LL AA MM PP LL II GG HH TT EE RRTHE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL MAGAZINE SPRING 2009

This spring, Fred Mack will end his tenth year as a Trustee at Allen-Stevenson.One of the highlights of his tenure on the Board was his service as a Co-chairof The Campaign for Allen-Stevenson: Today and Tomorrow which resulted inthe new school building. In recognition of their support of the Campaign, theSchool will dedicate the Third Floor Computer Lab to the Fredric Mack Family.

When Fred and his wife Tami joined the Allen-Stevenson community in 1997 as Kindergarten parents, the School had modest academic and administrativetechnological resources, even though students had been using computers since1982. Today, there are computers on every floor (except the gym), and we all stay connected through e-mail, servers, wikispaces, and other applica-

tions. Much of this upgraded technologyis a result of generous donors such asFred and Tami Mack who believed in themission to weave information technologythroughout the Allen-Stevenson commu-nity. This year, all students in Fourththrough Ninth Grades received Allen-Stevenson e-mail addresses, and manystudents communicate online aboutclass subject matter.

Tami and Fred’s son, Jason ’07, is now aJunior at Columbia Prep, where theirdaughter Hailey is a Freshman andwhere Fred serves as Vice President ofthe Board of Trustees. Fred’s dedicationto volunteer service and philanthropyextends throughout the city and the

world. He also chairs the Boards of the 92nd Street Y and the New York Regionof the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and he serves on the Boards of the Town School, North Shore University Hospital, World Jewish CongressFoundation, New York Holocaust Memorial Committee, National ExecutiveAdvisory Committee for the AIPAC, Israel Policy Forum and the JewishCommunity Relations Council of New York, Inc.

We at Allen-Stevenson are fortunate to have benefitted from Fred’s wisdom andguidance over the last ten years, and we express deep gratitude to Fred andTami for their generosity.

Tami and Fred Mack with their childrenHailey and Jason ’07

Fredric and Tami Mack

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

THE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL MAGAZINE

SPRING 2009

The Allen-Stevenson School admits students of any race,

color, religion, nationality, or ethnic origin to all the

rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally

accorded 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 in the

administration of its educational policies, admissions

policies, employment policies, financial aid program, or

any other programs administered by the School.

Director of CommunicationsCasper Caldarola

Communications ManagerEmily Barnes

Contributing WritersRich Alifano

Jackie BrownMichelle Demko

Susan EtessDanya Haber

Jeffrey HerschenhousNeal KamslerDavid Kersey

Sarah KresbergSusan Lukas

Julia KuninKimberly Kyte

Anne MeyerMary Richter

David R. Trower h’95

EditorsErnie Grigg

Jean McCauleySari Nadler Perrino

Mary Richter

PhotographersNancy Mitchell

Al Pereira

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.

LL AA MM PP LL II GG HH TT EE RR

CORRECTIONS TO THE 2007-08 ANNUAL REPORTWe apologize to the following donors, whose gifts to Allen-Stevenson were omitted or described incorrectly.

Mr. Adrian Alexander and Ms. Susi Belli-Alexander, Annual Fund 2007-08Mr. Peter Lewine ’62, Peter Cahn ’62 Memorial Fund Mr. and Mrs. Joe L. Roby, Roby Music Center Mr. and Mrs. William S. Rose, William Rose Locker Room

Printed on paper containing 10% post-consumer recycled content.

IN THIS ISSUEHeadmaster’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Cover Story: Teaching Boys to Think . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

The New Role Model of Information Consumption by Sarah Kresberg . . . . . . . . .6Lower School Fosters Creativity and Curiosity by Susan Etess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Making the Middle School Shift to Thinking Abstractly by Kimberly Kyte . . . . . .10Integrated Thinking in the Upper School by Neal Kamsler. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Individual Expression and Critical Thinking by Julia Kunin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Creative Thinking Through Drama and Tech by Danya Haber and David Kersey. . . . 17A Sense of Confidence and Accomplishment by Michelle Demko . . . . . . . . . . . . .18Living Strongly and Rightly by Rich Alifano. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Executive Function: The Brain’s CEO by Anne Meyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

The Past 50 Years: An Alumni Panel on Allen-Stevenson by Jackie Brown . . . . . . .24Father’s Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Alumni Dinner in Honor of John E. Pariseau h’98 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

IN EVERY ISSUEMaking a Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26A-S News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Did You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40

T H E A L L E N - S T E V E N S O N S C H O O LL E A D E R S H I P 2 0 0 8 - 2 0 0 9

BOARD OF TRUSTEESRonald S. Rolfe ’60, President

Colin R. Knudsen, Vice President & TreasurerDean I. Landis ’78, Secretary

Jeffrey G. Beers ’71, Assistant Treasurer David R. Trower h’95, Headmaster

Susan de MenilKim Reisman Dickstein*

Molly O’Neil FrankAlexander G. Gellert ’79Linda MacMurray Gibbs

Michael GouldJohn J. Hannan

Paul A. LeffThomas H. ListerFredric H. Mack

Beatrice H. MitchellAshok Nayyar

Duane A. NicholsonAmy L. Robbins

Eric E. Rothstein ’81*Lisa Pagliaro SelzJoseph F. Wayland

Leonard A. Wilf* member ex officio

TRUSTEES EMERITIMildred J. Berendsen

Marian R. BicksJane Phillips Donaldson

Richard N. FosterD. Ross Hamilton

Susan B. HirschhornKaren T. Hughes

John R. Hupper ’40E. William Judson

Robert J. KatzGeorge A. Kellner

Robert Liberman ’58Peter deF. Millard

Richard C. Perry ’70Joe L. Roby

Andrew P. Steffan

ALUMNI COUNCILEric E. Rothstein ’81, President

Alexander Gellert ’79, Vice-PresidentDavid W. Herzberg ’89, Vice-President

Marc N. Rice ’84, Vice-PresidentSimon D. Wasserberger ’85, Vice-President

Ian Adler ’87Charles W. Allen ’91

Basil Lloyd Anderson ’08Andrew Robert Arias ’92

Zach T. Axelrod ’95Neil 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 ’81

Brooke Bayard Connell ’86Adam James Phillips Donaldson ’05

Maurice Fahrie Edelson ’78Jason M. Farkas ’97Michael Feinberg ’84

R. Vanneman Furniss ’91Harlan E. Goldberg ’90Evan R. Goldfischer ’81

Christopher Scott Goodman ’86Michael H. Grady ’91

Christopher J. Hallows ’87Schuyler Havens ’88

Michael W. Hedges, Jr. ’77John C. Henry, Jr. ’84

David Riklis Hirschfeld ’99Patrick D. R. Horan ’85

Tristan Howard ’96C. Andrew Hughes ’98Andrew A. Janko ’95

Clinton V.P. Johnson ’79Michael W. Joukowsky ’80

Stephen H. Judson ’76William H. Judson ’78

A. Reed Katz ’04Kenneth LaFreniere ’90

Dean I. Landis ’78*James A. Magid ’91Paul J. Mancuso ’03

Kenneth J. McCauley ’93Richard C. Perry ’70*

Christopher Persley ’88Vincent Peterson ’74Philip N. Pilmar ’01Roger Raines ’80

Harlan Reinhardt ’83

Ronald S. Rolfe ’60*Eric Rosas ’06

Berton Rose ’97John Rose ’90

Louis Rose ’86*Henry Jay Rosenwach ’04

Dean E. Sanborn ’61Alessandro Meyer Santoro ’07

Randolph R. A. Schrade ’76Yoshiki Shimada ’75

Alexander Boucher Shipper ’02Denton Alexander Smith ’94

Michael Tiedemann ’86 Andrew W. Vogelstein ’81

Noel Eric Volpe ’85Alexandre von Furstenberg ’85

Edward W. Wartels ’91Mark Wasserberger ’82

Dewey S. Wigod ’77Hans L. Wydler ’81Clifton G. York ’78

Andrew Etess Zimmerman ’00*president emeritus

PARENTS ASSOCIATIONKim Dickstein, President

Alix O’Mara, Vice PresidentConstance Cornish, Treasurer

Susan Morgenstein, Recording SecretaryMarie Bitetti, Corresponding Secretary

Linda Barnett, AdvisorySuzanne Freind, AdvisoryCarol Kalikow, Advisory

Lisa Selz, AdvisoryLucia Smith, Advisory

Andrea Tongue, Advisory Pat Verrilli, Advisory

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMDavid R. Trower h’95, Headmaster

John E. Pariseau h’98, Associate HeadmasterSusan Etess, Lower School Head

Kimberly Kyte, Middle School HeadNeal Kamsler, Upper School Head

Richard Alifano, Director, Physical Education and AthleticsCasper Caldarola, Director of Communications

Michelle Demko, Music Department HeadRonnie R. Jankoff, Director of AdmissionsGlenn Lieberman, Director of Technology

Anne Russo Meyer, Director of Learning ResourcesMary Richter, Director of Development

C. Harris Stein, Business Manager

Last fall Professor Joshua Aronson of New York University spokefirst to faculty and then to parents in two interesting, even provoca-tive, talks at school entitled, “Nurturing the Intelligence of YourChild.” Professor Aronson highlighted the negative role of stereotyp-ing on school performance by citing a number of studies he hasconducted in schools and universities across the United States.These studies illustrate the malleability of intelligence—how it oftenreflects circumstances, emotions and preparation and how it thuschanges for better or worse. On the other hand, when stereotyping isminimized, Professor Aronson demonstrated, performance canimprove, often dramatically.

Professor Aronson’s research is only one dimension, of course, of the theme of this issue of theLamplighter: Teaching Boys to Think. At Allen-Stevenson we recognize how important it is todevelop the mind and to lay the foundations for life-long learning. Our mission statement recog-nizes the importance of linking various learning situations—academics, athletics, and the arts—when it states, “Allen-Stevenson’s vigorous, pre-secondary program of academics, athletics, andthe arts teaches boys to value the gratifying process by which excellence is attained.” The resultis thinking at its best. In the various articles in this issue of the Lamplighter, you will see manyextraordinary examples of how we teach boys to think.

One key to teaching boys to think is to recognize that there are various levels of learning. Thisconcept was documented in the early 1950’s by a group of scholars led by University of ChicagoProfessor Benjamin S. Bloom. Often associated with thinking, the frequently used term “higherorder cognition” derives from Bloom’s work, which drew on biological classification (phylum,class, order, family, genus, species, variety) to describe levels of cognition and to assess learn-ing with greater precision.

Usually known as Bloom’s Taxonomy, the six categories range from lower to higher levels, all ofwhich are important to learning. The verbs listed in parentheses after each category illustratesome of its specific characteristics.

L A M P L I G H T E R 5

H E A D M A S T E R ’ S M E S S A G E

THE NEW MODEL

OF INFORMATION

CONSUMPTION:

TEACHING OUR BOYS

TO BE GOURMET CHEFS

LOWER SCHOOL

FOSTERS

CREATIVITY

AND

CURIOSITY

IN

THIS

ISSUE

1. KNOWLEDGE (Know, tell, list, choose, recite, match, name, quote, repeat, show, sort, spell, label, group, find)2. COMPREHENSION (Translate, change, restate; Interpret, define, explain; Extrapolate, project, calculate, propose)3. APPLICATION (Apply, relate, solve, operate, manipulate, try, make use of, exploit, adopt)4. ANALYSIS (Analyze, break down, dissect, simplify, reason, deduce, scrutinize, test for, study)5. SYNTHESIS (Synthesize, create, combine, build, compile, reorganize, blend, conceive, formulate, generate) 6. EVALUATING (Evaluate, judge, decide, rate, appraise, rank, determine, assess, criticize, weigh)

All too often in teaching, only the “higher” levels are cited as evidence of think-ing. Yet it is clear that to do any of the operations listed in the higher levels, a boymust be able to do the other operations, too. The Chicago scholars wanted toimprove education to foster problem-solving skills in children growing up in anera they perceived as one of rapid change. Bloom wrote, “…We have the task ofpreparing individuals for problems that cannot be foreseen in advance, and aboutall that can be done under such conditions is to help the student acquire general-ized intellectual abilities and skills that will serve him well in many new situa-tions.”

Today, in an age of rapid change, the task of “teaching thinking” has numerousmeanings, many of which have to do with empowering curiosity, developing men-tal agility and acquiring multiple perspectives. The spread of technology of allkinds, not just computers but also the sharing of information worldwide, has

accelerated this global require-ment. You may notice, however,that most of the articles in thisissue simply assume the role oftechnology in learning withoutmentioning it explicitly.

Many educators would also citehow important it is for boys todayto develop the capacity to under-stand and accept points of viewthat may be unlike their own. It’s akind of intuitive thinking that rec-

4 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

INTEGRATED

THINKING

IN THE

UPPER SCHOOL

INDIVIDUAL

EXPRESSION

AND

CRITICAL THINKING

A SENSE OF

CONFIDENCE

AND

ACCOMPLISHMENT

LIVING

STRONGLY

AND RIGHTLY

CREATIVE THINKING

THROUGH

DRAMA AND TECH

MAKING THE

MIDDLE SCHOOL

SHIFT TO

THINKING

ABSTRACTLY

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

EXECUTIVE

FUNCTION:

THE BRAIN'S

CEO

Recent Good Books on Learning

Carol S. Dweck Mindset: The New Psychology of SuccessDweck describes two mindsets, the fixed and the growthmindsets, the latter of which she sees as the key to successin learning and life. She gives parents and teachers manysuggestions to promote the growth mindset in children.

