and Amherst
is always beautiful, especially
when the magnolia tree is in
full bloom!
– means “that which is true” and is pronounced “taw alay théss.”
is published twice a year by the Development Office.
Telephone: 716.332.5151 • Fax: 716.875.3931
Third Class postage paid at Buffalo, New York.
Nichols is an inclusive community. Acceptance granted to qualified students.
Nichols School
1250 Amherst St., Buffalo, NY 14216 • 716.332.6300 • www.nicholsschool.org

Connect
with us
Like Nichols School
Follow NicholsSchool
Join the Nichols School
Alumni Network and
follow Nichols School
as a company
Follow nicholsschool
Join us for amazing
art exhibits in the
Nichols School Gallery,
located in the
Flickinger Performing
Arts Center!
Ani Hoover - September 2013
Felice Koenig - November 2013
Native Arts Guild - January 2014
Matt Kianka - April 2014
Contents
Head of School Report ......................................................................... 5
Awards & Recognition........................................................................... 7
Wellness: Healthy Mind and Body ....................................................... 8
Calendar of Events ............................................................................... 9
Alumni Working at Nichols ..................................................................... 10
Big Green Athletic Celebration ........................................................ 12
After Nichols – Gale Burstein ’82 ....................................................... 14
Workshops Attract & Hone Talent ...................................................... 15
Poetry Contest ................................................................................... 16
Chemistry Symposium ...................................................................... 19
Nichols on the Menu ......................................................................... 20
Smith Visiting Fellow – Jill McCorkle ................................................. 23
GOLD Alumni .................................................................................... 25
GOLD Alumni Events ........................................................................ 27
The International Experience ............................................................. 28
A Tribute to Richard C. Bryan ................................................................ 30
Sports Focus – Boys’ Varsity Squash ................................................... 39
Getting to Know Bill Clough ................................................................. 40
After Nichols – Nicole Mansfield ’01 .................................................. 42
William Nichols Society ....................................................................... 43
Old Guard Luncheon ............................................................................ 45
Alumni Gatherings ............................................................................... 46
Club Profile: Eco-Schools ................................................................... 49
Alumni Holiday Gathering ................................................................... 50
Worldwide Nichols Day ...................................................................... 52
In Memoriam ..................................................................................... 53
Remembering Kim Kimberly ’47......................................................... 53
Class Notes ....................................................................................... 51
Faculty Profile – Aranya Maritime ...................................................... 59
4 Nichols School

Head of School Report
Reflections on
31 Years at Nichols
by Richard C. Bryan
I still recall the July day in 1982 that I first
came to work at Nichols. Entering Mitchell
Hall, I spent 30 minutes looking to find
someone who would let me into the office
at the end of the hall. As I recall, David
Strachan ’51 was the first to find me that
morning, to talk about the Upper School
schedule he was preparing. Bill Fitzhenry
was next to update me on the fall athletic
season. And the morning was rounded
out with Chet Dann ’49 welcoming me to
the neighborhood in his folksy and
friendly manner.
The first year was a blur. Getting school
underway in September, getting to know
the faculty and as many students as I
could. I had a lunch table with seniors,
Roach, Rickers, Coppola, Fitzhenry, Rhue,
Celniker and Berlow, in which we quickly
perfected a method of getting a second
round of chicken patties. October brought
our daughter KC’s diagnosis of cystic
fibrosis, and Judith and I knew that our
lives were forever changed. In November,
the water pipe burst between our house
and the street. Since we were still paying
the mortgage of our unsold house in North
Carolina, it seemed a little unfair. March
of 1983 brought the union movement
by the Nichols faculty just months after
Bethlehem Steel had announced plans to
close and the economy of Buffalo was in
free-fall. There were disciplinary challenges
and long days. There was the wisdom
and encouragement from people like
Cornelia Dopkins, George Kloepfer ’68,
Tim McCarthy, Gerry Connolly, Peter and
Carolyn Cobb, and the delightful Grace
McKendry. And then Keith Celniker ’84
died the weekend before graduation. It
remains one of the saddest days I remember
on our campus.
It was a bleak first year, but the start
of my life’s work. In the midst of it all, I
discovered I loved the School and the spirit
of Nichols School. The school community
rallied around Judith and me and our
girls. The union movement gave way to
a renewed direction, and the School’s
focus turned away from adult concerns to
a mission that was student centered and
focused. More than anything else in those
early years, I was proud to be a leading
force in helping turn around the tone and
becoming the exciting and positive school
we enjoy today.
Secondly, I have been enriched by the
talents and accomplishments of so many
fascinating, bright, engaging and impressive
young people. Every day I hear about the
amazing accomplishment of a Nichols
alumnus, and I am reminded that Nichols
has a national reputation because of the
accomplishments of its alumni. I believe
that great schools are no longer measured
by the names of the colleges to which their
students matriculate, but rather by how
well our graduates do at the next levels.
Our surveys tell us that we are succeeding
in our vision of producing young men and
women of distinction, who will desire to
accomplish something special in their lives.
I am reminded over and over again
that it has taken so many people working
together, sacrificing and caring, that led us
to three successful capital campaigns that
raised over $45 million. I am grateful to
have had the talent of Elizabeth Stevens
Gurney ’75, as well as numerous members
of the Board of Trustees, like Charles
Balbach H’52, Bill Constantine ’62, Stuart
Angert ’58 and Clotitde Dedecker, and
especially Presidents Jack Walsh ’63, Jock
Mitchell ’66, Robert Gioia, Ted Walsh ’72,
Bill Gisel ’70 and Jane Cox Hettrick ’78,
who forged a spirit of strategic planning and
vision for the future. We have a campus
that we can be proud of. New buildings for
the arts, Middle School, athletics, and for
technology, science and mathematics that
are first-rate, and have created the right
atmosphere for learning, achieving and
creating. We also have an endowment that
has grown from $6 million in 1994, when
I became Headmaster, to over $27 million
today. These dollars, carefully stewarded
by the Board’s Endowment Committee,
have allowed Nichols to slow down the
level of tuition increases, provide financial
aid possibilities to so many young people,
and have aided in curriculum development
and the growth of programs on campus
for environmental sustainability, global
engagement, technology and multicultural
awareness. I have had the pleasure and the
honor to meet and get to know so many
generous benefactors of Nichols School,
continued on next page
Spring/Summer 2013
5

and delight in great classes, like the
amazing Class of 1963.
As a result of the kindness of so many,
we find ourselves in 2013, with balanced
budgets, no debt, a growing endowment,
and two straight years of solid enrollment
despite a shaky local economy.
My colleagues over the years have been
very special. They are the heart of Nichols
School, just as alumni are the soul, and
students are the joy. Over these 30 years, I
have been blessed by their dedication not
just to their subject areas or the sport that
they coached or the play they directed.
Rather, they have been committed to the
idea that great schools are defined by the
character and leadership development of
the students. We have been of one voice
in demanding
that students
treat their
peers with
respect and
compassion,
that honesty
prevail in all
that we do,
and that it
is perfectly
fine to make
mistakes as
long as we
learn from
them. Lately,
we have also
focused on the value of resiliency in our
students. It is clear that the demands of the
next century will require our students to be
tough enough and strong enough to meet
challenges head on, instead of taking the
easy way out. I have loved sharing stories
with my colleagues, laughing and thinking
about ways to improve the School or help a
struggling student.
I am grateful for the support of my
wife, Judith, throughout all these years.
She put up with hours of me recounting
my days and asking for advice on a tough
situation. It was her hospitality that made
the senior dinners so special in our home,
and her understanding that school days
often extended long into the evening or
weekends. I am thrilled that my daughters,
KC ’97 and Ginny ’00, both graduated
from Nichols School, and both thrived
6 Nichols School
under great teachers and coaches. I am
equally grateful for the support of my
extended family throughout my years as
Head of School. We are so grateful for all
the support the Nichols community has
generated for research into cystic fibrosis
and myoclonus dystonia, in honor of our
children.
In reflection, I am the last of the old
style Headmasters who had to make the
transition to the modern Head of School.
The changing reality of independent schools
has also changed the role of the School
Heads. Most like me came up through the
ranks of teaching and coaching, becoming
Department Chairs, and then Division
Heads. Often, little prepared us for the
modern challenges of raising Capital
As a result of the kindness of so many,
we find ourselves in 2013, with balanced
budgets, no debt, a growing endowment,
and two straight years of solid enrollment
despite a shaky local economy.
Campaign funds, working with architects on
campus design, working with professionals
on Marketing and Communications, or
understanding today’s social media and
technology innovations. In my 19 years as
the Head of Nichols, I had the pleasure to
work with students, faculty, staff, alumni,
parents and volunteers who taught me
so much and enriched my life and my
family’s more than anyone will ever know.
I grew along with the times thanks to their
combined knowledge and help. Together we
helped forge Nichols School proudly into
the 21 st century.
What will I miss The laughter in the
hallway on Opening Day. The excitement
of the opening night in the Flickinger
Performing Arts Center. Sept. 11, 2001,
when I realized that the two divisions
of students were safe on one campus.
Watching four Nichols teams win state
basketball championships in Glens
Falls. The parade of alumni marshals at
my convocation in 1994. Going to the
Lawrenceville tournament with George
Truscott ’55, Kim Kimberly ’47 and Dave
Strachan ’51. Attending school meetings
in the gym, the Pond and the Flickinger.
Watching Frank Sacheli, Beth Stone and
Jim Kramer coach. Commencement in the
Quad. The moment when the 5th grade
students greets their pen pals from the 50 th
Reunion class. Watching great, inspired
teaching on a daily basis. Dogs on the
Nichols campus. Calling the play-by-play
for the football home games. Seeing 5th
graders mapping the campus with their
iPads. The Jazz Band. Visiting the exchange
schools in Le
Havre, Wuhan
and Gijon.
Cabaret.
Touching base
with Larry
Desautels in
the morning.
Alumni
Reunion night
in the Quad.
Dick Stratton
reading “Casey
at the Bat.” The
bells tolling in
the Albright
clock tower.
The dedication of the green roof. Friday
night hockey games in the Rink. Any
play directed by Kristen Tripp Kelley. The
faculty band. The Geography and Spelling
Bees in the Middle School. The thrill of
handing out diplomas to joyful graduates.
What will I miss Each of you who makes
Nichols so special.
It has been my honor to have been at
Nichols School all these years. I believe
that the School’s best years are yet to come,
and I look forward with excitement and
anticipation to new ideas, new innovations,
and many more talented young people
joining the ranks of the impressive Nichols
alumni core.

William S. Wright ’34
Award
by Nina Barone
Awards & Recognition
Alex Llugany Montante ’86 was the 2012 recipient of the William S. Wright ’34 Award,
which is given annually to an outstanding volunteer of The Nichols Fund. The honor was
presented on Friday, Nov. 30, at a Board of Trustees meeting.
Alex and her husband, Michael, have led the charge on annual giving for the past
three years as Chairs of The Nichols Fund. With their dedicated team of volunteers, they
are taking annual giving to record-breaking heights. In addition, Alex was a dedicated
volunteer for annual giving for many years prior. She previously served as Parent Division
Chair and a Class Agent, and supported the Headmaster’s Society, now the Leadership
Giving Societies.
Currently, Alex is a member of the Board of Trustees and remains active in both alumni
and parent volunteerism. The School is extremely grateful for her countless contributions of
time and talent.
Alex Llugany Montante ’86, William S. Wright
Award recipient, and Leslie Garcia, Director
of Development
Local Hero: Bob Carnevale ’91
by Blake Walsh ’98
Bob Carnevale ’91, already a respected professional firefighter of
Engine 37 in the City of Buffalo for the past 16 years, became even
more of a local hero last November when he helped save the lives
of multiple residents stuck inside a burning apartment building on
the corner of Amherst Street and Delaware Avenue, just blocks
from the Nichols campus.
As reported by The Buffalo News
on Nov. 16, Bob happened to be
driving by the apartments at the time
of the fire. Residents were forced to
flee outside into the winter weather,
some still in their pajamas, and one
woman was even forced to jump from
a second-floor window to escape the
flames. Bob rushed into the building
on his own accord and crawled
through smoke and fire to evacuate
dozens of residents who were trapped
inside. Due in large part to Bob’s brave
efforts, the fire resulted in no fatalities.
“I can’t imagine doing anything
else,” Bob said. “I believe I may have
enjoyed being a police officer, but not
like being a firefighter. There’s just
something about the job that I’m not sure any other profession has,
with the exception of maybe being a soldier. On top of helping
Bob Carnevale ’91 with his wife, Marinela, on their wedding day
people and saving lives, it’s the camaraderie we share as firefighters.
We literally put our lives in each other’s hands. It is essentially like
having a second family. We actually live together. Often times,
we actually spend more time with each other than we do our own
families.”
One of the few firefighters who
preceded his father in making it
through the firefighter academy
(his father got started at the young
age of 50 and is now enjoying
retirement as a grandfather),
Bob says his advice for anyone
considering his line of work is that
“you have to genuinely like dealing
with and helping others. People
skills are very important…You have
to be willing to be a team player.”
As for how Nichols may
have helped shape his eventual
professional desires, Bob says, “the
most valuable lesson I learned at
Nichols was to treat people equally,
regardless of status or anything else.
Treat people as you would like to
be treated.” Ever equipped with that mentality at the forefront of
his daily routine, Bob has indeed made a positive and life-saving
difference in his community.
Spring/Summer 2013
7

Gabriella Pelosi, Admissions Assistant
and Wellness teacher, leads 5th grade
students in yoga.
Wellness: Healthy
Mind and Body
by Gabriella Pelosi
Rigor and balance are among the five core values at Nichols School. Our challenging expectations and structured
environment develop student potential. Each student is encouraged to find balance among academic, artistic,
athletic and extra-curricular involvements. As a result, we have developed a wellness program that promotes a
healthy mind and body. With proper guidance, students can perform to their fullest potential inside and outside
the classroom and make informed decisions along the way.
We are proud of our age appropriate and cutting edge wellness
curriculum. The curriculum covers balancing nutrition and fitness,
stress management, managing depression and anxiety, promoting a
positive body image, and preventing at-risk behaviors that lead to
eating disorders. The curriculum provides the proper tools to help
avoid substance and alcohol abuse and discusses sexually transmitted
diseases, healthy relationships, rape and sexual orientation.
The wellness program varies by grade level. The Upper School
offers a freshman wellness program, which meets one day out
of the seven-day rotation for 40 minutes. Each co-educational
class is led by Danielle Vallas, Director of Wellness, and includes
10-12 students. Middle School students in grades seven and eight
participate in a single-sex introduction to the wellness curriculum
led by Wendy Amato ’86 and Gabriella Pelosi. The Middle School
curriculum includes nutrition, proper hygiene, self-respect, sexting,
cyber bullying, character education, stress management, healthy
8 Nichols School

Calendar
of Events
Wednesday, June 5
Senior Thesis Night
8 th Grade Moving Up Ceremony
relationships, body image and making healthy choices. Girls in
grades five and six participate in a yoga and wellness class every
other Friday. Topics covered include self-awareness, meditation,
nutrition, eating disorders and body satisfaction. The girls learn
basic yoga movements to help with relaxation, posture and stress
management. The class culminates with a final project.
The focus of the wellness program is to inform students about
critical health issues, so that they can make the best decisions and
choices for themselves, and ensure that they are aware of their
resources on and off campus. In addition to these instructors,
speakers from community agencies and videos are used as teaching
tools. This past February, a speaker from Kids Escaping Drugs came
to speak to our 7 th and 8 th grade students about alcohol and drug
prevention. He shared his story about addiction and recovery and
gave students the opportunity to ask questions about his experience.
Furthermore, students in the Middle and Upper School organized
to have UNYTS, Upstate New York Transplant Services, come to
campus for a blood drive and raise awareness about organ and tissue
donation. Operation Beautiful took place in January as an attempt to
end negative self-talk and “fat talk.” Post-it notes were hung around
campus with positive messages and quotes reminding students of
how beautiful and special they are. Additionally, Freedom from
Chemical Dependency week took place in January. Nichols had a
speaker from the non-profit organization come to share its mission:
to provide educational communities with the guidance and training
necessary to implement comprehensive, effective approaches to
substance abuse prevention, promote awareness of alcoholism
and other drug addictions and to teach children and adults how
to recognize the early warning signs of substance abuse and to
intervene appropriately. Lastly, we have also engaged Girls on the
Run, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a world where
every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to
boldly pursue her dreams. Coordinators Lisa Sauer and Gabriella
Pelosi met twice a week with 5 th - 8 th grade female participants.
The girls were taught life skills through dynamic, conversationbased
lessons and running games. Part running and part lesson,
the curriculum is taught to help girls understand themselves,
value relationships and teamwork, and understand how they
connect with the world. At the completion of the season, the girls
complete a 5K running event, which provides them with a sense of
accomplishment and confidence.
The wellness team is excited to help students begin their lifelong
journey toward health and wellness. For further information, or
questions, please contact Gabriella Pelosi at 716.332.6327 or at
gpelosi@nicholsschool.org.
Friday, June 7 – Sunday, June 9
121st Commencement (June 7)
Reunion Weekend
Monday, Aug. 12
Nichols Alumni Golf Day
Wednesday, Sept. 4
122 nd Opening of School
Monday, Sept. 9
New Parent Welcome Reception
Thursday, Sept. 26
Worldwide Nichols Day
Founders’ Society Dinner
Friday, Oct. 4
Convocation for Bill Clough
Saturday, Oct. 5
Homecoming
Friday, Oct. 11 – Monday, Oct. 14
Fall Break – School Closed
Thursday, Oct. 17
Leadership Giving Societies Reception
Monday, Nov. 11
Veterans Day – School Closed
Friday, Nov. 15
Big Green Athletic Celebration
Tuesday, Nov. 26
Grandparents and Grand Friends Day
Friday, Dec. 6
Old Guard Luncheon
Friday, Dec. 20
Alumni Holiday Gathering
For the most up-to-date event
information, please visit our website
and click on “School Calendar.”
Spring/Summer 2013
9

