Lamplighter

L A M P L I G H T E RTHE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL MAGAZINE SPRING 2006

S k i l l s f o r L i f e

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAID

NEW YORK, NYPERMIT NO. 8048

The Allen-Stevenson School132 East 78th Street, New York, NY 10021-0381

Have you played an important role yet...?

The most important role you can play is by supporting this year’ s Annual Fund.The Annual Fund supports many aspects of an Allen-Stevenson education including:

The Annual Fund will be running until June 30, 2006. You won’ t want to miss out!

Photo from the 2006 production of Gilbert &!Sullivan’s Patience in our new Assembly Hall

• Faculty salaries• An enhanced curriculum

• Financial aid• Outstanding Music, Drama,

Arts, and Athletic programs

When Naomi Ostriker Seligman sent herson, James, to Allen-Stevenson in 1964,little did she realize that she had begun a50-year association with the School.James Daniel Seligman graduated fromAllen-Stevenson in 1973. Now married toMouna Guessous, he is the father of twoAllen-Stevenson boys, Jad Seligman, '12and Adam Peter Seligman,'14. Naomifeels both her son and her grandsonshave benefited from the myriad choices -including the arts and sciences - avail-able at Allen-Stevenson. Naomi wasinstrumental in creating the LibraryCommittee and, as Chair, of inauguratingthe Book Fair. She overcameHeadmaster Tiffany's rule that parentswere not admitted to the building duringthe School day and was astounded whenshe first brought her grandchildren toSchool and saw parents streaming intothe building.

Remarking on the School's growth overthe years, she described Allen-Stevenson a school that truly encour-ages independent thinking. This Schoolalso provides boys with a comfort zonewhere they can explore various optionsand develop a lifelong love of learning.What keeps one going in times of adver-sity is a sense of self which is developedby both family and School.

Naomi has devoted her time and talentsto innovations and achievements in vari-ous fields, technology chiefly amongthem, beginning at a time when womenwere underrepresented in this field.

Naomi Ostriker Seligman

She is the Senior Partner with her hus-band, Ernest M. von Simson, at Ostrikervon Simson. This firm helps the largestworldwide enterprises establish andimplement IT strategies concerning theassessment, acquisition, monitoring andmanagement of emerging technologiesand technology-related ventures. Theychair the CIO Strategy Exchange which isa private sector think tank and a jointventure with Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield &Byers. Her Directorships include AkamaiTechnologies, Inc., The Dun & BradstreetCorporation, Sun Microsystems, Inc.,TellMe Networks, and Oracle Corporation.She is also a Trustee of the BostonScience Museum and a Board member ofCASA (Court Appointed SpecialAdvocates for Children). She was previ-ously the co-founder of The ResearchBoard. Naomi is a magna cum laudegraduate in Economics from VassarCollege, with a graduate degree inEconomics from the London School ofEconomics.

With their experience and expertise,Naomi and Ernie are an importantresource to Allen-Stevenson for innova-tive ideas and concepts in the fields oftechnology and science. Believing

strongly in the School's growing commit-ment to technology, they have helpedprovide resources to this program, fund-ing the equipment for our new ComputerLab and our Advanced Computer Lab.They are impressed by how the curricu-lum has grown with the expansion oftechnology while keeping a commitmentto the arts. They spoke of their grand-son, Jad, who is engaged in animationand movie making, and how extraordi-nary such a program this is for a youngerchild.

Certainly, Naomi Seligman is someonewho has accomplished much, profes-sionally and personally. When asked toremark on the “skills for life” theme ofthis Lamplighter and some of the skillsshe feels are important for our currentstudents to obtain, she commented:

“When you are a child, you cannot con-nect the dots going forward - you onlysee the pattern as you look back. Allen-Stevenson gives you the basic skills toconnect the dots in the future - a plat-form from which to grow and the oppor-tunities of choice.”

Back Row: Ernest M. von Simson, Mouna Guessous Seligman and Naomi Ostriker SeligmanFront Row: Jad ’12, Jim ’73 and Adam ’14

the Salanders

Back Row: Larry and Julie Saldander with Jonah, Ivana, IsaacFront Row: Ben, Sam Nathaniel, Elias

Larry and Julie Salander have a motto in their house, “If youcan, do. If you can't, try harder.” For them, the value of hardwork is the single most important life lesson they want toinstill in their children. As the parents of seven children(Benjamin '12 and Elias '14, who currently attend Allen-Stevenson; Samuel, who will be entering Kindergarten in thefall; Nathaniel, the youngest; and Ivana, Jonah, and Isaac,children from Larry's previous marriage) it is safe to say theyknow first-hand about hard work.

“No matter what your life pursuit, hard work is essential inorder to take pride in your accomplishments,” Julie said.

In both of their lives, following their passions has proved tobe a valuable life lesson. Larry, owner of Salander-O'ReillyGalleries and an artist himself, started his first gallery in1977. After his father passed away when Larry was 19, hefounded his own antique business (his father, grandfatherand uncles were all antique dealers) to support his motherand younger sister. Years later, he began dealing art andnow has two Manhattan galleries, which exhibit art from theRenaissance to the present day.

“Salander-O'Reilly Galleries is not intended as merely a com-mercial proposition, but a statement about quality in art,” hesaid, adding that the most challenging aspect of becomingan art dealer was valuing art in terms of money instead ofdealing with it from the soul. As an artist, he said having thecourage to fail has been the biggest challenge.

As for Julie, formerly the Director of the New York office ofCARE, an international relief and development organization,being a wife and mother and having a large family hasalways been a life goal. While at CARE, Julie said shelearned many skills such as multi-tasking, changing gears,and dealing with the dynamic of a group. She now appliesthese skills to parenting in making sure her children take onas much responsibility as they can from putting away theirtoys, doing their homework and completing chores.

In teaching their children the value of hard work, Julie andLarry stress that doing something better than you thoughtyou could is more important than being the best.

“Looking back on life, the best times, the most fulfillingtimes, are the most challenging,” Julie said.

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T SIN THIS ISSUE

Headmaster’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Fathers Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Cover Story: Skills for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Our Library Frieze by David Trower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16The Allen-Stevenson Code Words by Emily Barnes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Alumni Recount Allen-Stevenson Lessons by Jackie Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

IN EVERY ISSUEAround A-S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Website Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Athletics Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Money Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12A-S News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Alumni Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

The Allen-Stevenson School Magazine Spring 2006

The Allen-Stevenson School admits students of any race, color, religion, nationality or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generallyaccorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, nationality, ethnic origin or sexual orientation inthe administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, employment policies, financial aid program, or any other programs administered by the School.

Director of Publications Casper Caldarola

Senior Writers Emily Barnes and Jackie BrownContributing Writers and Editors

Alok Appadurai, Sarah Kresberg, Susan Lukas, Rob McCallum, Jana Strauss, Mary Terry, David R. Trower h’95Photographers

Nancy E. Mitchell and Al Periera

The Lamplighter is published biannually by The Allen-Stevenson School and is sent free-of-charge to alumni, parents, and other friends of the School.

L A M P L I G H T E R

Cover photograph by Paul Warchol of our Lower School Reading Room

Mission StatementThe Allen-Stevenson School is a predominantly neighborhood school, devoted to primary school education, and to secondary school preparation for qualified boys of diversebackgrounds who are seeking an enlightened traditional environment in which to develop basic skills and character. The School's purpose is to encourage each boy to ded-icate himself to achievement and the pursuit of excellence. Moreover, the Allen-Stevenson School maintains a continuing commitment to each and every student.

T H E A L L E N - S T E V E N S O N S C H O O L L E A D E R S H I P 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 6

Board of Trustees

Ronald S. Rolfe ’60, PresidentAndrew P. Steffan, Vice President & TreasurerRichard C. Perry ’70, SecretaryE. William Judson, Assistant TreasurerDavid R. Trower h’95, Headmaster

Jeffrey G. Beers ’71Pedro ChomnalezSusan deMenilJane Phillips DonaldsonMolly O’Neil FrankLinda MacMurray GibbsJohn J. HannanMichael W. Joukowsky ’80Colin R. KnudsenDean I. Landis ’78Paul A. LeffFredric H. MackBeatrice H. MitchellAshok NayyarLouis Rose ’86Virginia Cowles SchrothLucia SmithAndrea TongueJoseph F. WaylandLeonard A. Wilf

* Member Ex Officio

Trustees EmeritiMildred J. BerendsenMarian R. BicksRichard N. FosterD. Ross HamiltonSusan B. HirschhornKaren T. HughesJohn R. Hupper '40Robert J. KatzGeorge A. KellnerRobert Liberman ’58Peter deF. MillardJoe L. Roby

John Rose ’90Henry Jay Rosenwach ’04Dean E. Sanborn ’61Randolph R. A. Schrade ’76Yoshiki Shimada ’75Alexander Boucher Shipper ’02Denton Alexander Smith ’94Michael Tiedemann ’86 Robert Scott Tucker ’85Andrew W. Vogelstein ’81Fred Vogelstein ’77Noel Eric Volpe ’85Alexandre von Furstenberg ’85Mark Wasserberger ’82 Simon David Wasserberger ’85Dewey S. Wigod ’77Hans L. Wydler ’81Clifton G. York ’78Andrew Etess ZimmerMichael W. Joukowsky ’80, Chairman, Alumni Capital Giving

*president emeriti

Parents Association

Lucia Smith, PresidentSuzanne Freind, Vice-PresidentAlix O'Mara, Vice-PresidentPat Verrilli, TreasurerJennifer Rudick, Recording SecretaryCarol Kalikow, Corresponding SecretaryVictoria Neely, AdvisoryShelley O’Neill, AdvisoryAndrea Tongue, AdvisoryWendy Waldman, Advisory

Administrative Team

David R.!Trower h’95, HeadmasterJohn E. Pariseau h’98, Associate HeadmasterSusan Etess, Lower School HeadKimberly Kyte, Middle School HeadNeal Kamsler, Upper School HeadRichard Alifano, Director,

Physical Education and AthleticsMichelle Demko, Music Department HeadRonnie R. Jankoff, Director of AdmissionsGlenn Lieberman, Director of TechnologyAnne Russo Meyer, Director of Learning ResourcesJana Strauss, Director of DevelopmentStephen Wilder, Business Manager

Alumni Executive Council

Louis Rose ’86, PresidentAlexander Gellert ’79, Vice-PresidentEric E. Rothstein ’81, Vice-PresidentEdward W. Wartels ’91, Vice-President

Andrew Robert Arias ’92Neil E. Bader ’79 Anthony Paul Bonan ’93Pierre A. Bonan ’89 Robert B. Buehler ’78 Robert Dana Burge ’76*Alfred Paul Burger ’87 Andrew Alan Burger ’59John T. Carr III ’76Erik A. Cliette ’81Brooke Bayard Connell ’86Adam James Phillips Donaldson ’05Jason M. Farkas ’97Michael Feinberg ’84Lucien Foster ’87R. Vanneman Furniss ’91Harlan E. Goldberg ’90Evan R. Goldfischer ’81Cristopher Scott Goodman ’86Michael H. Grady ’91Christopher J. Hallows ’87Schuyler Havens ’88 Michael W. Hedges, Jr. ’77John C. Henry, Jr. ’84David Walter Herzberg ’89David Riklis Hirschfeld ’99Patrick D. R. Horan ’85Tristan Howard ’96C. Andrew Hughes ’98Clinton V.P. Johnson ’79Stephen H. Judson ’76William H. Judson ’78A. Reed Katz '03Kenneth LaFreniere ’90Dean I. Landis ’78*Paul J. Mancuso ’03Kenneth J. McCauley ’93Richard C. Perry ’70* Christopher Persley ’88Vincent Peterson ’74Philip N. Pilmar ’01Michael G. Pollard ’89Roger Raines ’80Marc Nicholas Rice ’84Ronald S. Rolfe ’60*

L A M P L I G H T E R 7

H E A D M A S T E R ’ S M E S S A G E

Ever since I became Allen-Stevenson'sseventh Headmaster in 1990, I have hadoccasion to meet graduates of this won-derful School. The opportunity to meetadults who have gone to Allen-Stevenson is almost always a great joy,because it shows the impact of powerfulschool experiences well into adulthood.It is also quite fascinating to see how dif-ferently this School has shaped the livesof so many distinct individuals over its123 years.

