Big Green's Winning Streak - Nichols School

APPOINTMENTS
AWARDS & HONORS
REUNION
THE 120TH COMMENCEMENT
Fall/Winter 2012
Big Green’s Winning Streak
Homecoming

Campus Clips
A. B.
E
C.
D.
E.
F.
A. The 2012 Nichols Leadership Academy, designed to expose Middle School students to leadership through an outdoor experience in the White Mountains
of New Hampshire, took place from Aug. 19-23. The Academy focuses on building self-confidence, leadership and group dynamics skills, and developing a
sense of community.
B. At the Derby Day Auction on May 5, Mr. Schwartz leads the jazz band composed of students and faculty.
C. The seventh annual Student Council sponsored Leadership Symposium convened on Aug. 20 for a three-day leadership development program led by the
Hamlin Family Foundation’s Character, Integrity, Trust, Relationships and Success Program. The focus of discussion group activities was how to mentor those
you lead with sound character and emphasis on service to others.
D. On Oct. 9-10, the 2012 Smith Visiting Fellows and distinguished poets, Shara McCallum and Tim Seibles, held a reading at Morning Meeting, worked with
English classes and met with students.
E. Internationally recognized choreographer and dancer, Terry Beck, visited campus on Sept. 18 to restructure his work, “Waiters,” with the Nichols Dance
Ensemble to be performed later this year.
F. This fall, the Boys’ Varsity Golf team ended an unprecedented season with a 16-stroke victory at the All-Catholic Golf Championship. The win followed
securing the Monsignor Martin Association regular season title (12-0) and the Midwest Prep Classic.

ditor’s Note
Staff
Fall/Winter 2012
It has been an especially exciting autumn at Nichols School, and the energy is palpable. A
great deal of anticipation and enthusiasm was felt throughout the Head of School search
process, and we enjoyed such a positive experience thanks to the dedicated efforts of
many, especially the Search Committee, the Board of Trustees, and the Advisory Groups
representing alumni, parents, faculty and staff, students and more. As you know, the process
recently concluded with the appointment of Bill Clough as our twelfth Head of School,
and we are thrilled to welcome him to Nichols this
summer. There will be several opportunities to meet Bill
throughout the coming months.
Perhaps most notably throughout this experience,
though, we saw that a positive search was possible because
of the strong position we hold. The independent school
community and beyond is filled with exhilaration about
the School, and many accomplished leaders around the
country expressed interest in the opportunity to lead
Nichols. We should all be very proud of the School,
and we must all join together to applaud Rick Bryan’s
dedication and leadership over these momentous years.
He has played a key role in making Nichols what it is today. We hope you will mark your
calendar now for the party to celebrate Rick at the end of this school year on Thursday,
June 13, 2013.
If you have a story or special memory featuring Rick that you are willing to share with
us, we would love to hear it! Please email me at nbarone@nicholsschool.org to relate your
memories and well wishes for Rick.
Keep in touch,
Nina M. Barone
Director of Marketing and Communications
– means “that which is true” and is pronounced “taw alay théss.”
Editor
Nina Barone
nbarone@nicholsschool.org
Contributors
Susan Allen
Stephanie Angelakos
Richard C. Bryan
Nina Barone
Genevieve Carbone
Alex Epstein ‘08
Leslie S. Garcia
Victoria W. Garner
Connie Klinck Klopp N’73
Alex Logel ‘09
Jennifer Peresie
Blake Walsh ‘98
Designer
Kelley Rechin, Duffy Moon Design
Photographers
J. Matthew Kianka
Tom Maynor ‘81
Front Cover: At the time we
went to print on this issue,
the Varsity Football team was
6-2. At Homecoming 2012,
Adam Noonan ’13 set the
all-time Nichols career
rushing record during the
Big Green’s 37-20 win against
Finney/Northstar!
Back Cover: Save the date
for Rick Bryan’s Farewell:
Thursday, June 13, 2013,
at 6:00 p.m.
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

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Follow nicholsschool
Regional
Alumni Receptions
Join Head of School, Rick Bryan,
and fellow area alumni for cocktails,
hors d’oeuvres and fellowship in the
following cities:
Boston
Nov. 1, 2012
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Chris Gabrieli ‘77
at his home
San Francisco
March 6, 2013
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
The University Club
New York City
April 17, 2013
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by Bill Constantine ‘62 at The
Racquet & Tennis Club
Also in NYC
Feb. 6, 2013
Public House
Join fellow Nichols, EFS, Park
and Sem alumni in NYC for the
Buffalo Independent Schools
Alumni Happy Hour
To RSVP or for more information,
email alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org
or call 716-332-5151.
Contents
Head of School Report ......................................................................... 5
Trustee Appointments and Departures.................................................. 7
Alumni Board Appointments ............................................................... 8
Calendar of Events ............................................................................... 9
Faculty & Staff Appointments ................................................................ 10
Faculty & Staff Departures ................................................................ 12
After Nichols – Leah Christopher ’08 ................................................. 14
The Importance of the College Visit ................................................... 15
Class of 2012 Matriculation List ......................................................... 16
The 35th Anniversary Derby Day Auction .......................................... 17
Pen Pals 2012 .................................................................................... 18
Verdian Day – Upper School Awards .................................................. 21
Verdian Day – Middle School Awards ................................................ 22
8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony ...................................................... 23
Class Day ........................................................................................... 24
Cum Laude Society Induction ............................................................... 25
Alumni Feature – Allen Farmelo ’88 ........................................................ 26
Legacies .............................................................................................. 29
Reunion 2012........................................................................................ 30
Back to Square 1 (Sandwiches) ........................................................... 36
The Class of 2012’s Class Gift .............................................................. 37
The 120th Commencement ................................................................. 38
William Nichols Award and Mitchell Award ......................................... 41
Ringo Award ....................................................................................... 42
Lost Alumni ........................................................................................ 43
Young Alumna Reflection: A Nichols Gift ............................................ 46
Nichols Volunteers .............................................................................. 47
Digital Citizenship through Online Learning ........................................ 48
In Memoriam ..................................................................................... 49
Class Notes ....................................................................................... 51
Faculty Profile – Kate Olena ............................................................... 55
4 Nichols School

Head of School Report
It’s the Life in Your Years
by Richard C. Bryan
While most people
associated with
schools think
that everything
shuts down on
the afternoon
following graduation, the opposite is true.
In the 21st century, schools, like most
organizations around the world, operate
throughout the summer. For many of the
staff, there are deadlines to adhere with
the close of the fiscal year, the push to
complete The Nichols Fund goal, the
ongoing efforts to attract qualified young
people to the School and more. And so it
went this year as well.
We reached and exceeded our goal of
$850,000 thanks to the generosity of so
many. We exceeded our admissions goal of
583 students, and are closed in four of our
eight grades. Our campus was alive with
major projects like reroofing Mitchell Hall,
as well as hosting the Buffalo Prep middle
school program, computer workshops for
area private school teachers, and a host of
sports clinics and academic workshops.
In the midst of all this, while I was on
a tour of Scotland and England with my
wife, Judith, and members of Clarence
Presbyterian Church, I turned 60 years old.
Abraham Lincoln noted, “In the end, it’s
not the years in your life that count. It’s
the life in your years.” In the end, I have
been blessed with a wonderful life in those
six decades, with half of my life at Nichols
School. And now it is time for the final act.
We tell our young people that senior year
is important for college, and we advise them
to work hard to the end. But with people at
the end of one phase of their professional
life, the comments are different. Most
people think I’ve already left Nichols. I
guess they didn’t read beyond the headlines,
but it does invoke that wonderful quote
from Mark Twain, “The reports of my
death are greatly exaggerated,” after hearing
that his obituary had been published in the
New York Journal. I had a colleague thump
on my back, and ask about my “victory lap.”
A well-meaning alumnus referred to me as
a “lame duck” in one recent conversation.
And others wonder how many times I am
going to clean out the garage after next
June.
The fact remains that I am excited
about this year. Like many of you, I was
enthralled with the Summer Olympics
from London, and in that spirit feel like
I’m in my “gun lap,” poised for my final
sprint. My primary goal is to support the
search process for my successor, and to
aid in a smooth transition process for the
continuity of the school program.
As we open a defining year in the 121st
history of Nichols, let the word go forth
that Nichols School remains committed to
academic excellence. In an era where there
is so much cynicism about educational
systems, our school community is firmly
dedicated to our mission. Through our
outstanding faculty, we continue to
challenge students to think imaginatively,
critically and independently. We expect our
students to communicate clearly and with
confidence, and that they will be problem
solvers, develop a global perspective
and think in terms of interdisciplinary
perspective. We know our students must
be skilled in technology, understand the
fundamental principles of the sciences,
recognize the beauty of literature, the
importance of historical perspective, and
appreciate the arts, other cultures and
languages. We value the opportunity for
students to participate in athletics, the arts,
leadership opportunities, publications and
community service.
But there is more. We remain committed
to well-rounded young people. We remain
committed to – truth in our
personal and academic endeavors. We
believe in the values of respect and concern
for others, and in our responsibility to be
true to our own principles and convictions.
We believe in the fair and just treatment
of others, in not only tolerance, but
inclusivity, and our need for giving service
to the community. Faculty in the future will
continue to make a difference in the lives
of Nichols students by demonstrating their
passion for learning and pushing students
to lead lives of inquiry, responsibility and
participation.
I invite you to think about the future. As
we head further into this school year, the
future offers our students new possibilities,
new frontiers and new opportunities to grow
and learn. One of the wonderful aspects
of school is the chance each year to begin
anew; and parents, don’t miss the chance to
encourage your child to do their very best and
to learn from disappointments or setbacks.
Nichols School is poised to head into
the future with strong new leadership under
Bill Clough, and with it, new ideas and
possibilities. Great schools cannot accept
the status quo; great schools must seize
opportunities to grow in new ways. Yes,
keeping core values and traditions are vital,
but so too is the responsibility of being the
outstanding academic institution in this area.
I have always believed in the search
process; we assembled a strong Search
Committee, as well as Advisory Groups
representing the alumni, faculty and staff,
and parents. Student input on the finalist
candidates provided yet another valuable
perspective.
It promises to be an exciting school year,
and I look forward to greeting you firsthand
in the weeks and months ahead.
Fall/Winter 2012
5

Letters to
the Editorial
Staff
Roddy:
Thank you for your excellent review of “The Early Days of Nichols
School” printed in the Alumni Magazine. I greatly
appreciated this well researched review of our ancient roots.
Selfishly, however, I must mention that there is one small error in the
text where you state, “Athletics...were strictly informal....There were no
extracurricular activities to speak of and most boys simply went home
around two-thirty.”
In “Nichols School: A Century of Tradition and Change,” John
Sessions writes, “Conger Goodyear recalls that ‘the first Nichols eleven
took the field in 1895. I played quarterback. There were no substitutes.
We were the original Iron Men...’ A line-up card and photograph of the
1900 team shows it had a record of five wins, one tie, and one loss” (p.
42).
Only North Tonawanda and Tonawanda claim an older
interscholastic football program in Western New York (1894).
G LD
graduate of the last decade
alumni
Graduates Of the Last Decade
Let us know what you’ve been
up to! Update your contact
information and look out for
contests, prizes and events all
for our GOLD alumni.
Email
alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org
or call 716.332.5151.
I am particularly proud that the first ever Nichols Quarterback
(Goodyear) was also the first president of New York’s Museum of Modern
Art. A finer example of a Renaissance Man would be impossible to find.
Further, Sessions’ History states that Buffalo’s most illustrious doctor,
Roswell Park, entrusted his son, Roswell Park Jr., to the Nichols Football
team to play Right Guard without a helmet or any protective padding
in 1900. All current Nichols Football players are required to know and
propagate these facts.
Nichols Football’s Centennial was ignored in 1995 (I was coaching
at JFK at the time). However, I am planning an elaborate festival for its
sesquicentennial in 2045. I will not make it to the Bicentennial.
Again, thanks for your work... I believe that the School’s rich
historical roots are one of its most important strengths, and must he both
honored and remembered.
– Colin Brinson ’85
Colin:
Very interesting, and I stand corrected. Having read (and deeply
appreciated) John’s book I should have known that I was in
contradiction to fact. In my statement I was drawing on George Nichols’
recollections of the early school, written as he approached the end of
his career in 1941. George (William’s cousin) is not always a completely
reliable source, no doubt having forgotten some things in 50 years at
the School, but I find it intriguing that he should have erred so widely
on this count. The best possible explanation I can think of (apart
from purely faulty memory) is that George was primarily concerned in
his narrative with what happened during the school day, strictly defined
– football practice may have occurred well away from school hours, and
probably in a location not near the school itself.
The other possibility that suggests itself is that football, having
thrived in the period 1892-1899 or thereabouts, became a casualty of the
enrollment crisis that asserted itself after the turn of the century – there
may have been as few as 30 total students in the school by 1908 in grades
7-12, and the program consequently may have fallen into desuetude to
the degree that George forgot, in essence, that it had ever existed.
At any rate, thank you for your clarification, and I shall certainly
make mention of it if I manage to do more articles in this series!
– Roddy Potter ’82
Dear Mr. Potter,
I read with great interest your insightful and well-researched article in
the recent issue of about the first building of the Nichols
School.
Clinton Brown Company is just concluding the nomination of this
portion of Buffalo as the Elmwood Historic District (West) for listing in
the National Register of Historic Places.
Our Architectural Historian, Jennifer Walkowski, had identified the
association of this property with William Nichols. Your work will add to
this story …
Thanks for your interesting research and writing about Nichols
School.
Best Wishes,
Clinton E. Brown, FAIA ’71
President & Principal, Clinton Brown Company Architecture, pc
The Full Service Historic Preservation Architecture Firm SM
6 Nichols School

Trustee Appointments
Alexis Muscato Agnello ’98
Alexis joins the Board of Trustees after
serving on the Nichols Alumni Board since
2008. A 1998 graduate of Nichols, she
went on to graduate cum laude from the
University of Vermont in 2002 and received
a master’s degree in business administration
from the University at Buffalo in 2008.
She currently works at M&T Bank as the
Vice President/Relationship Manager in
Western New York Commercial Banking
and specializes in assisting middle market
companies with their banking needs. An
active member in the community, Alexis is
the Vice Dean on the Faculty of the Saturn
Club, a Board member of the Kenan Center,
and she previously served as an investment
advisor for the Buffalo and Erie County
United Way. In addition to her numerous
efforts with the Alumni Board, Alexis also
helped secure M&T’s sponsorship of the
2012 Derby Day Auction. Alexis resides in
Buffalo with husband, Jon.
Ramin Arani ’88
Following graduation from Nichols in
1988, Ramin attended Tufts University
and received a bachelor’s degree in
international relations. He is currently a
fund manager for Fidelity Investments,
the largest mutual fund company in the
United States. Ramin is the lead manager
of the Fidelity Puritan Fund and received
Institutional Investor’s “Best of Buyside”
award three times for his research work.
Ramin currently serves on the Executive
Advisory Board of the Institute for Global
Leadership at Tufts University and also
acts as a tennis and literacy mentor for
inner city youths through an organization
called Tenacity. Additionally, he has been a
generous supporter of Nichols through the
nicholsfuture.org Capital Campaign and
annually through The Nichols Fund. He is
a familiar face at Nichols’ Boston and New
York City regional events. Ramin resides in
Dover, Mass., with his wife, Stacy, and their
three daughters, Kelly, Madison and Reid.
Bridget McIntee Bartolone ’91
Alumna and longtime Class Agent, Bridget
joins the Board of Trustees after several
years of service on the School’s Marketing
and Communications Committee. After
attending Nichols, Bridget received a
bachelor’s degree in Health Management
and Policy from the University of New
Hampshire. She is currently the Vice
President of Operations Transformation at
BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York.
In 2011, Bridget was named to Business
First’s “40 under 40” list, recognizing her as a
rising professional in the Western New York
area. Additionally, she serves on the Upstate
New York Transplant Services Foundation
Board and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Perspectives Council. She previously served
on the Child Care Resource Network as one
of the Board of Directors. Bridget resides in
Buffalo with husband, Christopher, and twin
daughters, Emmy and Laura.
Departing Trustees
Lise Buyer ’78
Lise Buyer joined the Board in 2006
and has since served as the Chair of the
Education Committee. During her time on
the Board, she also served on the Finance
and Marketing and Communication
Committees. Lise graduated from Nichols
in 1978 and resides in California.
Jennifer McNamara
Jennifer joined the Board in 2009 and
served on the Development, Facilities and
Education Committees during her time.
Jennifer’s daughter, Kelly ’15, is a current
student at Nichols.
Jim Newman ’79
Jim served on the Board since 2006.
During that time, he served on the
Facilities, Marketing and Communications,
Development and Strategic Planning
Committees. From 2007-2009, he was the
Chair of the Facilities Committee. Jim is
a 1979 graduate of Nichols and his two
children, Grace ’17 and Charlie ’20, are
current students.
Fall/Winter 2012
7

Alumni Board
Appointments
Chris Catanzaro ’95
Chris graduated from SUNY at Geneseo with
a bachelor’s degree in Education in 2000. He
then received a master’s of education from Lesley
University in 2002. After living and working
in Boston, Mass., from 2001-2006, he returned
to Buffalo where he worked at United Charter
School from 2006-2008 and later for Hopevale,
Inc., a family services organization, from 2008-2010. Following
two years at Gateway-Longview child and family services in
Buffalo, Chris now works for the Erie Canal Harbor Development
Corporation as an Assistant Project Manager. Chris is a founding
member of Buffalo Powder Keg Festival and Founder of Rowin’,
Throwin’ n Growin’ for a Cure (benefits Carly’s Club, a local cancer
organization). He and his wife, Jennifer, have two high energy kids,
five-year-old Jackson and two-year-old Sophia. Chris looks forward
to joining the Alumni Board because “It’s a chance to feel the pulse
of the School and alumni network, as well as be part of a great
collaborative opportunity.”
Liz Demakos ’05
Liz received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and
Iberian studies from Wesleyan University in
2009. After graduation, she coached squash
at Milton Academy in Boston and interned at
Second Glass, a wine technology and events
start-up. In 2011, she headed south to live
and work as a travel writer in Argentina and
Uruguay. Upon her return to the States, she joined Second Glass
full time and re-headquartered with the team to San Francisco,
Calif. She currently writes wine content, copy edits, moonlights as a
bartender and relishes the shift from “lake-effect” to “microclimate”
in everyday vocabulary. A Spirit Club co-founder, Liz is excited to
join the Nichols Alumni Board and grow the Big Green energy in
the Bay area.
Rob Drake ’00
Rob graduated from Hobart College in 2004 and
holds a master’s degree in business administration
from the University of Rochester. He has worked
at M&T Bank in Buffalo for the past eight years.
Rob says he looks forward to “connecting with
Nichols through a greater capacity as an Alumni
Board member and to furthering the School’s
mission in Western New York.”
Josh Feine ’00
Josh graduated from St. Lawrence University in
2004 and currently works as an administrator for
the Buffalo Bills. Prior to the Bills, he worked
at HSBC Bank and for Hunt Real Estate. Josh
married his wife, Andrea, on Aug. 11, 2012, and
they have two dogs, Mia and Charlie. Says Josh,
“Nichols provided me with the skillset and work
ethic I needed to succeed not only in the classroom, but also in the
real world. Without the personal guidance of the faculty and coaches
at Nichols, I would not be in the position I am in today. I look
forward to giving back as a member of the Alumni Board!”
Will Gurney ’06
Will earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics
from Vanderbilt University, graduating in 2010.
Following graduation, he moved to Boston, Mass.,
where he currently works as an Account Executive
at Arnold Worldwide, a fully integrated advertising
agency. Will looks forward to joining the Alumni
Board because “my grandfather, E.W. Dann Stevens
’44, cherished his time on the Board and I hope to contribute in a
similar manner.”
Erin Hart ’03
Erin graduated from St. Lawrence University in
2008 with a dual degree in English and global
studies. She currently works as an Assistant
District Attorney at the Erie County District
Attorney’s Office and earned her juris doctor from
the University at Buffalo in 2011. Erin feels that
joining the Alumni Board will serve a greater
purpose in allowing her to “give back to Nichols and further connect
with our invaluable alumni community.”
Sean Heidinger ’07
Sean is a consultant at WAV Group Technology
and has worn many entrepreneurial hats
since graduating from Nichols in 2007. After
launching an exclusive brand with New Era
Cap Co. in 2006, Sean went on to work for
Atlantic Records from 2007-2010 as a Touring
Artist Manager. He is the founder of Trivia,
AD - Buffalo, a television and movie themed trivia event company.
Sean looks forward to joining the Alumni Board because, “I’ve
always wanted to give back to the School that provided so much for
me…I really look forward to getting involved, trying new ideas and
bringing fresh initiative to the table.”
8 Nichols School