Alumni Working at Nichols
by Cory Adamczak
Over the years, we have been fortunate
to have a multitude of Nichols alumni
return here to work at the teaching, staff
and coaching levels. We took a moment
to ask several of them why they returned
to Nichols. The responses ranged for a
variety of reasons, however they all agreed
that giving back to their alma mater was
one of the biggest driving factors. They felt
compelled to give current students the high
level of education that they themselves
once received. Returning to the place
they once called home gives them the
opportunity to learn and grow alongside
their students and athletes. The following
offers a sample of some of the responses:
Faculty
Julie Alford ’84
Middle School
Science
As a young girl I
always felt very
lucky to be a student
at Nichols, and
today I feel even
luckier to be teaching
here. When I started
teaching at Nichols
11 years ago, it was like coming home.
Wendy Castiglia Amato ’86
Middle School Wellness
Nichols was a very important part of my
life. It was where I learned to learn, learned
to challenge myself and learned that with
hard work and determination, I could do
whatever I set my
mind to. When the
opportunity to work
here fell into my
lap, how could I say
no Now I have the
honor to challenge
the students whose
lives I touch and help
them to grow into
10 Nichols School
wonderful young adults. Every day that I drive
through the parking lots I am overwhelmed
with both a sense of déjà vu and ‘Wow,
this place is really cool!’ How lucky I am to
work here; and now to be able to provide this
experience for my daughter.
Sandra Cunningham ’93
Middle School Science
It was really the opportunity to work with
the teachers and
coaches who inspired
me and were so
instrumental in my
development as a
person, a student
and an athlete. This
set the opportunity to
work here head and
shoulders above any
other opportunity
that I had. I feel fortunate to have been able to
call them not only my former teachers, but my
colleagues and friends, and hope that every day
I pass along some of their legacy as I continue
to forge my own.
Thomas Franz ’76
Upper School History
It was my experience with several teachercoaches
that led me to return to Nichols.
They were able to
define the qualities
necessary for growth
and success in a
way that I could
recognize their
importance in the
classroom and on the
field. I knew that Jim
Waltz asked for the
same sincere effort on the field as Sue Schapiro
asked for in her Value Theory class. They
also modeled a sincere love of what they did
and showed respect for even the most modest
contributions to their classrooms and teams.
F. Rob Greene ’90
Upper School
History
George Kloepfer ’68
Middle School
English
I started teaching at Nichols because of the
opportunity to work with and learn from
the great teachers
who had been so
important to my
development as a
student and athlete.
I also get to work
with the School’s
singular student
body to whom I
hoped to pass along
some of the things those great teachers had
imparted to me. Those icons of the 1960s had
pretty good lights; I’m doing my best to share
some of that light to Nichols students in the
21st century.
Tom Maynor ’81
Middle School Computers and
Technology
The reason I work at Nichols has to do with
many things, though
the overarching
factor is the great
circle it completes. I
eagerly got my hands
on my first computer
(a DEC PDP8/e)
as a 9th grader at
Nichols. Now I
have the pleasure
of paying forward my Nichols experience by
teaching about computers and technology to
our current eager students! Did I mention my
wife was also in that 9th grade class...

Gregory Plumb ’96
Middle School
Science
Roddy Potter ’82
Upper School
English and
History
Stephanie
Tibollo ’06
Upper School
Math
Danielle Vallas ’95
Director of
Wellness
Staff
Adrienne Ptak ’98
Associate Director
of Admissions
When I was a
student at Nichols,
I loved being part
of such a warm
community where
the faculty/staff and
students were so
close. My advisor
throughout high school, Brenda Weber-Miller
’78, and I have remained in touch over the
years and I wanted to give back to Nichols
students what she gave to me during my time
here. There are many physical aspects of
Nichols that have changed since I graduated,
but in my opinion, the tightknit community has
remained the same.
Blake Walsh ’98
Director of Alumni Relations
Boys’ Junior Varsity Soccer Coach
I had enjoyed
working in the
alumni/development
field at the university
level for almost
seven years when the
opportunity to work
at Nichols arose in
2010. I think I felt
compelled to take
the job here mostly
due to the fact that the School had evolved on
many significant fronts since my graduation in
1998, chief among them the robust arts and
wellness programs, and the recent new wave of
energetic young faculty and staff. Nichols has
changed for the better over the past 15 years
and this tight-knit campus has thus remained
vibrant for me.
Laura Lombardo
Yusick ’96
Director of
Financial Aid
The faculty. The
faculty makes this
place a living,
breathing center of
intellectual thought
and humor. They are
dependable, thoughtful, scholarly, motherly,
fatherly, sisterly, brotherly; they are family.
I came back to be surrounded by people who
not only care about their craft, they doggedly
pursue it. They care about the students and the
students know it, depend on it, and sometimes
take advantage of it. But that doesn’t matter.
Our teachers care. Who doesn’t want to work
in a place like that
Coaches
Charlie Barth ’06
Boys’ Varsity Squash Coach
Adam Bellows ’05
Boys’ Prep A Hockey Assistant Coach
Colin Brinson ’85
Varsity Football Coach
At Nichols, the idea that “academics come
first” is a core value, not just a slogan. Athletic
participation is considered a supplementary
component to our students’ education. We
encourage all of our athletes to play multiple
sports. Multiple sport athletes get a wellrounded
educational experience, because
they learn to work with different groups of
teammates and coaches in a variety of settings.
Ted Marks ’78
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Crew Coach
Spring/Summer 2013
11

A.
B.
C. D. E.
Big Green Athletic
Celebration 2012
by Stephanie L. Angelakos
On Friday, Nov. 16, 2012, the annual Big Green Athletic
Celebration that supports our Athletic Department was held in the
Gerard Gymnasium with great success! Over 240 parents, alumni,
faculty, staff and coaches enjoyed a wonderful evening in our gym
with its new look that included a tailgating theme featuring a silent
auction and a delicious buffet supper. Being the time of year to start
holiday shopping, our guests certainly did a lot of that throughout the
evening with the many wonderful items offered in the silent auction.
This year, the Big Green raised over $25,000 for Athletics!
This successful event was accomplished through the hard work
and effort of our dedicated Chairs and Committee. Co-Chairs Jackie
Ennis and Kathy Gates and their enthusiastic volunteers of 30
parents strong worked relentlessly to acquire unique and exciting
silent auction items and on setup day worked tirelessly to make the
auction tables and our gym look absolutely fabulous! Special thanks
to all the student volunteers who helped the evening of the event.
Thank you to all who contributed to and attended this year’s
event! If you missed it, make sure you plan to join us at next year’s
event. This casual evening is great fun and a wonderful way to
connect with other parents and alumni while helping to support all
of our student athletes!
A. Harrison Oates ’15, Ross Cominsky ’15, John Ennis ’15 and Zachary
Serotte ’15
B. Pauline & Frank Sacheli browse the silent auction items available.
C. The Gerard Gymnasium buzzed with excitement throughout the
evening.
D. Event Co-Chairs, Jackie Ennis and Kathy Gates pose with their thank
you gifts after a wonderful event.
E. Troy Dobbs ’14 and RJ Gicewicz ’14 talk with Bill Clough, incoming
Head of School.
12 Nichols School

What’s Your Legacy
Q: I want Nichols School to carry on for generations to come,
I also need to provide for my loved ones. What can I do
A: You can do both and it’s easy. Consider…
• Designating your retirement plan
• Leaving a life insurance policy
• Making a gift through your will
• Making a gift now and receiving income for life
Many such gifts can help you and your family today
and also allow you to create your legacy and help Nichols School
carry out its mission years into the future.
Some gifts you can even put into place today without
affecting your cash flow during your lifetime.
This is intended to provide general gift planning information.
Our organization is not qualified to provide specific legal, tax or investment advice,
and this publication should not be looked to or relied upon as a source for such advice.
Consult with your own legal and financial advisors before making any gift.
Want to learn more
Call Leslie S. Garcia, Director of Development at 716.332.5163.

After Nichols
Gale Burstein ’82
by Blake Walsh ’98
Dr. Gale Burstein ’82 was appointed as
Erie County Health Commissioner (or
“the Commish,” as she calls it) in January
2012. Amidst a busy role that finds
her wearing multiple hats, from public
spokesperson to focused pediatrician,
Gale reflected with us on her career since
Nichols.
Congrats on your appointment as
“Commish!”
This has been the best job I have ever held.
Although this position is very busy, I feel
hopeful that I can contribute to making
Erie County a healthier place to live. I also
continue to practice clinical medicine at
Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo
general pediatrics clinics two evenings a
month. I can’t give that up! I love taking
care of kids.
What motivated you to get involved in this line of work
I think I always knew I wanted to be a physician, but my Nichols
experiences exposed me to thinking about opportunities working in
international and public health. My junior year summer exchange
student experience in Quito, Ecuador opened my eyes to the
effects of socio-economic and health disparities. The following
summer entering my senior year, [former Nichols faculty member
and Honorary Alumnus] Ed Williams took me and three other
Nichols students on the trip of a lifetime to Kenya. I was so inspired
by the excitement of a new, exotic world and realized that career
opportunities had no borders and that I had to think out of the box.
I feel that Nichols truly prepared me for college and life beyond by
teaching me to 1. study, 2. budget my time and 3. write. I continue
to use these invaluable skills every day!
Where did you go to college
I attended Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. I majored in math
and biology. I was also able to study abroad for two trimesters and
truly enjoyed my four years at Union.
Where do you live currently
I currently live in Amherst, N.Y. I moved back from Atlanta in
2005. My husband, Peter Bloom, who grew up in Snyder, N.Y.,
and I felt that Erie County was a great place to raise a family. We
both had good jobs in Atlanta, but felt that it was more important
to make the investment to move so our sons would know their
extended family and enjoy the rich educational opportunities and
quality of life that we enjoyed growing up.
What advice do you have for others who
may want to work in your field
For those interested in medicine, try to
go to the least expensive medical school.
I had the good fortune to attend SUNY
at Buffalo School of Medicine and
Biomedical Sciences where I received an
excellent medical education. Essentially
free from the heavy burden of large debt
from medical school tuition loans gave me
the financial independence to do anything
after I graduated, such as travel, getting
another professional degree and working
in public health.
What is the most valuable lesson you
learned at Nichols
I had some great female role models who
ingrained in me that gender was not a
professional barrier.
What is your favorite Nichols memory
Where do I start I cherish my happy memories from that summer
[in Kenya] with Ed Williams and my classmate and friend, Peter
Upson ’82, who have since passed away. My Nichols memories
are studded with numerous unforgettable parties in classmate
David Rosenthal’s basement. On the academic side, I remember
“spieling” in Dave Strachan’s math classes and discovering that I
really love math. I will never forget the fun of learning about the
male and female reproductive track in Mr. Titus’ 10th grade science
class alongside my male classmates. The openness and comfort of
sexuality discussions at that impressionable age helped to set the
stage for me to pursue a medical career in sexually transmitted
diseases research and prevention.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment
My greatest personal accomplishment is raising with my husband
two really nice and bright sons, Zachary and Joshua. So far my
greatest professional accomplishment was to define chlamydia
epidemiology and put chlamydia on the map as a huge public
health problem with an important paper published in 1998 in
the Journal of the American Medical Association. Chlamydia is the
number one cause of preventable tubal infertility and ectopic
pregnancy. But I am not done yet. I hope to be able to make some
great contributions to Erie County in the next three years.
What do you like to do for fun
I love to spend time with my family. I have not been able to shake
that travel bug. Although I love to swim, can’t seem to get to the
pool in those early mornings as much as I would like.
14 Nichols School

Students engage in
shadow theatre while
working with Kate
Olena, Middle School
theatre teacher.
Workshops Attract & Hone Talent
by Adrienne DeCarlo Ptak ’98
You’re a fifth grader at a local middle school. Your teacher informs the
class that there is a Young Scientists’ Workshop at Nichols School in
October that all 4th, 5th and 6th, graders in Western New York are
invited to. I can make slime and extract DNA from strawberries How
about building paper towers, learning about forensics or changing the
color of pennies Or with the Young Writers’ Workshop in November,
have a chance to be with 180 other kids my age for three hours to learn
about poetry, news reporting, creative writing and how to create a story
in a bag And then, yet another invitation comes for the Young Artists’
Workshop in March. Playing with masks, zumba, shadow puppets and
button making I can’t wait to tell my
friends.
For almost 30 years, Nichols has hosted
a Young Writers’ Workshop inviting
young minds to come learn about writing.
The workshop remains the most popular
admissions event all year with nearly 180
local 4th, 5th and 6th graders on campus
on a Saturday morning in November. Five
years ago, with the success of the Writers’
Workshop in mind, the Admissions
team decided to create a Young Artists’
Workshop, using the same format as a way
to showcase our state-of-the art Flickinger
Performing Arts Center, dance studio
and art spaces. When we discovered that
kids in Western New York were equally excited about this event, it
only seemed natural, with the opening of the Class of 1963 Center
for Mathematics and Science to bring in the math and sciences. In
October 2010, we offered the Young Scientists’ Workshop – the third
in our Workshop Series.
On each of these Saturday mornings, eager students from as far
as Holland and Lockport, and many towns in between, gather on
Mary Kate Morrow, Middle School vocal music
teacher, gets students moving during her “Music in
Motion” workshop.
the Nichols campus with the hopes of learning more about their
favorite subjects. Each workshop begins in the Flickinger Performing
Arts Center with an inspiring keynote address from our faculty and
students. We’ve had dance performances, faculty speaking about the
importance of letter writing and even witnessed a hover craft on stage.
The participants break into small groups and attend three different
sessions for 45 minutes each. The Nichols faculty, Nichols students
and friends of Nichols lead the students through exercises and projects.
The workshops are all hands-on, creative, innovative and energizing.
We’ve had history and language teachers lead writing workshops.
We’ve had English and art teachers lead science
workshops, and science and math teachers, as
well as several talented Nichols students, lead
art workshops. This cross disciplinary teaching
not only allows our teachers and students to
explore other subject matter, but it enhances
the wide range of “writing,” “science” and “art”
that is offered in each workshop.
The best kind of compliment we can receive
is like the one following this year’s Young
Scientists’ Workshop. One mother called to tell
us that her daughter came home from Nichols
that day and set up her kitchen with all the
necessary supplies to replicate what she had
leaned on campus that morning. And before
we hung up, she signed her daughter up for the
Young Artists’ Workshop.
The excitement generated from these workshops enticed us to
offer a similar event this year, which we called the Young Scholars’
Workshop, for 7th and 8th graders. It allowed us to showcase the rest
of the challenging and stimulating material that makes up a Nichols
education. We look forward to continuing to expand upon these events
and share Nichols with even more students around Western New York!
Spring/Summer 2013
15

Poetry Contest
Give a Little Love
by Nina Barone
Middle School students had the chance to let their creativity shine this February when they crafted poems for
a Valentine poetry contest. Five poems, ranging from personal and heartfelt to witty and imaginative, were
chosen as the winners. Sarah Sauer ’20 won for the category, “Loving Your Family,” Om Acharya ’19 won for
“Most Likely to Be Hired by Hallmark Greeting Cards,” Max Derrick ’19 won for “Loving What You Do,”
Gracie Newman ’17 won for “A Love of Nature” and Lorena James ’17 won for “Romantic Love.” Below are
the winning poems for your reading pleasure.
Loving What You Do…
Basketball Under the Lights
By Max Derrick ’19
I head out at night
Turn on the head lights
Practice my jump shot
Lean back loftily
Post up is my job on the court
And then I’m ready
I call my brother out
And when I start playing I get lost in the game
My jump shot is working
I hear the swish
Nothing else matters
16 Nichols School

Loving Your Family...
Super Parents
By Sarah Sauer ’20
In our crazy house, you may wonder how everything gets done,
My parents make it happen and they’re always on the run.
They cook, they clean, and do the laundry and meet my every need,
They come to my games and performances, there’s never a heed.
They’re very, very loving parents, they hug me and give me a kiss,
They teach me things I’ll need in life and make my life such bliss!
Even though our schedule’s packed, there’s always time for love,
My parents are wonderful blessings, they’re angels from above.
I always feel safe in the hands of my mom and dad,
They’re so amazing, there’s no way my life is bad!
How do they do it Well no one really knows,
But the love we share for each
other definitely shows.
A Love of Nature…
Courting the Sea
By Gracie Newman ’17
Affable, foamy fingers froth as they clutch and flirt at my feet,
An affable current gurgling, excited to greet,
I slink into the emerald depths and bury myself in its embrace,
Waves cascading above me, rushing to the shore in an
enthusiastic race.
The corals of lustrous colors paints my soul with wonder,
As fish accept me as their own in the world very far under,
The sand sits like sugar, soft and still,
Endless marine grains of fluff perched on rolling hills.
Eels flit and shoot like bullets from secret nooks under
withered rocks,
And a hungry, open-mouthed turtle swims regally and gawks,
As fish of rich and ludicrous colors trickle by in an urban
stream,
The blissful utopia’s life, glows with peace and blissfully teems.
Down beneath the depths of salty water, the only place I truly
adore,
I float with the gentle tides and pray to stay, for I could think of
nothing more,
Nothing more perfect, to eternally reside in the place that I
love best,
Where I am most loved and what I in turn love back most,
in the sea my spirit can rest.
The water diffuses the sunlight to kiss the glittering waves just
so,
That a brightness lights the marina as striking as a first
November snow,
A royal octopus strolls across the mucky seaweed park,
And the silver schools of minnows swim alongside a sand shark.
Spring/Summer 2013
17

Poetry Contest
Most Likely to Be Hired by
Hallmark Greeting Cards…
Together
By Om Acharya ’19
What’s Lelo without Stich
What’s Tigger without Pooh
What’s Aladdin without Jasmine
And what’s me without you
What are eggs without bacon
What are crumpets without tea
What are pancakes without syrup
And what’s you without me
What are zebras without stripes
What are peacocks without feathers
What are turtles without shells
And what’s us not together
Romantic Love…
Where the Moonflower Grows
by Lorena James ’17
Beneath the palm trees, ferns, and willows,
She rests her head upon a green pillow.
With a pale face, and cloaks of white,
In a soft cocoon curled up tight,
She turns her head away from the glow,
From the sun as everyone knows.
It’s not until night,
When her full beauty is revealed,
When she turns her head towards,
The one she appeals.
His face equally pale,
Spotted with freckles,
His hair midnight black,
With glowing radiant speckles.
She begins to unfurl, at the sight of his face,
Now extroverted and full grace.
Moon beams replace the suns blaze,
For she can’t come out without his gaze.
The dark winds blow,
And toss her hair,
Revealing to all, her loving stare.
Happy while being together,
And feeling care free,
A light appears,
As the night moon sets into the sea.
For since she is nocturnal,
She is no longer livened,
She begins to curl up,
And disappear into the horizon.
He saddened by this,
A tear falls down,
Leaving a glittery path,
Marking a frown.
But like every night, he knows she must go,
To meet again,
Where the moonflower grows.
18 Nichols School