Some of my first encounters with Allen-Stevenson alumni were with men whohad attended the School in the 1920's.By now I've come to know graduatesfrom every era since then, and theyoften reflect the specific times whenthey were boys-economic, political,historical, and the like. But there arealso influential imprints from their A-Sexperience, whatever the decade,which Allen-Stevenson “boys” seem tohave in common.

The most prominent comment I hearfrom Allen-Stevenson alumni comes when they pointout that Allen-Stevenson taught them skills for life. In asociety that can overemphasize college, this take wasrefreshing. However, I have come to realize that theterm skills for life holds a variety of meanings, and so Iusually ask each individual what he means. The rangeof responses can be illuminating.

Some responses have to do with learn-ing to shake hands, looking a person inthe eye. For some that has been thebeginning of so many important person-al friendships or business relationships.For others the phrase skills for life has todo with a particular personal or profes-sional interest-a love of history or ofpublic speaking, for example-that hascarried well into the person's adult-hood. Some comment simply that Allen-Stevenson taught them how to workhard, be organized, or deal with others.There are lots of other examples, ofcourse, but my favorite came from aprosperous investment banker whoanswered quickly, “I love to sing.” Thatanswer probably had little to do with hisprosperity, but it has everything to dowith his humanity!

Teaching to nurture a person's humani-ty is an important part of what we dohere at Allen-Stevenson. ThisLamplighter issue has taken the themeof “skills for life” in the belief that agreat education always keeps the longview in mind. This point was most cer-

tainly evident in the breathtaking Fathers Dinner speechgiven in February by Charlie Cahn, Headmaster ofSuffield Academy. It is such a great temptation to getcaught up in the details of daily school life without con-sidering where the education might be heading. But thatapproach, of course, would be shortsighted.

Fortiter et recte!David R. Trower, Headmaster

A Writing Contest

Details of an essay contest for Allen-Stevenson boys will be announced to them soon. The topic will be the question, “What skills do you believe you most need for the future?”

There will be prizes for each divisional winner, and excerpts will be published in a subsequent issue of the Lamplighter.

4 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

“Patience is an example of what makes Allen-Stevenson so special.”A-S parent

A R O U N D A - S

Maxson Jarecki ’08


father and sonevents

Jonathon ’06 and Mr. Andre Beckles

Mr. Henry Gonzalez Jr., Henry ’08 with Mr. Trower

Some of our new Kindergarten fathers.

Mr. Robert Blumenfeld and Mark ’06

Taylor ’09 and Mr. Scott Bennett

Mr. Vincent Hilliard and Chad ’11

Daniel ’11, Mr. Joe Wayland and Christopher ’09

A father-son group enjoying our new Dining Hall.

From top to bottom:

Mr. Manning Galagarzaand

Eric-Anthony ’07

Mr. David Diwik and David ’11

Mr. William Bird and Mr. Greg Delves

Stephen ’09and Mr. Doug Lipton

6 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Remarks of Charles Cahn III, Headmaster of Suffield AcademyFebruary 2, 2006

I'm very happy to be here tonight. I appreciateDavid Trower's invitation, and thanks to all of youfor being here. I have known Neal Kamsler for sev-eral years through my work at Suffield and valueour friendship quite a bit. As you know, he is anoutstanding educator who cares deeply aboutAllen-Stevenson. I have also seen in my readingabout your school that you have several excellentleaders here. You are fortunate.

Let me reiterate my bio briefly and then jump to thethoughts I want to share tonight. I grew up inBaltimore, Maryland, attending Gilman School, anall boys day school, for all twelve grades. I movedon to the University of Michigan, Oxford University,and then to Suffield Academy-for a year I thought-as an English teacher, dorm parent and lacrossecoach. Thirteen years later I am Headmaster. It hasbeen a great personal and professional experi-ence. I have learned so very much as teacher,Director of Admissions, Dean of Faculty, AssociateHeadmaster, and now Headmaster. I had the goodfortune of meeting my wife Hillary at Suffield, wherewe also had our two children. Our school has 400students in grades 9-12, is located in a gorgeoussmall town just north of Hartford, and has a spirit-ed, close-knit community feel that is home.

What I'd like to talk about tonight centers on a fewthemes: independent schools, adolescence, theimpact chance encounters and other people haveon our lives, and, of course, fathers and sons.

At Suffield we have a Leadership Program that is arequired part of our curriculum each year for everystudent. A good portion of the curriculum centerson communication skills and public speaking. Onerule of thumb I like to pass along in the course Iteach is that most people will remember about10% of a talk they hear. Yes, you will likely remem-ber about 10% of what you hear tonight. I'll beinterested to know what the 10% is, even if it is thatyou will remember 10%.

The power of human connection, of the inherentstrength we gain from meaningful interactions withothers, is at the heart of good independent schools.Let me first tell you of how an experience with aclassmate at Gilman impacted my life.

When I was a young boy, I was into sports. Playinglacrosse and basketball were very important to me.Life was better for me when I was doing thesethings. I felt good about myself when I playedsports - much better than I did at certain otherpoints. Everyone has it-whatever it is that makesyou feel like you are seeing things clearly, like youhave talent and a purpose.

Anyhow, when I was young I met John Morrow. Heand I got along really well. We played basketballtogether and got friendly. As a young boy, he wasthe best player on our team.

When John was eleven he hit a live power wire. Hepassed out immediately and woke up a day later inthe hospital. He lost an arm and all of the musclesin one of his legs. It took John about a year to getback to school, although he and I went to differentschools by that time-John went to public school andI went to Gilman. I thought about John a lot. He wasa better player at eleven than the folks I was play-ing with at thirteen or fourteen.

In my senior year at Gilman, guess who showedup as a new junior? John Morrow. He had lost theyear of school after his accident yet moved rightalong from there. He had one arm and walked witha distinct limp, carrying his right leg behind his left.We got to basketball season, and we had a reallygood team. We had a 6'8” center who went on tocaptain an Ivy League champion team atPrinceton, and a 6'6” forward who went on to bePrinceton's football captain. We also had a skinnylittle guard who went on to be Headmaster atSuffield Academy, and despite the mediocre back-court play, we were tough to beat-big and bal-anced. So, on the first day of tryouts, in comesJohn Morrow. From the first practice it was clearhe would make our team. He could play. He sprint-ed with his left leg and pulled the right one behindhim. He'd catch a chest pass with that right handand spin it- turn it and spin it. He'd put it on thefloor, behind his back. He was far from the bestnow, but he was pretty darn good, and he certain-ly wasn't playing because we felt badly for him.

The season was rolling forward, and we were win-ning a lot. John gave our team and our school acertain energy, and we rallied around him. We gotthe second seed in the Baltimore City Tournament,won the first three games and headed to the finalsagainst a team had beaten by one early in the sea-son. It was an even match.

For this game, Coach gave John Morrow the start.It was an 8:00 tip-off at the Baltimore Civic Center.We led by three at the half, and the game camedown to the wire, but they scored right at the endand we lost by a point. I remember seeing Johnafter the game in the locker room. He was thank-ing everyone and congratulating us on a great sea-

son. I told him we wanted to win this for him, that Iremembered the youth leagues we had played inyears ago, and that he could have been better thanall of us.

John Morrow looked at me and said “Charlie, youdon't understand.” I don't need to win the basket-ball title. I've won. To be out here with you, and withthese guys, I'm luckier than anyone here.” I real-ized then something I will never forget and nowalways have in the front of my mind in leading aschool like yours. Being part of a team, or of aschool like this, is about caring for others, aboutreally wanting them to do well, and about wantingto do well for them. It is about making bonds withpeople and appreciating life. John Morrows areeverywhere. He had won far more than a basket-ball title, and by being his friend, so did I.

Schools like Suffield or Allen-Stevenson, goodindependent schools, offer a place where mean-ingful relationships, with classmates, teachers andeven Headmasters can easily take shape.

Yet working with adolescents, providing the righttype of environment for them to thrive, is a trickyand challenging business. Candidly, some envi-ronments are better than others.

I read a newspaper article recently with a headlinestating “Crashing Car Lands on Man in Bed.”Apparently a 34 year-old man and his wife weretraveling through an Arkansas town in a 1996 FordTaurus after a trip to a casino, when the man fellasleep at the wheel. The car left the road, hit atelephone pole, ruptured a gas line and went air-borne briefly before crashing through the wall of ahouse. The car headed into the house, hitting abed with a man sleeping in it, and rolling him insidehis mattress “like a burrito.” The mattress likelysaved his life. Quite a way to wake up - a flyingFord Taurus coming through the wall and lying ontop of you.

That, by the way, might be the 10% you remembertonight - the guy wrapped up like a burrito in hismattress. Yet let me tell you what stuck in my mindabout this strange occurrence, and how it connectsto something I want to focus on here.

The part that stayed with me was the casino. Theyhad to be returning from a casino. Our cultural fix-ation with casinos and gambling, and what theysymbolize at a larger level, has obvious implica-tions for our work at schools like Allen Stevenson.

I have a close friend I work with a lot, named JimWilliams, who runs an Inferential Thinking Service.He looks for anomalies in our culture-oddities thatpredict future trends. Once it is a trend, he tells me,he's not all that interested. Anomalies are what Jimpursues. He sells his ideas to interested peoplearound the world who take his thoughts and usethem in their work. Some, like me, just like hearingwhat is on his mind.

F A T H E R S D I N N E R


Jim and I recently caught a medical anomaly. Itturns out that a Mayo Clinic study describes acompulsive gambling problem, which developedamong many Parkinson's patients being treatedwith dopamine-enhancing medications. This is ananomaly.

Another anomaly, tied to what I mention above, isthe current United States obsession with poker.Computer online gambling has never been morepopular, and traffic at casinos has never been larg-er. Online poker sites will take in over $2 billion thisyear, and 50 million people claim to be poker play-ers. More than 10 million U.S. adults meet the“problem gambling” criteria, and the rate of prob-lem gambling for underage players is between twoand three times the rate for adults.

Another American oddity is obesity, which maylead to diabetes.

The medication for Parkinson's, the desire to gam-ble, and the craving for excess food havedopamine as a common denominator.

Dopamine is a pleasure-inducing brain chemical, aneurotransmitter that controls action. In an impor-tant sense, dopamine produces a need for novelty,as it exists in a part of the brain-the striatum-thatseems to care most about what it cannot predict.

Dopamine is associated with all kinds of addiction,like drinking and gambling, but also with adven-ture, curiosity, entrepreneurship and accomplish-ments. Dr. Gregory Burns points out the positivesides of dopamine in his book Satisfaction. Heconnected MRI brain scanning to people andoffered them $10 if they could complete a comput-er puzzle. The dopamine under these conditionswas very high. Yet when he gave them the $10first, and then asked them to do the puzzle, thelevel of dopamine was far lower. The uncertainty ofthe outcome - the challenge - led to the excitement.

What I think is fascinating about this for our cul-ture, for our children, and for Suffield, is what Dr.Peter Whybrow focuses on in his recent bookAmerican Mania. One of his central themes is thatdopamine has created what he terms a manicAmerica. Whybrow takes his work with individualsand makes a claim about our culture - that the per-petual chase in America is reminiscent of themanic-depression cycles in individual patients. Hewrites of things like more technology but less con-nection, more conveniences but less time, and big-ger houses yet smaller families.