Calendar
George Matthews ’01
George graduated from Brown University
in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in Political
Science. He worked as a Relationship Manager
in Government Banking for M&T Bank in
Baltimore, Md., and metropolitan Washington,
D.C., from 2005 through 2010. Subsequently,
he worked as a Senior Credit Analyst in
Commercial Banking and Corporate Finance for Wells Fargo in
McLean, Virginia through 2011. George is the outgoing Treasurer
of the Brown Club of Washington, D.C., and he looks forward to
joining the Nichols Alumni Board and working with our extensive
alumni community. George currently resides in Falls Church, Va.,
a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Matt Miller ’95
Matt is a six-year survivor of Nichols who went
on to Hamilton College, where he earned a
bachelor’s degree in communication studies and
anthropology, and was captain of the golf team.
After working in Boston, Mass., for several years,
Matt studied at The Dickinson School of Law at
Penn State University, earning a juris doctor and
a Certificate in Dispute Resolution and Advocacy. After law school,
Matt joined the firm Muggia & Associates, PLLC, before moving
on to Underberg & Kessler, LLP. Matt is currently with Rupp,
Baase, Pfalzgraf, Cunningham & Coppola LLC where his practice
focuses primarily on commercial and business litigation, labor and
employment disputes, and land use and zoning matters. He is a
member of the Erie County and New York State Bar Associations,
and the Urban Land Institute’s Experienced Leaders Group of
Western New York. Away from the office, Matt happily donates his
time to the community by serving on the Organizing Committee for
“The Dude Hates Cancer – Buffalo” which benefits the Leukemia
& Lymphoma Society of Western and Central New York, and as an
active volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Erie County. He
resides in Snyder with his wife, Mary.
For more than a century, Nichols alumni have
proudly served in the armed services and we
are indebted to their bravery. The Alumni Office
is looking to identify alumni who have served
in the military in any capacity.
Please call 716.332.5151 or email
alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org if you are an
alumnus who has served in the military or if
you know a classmate who has.
of Events
Wednesday, Nov. 7 –
Monday, Jan. 7
Art Exhibit: Robert
Schulman
Friday, Nov. 16
Big Green Athletic
Celebration
Friday, Nov. 2
Upper School
“See Us In Action”
Thursday, Nov. 8
Middle School
“See Us In Action”
Monday, Nov. 12
Professional Day –
No Classes
Friday, Nov. 16
Trustee Council
“Nichols Today” Event
Saturday, Nov. 17
Young Writers’ Workshop
Wednesday, Nov. 21 –
Friday, Nov. 23
Thanksgiving Break
Friday, Dec. 7
Old Guard Luncheon
Friday, Dec. 21
Holiday Alumni Gathering
Monday, Dec. 24 –
Friday, Jan. 4
Holiday Break
Wednesday, Jan. 9 –
Wednesday, April 3
Art Exhibit: The Nichols
Collection
Friday, Feb. 8
Upper School
“See Us In Action”
Thursday, Feb. 14
Middle School
“See Us In Action”
Monday Feb. 18 –
Tuesday, Feb. 19
Winter Break
Saturday, March 2
Young Artists’ Workshop
Monday, March 25 –
Friday, April 5
Spring Break
Thursday, April 4 –
Monday, June 17
Art Exhibit:
Andrea Mancuso
Monday, April 8
Classes Resume
Thursday, April 18
Trustee Council
Symposium & Reception
Saturday, May 4
Derby Day Auction
Thursday, May 23
Founders’ Society Dinner
Friday, May 24
Class Day
Wednesday, June 5
8th Grade
Moving Up Ceremony &
Senior Thesis Night
Friday, June 7
Commencement
Friday, June 7 –
Sunday, June 9
Reunion Weekend
Thursday, June 13
Rick Bryan’s
Farewell Party
For the most up-to-date event
information, please visit our website
and click on “School Calendar.”
Fall/Winter 2012
9

Faculty & Staff Appointments
Rebeca Redondo
Alvarez returned to
Nichols to teach
Middle School
Spanish. In 2007,
Mrs. Redondo left
the Middle School
to return to her
home country,
Spain. With a
master’s degree from Canisius College, and
two other degrees in education from the
University of Oviedo, Spain, Mrs. Redondo
brings her knowledge of and enthusiasm for
teaching Spanish to our Middle School
students. During her previous tenure at
Nichols, she was instrumental in our
Cultural Exchange Program, starting the
program in Oviedo, and we look forward to
her getting involved in exchanges at both
the Upper School and the Middle School.
Tyler Bosch joined
the Mathematics
Department this
year and will assist
Coach Larry
Desautels with the
Girls’ Varsity Soccer
team. He will teach
Upper School
Geometry, Algebra
II and Precalculus. Mr. Bosch graduated
with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics
from The College of Wooster. He earned
his master’s degree in education with a
focus on technology and mathematics from
Baldwin-Wallace College. Since 2008, Mr.
Bosch has been teaching math at North
Point High School in Maryland. He has
experience teaching all grade levels from
geometry to AP BC calculus and many
different types of learners. Mr. Bosch played
soccer at The College of Wooster and has
been an assistant coach for girls’ high
school soccer since 2009.
10 Nichols School
René “RJ”
Bouchard joined the
Science Department
as a part-time Upper
School biology and
chemistry teacher.
Mr. Bouchard earned
a bachelor’s degree in
biology and Latin at
the University of
Vermont where he also minored in
chemistry. He went on to complete a
master’s degree in molecular and cell biology
at Roswell Park Institute through the
University at Buffalo. He is certified to teach
biology, chemistry and Latin. In addition to
his studies in language and science, Mr.
Bouchard is also an accomplished Sailing
coach. Some may know Mr. Bouchard from
his work with the Western New York High
School Sailing Team. He is also the head
coach of the University at Buffalo Sailing
Team. In addition to teaching two sections
of science, Mr. Bouchard will help with
Science Olympiad. Mr. Bouchard is married
to Elizabeth Gage ’99.
Shom Datta joined
the Physical
Education
Department as a
Middle and Upper
School teacher.
Shom earned a
bachelor’s degree
from Hamline
University and is
currently pursuing a master’s degree from
Franklin Pierce University. Mr. Datta will
also take on the role of Prep B Hockey
Coach, working closely with Coach Jamie
Printz. Mr. Datta was Head Coach at North
Country Community College and the
National Sports Academy in Lake Placid.
Most recently he has been an assistant
college coach at Franklin Pierce University
and SUNY at Potsdam. Mr. Datta’s emphasis
on skill and character development will
complement our program.
Juan Carlos
Fontaneda joined
Nichols as Director
of Facilities.
Originally from the
Basque region of
Spain, from a little
town called
Elantxobe, he
moved to the U.S.
when he was 16 and graduated college from
SUNY at Fredonia in 1992 with a
bachelor’s degree. A Certified Facilities
Manager, Juan Carlos lived and worked in
New York City for 14 years, previously
holding the position of Facilities Manager
for Bronx Lebanon Hospital. He moved to
Buffalo in 2010 with his wife and son and
worked for Buffalo Olmsted Parks
Conservancy. In his spare time, Juan Carlos
enjoys spending time with his family and
playing pick-up soccer games.
Germaine “Gigi”
Gatewood ’99 is
substituting for
Andrea Mancuso in
our Arts Department
while Ms. Mancuso
is on sabbatical for
the first trimester
of the school year.
Ms. Gatewood is a
Nichols graduate from the class of 1999. She
earned a bachelor’s degree from Middlebury
College in studio art and English. While
at Middlebury, Ms. Gatewood spent a
year at the San Francisco Art Institute
with a concentration in photography. Ms.
Gatewood went on to complete a master’s
of fine arts in photography at the Rhode
Island School of Design. She also has a
collegiate teaching certificate from Brown
University. Most recently, Ms. Gatewood
was in Trinidad and Tobago as a Fulbright
Fellow, strengthening her art practice and
improving her teaching skills. Currently, Ms.
Gatewood works as a freelance photographer
and part-time digital technician at
Splashlight Studios in New York City.

Benjamin Gerhardt
spent the last
semester teaching
Spanish at Nichols
for Bella Stack while
she was on
sabbatical and has
joined the
department as a
full-time Spanish
teacher this fall. Mr. Gerhardt graduated
from Daemen College with a bachelor’s
degree in Spanish. He earned a master’s
degree in Foreign Language Education from
University at Buffalo. An experienced
Spanish teacher, Mr. Gerhardt has taught
since 1999 at a variety of schools in New
York and Alabama, including Christian
Central Academy, Mountain Brook High
School and Orchard Park High School.
Well-versed in web based instruction and
video conferencing, Mr. Gerhardt has
several years’ experience as a Distance
Education Spanish Teacher with the
University of Alabama. Mr. Gerhardt looks
forward to participating in our Cultural
Exchange Program. He has traveled
extensively throughout Spain and Portugal.
Mr. Gerhardt will also assist with the front
of the house for all Arts Department
productions.
Julia Marthia joined
the Middle School
as our Learning
Specialist and parttime
5 th grade
Central Studies
teacher in the
middle of February
2012. Julia brings
an extensive
background in middle school education,
having taught English, chairing the
English Department and coordinating a
Pre-International Baccalaureate summer
program in Fairfax County, Va. With a
master’s of education in curriculum and
instruction in reading education from
the University of Virginia and an
undergraduate degree in secondary English
education from SUNY Oswego, Julia will
work with our students and faculty to
improve the teaching and learning within
the Middle School.
Gabriella Pelosi
joined Nichols last
year as the
Admissions Office
Assistant. She also
teaches Middle
School Wellness.
Gabriella attended
John Carroll
University and
earned a bachelor’s degree in
Communications and English, worked for
the Services for Students with Disabilities
Office and was a tour guide for the Office of
Admissions. After graduating in 2009,
Gabriella worked as a Special Events
Manager for the American Cancer Society,
organizing Relay For Life Events at the
University at Buffalo and Nardin Academy.
Gabriella also has volunteered for Juvenile
Diabetes Research Foundation over the
years. Gabriella enjoys spinning and yoga.
She serves as the Vice President of the John
Carroll Alumni Board.
Kevin Powers
joined the Upper
School History
Department as a
ninth and tenth
grade teacher this
year. Mr. Powers
graduated magna
cum laude from
SUNY at Geneseo
with a bachelor’s degree in history. He then
attended Georgetown University where he
concentrated in American history,
American and World Environmental history
and Latin American history. Having satisfied
all course requirements, Mr. Powers plans to
complete his dissertation in order to obtain
his Ph.D. in history. Kevin has received
numerous awards for his teaching, including
the Helde Award for Outstanding
Undergraduate Teaching from the
Georgetown Department of History in 2010.
While the majority of Mr. Powers’ teaching
experience has been at the college level at
Georgetown and Canisius College, he has
mentored and taught high school students
through the Student Conservation
Association in Washington, D.C. In
addition to teaching history, Kevin will
work with Community Service and
Environmental initiatives.
Ashley Wodzinski
joined the Classical
and Modern
Language
Department as a
French teacher this
fall. Ms. Wodzinski
graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in
history from SUNY
at Buffalo. She earned her Post-
Baccalaureate in French education from
Buffalo State College and is currently
pursuing graduate work at West Virginia
University. Ms. Wodzinski has experience
as a student teacher and long-term
substitute at several local schools, including
City Honors and Nardin Academy. Ms.
Wodzinski also taught at Lycée Alphonse
Daudet in Nimes, France. In addition to
teaching French, she is also a crew coach.
She has experience as an assistant novice
high school coach and as Camp Director of
Learn to Row at West Side Rowing Club.
Fall/Winter 2012
11

Faculty & Staff
Departures
Jeffrey Crane joined the Nichols faculty in 1974 to teach Upper
School French, and played an integral role in the development and
maintenance of the French cultural exchange program since then.
Jeff played double bass for the School’s Orchestra and saxophone for
the Jazz Band. Mr. Crane’s two children are also Nichols graduates,
Becky Crane Mercatoris ’94 and Dan Crane ’97. Mr. Crane has
retired from teaching and will reside in Buffalo.
Corinne Damerau-Best joined the Middle School faculty in 1997
to become the music and chorus teacher. She has loved the freedom
to design her own curriculum at Nichols and has developed many
exciting programs, including an intro to guitar class, putting
together themed spring shows for choruses, and most recently using
current technology in Film Scoring and Piano Composition. She
has loved every minute in the Nichols classroom and all of the
wonderful students she has had the opportunity to share her love of
music with. Corinne is also the mother of two Nichols graduates,
Alexandra ’06 and Ryan ’11.
Kristine Erdolino joined Nichols in 2008 to work as the Accounts
Payable Clerk in the Business Office. She handled the processing
of invoices from all faculty and staff members, managed purchase
orders and invoices, and processed checks and distributed them
accordingly. She also supported Mary McCarthy, the Business
Office and Students Account Manager.
Pat Hanley ’05 joined the staff of the Development Office in
the fall of 2011 as a Research Assistant with the goal to survey
Nichols alumni and analyze the value of a Nichols education. He
also assisted the Director of Alumni Relations, Blake Walsh ’98,
in updating alumni information. Because of Mr. Hanley’s teaching
experience, he also served as a substitute in the Middle School. He
substituted in all four grades in the Middle School. Mr. Hanley is
pursuing law school at the University of Akron in Ohio.
Ron Hoffman worked at Nichols as the Director of Facilities since
1994. He oversaw maintenance of the grounds and buildings,
and managed the team that keeps our campus looking beautiful.
Under his direction and hard work, he helped turn our world-class
facilities into an urban campus of distinction. He was at the School
on many early winter mornings to ensure the campus was plowed
and safe, and he worked many weekends resetting the campus after
events.
Rebecca Montague joined the School’s Modern and Classical
Languages Department in 1995, teaching Upper School Spanish.
She taught all levels of Spanish, including Spanish 5 AP Literature,
where she used her vast knowledge of literature and culture. Mrs.
Montague was Department Chair for several years as well. In
addition, she served as the Coordinator for the Cultural Exchange
Programs for 17 years. She reorganized and revitalized all the
exchanges, traveling to Spain, Costa Rica and even France. She
was a member of the orchestra and served on the Minor Discipline
Committee. Mrs. Montague has retired from teaching and will be
residing in Buffalo.
Stephen Moscov has been teaching Upper School Spanish at
Nichols since 1979. Mr. Moscov also served as a chaperone to the
Costa Rican and Spanish cultural exchange programs and was the
Boys Tennis Coach. In addition, he ran The Buffalo News Kids
Day volunteer program at the School, was a member of the Faculty
Band and coordinated the Faculty Softball team. While he officially
retired from teaching following the 2010-2011 school year, Mr.
Moscov was a familiar face around Nichols last school year as he
substituted for many Spanish classes.
Whitney Nuchereno began teaching Spanish in the Middle School
in 2010. In addition to teaching, she was passionate about Spanish
culture and music. Ms. Nuchereno was also an 8 th grade advisor,
the Varsity Girls’ Tennis coach and the 7 th and 8 th grade Boys’
Assistant Tennis coach. During the summers, she worked abroad
as the Master Teacher for Dartmouth College’s Rassias program
in Pontevedra, Spain, to travel and enrich her teaching and
knowledge of the Spanish language and culture. Ms. Nuchereno is
now teaching Spanish at the American School in London.
Kelly Ostendorf joined the faculty in 2001 to teach Upper School
history. While on sabbatical in 2009, she developed and designed
coursework for a new course, AP Human Geography. She taught
Human Geography at the University of Oregon before bringing
it to Nichols. Mrs. Ostendorf served on the Student Conduct
Committee and the Mentoring Steering Committee, and was a
faculty advisor for Model UN. Mrs. Ostendorf relocated to Austin,
Texas, with her family.
12 Nichols School

The Nichols Fund
Leadership
Giving
Societies
The Nichols Fund Leadership Giving Societies are the
most prestigious annual recognition clubs for alumni,
parents, grandparents and friends of the School.
Established to acknowledge our most generous donors,
the societies honor members who give annual financial
support to ensure that the School continues to thrive well
into the 21st century.
When you support The Nichols Fund, you reaffirm
your devotion to the 120-year legacy of Nichols School
and ensure a promising future for generations of students.
Founders’ Society
1892 Club Includes all benefits in the John J.
Albright Club, plus two tickets with premier
seating to all concerts in Ramsi P. Tick Concert
Series and a premier table at Derby Day
Auction $
20,000 and above
John J. Albright Club Includes all
benefits in the George A. Mitchell Club, plus two
tickets to Derby Day Auction and the Big Green
Athletic Celebration $
10,000 to $ 19,999
George A. Mitchell Club Includes
all benefits in the Joseph D. Allen Club, plus two
tickets with premier seating at Prince Lecture,
Kew Raiser Lecture and Smith Lecture Series
$
7,500 to $ 9,999
Joseph D. Allen Club Includes
all benefits in the Nottingham Club, plus
membership in the Founder’s Society and an
invitation to Founder’s Society Annual Dinner
$
5,000 to $ 7,499
Membership into the Leadership Giving Societies earns
not only our sincere thanks, but our offer to connect you
even more deeply to the life of our remarkable Nichols
community.
The Head of School and the Board of Trustees salute
the members of each year’s Leadership Giving Societies
and thank them for making Nichols a priority. This group’s
gifts have accounted for over 75% of The Nichols Fund’s
total dollars in recent years.
Headmasters’ Society
Nottingham Club Includes all benefits listed
in the Clock Tower Club, plus invitation to the
Breakfast of Champions $
2,500 to $ 4,999
Clock Tower Club Includes all benefits
listed in the Quad Club, plus admission and
premier seating to all school plays and concerts
$
1,500 to $ 2,499
Quad Club Invitation to Annual Leadership
Giving Society Cocktail Reception and
acknowledgement in the Report on Giving and
on the School’s website $
1,000 to $ 1,499
Green & White Club GOLD Alumni
(Graduates Of the Last Decade) become
members of the Headmasters Society with
gifts of $ 500 to $ 999
Please make a gift online at www.nicholsschool.org/give
or call the Development Office at 716.332.5151.