A.
B.
A. Dan Rosenblum, Science Department Chair, visits the students’ projects at the Chemistry Symposium.
B. Elaine Gardner learns about silk from Rebecca Regan ’15.
C. Karim Hassanali ’15 shows his teacher, Apryle Schneeburger, the circuit board demonstration that accompanies his project.
Chemistry Symposium
by Apryle Schneeberger
At the start of the New Year, Apryle Schneeberger’s Advanced
Chemistry class launched a cross-disciplinary research project
examining the historical impact of various chemical structures.
The project was inspired by Le Couteur and Burreson’s “Napoleon’s
Buttons,” which explores the cultural and technological influence
of 17 molecules.
Successfully completing the
project required collaboration
with multiple faculty members.
The students were guided
by Susan Allen, Director
of Libraries & Academic
Technology, on using a
federated search to find vetted
sources and properly citing
works. The search provided
them with the resources
necessary to identify a chemical
structure, investigate how the
compound works, and deduce
the role the compound may
have played in shaping the
course of history. Once the
students amassed references,
Lolly Errickson, Upper School English teacher, assisted them
in the writing process and structuring of their papers. Working
with multiple faculty members during the research and writing
process allowed the students to receive feedback from different
perspectives, enabling them to further develop their writing skills.
The research stimulated many discussions among the students
and the project culminated in a Chemistry Research Symposium
during which the students presented their findings to Nichols
students, faculty and staff. While browsing the tri-fold posters in the
Reading Room, one could partake in discussions on the variations
of amino acids in silk and the connection to the Silk Road with
Rebecca Regan ’15, or hear John Ennis ’15 explain electrolytes
and the cultural impact of the sports drink industry. Katie Riter ’15
enlightened listeners to the use
C. of herbal remedies throughout
history and how mandrake,
foxglove and belladonna appear
in literary works from “Romeo
and Juliet” to “Harry Potter,”
while Derrick Tang ’15 analyzed
the agricultural impact of
nitrates in fertilizers. Ultimately,
the students were excited to
showcase their projects and
engage the Nichols community
in academic discussion.
Most recently, many more
math and science students
undertook projects that were
presented during The 7 Days
of Center ’63 Symposium.
The Symposium ran weekdays, May 13-21, with a different set
of students showcasing their work each day. Students are also
encouraged to submit their papers or projects for publication in
The Prometheus Math and Science Journal, which has recently
relaunched.
Spring/Summer 2013
19

Nichols on the Menu
by Blake Walsh ’98
Any seasoned restaurant/bar goer will tell you that a truly worthwhile establishment is more than just the taste of
the food or the savor of the drink. Patrons frequent a particular place because of the quality of the nook sensation
– the people, the conversations, the sounds and smells – that it may provide. In the city of Buffalo, no fewer than
16 establishments owned by Nichols alumni and current and alumni parents dot the local landscape, succeeding
popularly in pleasing their own respective clientele thanks to a commitment to originality. As Buffalo is a community
that indeed loves its food and drink, here’s your Nichols connection guide to dining out.
Mike Shatzel ’90, Owner
Cole’s (1104 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo)
Blue Monk (727 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo)
Liberty Hound (1 Naval Park Cove,
Buffalo)
Anyone from Buffalo with a palate likely
knows the Shatzel name. Mike ’90
currently owns and operates Cole’s and
Blue Monk on the Elmwood Strip, and the newly opened Liberty
Hound on the Buffalo waterfront. Cole’s, established in 1934, is
a Buffalo institution and does the burger, beef on weck and wings
staples as well as anyone in town. In addition, Mike has stepped up
the food offering in recent years thanks to a revamped menu that
features more unique dishes like Thai salmon and risotto balls.
The Belgian pub room that is Blue Monk offers a distinct and
refreshing vibe to the Elmwood area by offering hundreds of tasty
imported beers that this author for the most part cannot pronounce,
and an unparalleled menu featuring the likes of duck frites, poutine,
mussels and carbonnade flamande.
Says Mike, who has taken the reigns at Cole’s in recent years
from his father, David: “Besides getting to sample a number of beers,
I’ve really enjoyed the business as an avenue to meeting new friends
and seeing old ones with great frequency. I’ve also really enjoyed
the public appreciation that came with the vision of a new business
like Blue Monk – it’s a great feeling.”
20 Nichols School

Liberty Hound had great success in its first summer on the water last
year and promises to grow at a healthy clip as the Buffalo waterfront
project rolls towards completion in the coming years. Kudos to Mike
for being the first to take a chance on a prominent bar/restaurant in
this previously neglected yet promising part of town.
Marilynn Propis Militello ’71, Owner
Sonoma Grille (5010 Main St., Snyder)
Bijou Grille (643 Main St., Buffalo)
Marilynn Propis Militello ’71 first got
into the restaurant business in 1991, when
she and her husband, Michael, bought the
Mediterranean-style bistro Bijou Grille on
Main Street in Buffalo’s downtown theater
district. The Militellos also own Sonoma
Grille in Williamsville, which offers a combination of fine dining
with elegant bar nightlife and weekly live music.
Despite the long hours that come with the territory of running
a successful restaurant, Marilynn is inspired by the relationship
she maintains with her customers and her staff. “They’re like my
family!” she exclaims.
Sonoma is soon to undergo a dramatic renovation/facelift and the
property’s neighboring Lord Amherst Hotel will soon be completely
renovated. In addition, a new Hyatt Place hotel is soon to be built
on the plot behind Sonoma, so it’s safe to assume even more out of
towners will be calling on Marilynn to keep them well fed. “The
restaurant always has something going on. Our private rooms are
busy with corporate events, small and large. Sonoma is a very
eclectic place. When people visit from out of town, I know that we
succeed in showing them what Buffalo is all about!”
Dennis Brinkworth ’79, Owner
Colter Bay (561 Delaware Ave, Buffalo)
Colter Bay, located on the busy corner of
Delaware and Allen in downtown Buffalo,
has long served as a hub for the work week
lunch crowd, late night weekend revelers,
and everyone in between who may be
looking to kick back for a beer in a relaxed
atmosphere. Dennis Brinkworth ’79
first got the management itch while working in Boston for Stroh
Brewery Company in the mid 1980s. Like Shatzel, Dennis was
introduced to the business at a young age while bussing tables for
his father. By 1987, Colter Bay was up and running, and 25+ years
later, is still going strong.
“Colter Bay is a place with strong traditions amongst many
generations of people in the city of Buffalo,” says Dennis. “The
Nichols community has been an outstanding supporter of Colter
Bay, which stems from the tight-knit environment that has always
existed amongst students, faculty and alumni at Nichols.”
Dale Segal ’98, Owner
Encore (492 Pearl St., Buffalo)
Encore has emerged as a popular theater
district staple in recent years, offering
a diverse menu to dinner crowds and a
booming nightlife to weekend partygoers.
Dale Segal ’98 is co-owner, overseeing the
daily operation and nightly transformation
from fine dining to club scene. Equipped

with outdoor patio and multi-level dining rooms, the site of the
former Hemingway’s Restaurant now packs a multifaceted punch to
your taste buds.
“Growing up, I always told my parents and friends that I would
eventually like to open a restaurant/night spot with a unique fusion
of world cuisines,” says Dale. “My multicultural background (he is
of Dutch and Korean descent) had me living all over the world,
from South Korea to the Netherlands, and of course the United
States, so I was exposed to many different styles of food since my
childhood.” Encore does Dale’s vision proud by specializing in
quality steak entrees and a wide variety of delicious sushi rolls.
Segal feels that despite the 24/7 grind of staying competitive in
the restaurant business that Encore will continue to thrive for years
to come because of its dualism: “If you enjoy great food, variety, or
a fun night on the town, we have something for everybody and any
size group. And we do it all with a smile on our face in an effort to
put one on yours.”
Mark Supples ’77, Owner
Mothers (33 Virginia Pl., Buffalo)
How many places do you know where you
can saddle up to the bar at 2:00 a.m., order
a meatloaf entrée, and find that it tastes
as good as your own mother’s recipe Well
naturally, that place is Mothers, owned
by Mark Supples ’77. A cornerstone of
the Allen Street dining scene, Mothers
blends the restaurant and bar vibes so flawlessly that you typically
forget if you came there to eat or simply enjoy a glass of wine from
their excellent wine list. By night’s end, you’ve probably done
both amongst the typical attending crowd of local celebrities and
downtown happy hour goers.
Many Nichols
parents have a stake
in the Buffalo
restaurant/bar scene
as well:
Mark Goldman P’04, ’98, ’96, Owner
Allen Street Hardware (245 Allen St., Buffalo)
Black Rock Kitchen (491 Amherst St., Buffalo)
Elaine Greco P’09, Owner
Brodo Restaurant (4548 Main St., Snyder)
Nick and Angela Kotrides P’11, ’14, ’16, Owner
Empire Grill (1435 Hertel Ave., Buffalo)
Faherty’s (490 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo)
Toro Tapas Bar (492 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo)
David Schutte P’12, ’15, Owner
Creekview Restaurant (5629 Main St., Williamsville)
Oliver’s Restaurant (2095 Delaware Ave., Buffalo)
Save the Date!
2013 Homecoming – Saturday, Oct. 5
22 Nichols School

Smith Visiting Fellow
Jill McCorkle Breathes
Life into Fiction
By Nina Barone
Jill McCorkle’s latest novel, “Life After Life,” is an engrossing story seen
through the eyes of its diverse cast of characters. With humor and hope
serving as anchors, the novel looks at life and its end from a vantage
point that is justifiably bleak at times, but always thoughtful. From
March 11-12, Nichols was fortunate to host Ms. McCorkle as its Smith
Visiting Fellow at the start of her national book tour. She visited Buffalo to
speak at Nichols, thanks to the Graham W. Smith ’48 Fund and
Larry Desautels, Upper School English teacher and Graham W. Smith ’48
Chair. The fund celebrates and promotes writing at Nichols by bringing
visiting writers to work with students.
Ms. McCorkle has the distinction of having
her first two novels published on the same
day in 1984. Since then, she has published
three other novels and four collections
of short stories. Five of Ms. McCorkle’s
books have been named New York Times
notable books, and she has received the
New England Booksellers Award, the
John Dos Passos Prize for Excellence in
Literature and the North Carolina Award
for Literature. Her teaching career includes
time at UNC-Chapel Hill, Tufts and
Brandeis, where she was the Fannie Hurst
Visiting Writer; she also was a Briggs-
Copeland Lecturer in Fiction at Harvard
for five years and chaired Creative Writing.
Ms. McCorkle currently teaches Creative
Writing in the MFA Program at NC State
University and is a core faculty member of
the Bennington College Writing Seminars.
In addition to working with Upper
School students in English classes, Ms.
McCorkle addressed students, faculty and
staff at a special Upper School Morning
Meeting on Tuesday, March 12. Students
heard Ms. McCorkle read from “Life
After Life,” which the author described as
“very much a novel that depends on these
individual voices.” The story focuses on
the daily triumphs and challenges of the
residents and staff of Pine Haven Estates, a
retirement facility that is home to many of
Fulton, North Carolina’s older citizens. She
began with Abby, the youngest character
in the story, who reflects on her friends at
Pine Haven, her dog, her home life and her
parents’ seemingly inevitable divorce that’s
yet to be announced. In the candid voice
of a slightly wounded 12-year-old, Abby
muses about her mother’s shortcomings,
particularly her competitive nature and
shallow view of the world. She wishes her
mother wasn’t throwing her a 13th birthday
party with an idiotic theme—Former
First Ladies, as in Laura Bush and Hillary
Clinton—and that her dog, Dollbaby,
would return home. The dog’s recent
disappearance is extremely suspicious, with
her mother left looking rather shady. Part
best friend, part surrogate little sister, Abby
feels a terrible void without Dollbaby. “To
forget what it feels like to be an adolescent
is to forget what it feels like to feel,” the
author said of writing Abby.
Next, Ms. McCorkle introduced Abby’s
best (human) friend, Sadie Randolph, a
continued on next page
Spring/Summer 2013
23

etired third-grade teacher who believes
we are all eight years old in our hearts after
years spent teaching every child in her
town. A perpetual optimist, wheelchairbound
Sadie was widowed at a young
age, but maintains that she and her late
husband, Horace, had a wonderful life
together, although it ended too early.
Sadie is an animal lover, and reflects on
her favorite dogs, especially her little
Pekingese, Rudy, who she misses dearly.
The resident cat, Harley, spends a great
deal of time with her, which makes the
other residents glad he isn’t near them
because they think he curls up with the
next one to pass. Although her health
is beginning to decline and dementia
is taking root quickly, she sustains her
friendships and her small business, which
involves taking photographs of people and
superimposing them in places they’ve never
been, but would like to be.
Lastly, the audience heard a hilarious
rant from Toby, a retired English teacher,
who Ms. McCorkle admits she relates to
after years of teaching writing. Armed
with a spunky attitude, Toby arrived in
Pine Haven after throwing a dart at a map,
and she brings with her some emotional
baggage after being burned at her last job
and forced into retirement. She stresses
that teaching only started getting hard
“when everything changed,” particularly
the students’ names and the subject matters
they wrote about became increasingly more
unusual. Toby was sick of stories about
werewolves, dwarves and other alien-like
creatures; she longed for the days of stories
featuring orphans and uncertain teenagers
coming of age. “What I would have given
for a stained soul,” she laments. “Just
one good old stained soul.” Eventually,
Toby was asked to leave her position as
a longtime teacher for swearing in class,
which she stresses occurred because she
corrected the grammar of a student who
used the word himself.
After getting steady laughs from the
audience throughout her reading, Ms.
McCorkle took questions from several
students, particularly regarding how she
develops different characters’ identities.
She said: “I’m a big note taker, so I see
things throughout the day that grow into
the lives of these characters…I wanted
a fair interpretation of a whole town. I
just wanted that whole chorus of what
life in this town or place was like.” When
imagining the characters’ individual
stories, Ms. McCorkle noted she wanted
to take it past stereotypes and build from
what distinguishes each one as a person.
Interestingly, she asks herself what each
character’s secret is.
On the evening of Monday, March 11,
members of the Nichols community joined
with book lovers from around Western New
York at Talking Leaves Book Store to hear
Ms. McCorkle read from “Life After Life.”
With the same wit and grace she weaves
into her written words, Ms. McCorkle
shared more stories from her own life that
inspired her characters and storylines.
We were extremely fortunate to have
Ms. McCorkle with us, and the students
undoubtedly enjoyed their time working
with her and learning from her!
1st Annual Nichols
Alumni Golf Day
Monday, August 12, 2013 • Orchard Park Country Club
SPACE IS
LIMITED!
Reconnect with your alma mater, spend a day with old friends, and make new ones all while
enjoying a great day of golf at Orchard Park Country Club! Online registration is now open.
Alumni can register a foursome, a twosome or a single.
Registration
includes:
• Golf
• Cart
• Practice facilities
• Prizes
• On-course rangers
• Scoring and hospitality
from OPCC staff
• Locker room facilities
with attendants
• BBQ lunch on the patio
• 2-hour open bar for
cocktails and networking
after your round
• Full steak or chicken
dinner with dessert
• A complimentary group
speaking lesson from
Gary Occhino ’94,
Nichols alumnus, PGA
Professional and founder
of INDARE golf
You can reserve your spot now by emailing your party’s name(s) to
Blake Walsh ’98, Director of Alumni Relations at bwalsh@nicholsschool.org.
One non-alumnus per foursome is permitted. Questions Call Blake at 716.332.5164.
Visit www.nicholsschool.org/alumnigolf

alumni
By Genevieve Carbone
Did you know there are over 900 Nichols alumni who have graduated in the last decade GOLD stands for
Graduates Of the Last Decade.From California to Scotland, our young alumni are peppered all over
the globe, partaking in new and exciting opportunities. Whether we hear about our GOLD alumni accomplishments
and achievements right from their mouth, a news source, a former teacher or coach, or their
best friend’s parents, we are amazed at the span of careers and activities in which our young alumni are involved.
Here, we bring together a selection of GOLD alumni with diverse careers and interests.
If you’re a GOLD alumnus (or know one!) and would like to share your life after Nichols,
email alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org.
Bobby Shuttleworth ’05
Bobby received much attention back in
2009 when he decided to forgo his senior
year at the University
at Buffalo, where he
played as starting
goalkeeper, to sign
with the New England
Revolution. The New
England Revolution
is an American
professional soccer club
in Foxborough, Mass.,
that competes in Major
League Soccer.
Currently, Bobby
is in living in Boston,
Mass., and is in his
fifth year playing for
the New England
Revolution and also
serves as the soccer
coach at Bentley
University. Since the start of his career
with the Revolution, Bobby has served
as the goalkeeper. At the University
of Buffalo, Bobby also played as the
Photo credit: New England Revolution
goalkeeper and during his time with the
Bulls managed a 2008 second-team All-
MAC selection, and he was selected to
the All-Tournament
squad in the 2007
season.
Long before he
was playing the
MLS and for the UB
Bulls, Bobby was on
the field at Nichols
making school
history, assisting
in the winning of
two back-to-back
NYSAIS State
Championships.
Bobby explains, “I
enjoyed my time at
Nichols both on and
off the soccer field.
I made a lot of close
friends through those
years especially through the sports I played.
Those great experiences just helped me to
continue playing and fortunately be able to
play professionally.”
Bobby credits Nichols for his ambition to
become a professional athlete: “The main
lesson I took away from my experience at
Nichols was that I had the opportunity and
ability to do/be whatever I chose. Leaving
Nichols, I felt prepared to move on and
enter the next phase of my education and
athletics.”
Bobby has most recently embarked
upon a new season with the New England
Revolution after a strenuous pre-season.
Jon Medieros ’05
A 2005 graduate of Nichols, Jon hit the
ground running after Nichols, when the
summer between his senior year at Nichols
and freshman year at Bennington College,
he worked on the set of a movie filming in
Buffalo.
An avid fan of movies by Troma
Entertainment, he caught wind of one that
would be filming in Western New York and
continued on next page
Spring/Summer 2013
25