Yet Whybrow goes further, looking at the roots ofAmerica and connecting the excessive dopaminecharacteristics of our country with migration.Approximately 25 percent of any population hasenough dopamine to create the curious risk-takingnecessary to leave the group. Yet America is builtthrough immigration. We, as a nation, have per-haps 50 percent with high dopamine characteris-tics. When describing this characteristic ofAmerica, Dr. Whybrow references Alexis deTocqueville's 1835 treatise Democracy in America.

Tocqueville uses a merchant seaman as ametaphor. The European seaman is cautiouswhen adventuring out to sea and returns to port ifthings are unstable. The American, however,braves these dangers. He sets sail while the stormis rumbling. He repairs storm damage as he goes.In short, he spreads full sails to the wind.Tocqueville's compelling metaphor is that theAmerican is often shipwrecked but crosses the seafaster than all others.

At some level, this same mindset differencebetween Europe and America exists today. Jimrecently showed me a June 2005 Washington Postarticle noting that in France, not a single enterprisefounded in the last 40 years has managed to breakinto the ranks of the 25 biggest French companies.In comparison, 19 of today's 25 largest U.S. com-panies didn't exist forty years ago. The strongdopamine drive in the United States brings with itmanic excesses.

So here is my point. There is a high ceiling inAmerica, and at schools like ours, for leadership,entrepreneurship and success. We are citizenswith migrant roots, and thus high dopamine levels.Our schools-both boarding and day independentschools-will help produce entrepreneurs and lead-ers, as I have found firsthand in my travels meet-ing Suffield alumni and seeking their support. Yet,with this potential comes the possibility for destruc-tive habits, for addictions, compulsive behaviorsand bad risks. There are great opportunities andimportant challenges for communities with excep-tionally curious, active and intelligent people. Whatour schools must do, and are doing well, is createan environment that helps adolescents channelthis curiosity and talent in positive ways, and, asbest we can, assist them in steering clear ofdestructive and hazardous addictive behaviors.Channeling ambitious, gifted and sometimes con-fused adolescents in directions that lend them-selves to being productive leaders and citizens inour society - this is our challenge and mandate.

Let me conclude tonight by telling you a brief storyabout something I saw last fall and have beenthinking about ever since. Our soccer numbers forboys were way up this year-more interest thanever, and in fact the varsity team won the NewEngland Prep School title. Yet the larger soccernumbers had an impact on football, where thenumber of players was a bit lower than in previousyears. A few days before the first JV football game,the athletic director came to me to say we only had16 boys on the JV team-11 play at once-and weshould probably cancel the game. I thought a lotabout it, especially about all of the practice theseboys put in for football without games, and told himwe should play it and do the best we can. A littleanxious about the decision, I asked my assistant tomake sure I was free on Wednesday afternoon soI could go watch the game.

So on Wednesday afternoon I head down to thefootball field and see our 16 boys warming up, andthen I see the other team get off the bus with 30boys. They scored the first three times they got theball, making it 18-0 to start the second quarter. I

was nervous, wondering if we might need themercy rule. But two fascinating things happenedover the next hour or two. First, I realized thatwhen adolescent boys get hit hard a few times in afootball game, they figure out how to hit back, andour boys did just this. They adapted and did them-selves proud. I think the final score was about 25-12. It was fine.

Yet I noticed in the middle of the fourth quarter thatone of the boys on our team hadn't gotten in thegame. I also noticed his dad was at the game. Infact, I had spent some time talking with his dadearly on in the game, and at a Suffield golf outinga few weeks before.

So as we get to the middle of the fourth quarter, I'mwondering if I should go tell the coach to get theboy in the game. I am adamant about everyonegetting in, especially on sub-varsity teams, and asoften as possible on the varsity. I know our facultyknows this. This boy's job had been to run in andgrab the tee after the kickoffs, and then to run itback to the sideline.

So with about four minutes left, I hear the coachyell, “Jones, get in the game.” Jones looks rattled.His pads are on kind of crooked, helmet askew,mouthpiece hanging out. Jones is a new junior atSuffield from New Canaan, a small boy. Being anew junior is hard. The work is very demanding,the college process starts the day you arrive, andthere aren't many other new students in the class.Jones, in fact, has been a bit homesick up to thispoint, about three weeks into the school year.

So Jones goes in, and of course he goes in as thequarterback. On the first snap he fumbles, and hefalls on the ball. On the second play he hands off,and we get about three yards. On third down hegoes back to pass, no one seems to block, and hegets sacked by about five guys. Of course, hisfather at this point is right on the sidelines, asengaged as possible, cell phone finally turned off.On fourth down we have to go for it-none of the 16boys punt-and Jones goes back, jumps up, throwsa wobbly pass, and it's caught by a boy who runsfor a first down. Then we start moving the balldown field, some running plays and a few passes.Sure enough, Jones jumps up, throws anotherwobbler, and it's a touchdown pass. He starts run-ning off the field pumping his arm in the air, beam-ing, as was his dad. It was sports at their best. AtNew Canaan High there's no chance Jones isplaying quarterback and having this experience.Yet on the JV team at a medium-sized boardingschool, he is having this life-altering experience,and he is done in time to get to play practice andevening study hall. He will tell the story at reunionsin the years ahead. They can't take the touchdownpass away from him, or his father.

So in closing, let's reflect on how fortunate we areto be part of schools like Allen-Stevenson andSuffield, and to have bonds with our sons that area large part of what we find meaningful in life. Ithas been a pleasure being with you tonight, and Iwish you all the best.

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W E B S I T E H I G H L I G H T S

ice skating

7th gradescience1Z play

inventionconvention

spellingbee

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W E B S I T E H I G H L I G H T S

geobowlthesneetches

academicbowl

speech contest

sciencefestival

14 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Varsity Basketball

Jonathan Beckles, Darnell Davis, Leigh Fischbein, Eric Kotin,Jonathan McMyers, Michael Salik, Jason Saltiel, Alesandro Santoro,Enrique Smith, Matthew Sprayregen, Evan Solomon, Brady Williams

The Varsity Basketball team had another outstanding season. Withan overall record of eleven wins and six losses the team was very

competitive in league and non-league play.

Our inside game was very good this year and presented a lot ofmatch up problems for our opponents. We were also a quick team

that could get out in transition and force teams out of their comfortzone on defense. As with all successful teams, our defense provedto be the pivotal advantage in most contests. We played an aggres-sive man to man, match up zone, and a very nice full court press. At

times, our length, quickness, and athleticism made all of thesedefenses our best offense.

A T H L E T I C U P D A T E S

Junior Varsity Basketball

Joseph Abadi, Basil Anderson, Derrick Asser, Michael Bass, Zach Berger, Mark Blumenfeld, Jacob Caplan, William Chouraqui,Sam Fischer, Carter Glatt, Henry Gonzalez, Maxson Jarecki, Peter Lawson, Matthew Leone

The Junior Varsity Basketball Team had a successful season filledwith many memorable moments. The boys continued to improve onthe basic skills of dribbling, passing, and shooting and collectivelygrew to understand how the game is played. The boys perseveredthrough some tough times and were able to develop into a cohesiveunit. Their experiences this past season should help further theirdevelopment for next year and the years beyond.

6th Grade Basketball

Blue Team: Jesse Fastenberg, AaronFogle, Dylan Fowler, Alessandro

Giacometti, John Hersey, Sam Javit,Adam Kotin, Matthew Schwimmer,

Alexander Selz, Alexander Tomashoff

Gold Team: Taylor Bennett, RichardBryan, Franco Chomnalez, Joseph

Fields, Derrick Holman, Louis Lecole,Dimitri Mortsakis, Clarke Rudick,

Malik Simon, Skyler Wasser,Christopher Von Turk

The 6th grade basketball team had awonderfully successful season thatculminated with an impressive 6-1record. They improved their drib-bling, passing and shooting skills.

The boys collectively improved their understanding of both zone and man-to-man defenses. They displayed tremendous effort during scrimmages and games. They gained valuable experience from their games this season, which in

turn will help further their development for competition next year.

5/6 Wrestling

Justin Dier, Daniel Locker, Jonathan Linen, Robert Lubin, Nicholas McCombe, Jeremy Mittleman, Henry Plagemann, Matthew Russo, Ben Straus, Garrett Tongue, Tyler Waldman

The boys had a good season, ending their Wrestling with a scrimmage against Buckley. Several 6th graders have shown signs of leadership this year. Everybody progressed with respect to their understanding of the basic moves from the standing, top, and

bottom referee positions. The boys also have a stronger grasp of the scoring system, something that the 6th graders will have to apply as Upper School Wrestlers. We look forward to the boys finding even greater success next season, and that they will continue to

evolve as athletes and intelligent competitors.


Varsity Hockey

Justin Beers, Peter Bozian, Redmond Colson, Alex Corwin, Lee Eames, Pearce Erensel, Hunter Erensel, Taylor Lane, Michael Maloney, Malcolm Phelan, Spencer Penn, Ben Rifkin, Jamie Rucinski, Jarrad Schiltkamp, Cooper Zelnick

The team had a fine season and made tremendous improvement.Our record of 6 wins and 3 losses was a wonderful accomplish-ment. The boys played very well in their two wins overGreenvale, our toughest opponent. Our future looks good with atalented group of the 5th/6th grade players ready to continue ourwinning traditions.

W I N T E R 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 6

Varsity Wrestling

Theo Agbi, Brando Brandolini, Daniel Evangelakos, William Evangelakos, Luke Goldstein, Elliot Frank, Harry Frank, Max Hannan, Anthony Joga,

Adam Mitchell, Henry Neely, Tyler Reiss, Eric Schwartz

Overall, this season was successful. The King of the Ring Tournament wentwell, with an Allen-Stevenson wrestler advancing to the finals in six of theeight weight classes. As a team we spent a lot of time working on how to

defend off our back, escapes, turnovers, and finally, takedowns. Finally, theboys were taught how to conduct themselves on the side prior to and duringmatches in a way that sends a message of calm, focus, and professionalism

to the opposing teams.

5/6th Hockey

Blue Team (Dark uniforms): James Allan, Nick Curcio, Ben Dickstein, Christian Lange, Nick O'Mara, Owen Rosenberg, Nick Schroth, Chris Wayland, Jake Zellner.

Gold Team (White uniforms): Elliot Bok, Hunter Erensel, Hasani Figueroa, Lucas Harb, Oliver Israel, Max Kalikow, Noah Koeppel, Stephen Lipton, William Rowles, Adam Silverman, Harry Whitney, Tyler Wojak, Lucas Zelnick.

The hockey teams combined for a good season. They had 2 wins, 1 loss, 2 ties and an overtime loss. The offense worked hard at being unselfish and moving the puck ahead to teammates. On defense, the teams only allowed 2 goals per game.

A concentration on positional awareness led to a successful season and should be the foundation for a strong showing next year.

16 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

M O N E Y M A T T E R S

Several of the words of the Allen-Stevenson code reflect theaccomplishments and wherewithal of the School's fundrais-ing efforts for operations, special projects and capital needs.Words from the School's code that stand out and definephilanthropy in its best sense include:

• Enthusiastic: expressed in the vigor of the dozens ofvolunteers and hundreds of donors who contribute theirskills and countless hours of their time year after year;

• Responsible: demonstrated by the School leadershipwho provide stewardship, accountability and oversight;

• Determined: characterized by striving to do our best inthese endeavors and motivating others to join in helping;

And, of course,

• Generous: exemplified by the many individuals who areunselfish in mind, spirit and giving.

And, while it is not in the School code, we must add “grate-ful” in our lexicon referring to Allen-Stevenson's fundraisingefforts. We are extremely thankful for the goodwill and con-tributions of so many, whether they are new to our halls orgraduated decades ago.

We hope that these words continue to inspire our leader-ship and our community as we all work together to fortifyAllen-Stevenson for current and future generations of boys.