Howard GardnerFive Minds for the FutureGardner defines five cognitive approaches: the disciplinarymind, the synthesizing mind, the creating mind, the respect-ful mind, and the ethical mind. Each of these capacities willenable a person to deal with what is expected in the futureand what cannot easily be anticipated. Gardner’s work onmultiple intelligences is legendary.

Malcolm Gladwell Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking Gladwell suggests that those who “thin-slice” by selectingthe most important factors that matter from the many thatcould be considered are great decision makers. His sequelOutliers: The Story of Success argues that external factorsoften make all the difference.

Eric Jensen Enriching the Brain: How to Maximize Every Learner’s PotentialJensen highlights the brain’s capacity for positive changeand shows how the brain can be enriched to maximizelearning, memory, behavior, and overall functioning.Offering many practical suggestions, Jensen indicates thatparents have a great deal to do with how children’s brainsultimately turn out.

Hara Estgroff MaranoA Nation of Wimps: The High Cost of Invasive ParentingMarano summarizes the research about “hothouse parent-ing” to illustrate how parental overinvolvement hinders achild’s development socially, emotionally, and neurological-ly. She shows how the net effect of parental scrutiny actual-ly makes children more fragile.

Daniel H. Pink A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual AgePink identifies six essential aptitudes: Design, Story,Symphony, Empathy, Play, and Meaning. He suggests thatthe era of “left-brain” dominance is being overtaken by anew “right-brain” world in which artistic and holistic abili-ties influence who gets ahead and who falls behind.

Ken Robinson Out of Our Minds: Learning to be CreativeRobinson shows why creative intelligence is essential andhow many organizations urgently need workers who arecreative, innovative, and flexible. He shows what people cando to become creative thinkers and doers, even if they don’tactually believe they can.

ognizes how diverse experiences, values, religion, orexposure to information may lead people to think differ-ently. To this end, our new policy statement Allen-Stevenson and its Community begins with this strongaffirmation:

Allen-Stevenson promotes diverse perspectives, honestdialogue and mutual respect. This educational processrequires constant engagement and considerate thinking.As participants in a vigorous learning environment, all ofus are obliged to accept the experiences, dignity andrights of others.

So, teaching boys to think today has an additional inter-personal, multicultural dimension that none of us canignore. Each of us must intuit what someone else mightbe thinking.

To me, this is the most exciting time to be in education!So much is being documented about teaching and learn-ing, about the brain and the nervous system’s role, andabout the importance of emotional intelligence. Therefore,I have included with this message a sidebar of somerecent publications worth your attention. As always, wehope you will enjoy the extraordinary articles in this issueof the Lamplighter and, as a result, come to appreciateeven more the special place called Allen-Stevenson!

Fortiter et recte!

David R. TrowerHeadmaster

6 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Imagine you live in a hunter-gatherer society. Your daily routine is to find food -- any food -- to feed yourself and your family. If you man-age to collect enough fruit, nuts, fish and meat to survive the winter, you can consider yourself a success. You get an A+. Now imaginethat you and your family live in a New York City apartment, and you are fortunate enough to receive carte blanche at your local grocerystore. Finding enough food to get through the winter is not a problem anymore, but you have a new challenge: how will you choose whatto buy? At first, the thousands of choices may overwhelm you. You may buy simply based on what is most familiar. But after a while, youmay establish some criteria for selection, such as nutritional value and taste. You will learn how to cook a variety of meals for breakfast,lunch, and dinner. You may want to learn where the food came from and how it was produced. In short, you will have to THINK about yourfood in a whole new way if you want to adapt to your new circumstances and maximize your resources.

The information age of the last 15 years has transformed the research experience in a similar way. Hunting for and gathering informationis no longer the challenge. Anybody can type a few words into Google and obtain some information. But the results may be the equivalentof Cheez Whiz and Cap'n Crunch - hardly a nutritious or delicious meal. The new challenge is finding, evaluating, and synthesizing accu-rate and high quality information. In the Allen-Stevenson Library, we teach the boys how to cook original “gourmet information meals.”We use research as the vehicle for teaching information literacy skills, enabling each boy to become an organized investigator, a criticaland creative thinker, an effective communicator, and a responsible user of information.

Below and on the next page, I outline three research projects -- one from each division -- to show just a few ways in which we teachthese skills.

KINDERGARTEN’S BEARS

When you think about it, children begin investigating the worldaround them right from birth. As a result, it is never too early tobegin shaping the process. Last year at Allen-Stevenson, wetaught a pilot research project to K-B. This year, all threeKindergarten classes are doing the project. Guided by our LowerSchool Librarian, Bonnie Tucker, and the homeroom teachers, thestudents investigate, compare, and contrast four different kinds ofbears in this collaborative unit.

Research lessons take place on seven consecutive school days sothat the boys can easily recall and utilize information from one dayto the next. The project begins with the boys sharing the informa-tion they already know about bears. Next, the boys gather factsabout black bears, polar bears, grizzly bears, and panda bears, fig-uring out what makes each one distinctive. In the process, theyengage in using a variety of carefully selected sources, includingbooks, magazines, films, and websites. Boys learn to distinguishbetween fiction and non-fiction books -- a first step in learning howto evaluate the sources from which they gain information. Alongthe way, as they add the facts they find out about the bears to wallcharts, they look for and reconcile opposing facts.

By the end of the seventh research class, the boys are the proudowners of their very own non-fiction books about bears. Thebooks are replete with information that the boys have collectivelyselected and evaluated as the most relevant, and they can enthusi-astically explain, with real understanding, the significant ways inwhich bears differ.

THE NEW MODEL OF INFORMATION CONSUMPTION: TEACHING OUR BOYS TO BE GOURMET CHEFSby Sarah Kresberg, Library Media Center Director

Kindergarten Bear Chart

here too, they must think critically and creatively -- which col-ors work together; how many photos work best and how largeshould they be; are the fonts legible, are the pages harmoniousand a pleasure to read? We have a few copies of the booksprofessionally printed, which allows for the creation of a pol-ished product honoring the hard work the boys have put intothe project.

EIGHTH GRADE’S BLOGGING

Three years on, the boys participate in the Eighth GradeCurrent Events Blogging Project, a yearlong assignment collaboratively designed by Winnie Barnes, the Upper SchoolLibrarian, Kim Sklow, History Teacher, and McCartney Wilkins.

Beginning in September, the teachers rotate responsibility forpreparing a post about a local, national, or international newsstory. The teachers post stories twice each week. Students arerequired to think critically about the posts and respond to atleast one post per week, including a response to the questionsposted by their teachers as well as to their classmates'responses.

This year, as might be expected, the fall trimester focused to agreat extent on the national elections, with articles about thepresidential and vice presidential debates. However, the firstterm also covered the economy, environmental issues, and anumber of international incidents. Initially, students' postswere straightforward answers to the posted questions. As theterm progressed, however, boys began to post articles thatsupported their own position or refuted another student's post.The boys discovered that news reports have many differentperspectives and that a truly informed person seeks out multi-ple viewpoints.

During the second term, we expand the students' role a bit,allowing boys to submit articles and drafts of posts for consid-eration. One student expressed interest in the scandal sur-rounding the Illinois governor and the governor's response tocharges of corruption. The student sought out news storiesand wrote the post himself. We open the blog to posts by allstudents in the third term.

One post during the second term provoked a great deal ofactivity on the boards. The post was about a Texas high schoolthat fired the basketball coach after his team beat anotherschool by a score of 100-0. This post resulted in 121 respons-es by students and faculty (who ultimately became involvedwhen the topic made its way into classroom discussions in theUpper School). The discussion on the board varied, but themajority of posts discussed the poor sportsmanship exhibitedby the winning coach. Students debated the right of a team torun a score as high as 100-0. Students argued about ways inwhich the winning coach could have changed his game strate-gy to keep his win while minimizing the humiliation of the otherteam. Tempers sometimes ran high in the posts, but everyonemaintained the civility demanded by the rules of the blog.

As students learn to find and use information at A-S, you mightnote a pattern emerging. First, we place a heavy emphasis onthe boys learning to evaluate and then select sources, with theirrole in this process increasing year by year. Also, as the boysgrow older, they move from receiving and using information tocreate a static product, to synthesizing and sharing informationin a dynamic environment. This new role necessitates the think-ing and rethinking of their ideas into fully formed opinions. Thinkof this as something akin to creating recipes and hosting a nutri-tious and delicious dinner party! The need for first-rate informa-tion literacy skills is becoming ever more crucial, but in the A-SLibrary Media Center we equip the boys with the tools they needto be successful, life long users and creators of information.

L A M P L I G H T E R 9

FIFTH GRADE’S ROME BOOK PROJECT

Moving ahead some years to Fifth Grade, the boys are now fairly experi-enced researchers. They have spent years gathering information frombooks, magazines, subscription databases, films, and pre-selected web-sites. It is now time to let them loose on the World Wide Web.Cognitively speaking, the boys are only now becoming ready to engagewith this tool effectively, and they really will have to engage their criticalthinking skills if they are to obtain information worth using. On the sur-face, nothing seems simpler than finding information through a searchengine. Simply type a search term into Google, and you have all theinformation that you could possibly want. Actually, you have moreinformation than you could possibly want -- much of it not relevant and some of it factually inaccurate.

We designed the Rome Book Project to introduce web skills. Along withour Computer Teacher, McCartney Wilkins, the Fifth Grade homeroomteachers and I collaboratively plan and teach the project. We begin byanalyzing the popular search engine Google and figuring out what push-es certain results to the top of the returns list as well as why and howthe results can be manipulated. We experiment with search terms, figur-ing out how to narrow a search to get a smaller, more relevant set ofpossible websites and how to interpret the descriptions and URLs ofthose websites so that the boys do not spend time going to websitesthat have no value. That's the easy part! Once the boys choose web-sites, they must ask themselves a set of questions: who wrote this;what qualifies them to do so; does the information appear accurate; willit help me to do the task set before me; and is it written at an age appro-priate level and without distracting advertisements? The boys explorewebsites on a particular topic involving Ancient Rome, such as trade orleadership, and then rate the websites on all of these criteria, ultimatelychoosing the best sites to share with their classmates. At this point,they begin using their first Web 2.0 tool - social bookmarking. A numberof social bookmarking sites exist, but this year, we chose to introducethe boys to Diigo. They post the best websites to their Diigo account,annotating each site to demonstrate how it meets the criteria above andtagging the site with subject headings. Students can now access thesesites from any computer.

The final step in the project is to partner up to create a double pagespread for a class book on Ancient Rome. Each pair must develop anessential question and three supporting questions, and then use thesites on Diigo to find the answers. They must also add some fascinat-ing facts and helpful illustrations. Because we are teaching them to beresponsible users of information, they must include picture credits ontheir spread and contribute to a joint bibliography at the end of thebook. We teach the boys to use publishing software called Pages and

Rome Book

10 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

One of the wonders and delights of workingwith young children is continuing to main-tain and develop the natural curiosity eachyoung child brings to the world. Most chil-dren have an innate interest in finding outhow things work and questioning allaround them. As Rudyard Kipling wrote:

I keep six honest serving-men,They taught me all I knew;Their names are What and Why and WhenAnd How and Where and Who.

In schools, we need to keep these “six honest serving men” alive in each of ourstudents and use them to make eachchild's education exciting and inspiring.

When I first came to Allen-Stevenson aboutsixteen years ago, David Trower and I had anumber of long and interesting discussionsabout the philosophy of the Lower Schooland our vision for it in its finest form.These conversations always seemed tolead to the same ends -- how could weassure that our boys develop into indepen-dent and responsible thinkers and problemsolvers? This discussion takes place oftenamongst the teachers. In fact, every schoolyear begins with a reminder to the LowerSchool teachers that our boys come to useach fall with great curiosity, and our job asteachers is to build on this natural interestwithout diminishing it. We want our boys touse their minds and imaginations to formthoughts, develop new ideas, reflect, andreason. We want to continue fostering theircuriosity and creativity. So as the year pro-gresses, the teachers try to continue hav-ing conversations about this in the hallsand at Lower School meetings each week.Which boys came up with a unique way tosolve a problem? Who had a creative ideafor the class? Or who had an exceptionalway of completing an assignment?

The Lower School develops creativity andcuriosity in a number of ways, and hopeful-ly everyday. Sometimes this happens in alarger, well-planned unit or group oflessons, and at other times it occurs in thedaily life of going to school. For example,the main goal of the Kindergarten curricu-lum is to build on a boy's natural curiosity.

number of boys in the class, she will thenask, “And how many boys are we still wait-ing for?” The boys do not necessarily real-ize that they are using addition and sub-traction. They just know that they arethinking to solve an everyday problem.