contacted the producers for an internship.
At Jon’s persistence, the producers gave in
and offered to have him come down to the
offices. Showing up every day and doing
whatever looked like it needed to be done,
he caught the attention of the producers
and quickly received promotion after
promotion on the set. Eventually earning
the title of Senior Production Manager
on the credits, the movie, “Poultrygeist:
Attack of the Chicken Dead,” ended
up being shown around the world and
reviewed in the New York Times with
positive reviews.
Since the debut of that movie, Jon
has since work on sets in West Virginia,
Virginia, NYC, Buffalo, Cleveland and
Pittsburgh in a variety of capacities. After
graduating college in 2009, Jon headed to
New York City in hopes of finding a job
in the film and television industry. While
looking for a job there, he heard from a
colleague offering him a week on the set of a
Russell Crowe movie in Pittsburgh. Within
less than 24 hours after receiving the call,
Jon was heading to Pittsburgh. The week
on the set turned into the remainder of
the movie and since then, Jon has worked
on just about every movie that is filmed in
Pittsburgh, which surprisingly is a lot.
In his current role, Jon is a Production
Assistant and has worked on countless
films, most recently on “The Avengers,”
“Lincoln” and “Jack Reacher.” He explains
his job as “an extremely simplified way, sort
of like an assistant set manager when it’s
at its most demanding, and a step or two
above a personal assistant when it’s at its
least.” The next step in his career would be
joining the union as an Assistant Director.
He will be eligible to do this in under two
years, rendering him a very young AD.
26 Nichols School
Madisson Lank ’09
Even before entering the halls of Nichols,
Madisson Lank ’09 knew she wanted to
be a pilot. She graduated from Seneca
College this spring with a bachelor’s
degree in Aviation Sciences, along with a
commercial pilot license and other ratings
required to become an airline pilot. Prior
to graduation, Madisson received an offer
from Air Canada Jazz to fly a Q400.
Madisson credits Nichols for her success
at Seneca College and securing a job in
a time when many college graduates are
struggling to find work: “Nichols taught
me how to study and use my time wisely.
After getting accepted into my dream flight
college, I was still nervous about passing my
highly demanding courses and completing
my airplane flying lessons on time.
Thankfully, Nichols had taught me how
to properly study to make the most out my
little free time. My program began with 130
students, and after four years, the program
has dwindled to 38 of us. Nichols is why I
am part of that 38.”
With the busy life of a student and
completing internships, Madisson still finds
time to give back through volunteer work.
As she explains, “Nichols taught me to give
back to my community. I always enjoyed
our volunteer days at school and it helped
me realize that there is so much more I
can do to make this world a better place.
Nichols taught me how rewarding it is to
help those in need.”
In Toronto, she volunteers at a senior
citizen center as an event coordinator
and also uses her flying skills to volunteer
with “Pilot N Paws,” where she flies dogs
from high-kill shelters to new homes.
Last summer, she volunteered building
orphanages in Africa with Sean Griffin ’10.
In July, she will be traveling to Nepal to
teach English to Buddhist Monks.
Madisson is currently living in Toronto,
Ontario, and in her spare time she enjoys
curling and golfing. “Even with such a
male-dominated industry, Mr. Montesano
and the golf team still taught me how to
out-drive all the boys!”
Tori Vossler ’10
A rising senior at St. Lawrence University,
Tori Vossler ’10 recently completed an
internship at Christie’s in New York City.
Christie’s is an ideal placement for Tori, an
Art and Art History and Economics double
major, as it has the largest auction sales of
any fine art auction company in the world.
“My time at Christie’s was the perfect
opportunity for me to put both of my
interests side by side: art and business.
My supervisor at Christie’s is an alumna
of St. Lawrence University, and working
alongside her was a rewarding experience,”
explains Tori.
While at Christie’s in New York, she
worked in the Press Department. Tori
hopes to pursue a career in the art business
field. For her spring 2013 semester, she
took advantage of St. Lawrence’s study
abroad program and spent a semester in
London, England. While she was overseas,
she continued her work at Christie’s in
London while exploring England and other
European countries.
Tori credits Nichols for sparking her
interest in art and art history. During
her senior year at Nichols, she had the
opportunity to take an art history class with
Mr. Potter. She explains that this course
was the first step in realizing she wanted to
pursue a career in the field.
With a full resume even before she
receives a bachelor’s degree, Tori has also
completed internships at the Albright-
Knox Art Gallery and the University at
Buffalo Art Galleries in Buffalo. She is
expected to graduate from St. Lawrence in
the spring of 2014.

alumni events
By Sean Heidinger ’07
Nichols Alumni Board
Back: Tom Tobias ’07, Brendan McCarthy ’07,
Peter Randaccio ’07, Dan Swift ’07; front: Brett
Roell ’07, Tyler Van Schoonhoven ’07, Matt Parker
’07, Sean Heidinger ’07
Toward the end of 2012, over 150 GOLD alumni members, as well as a
handful of alumni from older classes, gathered in Buffalo at Allen Street
Hardware on two separate occasions for Alumni Happy Hour events.
Between the two events, over 150 Nichols alumni gathered in the back
room of Hardware for a private cocktail hour. These two events proved
to be the more successful alumni gatherings as the timing was crucial.
Those who now live out of town were in Buffalo for the holidays, which
seemed to have a massive influence on the attendance. Alumni poured
into Hardware in large groups and marched right to the room where a
large group of fellow Nichols alumni were to welcome everyone with
handshakes and hugs. Attendees shared custom Nichols drinks, including
“The Verdian.” There are many more GOLD alumni events to come.
Hopefully they will continue to be just as successful!
Spring/Summer 2013
27

On Dec. 9, Huize “Jack” Shi ’15, Un-pil
Baek ’13, Shuhao “James” Yang ’15,
Weiyi Li ’15 and Soo Min Kim ’14,
visited Niagara Falls with Stephanie
Angelakos (front, center).
The International Experience
by Stephanie L. Angelakos
As growing numbers of international students seek a college education
in our country, many are turning to American high schools as a
stepping stone. Far from home, some from over 7,000 miles away,
these brave young teenagers leave their families, friends and life as
they know it, and travel to a “new world” in order to experience a
different culture, learn a language and get a better education than their
own countries can offer. These are our international students, coming
from far away countries to study at Nichols School and live with host
families for the full academic school year.
For the past 26 years, Nichols has been accepting students from
other parts of the world to study here. Students have come from
Belgium, Ireland, Croatia, Sweden, Singapore, China, South
Korea and Canada. Some came for a short period of time, but more
recently, most come for at least one year, with many for multiple
years and graduation from Nichols as their goal. Several years ago, we
contracted with an agency and made a more concerted effort to attract
international students. The seven students currently studying here
are from China (three), Korea (three) and Australia (one), which is
consistent with the national trend of private and university applicants.
So why do they come here and why do we welcome them Our
current students have come to escape their rigorous and structured
educational systems, dictated by rote learning and a test score on
accumulated knowledge that would determine if they will go to a
university at all, and if so, a score that channels them into a profession
they might not have chosen for themselves. They come with the desire
to become more fluent in the English language, learn the application of
knowledge, gain entrance to American universities, and experience our
culture firsthand by living with host families.
We accept them to Nichols so that we can provide our school
community with diversity and multicultural experiences that will
enrich our lives – an important part of our School’s vibrant community.
Contributing to our classroom culture, arts, sports teams, social groups
and our school, these students offer us a fabulous opportunity to enrich
our lives on a personal level and within our school community. Un-pil
Baek ’13, a student of three years here, chose Nichols School because
“It was in New York, and New York in every foreigner’s eyes is NYC(!).
It had more AP classes and a more diverse curriculum than any other
school I considered; the campus is beautiful and skilled, experienced
28 Nichols School

teachers would help me reach my goals and achievements. Plus, I
wanted to live with a host family instead of having a dormitory life
for my high school years.” What he discovered at Nichols included
“diverse opportunities and artistic immersion, improved science
laboratories and apparatuses (Cosmic Ray Detector: just impressive!),
the friendly environment and a clean and wonderful campus where
everyone understands each other’s differences.”
These students’ attendance to private schools support us financially
with highly motivated and qualified students. In the global world in
which we live, these students, along with our own diverse community
of cultures, remind us every day that this is the world we are preparing
our graduates for. All of our students learn from their peers about
the leadership roles each of us can assume in a world that is based on
globalization and interdependence. Preparing our students to be “global
citizens” is our goal for their future success in a global world.
The majority of our international students come through Nacel
Open Door, an agency that screens and supports them, as well as our
host families and our school, while they study here. The majority
of our students live
with host families
from year to year.
These are Nichols
families of all shapes
and sizes who open
their hearts and homes
from late-August to
mid-June to these
teens who become
a member of their
families for the school
year. Students and host
families sometimes
choose to keep the
experience going for
more than one year,
which provides a very
the individual, a family and indeed, a nation. A world that gets smaller
every day necessitates the ability to bridge cultural divides in order to
survive and succeed. For me and my family, hosting an international
student over a period of years has strengthened our connections to
one another and as individuals, brought each of us to a higher level of
mindfulness and sensitivity.”
When Un-pil was asked what his greatest challenge was with this
experience, he answered, “My experience with host families has been
one of my hardest experiences…I never realized how difficult it is to
live with other people (non-parents)…I struggled to find the balance
between my host family’s needs and my needs. It is essentially hard, but
I believe that I have learned more about myself, interaction with others
and social interaction with my friends and society.” His experience at
Nichols “was extremely positive. I was excited by all the opportunities
to express myself! Cosmic Ray Detector, Chorus, piano, film, dance,
Cabaret, understanding teachers and students who helped me survive
and cope.” His greatest reward from the experience was “learning to
live with others, an increased knowledge in humanities and the arts,
and being able to share
with my American
friends different
opinions and have
meaningful interaction
and relationships with
them.”
Jin Sol Park ’13
also commented on
her advancement
educationally, as well
as her relationship
with her host families
and friends: “Living
in a foreign country
without any family
members has helped
me to become a
different experience
for everyone as the
relationships evolve
over the extended time
The group, including Ben Gerhardt, Upper School Spanish teacher (back, center) and
Ron Montesano, Upper School Spanish teacher (front, right) enjoys dinner at Hard Rock Café.
more mature and
independent person.
You have to learn to
take care of yourself.
and become richer and deeper.
Jennifer and Richard Carlson hosted Yoon-Kyoung Kim ’11, now
a student at Johns Hopkins University, for three years. When asked
about her hosting experience, Jennifer shared her thoughts: “Hosting
international students is, above all else, an exercise in self-reflection.
By sharing activities of daily living with someone that subscribes to
a different cultural paradigm, our own attitudes, expectations and
behaviors stand out in relief. We begin to recognize that every move we
make is informed by our beliefs about what is important, and that those
habits of mind are very often borrowed from parents, grandparents
and so on. We have absorbed them imperceptibly over time. Hosting
students gives us pause to examine those parts of our lives that are so
deeply engrained that they are not part of our consciousness.”
“It is a fascinating phenomenon that by endeavoring to learn about
another people and culture, we end up learning more about our own!”
she continued. “It is also both the most enriching part of being a host
family and the most challenging. It can be a harsh awakening to the
sometimes irrational and strange habits that we collectively accept as
fundamental truths. Conversely, the process of exploring the ‘why’ of
our cultural doctrine can be enlightening and growth-producing for
I loved the fact that I could play sports all year long at Nichols
because in Korea there is no such thing as sports teams in school.
I have gained lifelong friends here.” Jin has plans to major in
International Relations in college.
Nichols supports its international students and families in
multiple ways. As Director of International Students, I meet with
these students on a regular basis and offer help and support to
them. I also support faculty members if there are concerns on the
academic side. We arrange for fun local activities to participate in
as a group. I also talk to host families on a regular basis and give
them support with the challenges of having an additional teen from
another culture living in their home. It is a constantly changing
and evolving relationship. Together as a team, the School and
agency support these students’ needs and their host families while
they are here with us. It is such a joy and my pleasure to work
with these students and host families! What we all gain firsthand
from the international experience is enriched understanding and
a deeper awareness of global differences and similarities that we
recognize can work together harmoniously, and hopefully offer a
small part to the larger efforts of gaining world peace.
Spring/Summer 2013
29

A Tribute to Rich
by Nina Barone
Nichols School was quite a different place before the arrival of Rick Bryan. The corner of Colvin and Amherst was
home to the Upper School, while the Middle School sat on Nottingham. Today, one only needs to look around the
Nichols campus to see what a positive impact Rick’s 31 years of leadership have made to the School. Beyond the
physical transformation of the School, Nichols has garnered a fantastic amount of achievement in the 19 years that Rick
has served as Head. Rick saw the School through three major Capital Campaigns, raising over $45 million for facility
construction and renovation, endowment growth, technology infrastructure expansions and curricular innovation.
He led the consolidation of the Middle School with the Upper School campus to bring the School together as “One
Community.” His campaign leadership and strategic planning contributed to the construction of Regan and Donaldson
Halls, The Scully Gymnasium, the Flickinger Performing Arts Center, the Class of 1963 Center for Mathematics and
Science, Peek and Strauss Truscott Fields, improved parking and roadways, added campus green space and more.
So what was life like back in
1994 when Rick became
Head of Nichols School
Here’s a bit of trivia as we
take our journey back!
The Verdian dedication:
Peter Cobb
The Senior dedication: Rick Bryan
The President: Bill Clinton
The Mayor of Buffalo:
Anthony Masiello
The nation’s attention was
captured by: The arrest of OJ
Simpson and the attack on
Nancy Kerrigan by Tanya Harding
30 Nichols School

ard C. Bryan
With the increasingly rigorous and dynamic demands of tomorrow
as a driving force, Rick oversaw curriculum transformations to
develop the School’s 21st century core competencies beginning
in 2005. Imagining what a Nichols education in 2020 would
require, faculty conducted research and engaged in stimulating
conversations on a continual basis in order to craft the thoughtful
results. These ultimately led to exciting curricular innovations
and programmatic advancements, including the addition of new
courses, such as Chinese, Engineering and Computer Programming.
The competencies focused on three main areas of a student’s
development: in the classroom, as part of a community and
individually. Rick has also spearheaded school-wide initiatives in
environmental sustainability, known as the Big Green Initiative;
taken global education to new heights with the expansion of the
School’s international exchange programs, including the most recent
addition of the Chinese exchange in Wuhan; and reawakened
a dedication to take multicultural awareness from theory to
practice, straying from terms such as tolerance and acceptance, and
focusing instead on inclusivity. Furthermore, his commitment to
environmental initiatives led to the green roof of Center ’63 being
named for him. Rick reveled in chances to bring the entire student
body together in one room, with the Flickinger Performing Arts
Center offering the space to enjoy school-wide gatherings, such as
the annual Earth Day special assembly.
Rick’s presence was undoubtedly felt in every area of Nichols.
From calling the football games to being in the stands of basketball
games, he was a regular cheerer for the Big Green. Last fall, the
School dedicated The Bryan Booth in his honor. Remarkably, Rick
was as much a champion for the arts as he was a lover of athletics.
In the Flickinger Performing Arts Center, Rick could be found in
one of the seats nearest to the front row, watching plays, listening
to musicians and vocalists impress the audience, and delighting in
Super Bowl Champions:
Dallas Cowboys
World Series Champions:
None, player strike!
Stanley Cup Winner:
New York Rangers
NBA Champions:
Houston Rockets
World Cup Winner: Brazil
Time Magazine’s Man
of the Year: Pope John Paul II
Top Movies of the year:
“Forrest Gump,” “The Shawshank
Redemption,” “Pulp Fiction,”
“The Lion King” and “Dumb
and Dumber”
Spring/Summer 2013
31

the wonder of experiencing live art. He also enjoyed making trips
to the Middle School Pond to watch the School’s youngest students
have their moment in the limelight through grade level plays and
even during Morning Meetings.
When Rick arrived at Nichols in 1982 from Charlotte Country
Day School, he served as Head of Upper School, a history teacher
and Associate Headmaster. As he oversaw the Upper School, he
recognized the chance to help the School grow in several areas,
developing initiatives in community service, wellness and diversity.
He expanded awareness of the School’s arts program and bolstered
additional support for faculty to engage in professional development
opportunities. In 1989, Rick received the William Nichols Award,
which recognizes members of the faculty and staff who have
significantly contributed to the overall quality of the Nichols
education. Rick was recognized with an Honorary Alumni Award in
1996. These honors were bestowed upon Rick because of his tireless
devotion to Nichols and his unwavering commitment to the values
that make this community so special.
Rick’s ease and comfort with forging genuine, meaningful
relationships created a collection of important partnerships for
the School. While leading Nichols, Rick maintained an array
of professional affiliations and volunteer involvements himself,
including serving on the Board of Directors for several education
institutions and associations. In 1998, Rick co-founded the Buffalo
Independent Secondary Schools Network known as BISSNET,
and has served as its President of the Board until now. From 2001
to today, Rick has served on the James H. Cummings Foundation
Board of Directors. After being an active member of the New
York State Association of Independent Schools for many years,
NYSAIS was fortunate to benefit from Rick’s guidance while he
served as President of the Board of Directors from 2007-2009; he
also participated on and has led their Board for the Commission on
Accreditation.
Always a champion for education and readily willing to help
neighbor schools, Rick served on the Board of Directors for
Allendale Columbia School in Rochester, N.Y., from 2003-2006.
Most recently, he joined the Boards of Tapestry Charter School
and University School, his alma mater in Cleveland, Ohio,
and returned to the Board of Buffalo Prep after a previous stint.
Rick also served on the Board of Directors for the Western New
York Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for many years, and acted as its
President from 2010-2011. The School’s annual Middle School
walk and fundraiser, “Friends of KC,” has raised $61,297.44 in
the past decade since its start. With his busy professional life and
community involvement, many members of the Nichols community
marveled at his ability to be present at such a steady stream of
Nichols events and applauded his effort to balance it all.
Rick’s wife, Judith Brown Bryan, is widely considered the “First Lady
of Nichols,” thanks to her steadfast commitment to Nichols. Judith
came to nearly every event the School held, from Homecoming to
alumni receptions, and opening her home to members of the Senior
Class each year for their trademark “Senior Dinners.” Judith herself
was named an Honorary Alumna of Nichols last June because of her
constant support of the School and its community members. Their
daughters, KC Bryan White ’97 and Virginia “Ginny” Bryan ’00, have
been a big part of the Nichols community as well.
Most popular TV shows:
“Seinfeld,” “E.R.,” “Home
Improvement,” “Friends,”
“Rugrats” and “America’s
Funniest Home Videos”
Most popular bands and
recording artists: Bryan Adams,
Bon Jovi, Snoop Doggy Dogg,
Aerosmith, Boyz II Men and
Janet Jackson
Grammy award for Record
of the Year: “I Will Always Love
You” by Whitney Houston
Technology buzz: The White
House launched its first website
and the world’s first satellite
digital TV service launched
32 Nichols School