After Nichols
Leah Christopher ’08
Champions Human Rights
What are you up to now Tell us about your life and career.
I am currently working for The Protection Project, John’s
Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies
until December 2012. The Protection Project is an anti-human
trafficking non-governmental organization which works in
conjunction with the Department of State, Bureau of the Under
Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights,
specifically for the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in
Persons.
My main responsibilities include: conducting legal research
on Sharia (the moral code and
religious law of Islam) to assist
Dr. Mohamed Mattar, Executive
Director of The Protection Project,
in preparing a comparative law
study on human rights in the Arab
world; researching and creating a
database of human rights scholars in
the 22 Arab countries; conducting
extensive research on the status
of trafficking in persons in the
countries of the world and updating
the country narratives on trafficking
that were eventually published
on the organization’s website;
drafting a speech for Ms. Suzanne
Mubarak, First Lady of Egypt and
partner of The Protection Project,
on Regional Cooperation in the
Middle East; writing a report on a
seminar conducted at The Johns
Hopkins University on Islam and
the West; researching and analyzing
congressional hearings in support
of the work of the Legal Aid Clinic at Alexandria University,
Faculty of Law in Cairo, Egypt; researching and preparing the
TIP Review (review of the Annual Trafficking in Persons Report)
and a pamphlet entitled “Reporting on the Status of Trafficking
in Women in Accordance with Article 6 of the Convention on
the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,”
which was presented at the UN in New York City at the July
CEDAW Convention. At the moment, I am working on two
different projects, one on Corporate Social Responsibility and the
other is a “Global Legal Research Manual: How to Conduct Human
Rights Research,” both of which will be published upon finalization.
Coming up in November, we will have our Seventh Annual
Symposium on Trafficking in Persons. This conference will bring
together experts from academia, non-governmental organizations,
religious institutions, the corporate world and the media to discuss
the role that each of these industries has in the fight against
trafficking in persons.
In the spring, I will be heading to Paris, France, to work as
an intern at the U.S. Embassy, through a Department of State
Internship Program. This will be a 10-week internship and then I
will return to the states where I plan on attending law school in the
fall of 2013.
What motivated you to get involved in
this line of work
In all honesty, I became involved in
this line of work, at first, by chance.
In 2010, I took an internship for a
semester in Washington, D.C. with
The Washington Center for Academic
Seminars and Leadership. At the time,
I was more interested in bioethics
and the role women had in this field.
Since bioethics was not an internship
option, my program director asked
me to consider focusing on women’s
rights instead. This was fine with me.
She then asked me, “What about
human trafficking” My response was,
“Human what” After being placed in
my internship, namely based off of my
writing samples, I began to realize just
how passionate I am about anti-human
trafficking efforts. I knew, with all the
long hours and committed weekends,
I put into this internship that it was
more than a job, or work experience. I truly cared, and knew that
advocating on behalf of millions of trafficking victims is my calling.
When the internship ended I went back to Hiram College and
instantly continued my trafficking awareness efforts in my college
community. I worked alongside a few professors who helped me
cultivate this new found passion. However, without my confidant
and professor, Dr. Erin Lamb, I would not have been able to have so
many opportunities in this effort.
When it comes down to it, I don’t consider this a job. I consider
this work a responsibility of mine to the global community because
I know that with my efforts I can help make drastic changes and
eventually help end modern day slavery.
14 Nichols School

The Importance
of the College
Visit
by Victoria W. Garner
How did Nichols prepare you for college and life beyond college
I was surprised at how easy it was for me to transition from Nichols
to Hiram. The course load, writing and overall independence
allotted to me as a college freshman were not overwhelming or
strenuous tasks, as I was fully prepared for all of these common
obstacles at Nichols.
All in all, Nichols prepared me for the writing intensive work I
not only had to do in college but also with the writing I do in my
current job position. As a research associate, I would say I spend
about half my day in the writing and editing processes.
Throughout the hours spent writing, I constantly think,
“What would Mr. Stratton say” about my prose, my introductory
paragraph, conclusion, word use, grammar, style, etc.
Nichols also prepared me by encouraging me to constantly
challenge myself. I am lucky in that I had such knowledgeable and
effective teachers who always encouraged me in their own ways to
reach beyond my potential. Whether it was in the form of red pen
marked across my “Ana Karenina” paper by Mr. Stratton, or every
free period I spent in Mr. Wagner’s classroom to improve my math
skills, or even the time spent with my coaches on the fields, always
pushing me, I was continually challenged at Nichols. But it was not
without the caring support of the school community. Without this
important lesson, I would not be where I am today.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment
I think my greatest accomplishment thus far is trusting in my own
decisions. By this I mean that in previous years I just went with
the flow, doing what I thought was expected of me as a student,
but I came to realize that this was the worst path possible for me.
I’ve found that without a sense of challenge, I probably won’t be
choosing a project to embrace. I think the greatest accomplishment
anyone can have is trusting in yourself so that you don’t have to
depend on others to define you, or pick your career path for you. If
you can turn a passion into a career, whether or not it conforms to
premeditated plans, you are pursuing an essential path.
What do you like to do for fun
Living in D.C. there is always something to do! However,
my favorite past time activities include: roaming around the
Smithsonian History Museum, taking a long run around the
monuments and writing short stories.
In a survey of members of the Class of 2012 taken last May,
students were asked to indicate the most important factors
influencing their decision to enroll in a particular college or
university. Ninety percent of seniors reported that “a sense of
fit with the school” was either the “most important” or a “very
important” factor in their college destination.
Throughout the research and application phases of the
college process, students and their parents hear the Nichols
School college counselors talk about the importance of the
college visit in helping to determine fit. Making the trip to a
college, taking the tour, learning about the admission process,
talking with current students, faculty, and in some cases,
meeting with coaches and athletic directors, can provide
invaluable information for the student as they determine where
they will apply. The visit also signals to the college a sincere
interest on the part of the student; a factor considered by some
colleges in admission.
The college counseling staff at Nichols takes seriously the
importance of visiting schools as well. In the last year, Dr.
Siepierski and I traveled to 20 schools in 10 states and Canada;
meeting with admissions officers and deans, discussing specific
programs with faculty and students, and learning about the
particular culture on campus. These visits serve to strengthen
our ability to counsel students and build important ties
between the college or university and Nichols.
Whether a school is around the corner or many miles from
home, we encourage students and parents to visit whenever
possible. And, don’t forget to ask us where we’ve been lately!
Colleges and Universities visited
by Nichols School in 2011-12:
Boston College
Boston University
Brown University
Bucknell University
Canisius College
Case Western Reserve
University
Champlain College
Daemen College
Harvard University
Middlebury College
Providence College
St. Michael’s College
SUNY at Geneseo
Tufts University
Tulane University
University of Maryland
University of Toronto
University of Vermont
Washington University
in St. Louis
Yale University
Fall/Winter 2012
15

Class of 2012 Matriculation List
Natalie Abialmouna
SUNY at Buffalo
Caroline Fenn
Kenyon College
Holly Mangus
SUNY at Fredonia
Spring Sanders
Northwestern University
Eleni Anas
Washington University
in St. Louis
Harrison Bacon
Boston College
Meredith Battin
Canisius College
John Beecher
St. Lawrence University
Elizabeth Benedict
Niagara University
Murray Bibas
Bentley College
Zach Bliss
University of Western Ontario
Peter Borgesi
SUNY at Geneseo
Corbyn Bothwell
Hobart & William Smith
Colleges
Brad Bourne
Gettysburg College
Trinithas Boyi
Wesleyan University
Lucas Buscemi
West Virginia University
Vincent Cappola
SUNY at Buffalo
Jeremy Castigila
Washington & Jefferson College
Avery Coppins
Bryant University
Brigid Daly
University of South Carolina
Julia DiTondo
Mercyhurst College
Courtney Donovan
SUNY at Buffalo
Hannah Elsinghorst
Canisius College
Jonah Epstein
Skidmore College
Joseph Fennie
SUNY at Geneseo
Helena Galvin
The College of Wooster
Hannah Gardner
Union College
Colin Gartz
Ohio Wesleyan University
Michael Gates
Boston University
Katie Henry
Loyola University Maryland
Jenna Herskind
Princeton University (+ Gap Year)
Jenna Holevinski
St. John Fisher College
Sean Hughes
Niagara University
Zoe Jackson-Gibson
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Louis Jacobs, Jr.
Southern Methodist University
Emily Janiga
Mercyhurst College
Jordan Keane
St. Lawrence University
Lachlan Kellogg
SUNY at Buffalo State
Hijab Khan
Cornell University
Austin Kubiniec
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
James Lees
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
Julia Liguori
The American University
John Loree
Vassar College
Nicole Lowe
The American University
Ian McQuestion
The Catholic University
Thomas Mediak
Nazareth College
Sarah Miller
University of Vermont
Emily Moffett
Canisius College
Brandon Mueller
Salisbury School (PG)
Sydney Muggia
John Carroll University
Shannon Nachreiner
Northwestern University
Mark Nash
SUNY at Maritime
Suet Ng
University of California at Santa
Cruz
Thomas Noonan
SUNY at Buffalo
Kayla Oak
Boston College
Hanna O’Neill
SUNY at Geneseo
Nickolaus Osinski
Boston College
KaiDi Peng
Boston University
Andrew Poturalski
University of New Hampshire
(2013)
Alex Regan
Union College
Kylie Reinholz
SUNY at Buffalo State
J. Mitchell Riter
Rochester Institute of Technology
Maddie Rohrbacher
The American University
Elise Roy
SUNY at Buffalo
Madeleine Schlehr
Phillips Academy - Andover (PG)
Caroline Schutte
Miami University of Ohio
Cody Selbert
University of Maryland -
Baltimore County
Nicholas Shea
The University of Arizona
Nyrie Soukiazian
University of Rochester
Allison Stenclik
Northwestern University
Christine Stephan
Virginia Polytechnic Institute
Abbie Sumbrum
Xavier University (OH)
Brendan Tetro
Ithaca College
Ryan Tick
University of Notre Dame
Sameera Toenjes
McGill University
Meredith Vivian
Loyola University (IL)
Lucas Walsh
Deerfield Academy (PG)
Shelby Wilde
SUNY at Buffalo
Catherine Williams
Colgate University
Susan Winkelstein
SUNY at Buffalo
Kristen Winter
Niagara University
Lindsay Wright
Northeastern University
Luke Yerkovich
The George Washington
University
William Zacher, Jr.
Case Western Reserve
University
16 Nichols School

Adam Noonan ’13, Sydney Clark ’13, Marie Zaccagnino ’14 and Lauren Randaccio ’13
The 35th Anniversary
Derby Day Auction
by Genevieve Carbone
On May 5, Nichols celebrated the 35 th anniversary of the Derby Day Auction. The Auction was
an astounding success, attributed to the dedication and hard work from the Chairs of the event,
Kristan Carlson Andersen ’80 & Robin Bronstein and Cynthia & Frank Ciminelli II. For this
epic occasion, the original chairs of the 1979 Derby Day Auction, Connie & Jack Walsh ’63 and
Bonnie & Fritz Spitzmiller ’57 served as our Honorary Chairs. For our 35 th anniversary event, we
are elated to announce we raised $260,000 – the most funds ever for the School!
We could not have achieved this great success without the dedication of our Committees
and parent volunteers who worked diligently throughout the year. A special thank you to all
of our additional Committee Chairs: David & Jessica Brason, Carol Sibick, Jenna Brinkworth,
Monica Angle, Traci Ackerman, Clare Poth ’81, Rich Gicewicz, Kevin Hogan, Pam Marcucci,
Siobhan Millar, Darcy Donaldson Zacher ’86, Anita Ballow, Sheila Kowalski, Laura Reindl,
Sasha Yerkovich, Cheryl Zaccagnino, Jackie Ennis, Michelle Rosenberg Parentis ’86 and Kevin
& Joanne Ryan.
The Derby Day Auction gained momentum early on, boasting sold-out sponsorships months
in advance. We are infinitely grateful to our generous sponsors: M&T Bank, Triple Crown
Sponsor; Amstar of Western New York, Buffalo Neurosurgery Group, Noco, Secretariat
Sponsors; The Courtyards LLC, Phillips Lytle LLP, Uniland Development Company and Union
Concrete.
To all our generous donors, guests and sponsors, it could not have happened without your
time, talent and efforts. Additionally, we would like to thank all who attended the event. We
received overwhelming generosity and truly appreciate your continued support.
We are excited to announce our 2013 Chairs, Joseph & Sheila Kowalski and John & Laura
Reindl! We look forward to your new ideas making next year’s event a great success.
Jan Robinson, Daphne Williams and
Kathy Gabryel
Kristina Saperston Semple ’98 & Craig E.
Semple ’98 and Alexis Muscato Agnello ’98
Fall/Winter 2012
17

Hannon Levy ’19: “I am 10 years old and
I play soccer, lacrosse and tennis, but my
favorite sport is swimming. I am on a swim
team outside of school at the YMCA in Snyder.
I also love camping and doing other fun
outside activities such as snow skiing. One of
my favorite hobbies is building Lego sets.”
James H. Bankard ’62: “Behave in a way that
earns your parents trust and good things will
happen to you.”
Hannon Levy ’19 and Jim Bankard ’62
Class of 1962,Meet
Throughout Reunion Weekend, there are many events that showcase
the wonderful sense of community Nichols has created over the years.
One of the most heartwarming events of the year is the meeting
between the Class of 1962 with the Class of 2019. Exemplifying the
Nichols value of Tradition and Change, the Pen Pal Program gives
the opportunity for the 50th Reunion class and the current 5 th grade
students to share their Nichols experiences.
After exchanging letters, the pen pals were finally able to meet
in person the morning of June 8 in Regan Hall to kick-off Reunion
Weekend. The groups greeted each other with ease and excitement
as they began discussing their previous exchange. Almost instantly
after the formal introductions were made, the Class of 2019 eagerly
took their pen pals for a tour of the Middle School, filling their
rooms with glowing conversation.
Whether informational or humorous, the letters between these
generations were delightful to read. Although decades apart in age,
the bond felt between these two groups emanates from the pages
all thanks to Nichols. Please enjoy some of the sweet and funny
excerpts!
Nick Scott ’19, David Desmond ’62 and Colin Schupbach ’19
18 Nichols School

Pen Pals 2012
Chandra Desai ’19: “I have three siblings
and two parents. I play soccer and dance
competitively. I also play piano. I am in youth
choir and love to sing. My favorite subject is
Latin. I have a knack for languages!”
Jim Abeles ’62: “The creative impulse exists
and if you forget your small self for the moment,
you will access your ‘creative’ self. It’s really not
that personal. But being creative also speaks to
solving problems. And the same theory applies.
Sometimes the best way to solve a problem that
you can’t seem to master, is to walk away, forget
about it, have lunch, go to a movie. When you
return to that unwieldy enigma, very often the
answer will appear as if by magic. I’m saying it is
magic and it always happens. And I’m saying a
good question beats an iffy answer.”
Fred Astmann ’62, Maureen Astmann, Colin Archibald ’19 and Chandra Desai ’19
the Class of 2019
Nick Scott ’19: “I play Little Loop tackle football,
tight end. I also have two brothers, Max and
Vincent, and I have a black Labrador puppy named
Stormie. Skiing in the winter is a blast for me.
At Nichols today, I love Medieval Studies. Bird
watching with my science teacher is super interesting
and fun too! I also like being able to walk over to the
ice rink, so I can play hockey in the winter.”
Richard E. Palicki ’62: “I am married now and
have five children, all of whom are adults now. My
favorite recreation is going to a warm beach where I
can swim and take part in outdoor activities. I like
to vacation in Ocean City, Maryland in the summer
and recently, my wife and I have enjoyed some
cruises to the Caribbean.”
Audrey Lazar ’19: “Nichols is a wonderful
school and I am enjoying the experience.
I play hockey and am also currently
collaborating on an environmental school
project with my science teacher and a few
classmates.”
Bill Constantine ’62: “All the things you
do and accomplish now are the building
blocks for the next steps into the future.
Whether it is your joy of reading or learning
to be a good teammate or inspiring leader
on the hockey rink, it all becomes who you
are many years from now.”
Fall/Winter 2012 19 19

Annabell Bueme ’19: “I have two older sisters and a younger
brother. Some of the things I like to do are dance, sing and act.
My family is really close, and we like to travel a lot together and
have family movie night every weekend. I like Nichols a lot, and
my two favorite things to do are play sports with my friends and
be coached by some of my teachers.”
William C. Koester ’62: “It is interesting, I think, that you and I
like many of the same things. We too are a close family and take
every opportunity we can to get together. I think we are all movie
buffs, and I applaud your ‘family movie night every weekend.’
And of course there is the singing and dancing!”
Chip Clarke ’62 and Holly Stevenson ’19
Holly Stevenson ’19: “I love many sports, in particular dance and
am on a competition team. We compete nationally and have won
various titles. I have a younger brother and sister who are twins.
They are two and very wild.”
Chip Clarke ’62: “But what you might be interested to know about
our daughter, Alissa, who sounds a lot like you…She went to a
school just like Nichols, called Noble and Greenough, near Boston,
and played sports but really loved to dance, and after college, is now
dancing full time in New York City.”
Abbey Gicewicz ’19,
Marc Janes ’62 and Jed Rifkin ’19
Peter Gurney ’19, Bob Pratter ’62 and Abdullah Haq ’19
Eric Schabacker ’62, Lara Ferreri ’19 and Sophia Fors ’19
20 Nichols School

Verdian Day
Upper School Awards
On Friday, June 1, Upper School students, parents, faculty and staff gathered in the Flickinger Performing
Arts Center to celebrate the accomplishments of our students.
The 2011-2012 awardees are as follows:
Cottle Award:
Nick Shea ’12
Faculty Prize:
Caroline Fenn ’12
Williams Cup:
Shannon Nachreiner ’12,
Sameera Toenjes ’12
McCarthy Prize:
Shelby Wilde ’12
Joseph L. Hudson, Jr. ’49 Award:
Harrison Bacon ’12
Headmaster’s Awards:
Jenna Herskind ’12, Tom Noonan ’12,
Nicole Lowe ’12, Spring Sanders ’12,
Allie Stenclik ’12, Meredith Vivian ’12
Dudley M. Irwin, III ’45 Memorial Award:
Jack Faso ’13
Nottingham Award:
Emily Collins ’13
Harvard Prize Book:
Alex Aylward ’13
Williams College Book Award:
Alec Long ’13, Anya Schulman ’13
Yale Award:
Jason Zhou ’14
Christopher Wadsworth Award:
Alex Fisher ’15, Kenny Williams ’15
George Knight Houpt Senior English Prize:
Eleni Anas ’12, Katie Henry ’12,
Jenna Herskind ’12, Shannon Nachreiner ’12,
Nick Shea ’12, Allie Stenclik ’12,
Sameera Toenjes ’12
Brown Junior English Award:
Anya Schulman ’13
Red Jacket Poetry Award – 1st:
Sameera Toenjes ’12
Red Jacket Poetry Award – 2nd:
Sam Stark ’15
Red Jacket Poetry Award – 3rd:
Paige Spangenthal ’15
Purdy Short Story Award – 1st:
Jenna Herskind ’12, Shannon Nachreiner ’12
Faith Davis Visual Arts Award:
Mitch Riter ’12
Nichols Dance Award:
Marissa Geiger ’13, Jenna Holevinski ’12
Nichols Theatre Award:
Caroline Fenn ’12, Madeline Rohrbacher ’12,
Meredith Vivian ’12
Nichols Vocal Music Award:
Katie Henry ’12, Nicole Lowe ’12, Shannon
Nachreiner ’12, Alex Regan ’12
Nichols Instrumental Music Award:
Nick Shea ’12
Charles E. Balbach Art Prize:
Sarah Miller ’12
Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award:
Patricia Daly ’13
Keating Science Award:
Greg Vanderhorst ’13
Baldwin Science Award:
Jenna Holevinski ’12, Nick Shea ’12
Mayer Science Award:
Jason Zhou ’14
Millard Sessions History Award:
Ken Lipke ’13
Senior Social Science Award (AP
Economics):
Nick Osinski ’12
Senior Social Science Award (AP Art
History):
Katie Henry ’12, Allie Stenclik ’12
Senior Social Science Award (AP Govt.):
Kylie Reinholz ’12
Senior Social Science Award (AP Human
Geography):
Julie DiTondo ’12
Senior Social Science Award (AP Human
Geography):
Sarah Miller ’12
Tracy E. Tuthill Mathematics Award:
Sameera Toenjes ’12
RPI Mathematics & Science Award:
Dora Ranilovic ’13
James W. Waltz Award:
Un-Pil Baek ’13
American Mathematics Competition Award
(10th grade):
Zach Cole ’14
American Mathematics Competition Award
(12th grade):
Un-Pil Baek ’13
French Award:
Julia Liguori ’12
Spanish Award:
Shannon Nachreiner ’12
Dual Spanish and French Award:
Trinithas Boyi ’12
Chinese Award:
Kaitlyn Henry ’12
Alumni Cup:
Catherine Williams ’12, Tom Noonan ’12,
Lucas Walsh ’12
Maisel General Information Test:
Nick Shea ’12
G. Robert Strauss, Jr. ’79:
Pearl Guerin ’13
Bonnie Lerner Posmantur Award:
Caroline Schutte ’12
Dann ’49 Community Service Award:
Abbie Sumbrum ’12
Fall/Winter 2012
21