Matching Gifts Leverage Additional Support

Matching gifts can take two forms: challenge grants andcorporate matches. Over the years, Allen-Stevensonconstituents have made challenge grants matching thedonations of others, thus leveraging new and increasedsupport. We are grateful for their generosity and creativi-ty. Some current challenge grants, matching gifts up to aspecified amount, include:

• a challenge to the Class of 1981, made byclassmate Andrew Vogelstein, for the Campaign forAllen-Stevenson: Today and Tomorrow;

• another challenge for the Today and TomorrowCapital Campaign made to the Class of 1992 by ananonymous donor;

• and, for the fifth year in a row, Alex vonFurstenberg will match the Annual Fund gifts from mem-bers of the Class of 1985.

Many families and alumni take advantage of corporatematching programs, which, depending on a corporation'spolicy, can provide up to a three to one match of anemployee's gift. Matching gifts are credited to thedonor's individual gift record. Among the companies thathave made recent matching gifts to Allen-Stevenson areTime Warner, Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, MerrillLynch, American Express, and Morgan Stanley - butthere are many more who match. To take advantage ofthis often overlooked opportunity: 1) ask your employerif they match donations; and 2) if so, request a matchinggift form and send it with your donation to Allen-Stevenson. We will process it and credit you for thetotal: the amount of your personal gift plus the corporatematch. If you have any questions, please contact EmilyBarnes in the Development office at 212-933-5203.

M O N E Y M A T T E R S

Your opportunity to make a difference!The 2005-06 school year has been filled with new beginnings for Allen-

Stevenson. The transformed schoolhouse opened in September, and our

enlarged and enhanced space provides innumerable educational benefits.

Students now have extraordinary art, music and science facilities. Division

centers allow us to come together for meetings and group presentations, and

we now hold an array of performances in our very own Assembly Hall. Larger

classrooms reflect the School's curriculum with hands-on, project-based

learning and collaboration. We revel in wide halls, a Library Media Center

that is a 21st century center of information, and a dining room that our stu-

dents describe as “a restaurant for kids.” Our faculty and boys now have the

facilities that they deserve.The Campaign for Allen-Stevenson: Today and Tomorrow is providing the

resources to make possible this expansion, the largest of the School in 80

years. In addition, the Campaign's success will strengthen the School's

endowment for faculty compensation, financial aid and educational initiatives.

Even more than its facilities, the measure of a School is the strength of its

faculty, diversity of its community, and breadth of its educational program.

The Today and Tomorrow Campaign, which will conclude at the end of June,

has the goal to raise at least $25 million to strengthen the School for the

future. The outpouring of generosity from the Allen-Stevenson community

has been astounding, and we welcome everyone's support.At the same time, the School's 2005-06 Annual Fund remains a top priority.

It provides essential annual operating funds which close the gap between

tuition and the cost of an Allen-Stevenson education. It supports many

important aspects of the School such as faculty salaries, an enhanced cur-

riculum, arts programs, and athletics. All parts of the Allen-Stevenson

family have contributed: parents, present and past; alumni; grandparents;

faculty and staff; foundations and corporations. We are proud to have high

participation levels from all members in our community and look forward to

another success for the Annual Fund, which closes in June. Your gift will

make a difference!


skillsforlife

THOUGHTFUL

RESPONSIBLE

GENEROUS

RESPECTFUL

STUDIOUS

ENTHUSIASTIC

DETERMINED

CREATIVE

GOOD

At Allen-Stevenson we inspire boys to become...

The Allen-Stevenson Code

20 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

When touringAllen-Stevenson's magnificent new facilities, visi-tors often comment on how language plays such aprominent role in the building itself. Upon enteringthe School, for instance, one cannot help butnotice the nine Allen-Stevenson Code wordsembedded in the Main Hall floor, all of whichcomplete the phrase, “At Allen-Stevenson weinspire boys to become….” The words themselvesare meant to invoke life's possibilities and lifelonggoals. They consistently provoke class discussionabout different perspectives, especially as a boy'slife experience grows, regarding the meanings ofeach value or concept.

Other striking examples of the use of language inthe new building may be found in friezes in thenew Library Media Center on the second floor. TheLower School Reading Room frieze, which graces

the cover of this Lamplighter, highlights the sur-names of sixteen children's authors. The names areones the boys can reasonably come to recognizeas they move through Lower School, because theywill have read some of the books by these men andwomen by the time they are Middle Schoolers. Insome sense their presence is meant to affirm whata younger boy can know.

An even more conspicuous example is the friezethat surrounds the main room of the Library MediaCenter itself. That frieze includes well over 300names, culled from a list that once included morethan 600, and which are arranged in a roughlychronological sequence. Those names come fromevery era and countless cultures; the list could wellhave included other candidates. Although Ireserved the final choices to myself, teachers andparents nominated many promising possibilities.That was part of the fun!

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Comparing the two frieze lists, the range of namesis understandably much broader in the large read-ing room: it includes literary authors, inventors,explorers, athletes, statesmen, composers, artists,musicians, filmmakers, philosophers, and acade-mics from every field of knowledge. Simply put,this list is meant to evoke all the possibilities ofhuman knowledge and achievement that might bestudied in a library. Put another way, the listincludes a vast variety of role models from aroundthe world, ones that any boy at Allen-Stevensonmight think to emulate or consider.

Because the list is intended to be evocative, notcomprehensive, the question arises how the choic-es were made. I like to answer with what I call the“four i's”: the names are of people whose imagina-tion, ideas, inventions, and ingenuity changed thecourse of humankind for the better, though many

other worthies might also have been picked. Thesenames are meant to broaden the boys' understand-ing of the life of the mind.

Working on these projects was something of anintellectual odyssey. In doing the research andmaking the choices, I was deeply aware of justhow special the human adventure is. I was alsostruck by just how much a person can come toknow and experience in his or her lifetime. Whatwe do at Allen-Stevenson is essential, because agood education sets the stage and teaches skills forlife. By empowering a boy's curiosity, we equiphim to learn his whole lifetime. By acquaintinghim with an ample range of possibilities, we helphim to understand that he's not alone on this aston-ishing journey.

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22 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

The code words are something that have become omnipresent in our new schoolhouse.They line the floor of the lobby, they appear each month on the calendar, and as you willsee, they have an even bigger role at Allen-Stevenson. These nine words lay the founda-tion for many life lessons. Many classrooms take the task of incorporating these wordsdifferently, but the end result is positively the same. At the end of the day, Allen-Stevenson boys understand what it means to be Thoughtful, Responsible, Generous,Respectful, Studious, Enthusiastic, Determined, Creative, and Good.

THOUGHTFULEngrossed in thought; contemplative; Exhibiting or characterized by careful thought

“Establishing the authority of the person conveying information has always been an impor-tant life skill that we have taught in the A-S library,” said Sarah Kresberg, Library Director.Ms. Kresberg stresses that in an age where most information is acquired from the internet,

being thoughtful about resources is crucial. “First we teach the boys the likely places to look for the author-ship information on a website, then we teach them how to evalu-ate the author's credentials,” she said. The boys learn to thinkbeyond what they might find in a Google search and use otherresources. Being able to evaluate and think about theirresources are skills that they will take with them to high school,college, and to their careers. Ms. Kresberg added, “!being ableto find and use information is the foundation, not just for schoollearning but for lifelong learning.”

It is a given that creativity is a part of art education. However,Rob McCallum, Art, Woodshop, and Computer teacher, believesthat along with creativity, art teaches the boys to be thoughtfuland reflective. “Through the art-making process and dialoguewith the boys I try to get them to learn how to make good judg-ments about qualitative relationships,” he said. Mr. McCallumsaid that art education gives the boys many life skills that theywill take with them into the adult world. For example, throughexamining and creating art, they are learning there is no simpleright or wrong answer to a problem and many ways to interpretthe world. “Ultimately art enables the boys to have experienceswe can have from no other source, namely the visual,” Mr.

McCallum explained. “Through such an experience they discover the range and variety ofwhat we are capable of feeling as human beings.”

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RESPONSIBLEAble to make moral or rational decisions on one's own andtherefore answerable for one's behavior; Able to be trusted ordepended upon; reliable

Although taught to all boys, responsibility is one of the wordswhose meaning might have more significance in the Middle andUpper School. “Responsibility isan integral part of the develop-ment of my fourth graders in help-ing transition into Middle Schoollife,” said Alok Appodurai, 4thgrade teacher. In his class, theboys are encouraged to beresponsible in many ways. Beingaware of how they are treatingothers, doing their homeworkneatly, calling a friend to makesure they know their assignment,and taking care of daily tasks inthe classroom are all ways inwhich they demonstrate theirresponsibility. Mr. Appodurai addsthat the boys take pride in accom-plishing these tasks and being responsible for themselves. “It isempowering to them and gives them confidence in many areasof their lives,” he said.

Jenny Picower, Learning Resource Specialist, also stresses theimportance of responsibility with her 6th and 7th graders. In herstudy skills class, the boys learn to take responsibility for theirwork, their ideals and their learning. She hopes that from thisthey will learn their strengths and ask for help when needed.

GENEROUSLiberal in giving or sharing

One example of how Allen-Stevenson boys demonstrate gen-erosity is evident through the many drives held throughout theyear. From the food drive at Thanksgiving to the recent col-lection of books donated to PS 83 by the Middle School, theboys show their generosity through various community ser-vice projects.

“I want to teach them that to be generous can also mean tobe giving with their time and hearts, not just money.” Blaise

Bulfair, Kindergarten teacher, saidabout teaching the word generous toher class.

Mary Terry, Science teacher, wants toteach generosity in the context of fair-ness. The boys are encouraged tohelp each other solve lab problemsand think of new ideas. Also in herclass they practice the “one minuterule.” Each boy gets a full minute toobserve the exciting event throughthe microscope, then comes back for“seconds” only after everyone hashad a turn, she said. “Fairness andunfairness make up the landscape ofthe world these boys walk around in,

and generosity and manners could become the natural inhab-itants of that world with plenty of practice,” Ms. Terry said.

24 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

STUDIOUSMarked by steady attention and effort; assiduous

In her study-skills class that she teaches to the 6th and 7thgrade, Jenny Picower emphasizes life lessons in an academiccontext. “The 6th grade theme is to try hard and do your best,”she said, explaining that work habits such as time manage-ment, organization, and remembering class materials will helpthem do their best work. Ms. Picower said she wants the boysto understand that even if short term work seems laborious, itwill help them in the long run. She believes that organizationproduces the best results and that work that is done today willonly be of help in the future. For example, preparing for a quizwill help when it comes time for a test. “I always tell them not toput off to tomorrow what they can do today,” she said. Hernumber one goal is for her students to be lifelong learners

because learningis not somethingthat ends whenthey leave Allen-Stevenson.

RESPECTFULShowing or marked by proper respect

On the wall of Abby Levin's room are the lyrics to“Respect”. When it came time to introduce thisword to her 1st grade class, she played thefamous Aretha Franklin song for them. For eachnew code word, her class talks about the wordand then makes a poster. “When I asked themhow we should make the poster, they all wantedto use the words from the song,” she said. Ms. Levin, whosemain message to her class is to be an individual amongstmany, puts a great deal of focus on citizenship and how to be apart of a community in her class. Learning about different cul-tures allows them to both respect and celebrate differences.

In another 1st grade room, Erik Resurreccion teaches his boysto be respectful in many different ways. The code words “arean excellent opportunity for reflection on who we are and howwe treat others,” he said. As part of learning the meanings ofthe words, Mr. Resurreccion will use role-playing and encour-age the class brainstorm different scenarios about each word.The main life lessons that he strives to teach, which includebeing polite, always saying you are sorry when you hurt some-one else, and learning that what is fun for one person is notalways fun for everybody else, are all based on respect.