Rick leaves an impression on all those who know him. The
following memories and stories are what some members of the
Nichols community have to say about Rick:
I met Rick Bryan the first day he came to Nichols for an interview in 1982. I
was Director of Development at the time and was on the Search Committee,
and I interviewed him for the job of Head of Upper School and knew right
away that he was the man for the job. Fortunately he took that job and we
worked together since then.
Anyone who knows Rick knows he’s a great guy—he’s honest, trustworthy
and just a terrific guy. He loves education and is passionate about it. He’s
a history buff—he started as a history teacher, and that shows true. But I
would say most of all, that he’s a family man. He loves his family—Judith,
KC and Ginny—and he loves his school, Nichols. It has become a huge part
of his family, as has his whole family.
One of the things that makes Rick a great leader is his desire to make
everyone succeed. He wants the kids to succeed and do their best, he wants
the faculty to succeed…he wants to bring out the best in everyone and really
prides himself on leading a school of great leaders. He always shines the lights
on other people, not on him.
I think Rick’s legacy will live on forever here at Nichols. One of the things
he did right from the start and has continued to do all these years…he never
quit, he never settled for status quo. He’s always looking to what he can
do next. He never gets tired of his job and wakes up every day thinking
about how he can make Nichols a better school. He’s built an incredible
administrative team and a terrific faculty…he’s set a great tone at this school.
It’s a happy place. Clearly his legacy will live on in these buildings and this
incredible campus.
Elizabeth Stevens Gurney ’75
I’ve known Rick for over 30 years, which is hard to believe…his two girls are
my daughters’ best friends, and Rick, Judith, Ginna and I have been very
close friends for that time.
Rick is very engaging and a wonderful listener. He gets to the core of who
someone is and makes them feel special, and that’s what he’s done for all of
Nichols School. He’s very collegial. He works with his colleagues and brings
everyone along so they’re making the decision together. He’s ultimately the
key decision maker, but everyone is willing to support him when he makes the
decision.
The legacy of Rick Bryan will be an extraordinary chapter. It spans over
30 years and many of us are proud to come on the campus and see how
beautiful it is…the part that is greatest is how proud the alumni are of this
community, and how strongly they support it.
Ted Walsh ’72
I have so many wonderful and important memories of Mr. Bryan. His
unwavering belief in me, a troubled and trouble-making teenage girl, made
it possible for me to make it through high school. I am sure there were many
times he wanted to just give up on me, but he never did. He was tough,
sincere, and a true believer in all of us. Mr. Bryan impacted my life in a very
meaningful way and for that I am grateful. Enjoy your retirement – you have
earned it!
Jennifer Nisengard Payne ’88
The Cost for a stamp: $.29
Average price for a
gallon of gas: $1.09
Average movie ticket cost: $4.08
Average cost of a new car:
$12,350
Notable world events: The
Channel Tunnel was opened,
connecting England and France.
The Irish Republican Army and
Northern Ireland declare a
cease fire. Nelson Mandela
is elected president of South
Africa in their first interracial
presidential election.
Spring/Summer 2013
33

One of my first wrestling matches in the Laettner gym comes to mind. After
the match, Rick congratulated each one of us on our efforts. I’ll never forget
how cool it was that the Head of School took time out of his day to watch my
match and even stay after to praise our efforts. That personal attention and
support was always evident in his character. He was a hands-on individual
with tremendous people skills. You would be hard pressed to find a similar role
model in other institutions.
Nick Wagner ’05
Rick is a people person…During his time, he did a lot: he taught, he coached
and he managed. He understands what educational teaching is about. The
visual legacy he leaves is what you see with the shape of campus, the buildings
and grounds, but behind the scenes, Rick made faculty members comfortable
and made teaching fun. Rick’s great qualities are his sense of humor and his
empathy. He reads people well and he’s always been approachable. I only feel
sorry he has missed out on some of the fun. With him nobly handling all the
School’s business, he has had very little of the joy that comes from the energy
and humor of the classroom in recent years.
Larry Desautels
The year was 1989 and it was the first day of freshman year. I had dutifully
locked up all of my textbooks and belongings in my new locker...with my
new lock. Unfortunately with all of my nervousness about starting in a new
school, etc., I could not recall the lock combination. The locker room was
thinning out and I began to panic. Announcements were starting soon. I
didn’t know what to do. In a daze, I hightailed it out of there toward the
freshman study hall room and ran into Mr. Bryan. He saw the terror on my
face and asked me what was wrong. I explained while fighting back tears of
embarrassment. He set out for the school bookstore where I had purchased
the lock, and came to find me in the study hall room with my combination
scribbled on a piece of paper: 26-4-18 (of course 23 years later, I still
remember!). What a tremendous sense of relief.
Thanks Mr. Bryan for going above and beyond the call of duty to
help a panicking freshman on the first day of school - you made the day
tremendously better!
Christina Vladutiu Vaughan ’93
Back in the day when the current dance studio was the black box theater we
held dance performances in that space. During some kind of private social
meeting, Jack Walsh bet Rick $500.00 (I think that was the amount) to
appear in tights in my dance concert in front of the public. Ever eager to go
the extra pirouette for Nichols, Rick asked me if I could help. I thought of a
way to make it all happen. We were working on dance history and shapes
you can make with your body. I remembered the legendary choreographer
Alwin Nikolai and his “Movement bags.” I also happened to have some
lovely adult sized blue spandex unitards. A costume now similar to those
for speed skaters. This was of course way ahead of the fashion curve in top
34 Nichols School

level athletic circles. Rick came to several rehearsals and learned some shape
choreography and became part of the ensemble. Finally the show arrives. He
made his entrance in a fantastic blue movement bag and matching unitard.
He was clearly a fully participating member of the ensemble. Rick made
fantastic shapes coordinated with the students and the music. His artistic
enthusiasm generated much awareness in the crowd. There was a murmur
who was the performer in the bag. At the end of the work the lights went
black the cast members quickly assembled in a line to receive their deserved
applause. Low and behold Richard C. Bryan was in his smashing blue lycra
in the center smiling and bowing – Jack Walsh ’63, I believe, was also in
attendance, grinning from ear to ear – but down $500.00.
Elaine Gardner
When I was a Nichols student from 1990 to 1994, Rick was the Head of the
Upper School. He was deeply involved in the daily running of the school, and
in the students’ lives. My memories of Rick are of a firm, caring leader with
a great sense of humor and a warm heart. I always felt like Rick cared about
me as an individual and that my successes or failures were important to him.
On numerous occasions throughout my time at Nichols, he went out of his
way to congratulate me on a wrestling victory, to discuss music or sports for
a few minutes, and to help me as I was preparing my college applications. I
know that he did the same for others and that they are as appreciative as I am
of his efforts on our behalf.
I wish him all the very best as he moves on.
Paul S. Greenman ’94
I reconnected with Nichols when I attended an alumni event in NYC 14
years ago. It was there I had the opportunity to spend some time getting
to know Rick. I had heard great things from Nichols students about all the
constructive changes which obviously continued to take place under his
leadership. Even though my illustrious high school career didn’t finish at
Nichols, Rick spent a disproportionate amount of time getting to know me.
Whenever I get the rare chance to visit with him, we pick up right where we
left off. Talk about creating interest and respect from so many for Nichols
School. Rick’s character, sincerity and abilities will be sorely missed by this
school he, and those he motivated around him, leave in such strong shape.
Adie Jewett ’73
As a freshman at Nichols in the basement of Albright, my best friend Donny
Arthur ’06 told me that John Hadala ’06 was using the restroom and had
been in there for a considerable amount of time. At this point, I decided to
turn the lights off and prank John leaving him in complete darkness to finish
his business. Turns out I was the victim of the prank, and the person using
the bathroom was indeed Rick Bryan. Rick exited the bathroom swearing
vengeance upon the executor of the aforementioned prank. He had no idea
who it was and nobody spoke a word to him. I have lived with this secret for
roughly 10 years and feel that his departure from Nichols is the perfect time to
come clean and willingly accept any retribution seem fit from Rick Bryan.
…I am truly sorry, Rick.
Sean Heidinger ’07
Spring/Summer 2013
35

Nichols has been very lucky to have Rick Bryan firmly at the helm for so
long. Research shows that a major indicator for the success of independent
schools is a long serving Head who has the support of the significant
constituencies: students, teachers, parents, alums. Above all, the relationship
of the School Head with the Board is a key indicator of excellence.
Clearly, Nichols and Rick have together thrived over the last decades since
his arrival in Buffalo in 1982. But beyond the Niagara Frontier, you should
know that Rick has received great recognition for his leadership across the
state and the country. As Head of the Board of Trustees of the New York
State Association for Independent Schools, he represented us all well. As his
successor in that post, I observed Rick brought fairness, discipline and wit to
the meetings and proceedings of NYSAIS.
Rick is also one of a handful of independent school heads across the country
to have been elected, by his peers, to membership in both the Headmasters
Association and the Country Day School Headmasters Association. Each
national organization is limited to 100 active members; fortunately both have
included women in their membership since the 1970s. One point of local
pride: as “Country Day” observes the centennial of its founding in the 2012-
13 school year, it is interesting to note that the first two annual meetings were
held on the Nichols School campus in June of 1912 and 1913. The convener
was Joseph D. Allen, Nichols’ second Headmaster.
In his excellent and encyclopedic history titled “Nichols School: A Century
of Tradition and Change, 1892-1991,” former faculty member, John M.
Sessions ’62, includes a description of CDSHA founder, J. D. Allen. [He
had a] “genial manner and warm personality.... The keen zest of living,
the joy of doing, add a dynamic quality to the personality of this scholar and
gentleman.” I believe the same can be said of Headmaster Rick Bryan.
Congratulations!
Steve Clement ’62
When reflecting back on Rick’s 30 years at the helm of our beloved school,
his contributions are staggering, indeed. Others will describe and outline the
impressive list but let’s focus on the individual—his personality, humanity,
sensitivity, dedication and sense of humor—all exercised and dispensed willingly
and with great verve. Just after his arrival, he was faced with simultaneous
professional and personal challenges. Almost any other person might have
been overwhelmed and opted out but not Rick! He seized the opportunity and
seemed more motivated to attack each facet with a resolve and determination
that were as impressive as they were contagious. To this day, had he not “held
it all together,” the School just may have faced a severe crisis. Not only did he
demonstrate great and necessary leadership, but he dispensed it with a sense of
humor and clarity which motivated and inspired the entire community.
His career was filled with many “peaks and valleys,” to quote the ol’ great
one! He refereed countless “Pillsbury bake offs” that involved many individuals
expressing territorial claims for a variety of wants, needs and of course personal
priorities and preferences. Ah the turf battles—long may they endure! Behind
the scenes, he was a skilled negotiator trading this for that and exchanging
that for this. He made many difficult decisions, never pleasing all involved
while maintaining the respect he merited always keeping the School as his top
priority. And oh those infamous Dean’s lunches when we reviewed the previous
academic year and those individuals who made each one so very memorable!
Mr. Glue as Poncho was labeled during those initial difficult years when
Nichols was preoccupied with stressful internal issues, kept all of us focused
with our appropriate responsibilities and duties never losing focus of the ultimate
goal. In 1982, when the Board began the search for a new Head, was there
any doubt who would be named Mr. Glue of course! In retrospect, it was one
of the very best decisions it ever made. The outcome speaks for itself!
Rick saw both daughters graduate from Nichols, his wife Judith ordained
as minister and Tater emerge as the unofficial school mascot. Rick’s footprints
36 Nichols School

are everywhere and his legacy will endure throughout the School’s history. We
are indebted to him for all he has done and been for Nichols. He has worn his
mantel with dignity and compassion. His physical presence will be missed but
never his impact.
Steve Moscov
Rick is a compassionate, hardworking man who has dedicated so much of his
life to our wonderful school. I think he can talk about Nichols until he is blue
in the face. He doesn’t stop, and that makes it so clear how much he loves this
place. I know I’ll miss him a lot.
Jesse Baier ’05
I first remember Rick Bryan when I moved to the Upper School campus
from Nottingham in the fall of 1986. “Hats off gentlemen!” he would boom.
I remember thinking this is a pretty serious dude. He had that classic Mr.
Bryan side-part in his hair and some stern looking eyebrows. Honestly, I was
intimidated by Rick. However, throughout my time at Nichols and afterward
as an alumnus, it became clear that Rick is far more than a serious dude. He
is a smiling, laughing and most importantly a caring educator. Nichols has
done well by Rick.
Most curiously when one sees Mr. Bryan these days he looks exactly the
same as when I arrived on the Upper School campus my freshman year. Is
it me Rick Bryan is timeless! What does he do to preserve himself Does
he really have to retire Knowing that Rick Bryan was at Nichols kept so
many of us feeling like our Nichols experience wasn’t so long ago. Say it ain’t
so. Nichols will miss you, Mr. Bryan!
Ted Cotsen ’90
Few understand the work, pressure, anxiety and human toll that converge
on a Head of School during the course of a career. If we are lucky and good
at what we do, our various constituencies see only a seemingly effortless
exhibition of a school’s unfolding reality. Yet even in a spectacular career,
the work of a leader is fraught with difficulty, complexity, anguish and
uncertainty. It can be a lonely and difficult job.
I say this to underline the generosity, grace and spirit Rick Bryan shared
with Nichols throughout his career, but particularly in his 19 years as Head.
Anyone who knows Rick Bryan understands the essential humanity,
dignity and humility of the man. His accomplishments over a 19-year
Head career at Nichols are magnificent: the cultivation of a great faculty,
the development of plans that honor the integrity and beauty of the historic
campus; the continued emergence of Nichols as a nationally respected and
admired day school; the support of a bright, diverse and talented student
body; the successful completion of capital efforts to sustain and strengthen
the mission. Yet in the end, we honor and celebrate Rick’s consistent
commitment to the human side of the Nichols’ experience. He made time
to honor, support, guide and mentor all members of the extended Nichols’
community. He set an example of independent school leadership, civic
engagement and a life of hope, optimism and collaboration. He decided that
his tenure as Headmaster would be one that met the essential challenges of a
world undergoing profound changes. He was open to change, to innovation
and to creative approaches to 21st century education. Yet, he held fast to
the values and principles that his predecessors like Mr. Boocock embraced.
And so we who worked beside him during his career count him as a friend, a
mentor and a source of courage and inspiration. I hope Nichols will join me
in thanking him for sharing his life with us.
Daniel T. Roach, Jr.’75
Spring/Summer 2013
37

“Nichols made me realize the importance of college preparation.
It didn’t become apparent how different my education experience
was in the classrooms until I left Nichols. Nichols laid the
groundwork by giving me the skill set and confidence to move
forward and be successful. The least I can do is contribute back to the
Nichols’ community to ensure that continues for generations to come.”
Nick Wagner ’05
To donate to 2012-2013 The Nichols Fund,
vist www.nicholsschool.org/give
Of nearly 5,000 Nichols alumni around
the world, did you know that…
• 2,400 alumni live outside of Western New York
• New York City, Boston, San Francisco and Washington D.C.
are home to our highest four concentrations of alumni in the
U.S.A. respectively
• Los Angeles, Florida, Chicago and Philadelphia host the
next highest concentrations of Nichols alumni
38 Nichols School
Our online Alumni Directory allows you to search for alumni by
name, class year, industry and now by region.
In addition, as a member of a particular region, you can message
all of your fellow Nichols alumni in that same region with the click
of a button.
In order to access the Alumni Directory and Regional Alumni
pages you must first log-in to the alumni website. Visit www.
nicholsschool.org/alumni today.
Happy networking!