Verdian Day
Middle School Awards
On Friday, June 1, Middle School students, parents, faculty and staff gathered in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center to
celebrate the accomplishments of our students.
The 2011-2012 awardees are as follows:
Western New York Spelling Bee:
1st Place – Thomas Wrabetz ’16
2nd Place – Leeanne Jones ’17
Red Jacket Poetry Contest:
1st Prize – Omkaar Acharya ’19
2nd Prize – Ava Swiatowy ’18
Purdy Story:
1st Prize – Annabel Bacon ’16
Geography Bee:
1st Place – Peter Gurney ’19
2nd Place – Ashrut Sood ’18
New York State Math League Contest:
6th Grade:
1st Place – Ashrut Sood ’18
2nd Place – Jacob Dolan ’18
3rd Place – Meira Farhi ’18
4th Place – Rockwell Tang ’18,
Eric Dhillon ’18
5th Place – Saloni Kumar ’18
7th Grade:
1st Place – Leeanne Jones ’17
2nd Place – Caroline Magavern ’17
3rd Place – Isabelle Schlehr ’17,
Samantha Lazar ’17
4th Place – Grace Newman ’17,
Zachary Crimi ’17, Lorena James ’17
5th Place – Kaela Parentis ’17,
Mackenzie Bass ’17
8th Grade:
1st Place – Thomas Wrabetz ’18
2nd Place – Madeleine Welchoff ’18
3rd Place – Bennett Levy ’18
4th Place – Cullen Lampasso ’18,
Lindsay Hogan ’18
5th Place – Leyton Johnston ’18,
Maeanna Merrill ’18
Music Awards:
Symphonic Orchestra
Most Improved Musician – Charles Telford ’18
Music Leadership Award – Jillian Daniels ’16
Outstanding Musician – Diana Henry ’16
Chorus
Most Improved Musician –
Sophie Hourihane ’16
Music Leadership Award –
Maeanna Merrill ’16
Outstanding Musician Award –
Mia Tirabassi ’16
National French Exam Recognitions:
Ranked in the Top 10 in Western New York
Thomas Wrabetz ’ 16, Evan Brason ’16,
Joshua Hobika ’16, Andreas Jekov ’16,
Caroline Magavern ’17, Leeanne Jones ’17,
Kendra Jones ’17, Leah Kramer ’17
National Latin Exam Recognitions:
Summa Cum Laude (Gold):
Robert Hettrick ’16, Sophie Hourihane ’16,
Bennett Levy ’16, Lily Verbeck ’16,
Madeleine Welchoff ’16
Maxima Cum Laude (Silver):
Maren Cipolla ’16, Diana Henry ’16,
Lindsay Hogan ’16
Cum Laude (Bronze):
Elizabeth Andersen ’16, Claudia D’Auria ’16,
Bridget Hager ’16, Matthew O’Connor ’16
National Spanish Exam Recognitions:
Premio de Oro (Gold):
Maeanna Merrill ’16, Kaitlyn Dolan ’16
Premio de Plata (Silver):
Lauren Cromwell ’16, Leyton Johnston ’16
Premio de Bronce (Bronze):
Annabel Bacon ’16, Delaney Hamill ’16
Premio de Excelencia (Honor):
Alec Yerkovich ’16, Maxwell Scott ’16
H.R. MacKinder General Information Test
(G.I.T.):
5th Grade:
1st – Chandra Desai ’19 2nd – Peter Gurney ’19
6th Grade:
1st – Brad Castiglia ’18 2nd – Ashrut Sood
’18
7th Grade:
1st – Vera Potter ’17 2nd – Joseph Tomczak ’17
8th Grade:
1st – Maxwell Scott ’16 2nd – Emma Hobika ’16
Middle School Overall G.I.T. Winner:
Vera Potter ’17
Cornelia L. Dopkins Awards:
Audrey Lazar ’19, Rockwell Tang ’18, Jayne
Appelbaum ’17, Emma Hobika ’16, Maeanna
Merrill ’16
Henry D. Waters Awards:
Nicholas Scott ’19, Michael Berdysiak ’18
Pliny H. Hayes III Award:
Thomas Elia ’17, Susan Kowalski ’17
The Bruce Anderson Award:
Leyton Johnston ’14
The Nichols Coaches Award:
Lindsay Hogan ’16
E. Webster Dann Faculty Awards:
Jillian Daniels ’16, William Hibbard ’16,
Emma Hobika ’16, Maxwell Scott ’16,
Mia Tirabassi ’14
The Charles I. Kleiser Award:
Maeanna Merrill ’16
Robert A. Gillespie-Vincent E. Walsh
Award:
Maeanna Merrill ’16
22 Nichols School

A.
B.
C. D.
A. Diana Henry ’16 and Leyton Johnston ’16
B. Members of the Class of 2016 were beaming throughout the ceremony.
C. Cullen Lampasso ’16, Luke Meyer ‘16, Bailey Lewczyk ’16,
Lily Verbeck ‘16 and Jillian Daniels ’16 pledge allegiance during the
ceremony.
D. Nina Amato ’16 and Sam Vanderhorst ’16
8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony
by Genevieve Carbone
On June 13, members of the 8th grade from the Class of 2016 gathered
in the Flickinger Performing Arts Center with their teachers, family
and friends to celebrate their Moving Up Ceremony. In an address
to the class, Head of Middle School, Paul Errickson, encouraged
students to be kind and helpful, as these two characteristics are vital
in leadership and reinforce the values they learned during their time
at Nichols. Following Mr. Errickson’s address, Head of School, Rick
Bryan, took the podium and related an analogy comparing being on a
ship at sea to exploring who you are. He explained that in the coming
years, they will continue to ask themselves questions to discover who
they truly are, much like passengers on a ship would do when they saw
a foreign vessel out at sea.
Head of School, Rick Bryan,
accepts the class gift from
Liza Ryan ’16.
Fall/Winter 2012
23

A.
B. C. D.
Class Day
A. Shannon Nachreiner ’12, Eleni Anas ’12 and Allie Stenclik ’12 are presented awards from Debbie Howe of the
English Department.
B. Tom Maynor ’81 poses with the Middle School Overall G.I.T. Winner, Vera Potter ’17.
C. Head of Upper School, Aranya Maritime presents Kenny Williams ’15 with the Christopher Wadsworth Award.
D. Prefects for the Erie House, Josh Hobika ’16 and Annabel Bacon ’16 pose with the John R. Munro, Jr. House
Cup.
24 Nichols School

(First row, left to right:) Nyrie Soukiazian ’12, Hijab A. Khan ’12, Trinithas Boyi ’12, Kaitlyn J. Henry ’12, Hanna M. O’Neill ’12, Sameera Toenjes ’12;
(second row) Ryan G. Tick ’12, John T. Loree ’12, Nickolaus G. Osinski ’12, Harrison C. Bacon ’12, Allison L. Stenclik ’12, Meredith M. Vivian ’12,
Madeleine S. Schlehr ’12, Eleni C. Anas ’12, Nicholas R. Shea ’12. Not pictured: Jenna M. Herskind ’12.
Cum Laude Society Induction
On Friday, April 27, 17 new students were inducted into the
nationally recognized Cum Laude Society. President of the Nichols
chapter, Dan Rosenblum, and Secretary, Andrew Sutherland, led
the ceremony for the 2012 inductees: Eleni C. Anas ’12, Harrison
C. Bacon ’12, Trinithas Boyi ’12, Kaitlyn J. Henry ’12, Jenna M.
Herskind ’12, Hijab A. Khan ’12, John T. Loree ’12, Hanna M.
O’Neill ’12, Nickolaus G. Osinski ’12, Madeleine S. Schlehr ’12,
Nicholas R. Shea ’12, Nyrie Soukiazian ’12, Allison L. Stenclik ’12,
Ryan G. Tick ’12, Sameera Toenjes ’12, Meredith M. Vivian ’12.
From the Latin phrase meaning “with high praise” the society was
founded in 1906 by Dr. Abram W. Harris of the Tome School in
Maryland to recognize students of exceptional scholarship and good
character. At Nichols, criteria for admission of students to the Cum
Laude Society is based on: academic excellence; scholarship and
love of learning; consistency in performance across the four years,
with special attention to achievement in grades 11 and 12; degree
of difficulty of course load; and character, honor and integrity in all
aspects of school life.
It is the School’s hope that students will accept the honor
of membership of this society as a responsibility to make some
contribution to the ongoing search for greater understanding of
humanity and society, and that they will always cherish the love of
sound learning.
Congratulations to the Class of 2012 inductees!
Fall/Winter 2012
25

The Producer:
Allen Farmelo ’88
By Blake Walsh ’98
Brooklyn, N.Y.-based freelance record producer, Allen Farmelo
’88, and his partner, Shelley, recently started a record label called
Winter Bear Records to release Shelley’s albums for children.
The featured character of these albums is called Elska, a modern
pioneer who lives on a newly-formed volcanic island off the coast of
Iceland. As Allen describes, “Elska weaves the sweetness of Winnie
the Pooh with the otherworldliness of Dr. Seuss into a rather
unique musical sound.” The first Elska album came out on Sept.
4, thus making recent months in Allen’s production world very
busy and very exciting. The album has already won two prestigious
awards in the educational/parenting world: The National Parenting
Publication Awards Honors and the Parents’ Choice Foundation
Silver Medal.
How Nichols shaped his
abilities and character:
Nichols totally inspired
my career! The first time
I stepped into a recording
studio was as an 8 th grader
playing synthesizers with the
Nichols Jazz Band. When I
walked into that studio, my
life changed. I was inalterably
hooked on the idea of making
records in studios, no matter
what. Of course, my senior
project was to record an album with my band. Nichols was flexible
enough to accommodate my interests in recording, and this was a
direct reflection of the high value the school puts on the arts. I can
hardly imagine my life without those formative opportunities and
the support for the arts.
Interestingly, I went on to record in that same studio in my 20s,
and then again in my 30s when I recorded a whole album there
with Ian Gillan of Deep Purple and Jesus Christ Superstar fame. It
now belongs to The Goo Goo Dolls, who were working there back
when I was in high school.
What’s all in a day’s work:
I am a freelance record producer, a career that – given that there
were no schools to teach this when I was coming up – was born of
my own ingenuity combined with the luck of great opportunities
and caring mentors. I wish I had a quick explanation for what
“record producer” actually means. The best I can explain it is that
I spend long stretches of time with musicians making their life’s
work. My work entails many different roles, including coach, boss,
critic, servant, songwriter, musician, recording engineer, mixer,
budget manager and more. The roles I play change with every
record.
Greatest accomplishment to date:
In the past year, I have made two records with the previously
unrecorded 86-year-old pianist Boyd Lee Dunlop. He is from
Buffalo. His records have touched so many people, but they’ve
been especially meaningful to elderly people. In the same year
I helped create and recorded the Elska project for children. To
broaden my work to include the very old and the very young feels
like an incredible accomplishment, and has added an unexpected
emotional depth to my work.
Advice for current students:
Don’t quit! Perseverance is the secret to success in any creative
field. The hardest part about creative careers is that the
opportunities and the logical career steps aren’t laid before you as
clearly as they are in, say, the legal or medical fields. So, you have to
make sure that you can always say “yes” to an opportunity when it
Allen Farmelo ’88
continued on page 28
26 Nichols School

Elska singer/costumed front woman,
Shelley Wollert, in Iceland
Alumni Feature

comes up, and this often requires unorthodox lifestyle choices that
allow for that freedom to say ‘yes.’
The other advice I have is follow your heart straight to exactly
what you love aesthetically. If you’re a photographer and you love
landscapes, then shoot landscapes. If you’re a violinist and you love
atonal classical music, then pick up your fiddle and play atonal
classical music. If you’re a record producer and you love a certain
kind of sound and feeling in a recording, then dedicate yourself
to that sound and feeling. If your heart yearns for something and
you pursue it, you’ll
have endless energy
to keep going, and
you’ll also get really
good at it over time.
Whatever common
sense may try to tell
you, do not be led by
financial interests;
therein lies the path
to creative burnout.
If you persevere and
follow your heart,
you’ll be way better
off in the long run.
Nichols preparation
for life:
The first things that
always come to mind
are that I can write
well and I know how
to stay organized
and actually get
things done on time. Those are basic life skills that serve me every
day, and, looking back on it, I know my teachers at Nichols very
intentionally hammered those skills into me.
I remember the tiny spiral notebook I got in 5 th grade and how
my teachers showed me how to write down my assignments and
how to cross them off. But it wasn’t the writing them down that
mattered most; it was the following through on those assignments
on time that was ultimately going to help me the most in life.
I remember grammar lessons as ongoing word puzzles at which
we were expected to become exceptionally adept. By senior year,
my teachers (especially Bill Morris and Ed Williams) were taking us
beyond the rules of grammar we’d mastered and into the creativity
of breaking those rules with bold style. I was made to write tightly
like Hemingway, then loosely like Celine, then hopefully like
myself. Given today’s high-tech-texting-emailing-Facebooking-
Tweeting lifestyle, expressing oneself in writing is probably
more important than ever before in human history. I also write
professionally for the biggest magazine in my field, and am often
thanked by my editor for delivering “very clean copy.” Nichols gave
me eight solid years of intense, detailed, expert writing lessons -
painful then, invaluable now.
Most valuable Nichols lesson:
Out of the blue one day, Ann Keiffer, the drama teacher with
whom I never had class and probably never spoke to, asked if she
could buy one of my paintings for $40. This was a fortune to me
at the time. I hardly knew the woman, and she said, “You’ve got a
great sense of composition and color, and that’s worth a lot.” (I’m
actually choking up writing about that moment.) All those hours
working so diligently under the critical eye of my art teachers
added up to the most money I’d ever earned in one single effort.
I still think about
that moment when
I’m negotiating in
the music business,
and it reminds to
value myself and my
creative work.
I need to share
another lesson,
however. Coley Felser
is coaching a 7 th
grade lacrosse game,
I score my third goal
for a hat-trick, and
he chews me out and
benches me. Why
I’d just scored three
goals “You were
lucky, Farmelo. You
shot from the worst
possible angle. You
had open teammates
right in front of the
net.” That was a very
strange lesson for me. It simultaneously taught me trigonometry,
teamwork and a needed bit of humility. That kind of multidimensional
lesson was often happening at school in one way or
another. If a teacher is sharp, they’ll know to focus the student back
on character development over all else.
Iceland is the backdrop for Allen’s latest projection, Elska, a fictional singer whose modern pop
music is for children and families.
Favorite Nichols memory:
I have a very special place in my heart for the silent study halls in
the Reading Room with the snow coming down outside those old
drooping leaded-glass windows. It’s such a beautiful campus, and it’s
especially beautiful when covered in snow and your only job is to
hunker down and read. It’s interesting to reflect on my relationship
with the campus itself, and I realize only now just how much I adore
those old buildings.
For more on Winter Bear Records and its featured children’s music artist,
Elska, visit www.winterbearrecords.com.
28 Nichols School

Legacies
The following are new Legacy students who joined Nichols in the 2012-2013 school year. Legacies are
defined by those who have had parents, grandparents or great-grandparents attend the School.
Sylvia Anthony ’20
Daughter of
Robert J. Anthony, Jr. ’77 and
Sarah A. Yerkovich ’84
Rachel A. de Perio ’16
Daughter of
Jose A. de Perio III ’81
Charles S. Newman ’20
Son of James D. Newman ’79
Edward D. Roach ’16
Son of Michael J. Roach ’84
Lucas Balbach ’19
Son of C. Teo Balbach ’86
Andrew Grimaldi ’17
Grandson of
Samuel Varco, Jr. ’48 and son of
Chrisanne Varco Grimaldi ’82
Bjorn N. Nordenflycht ’20
Grandson of Ralph D. Cohn ’37
Eliza B. Roach ’20
Daughter of Michael J. Roach ’84
Nathanial J. Carlson ’16
Son of Richard A. Carlson, Jr. ’72
Mia Grimaldi ’19
Granddaughter of
Samuel Varco, Jr. ’48 and son of
Chrisanne Varco Grimaldi ’82
Ralegh R. Petri ’16
Son of Pitt Petri, Jr. ’57
Maxwell R. Saperston ’20
Grandson of
Howard T. Saperston, Jr. ’58 and
son of W. Scott Saperston ’90
Olivia Castiglia ’20
Daughter of
Gregory J. Castiglia ’84 and
Valerie A. Zingapan ’84
Thomas F. Hughes IV ’18
Son of Beatriz Llugany ’88
Emily Pressman ’16
Daughter of Wendy M. Pressman ’83
Gabriel Schulefand ’20
Son of Keith B. Schulefand ’81
Abby Cleary ’16
Granddaughter of
Robert M. Cleary ’46
Griffin Lunn ’16
Grandson of John T. Lunn ’61
Alexander Randaccio ’16
Son of Alan R. Randaccio ’82
Walter R. Zacher ’20
Great-grandson of
William K. Donaldson ’33;
grandson of William H. Zacher ’55
and Daniel R. Donaldson ’58;
son of William Zacher ’86 and
Darcy Donaldson Zacher ’88
Fall/Winter 2012
29

1938 Tom Harriman, our oldest alumnus in attendance 1947 Bud Nicholson, Rod Gartner, Jack Mimmack, Warren Prince, Myron Hunt
1952 John Butsch, Dennis McCarthy, Phil Diefenbach, Joe Kaming, Chip Mann, Bill Magavern, Roger Dayer, Lee Abell, Charles Balbach
30 Nichols School

1957 Robin Crosfield, Jim Wadsworth, Molly Morris, George Morris, Frtiz Spitzmiller, Bob Greene
1962 Row 1: John Sessions, Steve Clement, Rufus Meadows, Bob Lentz, Fred Astmann, David Desmon; Row 2: John Nagorniak, Jim Bankard,
Mark Lytle, Marc Janes, Gerry Kahn, Ted Janes; Row 3: Chip Clarke, Jeff Simon, Barry Williams, Bob Pratter, Bill Gretz, Eric Schabacker, Bill Nitterauer;
Row 4: Bill Baetz, Bill Koester, Jamie May, Richard Harriman, Richard Kahn, Paul Eisenhardt, Bill Constantine, Craig James, Paul DeVries
Fall/Winter 2012
31

1967 Bruce Biltekoff, George Bergantz, Dale Haidvogel
1972 Row 1: Suzy Maher-Wilson, Judy Teach Crandall, Tom Caulfield,
Roland Hayes; Row 2: Diana Augspurger, Bob Bredenberg, Kristin O’Keeffe,
Stephanie Grobe, Marilyn Palumbo Perla
1977 Row 1: Janet Fronckowiak Golrick, Anne Desbecker Sofarelli, Mark Coley, Laura Hopkins, John Farmelo; Row 2: Bridget Callahan-Giarrano,
Sheila O’Keeffe, Greta Weiksnar Pinto, John Meegan, Patrick Reilly, Wende Mix; Row 3: Katie Fretwell, Grove Potter, Jim Horne, Dan Carlson,
David Ivancic, Jim Voisinet.
32 Nichols School

1982 Row 1: Steve Sanders, Annette Holzman Fitch, Megan Brott Sullivan, Chrisanne Varco Grimaldi, Beth Landel, Debbie Beris Vokes,
Lorinda Laub, Al Randaccio; Row 2: Mary Kenzie Mahley, Karen Keller Chambers, Mike Vasquez, Ray Paolini, Steve Joyce, Cliff Hurley, John Clauss
1987 Row 1: John Drenning, Julia McDonald Hartmann, Stacey McCulle, Carolyn Potts Sullivan, Margie Hopkins Whistler, Shannon Scott
Shannon, Tim Vanini, Benjamin Plaut; Row 2: Rex Velasquez, Meg Brady, Ron Leong, Michael Boncaldo, Deb Saltzman; Row 3: Hugh Jones, Sareer Fazili,
Ray Tan, Ken Bartholomew, Michael Karet, Bhaskar Gopalakrishan, John Quinan
Fall/Winter 2012
33

1992 Row 1: Sara Shatzel Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Baker Katzman, Nidhi Kohli, Carmen Llugany Fors; Row 2 : Ryan White, Kelly Quigley Giacobbe,
Sarah Gelman Carney, Mariel Gallego, Tina Wagle, Aaleya Koreishi, Tina Leone Sabuda, Anusha Rasalingam, Aashiyana Koreishi; Row 3: Alex Shotell, Brett
Fitzpatrick, Pete Sullivan, Bill Hudson, Cutler Greene, Danielle Paladino Jacobs, Christen O’Mara Smith; Row 4: Fred Boehmke, Sean Takats, Rich May, Josh
Bruzgul, Liz Boll-Faris, Ryan Lucinski, Jon Calamel
1997 Row 1: KC Bryan White, Maritza Baez, Liza Walsh Keenan, Josh Assad; Row 2: James Gutow, Ryan Keating, Ashley Dayer
34 Nichols School

2002 Row 1: Alissa Vogelsang, Colleen Heidinger, Nomiki Konst, Nicole Grew, Jackie O’Mara; Row 2: Bridget Rochester, Bill Hardy,
Carla Sanderson, Dionne Fabiatos, Andie Ward, Jonna Wopperer, Ashley LoTempio, Tara DeCarlo, Melissa Bundt, Kerry Hannan; Row 3: Alie Wright, Francine
VerHagen, Andrew Mancilla (guest), Jonathan Barger, Jeremy Witt, Brooke Pelc, Ashley Ohl
2007 Row 1: Nicole Kelly, Phil Wagner, Anna Whistler, Brett Roell, Emily Hettrick; Row 2: Adam Toenjes, Ben Walsh, Brendan McCarthy, Dan Swift,
Tyler Van Schoonhoven, Matt Parker, Tom Tobias, Max Yellen; Row 3: Kyle Montour, Dave Tiftickjian, Tim Olsen, Tarik Erk, Ryan McQueeney, Chris Arnold,
Harry Zemsky, Mark Abell
Fall/Winter 2012
35