Michelle Demko, Head of the Music Department, also believesthat being respectful encompasses the rest of the words. Sheexplained that when someone is singing,playing an instrument, or wearing a dressfor Gillbert & Sullivan it is “one of themost naked things you can do.” Her stu-dents are learning to express themselvesin an art form; expressing their thoughtsand feelings that they might have noother way to share. “Not being fearful oftrying something new and at the sametime knowing that those around you arebeing respectful is very important,” shesaid.


ENTHUSIASTICHaving or showing great excitement and interest

Every month, when the new code word is introduced to BlaiseBulfair's class, the boys talk about the word and its meaning.Then each boy draws a picture to represent the meaning, andMs. Bulfair makes a book from these pictures. Consequently,when a boy does something to demonstrate one of the codewords, he gets to wear a badge of the Allen-Stevenson lamp-lighter for the day. “Everything you need to know, you learn inKindergarten, whether it be kindness, manners, empathy,patience, and not to be a defeatist,” she said. “Try is our mottoin Kindergarten.”

Kindergarten boys have unmatched enthusiasm. “They are thebest rule followers,” she said. “We lay the foundation inKindergarten and then build on that enthusiasm.”

Allen-Stevenson boys carry the enthusiasm they have inKindergarten to upper grades as their class work and learningbecomes more and more challenging. Alok Appodurai said heencourages the boys to be enthusiastic inall of their activities throughout the day.He especially notices their excitement inreading class. The boys learn to readaloud, enthusiastically giving voices to thevaried characters. To develop their skillsand ability to energetically bring a charac-ter to life, the boys will perform miniatureplays of scenes from each of the novelsread in class. “As their reading skillsimprove, they are able to incorporatemore of their enthusiasm and excitementinto their oral reading,” he said.

DETERMINEDMarked by or showing determination; resolute; decided orresolved

“Learning new things almost always presents obstacles,” saidSusan Lukas, English teacher. Learning determination to getover these obstacles and helping her students figure out how tosolve their own problems is something she finds important. Ms.Lukas said she challenges her boys to think creatively whenthey are feeling stuck and often asks them questions ratherthan simply giving them the answers. The classroom environ-ment has to be safe enough to allow for mistakes along theway. “There must be lots of room for practice, for failure, and forfiguring out how to do it better next time,” she said.

These lessons of determination are taught in the music room aswell. “I want them to dare to make mistakes,” Michelle Demkocommented. She said the life lessons she wants to leave withthe boys is to love the process of learning, to strive for a goal,and to know that it is okay to fail and to go against the grain.

GOODTo be desired or approved of, having the required qualities;of a high standard; morally right; virtuous

Good might appear to be the most ambiguous code word.It is word with many meanings, but one that Mary Terrybelieves to be the best. It is a word embracing truthful-ness, honesty, knowing when to mind one's business, andsetting the building of one's own character above academicor social pressure, she said. “The boy who dares to tell thetruth in the face of trouble or, more subtly, the boy whomakes no excuses in the face of being unprepared-theseare men of genuine character-in-the-making,” Ms. Terrysaid.

Likewise, Carol Coles, 5th grade teacher, also believes thatteaching the boys to be good is a main goal of her class.Entering the 5th grade brings new independence, whetherit is academic or social, and with independence comes theneed for good decision making. She said she sees theboys making such decisions everyday when they do theirwork, chose who they want to sit with in the lunchroom,

and spend time with after school.“As they get older, they are out oftheir comfortable environment, theydon't have homerooms and theychange lockers,” Ms. Coles said.“They need to be able to make gooddecisions.”

26 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

CREATIVECharacterized by originality and expressiveness; imaginative

Writing journals at the beginning of class seems like a perfectlyordinary task. However, writing journals at the beginning ofmath class might seem a little unusual. This is how each classbegins in Robert Schifflet's room, who believes that this simpleexercise of writing only 24 words, plants the seeds for thought.“I teach real world math,” he said. “If it doesn't apply to them,they don't get it.” In his classroom, Mr. Schifflet tries to incorpo-rate many creative projects to get the boys involved. Fromeverything to folding papers into geometric shapes to measur-ing the area and perimeter of the code words on the lobby floor,he hopes his students can think of math in terms that apply totheir everyday lives.

Creativity is also a key point in athletics. Coach Rich Alifanotells the boys to study each sport and its intricacies so that theycan be creative in their play. For example, he said, “in a bas-ketball game, a boy might watch how the defense is playingagainst a teammate and then react using a non-traditional orcreative pass.” Noticing subtle details about the game andusing creativity results in success. He added that all of thecode words, like being respectful and responsible, that arestressed in the classroom carry over into athletics.

While they might not be spoken everyday, the code words have a message and a meaning that cannot gounnoticed. They are personified every time a boy studies for a test, performs in a Gilbert & Sullivan play,or simply allows his classmate to go ahead of him in the lunch line. And when the boys leave Allen-Stevenson, it is the hope of the faculty that they will remember these nine words and their meanings ascodes for life.


B. Cory Kilvert, Jr. '45, a published writer, commented“English enabled me to be a newspaperman, advertisingcopywriter, public relations writer and the author offour books. To this day, I consider it a salvation whenI consider what my life might have been without it.Allen-Stevenson provided me with the basics ofgrammar and proper English usage and encouragedme to read good books. Today, my home library con-sists of 3,000 volumes (mostly on British military his-tory), which is a subject I have studied seriously andlectured on for at least the past fifty years. In retro-spect, I believe Allen-Stevenson did a wonderful jobwith me. It gave me an excellent grounding in Englishand History, which helped me do what I do today.”

The influence of faculty members is noted by Philip G.Proctor '55 who says, “My fondest memories of life at A-Srevolve around the wonderful integration of all aspects ofschool life and the intimacy and immersion with the facultyand student body. I really felt like I was part of a large,functional family and I suppose the happy years I spentat Mr. Baker's "Camp Black Point" reinforced thesefeelings, as it was there that Mr. Waters so entertainedus in the evenings with his dramatic readings of "HuckFinn" and other classics.” Phil went on to Yale DramaSchool and a career as an actor and member of theFiresign Theater as well as doing voiceovers on theRugrats, Dr. Doolittle, and Finding Nemo to name just

2"%8/#.%!%35/3*/!"#/<(9=$%>"!#' *3768#8/35/?8@%$$8/*3'/$%*#A/(5./!"#/>3($/3*%58!%$$%5>/%5/B$$#5CD!#-#5835/&3)8/!"#/(&%$%!)/!3/&#/$%*#C$35>/$#('5#'81/E#(8@#./8#-#'($/($695%/!3/>%-#/68/!"#%'/!"36>"!8/35/867"/4#%>"!)/%886#8/(8?E"#5/.%./)36/@534/4"(!/)36/4(5!#./!3/.3/4%!"/)36'/$%*#FAG/?E"(!G/%*(5)!"%5>G/.%./)36/ $#('5/(!/B$$#5CD!#-#5835/!"(!/>3!/)36/4"#'#/)36/('#!3.()FA/(5./?,%./!"#/B$$#5CD!#-#5835/H3.#/"(-#/(5/%9=(7!/35/)36'/$%*#FAB$695%/*'39/-%'!6($$)/#-#')/.#7(.#/'#8=35.#.1

Philip G. Proctor ’55

(*!#'($$#5C8!#-#5835&)I(7@%#/;'345

B. Cory Kilvert, Jr. ’45

22 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

of theLaboratory of

Neurophysiology in one of the institutes (NINDS) in 1981and continue in this position today. So, I am still in the busi-ness of learning, from the literature, paper by paper, andfrom our own research, experiment by experiment. Our lab-oratory has now become focused on a hot topic in neuro-science--"neural stem cells”. Most of the people I havementored and those in the laboratory now have come fromall over the world rather than this country. This has been aneducation all by itself. I feel fortunate to have begun myeducation at A-S. It gave me the impetus to learn and I havesubsequently spent all of my life learning and imagining.

a few.

The field of endeavor did not seem to matter. In every instance, it seemsthat Allen-Stevenson was able to strike a chord that set a boy on a pathof discovery. In some cases, it was the inspiration provided by a facultymember. Daniel A. Harris '57, now a Professor Emeritus of English andJewish Studies at Rutgers University, points out that "I owe the begin-nings of my long academic life in university teaching and scholarship tothe Allen-Stevenson faculty of the 1950's who gave me the grand rudi-ments of a foundational education in learning. At A-S, I discovered myfirst great role-models for teaching. The people who taught me English,

Latin, History and Music all had wide culture and vision, with a powerful commit-ment to what is now called "diversity". So did the Headmasters. Among schools ofits caliber in Manhattan, A-S was culturally and morally distinguished: it freelyadmitted Jewish students. I was not aware of Allen-Stevenson's specialness in thisregard at the time, but have valued it enormously in recent years. It allowed me togrow untrammeled."

Daniel A. Harris ’57

Jeffrey L. Barker, M.D. ’57

As Jeffery L. Barker, M.D. '57 points out, “My early acade-mic success at Allen-Stevenson imprinted me with a desireto learn, which I continue to do to this moment. All of theteachers I had at A-S were encouraging. The size of theclasses was sufficiently small and intimate that everyonewas in more-than-adequate contact with the teacher. I neverhad the feeling that any of the teachers I had were bored ordisinterested. Rather, they were uniformly enthusiastic. Ialways looked forward to completing homework assign-ments and to helping others in my class with the more diffi-cult problems, if I could do them. My years at A-S certainlyprovided me with an excellent foundation for continuing myeducation at Deerfield and Harvard. The positive feedbackI initially received at A-S sustained me, and led to BostonUniversity School of Medicine where I gradually becameinterested in research during medical school because mycuriosity about 'how things worked', which I first realizedwhile I was at A-S. I was selected to come to the NationalInstitutes of Health during the Vietnam war in order to fulfillmy military obligations. This opportunity led me into acareer in a new discipline-neuroscience. I enjoyed thechance to be creative and published enough scientificpapers in this new field that I was appointed to be the Chief


Thank you, Allen-Stevenson!”

Peter Gradjansky '67, a landscape architect and buildersays, “I realize that what I loved in life was not only Allen-Stevenson but its teachers who have been my biggest influ-ence. One teacher in particular took me on as a member ofhis extended family and made me feel really special - theSchool made me feel that I had a special talent and that Icould do anything. We were all in the same orchestra and itnever occurred to us that you could not participate. In theearly stages of my adult life, I wanted to do everything. I didnot discover until later that I could be the master of one

thing. Allen-Stevenson gave me the confidence to try.”

Time and again, qualities outlined in the Allen-Stevensoncode were mentioned. D. Cooper Getschal '67 says, “I gotbehind the creative thing and have always followed thecode - perhaps as a result of a great education, perhapsbecause it makes sense. I was ordained as a Minister in 1999by Christ's Church of the Palm Beaches. Although it is notmy primary vocation at this point, it certainly fits the Allen-Stevenson code.” Coop knew from age 6 that he wouldwind up in a creative position involving music and creditsAllen-Stevenson with providing the discipline of practicingmusic technique. He has been a music director, singer,songwriter, producer, teacher and composer for the last 40years. He is currently the Executive Director of the WriteNote Studios in West Palm Beach where underserved youth

have an opportunity to experience the recording studioprocess for free. Skills were sometimes learned by the ability to overcomeadversity and enhanced by an entrepreneurial spirit. JohnGilmour '78, the President of MADD Snowboards, writes, “Ilearned from other Allen-Stevenson students that you can doanything if you are willing to let your mind direct you.Everything is impossible until you do it for the first time. Letme state, without shame, that I had straight D's and F's inShop and Art class. For me Shop and Art were utterly impos-sible, yet watching other students succeed made me realizethat it was possible and not just the result of being gifted… Ilonged for the camaraderie we had as a class that skate-boarded at A-S, so I helped create my own global versionthrough two websites Slalomskateboarder.com and

Peter S. Gradjarsky ’67

D. Cooper Getschal ’67

John A. Gilmour ’78

24 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

NCDSA.com.”