Moving to First Grade, the units of study inSocial Studies again stem from topics ofgreat natural interest to the boys. Theylearn about water and bridges, and theexploration of these topics takes each classin differing directions depending on thecuriosity of the boys. As is the case inKindergarten, the boys in each class gener-ate a list of questions about what they wantto learn in each area. For example, oneclass of boys became extremely interestedin how water was important to animals andbegan researching different animals, ofwhich some lived in water and some didnot. They soon realized that all animalsneeded water in different ways. Theircuriosity led them to look in book afterbook and explore many websites to find allthe facts they could about their animal.The boys then began to compare the factsthey found in different sources and learnabout the animals their friends hadresearched -- SO much excitement. Inanother class, boys began to wonder aboutwhat it was like living in the olden days

The boys enter Kindergarten already full ofinformation and questions. We give themnumerous experiences that will allow fordeeper exploration and understanding, aswell as provide them with a framework withwhich to organize all of this information.The three main topics explored inKindergarten Social Studies evolve fromareas in which most boys have a greatinterest -- their neighborhood, food, andtransportation. As each of these units ofstudy begins, the boys generate questionsabout what they want to learn, and thesequestions serve as the foundation for howthe class proceeds in exploring this topic.What could be better than having what youlearn in School directly answer the ques-tions you have when you are young?!

In Kindergarten, the boys love to buildblock structures and enjoy the challenge ofbuilding as high as possible. They do notnecessarily understand physics; however,when the structure they have built fallsdown and they have to rebuild it, they mustuse some principles of physics to think ofnew and different ways to build the struc-ture. This process requires them to thinkand problem solve. Or in a simpler way,two boys may be waiting in line and threemore may join. The teacher may ask howmany boys are in line now. Knowing the

LOWER SCHOOL FOSTERSCREATIVITY ANDCURIOSITYby Susan Etess, Lower School Head

L A M P L I G H T E R 11

organize these objects of the favoritehobby and fad! The Upside Down TissueDispenser amazed many adults visiting theInvention Conventions. It helps retrievewith ease even the last tissue from a deeptissue box. However, probably the mostpopular invention of these events this yearwas the Sneaker Washer. Who could haveimagined how many dirty sneakers thereare and how wonderful they look once theyare clean?!

As one visits Lower School classes atAllen-Stevenson, observes the lessons andactivities, and listens to the conversationsamongst boys as well as between teachersand students, the emphasis on encouragingand developing curiosity and creativityshould be evident in many ways.

Many of the inventions at the conventionsthis year were wonderful illustrations of thecuriosity and creativity of our boys. Manyprojects were designed to help feed andcare for pets, which play such an importantrole in the life of many boys. There werealso many projects designed to help boysorganize their school materials -- deskorganizers, memory prompters, and even avest designed to hold the many items nor-mally kept in a backpack. Then there wereprojects designed to help the environment,such as the invention to make new bars ofsoap from leftover soap chips. And let usnot forget the inventions created to helpimprove one's sports ability, such as theindoor hockey practice device! With“Myachi mania” becoming a part of thelives of so many Third Grade boys, therewere many inventions to help hold and

when water did not arrive in your homethrough pipes. That led to a number ofdays during which the First Grade boys car-ried gallon jugs of water up and down thehalls of the third floor, learning about howheavy they are and the difficulty of trans-porting water. They were certainly gratefulwhen they went to the sink and found thewater flowing with ease! And as for thosebridges, the boys became fascinated withthe many different types of bridges and try-ing to identify every bridge they knew.They researched in the library and on theInternet, and they tried to construct thevarying types of bridges in their class-rooms. We are still trying to agree onexactly how many bridges connectManhattan to the landmasses north, east,south, and west.

In the Lower School, there is probably nobetter example of the boys having theopportunity to use their curiosity and cre-ativity than the Second and Third GradeInvention Conventions. This unique Allen-Stevenson project stems from scienceclasses. We ask the boys to brainstormproblems that they have in everyday life.Once they have listed a number of simpleproblems, they are free to select one prob-lem and invent a solution. Some problemsare the same, but all solutions are unique!The boys use their imaginations to developoriginal ideas that become their inspiredinventions.

KG building structures in the block corner

1Z’s study of water and animals

Second Grade project from the Invention Convention

12 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Middle School boys sit on the cusp of a huge developmentalchange. They verge on moving from concrete thinkers toabstract thinkers! You might ask what this means and how weteach our boys to accommodate the change. Let me start byreacquainting you with Jean Piaget, the noted Swiss philoso-pher who studied cognitive development in children. He wrotethat children, aged seven to eleven, are in the ConcreteOperational Stage. Children in this stage are emerging readerswho eagerly respond to simple questions: who, what, when, andwhere. At approximately eleven years-old, children enter theFormal Operational stage where they begin to think moreabstractly and use higher order thinking skills. During theFormal Operational stage, we teach our boys to make a hypoth-esis, compare and contrast, project into the future, understandan author's point of view, make inferences, evaluate facts, anddraw conclusions. Through direct teaching, discussion, smallgroup work, thinking, writing, and reading, we ask our boys towrestle with higher order thinking skills in every discipline.

The Fifth Grade project, Stranded!, serves as an example of acurricular link to higher order thinking skills. Three years ago,Dr. Ioannis (Yannis) N. Miaoulis, the director of the Museum ofScience, Boston, met with the Allen-Stevenson science team.He described three hands-on engineering/math projects. Thispiqued the team's interests! Tailor-made for boys, the projectsfocus on guiding children to think abstractly. We introducedStranded! the following September.

This introduction, taken from the textbook, launches the FifthGrade boys into an adventure that has them thinking aboutengineering projects for survival on a deserted island.

Let me paint the picture of Stranded!. The plane from SanFrancisco to New Zealand was traveling at a steady rate of530mph before the storm hit. The storm hit the plane nine anda half hours into the flight. When the plane flew into the storm,the engine developed some problems. Fierce winds from thestorm blew the plane approximately 500 miles due south until it finally touched down in the ocean. On the emergency raft, you and your classmates drifted in the ocean, in an unknowndirection, at a speed of approximately ten miles per hour, for one full day, before reaching land.

~ Dr. Peter Y. Wong and Dr. Barbara M. Brizuela

Stranded! features three engineering tasks. Boys work in smallgroups as they approach each task.

• The first unit asks each group to develop a scale model of ashelter. Each group receives the same building materials. Atthe conclusion of the construction project, each hut must with-stand wind and rain tests (a hairdryer and water spray).

• The second unit, using materials simulating the jagged pieceof the plane that has washed ashore, asks the students todevelop (to scale) a water collection tool for drinking water.At the conclusion of the engineering project, the water reten-tion system must hold at least 1000ml of water for each mem-ber of the team, not leak, and remain upright without anyoneholding it.

• Finally, the third unit brings everyone back to New Zealand bycanoe and using Maorian guides. The project involves buildinga canoe to scale that holds the students, Maorian guides, water

MAKING THE MIDDLE SCHOOLSHIFT TO THINKINGABSTRACTLYby Kimberly Kyte, Middle School Head

L A M P L I G H T E R 13

The most important part of the process is the eighth step --redesign your prototype. Keep in mind, these are Fifth Gradeboys embarking on Stranded!. They must learn to communi-cate with each other, negotiate when necessary, and refine theirwork for the good of the project. The boys need to listen toeach other, combine their ideas, prepare for errors, depend oneach other's research, and stick to their final design. After thetests to determine the viability of their project, the boys muststifle their potential disappointment and re-evaluate their proto-type to correct errors. I would also add the skills of patience,listening, and focusing under disappointment. Finally, a boymay need to put his idea aside for the good of the group.

Stranded! is but one example of a Middle School curricular project that teaches and encourages boys to think abstractly.Boys work in small groups and actively think, discuss, disagree, read, interpret, write, make a series of hypotheses,build to scale, compare and contrast, project into the future,make inferences, evaluate facts, and draw conclusions. What a terrific project!

bags, lifesavers and food. The inherently unstable canoes mustwithstand the test of balancing on a full load.

The Engineering Design Process (EDP) remains at the core of theproject. This eight-step process defines how engineers of allages solve problems. In addition, the EDP offers engineers aplan to help them think and solve problems:

1. Define the problem.2. Conduct the research.3. Brainstorm ideas and be creative.4. Choose the best solution that meets all the

criteria and constraints.5. Use your diagrams and list of materials as a

guide to build a model or prototype of your solution.6. Test and evaluate your prototype.7. Communicate with your fellow engineers about

your prototype.8. Redesign your prototype based on information

gathered in the testing and communication steps.

Fifth Grade boys building and weather-proofing their island survival structures for the Stranded! project.

14 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

The Upper School is the final step in an Allen-Stevenson educationbefore the boys leave to attend secondary school. It is the time tobring together all the different aspects of their experiences here andprovide them with the skills necessary to move on to secondary school.They disperse to a variety of schools in terms of size, style, location,and curricula. As they depart, we want them to be independent learn-ers and thinkers who have pursued and developed a range of interestsand passions.

While at Allen-Stevenson, they have had the opportunity to becomeleaders, to think critically and creatively, and to engage in the vigorouspursuit of knowledge. At the same time, they are musicians, actors,artists, and athletes. These skills and abilities make them desirable toongoing schools.

Below are just a few examples of programs that allow the boys todevelop and refine the skills that serve them so well in high school andin life.

WRITING AND ART CLASS

Once a week, Seventh Grade boys participate in a class that combinesart appreciation, art history, studio art, and creative writing. SusannaRubin, an Art Teacher, and Susan Lukas, the Seventh Grade Englishand Writing Teacher, co-teach the course. They both come to thiscourse with deep personal interests in the subject. Ms. Rubin is a pro-fessional artist with her own studio, and her work exhibits in galleriesinternationally. Additionally, she has written extensively for theMuseum of Modern Art including the Matisse Picasso book that accom-panied the museum's 2003 exhibition. Ms. Lukas is a published poet,and she is currently working on a group of short stories. The courseexplores the connection between making visual art and writing, and itaccomplishes this objective in a variety of ways.

Early in the course, the boys develop their skills of observation anddescriptive writing by studying the details of numerous famous worksof art and writing specifically about them. These skills further developthrough a reverse project for which they take an imagistic piece of writ-ing and create a companion piece of art. To complete the circle, theywrite their own imagistic characterization and make a piece of art toillustrate it.

Poetry is another product of this course. Students develop a groupword bank as they observe several paintings. Each boy then writes hisown poem using only words from the list. Although each uses similarvocabulary, the poems differ, reflecting the sensibilities, interests, and

talents of the individual boys. In another assignment, the boysagain demonstrate their unique responses to works of art alongwith information about the artists themselves by composing fic-tional journals through which they imagine what may haveinspired an artist to make a particular work.

During a Monday Morning Meeting this May, the boys participat-ed in the second public presentation of the work they havecompleted during this course.

INTEGRATED THINKINGIN THE UPPER SCHOOLby Neal Kamsler, Upper School Headalong with Winnie Barnes, Jeffrey Herschenhous, Susan Lukas, Susanna Rubin, and McCartney Wilkins

William Lopez-Balboa ’11

...This moment stuck with me and in the future I decided topaint about it. I started with the large stone entrance becausethat was what I remembered most. Then I worked my way out,starting with the cars entering. The objects surrounding theroad are just there for balance, because all I remember is look-ing hopefully at the road and the entrance; I mostly ignored mysurroundings. The colors I used represented my interest inthem. The surroundings are mostly dark colors and then theentrance of the tunnel is red and yellow, which is where I waslooking most. The yellow represents the light I saw coming outof the tunnel. The red represents the glow of taillights I saw,and the black is my own personal touch, it represents howclueless I was going to see him. To me, this painting meansmuch more than an average tunnel. It means the first meetingof my father. ~ Excerpt from The Lincoln Tunnel by Mr. Lopez-Balboa ’11

L A M P L I G H T E R 15

One of the truly special experiences is the trip to Indian Mountainthat starts the year. The first week of School, the boys head to theropes course at Indian Mountain and spend two nights in thewoods. They learn to work together and challenge themselvesphysically and intellectually as both an individual and a group.The journey towards graduating as responsible leaders beginshere. They sleep in a leanto, shop for and cook their own meals,and participate in a range of group problem-solving activities aswell as high and low elements of a ropes course. The programconcludes on the final morning with the completion of a series ofchallenges hung between trees 40 feet in the air.

The following quotes reflect some of what the boys learn on the trip:

"Although finishing something is satisfactory, doing your best,and pushing yourself past your limit is just as satisfying."

"I knew everybody in our class (but not very well). After this trip Ican truly say that I am good friends with all of the people in myclass."

"We learned that everyone had to depend on one another. Gettingmad at someone because they made a mistake is pointless,because everyone is capable of making a mistake."

"The knowledge of being able to conquer anything if you really tryis one of the greatest truths of all."

"My heart pounded with fright; my mind raced with panic, as I con-tinued my journey heavenward."

"The most important thing I learned at Indian Mountain was that Ineed to push myself far past what I think I can do."