Alex Epstein ’08, Allison Todd ’08, Harry Zemsky ’07 and Chris Arnold ’07 in front of Square One Sandwiches
Back to Square 1
(Sandwiches)
by Alex Epstein ’08
Exotic palm trees sway gently in the summer breeze as a monarch
butterfly glides by in a whirl of delight, presumably, making its
impressive migration north to Ontario, Canada, in search of fields
abundant with milkweed. Several flowering vines are in bloom
with bright purple whorls of flowers that add a strikingly vivid
contrast to the scene against the light
green leaves on the vine and the blue hue
of the sky’s horizon. The sound of trickling
water permeates through the air and adds
a sense of calm to the nearby surroundings.
But this isn’t a tropical paradise. Instead,
I’m surrounded by a revitalized urban
environment, on the corner of Swan and
Seneca Streets, in downtown Buffalo: Larkin
Square.
To the left of the vines and palms, an unassuming platinumcolored
truck opens its windows to greet the day, just as a familiar
and friendly face pokes out to declare the truck is now open for the
day’s business. “Square 1 Sandwiches,” the sign above the truck
decoratively reads; the menu, filled with rare sandwiches that will
take you all over the globe instantaneously, grabs my attention as
I decide what’s more important at the moment: getting a delicious
sandwich, or interviewing an old friend about how his great
food truck endeavor began. After a bit of pondering, I think the
sandwich can wait, but not for long…
A fellow alumnus of mine at Nichols School, Harry Zemsky
’07, is the proud proprietor and inspiration behind the Square 1
Sandwiches food truck. I recently caught
up with him to chat about this increasingly
popular food trend, to find out how his
operation developed and, in particular,
how the food truck is fostering a sense
of community and relaxation in the
Larkin Square for hundreds of workers in
Larkinville. Ever since the beginning of
high school, Harry had demonstrated an
interest in all things related to food: “I’ve
been intrigued, really, since the high school days, by the culinary
industry in general, and have always considered it as something I
would maybe go to school for, or study here and there. I turned out
to be a Studio Art major in college, at the University of Vermont,
and there are really a lot of parallels to studio art and culinary art in
terms of the way you have to apply yourself [to the field].”
Harry gained some invaluable experiences in Vermont, which
36 Nichols School

propelled him to the successful opening of Square 1 Sandwiches.
These experiences are what he largely attributes to the success of
his food truck: “I was looking for jobs [in Vermont] and found this
little restaurant in Burlington. For the majority of the time I worked
there, it was mainly just the owner and I alone in the shop every
day. Because it was just him and me, all in the same day I would
be the dishwasher, the manager, the cashier, the cook, the grocery
supplier and the prep worker, so I basically learned to do everything
you need [for a restaurant] from the bottom-up all within about a
year and a half. So, when the opportunity arose about opening up
the food truck, I was all about it. I felt like I was ready to open up
my own shop, and I had been thinking about it for some time, I just
wasn’t sure where it should be. But, after some thought, I realized
Buffalo was the perfect place to open up my truck.”
When visiting Square 1 Sandwiches, it is nearly impossible for
me to not take notice of the outdoor community that is developing
around the food truck in Larkin Square. Working men and women
sit relaxed on chairs placed on the grass under an umbrella,
laughing, enjoying the fresh air and the temporary break from the
offices’ cubicles. Pleasant facial expressions and head nods tell me
all that I needed to know: people loved the variety of sandwiches
and the environment in which they ate them. I imagine the
rest of the day can feel pretty stress-free after such a wonderful
lunch break. Harry, too, thinks this relaxing atmosphere is a key
component as to why the business has been a success: “People love
to eat outside, and Larkin Square gives people such a great spot to
come together and enjoy a break for lunch or just to sit and relax.
Obviously, a food truck is intrinsically an outdoor type of food
service, so we definitely encourage our patrons to come enjoy and
eat our sandwiches outside in the square.”
Encouraging people to eat outside on the grass isn’t the only
“green deed” Square 1 Sandwiches is doing to promote a more
environmentally-friendly Buffalo, either. Food trucks have long
been known as green pioneers in the food industry because of
their ability to minimize resource use such as electricity and water
consumption due to the confined nature of the workspace. Because
food trucks require no heating or cooling for their outdoor diners,
they have a much smaller carbon and environmental footprint than
most traditional brick and mortar restaurants. Additionally, having
a food truck in a location with great foot traffic, like in Larkin
Square, gets people on their feet and on their way to lunch rather
than in their cars. This foot traffic greatly reduces fuel consumption,
carbon emissions and ozone creation in urban environments,
leading to better environmental air quality in the surrounding areas.
Whether or not you realize it, supporting a food truck also supports
a greener and greater Western New York for all of us, so eat your
heart out!
Interested in checking out the Square 1 Sandwiches food
truck They serve up gourmet, panini-style sandwiches Monday
through Friday starting at 11:00 a.m. Even the pickiest of eaters
would be satisfied with the great variety of sandwiches available
at the food truck. Curry turkey, Cuban pork, Thai chicken and
country turkey are just a small sample of what you’ll find at
Square 1 Sandwiches. Are you a vegetarian How does a soy sauce
marinated portabella mushroom sandwich grilled to order sound to
you
See you at the Square!
This article first appeared as a blog post on GrowWNY.org in August of
2012.
The Class
of 2012’s
Class Gift
by Blake Walsh ’98
The Class of 2012 graduated from Nichols on June 8,
leaving Amherst Street for college campuses around
the country and points beyond. Before departing our
campus, the seniors made sure that the Class of
2012 would remain as a permanent fixture on campus
by way of donating three iron bike racks featuring
the Nichols seal and a “Class of 2012” inscription.
Indeed these eco-friendly bike racks not only offer
a functional enhancement to our campus, but the
artistic statement that each rack offers makes for
a class gift that The Class of 2012 and all campus
visitors should be extremely proud of.
How did they accomplish this impressive feat
Thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of Class
Agents Harrison Bacon ’12, Mike Gates ’12, Jenna
Herskind ’12, Spring Sanders ’12 and Meredith Vivian
’12, over 74% percent of the class donated to the
senior gift drive, raising the necessary funds to install
these great additions to our already beautiful campus.
The class has set an impressive bar in terms of senior
classes giving back to Nichols and we look forward to
seeing what The Class of 2013 has in store.
Congratulations and thank you to The Nichols
Class of 2012!
The Class of 2012’s class gift includes three green steel bike racks, which are
positioned around campus for student, faculty and visitor use.
Fall/Winter 2012
37

Commencement speaker, Chris Gabrieli ’77 speaks to the Class of 2012.
The 120th Commencement
by Nina Barone
The 120th Commencement took place on Friday,
June 8, set against a beautiful day in the Quadrangle.
Head of School, Rick Bryan, opened the program
by recognizing the students in the Class of 2012 for
their collective successes and their accomplishments
in individual pursuits: “You have distinguished
yourselves as scholars, artists, performers, musicians, dancers, athletes
and speakers. You have successfully led this year in a variety of
activities, initiatives, and all in a positive tone and spirit.”
He went on to share conversations that transpired during the
Senior Dinners this spring, including what members of the Class of
2012 said they learned at Nichols. From “Interacting with adults on a
professional level” to “I learned I do not know everything,” students
shared heartfelt sentiments to express what they believe will help
them in the years ahead. Perhaps most significantly, however, was
the number of students who said that they found their voice during
their time at Nichols. Students also expressed the desire to continue
to support and attract world-class faculty and staff because their
interaction with them in and outside of the classroom remains among
their most lasting memories of the School.
“The faculty have put you through your paces with daily homework
assignments; class discussions that excluded no one; test, papers,
projects that tested your knowledge, your ability to reason, and your
skill at solving complex problems,” said Mr. Bryan. He concluded by
wishing the students well in their aspirations to do something special
with the talent, skills and qualities they possess. “May you have the
happiness of a productive life, the respect of others, and the strength
of character to accomplish your hopes, ideals and dreams…Above all,
keep your voice and use it well.”
Jane Cox Hettrick ’78, President of the Board of Trustees,
acknowledged all those in the audience with connections to the
graduating class. She shared that, as an alumnus, she grew to appreciate
Nichols more with every year. Beginning with how prepared she was
in college and law school to entering the working world, she was
amazed at what her Nichols education brought her – from respect to
connections with other alumni. She told the Class of 2012 that they
will experience this realization and earn this same recognition.
Later, as a parent, Jane grew to appreciate the faculty as “kindhearted
crusaders and legends,” looking after her children and
all Nichols students. She concluded by reiterating that all those
connected to Nichols School have an unwavering sense of community
throughout the world, and the most recent graduates enter that
38 Nichols School

Nicole Lowe
’12 accepts her
diploma from Head
of Upper School,
Aranya Maritime.
The Class of 2012 set against Albright Hall on a beautiful day in the Quad.
esteemed group of alumni.
Lucas Walsh ’12 served
as the ceremony’s student
speaker. Dr. Aranya Maritime,
Head of Upper School,
introduced Lucas, as a three
sport athlete, a member of
the chorus and a dedicated
student who embodies the
long-standing tradition of
balance and rigor that have
been the hallmarks of Nichols
students for over 100 years.
Lucas Walsh ’12 addresses his graduating class.
worth it” He answered
enthusiastically: “There are
many great sacrifices we
all made to come to this
wonderful institution, but,
in the end, I think we can
all agree that yes, it was
totally worth it.” Lucas called
Nichols a unique place,
where the people truly care
about one another. He said,
“A place where whether you
are white, a person of color,
Lucas’ advisor shares the story of coming to school on a Sunday and
seeing Lucas alone on the field running lacrosse drills. Dr. Maritime
said: “It has often been said that character means doing the right thing
when no one is looking, and Lucas embodies this idea. As we heard in
his citation for the Alumni Cup last Friday, ‘no one takes more pride in
gay or straight, an athlete or non-athlete: you are welcome here.” He
continued by saying that all members of the Class of 2012 treated one
another with respect and fairness, and he credited the faculty with
doing an outstanding job mentoring them throughout the years. Lucas
said, “Having a faculty like this makes coming to school fun. And in
wearing green and white,’ and I know no one could take more pride in
being chosen by his peers to give this speech to you today.”
Lucas began by posing the question: “Was going to Nichols
Fall/Winter 2012
39

Will Zacher ’12 shakes hands with brothers,
Lawton and Addison.
Jenna Herskind ’12, Trinithas Boyi, Christine Stephan ’12, Sarah Miller ’12,
Shannon Nachreiner ’12.
this type of environment, kids are
excited to learn each day.” He
concluded with acknowledging
several of his classmates for their
exceptional accomplishments,
saying they serve as “just a few
examples of how unique, diverse,
creative and bright” the class is.
We welcomed alumnus,
Christopher Gabrieli ’77,
as guest speaker. Chris is an
entrepreneur across the fields
of business, nonprofits and
public policy. After Nichols,
he graduated from Harvard
University, and he was forced
to drop out of Columbia
University’s medical school
to save his family’s business,
a healthcare system software
company, from bankruptcy.
He then went on to develop
a company called GMIS.
Following its success, Chris
joined Bessemer Venture
Partners, where he has been a
partner for 22 years.
“Nichols stands out as the only
other bedrock in my life besides
my family,” said Chris, who
cited the School’s exceptional
academic rigor, character,
athletics and arts in preparing
him well for Harvard and life.
Chris went on to express that all the core strengths that made
Nichols special when he was a student remain today. He recognized
Mr. Bryan as a legendary Head in not only the School’s history, but in
independent school history.
With honesty and humor, Chris told the Class of 2012 that some of
their most difficult days will lie ahead. But, he encouraged them, “if you
40 Nichols School
Nyrie Soukiazian ’12, Hannah Elsinghorst ’12, Tim McCarthy,
Sameera Toenjes ’12, Katie Henry ’12
Sean Hughes ’12, Avery Coppins ’12, Murray Bibas ’12
are to do anything worthwhile,
there will be hard work.” He
talked about his tireless work for
education, including bringing the
growing achievement gaps in our
education system. He noted that
75% of U.S. high school students
do not graduate on time, and that
most countries are increasing their
efforts on the education forefront,
while we remain stagnant and our
graduation rates and test scores
show it.
Although the current situation
is alarming, Chris pointed
to Teach for America, the
Knowledge is Power Program
and the Khan Academy
as positive influences in
education and signs of hope
that improvements can and will
be made. He stressed that the
leaders of these organizations
did not seek permission to take
on these challenges – but they
are inventors, entrepreneurs
and creative on a mission to
make positive change. The
profound message he left with
the Class of 2012 was inspiring
to all members of the audience:
Working on behalf of education
is deeply satisfying and crucial to
everyone’s future successes. If you
feel a change is needed, forge ahead and make the transformations
you wish to see a reality.
The morning concluded with the awarding of diplomas by Dr.
Maritime.
Thank you, Class of 2012, for all your contributions to Nichols. As
Mr. Bryan said, keep your voice and use it well.

William Nichols
Award
by Nina Barone
During the Commencement ceremony, longtime Arts Department
faculty member, Tim Schwartz, received the esteemed William Nichols
Award. The award, which recognizes members of the faculty and staff
who have significantly contributed to the overall quality of the Nichols
education, was established by the Alumni Board in 1985.
Mr. Schwartz’s citation was read by Craig Semple ’98, Alumni Board
President. Mr. Schwartz was recognized for his encouraging classroom
environment, his tireless and passionate work with the Upper School
orchestra and Jazz Band, and advancing the arts curriculum at the
School over the years.
“As a past Chair and key member of the Arts Department, you have
helped make the arts an essential part of each student’s education at
Nichols School,” read Craig. “You have been an active voice in the
development of the arts curriculum, and a champion of the creation of
a strong and thriving Middle School Arts program.”
Mr. Schwartz also was recognized for his legendary status as Girls
Varsity Tennis Coach, where he maintained an impressive 82%
winning record. During the 27 years he coached the Girls’ Varsity
Tennis team, his players were 310-48-24, including 11 league
championships in the Niagara Frontier League and 10 undefeated
seasons. Many of his tennis players went on to become successful
college athletes as well.
In addition, Mr. Schwartz was recognized for his dedication to music
outside of Nichols, with high profile performances at Shea’s Performing
Arts Center and the Buffalo Philharmonic, which make his students
and colleagues proud, and speak to his dedication to continually
developing as an artist.
Perhaps most importantly, Mr. Schwartz was honored for being a
person of integrity and character. He has been teaching and upholding
strong values at Nichols for 37 years.
Mitchell Award
by Nina Barone
On May 16, parent volunteer,
Jessica Brason, was named
the 2012 recipient of the
Mitchell Award. Established
in 2000, the award is named
in honor of John A. “Jock”
Mitchell ’66 and presented
“to that individual whose
volunteer efforts have made
the School stronger and whose
commitment to the mission of
Nichols School is outstanding.”
Jessica served as the School’s
6th Grade Representative
during the 2009-2010 school
year, was an At-Large Parents’
Council member, and then
Awards
Leslie Garcia, Director of
Development, presents Jessica
Brason with the Mitchell Award.
acted as Middle School Grade Representative Coordinator from
2010-2011. She was a member of the Derby Day Acquisitions
Committee in 2010, 2011 and 2012, taking on the Chair position
this year. In addition, she and her husband, David, hosted the
Derby Day Gift Gathering Party at their home.
During both the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years, Jessica
and David served as The Nichols Fund Parent Division Chairs. Last
year, Jessica also assisted as a member of the Big Green Auction
Committee, lending her time and talent to raising funds for the
Athletic Department. She volunteers as a crew team parent as well.
This year, Jessica has eagerly taken on the assignments of serving
as Secretary for the Executive Council of the Parents’ Association
and coordinating the Lost & Found.
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for Nichols,
Jessica!
Tim Schwartz is the 2012
recipient of the William
Nichols Award.
Fall/Winter 2012
41

Awards
2012 Ringo
Award Winner
by Nina Barone
The Olive R. Ringo Faculty Award was established to recognize
outstanding contributions by members of the Nichols faculty to the
education of Nichols students. Each year’s recipient is nominated
by his/her peers and selected by a committee made up of previous
faculty awardees.
In addition to years of service to
Nichols and obvious contributions to
the School community, professional and
personal characteristics are considered
including: enthusiasm about teaching
and learning; ability to communicate
clearly and effectively; knowledge of
subject area; organization, flexibility and
dedication; respect for students and a
genuine concern for their development;
intellectual curiosity and creativity; and
high standards of excellence.
The honor was presented on Thursday,
June 14, at the closing faculty and staff
reception, which commemorates the
school year and recognizes those retiring.
Gordon Gannon ’50, co-trustee of the
Olive R. Ringo estate, was present for the
occasion. The following citation was read
by George J. Kloepfer, II ’68:
The Arts are a distinctive and integral
part of the Nichols educational experience,
and no teacher has contributed more to the
Nichols program than the present Chair of
Kristen herself is a superb actress, as the “rave notices” she has
received for performances with The Irish Classical, The Kavinoky and
other downtown theatres attest; in fact, just last week, you received the
Artie Award for best actress for your outstanding work in “Time Stands
Still.” But more important for the purposes of this award, Kristen is an
equally superb educator, instilling a love of the theatre in the students
who perform in and help to mount her productions, often “midwifing”
buried talents which some of these students never knew they possessed.
It is the fusion of these gifts of the great artist and dedicated teacher that
distinguish Kristen’s work at Nichols.
Kristen has never been fixated on her own personal achievements, or
even on her own particular area of expertise. She works here at Nichols
because she cares intensely about students
and wants them to realize the best that is
in them. In rehearsals, she instills a quiet
discipline, at once gentle and firm, which
conveys to the performers that they are
engaged in a collective enterprise, that they
are a team and must stand or fall together.
Some of the most brilliant moments in your
plays began as an improvised line or gesture
by a student in rehearsal. Only those of us
who teach can fully appreciate the talent it
takes to create the space and culture that
allows students to experiment and to create
that magic.
Kristen’s concern for students extends
beyond the Drama Department and her stage
productions. She is the “point person” on the
Core Group, four faculty members who seek
help for students or their friends who may
be engaged in self-destructive behaviors and
whose advice and counsel to those students
remains confidential. She is also one of the
key faculty members involved with the Gay
Straight Alliance, a group in support of
the Arts Department, Kristen Tripp Kelley, Gordon Gannon ’50, co-trustee of the Olive R. Ringo students committed to a healthy and tolerant
this year’s recipient of the Olive R. Ringo estate, presented the award to Kristen Tripp Kelley. community.
Award.
The evidence is conclusive that Kristen’s
Kristen’s work reveals mastery of all
life has been a fulfillment of two vocations
phases of the Theatre. She is equally comfortable and proficient with – that of a gifted artist and that of a dedicated educator of young people.
traditional classics of the stage (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “A She has heard and heeded both of these calls. We are pleased to present
School for Scandal”) and with “off-the-beaten-track” or experimental the 2012 Olive R. Ringo Award to you – Kristen Tripp Kelley.
theatre. Among Kristen’s triumphs in these non-traditional categories Congratulations, Ms. Kelley!
were “Almost Maine,” an engaging “down east” melodrama, which
nobody aside from Kristen seems to have heard of before; a politically
intense and topical play about the “refugee experience” in the modern
world, in which the performers crafted the very speeches of the refugees
they played; and, most recently, a wildly unconventional, experimental
version of Orwell’s “1984” which expanded the stage and playing area to
embrace the “bowels and catacombs” of the Flickinger Center.
42 Nichols School