John Gilmour's classmate, Matthew W. Peyton '78, a com-mercial photographer, “…tried many things with variouslevels of success. After college, I was, in order, a musician,a jingle writer, an advertising producer, a television produc-er, and finally an internet producer… there were ups anddowns. I was fired once or twice. I won awards once ortwice. Eventually, I realized that doing things that feel easy(like taking pictures) is better than doing things that feel hard(like trying to write a hit song) and so all I had to do wasbuild a business to support the thing that felt most natural tome. Never stop trying new things - even if some of the oldthings didn't work out. Often, failure is the key to eventual

success.”

An overriding passion, nurtured by Allen-Stevenson, alsocontributed to a life-long commitment. Craig Kallman '80,the Co-Chair and COO of Atlantic Recording Corporationsays, “The music training and Gilbert & Sullivan wereinvaluable. I tried so many instruments along the way there.Very early on I knew I wanted to be involved in music some-how someway - probably at age 13. It consumed everythingI did. I learned the art of focus and discipline. I learned howto concentrate and be single-minded in certain pursuits that

Iloved - music, theater and basketball.”

There is a common thread of communication which con-tributes to a sense of self. Tsvi Landau '84 (BrookeLoring) who is a practicing Rabbi in Israel, he comments:“I certainly see some connection between my Allen-Stevenson background and who I am in general…manydifferent students actually felt comfortable telling metheir problems! That got me thinking about different pro-

Matthew W. Peyton ’78

Craig R. Kallman ’80

Tsvi Landau ’84


fessions, including the clergy.”

Justin Michael Belmont '98 says, “One of the most tangi-ble things that Allen-Stevenson taught me was a frameworkof rigorous study skills that my classmates in high school,and even college, never had. Everyone at college wasalways asking to copy my notes. At A-S, studying formonthly history tests was like training for a sport. I remem-ber forming study groups with my classmates and quizzingeach other relentlessly. A really important facet of myAllen-Stevenson education was the emphasis on followthrough: commit to a task, determine what it would take tocomplete that task, and finish it thoroughly. I think a lotof people without this kind of education focus too muchon one or another of these steps. It's the whole processthat counts.” Moreover, being studious was also coupledwith creativity. Justin is now the CEO of Artocity.com, an

online art gallery. It features limited editions of contem-porary photographs printed on canvas by a processcalled giclée. Even our younger alumni consider that skills learned atAllen-Stevenson have contributed to their accomplish-ments during their college years. Clayton Parker '02, aFreshman at Syracuse University, remembers learning totype when he was 8 and “…at the time, I thought it wasextremely foolish to drill library skills into my head whileI was in the Lower School. The ability to find a bookwithin 3 minutes of getting to the correct floor of theSyracuse University library has proven to be extremely

Justin M. Belmont ’98

Clayton F. Parker ’02

26 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

valuable as I often have much better things to do after I find the book I need.”

Jake Goldman '01 feels that “The things that Allen-Stevenson helped me learn at a veryyoung age were the concepts of leadership, teamwork and resiliency. In the 9th grade,I was able to apply all the practical things I had developed through my years at A-S as Iwas elected Student Government President. This was the first time I was given the oppor-tunity to work within the structure of the school while making proactive changes toimprove the quality of life for the students. This ability to lead that I developed at Allen-Stevenson continued as I was a member of my high-school's Honor Council and am cur-rently a member of the University of Southern California's Student Senate.

The ability to work with a team came from my time spent on the A-S basketball team. Istill think back to the shots made, or more often, missed. Despite disagreements betweenplayers we were always reminded that we had the same goal and always put our besteffort on the court. This has helped me in the work that I have done for various politicalcampaigns. Often the group I have worked with is very small and diverse in terms ofexperience and ideals. The ability for me to handle these diverse ideas and come up with

creative solutions undeniably came from the years with my coaches at Allen-Stevenson.

The encouragement of my teachers at A-S provided me (at a very young age) with the trait ofresilience. If I ever did poorly on a paper or test, almost every teacher would talk to me aboutit and would help me through any difficulty I was having with the material. This ability to pickmyself up by refocusing has certainly benefited me greatly since my time at A-S. The best exam-ple of this was after a project I had been working on during my time on Mayor Bloomberg's re-election campaign. I spent a week trying to put together logistics for an all-day, five boroughpress event with the Mayor and it was a disaster. A car got towed, the press vans got lost; a mess.Instead of sulking or letting it affect the other work I was doing, I merely refocused and workeddoubly hard on my other projects. This skill was developed at A-S. I learned that it isn't howmany times you fall down, it's how quickly you get back up.”

J5/8@%$$8/*3'/$%*#C$35>/$#('5%5>G/B$$#5CD!#-#5835/#5>#5.#'8/%5/%!8/8!6.#5!8/(/8#58#/3*/8#$*C#8!##9/(5.!"#/(&%$%!)/!3/#K=$3'#/9(5)/*(7#!8/3*/$%*#/4%!"36!/*#('/3*/*(%$6'#1/2"#)/('#/8!6.%368G/.#!#'9%5#.G/7'#C(!%-#G/#5!"68%(8!%7G/!"36>"!*6$G/(5./(=='#7%(!%-#/3*/4"(!/!"#/D7"33$/"(8/3**#'#./!"#91/

David Jake Goldman ’01


Positive Nuisance

Eric! Eric! Eric! Ericthis…Eric that…Erichere…Eric over there…Sigh…It has me upto here. All my life Ihave been shad-owed, feared, andpushed by this onething. All my life Ihave been pressuredby this one thing.When did this beast-ly creature begin toattack me? May 4,1991, the very day Iwas brought to thisearth the heavy

pressure of being the first one to “make it” has beendropped on my back. My father dropped out in the 9thgrade and my mother dropped out in the 6th grade.What's expected of me? The first born? Everyone hastheir standards set on a one day rich man…you knowlike the ones with fancy looking suits and everything.Everyone says I will be the one who gets his family outof the financial difficulties and into a new life. Theheat comes from EVERYONE, not just my parents butmy brother, my cousins, my uncles, my aunts, mygrandmother, my grandfather, heck I even think mydog is expecting something.

“Ay..mijito…va ser un professional que me va comprarmi casa.” What the heck does this mean? Itmeans…my little son, who is going to be a profession-al will buy me my house. What am I going to tell mymother-Gloria Rosas, the woman who brought me tothis earth,…no? How could I ever do that to a womanwho raised me with love and taught me the moral waysof living. She's not alone though…guess who else getscaught into this pandemonium…that's right…BigR…Rogelio Rosas, my tough mustache-having father.So here I stand in front of you, a 14 year old Hispanicalready promising to buy a house. Now, I don't wantto make my parents seems like gold diggers to a boywho doesn't have money yet. On the contrary my par-

ents are doing the best in trying to give me a better lifethan they had. But my life is so much more differentthan others. Most people at this school were born intoan already successful family. I wasn't. And it becomesquite stressful. Every time I talk to a family memberit's not “hey how u been?” it's more of a “hey howhave your grades been?”

Then there's Mini R…little Brandon Rosas, a cute,likeable seven year old with teeth shinier than pearls.We've all heard the cliché saying, “ Your brotherlooks up to you.” I don't know about others but to mysurprise, this statement is actually true. I share aminiature room with the little boy. I play soccer…heplays soccer…. I listen to rap…he bursts into myfreestyles… “My brother has a scholarship to Allen-Stevenson? I wanna go to Allen-Stevenson!” If I don'tcome out strong in life…what is my brother going todo-become a failure? Being the first born, I havealways been independent…my parents couldn't reallyhelp with work…it was always Eric alone since thebeginning. It's been difficult, and I want to make iteasier for my brother. So forget giving up on school-work. Forget slacking off. Forget getting kicked out ofschool. Every time a teacher spends their hour wait-ing on the board, I NEED to focus and learn for that lit-tle boy who wants to be just like me.

Till this point in life, I do believe I have gone quite far.I mean, I went from a crummy public school to a pri-vate school in no other than the famous Manhattan.The journey only gets harder but in the end, with allthis pressure, I truly believe it will feel amazing toshove it off. I believe that I will feel proud when myparents are crying of happiness that I accomplished“THE AMERICAN DREAM”, I mean that's why every-one comes here right? I will be the one who changedhis stars for a new life. Eric Rosas, will be the youngMexican boy that “made it” and a man who will lookinto his brother's eyes and feel that he has fulfilled hisresponsibilities. So although it presents the moststressful nuisance in my life, I WILL one day look backat my life and say…I was that ordinary kid fromCorona Queens who went in the right direction andaccomplished extraordinary things…like buying thosefancy suits. Thank you.

Eric Rosas ’06

Eric Rosas ’06 is this year’s winner of the Upper School Speech Contest. He will be attending The Hotchkiss School this fall.

30 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

First Grade teacher JenniferZimmermann and Upper School Science

teacher John Zufall are the proud parents of Lily Zimmermann Zufall.

She was born April 18th.

This spring woodworking teacher Tara Parson is get-ting her M.F.A. with honors in Sculpture/ Printmaking

from Pratt InstituteImage from Tara’s thesis exhibit, Blown-Up, 2006

An Installation of 500+ handmade latex airplane balloons

Drama teacher Danya Haber and her husband Michael welcomed Oliver Dov born

February 17th and weighed 7lbs. 11oz.

Third Grade teacher Betty Marolla’shusband Ralph Balsamo died onJanuary 30, 2006 of the effects of

Alzheimer’s Disease. He was a partnerat Eisner and Company LLP and wasalso an avid runner, participating in

many marathons and ultra marathons.Betty said, �The entire Allen?Stevensoncommunity was helpful and supportive

Kindergarten teacher Alice Heminway and FirstGrade teacher Erik Ressurreccion welcomed

James (Jamie) Channing on April 7th.

Kindergarten Associate Emily Roth will bemarried at the end of September at St.Ignatius Loyola church to John P. Hanna. He is an Associate Director in the M&A

group at UBS.

Nazif Dervisevic from Building Servicesand his wife Edina had a baby boy,

Adem, born on April 17th.

A - S N E W S

Facilities Manager Joe Foresta has a newgranddaughter, Olivia Baines McCarthy.

She was born March 20th in Florida.Pictured::

AF Major Chris McCarthy and Candice with daughters Annalie Ryan, Olivia Baines


A L U M N I B U L L E T I N B O A R DFor information about any alumni activities, please contact Jackie Brown, Alumni Director, at [email protected] or 212-933-5240.

We are delighted to note an increase of interest in Allen-Stevenson among alumni who have sons of school age. Because of thissituation, the School has developed a policy to handle Legacy Status: alumni may request an early admissions decision althoughLegacy Status does not mean an automatic or guaranteed acceptance. Alumni who are interested in applying their sons should callthe Admissions Office at 212-606-0884.

Weekend at Allen-StevensonThe Weekend at Allen-Stevenson was held on Saturday, March 11 and Sunday, March 12, 2006.Saturday morning began with Storytimefor alumni and their young children in thenew Library Media Center. After the chil-dren drew pictures and decoratednametags, Sarah Kresberg, the Allen-Stevenson Library Director, read storiesto them in the Lower School ReadingRoom. In attendance were Robert Burge'76 with son James, and daughter, Cecily;Maurice Edelman '78 with son Benjaminand daughter Rachel; Michael Feinberg'84 with sons Lucas and Taylor; andVictor Smith '88 with his nephewTerence. Sarah Kresberg's two children,Alice and Simon, also took part, as did her husband Jamie.