Sport Focus
The team celebrates following their CISAA league championship win.
Boys’ Varsity Squash:
New Kids on the Block
by Charlie Barth ’06
The Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association Squash
Championships, held at the National Squash Academy in Toronto,
Ontario, is a grueling day of squash. The day starts promptly at 9:00
a.m. when players disperse to their assigned courts to meet each of six
different opponents over the course of seven hours. The Nichols team
has been physically and mentally preparing for this day all season; a
demanding match schedule coupled with more than the occasional
court sprint after practice was about to pay off. To help the team step
up the conditioning, alumnus, Peter Marlette ’06, fresh off a stint of
professional soccer overseas, has been a fixture at Monday practices,
putting the team through a variety of demanding strength, speed and
endurance exercises. The team was confident and ready.
After dispatching Crescent School, 6-3; Ridley College, 9-0; Upper
Canada College, 9-0; Trinity College School, 6-3; and Appleby
College, 9-0, the team faced six-time defending champions St.
Andrew’s College, which was fittingly the only obstacle that remained
in the way of a Nichols CISAA Championship. The first four players
to get their matches underway were captains Greg Vanderhorst ’13
and David Sherris ’13, along with Leyton Johnston ’16 and Matthew
Sherris ’15, all of whom were unbeaten on the day thus far. Each player
dropped a hard fought first game against a formidable opponent. The
team was now facing an uphill battle.
However, the Nichols team met adversity without hesitation; all
four of our players rallied to 2-1 victories in their respective best out of
three matches. Along with methodical 2-0 wins by Fred Maynor ’14
and John Bassett ’14, the team was on its way to a 6-3 win, and the
first CISAA Squash Championship in the School’s history. Andrew
Wolney ’14, Colin Hogan ’14, Jack Vanderhorst ’18 and Zach Cole
’14 rounded out the team in the finals, while varsity players Michael
Montante ’13, Nathaniel Hughes ’14 and Matthew Hogan ’15 all
contributed during the regular season.
It was a gutsy performance to say the least, but simply winning was
not as impressive as the way in which the team won. Led on the court
by Leyton and John, the team is not short on skill, but every player
showed an incredible respect for the game over the course of the
season. With strong leadership from the captains and upperclassmen,
composure and etiquette came naturally to this group of young men,
and they represented Nichols School brilliantly with their conduct on
and off the court.
Two days later, the team finished an undefeated season in the
Buffalo High School League by winning the Buffalo High School
Championships with an 8-1 victory over Canisius High School. The
team finished 26-3, and several players enjoyed tremendous success
both for the team and individually in national tournaments across the
United States. One of the hardest things to do in sports is to defend
a title, but with next year’s captains, John and Fred, leading a strong
returning team, Nichols will be hard to beat.
Spring/Summer 2013
39

Nannie Clough, Kaela Parentis ’17, Kendra Jones ’17, Bill Clough, Dylan Hall ’18, Tommy Elia ’17, Jack Pfalzgraf ’17, Brian Tank ’17 and Michael Berdysiak ’18
Getting to Know Bill Clough
by Nina Barone
Following a national search for the successor of Rick Bryan, the
Board of Trustees elected Bill Clough as the twelfth Head of
School. Bill comes to us from Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass.,
where he has been working in administrative roles since 2004. He
is currently the Acting Head at Berkshire while the Head of School
is on sabbatical, and he previously served as the Associate Head
of School. Prior to that, he was the Assistant Head of School and
Dean of Faculty. Berkshire has grown tremendously during his time
there.
Bill holds two master’s degrees, one in education from Harvard
University, and another in English from the Bread Loaf School of
English at Middlebury College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in
history from Colby College, and is a graduate of Holderness School
in Plymouth, N.H. Prior to Berkshire, Bill was Head of Program
at Exploration Senior Program, a three-week summer enrichment
program for over 1,400 high school students entering grades 10-
12, held on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Conn.
Earlier in his career, he held faculty positions and coached at Tabor
Academy in Marion, Mass., and Kent’s Hill School in Readfield,
Maine. He and his wife, Nannie, have three children, Elias, Rawson
and Eva.
In his initial letter to the committee, Bill wrote: “Young people
won’t risk doing anything worthwhile unless the adults in their lives
model the way, so their teachers must be risk-takers themselves,
committed to excellence, willing to try and even fail.” This deep
commitment to students and to teaching resonated with all who
met Bill, and we are thrilled to call him our next Head of School.
Please join us in welcoming Bill and his family to the Nichols
community.
What motivated you most to consider leading Nichols
I’ve always known Nichols to be one of the premier day schools in
the country. Also, my brother in law, Kurt Weber ’82, is a graduate of
Nichols, so I’ve heard wonderful things about the School from him.
40 Nichols School

“I can think of no one more qualified than Bill Clough to lead Nichols School
at this time. Bill has been preparing for this job all of his professional life, and
he has the skills, energy, integrity and vision to do a terrific job.”
Steve Norman, President of the Board of Trustees at Berkshire School; former Secretary and Officer of the American Express Company
After your first visit, what attracted
you most to the School
The people. I was blown away by
their kindness, passion and pride.
I was looking for a strong sense of
community, and I felt it immediately at
Nichols. It is clear that people love the
school and the city of Buffalo.
How will your experiences at Berkshire
serve you as Head of Nichols
I am fortunate to work with a team
of bright, selfless people at Berkshire
School who care deeply about kids and
work impossibly hard to serve them. As
Dean of Faculty and Associate Head
of School, I have had my hand in just
about every aspect of school life at
Berkshire. Through thick and thin, we
have kept our students’ best interest
at the forefront of every decision we
make, and I know that the same is
true at Nichols. I feel fortunate to be
trusted to serve the school on the heels
of Rick Bryan’s impressive tenure as
he’s clearly done a remarkable job.
Bill Clough, incoming Head of School, and his wife, Nannie,
meet with alumni on Wednesday, April 24.
that Nichols is reaching beyond the
boundaries of Western New York to
schools from other countries while
serving its obligation to its own
community. These partnerships are
critical, and it’s exciting to imagine
where we will allow research and
technology to take us next. The trick,
of course, is not to lose sight of our
greatest responsibility: to help Nichols
graduates to be decent, humane people
who are committed to improving the
world. The School’s mission places the
responsibility of teaching character and
service directly on our shoulders, and I
like that it does.
What do you consider the most
important virtue in a person
Integrity.
Who is your hero or biggest influence
in life
Without question my family and I
mean that in the broadest sense. I am
inspired and motivated by them.
What is your favorite part about being an independent school leader
I love hanging out with kids, that’s the easy answer. As a school
leader, I can generate climate and culture, and this is my favorite part
of the job. I like building teams, and I’ve found that I’m good at it.
What major opportunities do you see for the School right now
There are so many. Like all schools, Nichols will have to continue
to reimagine itself while holding on dearly to its traditions. The
sense of history is palpable at Nichols, and this is something that
attracted me to the School, but I like that Nichols is adapting to a
changing world. This is necessary and prudent. The Class of 1963
Center for Mathematics and Science is an extraordinary statement
about what the School values. Your students are doing important
research, and there will only be more opportunities for this. I like
Is there anything else you want people to know about you
I want people to know that I’m going to need their help and that
I’m going to ask for it. I’m coming to Nichols because I want to
serve the School and the greater Buffalo community. I’m interested
in partnering with people who share the same commitment.
Save the Date:
Join us on Friday, Oct. 4, 2013
for the Convocation to install
Bill Clough as the twelfth
Head of School
Spring/Summer 2013
41

After Nichols
Nicole Mansfield ’01
by Blake Walsh ’98
Nicole Mansfield ’01 recently participated in the Whitewater
Grand Prix held in Chile in 2012, competing against female
kayakers from all over the world. Sponsored by Pyranha Kayaks,
she has been competing in white water kayaking events for many
years. The event brought together 30 of the world’s best white
water kayakers to compete in 5 events over a 14 day period. Nicole
placed 6th overall among the women. She has also been featured
in a video made about the women competing in the Grand Prix. A
graduate of Dartmouth College, she currently resides in the city of
White Salmon, Wash.
What are you up to now
I recently moved to the Columbia
Gorge area, which will be an ideal
base to plan my next adventures while
maintaining access to year-round white
water kayaking and a plethora of other
outdoor activities. I spent November
through January 2012 kayaking
throughout Chile, two weeks of which
were devoted to competing in the
Whitewater Grand Prix, an invite only,
five-stage extreme kayaking race event.
Relishing the experience of exploring
new zones, I have lived in Alaska, Utah
and Colorado, and traveled all across the world including Uganda,
South Africa, Chile, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Mexico and Europe.
For three summers, I toured the United States in a van with other
Team Pyranha paddlers promoting the kayak brand, fostering the
sport, and competing in freestyle and race events. With a focus
on white water kayaking, I hope to visit an ever-expanding list of
places within the U.S. and across the globe.
Did anything from your time at Nichols inspire your career path
The Costa Rican exchange program I participated in during my
senior year was a catalyst for my career path. It was the first time I
was truly forced out of my comfort zone: living with a family with
whom I could barely communicate; experiencing a different culture
and lifestyle; taking cold showers; and eating mayonnaise-dressed
French fries. Coincidently, a rafting trip on the Sarapiqui was also
the first time I was exposed to white water. During those two weeks
in Costa Rica, I discovered that I loved exploring new places and
meeting new people. Then, when I tried white water kayaking in
a college physical education course, I was instantly hooked on the
thrill. White water kayaking continues to challenge me physically
and mentally and has taken me to some incredible spots. If the
sport ever starts to bore me I will adjust my life’s focus. But until
that time, I am motivated to continue the adventure and share this
passion for the outdoor world with the hope that others may be
similarly inspired.
What advice do you have for others who
may want to work in your field
Always pay attention to people’s
guidance and recommendations, but
ultimately listen to yourself and trust
your instincts. I also advocate always
being open to trying new things because
you never know where or when you will discover your true passions.
Growing up in Buffalo, I never knew white water kayaking existed,
so I can guarantee nobody would have recommended this lifestyle
to me. College exposed me to a whole different world. Find what
inspires you and pursue it, no matter how unrealistic or unfitting
it may seem. If you want to be a white water kayaker, kayak every
chance you can get!
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment
I’d have to say that my greatest accomplishment thus far has been
managing to graduate from college with a double major while
simultaneously discovering white water kayaking (which has been
an addiction from the start). In college, I was constantly conflicted
between pursuing my outdoor passions and studying for my major
that had nothing to do with this new lifestyle I had found.
How did Nichols prepare you for college and life beyond college
Throughout my eight years of attendance, Nichols taught me to
attack the world with critical and creative thinking, [and gave me
a strong foundation in] math, reading and writing. But, the values
of dedication, determination and teamwork, have proved to be the
essential elements for my college career and achieving my postcollege
goals.
42 Nichols School

William Nichols Society
The William Nichols Society honors all persons who have advised us that they have named Nichols in their will,
a trust or other estate plan.
A bequest to Nichols School is a gift that represents the donor’s concern for and commitment to the School’s
excellence in education. The William Nichols Society cites and honors all persons who have named Nichols
School in their estate plans, usually by will or trust.
Bequests were first tracked in our giving records as a specific category in 1991. Since then, Nichols has received
62 bequests totaling $4,230,748.67. Following are the names of alumni, parents, grandparents, faculty, staff and
friends who are members of the William Nichols Society. Please note that (D) represents a deceased member.
Alumni
Class of 1914
Mr. Clark T. Roberts (D)
Class of 1916
Mr. Edward B. Archbald (D)
Class of 1921
Mr. Harry D. Yates (D)
Class of 1924
Mr. Robert L. Crane (D)
Class of 1926
Mr. Wilcox B. Adsit (D)
Mr. Hubert L. Perry (D)
Class of 1929
Hon. Henry P. Smith III (D)
Dr. Robert Warner (D)
Class of 1931
Mr. Matthew N. Hayes (D)
Mr. George B. Kellogg (D)
Mr. Julian R. Oishei (D)
Class of 1932
Dr. Warren R. Montgomery, Jr. (D)
Mr. Harry B. Pinkerton, Jr. (D)
Mr. Philip M. Schneckenburger (D)
Class of 1933
Mr. Richard R. Chellas (D)
Mr. Bryant H. Prentice, Jr. (D)
Class of 1936
Mr. Scott McFarland (D)
Class of 1937
Mr. Karr Parker, Jr. (D)
Class of 1938
Mr. Richard E. Moot
Mr. Robert S. Scheu (D)
Mr. Edward C .Schlenker, Jr. (D)
Class of 1939
Mr. Thomas H. Danforth (D)
Mr. Richard P. Hunt (D)
Mr. John N.Walsh, Jr. (D)
Class of 1940
Mr. James G. Hurley (D)
Class of 1941
Mr. Edwin C. Andrews (D)
Mr. John Brady (D)
Mr. John P. Halstead
Mr. R. Alfred Kirchhofer (D)
Mr. Richard C. Smith (D)
Mr. S. Thompson Viele
Mr. Murray W. Warner (D)
Class of 1942
Mr. Roderic B. MacDonald (D)
Mr. Donald S. Rumsey (D)
Mr. Edward M. Scheu, Jr. (D)
Class of 1943
Mr. Allen Short
Mr. Edward F. Walsh
Class of 1944
Mr. Fulton M. Cooke
Mr. John R. Griffis (D)
Mr. E.W. Dann Stevens (D)
Class of 1945
Mr. John P. Hoffman (D)
Dr. James M. Orr (D)
Mr. Donald B. Scully (D)
Class of 1946
Mr. Lawrence Osgood
Dr. Ray G. Schiferle
Class of 1947
Mr. Whitworth Ferguson, Jr. (D)
Mr. Rodney W. Gartner
Mr. William F. Kimberly, Jr. (D)
Mr. Allan S. Lerner (D)
Mr. Carlton K. Nicholson
Mr. John G. Putnam, Jr. (D)
Mr. Calvin G. Rand
Mr. John A. Williams
Mr. G. Frederick Zeller, Jr. (D)
Class of 1948
Mr. Walter G. Goldstein (D)
Mr. Charles S. Lauer
Mr. William H. Orr
Mr. Malcolm Strachan II
Mr. Mortimer A. Sullivan, Jr.
Mr. Henry D. Waters
Class of 1949
Mr. Richard W. Cutting
Mr. Robert E. Dillon (D)
Mr. William H. Donaldson
Mr. Hoyt M. Long (D)
Dr. J. David Schnatz
Dr. Bernard D. Wakefield
Mr. Reginald V. Williams, Jr.
Mr. Charles L. Yeager
Class of 1950
Mr. Thomas R. Flickinger
Mr. Charles W. Millard
Class of 1951
Mr. James M. Dillon
Mr. Stephen S. Gurney
Mr. Edwin M. Johnston, Jr.
Mr. David W. McCain
Mr. William J. Regan, Jr.
Mr. Alfred W. Rossow, Jr.
Mr. Roger D. Severance
Mr. Richard W. Shaughnessy
Mr. John H. Wood (D)
Class of 1952
Mr. Harold M. Graham (D)
Mr. Richard W. Miller (D)
Class of 1953
Mr. Willard C. Frank, Jr.
Class of 1954
Mr. Denis Doyle
Mr. James H. Park
Mr. Kalman Ruttenstein (D)
Mr. Albert B. Wende
Mr. C. Penn Wettlaufer (D)
continued on next page
Spring/Summer 2013
43

Class of 1955
Mr. Wyndham Eaton
Dr. John M. Wadsworth
Class of 1957
Mr. F. Peter Boer
Dr. James R. Cole
Mr. James W. Greene II
Mr. John B. Henry
Dr. Charles A. Smith II
Mr. David Wharton III (D)
Class of 1958
Mr. Stuart H. Angert
Dr. William F. Clayton
Mr. Howard T. Saperston, Jr.
Class of 1959
Mr. John W. Henrich
Class of 1960
Mr. William N. Hudson, Jr.
Mr. Donald W. Koch (D)
Mr. Robert E. Raiser
Class of 1961
Mr. Richard B. Adams
Mr. G. Robert Moeschler, Jr.
Mr. Kenneth M. Neil
Class of 1962
Mr. Robert P. Lentz III
Class of 1963
Mr. Warren B. Gelman
Mr. William B. Loweth
Dr. L. Sandy Maisel
Mr. John N. Walsh III
Class of 1964
Mr. P. Jeffrey Birtch
Mr. Howard L. Schweitzer
Mr. Kevin M. Wyckoff
Class of 1965
Mr. Richard B. Benson
Class of 1966
Mr. Theodore C. Jewett II
Mr. Bertram B. Parker
Mr. John A. Mitchell
Mr. Robert F. Rahn
Class of 1969
Mr. Jerry S. Ivers
Mr. Frederick J. Lyle
Mr. John J. Cordes
Class of 1970
Mr. William G. Gisel, Jr.
Mr. Edward W. Suor
Class of 1972
Mr. John Mineo
Mr. Edward F. Walsh, Jr.
Mr. Denis T. Wettlaufer
Class of 1974
Mrs. Eliz. Rydzynski Hulley
Mr. Gregory D. Stevens
Class of 1975
Mr. Neal V. Fatin III
Mrs. Elizabeth Stevens Gurney
Mr. George G. Smith III
Class of 1976
Mr. Brian D. Dillon
Ms. Katharine Jebb Norton
Mr. Stephen J. Wydysh
Class of 1977
Mr. John C. Farmelo
Mrs. Anne Desbecker Sofarelli
Class of 1978
Mrs. Stacey Fell Milne
Class of 1979
Mr. Jeffrey T. Clifford
Class of 1980
Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush
Dr. R. Reed Stevens
Class of 1984
Ms. Susan E. Hanifin
Miss Joy C. Trotter
Class of 1987
Mr. Mark H. Yellen
Class of 1988
Mrs. Leah E. Hughes
Class of 1990
Mr. W. Scott Saperston
Class of 1991
Mr. Kenneth R. Robinson
Class of 1992
Capt. Elizabeth Boll-Faris
Faculty and Staff
Mr. Richard C. Bryan, Jr.
Dr. Anne R. Clauss
Mr. Neil R. Farmelo
Mr. Guy M. Johnson (D)
Mr. H. Richard MacKinder (D)
Mr. Millard Sessions (D)
Ms. Mary Sykes
Mr. Albert Sutter (D)
Mrs. Ginna Walsh
Friends
Mr. David K. Anderson (D)
Mrs. Marian C. Arms (D)
Mr. Charles E. Balbach
Mrs. Margaret C. Balbach (D)
Mr. James Benson (D)
Mr. Keith A. Blakeley
Rev. Judith B. Bryan
Mr. David N. Campbell
Mrs. Gay Campbell
Mr. Joseph J. Castiglia
Mrs. Virginia L. Duffy (D)
Mrs. Doris Farmelo
Mrs. Sue Gardner
Mrs. Patricia Gelman
Mrs. Marion Goodyear (D)
Dr. Lewis J. Greenky (D)
Mrs. Patricia H. Haines (D)
Mr. Richard M. Hemenway (D)
Mrs. Gerald B. Henry (D)
Mrs. Margaret W. Henry (D)
Mr. Sherlock A. Herrick, Jr.
Mr. Charles R. Hoff
Mrs. James G. Hurley
Mr. Clinton F. Ivins, Jr.
Mrs. Thomas A. Jebb
Mr. N. Michael Keiser (D)
Mr. Chauncey C. Kennedy
Mrs. Patricia M. Kennedy
Mrs. Jean Knox
Mr. Seymour H. Knox III (D)
Dr. Richard Lee
Dr. Oscar J. Llugany
Mrs. Kate Ennis Mabette (D)
Mrs. Claire McGowan
Mrs. Garfield L. Miller, Jr.
Mrs. Elizabeth S. Mitchell
Mrs. Alice L. Peek
Mrs. Jane Perry (D)
Mrs. Sharon A. Randaccio
Mr. Wayne R. Reilly
Mrs. Mary Saperston
Mrs. Martha S. Scheu (D)
Mrs. Carolyn Schnatz
Mrs. Catherine Schweitzer
Mrs. Alma C. Scully
Mr. Robert L. Stone
Mrs. Marilyn Stradella (D)
Mr. Gerald R. Strauss
Mrs. Sue W. Strauss
Mrs. Harlan J. Swift (D)
Mr. Christopher Wadsworth
Ms. Peggy Jane Wells (D)
44 Nichols School