"…teachers constantly tell me that listening is one of the greatestskills you can have. This is one of those times in which it is."

"I felt we were really a team. Before the trip, I was skeptical if thistrip would actually bring us closer."

"My trip on Indian Mountain taught me to be more patient… thatwaiting can be a better thing sometimes."

"On this trip, although it's hard to earn my trust, everyone earnedmy trust. I hope what I learned doesn't stay on Indian Mountain."

SEVENTH GRADE'S SCIENCE EVOLUTION BOOK

The Seventh Graders created a storybook about evolution afterstudying Darwin's basic concepts and then researching various ani-mal phyla. Each student used his knowledge to write one pageabout the characteristics of one particular animal group followed bya creative fiction story based on scientific principles. The storiesintended to make readers of all ages aware of how various traits inanimals may have evolved.

This project involved library research, use of Pages software, andscience classroom work guided by Ms. Winnie Barnes, Ms.McCartney Wilkins, and Mr. Jeffrey Herschenhous. The boys met inthe Library Classroom for research and access to technology at leastonce a week from November through February while learning aboutevolution, genetics, and the animal phyla in their science class.They communicated with each other and their teachers via GoogleDocs throughout the project.

Culminating activities included class presentations from each group,laboratory lessons and dissections, and an in-School field trip. Onthat day, the Seventh Grade boys, dressed in their own animal cos-tumes, read their stories to Third and Fourth Grade classes in theAssembly Hall for two hours. They also made unique foods repre-senting their animal groups and enjoyed a festive meal.

INDIAN MOUNTAIN TRIP

The Ninth Grade is a special and unique year. The boys who choose tostay for the complete Allen-Stevenson experience generally refer to itas their best year at A-S. One of the year's foci involves working onleadership and group problem-solving skills. There are many opportu-nities for the Ninth Graders to practice these skills. The many exam-ples of these opportunities include serving as captains of athleticteams, playing the leads on stage, and running lunch tables in theDining Room. The Ninth Graders set the tone for the day-to-day inter-actions in the School, and boys in all three divisions look up to them.

Seventh Grade’s Science Evolution Book

Indian Mountain trust fall

16 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Art is essential to developing a boy’s abilityto see, shape and reflect upon the worldaround him. The Art Department at Allen-Stevenson has designed a sequential pro-gram that develops fundamental skills, pro-motes knowledge of art principles, andencourages creative individual expressionand critical thinking. We want our studentsto be media literate, and we provide themwith the necessary skills to analyze andcomment upon the visual culture of ourtime. The creative process gives the boysconfidence to take risks in their work,knowing that there is no simple right orwrong answer to a problem. Creative prob-lem solving used in Art classes encouragesboys to apply the same imagination andflexibility across the curriculum. The skillsboys develop in the art classes are cumula-tive, and projects and expectations growgreater in scope with each year. A boy’sindividual achievement related to his owndevelopment forms the basis for ourassessment of qualities such as motivation,focus, and imagination, as well as the abili-ties to execute, revise, and discuss the finalproduct.

Each student has at least one hour of Art orShop per week, and some have additionaltime through electives, Art in the Classroom,or the Middle School Humanities WorkTheatre (HWT) interdisciplinary program.

they invent their own characters usinghybrids of animals. This initial inventiveprocess sets the stage for individuallydesigned and fabricated soft sculptures.Focusing on size and shape, the boys cre-ate a stencil pattern of their character. Theboys measure, cut, and sew the felt pup-pets using either running or blanket stitch-es. Ms. Exposito taught the boys to use asewing machine as a supplement to theirhand sewing. Students are constantly mak-ing decisions, whether they are solving atechnical problem or coming up with newideas for their sculptures through associa-tive thinking.

In the Middle School, the boys have theopportunity to work in a multi-disciplinarycourse under the HWT program, whichcombines the classroom curriculum withArt, Theatre, and Music. This year theFourth Grade boys studied Ancient Egypt.The boys with specific interests in artchose to work in a group, creating a sculp-ture of a giant Sphinx. This challengingproject required them to make group deci-

This year the Art Department has engagedthe boys in a wide range of projects thatstimulate problem-solving, critical thinking,the imagination, and the joy of creating art.There is nothing more rewarding for ateacher than to see a boy excited aboutlearning through doing while accomplish-ing work beyond his expectations.

In the Second Grade Art in the Classroomprogram, Kathy Allen and Susanna Rubindeveloped ink and colored pencil flowerprojects influenced by the artist MartinJohnson Heade. The painting/collagesappeared in “Sprout Too,” a children’s artexhibit at the New York HorticulturalSociety held from March 25 to April 3. Artin the Classroom provides students withadditional time for art and offers time forcollaboration between the Art Departmentand the Lower School teachers.

Alessandra Exposito teaches the ThirdGrade Art program, which focuses onsculpture. The boys begin by creatingdrawings of imaginary creatures. Then,

CREATIVEINDIVIDUALEXPRESSION

AND CRITICALTHINKING

by Julia Kunin, Art Department Chairwith contributions from all members

of the Art Department

Second Grade Art in the Classroom Project

Fourth Grade Egypt Project

L A M P L I G H T E R 17

ately began researching, using both art his-tory books and the Internet. After a fewweeks of research, each student presentedhis art movement to the class allowingeveryone to delve more deeply into the sub-jects. The presentations helped the boysunderstand how to continue deepening theirknowledge of their chosen topics.

The second part of the term focused on theboys creating posters about their art move-ments. The boys chose a variety ofapproaches depending on their particulartopic. For example, the two boys whochose Futurism -- a movement that revolvedaround speed and energy -- captured thetone of the movement not only through theirwriting, but through their fractured anddynamically overlapping arrangement of theimages. Both boys who chose Minimalismcreated pared-down, geometric arrange-ments of images and text, deftly evoking thestreamlined nature of the artwork. All stu-dents emerged from the fall term with a gen-eral sense of some of the main art move-ments of the 20th Century and a more in-depth understanding of the movement that

In Julia Kunin’s and Alessandra Exposito’sSeventh and Eighth Grade Art classes, stu-dents paint skateboard decks. Each stu-dent’s skateboard imagery stems from hisown interests. In the process of preparingfor the painting, the students explored tech-nical skills such as color mixing and usingcontrasting colors. In addition, theyworked with negative and positive space,and learned how to create a visually com-pelling design. The class looked at work byAndy Warhol and Bridget Riley among oth-ers. Creating the board requires an under-standing of symbolic and narrative imageryas well as abstract design. Boys learn theability to fuse all three concepts into acohesive, personal work.

Ms. Rubin’s Seventh and Eighth Grade Artand Ideas class spent the fall term studyingsome of the major Modern Art movements,beginning with Impressionism and pro-gressing through Minimalism and Earth Art.The boys chose the name of an art move-ment that sounded interesting and immedi-

sions as well as research, plan, and designthe sculpture. Teachers emphasized thenumerous art processes involved. TheSphinx armature was constructed withrolled paper and aluminum foil. The boys worked collaboratively under thesupervision of Alessandra Exposito and Rob McCallum.

The Fourth Grade students also benefitfrom the Fischbein Visiting ArtistWorkshop, named after the family who gen-erously donated the funds in memory oftheir son, Alexander ’95. This year, stu-dents integrated the Fischbein Workshopwith their Egypt studies. Students workedwith professional puppet maker, ClaraWoloff, and with the assistance of class-room teachers Haruka Mori and Sari Lorner,they created hand puppets based onAncient Egyptian gods, goddesses, and cit-izens.

The Upper School Art program is having arewarding and exciting year. Student moti-vation, as well as the quality of student art-work, has improved tremendously. Boysseek out the Art Department, supplement-ing their classroom work by developingprojects during their Study Hall periods andduring a drop-in program called “Open-Studio.” Students also develop their art-work during other class periods at the dis-cretion of the Art teachers. As a result,Upper School students are often in the ArtDepartment on any given day of the week.

Upper School Skateboard Project

Upper School Modern Art Movements

continued on next page

18 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

FACING HISTORY ART ASSIGNMENT

Facing History and Ourselves is an intensiveinterdisciplinary class taught during the Ninthgrade spring semester. The Facing History facul-ty includes: Mr. Steven Cohen and Mr. CraigMacDougall of the English Department, Ms.Winnie Barnes of the Library, Ms. McCartneyWilkins in Technology, Mr. David Kersey and Ms.Kim Sklow of the History Department, and Ms.Julia Kunin, Dr. Rob McCallum and Ms. TaraParsons of the Art Department.

Students study the Holocaust as a case history ofoppression and genocide as they reflect upontheir own identities in relation to history. Theyexamine morality and ethics while looking at howoppression is created, sustained or changed. Ineach event involving prejudice, they analyze theroles of the victim, the perpetrators, the heroes,and the bystanders.

In the art component of Facing History andOurselves, students create a work of art withpolitical and social import that addresses themain concepts of Facing History. The worksshould address an issue of prejudice, the humanexperience of oppression, or positive socialchange that fights prejudice. Students face thechallenge of transforming a concept into a workof art. This artwork may take the form of a narra-tive, symbolic or abstract representation, or acombination of both.

The conceptual framework of the artwork mayinclude a person, group, or movement that hascreated or worked towards social change. It mayaddress a larger issue of oppression, such asracism, but in doing so, it must focus on a spe-cific topic within that larger arena. The studentscan work with any medium, and projects rangefrom visual art, such as painting, sculpture, draw-ing, book arts, video installation, computer art,and mixed media, to musical composition andperformance.

The project culminates with Ninth Grade presen-tations and a question and answer forum with thefaculty. The students come prepared to discusstheir topic in detail, as well as explain the artisticchoices they made. Diverse topics such as racialprofiling or the Cambodian genocide are dis-cussed at length by the students and the faculty.These powerful sessions enable the Allen-Stevenson community to discuss the ethicalquestions raised. The level of excellence in thestudent’s work is consistently impressive andrich in integrity.

they had chosen as their focus.Each semester, as part of the EighthGrade Woodshop curriculum, Ms. Parsonstakes the students on a field trip to see thework of a sculptor. In the past, they havevisited exhibitions on Louise Nevelson,John Anderson, Buckminster Fuller, andAlexander Calder. Back in class, the boyshave the chance to create their own art-work based upon the work of the artistwhose exhibition they visited. The boysreceive a series of questions in order toshape their exploration of the sculpture.We ask them to think deeply about thework, how it was made, what it may havemeant for the artist, and what it means tothem as viewers. This project allows themto become familiar with contemporarythree-dimensional artwork, learn to takeinspiration from creative people who havecome before them, use unfamiliar materi-als and tools, and understand how highly-regarded art can be made.

This spring, the Eighth Grade went to see“Alexander Calder: The Paris Years 1926-1933” at the Whitney Museum. The boysloved seeing Calder’s wire sculpture --both the faces and the abstract work, aswell as his “Circus” piece. They loved thewhimsical nature of all the work, and theyespecially enjoyed the playfulness of agrown man creating a miniature mechani-cal circus. The boys also sat captivatedby watching Calder’s mobile “SmallSphere and Heavy Sphere” while it was in

motion. These two projects were by far theboys’ favorite pieces in the exhibit, inspir-ing most of the boys to write about one orthe other for their homework. Back in thewoodshop, boys created abstract mobilesand wire sculptures of faces, animals, anddinosaurs, as well as wooden and wire cir-cus characters, including a monkey play-ing the cymbals and a human cannonball.

In the Art Department, we provide opportu-nities for boys to enjoy creating artthrough individual expression. The boyslearn new ways of thinking, while observ-ing, questioning, and commenting on theworld around them.

Eighth Grade Calder Sculpture Project

Eighth Grade Woodshop Elective

How do we create an island in the middle of an ocean that wehave to remove for orchestra rehearsal? How does Peter Pan flyif we cannot rig a student to soar? How can one space in theSchool be a concert hall, meeting space, rehearsal studio,Neverland, and Rome in the span of an afternoon? Our boys areartists, and they are fortunate to learn early in life that theirchoices and actions define a space, not the other way around.Kindergarten boys come to the Assembly Hall every Friday asaudience members, and once a year, each Kindergarten boyappears in the Assembly Hall as a grandfather, a porcupine, ormost recently, cardboard. They learn that the performance andenergy they bring into the space transforms the beautifulAssembly Hall into any place they want to see.

Drama and the elements of design in theater also challenge ourboys to solve problems and think critically on their feet. Whatshould a boy do if an actor skips an entire page of dialogue anddoes not say the line that is the cue to change the lights orintroduce a new sound? What happens if an actor changes hismind and enters from the center aisle instead of the side andforgets to tell the light technicians, so suddenly there's an actorspeaking in the dark? What does a stage manager do when hesees a friend back stage who isn't feeling well but is about toperform? These are all issues that have arisen over the last fewyears, and in each case, the techies handled themselves beauti-fully. They subtly introduced the sound or light change over theskipped dialogue. They brought up the aisle light slowly to

L A M P L I G H T E R 19

CREATIVE THINKING THROUGHDRAMA AND TECH

by Danya Haber, Theater Teacher and David Kersey h’98, Theater Teacher

make it look like an intentional dramatic effect. And they got theirfriend a cold paper towel to wipe his face and a glass of water todrink off-stage before going on.