At 11:00 a.m., the Storytime attendees headed up to the Gym to watchthe Annual Alumni/Faculty Basketball Game. Several games with winsfor each team were played by the following alumni: Paul Alshooler '03,Jason Angell '92, Craig Applegate '05, Mtume Ayers '89, JeffreyBernstein '83, Lane Bodian '03, Alfred Burger '87, Jamie Elish '06,Aaron Halfon '06, Harry Levine '03, Cannon Hersey '92, Ben Joseph'03, Andy Katz '03, Josh Kronfeld '06, Paul Mancusco '03, David Rohn'06, Mike Rohn '03, Andrew Rolfe '03, Eric Rothstein '81, LeoSloan'05, Denton Smith '94, Victor Smith '88, Grant Tomashoff '06and John Tomashoff '06. Faculty members who played were RichAlifano, Billy Dransfield, Neal Kamsler and Rob Wiseman. Additionalspectators included parents Betty Bernstein, Harvey Katz and JamieTomashoff as well as John Carr '76, Ron Rolfe '60 with wife SaraDarehshori and son Dare, Joshua Rothstein '12 and David Kersey h'98.Following the basketball game, many of the attendees gathered for apizza lunch in the School's Dining Room.

On Sunday, a Dress Rehearsalfor Gilbert and Sullivan'sPatience was held in the School'sAssembly Hall. Alumni and theirfamilies who attended the dressrehearsal included Lisa andRobert Burge '76 with children,Cecily and James; MauriceEdelson '78 with childrenBenjamin '16 and Rachel; andDean Landis '78 with sons Luke'14 and Teddy '13. JulesHamilton '05 also dropped by tosee the performance.

Alumni Gatherings in PalmBeach and Boston

On February 23rd, Alumni andfriends of Allen?Stevenson gath?

ered at the home of Tracy and MattSmith ’86 in Palm Beach to meetwith Headmaster David Trower

h’95, Faculty Member David Kerseyh’98 and AlumniDirector JackieBrown. Presentwere Matt’s par?ents, Stanley and