Old Guard Luncheon
A.
B. C.
D.
E.
On Dec. 7, 2012, over 60 Nichols alumni from the 50th Reunion
classes and older returned to campus for the third annual
Old Guard Luncheon in the Rand Dining Room.
A. Rick Bryan addresses the Old Guard
B. Fred Cohen ’61 and Ken Kahn ’58
C. Jack Karet ’52, Fred Batson ’46, George Laub ’46, Toby Strachan ’48 and
David Strachan ’51
D. Dennis McCarthy ’52, Roger Dayer ’52 and Ed Walsh ’43
E. Russell Osborn ‘43 and Fred Cooley ’57
Spring/Summer 2013
45

A. B.
A. B.
C. D.
Boston
Alumni Gathering
Nov. 1, 2012
Hosted by Chris Gabrieli ’77 and his wife, Hilary Bacon,
at their home in Beacon Hill.
A. Nick Osinski ’12, Lindsay Wright ’12, Harrison Bacon ’12 and
Michael Gates ’12
B. Hilary Bacon & Chris Gabrieli ’77 with Head of School, Rick
Bryan and wife, Judith Bryan
C. Ellie Beasley Walsh ’99 and Haley DeCarlo ’00
D. Ray Sullivan, Megan Brott Sullivan ’82 and Scott Aquilina ’80
46 Nichols School

A. B.
C.
D.
A. Cindy Woods and Steve Ruotsi ’06
B. George Matthews ’01 and Carl LeVan ’88
C. Michael Miller & Ellen Considine Miller ’81 and Emily Donowick ’05
D. Allison LeVan Gersch ’84, Heidi Rauch ’87, Rick Bryan and Paul Tourbaf ’87
Washington, D.C.
Alumni Gathering
Jan. 17, 2013
Hosted by Ellen Considine Miller ’81 and her husband,
Michael Miller, at their home in Washington, D.C.
Spring/Summer 2013
47

A. B.
C.
D. E.
San Francisco
Alumni Gathering
March 6, 2013
Hosted by the Nichols Alumni Office at
The University Club of San Francisco
A. Tim Brennan ’68 and Jack Wendler ’56
B. Ted Cotsen ’90, Leslie Biltekoff Myers ’93 and Chris Wilkens ’89
C. Rebecca Goodstein, Amanda Ramsey,
Megan Carbone Steven ’96 and Kyle Walsh ’95
D. Andy ’61 and Molly Fleischman
E. Fred Strachan ’76, Cameron Crone Bilger ’76 and Bob Lentz ’62
48 Nichols School

Students volunteer at the Community
Action Organization’s greenhouse.
Club Profile:
Eco-Schools
By Kevin Powers
It has been a remarkably productive year for Nichols’ Eco-
Schools group. We’ve spent a lot of time and energy performing
meaningful environmental service and forging strong relationships
with community organizations active
throughout Western New York. The
goal was to get off of campus, perform
community service, and to begin to make
a difference in our city and region. There’s
still a lot of work to be done, but we have
made tremendous strides this year.
Did you know that there is a
large urban farm just blocks from
the Nichols campus Several of the
photos included on these pages display
our work. Since September, many
of our most ecologically-conscious
students have spent their Thursday
afternoons and Saturday mornings
(early Saturday mornings!) performing
valuable community service at an
urban farm located on the grounds of
the Erie County Community Action
Organization’s Green Entrepreneurial
Center (CAO-GEC), located at 70
Harvard Pl., in the City of Buffalo.
Through our service, we’ve learned
about urban agriculture and organic
gardening in partnership with the CAO
staff and AmeriCorps volunteers. Eco-
School work projects have included
helping to construct a large outdoor
composting facility, replacing the roof
of one of the CAO’s three on-site
greenhouses, assisting in the installation
of a hydroponic growing bed, and
planting and harvesting chard, lettuce,
peppers and other produce – we worked, grew and harvested even
during the coldest weeks of winter!
This spring, our Eco-Schools group also worked to forge a
second off-campus connection with another local environmental
organization. On Saturday, March 9, we took part in a “toxic tour”
of Tonawanda led by the Clean Air Coalition of Western New
York. CAC Executive Director, Erin Heaney, took time out of her
busy schedule as one of our leading local environmental activists
to educate Eco-School students about the science and politics
of air quality monitoring and also about local efforts to improve
environmental and human health in the industrial neighborhoods
of our community. Our tour of Tonawanda and Buffalo’s West Side
neighborhoods was eye-opening. We
A. are looking forward to deepening our
connections through environmental
service with the Clean Air Coalition in
the coming months and into the next
school year.
We are excited to continue to build
upon these community relationships.
As a result of our community service
work, the Eco-Schools Club has already
received a $2,000 grant from the HSBC
Bank Eco-School Initiative and a $300
grant from the Sierra Club Niagara
Chapter. We are also working toward a
$500 award from the Sustainable Earth
Solutions’ Young Adult Environmental
Leadership Program. The staff at the
CAO urban farm has selected Nichols as
the lead high school in its new Students
Understanding Nutrition program. So,
in the coming year we will be deepening
our engagement with our community
partners at CAO-GEC, at the Clean
Air Coalition and elsewhere. Things are
looking up for Eco-Schools!
Questions Want to get involved
B.
Contact Eco-Schools advisor, Kevin
Powers, at kpowers@nicholsschool.org.
A. Disha Yellayi ’15 gardens during a trip to
CAO.
B. Iman Mamnoon ’16 works on one of the
raised beds at CAO.
Spring/Summer 2013
49

Alumni Holiday Gathering
A.
by Blake Walsh ’98
On Friday, Dec. 21, Nichols held its annual Alumni Holiday
Gathering, welcoming back a crowd of over 250 to the Rand
Dining Room. In light of a new calendar in which Nichols will
present Distinguished and Honorary Alumni Awards during
Reunion weekend in June, the December holiday reception now
serves as a festive cocktail reception at which alumni can catch up
with one another during the holiday season.
Although no formal program was featured this year, Alumni
Board President, Craig Semple ’98, did take a moment at the
podium to publicly acknowledge Rick Bryan’s years of service to
Nichols as Head of School. On behalf of the Alumni Board, Craig
presented Rick with a set of engraved “Head of School” tumblers,
encouraging that “one glass goes home with Rick, and the other
glass stays here at 1250 Amherst Street, so that Rick will always
have his own glass waiting whenever he’s back on campus.” Rick
thanked the crowd, recognizing Nichols alumni specifically as the
“backbone of our school.” Guests then enjoyed a video tribute to
Rick, produced by Jock ’66 and John Mitchell ’96.
A. Rand Dining Room
B. Brett Roell ’07, Brendan McCarthy ’07, Rachael Kermis ’08 and Amelia
Kermis ’07
C. Dillon Joseph ’10, Katie Flaschner ’10, Alexandra Mathews ’11 and
Sebastian Augustine ’10
D. Pat ’05 and Siobhan Hanley ’10
E. Frank Sacheli, Liza Sacheli Lloyd ’88, Beth Stone and Wendy Stone ’01
F. Adele Jackson-Gibson ’09, Derek Robins ’09 and Eric DeRose ’09
G. Tim Vanini ’87, Phil Nobel ’88 and Matt Miller ’95
50 Nichols School

B.
C.
D.
E.
F. G.
Spring/Summer 2013
51

Worldwide Nichols Day
Head of School, Rick Bryan
celebrates Nichols’ 120th
birthday in his office.
I hope that all is well in Buffalo
and at Nichols. The new school
year is off to a terrific start here
at Cardigan Mountain School in
Canaan, N.H. I appreciate my
eight years at Nichols every day
when working with my students
and helping them become the
best lifelong learners they can
be.
Happy 120th birthday, Nichols.
Best wishes for many, many
more.
All the best,
Jarrod Caprow ’98
52 Nichols School
Larry and Lucie
Kennedy Desautels ’71 don
sweaters previously owned
by Doug Munhall ’33.
by Genevieve Carbone
On Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, Nichols celebrated its 120 th
birthday with the institution of Worldwide Nichols Day. We
encouraged alumni, parents, alumni parents, students, faculty and
all members of the Nichols community to share in the celebration
wherever they happen to be. What resulted was a virtual party
strewn about social media from Facebook to Twitter to Instagram
featuring vintage swag, posts from foreign countries and the sharing
of Nichols memories.
We received many wonderful photos, cherished memories and
kind words about Nichols, making the day all the sweeter. Maurya
Fishburne Datka ’91 wrote to us regarding a double birthday
celebration saying, “I didn’t realize we shared a birthday, Nichols!
What sticks out in my memory is not only the passion with which
the faculty taught, but the compassion they showed their students...
right up to our amazing Headmaster!”
Age is not a barrier when it comes to birthday celebrations
as we heard from Allen Raymond ’41 who shared with us, “I
graduated from Nichols in 1941, and my experience there – with
such wonderful teachers – has lived with me for all of my life. And
now, as I approach my 90th birthday on Jan. 16, 2013, I will thank
my lucky star that I’m still healthy, no aches and/or pains, drive
everywhere and can still remember my wonderful days at Nichols.”
We thank everyone for sharing in this momentous occasion with
us. We heard from people near and far, and are overwhelmed with
the impact Nichols continues to have on alumni years after they
leave 1250 Amherst Street.
Save the date! On Thursday, Sept. 26, 2013, join us
for Nichols’ 121st birthday.

In Memoriam
Alumni
Daniel O’Donnell ’38 – Nov. 3, 2011
Greg Bradley ’77 – April 16, 2012
George Auffinger ’45 – Sept. 30, 2012
George Hyde ’40 – Oct. 6, 2012
Thomas Welmers ’57 – Oct. 25, 2012
Matt Salfi ’95 – Oct. 28, 2012
Chet Dann ’49 – Nov. 7, 2012
Bob North ’29 – Nov. 16, 2012
Bruce Garver ’51 – Nov. 21, 2012
Thomas Allen ’49 – Dec. 6, 2012
Mark Griffith ’82 – Dec. 6, 2012
Joe Fornasiero ’59 – Dec. 12, 2012
Larry Urban ’47 – Dec. 19, 2012
Edward “Ned” Wertimer ’41 –
Jan. 2, 2013
Ray Urban ’48 – Jan. 17, 2013
John Russ ’57 – Jan. 26, 2013
Morgan Epes ’41 – March 8, 2013
Carl Reed ’44 – March 24, 2013
Eugene Miller ’39 – April 14, 2013
Bonny Levy-Vitali ’76 – May 4, 2013
Friends
Sam Robinson – Jan. 5, 2013 – former
Assistant Head of School, Business
Manager
Shirley Hanny – April 30, 2012 – wife of
Dwight Hanny ’50; grandmother of Joseph
Rembold ’02
Carl Burgwardt – May 13, 2012 – father of
David Burgwardt ’81
E.K. Fretwell, Jr. – Oct. 29, 2012 – father
of Jim ’75 and Katie Fretwell ’79
Mary Moses – Dec. 1, 2012 – grandmother
of Bryan Allen ’99
Beth Wilcove – Dec. 10, 2012 – mother
of Michael ’74, David ’76 and Jonathan
Wilcove ’78
Rowland Richards, Jr. – Jan. 8, 2013 –
father of Rowland ’87 and Jenny Richards
Damon ’93
Mary Parentis – Feb. 5, 2013 – mother
of Michael ’86; grandmother of Jacob ’15
and Kaela ’17
Scott Vershay – Feb. 8, 2013 – father of
Madalyn ’10 and Wilson ’13
William Schapiro – March 1, 2013 –
father of John ’74, Kate ’76 and Ann ’80;
widow of Susan (former faculty)
Mary Sullivan – March 27, 2013 –
wife of Jim ’35; mother of Ken ’69
Virginia Tubbs – April 16, 2013 – mother
of Eli ’70; grandmother of Laura ’04
Richard Lee – May 7, 2013 – father of
Matt ’84
Remembering Kim Kimberly
“The Wind in the Willows”
by Donald D. Ehre ’67
I was shopping for Christmas gifts for my greatgrandchild,
Layla, at Barnes and Noble, and on
display was a rack with various classic books, one of
which was “The Wind in the Willows.” You may
not know this, but a few months before he passed
away, Mr. Kimberly contacted members of his 6th
grade class (6-19) because as he was going through
some papers, he had found a list of the students
whose parents had purchased this book. As I then
found out, reading “The Wind in the Willows”
was not part of the established curriculum, but he
had decided that this would be a very worthwhile
addition thereto.
When he emailed me, I originally told him that I
thought that my copy had been lost in the flooding
of my basement in 2000. I told him some stories
about my memories of his class and homeroom. Such items as the 6-19
bird (This was a small ceramic pitcher that had a long spout. During
study halls, if you had a question, you first had to ask the 6-19 bird, and
if he did not provide the answer, then you could ask Mr. Kimberly.),
the test on pronouns that I flunked and had to have a parent sign the
test paper, and the only time that I received an ‘A’ in his English class
was for when he assigned us the task of writing a story of what a nursing
home patient might be thinking as an ambulance
pulled up to the door for another patient. I also
told him that whenever I heard the song by Cream,
“Pressed Rat and Warthog,” I always remembered
the book.
I had just recently moved to my new address, and
remarkably I happened upon my copy of the “The
Wind in the Willows.” I told Mr. Kimberly that I
would re-read the book. When I finished, he asked
me what I thought. I answered him that it was a
cute story, but that the author had a great talent for
painting the characters and scenes with his words.
Mr. Kimberly emailed me back and told me that I
had just earned another “A.”
I have to admit that in school I was always more
interested in math and science than English and
history; probably the reason that I ended up a Civil Engineer.
At the time that all of this was going on, I had no idea that Mr.
Kimberly was seriously ill. Obviously, only what is typed comes through
the keyboard and the internet. It was with great sadness that I learned
of his passing, but when I bought that copy of the book for my great
granddaughter the other day, I know that his teachings reside in all of
us who were in his care. Mr. Kimberly, I give you an “A++.” Thank you.
Spring/Summer 2013
53

Class Notes
1940
1955
Phil Mugler writes: “I turned 92 in May Tom Rumsey writes: “Still doing well except
2012, and decided to move permanently waking in a.m. with new pains (different
from East Otto, N.Y., to my Florida home every day)…trying to learn to play racquetball
in Marathon where the fishing is good year lefty, so-so. Still working selling janitorial
round!”
and paper supplies. Got to pay the bills!”
Sidney Robinson writes: “My wife, Jean,
and I are now living at Canterbury Woods
Retirement Community in Williamsville,
N.Y. Very nice!”
1943
David Howard writes: “If all goes as
planned, I’ll be at my 70 th Reunion.
1946
Bill Kinkel was invited by the American
Academy of Neuroimaging to serve as the
opening speaker at the Academy’s Annual
Meeting in Las Vegas in January 2013. Bill,
who has been teaching neuroanatomy since
1961 at the University at Buffalo School of
Medicine, is currently writing a book on the
history of neurology in Buffalo.
1949
Mick Davis writes: “Babs and I are enjoying
sunny Arizona. No snowflakes here. I
often think of my fellow classmates and my
favorite Nichols teachers. They taught me a
lot more than the subject matter. My best to
Buffalo and the great four years at Nichols!”
After 35 years in Rye, N.Y., Howard Potter
and his wife, Ellen, moved to Niantic,
Conn., where they have been living for 10
years. They have two children and three
grandchildren.
1950
Jean Kern writes: “Hello to remaining
classmates from Annapolis, Md. Call if
you’re in the area!”
1956
On March 4 and 5 in Bonita Springs, Fla.,
the Nichols Class of 1956 held their “5th
Annual Alumni Golf Championship,”
which was hosted by Tim Norbeck at the
Shadow Wood Country Club. In the finals
were the teams of Tim Norbeck and Willard
Pottle, both Hamilton College graduates,
and Bob Battel and David Laub, both
Brown University graduates. The Hamilton
team eked out a 1-up victory on the 18th
hole on the last day. Offers David, “It was a
surprise victory for the Hamilton College
twosome (Division III) over the superior
Brown University twosome (Division I) and
great credit goes to the underdogs for their
surprise victory.”
1957
Alan Nordstrom, a professor of English at
Rollins College, was named the winner of
the 2012 Society of Classical Poets Poetry
Competition. The society is a group of poets
“dedicated to the revival and proliferation
of good, new poetry that follows classical
forms.” Based in New York, the Society
holds an annual poetry competition with a
$1,000 prize.
1958
Paul TenHoopen writes: “We had a gettogether
in Vermont this past summer
with Barney Hamby ’58, Peter Regan
’58, and Hugh ’58 and Stu Johnson ’58.
[We] played a round of golf, had dinner on
Lake Champlain and had a good time. Stu
advised that he is beginning to write poetry
and gave us a few samples . . . I was going to
attack a couple [poems], but my wife advised
against that idea – ‘You know, no one has
really changed a bit.’”
Howard Saperston’s grandson, Max ’20,
is a fifth grader at Nichols, following in the
footsteps of his dad, Scott ’90; his uncle,
Howie ’89; his grandfather, Howie ’58;
and his great grandfather, Bill Franklin ’32.
1964
Bob Nichols started his own law firm in
Buffalo in 2011, Nichols and Sullivan. The
firm concentrates on personal injury law,
which is what Bob has done throughout his
career. Bob is married to Pauline (44 years)
and they have four adult children and three
grandsons.
1965
Bill Bissett and his wife, Bonnie, have
lived in Sarasota, Fl., for the past 18
years developing a residential property
management and rentals business.
Bruce Keiser writes: “I enjoy serving as
Class Agent as it gives me an opportunity
to connect with you all, both in writing and
speaking on the phone. I value that in our
48 th year away from Nichols and remind
you all that in two years we will all gather
on campus for our 50 th Reunion! Being here
will allow us to reconnect again eye to eye,
to relive our experiences as students here
and catch up on our doings out in the world
since that time.”
54 Nichols School