Upper School boys, along with girls from Nightingale-Bamford, beginreading and thinking about the text of the plays ten weeks before per-formances. In the case of the Eighth and Ninth Graders, this meansone of Shakespeare's plays. They have to immerse themselves in theplay and think critically about its historical context, its plot, and theircharacters’ state of mind. The actors also must consider how thesefactors relate to their own lives and their own limited experiences.The rehearsal process further refines this thinking as the actors col-laborate with the other actors and the directors to achieve the mostaccurate portrayal of Malvolio or Rosalind or Caliban or Captain Hookor in this coming season, a Sneech.

Two weeks before performance days, the tech boys take the lead andrun rehearsals. They determine what scenes need work, and theyspeak up if they need to pause or run a scene again. They work withthe teachers/directors as co-creators to make a beautiful show. Thestage managers learn managerial skills as they tell their peers whereto stand and how to behave. The actors and designers at Allen-Stevenson work together as a company of artists to create wonderfulexperiences, and they invest themselves in the success of the wholeproduction over the glory of a single actor's moment. These interper-sonal skills are critical in and beyond both the performance and theclassroom.

2009 Production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe

Our Tech Crew at work

20 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Poise. That word came to mind as Iwatched a Fifth Grader perform recentlyin the Fifth Grade Instrumental MusicAssembly. Yes, the playing was wonder-ful. But I was struck by the ease -- theamazing ability of our boys to stand infront of an audience and perform.

After an exhilarating performance by ourFifth through Ninth Grade boys in theannual Gilbert & Sullivan production,Iolanthe, I have just put down my baton towrite this article about what we do in theMusic Department at Allen-Stevenson.Our production was just one example ofthe many wonderful opportunities theboys have to develop self-discipline, gainself-confidence, and express themselvesthrough the arts.

As stated in our school literature, musicis an integral part of every boy's educa-tion at Allen-Stevenson. All boys havethe opportunity to sing, to play a musicalinstrument, and to perform in musicalensembles. Musical activities range fromclassroom music, which includes singingand playing Orff instruments andrecorders, to private study of orchestralinstruments. All of these activities lay thebasics for Chorus, Orchestra, and UpperSchool Electives. Through class work,field trips, and performances, Allen-Stevenson boys acquire practical trainingin music and develop a well-roundedappreciation and understanding of music.

But this still doesn't quite capture whathappens here. I interviewed several boys,ranging from Second to Eighth Gradeabout their musical experiences at A-S. I asked them varied questions from whythey chose to study their particularinstrument to what was their favorite partof music at A-S. Their answers werewonderful. They spoke of enjoyingsinging together, working together as ateam, gaining a sense of confidence andaccomplishment, and feeling excitementfrom listening to the different soundscome together. All of them said theywant to continue doing something inmusic or the theater when they leave and that making music helped them feelrelaxed and happy. One Lower School

A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE

AND ACCOMPLISHMENT

by Michelle Demko,

Music Department Head

WHY TEACH MUSIC? From MENC: The National Association for Music Education

Music is a ScienceIt is exact, specific, and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor's score is a chart, a graphwhich indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody, and harmony all at once and with the most exact control of time.

Music is MathematicalIt is rhythmically based on the subdivision of time into fractions, which must be doneinstantaneously, not worked out on paper.

Music is a Foreign LanguageMost of the terms are Italian, German, or French; and the notation is certainly not in English --but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semanticsof music is the most complete and universal language.

Music is HistoryMusic usually reflects the environment and time of its creation, often even the country and/orracial feeling.

Music is Physical EducationIt requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lip, cheek, and facial muscles. In addition to extraordinary control of the stomach, diaphragmatic, and back muscles, whichrespond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets. Music is all of thesethings, but most of all, it is Art. It allows a human being to take all these dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create motion. That is one thing science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, emotion -- call it what you will.

THAT IS WHY WE TEACH MUSIC not because we expect you to major in musicnot because we expect you to play or sing all of your life not so you can relax not so you can have fun

Butso you will be human so you will recognize beauty so you will be sensitive so you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world so you will have something to cling to so you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, more good -- in short, more life. Of what value will it be to make a prosperous living, unless you know how to live?

L A M P L I G H T E R 21

boy also shared how his feelings dependedon the song because sometimes a sadsong made him feel sad. When askedabout doing it all -- arts, athletics and acad-emics --- one boy said he enjoyed them allbecause they are so different, and onedevelops different skills from the variedactivities. From the mouths of babes….

After Iolanthe, I left the Assembly Hall feel-ing a sense of deep gratitude for the oppor-tunity to help these boys make a connec-tion to something that is so much biggerthan they are. To quote David T. Kearns,Former Chair and CEO of Xerox:

“The purpose of education is not simply toinform but to enrich and enlighten, to pro-vide insights into life as its been led and asit may be led...it teaches people to think, tosolve problems, to take risks...to think inde-pendently,...the virtues are flexibility, adapt-ability, inventiveness, even playfulness."He continues, “No element of the curricu-lum is better suited to that task than artseducation. Whether we think about music,the performing arts, the plastic arts,whether we think about appreciation or per-formance, the arts takes us beyond prag-matic concerns of the moment and gives usa glimpse of human possibilities.”

Human possibilities. Indeed, that is whatwe see in each boy at Allen-Stevenson.And the possibilities are endless. Howwonderful to know that music tempersevery possibility.

I think I should have no other mortal wants,if I could always haveplenty of music. Itseems to infuse strengthinto my limbs and ideasinto my brain. Lifeseems to go on withouteffort, when I am filledwith music. ~ George Eliot

Lower School Holiday Concert

Middle School Holiday Concert

Upper School Chorus

22 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

In Allen-Stevenson's Physical Educationprogram, our boys learn about the benefitsgained from being physically active as wellas the skills and knowledge to incorporatesafe, satisfying activity into their lives.Athletics also provides many opportunitiesto teach social skills. We strive to developan intrinsic appreciation for being healthyalong with the awareness and understand-ing of how to be a good citizen.

The Wolf at the DoorA grandfather told his grandson about abattle between two wolves living within

each of us.The evil wolf has anger, envy, sorrow,

regrets, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt,resentment, inferiority, lies, superiority,

and ego.The good wolf has joy, peace, love, hope,

serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, gen-erosity, faith, courage, honor, and integrity.

The grandson asked his grandfather,“Which one wins?”

The grandfather replied simply, “The one you feed the most.”

manipulative skills, locomotor skills, prob-lem solving, conflict resolution, and a vari-ety of other social skills.

The Middle School Physical Education pro-gram builds upon the lessons learned inearlier years. These boys are ready toexperience a wide variety of fundamentalmovements, including traditional sports,dance, and wellness concepts. We believethat during this time, our boys can refine,combine, and apply a variety of sport andlife skills. These experiences also provideopportunities for our boys to develop skillsin leadership, goal setting, and socializa-tion. Furthermore, the boys make formida-ble progress in sport-specific skills andstrategies throughout the Middle Schoolyears.

Whether through a lead up game of footballwith our Fourth Graders or a tackle footballpractice for the Fifth and Sixth Graders, we engage every boy in an experience thatbuilds the whole child. For example, theSports Education unit in Fourth Grade flagfootball, requires the boys to fulfill leader-

We feed our boys with experiences andopportunities that promote living stronglyand rightly.

The Lower School Physical Education pro-gram emphasizes the development of fun-damental locomotor, non-locomotor, andmanipulative skills. We introduce the boysto educational games and dance as ways toacquire these skills. Beyond the physicalbenefits associated with our program, webelieve that, through physical education,our boys improve their problem solving,self-expression, socialization, and conflictresolution skills.

A typical game of crazy cones in ourSecond Grade class serves as a fine exam-ple of how boys acquire these skills. Theteacher places cones throughout the gymwhile the boys on defense spread outacross the general area. The kicker strikesthe ball and runs as fast as he can, tryingto knock down as many cones as possible.The defense fields the kicked ball andattempts to tag the runner out before hegets home. In one game, the boys work on

LIVING STRONGLY

ANDRIGHTLY

by Rich Alifano,

Director of Physical Education and Athletics

Varsity Football

L A M P L I G H T E R 23

verance, and teamwork. Daily, these boysface challenges that build positive socialskills, at times through adversity and othertimes through success.

The Physical Education and Athletics pro-gram at Allen-Stevenson provides invalu-able opportunities for every boy to experi-ence success and growth. We believe inmeasuring success through the actions andaccomplishments of our students. Westrive to develop boys who can live theirlives “strongly and rightly.”

On a daily basis, wrestling serves as a clas-sic example of our boys' success in UpperSchool athletics. There is a strong teamapproach -- “one for all and all for one” -- inpractice. Boys are pushing themselves toget better and compete while at the sametime encouraging teammates throughshared competition. Practice includes dailyhead-to-head competition. While this com-petition can be fierce, it also builds a teamspirit through the knowledge that you arehelping a teammate and ultimately theteam. Nowhere else will you find greaterexamples of dedication, hard work, perse-

ship roles. A typical class would start withtwo boys leading the team in warm-ups anda pre-game talk. During the game, all boyswill participate and strategize to develop asuccessful outcome. Members of the teamwill keep statistics, research information,and work collaboratively to be the bestteam. Often teams receive points forsportsmanship, teamwork, responsibility,and communication. In fact, it is not theteam that scores the most, but the teamthat has a balanced approach, that oftenleads in the league standings.

In our Upper School Physical Educationprogram students select activities based onpersonal interest and previous success.Coaches and instructors emphasize theimportance of commitment and dedicationin achieving continued success during thistime. Building on our core belief in devel-oping good citizens with healthy lifestyles,we continue to drive home the importanceof good sportsmanship and social skillsthrough our team sports. With an array ofsports and knowledgeable coaches, ourboys have many opportunities to find bothindividual and team success.

Varsity Ice Hockey

Third Grade P.E. Class

Fifth Grade P.E. Class

24 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Have you ever waited in line at the airportand observed how different individualsmanage the undeniably tedious and chaoticprocess of going through airport security?This may surprise you, but you can actuallylearn a lot about a person from watchinghow he or she handles this procedure.There are those who have their three ounceliquid containers neatly packed in the prop-er quart-sized Ziploc at the top of their suit-case for easy TSA approval. They packedtheir laptop in a Velcro bag for quickaccess. They thought ahead and wore slip-off shoes with socks so that their bare feetwouldn't have to touch the cold airportfloor. In contrast, there are those whosecomplete discombobulation is so pervasivethat it almost gives bystanders a source ofguilty entertainment. These people forgotabout the bottle of iced tea at the bottom oftheir duffle. They are wearing high lace-upboots. They carry a computer bag so ladenwith tangled wires that they can hardly getto their laptop. What distinguishes theapparent “planner” from the seeming “scat-terbrain”? The answer likely has roots inExecutive Function.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONIS A BRAIN ACTIVITY“The term executive function describes aset of cognitive abilities that control andregulate other abilities and behaviors.Executive functions are necessary for goal-

and we begin the development processright away.

A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOLEach boy arrives at his first day ofKindergarten with an already in-process EFfoundation. That's because constructing astrong EF begins at home with some of themost basic activities. For example, a boylearns to brush his teeth from his parents.They help him to see this as a priority byexplicitly teaching him how to completethis task. Ultimately, he can do it on hisown. At this early age, he has begun tocondition the EF system. Similarly, sortingtoys, emphasizing the importance of mak-ing a bed or cleaning a room, and teachinga child how to pick out an outfit are goodhabits to teach. But more importantly, thesuccessful adoption of these routines willbolster the child's EF skills and help lay thegroundwork for achievement going forward.Why? Because as parents, we are nurtur-ing the child's independence by (1) teach-ing him directly, (2) modeling the behaviorthat he is to emulate, and (3) stepping away(but remaining available) so that the childcan put the behavior into practice on hisown (“Tell me and I will forget. Show meand I may remember. Involve me and I willunderstand.”). These activities are theunderpinnings of a good EF system as youhave set the course for a boy developinghis own routines and organizational skills.

Once a child enters school, EF continues todevelop.

• Lower School at Allen-Stevenson providesopportunities to practice good habits anddevelop a routine.

• Middle School tests the system asdemands increase considerably and theboy deals with expectations to sort, plan,and organize the various layers that havebegun to take shape in his life. Time man-agement becomes important at this point:Which classes does he have today? When

directed behavior. They include the abilityto initiate and stop actions, to monitor andchange behavior as needed, and to planfuture behavior when faced with noveltasks and situations. Executive functionsallow us to anticipate outcomes and adaptto changing situations. The ability to formconcepts and think abstractly is often con-sidered components of executive function.”http://www.minddisorders.com/index.html

Think of Executive Function (EF) as youmight think of the muscles in the body.Just as strong muscles afford you greaterendurance and enable you to lift heavythings, strong EF affords you superioranalytical and organizational capabilityand effectively enables you to strategize,remember concepts, and anticipate out-comes. Just as one can train muscles,one can cultivate EF, and the processbegins early in a child's development.