Arna Smith,Timothy Cogan’49, Robert

Rodenberg ’55and his wife, Steve

Bauer ’67, D.Cooper Getschal

’67,Cubby Downe ’70 and JohnColhan ’72 and his wife, Luisa.

~~~

On March 1st, Alumni met at Vox

Populi, a restaurant in Boston, to

see Headmaster, David Trower

h’95, Associate Headmaster, John

Pariseau h’98 and Faculty Member,

David Kersey h’98. In attendance

were: Edward Thomas Bicks ’84,

A - S N E W S

Robert Rodenberg ’55, David Trower h’95 and Steve Bauer ’67

Tracy and Matt Smith ’86

32 S P R I N G 2 0 0 6

Cocktails for the Classes of 1980 - 1999

On Thursday, January 26, 2006, more than 20 Allen-Stevenson alumni in the Classes of 1980 - 1999 gathered in The Skylight Lounge at Sutton PlaceBar & Restaurant to reconnect with one another and reminisce about their days at Allen-Stevenson.

In attendance were: Pierre Bonan '89, Charlie Burger '91, Van Furniss '91, Graham Geisenheimer '92, Tim Geisenheimer '99, Harlan Goldberg '90,Andrew Goodwin '84, Drew Gutstein '91, David Herzberg '89, Rob Karp '91, Kevin Koplin '84, David Kurzman '89, Jesse Liebmann '98, Ross Millhiser'94, Chris Moscato '98, Eric Rothstein '81, Jimbo Schley '93, Nicholas Schutt '94, Ed Wartels '91, and Nicolas Wuorenheimo '83.

The 2005 Alumni Hockey GameThe Allen-Stevenson School hosted The 2005 Alumni Hockey Game at Chelsea Piers' Sky Rink on Thursdayevening, December 15, 2005. The evening began with warm-ups from 7:00 to 7:30 p.m., during which timechildren of players were invited to skate. An hour-and-a-half game followed, and the evening ended with bothplayers and spectators gathering for a celebratory buffet dinner.

The Committee for this year's event included Jesse Adler '03, Adam Feinberg '86, Michael Feinberg '84, JacobFields '02, Van Furniss '91, Cristopher Goodman '86, Patrick D.R. Horan '85, John Lyden '02, TimothyMaloney '04, Philip Pilmar '01, Ian Ratner '83, Christopher Sanborn '92, Mike Tiedemann '86, Philip Utsch'84, and Clifton York '78.

The following players participated in the game: Coach Phil Amplo, Paul Aston '80, Eric Bader '82, AlexanderChouraqui '06, Adam Feinberg '86, Michael Feinberg '84, Morgan Fleischman '04, Jason Gottlieb '98, JustinGottlieb '03, Patrick D.R. Horan '85, David Israel, David Koeppel, Timothy Maloney '04, Will Overlock '95, Philip Pilmar '01, Christie Rana, James Rucinski, Matthew Schroth '06,Alexander Shipper '02, Philip Shipper '98, George Van Dercook '06, and Nicolas Wuorenheimo '83.

Spectators included: Emily Barnes, Kiki Boucher, Nancy Brenner, Jennifer Chouraqui, Michel Chouraqui, Justine Feinberg, Lucas Feinberg, Alan Fleischman, Victor Freudman, Oliver Israel'10, David Kersey, h '98, Adam Koeppel '12, Lesley Koeppel, Noah Koeppel '10, Jacqueline Leitzes, Hilary Love, Sari Nadler, Roslyn Pilmar, Jamie Rucinski '07, AdamSilverman '09, Jeffrey Silverman, Jeremy Silverman '14, andSam Silverman '07.

A L U M N I B U L L E T I N B O A R D

David Kurzman ’89, Graham Geisenheimer ’92, David Kersey h’98, Pierre Bonan ’89, Tim Geisenheimer ’99 and David Herzberg ’99

Michael Feinberg ’84, Lucas Feinberg and Adam Feinberg ’86

Matthew Schroth ’06 and Alexander Chouraqui ’06


A L U M N I N E W SPlease send Alumni News for the Lamplighter to [email protected] or call the Development Office at 212-606-0890.

1940sJoseph Charles Roper '30 ([email protected])writes “I am doing fine and hope to reach 90next May.” He and his son, David, attended theAllen-Stevenson alumni gathering in Boston inMarch.

Christopher Rutgers Knauth '43 stopped bythe School in December to see if we had anypictures from the Class of 1943.

Charles Bracelen Flood '44 is the author of arecently published book, Grant and Sherman -The Friendship That Won the Civil War.

John B. Loengard '49 ([email protected])has had his eighth book published in the U.S.and U.K. last fall (a French edition will be pub-lished in Paris). Titled As I See It, it is a selec-tion of photographs taken during his 50 yearcareer as a photographer. His interest in pho-tography began in 1946 when his fatherannounced plans to buy a new camera nowthat World War II had ended. The next year, heand a 7th grade classmate, Albert Francke,started a photography club at Allen-Stevenson.

1950sPeter Benchley '54 died February 12, 2006.His first novel, Jaws, began a life-long interestin sharks and marine life and included his serv-ing as a spokesman for the EnvironmentalDefense Fund, working with Wildaid, travelingto teach about sharks, and warning against thepractice of killing sharks for their fins, a delica-cy especially popular in Asia. He co-wrote thescreenplay for Jaws, and authored severalother novels, including The Deep, The Island,and Beast. He served on the national council ofThe Environmental Defense Fund, hostednumerous television wildlife programs, gavespeeches around the world and wrote articlesfor National Geographic and other publications.

Philip G. Proctor '55 ([email protected])has a role in Window of Opportunity, a darkcomedy by Samuel Warren Joseph directed byBilly "Midnight Express" Hayes and producedby Winship Cook and John Densmore. Philwas recently interviewed as a representativevoice-over artist for an NBC “ Today Show”feature aired in April on the increasing use ofuncredited, high-priced celebrities in commer-cials. He will also be doing some promo (asthe Drunk French Monkey) for the upcoming"Dr. Doolittle" DVD release. And, finally, heand his wife, Melinda, and will be going toDublin in early August to perform in anotherCrazy Dog Irish radio project.

1960sGary M. Ferman '61 ([email protected])writes “I very much enjoyed meeting theHeadmaster and other alumni and friends ofAllen-Stevenson in London at the dinner at theFly-Fishers Club."

Fred Henry Stroock '63 ([email protected])writes “My wife, Bonnie, and I became first-time grandparents in 2004 as our olderdaughter, Heather, gave birth to Emma MaeGordon.”

Dan Reich '65 ([email protected]) isa Senior Paralegal at a law firm in Dallas andmarried to the former Zedrouh Henry.

Richard Earle Thomas '66 took part in a “Wallto Wall Stravinsky” event at Symphony Spacein New York in March. Critics said of TheSoldier's Tale that “ Mr. Thomas was wonderfulas the befuddled soldier who sells his scrappybut beloved violin to the Devil, thereby losinghis soul.”

Stephen Bauer '67 ([email protected])and D. Cooper Gatchell '67 ([email protected])attended the alumni gathering in Palm Beachin February. Steve is recently retired from theThe Hershey Company, and Coop is theExecutive Director of the Write NoteFoundation which is a free professionalrecording studio for children.

Peter Simmons Gradjansky '67([email protected]) writes that heis a landscape architect with a design-buildpractice which encompasses both architectureand execution. He designs and builds residen-tial and school gardens in San Francisco, theEast Bay, and the North Bay. He visited theSchool in April with his daughter, Hannah, andwas able to attend the Upper School Speechcontest.

1970sMarcus Mitchell '73 and wife Jenniferstopped by the School in November. They areliving in Ft. Lauderdale.

John Adams Gilmour '78([email protected]) won 4th Placein the World Championships of Teleboarding inFebruary, 2004, after only taking up the sportfor two days. He did, however, crash on thesecond run, breaking both legs and a shoulder.Six surgeries later, he is better although not

yet perfect . His last surgery was January 30thand he attended the Boston alumni gatheringin March.

Eric Malcome Lustgarten '78([email protected]) left Brown HarrrisStevens after nearly eight years to headWilliam B. May, a residential firm with a pedi-gree stretching back to at least the 1860s.“William B. May is bringing in industry trail-blazers who are looking for a clear playing fieldand bring to the table a truly entrepreneurialspirit,” Lustgarten said. “William B. May is thehottest 'new' old-school shop on the block.”

Glenn Robinson '78 ([email protected])

visited the School in December with his wife,Latoria, and daughter Amber. He has returnedto school to pursue a career in social work atthe University of North Carolina - Greensboro.He met with Mr. Kersey, Mr. Pariseau and Mr.Trower and was amazed by the new building!

Edwin Lee Solot, Jr. '78 ([email protected])

was in New York in March and came by theSchool to see the new construction.

Michael Eric Schiff '79 ([email protected])along with Bill Martin, is writing the pilot forFriends star Lisa Kudrow's project featuringAisha Tyler. They will also executive producethe show. The Martin/Schiff duo createdGrounded for Life which is now in its thirdseason.

1980sS. Nicholas McKhann '80([email protected]) wrote “Unfortunately, I

will be unable to attend the Alumni Dinner butplease tell everyone I say hello and I am hap-pily living in East Providence, R.I. with my wifeof 20 years, Colleen, and my two children,Ashley (16) and Alex (12).”

Jeffrey S. Oestricher '80 is an Assistant U. S.Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

John David Schaeffer '80([email protected]) is married andliving outside of San Francisco with his wifeand two children. He ran into Jason Anderson'81 who updated him on his classmates.

Morgan Chia-Wen Sze '80([email protected]) has been living inLondon for eight years with his wife and twodaughters, ages 5 and 2. He attended theLondon Alumni gathering in October.

Paul John Weitz '80 has written and directeda new movie, American Dreamz, which is apolitical satire about President George W.Bush and the war in Iraq. The movie starsDennis Quaid, Marcia Gay Harden, WillemDafoe, and Hugh Grant. ''The thematic centerof the movie is about self-importance and self-obsession, how much that is at the core of ourculture,'' says Paul. ''I'm exploring the aspect ofthe American identity where dreams and aspi-rations are always a positive thing, the implica-tion of the sense that if everybody is having adream, it makes it impossible to have a sophis-ticated view of our own lives!.The juxtaposi-tion of being at war with Iraq, yet going aboutour daily lives, being obsessed with 'AmericanIdol' -- as I was last year -- was the impetus,''he continues. ''It seems like an absurd situationthat lends itself to comedy.'' Christopher JohnWeitz '84 is the executive producer.

His new play, Show People, opened at TheSecond Stage Theater in April. The New YorkTimes commented, “For its first, brief act

Marc Nicholas Rice '84([email protected]) and wife, Maddie,

are thrilled to announce their daughter, Conlin

Kathryn “Cokie” Rice was born at 8:50 pm onThursday, April 13th. She weighed 8 lbs. 12 oz.

Carlos Eduardo Dobkin '85([email protected]) married Angela GenglerDobkin on October 23, 2004, and they have anew baby girl, Abigail.

Jack Lucentini '85 ([email protected]) is ajournalist and he is currently the editor andfounder of a webzine: WORLD SCIENCE(http://www.world-science.net), a sciencenews webzine.

Robert Scott Tucker '85 ([email protected]) and Andrea Schulman are theproud parents of a son, Alexander NormanTucker, born October 11, 2005.

Brevoort Walden III '86([email protected]) stopped by theSchool with his son, Avery, age 7. He saw Mr.Kersey and Mr. Pariseau. Brevy is married toJoy Richards and also has a son, Lukas, age13. He is a Revegetation Contractor in west-ern Montana.

Peter DaPuzzo '87 ([email protected])married Rachel Rubin on June 22, 2002. Theyhave one son, Jackson, born June 16, 2003.

(which lasts just over half an hour), ShowPeople definitely tantalizes, even though itsstatus as a red herring manufacturer is imme-diately in evidence. Within just the past sever-al years, Mr. Weitz has established himself asa sharp-eyed but empathetic portraitist ofunmoored souls in search of an illusion calledfamily. That wistfulness, captured in mordantdetail, informed Mr. Weitz's two previousplays, Roulette and Privilege, as well as hisfilm In Good Company, one of the mostcharming and substantive romantic comediesof the past decade.”

Mitchell Keiter '81([email protected]) is Professor ofLaw at Western State University in Fullerton,CA. He and his wife, Sheila, have two boys:Dean, age 5 and Anon, age 10 months.

Andrew R. Seplow '81([email protected]) married MargieJacobs in January, 2006. He is an acupunctur-ist in Albany, CA.

Kevin Koplin '84 was married November 19th

to Danielle Morgan at the Metropolitan Club inNew York. Mrs. Koplin, 30, is an investigator atKern Informative Resources in New York. Shegraduated from the University ofPennsylvania. Kevin specializes in securitieslaw with McCabe, Flynn & Arangio, a NewYork law firm. He was an assistant Bronx dis-trict attorney from 1994 to 1999. He was oneof the judges for the Upper School SpeechContest at the School in April.

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John Andrew Pickens Kirby '87([email protected]) has completed a film,

a dramatic-documentary-musical funded bythe BBC and starring Lewis Lapham, the edi-tor of Harper's Magazine. It's called TheAmerican Ruling Class and it follows two semi-fictional Yale grads as they explore the corri-dors of wealth and power. They meet every-one from Arthur Sulzberger Jr. to JamesBaker, from Hollywood and financial moguls tofolksingers, first amendment lawyers and atleast one journalist posing as a waitress.They are on the festival circuit and will releasetheatrically early this year, followed by a run onthe Sundance Channel. (You can watch theirpiece on CNN and read the press atwww.theamericanrulingclass.org).

Lewis Charles Leibert '88 ([email protected]) began a new position at the start ofthis year as Vice-President and GeneralManager at Television USA where he haslaunched the Forbes Enterprise Awards. Youcan see more about this venture at www.forbesawardscom. The awards areintended to recognize innovative thinking inthe management of successful small enter-prises and intended to benefit other business-es by sharing the innovative ideas developedby the award-winners.

Jesse Stagg Lawrence '88([email protected]) has a new daughter,Elizabeth, born March, 2005. Jesse and wifeare living in NYC and he works for a venturecapital firm, Updata, in New Jersey.

Clayton G. Akiwenzie '89([email protected]) writes “MichaelBurger actually officiated at my wedding onJune 12, 2004 in San Francisco, CA. Ourdaughter Paloma Evangeline Akiwenzie wasborn on October 27, 2005.


Cannon Hersey '92([email protected]) is in New Yorkfrom his home in Johannesburg, South Africa,He has worked with the Parents Association toproduce a CAFE meeting at the School in Aprilfeaturing the South African filmmaker,Dumisani Phakathi and South African jazzartist, Dorothy Masuku.

Colin King Miller '93([email protected]) is working for theWalt Disney Company as a Business Plannerin Feature Film Financing and living in LosAngeles.

William Wilson Hamilton '94([email protected]) has movedto Houston, TX. He will be getting marriedJune 3, 2006, to Heather Klein, a medical stu-dent in Houston.

Denton Alexander Smith '94([email protected]) stopped by the Schoolin January and had lunch with Mr. Kersey, Mr.Wilder, Mr. Cohen and Mrs. Brown. He is amember of the AEC Diversity Committee.

Kristoffer S. Harris '95([email protected]) stopped by theSchool in November. He is a case manager inthe Youth Services Division of the Henry StreetSettlement here in New York.

Jason M. Farkas '97([email protected]) has a new job atthe NBC Page Program in Rockefeller Center.

Robert Lavington Farren '97([email protected]) took part in the TribecaNew Music Festival. Titled Generation-Y, theperformances were devoted to music byemerging composers in their 20's and 30's.Rob presented his composition Climix“Redux”.

Evan Hilson Levey '97([email protected]) is running a customcabinet business called Columbia Cabinetswith a showroom in Albany, NY. Check out hisweb site at www.ccabinet.com.

Gregory Oskar Geuer '98([email protected]) graduated from theDaniels School of Business at the University ofDenver with a Finance/Real Estate major. Heis currently working with Prudential DouglasElliman on the East End of Long Island.

Nicholas Larisch Hoge '98 graduated fromBrown University and is now attending YaleDrama School.

1990sAlexander Mark Hahn '90([email protected]) has left his job at

the Washington Redskins and is now theManager of Community Relations at Sprint inReston, VA.

John Jaxheimer '90([email protected]) is in New Yorkworking for Sports Illustrated.

Craig Kirsner '90 ([email protected]) writesthat he could not attend the Alumni Dinner dueto Hurricane Wilma. He is the Site Manager forone of the Hands On Miami Day projects. Herecently earned his MBA at FloridaInternational University and is a SeniorFinancial Analyst at Commercial CapitalResources, LLC in Miami.

R. Vanneman Furniss '91([email protected]) was married toSamantha Farkas on September 17, 2005, atthe Litchfield Country Club, Litchfield, CT withmany A-S friends in attendance.

Harry E. Gould, III '91 ([email protected])is at USC film school and living in Pasadena.

Drew Gutstein '91 married Allison Goldsteinon November 20, 2005, at the Puck Building inNew York. Allison is a manager at theManhattan Theater Club in New York, whereshe is responsible for raising funds from indi-vidual donors. She graduated cum laude fromSkidmore College and received a master'sdegree in performing arts administration fromNew York University. Drew is a vice president,responsible for writing software programs forstock traders, in the Jersey City office ofGoldman, Sachs & Company.

G. Graham Geisenheimer '92([email protected]) married KerryAnn Regan in August, 2005. They attendedthe Alumni Cocktail party in January.

Gordy Rogers '92([email protected]) writes, “I'm actu-

ally in grad school up at Columbia right now,getting an M.S. in speech pathology. Very funstuff, an extension of my linguistics major atYale and teaching experience at St Hilda's &St. Hugh's School in 2002-2003. I worked as aresearcher in neurolinguistics and the effectsof brain trauma. Seems like everything's look-ing good on 78th St...Hope to make it to analumni dinner -- definitely our 15th in 2007!”

Alexander Hirschhorn Klebanoff '98([email protected]) writes “On January 3rd,I start a paid training program at MarlboroughGallery created for me by Pierre Levai, theworldwide president. I will get the opportunityto work closely with directors and emergingartists as well as learn sales. I am extremelyexcited.”

Jason Andrew Kraus '98([email protected]) is back at theCalifornia Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA.

Graham W. Winfrey '98 ([email protected]) visited the School inJanuary and saw Neal Kamsler. He is now liv-ing in Los Angeles and working for a talentagency.

Alexander M. Brash '99 ([email protected]) stopped by and sawMrs. Schrade-James, Mrs. Shapiro, Mr.McDonald, Mr. Haarman and Ms. Demko. Heis majoring in Computer Science at Harvard.

Maximilian S. Warncke '99 ([email protected]) stopped by in Januaryand saw Mr. Cohen, Mr. Kersey, Ms. Kyte andMr. MacDougal. He is majoring in IndustrialEngineering at Lehigh.

2000sPatrick R. Blauner '01 ([email protected]) stopped by theSchool in January and saw Mr. Kersey, Ms.Kyte, Mr. Kamsler and Mr. Cohen. He is enjoy-ing the University of Wisconsin - Madison

where he is majoring in Political Science andInternational Relations.

David Jake Goldman '01 ([email protected]) is “absolutely lovingUSC - it is an incredible place and I am reallythriving academically as well as socially.”

Clarence E. Agbi '02 ([email protected]) visited the Schoolfrom Yale in January with Claude Michel Moise '02([email protected]) who is enjoying hisFreshman year at Wesleyan and thinking ofmajoring in Chemistry.

John Sullivan Kefer '02 ([email protected]) writes “having a greattime at Bucknell majoring in business.”

Jesse Ryan Adler '03 ([email protected])stopped by the School in April and took a tourwith Mr. Alifano.

Lane A. Bodian '03([email protected]) and Sean Matthew Flatlow '03([email protected]) stopped by the School in March and saw oldfriends, faculty and staff.

Benjamin Michael Kraus '04 ([email protected]) is a Junior at LoomisChaffee School and a prefect in the Freshmandorm. He was in the fall play, Inherit the Wind,where he played Bertram Cates.

Philip Mojsov Nussenzweig '04 visited inJanuary during a free day from Dalton. He sawmany faculty members and had lunch in thenew dining room.

William Spencer Carlson '05 stopped by theSchool in January. He is enjoying The HillSchool and playing a lot of squash.

Alec Barclay Barnett '06 ([email protected]), Alexander J. Klaris '06 ([email protected]) and Benjamin Douglas Loveman '06 ([email protected]) all stopped by theSchool from Choate at the end of February.

P. Chadd Abbott C. Clairmont '06([email protected]) visited the School in March.He is loving Blair Academy and playing soc-cer, tennis and wrestling.

Alexander Charles Chouraqui '06([email protected]) is a Freshman atRiverdale where he played soccer during thefall season. He stopped by to visit the Schoolon a February snow day.

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IN MEMORIAM

Peter Benchley '54 February, 2006

William Burger '56 April, 2006

William J. Bryan '81 May, 2003

Trowbridge Callaway III, '53 October, 2004

Matthew T. Coleman '97 February, 2006

Brian O. Flory '77 October, 2005

Michael H. Garrett '81 December, 2005

Joseph C. Hoagland '37 September, 2004

Alan P. Horowitz '44 May, 2002

Richard John July '78 March, 2006

Robert Morgan King '50 January, 2006

Remsen Lefferts '40 November, 2005

ALUMNI DINNER

CLASSES ENDING IN“1” AND “6” ARE CELEBRATING

MILESTONE REUNIONSIN 2006.

COCKTAILS AT 6:00 PMDINNER AT 7:30 PM

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8TH

SAVE THE DATE

Documents

Lamplighter