Lost Alumni
We do not have valid mailing addresses for the following “LOST” alumni. Can you help us track them down
Please email alumnioffice@nicholsschool.org or call 716.332.5151 with any information.
Edgar A. Forsyth III ’40
R. Stockton Sikes ’40
George Wadsworth ’40
William F. Gallivan ’42
Foster Parmlee, Jr. ’42
Rex Peters ’42
Albert A. Tilney ’42
Edward J. Wagner ’43
William O. Kuhns ’44
Dana E. Rice ’44
Howard R. Simpson ’44
Richard W. Meisburger ’45
Sidney E. Smith, Jr. ’45
Casimer Soron, Jr. ’45
Howard Webb, Jr. ’45
Robert G. Derrick ’46
Donald E. Berlin ’48
Justin C. Morgan, Jr. ’48
Ray P. Whitman, Jr. ’48
James A. Froman ’50
Louis G. Meurer III ’50
H. Russell Pickering ’50
Stanley S. Swartz ’50
John Berry III ’51
William Crowley ’51
M. Irwin Gould ’51
Joseph Kennedy ’51
Chester A. Pearlman ’51
Richard Price ’51
Sherman A. Robins ’52
Marsh Ward ’52
Peter M. Fleming ’53
Richard Lamb ’53
Harry B. Mains ’54
Joseph A. Sanders ’54
Joseph P. Borland ’55
James L. Howard ’55
Chauncey H. Maguire ’55
Henry P. Meurer ’55
A. Robert Thomas ’55
Bradford A. Congdon ’56
Martin P. Kennedy ’56
James O. Moore III ’56
Gifford R. Salisbury ’56
Irwin S. Altman ’57
Roger L. Plummer ’57
Davy W. Babcock ’59
David M. Bankard ’59
Richard H. Burroughs ’59
Thomas E. Koester ’59
Timothy A. Riggs ’59
Peter H. Schabacker ’59
Vernon E. Schaller ’59
Curtis Siegel ’59
Paul J. Speyser, Jr. ’59
Michael W. Crane ’60
Bruce P. Lytle ’60
Thomas C. Zawadski ’60
William P. Cranz, Jr. ’61
William H. Johnson ’61
Michael M. Scheidt ’61
Jeremy Taylor ’61
Howard E. Arbesman ’62
Gary T. Ford ’62
Donald R. White ’62
F. McKay Biggar III ’63
Samuel R. Bradstreet ’63
Stephen S. Burgess ’64
Peter B. Burke ’64
John A. Ericsson ’64
Harold F. Sahlen, Jr. ’64
Rita F. Byers ’65
J. G. Charles A. Glagolich ’65
Nat Gorham ’65
Bruce C. Gruber ’65
Robert P. Lieberman ’’65
Brett J. Markel ’65
Susan A. Meder ’65
Stephen J. Neter ’65
William Oshei ’65
Stephen C. Schintzius ’65
James S. Thompson III ’65
John S. Waggoner ’65
Terry A. Williams ’65
Richard D. Bernhardt ’66
Peter D. Bradstreet ’66
James W. Bryce II ’66
Robert E. Fischer, Jr. ’66
Timothy J. Kaney ’66
Peter W. Lin ’66
Philip A. Milch ’66
Jon S. Nelson ’66
Jonathan Small ’66
Thomas F. Barrell ’67
J. Carroll W. Becker ’67
G. Ernest Blackman, Jr. ’67
Charles R. Borzilleri III ’67
Robert B. Cozzens, Jr. ’67
Susan Danahy ’67
John P. DeVillars ’67
Marilyn L. Ernst ’67
Mary C. Green ’67
David A. Hall ’67
Donald D. Huff ’67
Diane G. Johnson ’67
Andrea M. Kielich ’67
George W. Levi ’67
Eileen C. Mahoney ’67
Norman L. Marx ’67
Kathy Meyer ’67
Anthony A. Michel ’67
William A. Pettit ’67
Joseph A. Rubino ’67
Robert J. Anthone ’68
William Botsford ’68
Robert M. Dautch ’68
James P. Franklin, Jr. ’68
Scott M. James ’68
Carlton R. Jewett II ’68
Ralph Jones ’68
Frank V. Kaunitz ’68
Edward H. Law ’68
Barbara M. Marchetti ’68
Thomas Paul ’68
Michael A. Perlino ’68
Michael L. Privetera ’68
Christopher Stanley ’68
David M. Anderson ’69
Michael Anderson ’69
Louis S. Faber ’69
Thomas E. Jacobs ’69
James Jerge ’69
Eugene Koch ’69
Timothy S. Kochery ’69
Bruce K. Koren ’69
Christopher Michel ’69
David Moot ’69
William E. Wolfley ’70
Gretchen L. Bohmaker ’71
Calvin Brady ’71
Eulis M. Cathey, Jr. ’71
David R. Clarke ’71
Alan E. Craig ’71
Julia A. Davis ’71
William E. Dill ’71
Peter J. Doll ’71
Nancy G. Fisher ’71
Madie S. Glisson ’71
Sandra Szymoniak Griffis ’71
Barbara C. Grounds ’71
David P. Howard ’71
Lawrence E. Klein ’71
Tad M. Kramar ’71
Shawn Lewis ’71
Philip D. Miles, Jr. ’71
C. Gregory Vogelsang ’71
Joanie Wels ’71
Judith M. Whitley ’71
Barbara Wildhack ’71
Christopher C. Adams ’72
Mary Jo Boardman ’72
Rosemary Brennan Connerton
’72
Arnold E. DiLaura, Jr. ’72
Steven Egri ’72
Robert T. Grieves ’72
Michael C. Hudnut ’72
John L. Jacobs ’72
Richard S. Lewis ’72
Coletta M. Lukitsch ’72
Suzanne Maher-Wilson ’72
Mary E. McMorrow ’72
Philip More ’72
Philip J. Wickser II ’72
Eric H. Yerkovich ’72
Beverly E. Armstrong ’73
Burke A. Breneman ’73
Richard F. Brodzik ’73
James B. Carlson ’73
Carter J. Frank ’73
Kathleen A. Hurley ’73
John P. Jacob ’73
Paul Y. Lee ’73
Gregory McNamara ’73
Philip R. Miller ’73
Karen J. Roberts ’73
Richard H. Rosenfeld ’73
Mark C. Ruof ’73
Margaret A. Rydzynski ’73
Mark Schwartz ’73
Stephen M. Scott ’73
Alexander D. Williams II ’73
Vincent L. Barber ’74
Fall/Winter 2012
43

Alan P. Bellanca ’74
Ann Brady ’74
Mark Ehrenreich ’74
Cynthia Epps ’74
William S. Fanning ’74
Francis A. Fote, Jr. ’74
Harold M. Ginsberg ’74
Douglas P. Hamilton ’74
George W. Hawk, Jr. ’74
Kathleen Hopper ’74
Robert E. Shea, Jr. ’74
Patrick R. Shields ’74
Wynne Kulick Weinstein ’74
Robert G. Anderson ’75
Brian C. B. Breneman ’75
Douglas S. Brown ’75
John K. Cullen ’75
John M. Egan ’75
Cathryn Gruen Forrest ’75
Martin H. McMahon ’75
Nancy E. Miller ’75
Magda Miller Nash ’75
David A. Boyd S/Sgt. ’75
Judith M. Scott ’75
Kathleen A. Trbovich ’75
Melissa P. Wolf ’75
Margaret M. Burke ’76
Keith J. Dunlap ’76
George K. Hambleton III ’76
Thompson Hanavan ’76
David A. Harrod ’76
Nigel P. Hebborn ’76
Hans Iluk ’76
Lachlan Kellogg-Clarke ’76
Stephen F. Marlette ’76
Marjorie McDonell-Bryant ’76
Henry H. Meurer ’76
Douglas F. Pfeiffer ’76
C. Pamela Pfohl ’76
Christine M. Zaepfel ’76
David K. Conklin ’77
Mark S. Fling ’77
Mark K. Foster ’77
Monique A. Hart ’77
Jamie Hill ’77
Brian C. Meegan ’77
Matthew Moravec ’77
Anthony A. Otto ’77
Rhonda N. Paterson ’77
Veronica J. Smith ’77
David F. Wood ’77
Lewis J. Young IV ’77
Rachel S. Back ’78
Eric Bess ’78
Elizabeth Smith Buscema ’78
Timothy A. Butzer ’78
Stephen D. Carlson ’78
John Cherry ’78
Brian Dennis ’78
Michael R. Gilbert ’78
Hans F. Halt ’78
Michele Halyard-Richardson ’78
Eric B. Harrod ’78
Susan D. Karnes ’78
Isabel P. Kellaway ’78
Kari K. Kolb ’78
Kevin C. Kresse ’78
Karen McMahon ’78
Donald D. Notman, Jr. ’78
Sean M. O’Connor ’78
Eric B. Rait ’78
Marcy J. Raphael ’78
Laura Knoll Roberts ’78
Scott B. Schwartz ’78
Wanda Y. Sherrod ’78
Robert E. Spangenthal ’78
Margaret A. Walek ’78
Hali Weiss ’78
Jonathan L. Wilcove ’78
Stephen Ambrus ’79
Thomas A. Batt ’79
James R. Branston, Jr. ’79
Kevin J. Danahy ’79
Colette Free ’79
Katrina V. T. Hamilton ’79
Gregory K. Houlahan ’79
John Kim ’79
Thomas F. Letchworth ’79
Helen Makohon Makohon ’79
Patrick M. McCool, USN ’79
Emily Klein Rupert ’79
Vincent M. Sorge ’79
Jay D. Yung ’79
Emanuel S. Amato ’80
Jeffrey P. Arcouet ’80
Clodagh W. Brabyn ’80
Jonathan D. Echtenkamp ’80
Kurt D. Elwood ’80
Catherine A. Good ’80
David W. Gow, Jr. ’80
Howard J. Klein III ’80
Col. Sheila C. Michelli ’80
Mary Minowada-Jezequel ’80
Pamela F. Murphy ’80
Kristen M. Nygren ’80
Ann E. Schapiro ’80
David M. Slahor ’80
Richard D. Batt ’81
Mark R. Chait ’81
Katherine Ambrus Cheyney ’81
Nicholas L. Cromwell ’81
Cynthia L. Dawdy ’81
Charles C. Ganim ’81
Ann Tabor Gottesman ’81
P. Kelly Griffin ’81
Ray C. Guenther ’81
Jennifer A. Honig ’81
Jeffrey Jayson ’81
Margaret A. O’Connor ’81
Kenneth A. Rait ’81
Steven C. Rumsey ’81
Jeffrey G. Scott ’81
David M. Tetter ’81
Susan Mroczynski Valentino ’81
Russell J. Baker, Jr. ’82
Thomas A. Conboy ’82
James K. Dickey ’82
Daryl O. Free ’82
Andrew Y. Gallup II ’82
Katherine M. Griffin ’82
Mary Clare Fox Hurwich ’82
Gareth H. Noonan ’82
Christopher A. Payne ’82
David A. Rizzo ’82
Katia M. Stieglitz ’82
Dean A. Villarini ’82
Kurt A. Weber ’82
Ann T. Wilson ’82
Kenneth J. Yood ’82
Lucille A. Anderson ’83
Dana J. Eaton ’83
Richard A. Harrod ’83
Deirdre A. Louchren ’83
Rachez N. McCullough ’83
Jennifer A. McMullen ’83
Lisa L. Rathke ’83
Joseph R. Takats IV ’83
Daniel J. Troidl II ’83
Major William A. Ullmark III ’83
Charles G. Ambrus ’84
Thomas P. Bilbao, Jr. ’84
Carl A. Contino III ’84
Jennifer E. Cramer ’84
Michael S. D’Anna ’84
Caroline Wright Feeney ’84
Jeffrey Haque ’84
Christopher W. Hart ’84
Kenneth Jaworski ’84
Jennifer A. Joyce ’84
Ajoy H. Karna ’84
J. Christopher Kuhn ’84
Michael D. Langan, Jr. ’84
Christopher A. McElvein ’84
Andrew J. V. McMahon ’84
Elizabeth Hassett Schmidt ’84
Mark A. Sulkowski ’84
Robert L. Ticknor ’84
Susan Bradley Ullrich ’84
Katherine E. Blynt ’85
Cornelia E. Fabian ’85
Thomas J. Fortunato ’85
Gary P. Frizelle ’85
Thomas J. Laub, Ph.D ’85
Katherine E. Miller ’85
Sandra A. Moog ’85
Michael S. Norwalk ’85
Michael Petrik, Jr. ’85
Christopher Rait ’85
Patricia A. Shi ’85
Melissa Sawicki Speck ’85
Paul A. Takats ’85
Jeffrey O. Teach ’85
Elise E. Travers ’85
Elizabeth Anderson ’86
Kyle R. Bacon ’86
Charles L. Banta ’86
Jason P. Batzer ’86
Eric Biederman ’86
Andrew T. Brode ’86
Bruce I. Carlin ’86
Paul A. Clark ’86
Kevin W. Cranz ’86
Anne E. Dopkins ’86
Michael J. Fornasiero ’86
Leigh L. Freudenheim ’86
Cynthia L. Gutierrez ’86
Jeffrey W. Kanski ’86
Sandra J. Kim ’86
Michael Seung Hoon Lee ’86
Katherine J. Levin ’86
Georgiana R. Pickett ’86
Eric E. Smith ’86
Karen L. Stucker ’86
Rhonda E. Walker ’86
Keith Wood ’86
Ravi Batta ’87
Elizabeth A. Beardsley ’87
Rachel Bronwyn ’87
Thomas C. Buck ’87
Rebecca Calabrese ’87
Timothy E. Duggan ’87
Jeffrey W. Hayes ’87
Anne H. Kane ’87
Annette A. Machado ’87
Trey MacLeod ’87
Karen Max ’87
Katharine H. Muncaster ’87
Catherine A. Pohlman ’87
Sharon Press ’87
Julie A. Reynolds ’87
Robert B. Reynolds ’87
Shari Robinson-Gallagher ’87
Callie E. Shosho ’87
Jonathan D. Silvers ’87
Kristen M. Sixbury ’87
Michelle H. Steinbach ’87
Scott Stelmach ’87
James L. Ward III ’87
Jeff R. Weidman ’87
Brian L. Anderson ’88
Jean S. Bae ’88
Lilian Bertin ’88
Barry L. Burnside II ’88
Nanette Burstein ’88
Rob Carson ’88
W. Justin Clayton ’88
Angela S. Diji ’88
Michael C. Dunn ’88
Bryce Ellory ’88
John M. Galbraith ’88
44 Nichols School

James M. Grohman ’88
Edward C. Hall ’88
Lauren Goodman Hartman ’88
Bruce Karpati ’88
M. Robert Madia II ’88
Wilkinson S. Michaels ’88
David W. Miller ’88
Alison Gellman Morgenstern ’88
Laura M. Ramsey ’88
Joseph M. Riddlesberger ’88
David A. Rizzuto ’88
Sonia Ryelandt ’88
Michael D. N. Teruel ’88
Jeffrey P. Travers ’88
Karthik B. Achar ’89
Jane K. Bahk ’89
Jennifer S. Bodnik ’89
Keri Rozanski Bozzo ’89
Gregory Bravo ’89
David D. Coppola ’89
Priscilla Dahl ’89
Stephen A. DeMarchi ’89
Robert K. Gerstenzang ’89
Jane K. Girard ’89
Mark J. Kuryak ’89
Janice M. Lee ’89
Andrew Lee ’89
Jessica Mancuso ’89
Timothy A. McLean ’89
Jeffrey S. Miller ’89
Rachel C. Moog-Lage ’89
Kim Phillips ’89
Brenden T. Readett ’89
George M. Richards ’89
Paul A. Saydak ’89
Scott D. Weinstein ’89
Nicole A. York ’89
Donnell M. Hargrave ’90
Seth S. Joseffer ’90
Aimee A. Machado ’90
Jonathan B. Quint ’90
Maura T. Sheehy ’90
Jason E. Silvers ’90
SriKiran Varma ’90
Luther Winfield, III ’90
Caroline M. Arani ’91
Alysha C. Buonerba ’91
John A. Frank IV ’91
Colin A. Keller ’91
Ronald J. Krantz ’91
Sean C. McIndoo ’91
Karl F. Nesensohn ’91
Nisha R. Patel ’91
Sheetal D. Singh ’91
Deirdre Pottle Weber ’91
Kristen L. Biggie ’92
Ravi S. Deb ’92
Gregory Hans ’92
Giorgos C. Karakousis ’92
Amy Rosenberg Levy ’92
Michele G. May ’92
Andrew K. Min ’92
Larkyn Kayser Mungovan ’92
Peter P. Vasilion ’92
Emma Vardon Veys ’92
Scott P. York ’92
Skip D. Campbell ’93
Katherine N. Chilungu ’93
Jennifer J. Corte ’93
Christopher A. delValle ’93
Nora A. DiMatteo ’93
Peter J. Fromen ’93
Stacey Shatzel Gandolfo ’93
Norman M. Joseph ’93
Christopher E. Jung ’93
Graham C. Rice ’93
Stephen J. Scirto ’93
Jeremy J. Siepierski ’93
Cameron F. Spitzmiller ’93
Ananth T. Srikrishnan ’93
Christian J. Stack ’93
Helena Strindlund ’93
Patrick J. Sullivan ’93
Zia R. Tayab ’93
Jaime A. Venago ’93
Eric W. Voboril ’93
Nathaniel L. Webster ’93
Anthony C. Antonacci ’94
Jennifer A. Boehmke ’94
Peter J. Brown ’94
Karen J. Chung ’94
Jason M. Dailey ’94
Paul S. Greenman, PhD ’94
John P. Horvatis ’94
Luis E. Irene, Jr. ’94
Case Q. Kerns ’94
Ben Kondo ’94
Rachel J. Maten ’94
Ronald M. Mendelow ’94
Elizabeth Russ Mohr ’94
Shandeep S. Momi ’94
Gary P. Occhino ’94
Geoffrey J. Oravec ’94
Lindsey DeLange Schultz ’94
Korey J. Sixbury ’94
Kamil K. Bhangoo ’95
Ryan J. Bloom ’95
Kale M. Buonerba ’95
Jonathan V. Erenstoft ’95
Bobbi-Renee Jackson ’95
Manasi Kadam ’95
Erin C. Lifeso ’95
Matthew Quinn ’95
Cathleen Santarosa ’95
James A. Smith ’95
Ryan D. Thompson ’95
Janelle A. Weber ’95
Martin L. Weiss ’95
Reed Williams ’95
Aaron R. Alpern ’96
Scott M. Barry ’96
Alexandria Beaufort-Cutner ’96
Megan M. Carbone ’96
Pablo F. de Rosas ’96
Bryan B. Joffe ’96
Sujay Koneru ’96
Christine M. Lillie ’96
Neal Luther ’96
Michael J. Maciejewski ’96
Sheeba Masoodi ’96
Mahad Oday ’96
Derek D. Prabharasuth ’96
David S. Radatti ’96
Zachary J. Rashman ’96
Natalie M. Rosenberg ’96
Tanya Y. Tanhehco ’96
Aaron L. Tulman ’96
Michael S. Adragna ’97
Gregg Barton ’97
Jonathan J. Bevilacqua ’97
Jessica K. Budington ’97
Iva Covic ’97
Charles C. DeSimone ’97
Julia A. Flemming ’97
Kristie A. Greene ’97
Elizabeth L. McEldowney ’97
Lubna Najar ’97
Shawn M. Wnek ’97
Alexander J. Wright ’97
Katie Donnelly ’98
Christopher M. Mekker ’98
Marion S. Min ’98
Pavan D. Singh ’98
Christine M. Velez ’98
Neelam A. Ahmed ’99
Kostas N. Botsoglou ’99
Matthew D. Brooker ’99
Hadley Graham ’99
Jason M. Kirsch ’99
Joon J. Lee ’99
James A. Lorentz ’99
Patrick T. O’Brien ’99
Matthew W. Schultz ’99
Louis A. Small ’99
Christopher W. Tjoa ’99
Eishawn Camp ’00
David M. Davis ’00
Martha E. Donovan ’00
Anees A. Fazili ’00
Rachel A. Heckl ’00
Matthew A. Hultgren ’00
Michele Jammal ’00
Emily W. Johnson ’00
Nitasha A. Kadam ’00
Matthew J. Kwasek III ’00
Amber Lang ’00
Oliver C. Leon ’00
Alexandra B. Mackenzie ’00
Robert P. Manley ’00
Margaret A. McKendry ’00
Matthew J. Naples ’00
Danielle M. Scamurra ’00
Ashley P. Schweitzer ’00
Ryan C. Schwend ’00
Brian P. Takats ’00
Jenna L. Blum ’01
J. Cameron M. Booth ’01
Mary G. Cohill ’01
Alexis Hands ’01
Andrea C. Kenyon ’01
Katherine L. Koch ’01
Jeffrey J. Maciejewski ’01
Patrick E. McDuff ’01
Shannon M. C. Meyerhoff ’01
Jesse L. Steffan-Colucci ’01
Catherine Chiantella Stern ’01
Matthew Syroczynski ’01
Daniel R. Tillotson ’01
Nicholas D. Bickford ’02
Sarah Bean Carluccio ’02
Jose M. Garcia ’02
Livia S. Gonzalez ’02
Walter M. Hartnett ’02
William M. Henneberry ’02
Jonathan C. Phinney ’02
Joseph P. Rembold ’02
Graig Renfroe, Jr. ’02
Anna L. Rinckens ’02
Adam W. Wirth ’02
Julia Anthone ’03
Erika L. Budziszewski ’03
Kenneth Czaplicki ’03
Caitlin M. Duffy ’03
Glenn J. Gentzke ’03
Pamela M. Gregory ’03
Leslie K. Kaplan ’03
Johann S. Velez ’03
Matthew Doemland-Kenna ’04
Arthur Hayes ’04
John A. Holten ’04
Jill K. Hughes ’04
Aaron P. Livingston ’04
Jennie Anderson ’05
John S. Barlog ’05
Jordan N. L. Matheson ’05
John D. Potoczak ’05
Elizabeth J. Vogel ’05
Jessica A. Zelman ’05
Richard Hadala ’06
David M. Montani ’06
Anne S. Morrow ’06
Taylor P. Webster ’06
Andrew F. Wright ’06
Malik K. Glenn-Black ’07
Alyssa H. Hong ’07
Melissa A. Kirkland ’07
Christine E. Penfold ’07
C. Clayton Sauberan ’08
Zachary E. Hoefler ’09
Kristin C. Via ’09
Fall/Winter 2012
45