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION AND ACADEMIC SUCCESSResearch has found that developing effec-tive EF skills early can have long-reachingbenefits for children. Academic successusually depends on a student's ability toplan his time, organize and prioritize theinformation given to him, monitor hisprogress, and regularly reflect on his work.At Allen-Stevenson, we recognize theimportance of building a strong EF system,

EXECUTIVE FUNCTION: THE BRAIN’S CEO

by Anne Russo Meyer, Director of the Learning Resource Centerwith contributions from all members of the Learning Resource Center

L A M P L I G H T E R 25

advancement of the last two to threedecades (which amounts to informationhurling at us from every direction) is aheightened need for a mechanism withwhich to prioritize, organize, and assimilatethe information quickly and efficiently.

Technology has advanced us to the pointthat answers are readily available every-where. It used to be that if you wonderedabout the lyric of a particular song, youmight have to wait for that song to come onthe radio or go out and buy the album tohear the song. Now, you can download thesong immediately, watch the song's musicvideo on YouTube, or look up the lyrics onany number of lyrics databases availableon the Internet. And if you're not near acomputer? No problem! There areBlackberries, iPhones, and other technolog-ical means to get an answer right away.

Most of the time, getting information hasbecome easy and convenient, but wheninformation comes at a boy quickly and ingreat abundance, it is necessary to exer-cise good mental controls and flexibility.These critical EF skills remain importantto a boy’s academic and professionallives. He must work hard to develop men-tal controls and maintain his attention sothat he can prioritize, organize, and antici-pate the outcomes of this new informa-tion. The exhibition of good mental con-trols when information requires sustainedattention is important to his academic andprofessional lives.

THE BOTTOM LINEThe EF system constantly develops, begin-ning from the time of cognitive awarenessto approximately age 35. A good system isthe basis of all learning and link to academ-ic and professional success. As we helpour students to think flexibly, use informa-tion responsibly, plan, organize, and priori-tize, we work towards ensuring their abilityto adapt to a changing world.

EF base as the increasingly rigorousdemands of high school, college, andcareer will expose and exploit any cracks inthe EF system. Having achieved a solidfoundation, the ability to self-scaffoldbecomes critical.

WHAT IS SELF-SCAFFOLDING? Self-scaffolding is conscious, purposeful,and thoughtful monitoring, evaluation andadaptation of strategic resources, knowl-edge, skills, and motivational states toachieve a desirable goal.

At Allen-Stevenson, we can help childrenbegin to develop meta-cognitive skills byurging students to ask themselves ques-tions: Do I know of more than one way tosolve this problem? Does this look similarto anything I have seen before? How is thisproblem different from the problems I haveencountered before it?

Writing and presentation preparation exhib-it perhaps the most vivid illustration of theusefulness of self-scaffolding. One's abilityto write well or give a good presentationlargely stems from one's ability to ask andanswer the following questions: What is thepurpose of this document or speech? Whois the audience? What will the messagebe? What sources are you using for theinformation? Writing requires a person toexpress his thoughts and ideas whilesimultaneously juggling and coordinating anumber of constraints and processes putupon him by the topic, audience, or specificassignment. Advanced writers are able toexecute a plan but are willing to revisit theplan based on new discoveries. They editand revise constantly to arrive at a polishedand cohesive finished product. This exer-cise makes use of the whole EF system.

DEVELOPING STRONG EF IS MOREIMPORTANT THAN EVER BEFORETechnology has afforded us infinite ser-vices, and it has made our everyday livesmore facile and in many ways, richer. Thebroader implication of the technological

are the play tryouts? What was the speechhe had to memorize? Where did he put it?Will he receive an invitation to that party onSaturday? Complexity increases. Thus,the EF system manages more demands,and it will continue to do so as a boygets older.

• By Upper School and High School, a boycraves independence, and at this age, theboy must begin to self-motivate, try out hisown plans, self-monitor, revise, reflect, andgeneralize. Rewards of pride and confi-dence bring momentum to continue to workon the EF system. In High School, a childreceives challenges to independently orga-nize time, prioritize, sequence, and estimate.He will have to organize his space: “stuff”for school, sports, and entertainment.Academically, he has expectations uponhim to organize his thoughts and ideas:speak, write, conclude, infer, and recall. Aboy will have to separate main ideas fromdetails as well as manage and make use ofmultiple processes to arrive at an answerand produce a thoughtful document.

• College offers the ultimate independenceto the child who is, by now, a young adult.He will need to monitor his own progress,reflect on his work, and seek assistancewhen he needs it. The efficacy of his EFsystem will endure tests, and he will haveto fine-tune his EF skills if they are not upto speed.

• There are infinite real-world applicationsand implications of the EF system, and theyexist everywhere in our professional andpersonal endeavors. How efficiently adultsinteract with the world around them islargely a function of their EF system. “Ihave a pitch to a client. I have a meetingwith the board at my son's school. I amhosting book group tonight, and I am trav-eling on an airplane tomorrow. How do Iprepare and prioritize for these various sit-uations? I can only manage all these taskswith a fully developed EF system.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-SCAFFOLDINGOne cannot overstate the need for a good

26 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

one of the first students of color to attendAllen-Stevenson. After Allen-Stevenson, hewent on to the Kent School and PrincetonUniversity where he was a music major. Hecredits A-S with encouraging his love ofmusic, which he still pursues today. He isthe Financial Assistant in the PhysicsDepartment of Columbia University and theChair of the Allen-Stevenson AlumniDiversity Committee.

By the time Victor L. Smith ’88 came toAllen-Stevenson in 1985, the Prep for Prepprogram was firmly in place, introducingcandidates of color to the Upper School asthey still do today. His two brothers,Laurence B. Smith ’00 and DentonAlexander Smith ’94, followed Victor at A-S.A graduate of Horace Mann and Columbia

On April 6, 2009, the Parents Association andC.A.F.E. (Cultural Awareness for Everyone)sponsored a panel of alumni that representeda period spanning over 50 years as studentsat Allen-Stevenson. Faculty member DavidKersey h’98 served as moderator. The panelconsisted of five alumni.

Robert Liberman ’58 is a graduate of Choate-Rosemary Hall, Yale University, and ColumbiaBusiness School. He is a Trustee Emeritus ofAllen-Stevenson and the father of RobertLiberman ’91. As President of The AdlerGroup, he manages various real estate inter-ests throughout the city. In speaking aboutdiversity, he mentioned that Allen-Stevensonwas at the forefront of moving away from acompletely Christian student body. Twenty years hence, John T. Carr III ’76, was

THE PAST 50 YEARS An Alumni Panel on Allen-Stevenson

James Joffe Elish ’06, Victor L. Smith ’88, Seagram M. Villagomez ’92, David Kersey h’98, John T. Carr III ’76, and Robert Liberman ’58

“A-S teaches boys andyoung men leadershipqualities and enables

them to manage wins andlosses with dignity.”

Victor L. Smith, Jr. ’88

University, Victor also holds an MS degree from the Polytechnic Instituteof NYU. He is currently the President of Millennium Lyon AssetManagement and the author of Legacy Capital: The Driving Force of theAmerican Dream. Victor credited A-S with teaching him how to be a leaderand to identify priorities.

With Dr. Seagram M. Villagomez ’92, Allen-Stevenson paved the way for all ofhis further transitions – from Browning to Amherst College to New YorkUniversity Medical School. Now the Chief of Consultative Medicine at theVeterans Administration New York Harbor Health Care System and a ClinicalInstructor at New York School of Medicine, he felt Allen-Stevenson’s rigorouscurriculum provided him with a strong foundation for his further education.

The last panelist was James Joffe Elish ’06 – now a senior at The DaltonSchool where he is the Co-Captain of the Varsity Soccer Team, a Peer Leader, Features Editor of The Daltonian, and involved in Model UnitedNations. He will be attending Williams College in the fall, and he looks for-ward to further alumni events at Allen-Stevenson. He too felt that he waswell prepared for high school after Allen-Stevenson, and particularly creditedthe School for teaching the skill of public speaking, something he feels iscrucial for students to learn.

All of the panelists, while pointing out how Allen-Stevenson has changed insize, facilities, and composition of the student body, affirmed that the idealsbehind A-S have remained the same. The School has maintained its missionto develop and nurture boys who are scholars and gentlemen, to offer its students access to arts and athletics as well as academics, and to instill inthem the quality of leadership which will follow them throughout their lives.

David Kersey h’98

C.A.F.E. Committee Co-chair Duane Nicholson

L A M P L I G H T E R 27

28 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

The Parents Association has been busy thisyear. We have had terrific participation inand attendance at our many events, evi-dencing a strong sense of community atAllen-Stevenson. With 21 committees and65 committee chairs, the PA plays a key rolein the daily life at A-S, and we are gratefulfor all of the parents who lend their timeand support.

Some highlights from the 2008-09 year: InNovember, the PA and C.A.F.E. co-spon-sored an evening meeting at which JoshuaAronson spoke on the topic of “Nurturingthe Intelligence of Your Child.” In January,our PA Meeting featured a presentation onExecutive Function by five members of theA-S Learning Resource Center. In earlyApril, the PA and C.A.F.E. sponsored apanel of alumni, at which five esteemedalumni shared their memories of A-S andtheir experiences following graduation (arti-cle appears on page 24 of the Lamplighter).

Our Community Service Committee hasbeen very active, sponsoring a number ofdrives and initiatives throughout the falland winter. The A-S Community gatheredtogether books, food, toys, coins and otherdonations for a variety of organizations,including PS 83, UNICEF, Ronald McDonaldHouse, the All Souls Soup Kitchen, theVisiting Nurse Service, and Project Cicero.In addition, the PA sponsored and orga-nized an All School Community ServiceAssembly in January, during which theboys participated in hands-on communityservice projects. Ongoing on most Mondaynights, the PA provides boys in Grades 3-6with an opportunity to serve more than 250guests at the All Souls Soup Kitchen.

The PA also plans large community eventsthroughout the year. In December, we orga-

Making A Difference is a new column that will highlight some of the many ways in which people give to The Allen-Stevenson School.

nized a Holiday Reception following theUpper School Chorus and OrchestraHoliday Concert. In February, we held acommunity favorite -- the Annual IceSkating Party at Wollman Rink. Also inFebruary, the PA and C.A.F.E. brought backthe International Festival after a six-yearhiatus. Held on a Saturday, this free eventfor all families, faculty and staff was a truecelebration of diversity at A-S. Numerousparents, faculty and staff volunteered theirtime and resources, creating amazing coun-try booths in the gym and donating deli-cious food to an international buffet in theDining Room. International entertainmentin the Assembly Hall rounded out the mostexciting International Festival the Schoolhas ever seen.

With the school year winding down, we stillhave two exciting PA-sponsored communityevents and our final PA Meeting ahead ofus. (The spring benefit had not taken placewhen this issue of the Lamplighter went topress.) This year’s Annual Spring Benefitwill be held on April 28th at Guastavino’s.A-S parents, Connie Chung and MauryPovich, will emcee the evening, which willfeature very special entertainment. Asalways, proceeds will benefit the A-SScholarship Fund. The annual Book Fairand Arts Festival will be held at the end ofMay with proceeds donated directly to theLibrary. Our final PA Meeting in May will bea Thank-You Breakfast at which a panel ofoutgoing Eighth and Ninth Grade boys willspeak about their time at A-S.

The 2008-09 year was filled with many com-munity-building events making for anothersuccessful year.

THE PARENTS ASSOCIATION’S ACTIVITIES

International Festival

Ice Skating Party

L A M P L I G H T E R 29

CELEBRATING THE LIZZIE AND JONATHAN TISCH LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER

A few years before ground broke on the new school building, Jonathan Tisch took a bold steptowards helping us envision our future on 78th Street. He was one of the first to donate towardsthe campaign that would become The Campaign for Allen-Stevenson: Today and Tomorrow. Hisgift inspired several other generous donors to join in creating the beautiful new facility for theSchool that we occupy today.

In recognition of Jon and his wife Lizzie'swonderful support, the School has dedi-cated the Lizzie and Jonathan TischLibrary Media Center. This is the secondlibrary named in honor of the family,which has received global recognition forits support of education. The first TischLibrary is at Tufts University.

Jon Tisch said recently, “We are excitedto be associated with such an outstandingspace at Allen-Stevenson that will be usedby the entire community of the School.”Mr. Tisch complimented David Trower andthe Board of Trustees on their strongleadership in a time of uncertainty in theworld, and he reminisced about his firstvisit to Allen-Stevenson when his olderson applied to Kindergarten. CharlesTisch '06 is now a Senior at the TrinitySchool, and he will enter the University ofMichigan this fall.

On Saturday, March 7th, Trustees, facultyand administrators gathered in the Tisch Library Media Center to celebrate the naming and totoast Jon and Lizzie Tisch, along with Jon's sons, Charles '06 and Henry '09, and Jon's mother,Joan. David Trower thanked the Tisch family for helping Allen-Stevenson realize its dreams of amulti-use library media center.