1966
Hank DePerro writes: “After 20+ years as
Director of Facilities Management at The
Ford Foundation in New York City, I am
retiring at the end of March 2013. I am
looking forward to some travel with my
wonderful wife of 44 years, Barbara, and to
spending more time with my children and
six grandchildren.”
1967
Daniel Rapalje retired in 2010 after 34 years
of teaching and coaching. He writes: “It is
great to have time to do things at a slower
pace. The last three falls I have been to see
my mother’s family in North and South
Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. Vermont
(my home) is cold by then [in the fall],
but fall has just begun down there. Hello
Nichols!”
1973
Kerry Sayers DeWitt lives in New York
City and is the Senior Vice President,
External Relations at New York Presbyterian
Hospital.
1977
Laura Hopkins writes: “I am moving back
to Buffalo after being away over 35 years.”
1978
Kimberly Buchheit writes: “I am looking
forward to a trip to Buffalo in June for our
35 th Reunion!”
1979
Jim Newman writes: “After thinking that
there would never be a day that I was more
proud to be a graduate of Nichols than the
day I graduated, I am now the proud parent
of two children who are on their own way
through the magical journey of Nichols.”
1981
Jen Jarvis Hamberger started a new job
as Chief Marketing Officer for Freed
Maxick CPAs in Buffalo. Jen writes: “I am
looking forward to a new chapter in my
professional life.”
1982
Alan Randaccio is the proud father of James
’11, a current freshman at Tufts University,
Lauren ’13, a graduating senior at Nichols,
and Alex ’16, a freshman this year at
Nichols.
1983
Sarah Baird writes: “My husband and I
are excited to be buying a vacation home in
Buffalo this spring!”
1984
Monish Bhattacharyya joined the Buffalo
based advertising and marketing agency SKM
Group in November 2012 as a Senior Vice
President and Executive Creative Director.
Michael Roach, a partner in Connors and
Vilardo, was inducted into the American
College of Trial Lawyers at the group’s
annual meeting in New York City in the fall.
1985
Trevor Fuller won a seat as a Mecklenburg
County Commissioner at Large in the
recent general election in Charlotte,
N.C. Trevor graduated from Hamilton
College in 1989 and earned a J.D. from
Georgetown University Law School in 1992.
He is an attorney and Senior Partner for
his firm Fuller and Barnes in Charlotte.
Fuller, a first-time Democratic candidate,
is past president of the John S. Leary Bar
Association of Black Lawyers and a member
of Board of Governors for North Carolina
Advocates for Justice.
1988
Alise Shuart writes: “I am in my sixth year
teaching and coaching at the Montclair
Kimberley Academy in Montclair, N.J. I
frequently see LeeAnn Fronckowiak ’85 at
lacrosse events, and of course Nichols Coach
Beth Stone!”
1989
Former Nichols Alumni Board President,
Mary Giallanza Carney, is running for Erie
County Court Judge. Her website can be
found at www.electmarygcarney.com.
1990
Mike Shatzel and his wife, Suzanne,
welcomed a son, Cole Michael Shatzel, on
Oct. 18, 2012. Cole joins big sister, Nola.
Nandita Shenoy will be featured in
the world premiere of Eric Pfeffinger’s
“Some Other Kind of Person” at InterAct
Theater in Philadelphia this June. Visit
interacttheatre.org for more information.
Nandita hopes “to catch Philly area
classmates this spring.”
Dan Williams and wife, Lindsay, welcomed
a daughter, Amelia Josephine Williams,
on May 25, 2011. This past year, Dan was
promoted to Associate Professor of Urology
at the University of Wisconsin and took
over as Residency Program Director of the
Department of Urology.
1991
Matt Enstice was honored with the Bernard
L. Martin Award at Canisius College’s
annual business awards dinner this past
fall. Established in 1976 by the Board of
Directors of the Canisius College Masters
Alumni Association (MBAA), the Martin
award “recognizes a distinguished graduate
of the college’s graduate business programs
– someone who has excelled professionally
and also provided significant service to the
community.” Matt received his MBA from
Canisius in 2004.
Ken Robinson has been promoted to
Regional Chief Operating Officer this
summer for the American Red Cross
in the northwestern quarter of Ohio.
He also became one of 13 people in
the United States to be named by the
American National Red Cross as a Certified
Emergency Services Program Manager. He
says, “In 17 years, I’ve never had a day that I
wasn’t excited to go to work; I’m just excited
to come home to Tara and the boys! I’m
also enjoying service as District Trainer for
Rotary District 6600 and as a Scout Leader
for Will (14) and Jack (11).”
Spring/Summer 2013
55

1995
Chris Catanzaro has been appointed as
an Assistant Project Manager for the Erie
Canal Harbor Development Corporation.
Chris writes, “It is my aim to bring passion,
integrity and a love for the city to this
position. It has been a pleasure to engage in
various conversations on the status of the
city, as well as its waterfront. I look forward
to continued dialogue, as well as valuable
input, as I look to invest my energy and
knowledge into a great period in Buffalo’s
history.”
Betsy Kreiner McCarthy and husband, Jay,
welcomed a son, Emmett Martin McCarthy,
on Aug. 4, 2012. Betsy writes, “Emmett’s
delivery was a Nichols Reunion! Emmett
was delivered by Dr. Lisa Gelman-Koessler
’93 with anesthesia from Dr. Bhaskar
Gopalakrishnan ’87. He shares his birthday
with aunt, Sarah Kreiner Godshaw ’99, and
joins his big sister, Elise.”
Jim Pieri lives in New York City and is
the proud father of two daughters, Emelia
Christine Pieri (born May 2010) and Ellison
Diane Pieri (born November 2012).
1997
Heather Glogowski married Trenton
White on July 28, 2012 in Portland, Ore.
Heather is a technical services librarian at
Mt. Hood Community College and Trenton
is a systems engineer at Webtrends.
Rebekah Lowinger Elliott ’96 was the
maid of honor, Alexander Glogowski ’05
was a groomsman and Julia Flemming ’97
was in attendance.
Liza Walsh Keenan and husband, Sean,
welcomed their third daughter, Addison
Ryder Keenan, on Aug. 21, 2012. Addison
joins older sisters, Avery and Hailey.
1998
Nick Amigone IV lives in New York City
and is a partner at MatlinPatterson, a private
equity company. He and wife, Laura, are
expecting their third son in March.
Seth Seegert is an attorney and financial
advisor, providing financial protection and
wealth management with AXA Advisors in
Williamsville, N.Y.
1999
Ellie Walsh Beasley welcomed her second
child, Colette Virginia Beasley, on Aug.
23, 2012. Colette already has quite the
collection of Big Green hand-me-downs
from big brother, Grant, and enjoyed
her first visit to Buffalo for Christmas in
December. Ellie and her family live in
Needham, Mass.
Katie Crandall-Worley writes: “It was
great to see Mr. Bryan, as well as classmates
and fellow alumni at the Boston alumni
reception in November 2012. I look forward
to more events in the future!”
Patrick Devlin, lives in Norwalk, Conn.,
and works as an engineer. He married
his middle school sweetheart, Maureen
McFadden, and they welcomed a child in
February.
2000
Christine Hynes Arthurs graduated from
UB Law School, passed the New York bar
exam and joined Lippes Mathias Wexler
Friedman LLP as an associate in their Trusts,
Estates and Elder Law practice area. Her
husband, Wyatt Arthurs, continues to work
as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley.
Sean Devlin lives in West Roxbury, Mass.,
and works as legal counsel for a utility
contractor in Boston.
Rob Drake was promoted to Vice President
and Branch Manager of M&T Bank. He will
also work with M&T Partners to provide
investments, insurance and mortgage
services through the branch.
2001
Sheena Gilkar has designed a collection
of men’s neckwear (ties, bow ties, pocket
squares, cashmere scarves and ascots).
Everything is handmade in Kashmir. Her
website is www.sheen.la.
From Dec. 1-14, 2012, Nicole Mansfield
competed in the Whitewater Grand Prix
held in Chile. The event brought together
30 of the world’s best whitewater kayakers to
compete in five events over a 14 day period.
Nicole placed 6 th overall among the women.
2002
In the fall, Ken Blazick was featured on
WIVB-TV after qualifying for the World’s
Toughest Mudder on Nov. 17 and 18 in
New Jersey. Tough Mudder is a 10-12 mile
obstacle course designed by British Special
Forces that tests strength, stamina, mental
grit and camaraderie. After finishing in the
top five percent of a Tough Mudder course,
Ken took on the challenge of training for
the World’s Toughest Mudder. Competitors
have 24 hours to complete as many laps
as they can on a given course without
leaving the course. Ken and his brother
raised money for Wounded Warriors, an
organization that provides assistance to
wounded military veterans.
Raman Luthra won three BDGA events
and nearly doubled his closest competitor’s
points total in 2012.
2003
Marc Amigone has fully recovered from a
recent serious injury and is now working
at Hubspot, an inbound marketing firm in
Cambridge, Mass.
56 Nichols School

2005
Project Manager at Sinatra & Company Real
Estate, Matt Connors was named one of
Business First’s “30 Under 30” recognizing
him as an up and coming professional in the
Western New York area.
Matt Felser is teaching Spanish and coaching
soccer, golf and lacrosse at Vail Mountain
School in Vail, Colo. Matt writes: “[I] spend
time with Justin Vassar ’04 in Aspen and
Peter ’04 and Mark Farmelo ’06 in Vail.
Thanks to my mom and dad, Nichols and
Williams [College]. Not a bad life.”
Mike Kawi passed the Florida bar exam and
is now a Public Defender in Miami-Dade, Fla.
2006
Matt Winkel’s case note, “The Not-So Artful
Dodger: The McCourt-Selig Battle and the
Powers of the Commissioner of Baseball,”
will be published in Volume 31, Issue 2 of the
Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal.
A 2010 graduate of Fordham University,
Matt is a third year law student at Benjamin
N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City
and is a member of the Cardozo Arts &
Entertainment Law Journal’s Editorial Board.
2007
Julia Butcher began working for the online
restaurant reservation website, OpenTable,
Inc. in their Boulder, Colo., office as a sales
associate. In her new role, she supports
members of the outside sales team by
appointment setting, market research,
prospect management and cold calling. She
has five markets and one of them is French
Canada, or more specifically, Montreal
and Québec. Julia explains, “I actually call
restaurants in that area in French which is
fun. Basically, I try to initiate the conversation
between the restaurant and OpenTable to get
them to appear on our network.”
2008
Dal Ackerman works for the Marcy-
Newberry Association as a pre-kindergarten
teacher in Chicago.
2009
Hobart College senior, Eric DeRose, was
named to the 2013 Liberty League Men’s
Squash All-Academic Team. An English and
comparative literature major, DeRose has
earned a spot on the dean’s list in each of
the past three years. He posted nine wins
this season. The Statesmen finished the
season with a 10-14 overall record and won
the consolation bracket at the CSA Team
Championship’s Conroy Cup in February.
Bowdoin College senior, Kaitlin Donahoe,
was named NESCAC’s Athlete of the Week
twice in the 2012-2013 season following her
performance on the Women’s Basketball
team. At the conclusion of the season, she
was honored in All-Conference accolades
announced by the NESCAC.
Madisson Lank writes: “I’m in my fourth
year at Seneca College in Toronto. In May, I
passed my Commercial Flight Test, officially
making me a commercial pilot. A month
after getting my commercial license, I got
offered a job with Air Canada Jazz as a first
officer on a CRJ. I start in June, once I
finish my fourth year, and get my Bachelor
of Science degree in Aviation Sciences and
Aircraft Design.”
Nick Williams graduated from the
University of Rochester in three years and
is currently studying for his law degree and
master’s in political science at the University
at Buffalo.
2010
University of Hartford junior, Matt
Angelakos, participated in an alternative
spring break trip in Biloxi, Miss., where a
group of 35 students focused on clean up
from Hurricane Isaac. Matt and his fellow
classmates focused on shoreline restoration,
native plant propagation, sea grass
restoration, wildlife habitat improvement,
dune restoration, storm water treatment,
public land restoration and invasive species
removal.
Captain of the University of Rochester
Varsity Field Hockey team, Katie Flaschner,
was named a Field Hockey All-American by
the NFHCA on one of the Longstreth/
NFHCA All-American Teams. She earned
Third Team honors for her performance
during the 2012 season. Katie has boasted a
successful year as she recorded her best
offensive season to date scoring 28 points
(11 G, 6 A) and was third on the team in
scoring. Katie’s name is also listed on The
University of Rochester’s All-American Wall
located on campus.
After receiving his real estate license this
past fall, Bo Gurney has joined the firm,
Gurney, Becker & Bourne as a real estate
agent.
Jake Herskind is a junior at Princeton
and an Army ROTC cadet involved in
Cadet Language and Cultural Immersion
Training, the first training deployment as
a cadet. After a weeklong training session
at Fort Knox, Ky., the selected cadets are
deployed to partner nations where they are
immersed in the local culture and languages.
The selected cadets will spend three weeks
involved in assisting with current Army
missions that range from helping build
community projects to teaching English to
local children.
Spring/Summer 2013
57

After spending 2011-2012 playing junior
hockey for the New Hampshire Junior
Monarchs, James Randaccio began as a
freshman at Tufts University in Somerville,
Mass., in September 2012.
2012
played an integral role in the Heron
defensive unit that has allowed just three
goals in eight conference games.
Will Regan was named the University at
Buffalo Athletics Athlete of the Week in the
fall. A junior at UB, Will is a member of
University at Buffalo’s men’s basketball team
and averaged 15 points and 3.5 rebounds
per game in University of Buffalo’s contests
at Canisius and against Mansfield College.
2011
Bethany Bisone is in her sophomore year
at Binghamton University, where she is
studying Mechanical Engineering. She plays
club soccer, was appointed to a residence
assistant position this year, is involved in
student government council and the Society
of Women Engineers, and was selected to
review/redesign curriculum for freshmen
engineering students.
Amherst College sophomore, Maya
Jackson-Gibson, has earned All-NESCAC
(New England Small College Athletic
Conference) recognition as a second-team
selection. She was one of four Amherst
women’s soccer players chosen for the
prestigious award.
58 Nichols School
Kenyon College freshman, Caroline Fenn,
released her debut album entitled “Fragile
Chances” which was released on iTunes
in January. Visit her website
www.carolinefenn.com or like her on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/
carolinefennmusic for more information on
her album and to follow her career.
Zoe Jackson Gibson, a first-year defender
for the William Smith College soccer team,
is among the student athletes who garnered
honorable mentions for the 2012 All-Liberty
League teams. She competed in all 17
matches, and earned assists in wins over
Rochester, Clarkson and Bard. Zoe has
Mercyhurst University freshman, Emily
Janiga, received College Hockey American
honors in January. A member of the
sixth-ranked women’s hockey team at
Mercyhurst, she earned her fourth Rookie of
the Week honor for her performance against
Syracuse University.
Colgate women’s soccer player, Catherine
Williams, earned major Patriot League
honors for her performance during the 2012
season. Cat was named Rookie of the Year
after a very successful first year. She is the
second straight Rookie of the Year and third
in the last four years to come from Colgate.
The freshman attacker finished second in
the league with 28 points, tied for second
with 10 goals and tied for third with eight
assists. Cat was named the BRINE Rookie
of the Week four times this season, making
her just one shy of the record. She finished
second in league play with 11 points – four
goals, three assists. She started each game for
the Raiders and has the fifth highest point
total for a first-year player in school history
with 28.

Aranya Maritime
Faculty Profile
What is your position at Nichols
I am the Head of the Upper School, and I
teach in the English Department.
How long have you been teaching at
Nichols
Since September 2001.
What was your path leading to Nichols
like
I went to a progressive independent high
school called Calasanctius across the park
from Nichols. Following Cal, I earned a
bachelor’s degree in English and History at
Vassar College. After Vassar, I completed
a master’s degree in English at Boston
College. Finally, I finished my Ph.D. in
English at SUNY at Buffalo while teaching
at Nichols. Before coming to Nichols, I was
a teaching fellow and teaching assistant at
BC and SUNY at Buffalo. I also worked for
a while prepping the SAT at a major test
prep company and taught spinning and
other classes at local fitness clubs.
What extra-curricular activities are you
involved in at the School
I teach a cardio class after school and help
with the Mock Trial team. Because I am
Head of the Upper School I participate
in or attend numerous committees:
Academic Review Committee, Curriculum
Committee, Student Conduct Committee,
Professional Development Committee,
Senior Thesis Committee, Trilateral
Committee and Education Committee.
What is the best part of your
job
Being in the classroom with
students and working with
student leaders.
What are your hobbies and
interests outside of Nichols
Let’s see—we have a pretty
large family with the five
boys and Fiona. Being
together with my husband,
Gillian, my step-sons and
Fiona occupies most of my
time outside of school. I
like to exercise—running,
cycling and dancing. And,
when I can, I read and write.
Is there anything else you’d
like to tell us
While the best part of my
job is working with students,
I would be remiss not to say
a few words about the faculty
and staff at Nichols. I have
been privileged to work with
this dedicated group of professionals for the
last 12 years. I look forward to coming to
school every day because of the people who
work here. There is a sense of a common
goal at school. We are all working toward
making this the best possible educational
experience for our students.
Photo Contest
Guess the year this photo was taken of the
class’ National Honor Society members.
Submit your response to
development@nicholsschool.org and the first
to answer correctly will win a Nichols prize pack.
Like us on Facebook to play our First Friday
contest where we share photos and other
items from the Nichols archive.

1250 Amherst St.
Buffalo, NY 14216
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Buffalo, NY
Permit No. 3658
In the Next Issue: Convocation of the twelfth Head of School, Bill Clough