A Nichols Gift
by Alexandra Logel ’09
When you reflect on where you are at this
moment, who do you give credit to
Whether or not it is a laundry list, surely
one sticks out above the rest. Mine happens
to be this little place right here, Nichols
School. As a senior in college, reflection
is an all-consuming energy. You try and pinpoint which of your
characteristics will guide you toward the “perfect” career path, and
which ones will lead you to success. At 21 years old, I am not going
to preach that I am aware of how the world works, because that
would just be comical. As an educated person who has been given
the opportunity to merely observe, there is one disappointment that
I always come back to: a lack of virtue. It is my goal to emphasize the
value Nichols has instilled in me: honesty. Mark Twain and I can
certainly agree on one thing: “Honesty: the best of all the lost arts.”
I spent my summer in New York City with a public relations
internship in the heart of Manhattan. This window of opportunity
proved to be a great fit. With a career in public relations, the tools
Nichols gave me would be put to the test. I am able to expand on
my writing, communication and leadership skills. Putting an honest
twist on these skills will hopefully create a distinction that will
prove beneficial for everyone. During my senior year at Nichols,
Phil Rimmler ’09 and I were elected to the position of class
presidents. Sure, we could try and make jokes, but standing in front
of everyone in Morning Meetings requires a sense of confidence. As
a member of the Nichols community, I was never intimidated by
my audience. I felt as though I had a relationship with everyone in
Have you written a
book recently
A film or TV show
Are you a journalist
Do you write
for a newspaper, magazine
or other publication
We would love to chat with you!
Email Nina Barone at
nbarone@nicholsschool.org
their chairs. Given the privilege to lead class discussions and defend
my beliefs, Nichols expected me to be confident. During my time
spent there, I came across a quote that has stuck with me: “People
are just people and they shouldn’t make you nervous.” With this
quote in mind, and my experiences at Nichols, my internship
could not have been more successful. I was given the freedom to
contact the world’s top magazine editors and newspapers. The goal
was to establish relations with these magazines in order to further
promote our brand. We were trying to get a spread in each of the
publications that would help to create celebrity appreciation and
collaboration. With a hopeful career in public relations, I will try to
maintain honesty in my work as well as with those I associate with.
I could sit here and rattle off to you the different skills Nichols
gave me, but I will not. To be honest, the skills are great, but they
are not unique. There are plenty of competitive independent
schools whose students are learning the same materials. What sets
us apart is the kind of person Nichols makes us. We are unique
and true. We are proud, confident people who are willing to do
something for the sake of hoping to enlighten others and be the
“difference” everyone looks for. This mentality will be the leading
foot to success. The compliancy with the Honor Code, and the
amount of trust the faculty has with the students is unparalleled.
My first unmonitored exam made me realize just how much virtue is
stressed at Nichols. Does it surprise you that years after graduation,
there is a natural desire to re-connect with this place I would think
not. Nichols gives you the feeling of possibility and greatness that
we all crave. We are successful because these sentiments never fade.
We carry them through to further academia and work places. I try
to demonstrate honesty through my writing, conversations and
leadership. Honesty is not something that can be easily obtained.
It is through the wisdom and devotion that the faculty here at
Nichols instills on their students. The stories and experiences they
tell, make them not just an educator, but also a mentor. They act as
a moral compass during our time spent here.
For many, college is the place you award credit to after your four
years of growing and academic challenges. My credit is given to
Nichols first and then college as a continuation of the molding I
already received. I will let you all in on a little secret. To be honest,
I have never mentioned this story before due to self-embarrassment.
My freshman year, Bob Crowell awarded me with an F on my first
English paper. “I don’t get Fs,” I sternly told him, to which he replied,
“Well, my dear, you earned it.” Wow. It was like taking a bullet. As a
confident writer, I can finally stop and laugh at the position I was in.
At the end of my four years, I was an A English student, hoping to
become a New York Times Best Seller – stay tuned.
At this point I’m sure it is clear, I love this place. For those
of you reading, we are probably on the same page. There is
something to be said about being a part of something rewarding
and fundamentally sound. Nichols gives you the basics. The basics
that are responsible for supporting you through your endeavors,
whatever they may be. They are a gift, so run with them. For now,
all I can do is kindly say thank you. I am sure that each one of us
will find a way to express our thanks in ways other than words.
46 Nichols School

Nichols Volunteers
by Stephanie Angelakos
Volunteering has a long and active history in the United States and
is responsible for much social and educational progress that we take
for granted today. During the 19 th century, and before then, very few
charitable organizations existed to help others. The Great Awakening
occurred and people became conscious of the disadvantaged and
realized the cause for a movement against slavery. On his trip to
America in 1831, French political thinker and historian, Alexis de
Tocqueville, was impressed
by the volunteers he
observed in this country
and commented on
it in his writings, as
volunteering was not
commonplace in Europe.
In 1851, the first YMCA
was started followed by the
first YMCA for women
volunteers during the Civil
War, serving soldiers with
needed supplies.
We welcome our
volunteers at Nichols
School to help enrich
our school life, benefit
our program and help
us earn stronger ties
to our community. At
Nichols, our parent and
alumni volunteers serve
the “soldiers” of our
school: the students, the
faculty, the School itself
and themselves as close
affiliates of the School.
Our volunteers bring
people together to make
our school community
strong. The community
life of our school is
improved by their lending
a hand to get a job done
more effectively. It makes
them strong advocates
of the School by helping
to bring in resources,
by building community
within the parent, student,
Michelle Rosenberg Parentis 86, Denise Muggia and Monica Jones decorate and
transform the Rink into a beautiful dining area and auction space for Derby Day.
Parents created wonderful displays of thanks and made a delicious spread for
Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week.
alumni and friends of Nichols, and it helps them realize the positive
force Nichols is in their own lives and in our community.
Our volunteers themselves benefit in so many ways. Volunteering
provides the opportunity to meet new people, connect with old
friends, improve problem-solving skills, increase self-confidence and
improve management and interpersonal skills. Participants obtain
a clearer understanding of our school structure, curriculum and
programs, gain valuable job experience, serve as role models for our
students, and many times, have the chance to inspire and motivate
future generations. We love to see the self-fulfillment volunteering
provides; people have a tendency to flourish in the midst of
volunteering experiences. Many become leaders in their careers, in
their communities and in their personal lives outside our gates as a
result of their volunteering experience with us.
Our parent volunteers are
a large and enthusiastic group
that generate from our very
active Parents’ and Alumni
Associations. Our opportunities
range from helping with large
projects in the Development
Office; becoming an elected
Council member to help
organize events and lead
support for the students and
faculty, which in turn builds
community within the student
and parent groups; or serving
as New Parent Mentors or
a leadership role with our
parent group. From serving on
a committee to helping with
our special events, to being an
event Chair, such as for the
International Dinner, The Big
Green Athletic Event or the
Derby Day Auction, are all
ways to share time and talent
to a greater end. Annually,
volunteers serve as Nichols
ambassadors by reaching
out to others for support of
The Nichols Fund. Alumni
volunteers work together to
maintain their own community
group within their graduating
classes and work to continue
strong support to the School.
Our beautiful buildings on
this campus would not be here
without the generous support of
our alumni.
Volunteering at Nichols is a
win-win situation. It’s fun and
benefits everyone. If you are a volunteer in your own community, we
applaud you. If you have always wanted to get involved somehow, but
haven’t yet taken the first step, we hope you will consider it! There
are many worthwhile opportunities for parents, alumni and friends to
make a difference at Nichols.
Fall/Winter 2012
47

Digital Citizenship
through Online Learning
by Susan Allen
The faculty of Nichols School had a
new opportunity for summer professional
development; they were offered a chance
to learn about Digital Citizenship through
online learning using an open source class
management system. Participants were
offered three modules over a five week period.
The first week long module was required
of all participants, and introduced digital
citizenship as a topic and as an educational
imperative. The second and third weeks
focused on cyberbullying; what it is, what it
is not, and how it can be handled in a school
setting. The fourth and fifth week introduced
a few online tools that can be used in the
classroom and demonstrated how their
integration can be accomplished using solid
pedagogical strategies.
The objectives of this new venture were to:
• Introduce faculty to well designed, robust
online learning.
• Give faculty an opportunity to work within an open-source class
management system to learn more about the environment and its
efficacy in the classroom.
• Immerse faculty in the topic of digital citizenship and its
imperative for education.
Most of our faculty has had no experience with online learning
and those who have were not impressed with the experience.
Meanwhile, in the greater educational environment: “The rise of
personal computing and the Internet has changed modern life and
education today. According to the US Department of Education
(2010), 100% of American public schools have access to computers
with Internet access and the ratio of students to computers is 3.1 to
1. Over 4.6 million students were taking at least one online course
during the fall 2008 term; a 17% increase over the number reported
the previous year” (Allen & Seaman, 2010). Online learning is not
a blip on the educational scene; this is a new segment of education
and as Will Richardson (2010) states: “In order for us to prepare our
students for what is without question a future filled with networked
learning spaces, we must first experience these environments for
ourselves. We must become connected and engaged in learning
in these new ways if we are to fully understand the pedagogies for
using these tools with our students. We cannot honestly discuss
twenty-first-century learning skills for our students until we make
sense of them ourselves.”
Thus a group of Nichols faculty dove in to learn about this
new environment. They found that they could be in class at their
convenience of both time and place. Elaine Gardner participated
for part of the class from Omaha, Neb., where she was teaching.
iPad
Shelia Zohara Zamor joined the class at
night after she taught Buffalo Prep during
the day and spent the evening with her
children. Asynchronous online learning
allows for flexibility in what time you learn
and where you are when you learn. It takes
away the need to travel and leave family, or
to be in one place at a particular time.
Through online discussions each week,
learning was deepened and ideas were
exchanged. As one participant pointed out,
these discussions are unique because they
are cross division and cross-generational.
People are talking about teaching and
pedagogy and working with colleagues that
they would not have a chance to engage
with during the school year in face- to-face
situations because of schedule and time
constraints.
Throughout this online professional
development experience, the intent was
for the participants to learn by doing.
Using Schoology (www.schoology.com) as the framework for the
class the participants were learning about how to structure online
learning, how to navigate a class management system, how to use
one in their courses. Presently there are about a dozen teachers
who have planned to adopt Schoology to some degree as part of
their classrooms this coming year. Since all our students will be
faced with using an online class management system the day they
walk onto their college campus, if not before, using such a system
now will be a good model for the students as they continue their
education.
The topic of this online professional development, “Digital
Citizenship,” was selected for several reasons:
• Many teachers see their students as digital natives who already
know everything there is to know about technology. But the
truth is even when students are comfortable with technology
they may not use it appropriately.
• Some teachers do not feel competent with technology and
are anxious or fearful of using technology in the classroom.
Teachers need to become more comfortable in the technological
environment.
• Students and teachers need to find common ground and both
learn to use digital technology effectively and ethically. They
both need to become members of a digital citizenry. (Ribble,
2011)
• Throughout the online learning being a responsible digital
citizen was the pervasive theme. Participants looked at Digital
Citizenship from these perspectives.
48 Nichols School

In Memoriam
Alumni
Anthony Pantera ’49 – March 25, 2012
David Thompson ’59 – April 14, 2012
Thomas Trefts ’49 – April 23, 2012
Fred Clark ’54 – April 28, 2012
Robert Dillon ’49 – May 4, 2012
Robert Rosenthal ’63 – May 5, 2012
Doug Reed ’49 – July 12, 2012
John Clifford ’75 – Aug. 6, 2012
Charles “Chip” Coley ’66 – Aug. 14, 2012
Trumbull Rogers ’57 – Sept. 3, 2012
John Nagorniak ’62 – Sept. 7, 2012
Amy Mroczynski Simons ’84 – Sept. 9,
2012
Friends
Richard Hadala – March 3, 2012 – father
of John ’06
Nathan Benderson – April 6, 2012 – father
of Ronald ’61; grandfather of Brett ’90
Irving Shuman – April 11, 2012 –
grandfather of Leah Kramer ’17
Anna Mae Donahoe – April 13, 2012 –
grandmother of Matthew ’08 and
Kaitlin ’09
Frank Mathews – April 22, 2012 – father of
Karen N’71; grandfather of Alexandra ’11
Norma Brason – May 18, 2012 – mother of
Todd ’76, Laurie Siegner ’78 and Peter ’80;
grandmother of Eleanor ’13, Madeleine ’14,
Sydney ’14, Ben ’16 and Evan ’16
Michael Chiantella – May 30, 2012 –
husband of Karen Burgess Chiantella ’89
Dominick Massaro – June 4, 2012 – father
of Lisa Massaro Keating ’82; grandfather of
Chloe Keating ’15
Thomas Tobias – June 28, 2012 –
grandfather of Tom Tobias ’07
Harriet Vogelsang – July 20, 2012 –
mother of Greg ’71, Chris ’73, Peter ’80
and Jake ’82; grandmother of Alissia ’02
and Curt ’06
Mary Jane Cunningham Smith – July 26,
2012 – mother of George Smith ’75;
wife of the late Graham Smith ’48
J. Preston Halstead – Aug. 29, 2012 –
son of John Halstead ’41
• The elements of Digital Citizenship that relate to student
learning and academic performance: digital literacy, digital
communication and digital access.
• The elements that relate to school environment and student
behavior: digital security, digital etiquette and digital rights &
responsibilities.
• The elements that relate to student life outside the school
environment were mentioned but not looked at closely: digital
health & wellness, digital law and digital commerce. (Ribble,
2010)
Animated, rich discussions revolving around these elements were
a major part of the learning. The initial outcomes from these
discussions and experience are:
• A series of f2f workshops to help teachers set up and develop a
Schoology site for one or all of their courses this year.
• A school wide theme of Digital Citizenship which will start
with a multi-generational online dialogue about such topics as:
online identity, privacy, credibility of people and information,
authorship and ownership, and responsibilities of a digital citizen.
• The integration of new online tools but with this caveat, so well
expressed by Ben Gerhardt, Upper School Spanish teacher: “I
love this line in the ‘Where’s the Beef’ article –‘Whatever tools
you use, putting the priority on rigor and fluency of the modes
will benefit the students long after tools become obsolete or new
tools become available.’ After reading this line, I took a trip
down memory lane, recalling the various forms of technology
my teachers and professors used to bring the content to life. All
of the technology has been completely replaced or updated to
the point that the original applications no longer resemble the
updated versions. It was the priority given to the content and the
skill set of the teacher that mattered. Technology is certainly a
vital tool, but I have to keep in mind, it’s just a tool.”
The consensus of this experience comes from these posts by Elaine
Gardner and Kate Olena respectively:
“I have been saying for years that the faculty needs more time to interact
with each other about teaching tips and pedagogy. We have a wealth
of resources in the people that teach at Nichols. I’m showing my age
here...”
“This has been great, Susan. I’m really glad I signed up and am looking
forward to the next course. Elaine has a point about time for interaction.
It’s been great to be able to fit this into my schedule and have time to
consider my colleague’s thoughts. Summer is a great time to do this too so
that we aren’t frantically trying to get through school duties to clear time
for this.”
References
Allen, E. I., & Seaman, J. (2010, January). Learning on demand:
Online education in the United States, 2009. Massachusetts: Babson
Survey Research Group.
Ribble, Mike (2011). Digital Citizenship in School (2 nd ed). Eugene,
OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web
tools for classrooms (3rd ed). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education
Statistics. (2010). Educational Technology in U.S. Public Schools:
Fall 2008 (NCES 2010-034). Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/
fastfacts/display.12-id=46
Fall/Winter 2012
49

In Memoriam
Tribute to Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49
The great Class of 1949 lost one of its
leaders when Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49 passed
away on May 9, 2012. He was 80 years old.
Bob, a former Trustee and Distinguished
Alumnus Award recipient, was a prominent
campaign supporter, an annual Headmasters’
Society level donor and a member of the
William Nichols Society.
The Robert E. Dillon, Jr. ’49 Award,
recognizing extraordinary contributions
to Nichols School by out-of-town alumni,
was established in 1990 in Bob’s name
and awarded to him that year in honor of
his long standing thoughtful, humble and
intelligent commitment to alma mater. Bob
attended nearly all of our Nichols regional
receptions in New York City and was one
of the first non-local alumni to serve on the
Board of Trustees (1982-1988).
Bob was a graduate of Amherst College
and Harvard Business School. After U.S.
Nichols lost an icon when Nelson M.
Graves, Jr. ’44 passed away on Jan. 7, 2012.
One of Nichols’ most accomplished student
athletes, Nelson kept his Big Green spirit
on full display as an alumnus, frequently
supporting Nichols from the sidelines at
various sporting events, especially hockey. A
dear friend of fellow alumnus, Dudley Irwin
’45, Nelson was instrumental in creating
The Dudley M. Irwin III ’45 Award, given
annually to a prominent Nichols junior male
who by virtue of character and leadership,
has assumed prominence in his class. Nelson
remained interested in the career paths of
Irwin Award winners and made an effort
to stay connected with them as an advisor
even after they had graduated from Nichols.
He presented the award on a regular basis at
Upper School Awards Day.
His father, Nelson Graves, Sr., graduated
from Nichols in 1913 and his son, Peter,
graduated in 1976. Another son, Nelson M.
Graves III, attended Nichols from 1964-69.
A veteran of the Navy’s Submarine
Service in World War II, a former president
of the Boys Clubs of Buffalo and a champion
squash player, Nelson later worked as a
docent at Buffalo & Erie County Naval and
Military Park and as a volunteer at Buffalo
Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In 2011,
Army service overseas, he worked for Lake
Erie Engineering, Electro Dynamics, Mobil
and ADT as a financial executive before
joining Sony in 1973, which was the start
of a 23-year career with the
electronics and entertainment
company. He also served on the
UNUM Board of Directors and
as a Trustee of the College of
Mount St. Vincent in New York.
He was notable as a family
man, Roman Catholic and
energetic volunteer in health
care, the arts, education and
community charities, including
the Overlook Medical Center
in Summit, N.J.; the Kessler
Foundation, supporting rehabilitation
research and employment programs for
people with disabilities and the United
Fund of Westfield, N.J. He was also active
Tribute to Nelson M. Graves, Jr. ’44
he accompanied a group of World War II
veterans from Western New York on an
honor flight to Washington, D.C.
Nelson graduated in 1950 from
Dartmouth College, where he played varsity
ice hockey. As playing partners for more
than half a century, Nelson and Dartmouth
Pictured during a visit to Nichols are Nelson’s
daughter in-law, Laurie; his son, Nelson III;
Nelson Graves ’44; and his granddaughter, Claire.
classmate William Dann won the U.S. and
Canadian doubles squash championships
in four age groups, first when they were 40
years old and the latest time at 72. He and
Dann won the U. S. and Canadian national
doubles squash titles eight times. They
claimed the Buffalo City Championship
seven times and were inducted into the
in the Westfield Foundation; Westfield
Senior Citizen Housing; New Jersey
Connect in developing affordable housing
for physically disabled people; The Visual
Arts Center of New Jersey; the
United Way of Bergen County
and the Boy Scouts of Bergen
County.
Bob was honored with
numerous awards recognizing
decades of service and
leadership. Not simply a
parishioner of Holy Trinity
Catholic Church of Westfield,
he served his church in many
volunteer capacities, including
as a Trustee. He was inducted
into the Knights of Malta in 1994. His
personal interests included tennis, jogging,
bridge, music, swimming in Maine and
auditing courses at Princeton University.
Buffalo Squash Racquets Association’s Hall
of Fame in 2000.
Mr. Graves held leadership positions in
banking and leasing and as a stockbroker.
He worked at Wood & Brooks Co., a local
piano key manufacturer, in the 1950s. Later,
he worked in senior positions at M&T Bank,
Toronto-based AES Leasing, Kidder Peabody
and Daley Securities. He formed his own
leasing company and then worked for the
Internal Revenue Service before he retired.
He was a member of the governing board
of Buffalo General Hospital for several years,
a member and former deacon of Westminster
Presbyterian Church, President of the
Buffalo Tennis & Squash Club in 1967, and
a longtime member of the Wilmurt Club in
Hoffmeister, Hamilton County. At various
times, he was a member of the Saturn Club,
the Country Club of Buffalo, the Chatham
Beach and Tennis Club of Chatham, Mass.,
and the Jesters Club, a group of international
sportsmen. An avid conservationist, he
enjoyed fly fishing and upland game hunting
with his Labrador Retrievers.
He moved from Buffalo to the Fox
Run retirement community in late 2010.
Surviving are his wife, Mary Germain
Kenefick Graves; a daughter, Germain; and
two sons, Nelson III and Peter.
50 Nichols School