Sarah Kresberg, Library Director, told guests about the work done to create this beautiful space.“At the very start of the 21st Century, we set out to design a physical space that would meet theneeds of a 21st Century learner. The information age had arrived and there were some who pre-dicted the death of the book and, by extension, the library itself. But we at Allen-Stevensondecided to move in the opposite direction. We built a vision that places the Library MediaCenter at the very heart of the School, both physically and metaphorically. We aimed to be trueto our enlightened traditional approach by retaining the elements that would encourage a love ofliterature while simultaneously equipping ourselves for the digital age. We knew that the boyswould need a new kind of space and a new kind of librarian in order to thrive in this new, high-tech era.” Ms. Kresberg also remarked, “in the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Library Media Center,we truly have a space that is at the heart of the Allen-Stevenson community, a 21st Centurylibrary for our 21st Century boys.”

Bonnie Tucker, Lower School Librarian, presented each of the Tisches with a bag from theKindergarten Book-A-Day program and told guests about the great success of that program.Each Kindergarten boy ends the year having read 160 additional books selected by Mrs. Tuckerand carried home in his “I am an Allen-Stevenson Reader” canvas tote bag.

If you have not already seen the Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Library Media Center, we welcomepast parents, friends, and alumni to visit. You will also find signed copies of Jon Tisch's books,Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience and The Powerof We: Succeeding through Partnerships, which you can check out of the Library.

Jonathan Tisch, Lizzie Tisch, Joan Tisch, Charles Tisch ’06, and Henry Tisch ’09

28 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Siobhan McKenna Curnyn, our former Annual Fund Director, was married to Francis Curnyn on Friday, January 23, 2009, at St. BarnabasChurch, with a reception following at Marina del Rey. They are now resid-ing in Yonkers, NY, and Siobhan has recently begun a new job at the V.A.Hospital in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx where she is working as a social worker.

Facilities Manager, Joe Foresta, is a proud grandpa for the fourth time!Joe's daughter, Christie, and son-in-law, James, welcomed their son,Thomas James Zarcone, on March 5, 2009.

Art Department Chair, Julia Kunin, has been busy. In November 2008, shewas awarded a Pollock-Krasner grant, an award for visual artists basedupon merit and need. Julia is currently part of a group exhibition at InmanGallery, in Houston, Texas, called "Salt Peanuts" which began February 27and ran through April 11. She will also be in three group exhibitions inNew York City this Spring: Black and White Gallery from May 21 throughJune 27, Fordham University Gallery at Lincoln Center campus duringMay, and The Abrons Art Center at the Henry Street Settlementthis June.

Former Publications Manager, Jennifer Luongo Krayewski, and her husband Keith welcomed Katherine Ann on January 28, 2009. Katherinewas 7 lbs., 4 oz, 19.5 inches long and joins her big three-year-old brother,Thomas Charles.

At the annual NBOA awards dinner in February, Associate HeadmasterJohn Pariseau h’98 was presented with the 2009 Kenneth A. White, Jr.Distinguished Business Officer Award for outstanding contribution in thefield of business and financial management, from the National BusinessOfficers Association. In a recent article in John’s university alumninewsletter, his class secretary, noting the event, said that “John’s serviceto his school, his profession, and to independent education at large is leg-endary.” John, upon reading this, was struck by how accurate it was thathis service to Allen-Stevenson was listed first, as it has always been clos-est to his heart.

Rolande Schrade, beloved music teacher at Allen-Stevenson from 1968-1989, and her husband, Robert Schrade, who took on the entire musicworld at A-S from Stanley Gauger, will celebrate their Diamond WeddingAnniversary this coming season. Happy 60th from everyone at A-S!

Music teacher, Robelyn Schrade-James, and her husband, pianist DavidJames, celebrated their 30th Anniversary by spending March in Maui andperforming the Brahms Hungarian Dances for piano duet. Their son,Christopher '05, is performing cello in two orchestras, a string quartet and a trio at Boston University. He will be performing with his sister,pianist Lynelle, this summer, along with the seven other performingSchrades and Jameses in the family music festival, Sevenars.

Kitchen Staff member, Christaline Wilkins, graduated with a BS at TheCollege of New Rochelle. She is looking to do social work because asChristaline says, “I like to help people.” Her favorite quote by WilliamArthur Ward is “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.”

Mr. and Mrs. Francis Curnyn

Katherine Ann and Thomas Charles Krayewski

Mr. John E. Pariseau h’98

Ms. Christaline Wilkins

L A M P L I G H T E R 31

Thank you Headmaster David Trower, Ron Rolfe,Chair of the Board of Trustees, present Trustees,Faculty members, Fathers and Students for invit-ing me and allowing me to share some thoughtswith you this evening. It is indeed an honor and aprivilege for me to be here at Allen-Stevensonwith you and for me to offer a few ideas for yourconsideration.

I love schools. This is a nostalgic evening for mesince I went to a boys' school in the UnitedKingdom and the United States from 7 years oldto 18. I also know your school well by its reputa-tion, through its fine leadership and also throughfriends who are alumni or trustees of this won-derful place. I hope that you all realize what a won-derful privilege it is for you to attend a schoolsuch as Allen-Stevenson and what a touchingprivilege it is for me to talk here tonight.

I would like to do several things with you thisevening. I would like to share with you a few anec-dotes, some of them about my family and someabout research and then link this to a messagethat I wish to deliver about life, about learning andabout becoming a good citizen.

I grew up in the countryside. My parents are bothLondoners, but we had moved about sixty milesout of London into the countryside in Berkshire.My mornings were spent putting on my uniform togo to school and in the afternoons, my brotherand I would become rugged ruffians on our bicy-cles riding around the national park that wasopposite our house or making structures withsticks in the woods in our garden. There was anelement of the scholarly and an element of thewild in our upbringing. My father was a sword-maker. He was head of a company calledWilkinson Sword that competed with Gillette inproducing razors, but also, and more interesting-ly, made fine swords for the armed forces and theRoyal Family. The company has since been soldand ended production; however, we grew up withthe rather romantic idea that my brother and Iwere the sons of a swordmaker, and we wouldplay Roman Gladiators, and French Swordsmenand, the most dangerous of all, RussianCossacks on our bicycles. We continued, funnilyenough, to play with swords since both of usfenced through high school and university.

As any respectable Englishman, one of myfather's passions was the sea. He was more of adreamer than doer, but we had a boat down at aport called Lymington on the southern coast ofEngland and we would go there almost everyweekend. My father was always excited about thistrip. We would have a lunch on the way down and,for him, it was as though the grey suits and wor-ries and management concerns of the week werereplaced by the dark blue of the sea, the macker-el skies, the screams of gulls above our heads --a world of static rooms and meetings replaced bythe color and movement of the natural world. Ourship's name was Pyrrha, a vessel named after a

Greek Goddess who was the daughter-in-law ofPrometheus and who repopulated the world aftera massive flood. Pyrrha is thought of as themother of all women. This was lost on my broth-er and me when we visited the ship. For us, theweekends were long and tiresome. Since theship needed several adults to go out to sea, werarely, if ever, did so. Therefore, the weekendswere spent putting up the flag in the morning andthen polishing all the chrome fittings on the shipthat had corroded in the sea air during the previ-ous week. We hated the small kitchen as did ourmother, and we hated the long list of chores thatour father would give us as orders after we hadarrived. I remember particularly one visit to thetown with my mother and brother, where I plead-ed for her to buy me a captain's hat. I had seen itin a window, and it was something I reallythought looked smart and would at least makeme aspire while polishing the chrome to beingsomething other than a cabin boy. My mothersmiled, and we went into the shop to purchasethe hat. I returned to the boat proudly wearing myhat. My father looked at me grimly and said tome: "You do not deserve to wear a hat like that!"He took it off my head and threw it into the bay. Iwas horrified and tears welled up in my eyes, andfor many years I thought that act and his angerunfair. Unfortunately, my father died a year or solater, which robbed me of the opportunity to talkto him about this; however, I believe now that hewas right. Not really about the hat, but that mybrother and I had not put in the hard work todeserve being in charge. We had not done thetime. We had not earned the right to be in charge,to wear the captain's hat.

Let me now tell you about two pieces ofresearch:

Research One -- the marshmallow experiment. Inthe 1960's a psychologist, Walter Mischel, whonow works at Columbia, conducted a famousexperiment with four year olds. The experimentgoes like this. You put a marshmallow in front ofa young boy or girl and tell them that if they canwait for twenty minutes, they will then get anoth-er marshmallow. The tester then leaves them inthe room sitting in front of a marshmallow.

Now -- just take a minute to think what you wouldhave done. Take the marshmallow or wait?

Well, some just take the marshmallow and eat it.Some wait for some time and then eat it, butaround 25% of the boys and girls look away fromthe marshmallow, cover it up, tell stories to them-selves and manage to avoid the temptation ofeating the marshmallow until the tester comesback into the room with a second marshmallow.Now, this is the interesting thing -- the boys andgirls that waited twelve years later scored onaverage 210 points higher on their SAT scores.They are now all in their forties and the boys andgirls who waited are generally happier andhealthier men and women who have been more

successful in their lives. Therefore, the messageof this research is that being able to put off havingsomething you want quickly in the short term forlonger term gain is a good thing for everyone.Saving up for what you would like to have ratherthan just asking your mother or father to buy it foryou might be better in the long term for your lives-- being able to wait for what you really want is agood thing.

Research Two -- Anders Ericsson, a psychologistfrom Sweden who now works in Florida, makesthe provocative statement that there are nogeniuses. Instead he will tell you that it takes10,000 hours to become an expert at anything--chess, physics, swimming, baseball statistics.10,000 hours or roughly fourteen years of practicefor two hours/day. He will dismiss that Mozartwas a genius -- 10,000 hours of practice since theage of three. He will show you that MichaelPhelps's victory at the Olympics is the result of10,000 hours of deliberative practice. That thebest lawyers, financiers, doctors, writers, musi-cians, athletes, and pilots are all successful dueto 10,000 hours of deliberative practice. Why isthis important to you all? Well, it gives us allhope. We can all find a passion, and we can allwork towards becoming successful, but itdemands hard work and it demands the ability forall of us to think about the long term, to avoid eat-ing the marshmallow, to practice things in a delib-erate way -- not just putting in the hours, butputting in smart hours of work.

My grandfather on my mother's side was not aslucky as my father who was born into privilege.My grandfather who was born in 1899 into a poorfamily in West London was the second eldest in afamily of fourteen children. He had a mixed Irishand Scots heritage. At the age of fourteen, hestarted boxing. At the age of sixteen, he joined thearmy illegally to fight in WWI. At the age of twen-ty-one he was a professional boxer who spentseveral months in the United States fighting pro-fessionally. He became an artists' model in orderto earn more money. When he married, in his latetwenties, he gave up boxing and became a boxingtrainer with his own gym. Even though he was notwell educated, he was curious, an enthusiastic cit-izen, a man who appreciated and collected art andantiques and who encouraged his two daughtersto always aim for absolute excellence. He alsotaught them to take good risks and to challengethemselves. They both ended up leaving the UK

Dominic Randolph

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FATHERS DINNERIN FEBRUARY 2009, ALLEN-STEVENSON WELCOMEDHEADMASTER DOMINIC RANDOLPH FROM THE RIVERDALE COUNTRY SCHOOL

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For the 2008 Alumni Reunion, the Schoolhosted a cocktail reception on November14th. This year’s reunion broke recordswith 175 alumni, faculty, and past faculty inattendance. Classes with graduation yearsending in three and eight celebrated theirmilestone reunions.

The event also honored John Pariseau h’98,who after 39 years of service to The Allen-Stevenson School, recently announced hisintention to step down from his role asAssociate Headmaster. David Kersey h’98served as the master of ceremonies for aspecial presentation, which included a per-formance by the Upper School Chorus andspeeches thanking and honoring Mr.Pariseau.

Two representatives of the alumni body,Eric Rothstein ’81 and John Bicks ’75,shared their memories of Mr. Pariseau,which surely resonated with the audience.Eric Rothstein shared his feelings about Mr.Pariseau’s departure, "It is with sadnessthat I learned that you will be retiring thissummer, knowing all you have done for theSchool. John truly cares about us and hasenjoyed watching us grow into the men wehave become."

John Bicks remembered the many lessonshe learned as a student and said that whenMr. Pariseau “walked into the building, hebrought with him incredible energy and

enthusiasm that went through the buildinglike a hurricane. John taught us how towork hard, how to work with each other,how to respect each other, and how to beleaders. He has been a teacher, an exam-ple, and an inspiration to more than 1,000Allen-Stevenson boys. He has left behindnot only in this building, but in every cornerof the world where an A-S boy is in charge,many, many men who have the convictionand the will to carry on the skills that theyhave learned here -- not only to make theirown situations better, but also to make theworld a better place. For that, I owe John atremendous debt of great gratitude."