1947
Playwright and novelist, A.R. Gurney,
returned to Buffalo for a May 5 showing of
his play, “Ancestral Voices,” at the Road
Less Traveled Productions Theater. Set in
Buffalo in the early 1940s, the play draws
on his own childhood for inspiration.
Following the play, he welcomed family,
friends and Nichols alumni to a reception
at the Saturn Club. Pictured left to right
are: Bill Gurney ’80, Laura Mangan, Evie
Miller, Bob Miller, Jr. ’73, A.R. Gurney ’47,
Molly Gurney, Sam Gurney ’75 and Jackie
Gurney.
Class Notes
1957
1967
Fred Cooley writes, “Left in June for the Jay Baer writes, “Special thanks to Dr.
continuation of a four-year sailing trip… Charles Tracey ’67 for kind and generous
Train to Quebec City, sailing out the St. attention to my daughter’s condition when
Lawrence River to Newfoundland, Cape she was hospitalized while visiting Boston
Breton, PEI, Nova Scotia, etc. with various
last year. We were a class of 44 males and I
Buffalo and Boston friends and family believe we all remember each other for our
joining for various segments.” Fred’s book, charitable traits.”
“Sailboat Cruising Can Be A Breeze” can
be found at www.authorhouse.com.
1962
In the “Alumni Challenge” featured in
Business First in June, 100 schools’ now
famous graduates were featured and David
Milch was among them. He was chosen for
his work as co-creator of “NYPD Blue” and
Executive Producer of the popular HBO
series, “Deadwood.”
1963
Chase Keightley writes, “Still alive, still
reasonably well, still practicing psychiatry.
Still pleased to have spent four important
years at Nichols!”
1968
Charley Jacobs of Nixon Peabody LLP was
honored by the 2012 edition of Chambers
Global for excellence in investment funds
management.
1970
Bill Gisel was elected to the John R.
Oishei Foundation’s Board of Directors
in June. The John R. Oishei Foundation
strives to be a catalyst for change to enhance
the economic vitality and the quality
of life for the Buffalo Niagara region.
The Foundation was established in 1940 by
John R. Oishei, founder of Trico Products
Corporation.
1948
John Turk writes, “I have been retired as
an architect at the University of South
Carolina for about five years. I volunteer as
a docent at the South Carolina Museum.
We have fun and usually learn something
new to us about our state.”
1949
In the “Alumni Challenge” featured in
Business First in June, 100 schools’ now
famous graduates were featured. Of the
hundreds of alumni submitted to Business
First, 60 were chosen to appear in the
interactive article in which three Nichols
graduates are recognized. Bill Donaldson
was acknowledged for his work as former
Chairman of the U.S. Securities & Exchange
Commission.
Sandy Maisel writes, “Patrice and I are
living in Rio de Janeiro for four months.
We each are serving as Fulbright Scholars. I
hold the Distinguished Fulbright Chair
in American Studies at PUC-Rio, the
Catholic University in Rio. Okay. Which
part are you laughing at That I hold a ‘distinguished
chair’ or that I am teaching at
the Catholic University Both seem odd to
me. We are having a great time, but I will
miss the ’63 golf trip to Canada. You can
bet that Patrice and I will visit Cabot Links
next summer.”
Jack Walsh was appointed an Advisory
Council Member to the United Way of
Buffalo & Erie County’s Board of Directors
in May.
1973
Melissa Weiksnar has published a new
book, “Heroin’s Puppet - Amy (and her
disease).” Melissa writes, “I wrote this
book so parents, educators, clinicians and
young people can learn from my daughter’s
six-year battle with substances, especially
from the journals she wrote while in rehab.
Amy was a junior in the nursing program at
Boston College when she admitted that she
was a heroin addict and voluntarily entered
treatment; five weeks later she fatally overdosed
at the facility. Since Amy died I’ve
been telling her story to a variety of audiences
and advocating for better prevention
and treatment. Adolescent substance
use has been cited as America’s #1 public
health epidemic, and no demographic
is immune.” For more information, visit
http://www.amelibro.com/heroinspuppet.
Fall/Winter 2012
51

1977
In Business First’s “Alumni Challenge”
feature in June, 100 schools’ now famous
graduates were featured. Nick Bakay was
noted for his work in television as a comedian,
voice-over artist and Producer of the
series “King of Queens,” which originally
aired on CBS.
Helen Ladds Marlette was promoted to
Assistant Head of School/Director of
External Relations at Buffalo Seminary. In
this role, Helen will oversee all aspects of
development, alumnae relations, as well as
admissions and communications.
1978
1981
Jeremy Jacobs was appointed an Advisory
Council Member to the United Way of
Buffalo & Erie County’s Board of Directors
back in May.
1984
1985
David Strachan, Jr. was named Senior
Vice President and Trust Officer of Cambridge
Trust Company (Mass.). David,
who has been with Cambridge Trust since
1996, will also serve as the Head of Trust
Administration.
1990
Hugh Russ and Pat Long ’85 shot the
breeze with E-Street Band guitarist, Sopranos
alumnus and current star of the Netflix
hit series, Lilyhammer, Steven Van Zandt,
in a pre-concert reception just prior to
Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band’s
triumphant return to Buffalo this past
spring.
1979
Karen Wisbaum Van Dyke writes, “I’ve
lived in Maine for the last 20 years and
continue to love it. My oldest son, Devin,
is a junior at Haverford and my youngest,
John, will be entering 8 th grade at Waynflete
School in Portland.”
1980
Kristan Carlson Andersen was listed in
Buffalo Business First as a Who’s Who In
Residential Real Estate. A Vice President
at Gurney, Becker and Bourne, Kristan also
serves as a member of the Board of Trustees
at Nichols.
52 Nichols School
Piper Campbell (pictured, right) was sworn
in as U.S. Ambassador to Mongolia on
August 6. Her classmate, Allison LeVan
Gersch (pictured, left), was present at the
ceremony. Piper writes, “I head to post one
week later, with cat and dog in tow.
Congresswoman Kathy Hochul, a family
friend, spoke at my confirmation hearing
and said that Buffalo will have served as
good preparation for Mongolia – including
the cold winters. Come visit!”
Jim Fitzhenry received the Presidential
Green Chemistry Challenge Award in
the category of green chemistry design for
his department’s work in enzymatic fiber
modification.
Michael Roach, a partner at Connors &
Vilardo, LLP, was presented the Charles
H. Dougherty Civility Award at the Bar
Association of Eric County’s annual
awards dinner on June 6. As stated in the
awards program, Michael was recognized
for demonstrating that “civility among attorneys,
judges, clients and witnesses is the
cornerstone of the proper administration of
justice.”
Susan Cooney Ghirsig and husband, Bob,
welcomed their first child, Chelsey Susan
Ghirsig, on June 8, 2012.
Scott Saperston and his wife, Kristin, were
photographed with George Cleveland, the
grandson of the 22 nd and 24 th President of
the United States, Grover Cleveland, at
The Buffalo Club on Delaware Avenue.
Kristin is on the Board of Directors of the
Buffalo Historical Society, which is
celebrating its 150 th anniversary and
George came to Buffalo in May for the gala
celebration. She and Scott took him
to The Buffalo Club, showed him the
portrait of his grandfather and had lunch in
The Grover Cleveland Room.

1994
Brennan Keating and wife, Jen, welcomed
their son, Hunter Edward Keating, to the
world on Valentine’s Day in 2012. All are
doing well and big sister Evelyn (2 years
old) enjoys taking care of her baby brother.
1996
Brian Gatewood is a producer and writer
for the new television comedy, “Animal
Practice,” which premiered on Sept. 26 on
NBC.
1997
Rob Childs writes, “My wife, Sabrina, and
I live in Boston and we welcomed our first
child, Georgia Katherine Childs, on June 5.
I am looking forward to fatherhood and a
move out to the ‘suburbs’ of Porter Square!”
Renee Latour married Adam Solander in
August of 2012 at the Greenbrier Resort in
West Virginia.
2000
Josh Feine married Andrea D’Alba on
Aug. 11 at Wanakah Country Club in
Hamburg, N.Y.
Erin Scott received her VMD (Veterinariae
Medicinae Doctoris) from the University of
Pennsylvania in May 2010. She then completed
a one-year internship in companion
animal medicine and surgery at Louisiana
State University. Erin is currently a fellow
in comparative ocular pathology at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison School
of Veterinary Medicine. She was recently
accepted to a three-year residency in comparative
ophthalmology at UW-Madison
beginning in July 2012. As a board certified
Nichols alumni Grace Waters, her father,
Jay Waters ’73, and Liz Sacheli Lloyd ’88
gathered in Vermont this May to celebrate
Grace’s hockey career with the Middlebury
College women’s varsity team. At the team
banquet, Grace was honored with the
Founder’s Award for her performance and
leadership with the Panthers, both on and
off the ice. Jay rarely missed a home game
throughout the four years of his daughter’s
exemplary career. Liz serves as the anveterinary
ophthalmologist, Erin plans
to remain in academia so she may treat
eye diseases in veterinary patients, teach
veterinary medical students and conduct
research pertaining to ocular diseases in
animals and their relevance to comparable
human disorders.
2002
Raman Luthra won the Buffalo District
Golf Association Individual Championship
in August. He shot 1-under par 70 to claim
the title of Western New York top men’s
amateur golfer. He finished the event 2-under
par 211. This is his second BDGA title.
2003
Following a return from the Czech Republic
where she had the opportunity to referee
the International Ice Hockey Federation’s
Under-18 Women’s World Championship,
Dina McCumber Allen completed calling
games at the IIHF World Championships
in Burlington, Vt., in April.
Dean Wieczorek is a resident physician at
Palmetto General Hospital in Florida.
2004
In May 2012, Katie Campos, Assistant
Secretary for Education, Executive Chamber
of the State of New York, was named a
member of the “Rising Stars 40 Under 40”
list by “City & State.”
Marykate Oakley graduated with a master’s
degree in psychology from Teachers College,
Columbia University, and has been
accepted into the University at Massachusetts
Ph.D. psychology program.
2005
In June, Chris Covelli tied for second best
round of the day at the Porter Cup Qualifier
at Niagara Falls Country Club. The
1-under 69 earned him one of the eight
available spots in the next tournament.
Alex Parker will be attending the University
of Cincinnati in this fall for a master’s
degree in history, focusing on environmental
history and early republic U.S. history.
Anna Ellis is the Project Manager for the
investment and development firm, Alchemy
Properties, which is developing 30
floors of luxury apartments in the historic
Woolworth Building in New York City.
Penthouses will be among the highest-altitude
residences in the city, soaring above
700 feet.
Kayla Zemsky is working as Coordinator
of Major Gifts at the Whitney Museum in
New York City.
2008
Leah Christopher is currently working
for The Protection Project, which is an
anti-human trafficking NGO located in
Washington, DC and The John’s Hopkins
University (SAIS). Her main responsibilities
include conducting legal research on
Sharia to assist Dr. Mohamed Mattar, Executive
Director of The Protection Project,
in preparing a comparative law study on
human rights in the Arab world, researching
and creating a database of human rights
scholars in the 22 Arab countries and
conducting extensive research on the status
of trafficking in persons in the countries of
the world and updating the country narratives
on trafficking that were eventually
published on the organization’s website. In
the spring of 2013, Leah will be working at
the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France.
Fall/Winter 2012
53

nouncer for the Middlebury women’s
hockey games, and was proud to announce
Grace’s many goals and assists. Grace now
works in Boston at Columbia Management.
Allison Todd received Big East Conference
First Team honors as coxswain for
the 2011-2012 Syracuse Women’s Rowing
Team. This year’s team earned Syracuse its
first national ranking in seven years (No.
20) in the season’s final CRCA/USRowing
Coaches Poll.
Following her senior year at Mercyhurst
College, where she played on the women’s
hockey team, Pam Zgoda was named
a 2011-2012 Scholar-Athlete for the
academic year by the Pennsylvania State
Athletic Conference. Mercyhurst had 233
athletes named PSAC Scholar-Athletes,
part of a conference record 2,176 athletes
that were honored. The previous league
record of 2,047 was set last year. In order
to be named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete,
a student-athlete must have compiled a
cumulative grade point average of 3.25
or above.
2010
Ron Canestro, a sophomore at Rochester
Institute of Technology, was named to the
Liberty League All Conference first team as
a utility player for baseball. On the mound,
Canestro struck out 38 batters in 41 innings
and threw a complete-game six-hitter
in a 2-1 win over Union on April 1, 2012.
At the plate, he hit .265 with 36 hits and
12 runs batted in.
University of South Carolina junior,
Evan Grenda, who attends the Moore
International Business School, was named
lead analyst by the Carolina Investment
Association. He leads a research team of
four responsible for identifying investment
opportunities in the consumer staples sector.
His research team is required to present
their investment findings to the association
on a monthly basis.
Photo credit: Vanderbilt University
Rene Sobloewski, a junior at Vanderbilt
University, was named to the National
Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-
Scholar team for the first time in her career.
The NGCA’s All-Scholar team is one of
the more prestigious academic honor lists
in collegiate sports. Student athletes must
have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 and participate
in at least 50% of their team’s contests
to be recognized. Sobolewski played in 31
rounds in 2011-2012 and finished with a
78.1 stroke average. Her low round of 73
came twice in 2011-2012, with the first
coming in the second round of the Cougar
Classic and then later in the year in the
first round of the PING/ASU Invitational.
2011
Upper School science faculty member, Josh
Ring, and Ellie Hayes took their environmental
concerns to Cologne, Germany
in August. The two were invited to the
International Geographical Union where
they engaged in discussion of global climate
change chances and limits for geographical
education. Combining forces with students
and professors from Germany and India,
Mr. Ring and Ellie tackled the issues of
globalization and the consequences it has
on global climate change. These ecological
questions will be looked at more intensely
in the hopes of fostering new solutions.
2012
Caroline Fenn recently recorded and
released her first original music album,
“Fragile Chances,” which features vocals
and instrumentals. The album is currently
available for pre-order on iTunes and
January 2013 will mark its worldwide
debut on iTunes.
Colgate University’s Cat Williams earned
the BRINE Patriot League Rookie of the
Week honors in September of 2012 for her
achievements as a member of the women’s
soccer team.
Keep in Touch!
Share your news with us!
Contact:
Blake Walsh ’98
Director of Alumni Relations
716.332.5164
bwalsh@nicholsschool.org
Photo Contest
Can you guess what day these students are celebrating
Your answer must include an explanation of why these
students have mud all over them.
Submit your answers to development@nicholsschool.org.
The first to respond with the correct answer will win a
Nichols swag bag!
Can’t get enough Like us on Facebook to play our
“From the Archives” photo contest and more on the
first Friday of each month.
54 Nichols School

Kate Olena
Faculty Profile
What is your position at Nichols
I teach theatre to every child at the Middle
School and am the Arts Department liaison
for the Middle School.
How long have you been teaching at
Nichols
This is my 32 nd year. The Middle School
drama program has really grown over time,
and I’m grateful to Nichols for supporting
curricular drama.
Tell us about your education and
professional background before Nichols.
I attended Hathaway Brown School in
Cleveland, Ohio, where I first began to
study theatre. (Well, actually, my mother
put me in a creative drama program when I
was 4 years old because she thought I needed
an outlet for my energy.) I graduated from
Smith College with an A.B. in Theatre and
an emphasis in Education.
I designed workshops for Theatre of
Youth, taught language arts through drama
at Follow Through School, directed a play at
the Jewish Center, and taught acting classes
at Studio Arena Theater School before
coming to Nichols. Buffalo has had many
opportunities in my chosen field.
I have acted in several local, professional
productions and continue to act in one or
two shows each year to hone my acting skills
and remind me of what I put my students
through! I just stepped down from the
presidency of the New York State Theatre
Education Association, and advocacy
organization I’ve been a member of for 17
years.
What extra-curricular activities are you
involved in at School
I’m an 8 th grade advisor and the Theatre
Team mentor. Theatre Team is a group
of students who stay after school twice a
week to prepare short plays for Morning
Meetings and to help with the curricular
productions. I was part of the Faculty
and Staff Advisory Group for the Head
of School search. I participate in many
activities supporting the school-wide
themes each year, and any Middle School
projects having to do with diversity and
multiculturalism are my passion.
You attended a theatre course in Japan
a couple years ago. Tell us about that
experience.
It was a dream that I never would have
realized without the generous support
of the Hardner Grant and the Faculty
Enrichment Fund. For 27 days I studied
traditional Japanese theatre in Kyoto with
30 students from seven countries. My area
of emphasis was Noh, and there were only
four of us in that concentration which
was taught by three luminaries of the
Japanese stage. It was a huge challenge. I
was twice the age of most of the program
participants, out of shape and spoke no
Japanese. However, my classmates and
teachers were incredibly supportive and
committed, and every day brought me
new knowledge. I fell in love with this
ancient art. It taught me to stay in the
moment onstage, to focus my energy
more effectively, and to express a message
physically and spatially more than vocally.
The team spirit of everyone in the cast of a
Noh play (the chorus, the stage assistants,
the musicians and the actors) is well beyond
that of Western theatre. The teaching and
support from my classmates and sensei will
influence my work for the rest of my life.
The following summer, I attended a similar
course in Bloomsburg, Penn., and continued
my studies. I’d love to go back to Kyoto
someday.
What is your favorite Nichols memory
Oh dear! After three decades, there are so
many favorites. Here is a tiny sampling:
• The moment a refugee at Vive la Casa
sang a lullaby along with the girl playing
a mother when we toured a production
there;
• The children who stood backstage with
their makeup running in rivulets due to
stage fright but went onstage anyway and
acted their hearts out;
• When the whole Middle School danced
the Electric Slide at a fundraiser;
• The seniors who joined in with a 7 th grade
talkback after a performance of a play
they had performed five years earlier;
• The kid who raised a glowing brand
from a campfire at Beaver Hollow and
proclaimed to the setting sun, “I feel like a
fire god!”
• When we danced the jitterbug with Coley
Felser’s gym class;
• The grin on the face of a boy when he got
to stage manage the concert;
• Nichols Commencements in ’05 and ’08
when my children received their diplomas;
• The 50 th Reunion classes meeting their 5 th
grade hosts each year;
• The many interdisciplinary projects I’ve
had the opportunity to do with my talented
and brilliant colleagues.
What are your hobbies and interests
I belong to the James Joyce Reading Circle
that meets on Mondays from autumn to
spring. Gardening and seeing other people’s
gardens has always given me joy. I love to
travel – Ireland, Chile and Bali are still on my
bucket list. My guilty pleasure is stalking my
children and connecting with past students
and colleagues on Facebook.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us
Nichols is an ever-widening community.
The faculty, the students, the Board and the
alumni are all part of this community, as are
the people of Western New York and around
the world whom we encounter.
The Nichols alumni are “the long green
line.” I have been able to tap this valuable
resource over the years and hope that I have
been of some assistance to some of my former
students. Their careers, experiences and
adventures are of endless interest to me. My
only complaint is that they continue to grow
up; so they have to re-introduce themselves
at Reunion and tell me what they played
onstage before I recognize them!

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In the Next Issue: A Dedication to Rick Bryan, 11th Head of School
Save the Date
Rick’s Farewell
Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.
Program and party complete with special guest speakers
and music from The Boys of Summer
Do you have a story or special memory
featuring Rick Share it with us!
Email Nina Barone at nbarone@nicholsschool.org
with memories and well wishes for Rick.