Past faculty member at A-S and currentHeadmaster of The St. David’s School,David O’Halloran, gave a rousing speech ashe read his original poem reprinted on page32. Headmaster David Trower shared hishope that his relationship with Mr. Pariseaumight resemble that of Mr. Allen and Mr.Stevenson, adding, “John's work has beena labor of love. Fortiter and Recte. John isalways one of the first to say we must dothings strongly and rightly. I have alwaysappreciated that moral vision. He has astrong sense of traditions and vision of theSchool. John's comprehensive knowledgeand perspective over these 39 years haveoften made the job of Headmaster easier.John is the model for others of a Scholarand a Gentleman and he exemplifies theAllen-Stevenson code.”

John Bicks ’75, David Trower h’95, Eric Rothstein ’81, David Kersey h’98, John Pariseau h’98, Dario Sacramone, Richard Pariseau, and David O’Halloran

Alumni Dinner in Honor of John E. Pariseau h’98

since it was difficult for women at that time to geteducated and get a good job. They both came tothe States and found themselves and their goodfortune here.

I would like the boys in this room to make apledge to look at your family members moreclosely in the weeks, months and years ahead.Talk to your grandparents, your aunts, youruncles, your fathers and mothers. Learn abouttheir lives and the challenges they have facedand are facing and how, with good grace andhard work, they have succeeded. Although Inever knew my grandfather, and I only knew myfather for nine short years, their lives and thelives of my grandmother, aunt, and mother haveplayed an immense part in making me under-stand what psychologists are now finding out--curiosity, hard work, good thinking, taking goodrisks, exploration and passion go a long way tomaking an individual happy and successful.

Finally, I would like to talk for a minute or twoabout schools. I went to two all-boys schools inthe UK, Crosfields and Wellington College. Icame to the States and went to The LawrencevilleSchool in NJ. I have now worked in about six orseven different schools around the world includ-ing Lawrenceville most recently before becomingthe Headmaster at Riverdale Country School. Iam now honored to come and talk to you at thisfine school, Allen-Stevenson. One thing that Ibelieve binds these schools together, but I alsothink is where these schools need to focus theirattention in the years ahead, is in developingboth mind and character together and intention-ally in young people. It is not enough to be goodat science or math or English. The question ishow are you all going to use your learning to dogood for yourself, your family and especially forothers? I have no time for schools, or teachers,or students who just "do school.” You are youngand so we all say that school is just good for you,that it is something you all need to do at your age.I would like you to challenge yourselves, yourparents, and your schools to start thinking nowabout how this work you do every day is part ofsomething bigger, something more impressivethat you are now working towards. It is thechance to fulfill your dreams, and the hard work,although difficult and boring at times, is impor-tant in making you become the person you wantto be and will help you to lead meaningful andpurposeful lives. It is important because eventhough you are young, you are all in the processof becoming wise -- and wisdom is something weall need moving forward, something that willmake the world a better place, and a capacity thatwill make us and others happy. So think aboutmind and character together in your lives -- makea pledge to be wiser and to find ways of makingschool count in your day-to-day lives.

I thank you for your time, your patience and kind-ness in listening to me this evening. I wish you allthe best in your endeavors and thank you for thehonor and privilege it is for me to be here tonight.

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L A M P L I G H T E R 31

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Mr. Pariseau then addressed the crowd. The full speech appears below.

After the presentations, the cocktail reception resumed, and guests min-gled and shared their memories of Allen-Stevenson. It was a wonderfultribute to Mr. Pariseau and his many years at A-S.

The following day, alumni and their families had the opportunity to watch arehearsal of The Tempest, directed by Mr. Kersey. After the rehearsal,guests joined Mr. Kersey for an intimate lunch.

A special thanks to this year’s reunion chairs for all of their hard work!

Reunion Chairmen:50th Reunion Robert Liberman ’5845th Reunion George Bernard Clairmont ’6340th Reunion Marc Francis Goeller Giattini ’6835th Reunion James Daniel Seligman ’7330th Reunion Maurice F. Edelson ’7825th Reunion Nicolas Wuorenheimo ’8320th Reunion Christopher Persley ’8815th Reunion Anthony Paul Bonan ’93 and Kenneth J. McCauley ’9310th Reunion C. Andrew Hughes ’98

Speech by John Pariseau

As a member of the class of 1998, it’s reallygreat to be back for our 10th reunion. I lookforward to more of our reunions in the future,perhaps even to our 50th in 2048!

Doesn’t that sound like my typical optimism?

And it also reflects my profound feeling that Ihave been blessed.

Looking out into this wonderful Assembly HallI see sitting before me living examples of thoseblessings.

So many of you have given me so much.

In my remarks last month on Founders Daywhen we celebrated our 125th birthday, at onepoint I said to that assemblage: “You all arepart of the story of Allen-Stevenson, one with agrand past – and a promising future. “

I know that all of you are proud to have beenpart of that journey, as I am, too.

Given that this is an alumni event, I actuallywant to speak mostly about you men – and theboys you once were, both those who I taughtand those who attended prior to my joining theSchool.

But before I do so, I would like to commentabout the gifts I have received from a few ofthe other adults here. What a pleasure to seecolleagues from the past.

Among them, I see Tim Nichols h’78. Howclearly I recall the year that Tim and I co-taught a history class. I still remember yourincredible understanding of how the art ofhumankind illuminated the history of people.And the yearbooks you produced with your stu-dent staff remain exemplars to this day. From

Mr. John E. Pariseau h’98

Tim I learned much about the art of teaching.

Jean Lamont’s bright smile. From Jean I came to appreciate more deeply the value of maintainingconfidence in the possibilities of continual personal growth.

My memories of Jim English are also ones of kindness, compassion, and the embodiment of theessence of being a gentleman.

Jim Holt still returns each year to keep score in the Academic Bowl. Jim’s example of choosingto join the world of education gave hundreds of boys the opportunity to learn about high standardsand passion for knowledge.

Among those blessings are the holy trinity of the three Davids who have spoken, all men of faith.From them I have learned so much.

Dr. O’Halloran, now head of the St. David’s School, a thoughtful and wise man who gave memany lessons in how to be strategic and innovative.

David Kersey, who sometimes makes me think I am playing Leporello to his Don Giovanni, is aman I truly love, is a man we all truly love. When I was a youth in the early 1970’s, one afternoonat David’s apartment on the West Side, I asked him to help me reflect on my future path. Giventhe opportunity to leave Allen-Stevenson and work in business, it was David who said to me, “No,John. You are a teacher; you should remain in education.” Without his advice, I would not behere today. David Kersey inspires devotion in us all. Recently he asked me if I had any regrets. Itold him no.

And David Trower, who accepted the offer of the Trustees to join us as our Head of School in1990. David has helped Allen-Stevenson grow from good to great, finding many teachablemoments to help me grow as well. I would not be here today if David had not chosen to ask me tostay and if he had not given me opportunities to serve the School.

David and his partner in leading the School, Ronald Rolfe ’60, also transformed the School into aplace that is safe, inclusive, and welcoming to many different people, including me and my lifepartner of 37 years, Dario, who I am happy to see tonight sitting next to my older brother,Richard. It is Dario who has taught me about the true meaning of goodness. And from Richard,my love of opera.

To all of you, I give my deep thanks for helping me become who I am.

But, my greatest blessings are all the other men in this room, you, the alumni. You men, onceboys, not lost, but found.

And here is what I mean by found.

As a teacher, as an educator, my life has been filled with the intangible. Unlike a carpenter who

32 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Speech by David O’Halloran

A Toast to OneFriday, November 14, 2008

Mr. Pariseau,It is, on occasions such as this, customary to toast retirees

with a few laudatory verses. With your kind indulgence, I’d liketo resuscitate the practice for just a few moments this evening.

I’ve penned a little farewell for just this occasion.

It is entitled

A Farewell to One

Our praises all to PariseauTo friends … John E. right here

Whose countless years of service flow –Four decades; less a year

His portion ’compassed Tiffany ... ColeAnd Trower too, we know

Of old A-S he knew the soulAnd what made this great school go

He made of math his métierAnd dare I overstate

How well he took the wider viewsWhen called to ’ministrate?

Attention to detail was his cryNo e-mail ever late

A stone unturned, you’d hear a sigh’cause that’s jus’ not our fate

His interest ran from case to casefinance, building, action

All engaged his energy apaceTo general satisfaction

Is it true that he cooks like noble James BeardLike Wolfgang, Emeril … Miss Rachael Ray?

I’ve heard he prefers his Foie gras quite searedWell seasoned like Chef Bobby Flay!

A sommelier quite convivialIt was his particular fame

That after one sip with a drop on his lipHe’d know the vintner’s name!

A scholar and a gentleman, from the very startAccept our plaudits, John … this night

Fortiter, Recte – a man apartYou’ve done it bravely, my friend, you’ve done it … just right!

So … to the one and only PariseauLet’s raise a glass, and cheer

Whose countless years of service flow –Four decades; less a year

can see his table stand strong and balanced, unlike a painter who can seethe beauty of his landscape, unlike a gardener who can plant a radish andget a radish, a teacher doesn’t know at the end of a school year what good– or harm – one has done. It takes years, decades or longer, to catch aglimmer of one’s effect.

It takes a letter from an alumni parent, such as the one who wrote to mein 2007 and said, “If you ever have one of those days when you don’tthink you are getting through to those young men at Allen-Stevenson,please remember that I thank you for helping me raise an engaging andcharismatic teenager into a strong and self-confident man who I believehas an intellect and ability to listen well beyond his years.”

It takes a note from an alumnus, such as the one I received a month ago,that said “I hope you know the positive effect that you have had on meand so many others. I remember your commitment to accuracy andimpartiality and your hunger for your students to hunger for the truth.”

It takes an introduction such as Eric’s and comments such as John’s tohelp me hear what meaning they have made by my role in their lives.

It takes a roomful of alumni showing me the good men they have become,the differences they are making in the lives of all of humankind. Throughtheir ideas, their inventions, their imagination and their ingenuity, theyare using the School’s lamp of learning to light the path for generationsyet to come.

My life has been yours, my hopes and dreams have been for you.This is about our stories and about the paths that you have taken.

So know that you have made the intangible become real by returning toyour school and being found. You are the blossoms in the garden weteachers have helped to plant.

I am humbled by the honor you have given me tonight, truly content withthe journey we have had.

I look forward to entering the next phase of my life.

But you should also know that the next phase is yours as well. David hasasked me to do a few special projects in a part-time way, building on somethings I have already done.

One project is to finish examining our archival collection, to rationalize it,cull it, grow it, preserve it, and make it accessible to people in the future.

To do so I will need your help. I see clearly a need to enlist an army ofalumni. We have many, many gaps in our records – and you can help fillthem.

You all can be part of that army. I will call on you to join me, in groupsby decade and class, to party together while pouring over our records,rejoicing in memories, and identifying that which we wish to protect forothers to know.

I cannot take the time tonight to mention each of you alums by name, butall of you know you have a special place in my heart. What great joy tosee you, to catch up with your progress, to remember the times we hadtogether when we were younger.

Each of you has a part to play in continuing the story of Allen-Stevenson,for our School is something greater than each of us as individuals.

In closing, I have tried to grasp this moment in time, this evening’s cele-bration, to talk not about me, but about us, about the gifts of Allen-Stevenson, and about your obligation to ensure that the School for thenext 125 years – and more – continues to hold true to its purpose:Educating boys, inspiring the future.

Fortiter et Recte!Thank you.

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Please send Alumni News for the Lamplighter to alumni@allen-stevenson.org or call the Development Office at 212-606-0890.

1920sFrancis Carter Wood Jr.’23died on February 5, 2009, in Vero Beach,FL at the age of 99. He was born in NewYork City and moved to John's Island in1974 after living in New Canaan, CT. Hegraduated from The Choate School in1926 and Columbia College in 1930.Before and after World War II, he pro-duced industrial and public relationsfilms for companies such as TheNewsreel Theatres Inc., AT&T, GeneralMotors, U.S. Rubber, Pan America WorldAirways, Winchester, and Sears. In 1938,Mr. Wood started Anchor Optical Corp. toproduce Navy binoculars. The companyreceived the "Army-Navy E" award forexcellence of production. In 1963, hereceived a contract by ABC television toproduce two pilot films for "The AmericanSportsman," which aired in 1964 and con-tinued for 20 years. He was a member ofJohn's Island Club, Campfire Club ofAmerica, Club Limited, Indian River Trapand Skeet Club, Ducks Unlimited,National Rifle Association, and NationalModel Railroad Association. He is sur-vived by two daughters, a daughter-in-law, four stepchildren, seven grandchil-dren, and seven great-grandchildren.

1930s

William Weed Kaufmann ’33passed away on December 14, 2008, atthe age of 90. He was an MIT professoremeritus of political science and one ofthe country's leading experts on defenseplanning in the nuclear age. Mr. Kaufmannwas a graduate of Yale University wherehe also received his MA and PhDdegrees, and he was a U.S. Army AirCorps veteran of World War II. After thewar, he taught government and history atYale and Princeton before joining theRAND Corporation in 1956. In 1961,joined MIT’s Department of PoliticalScience, where he taught until his retire-ment in 1984. He was also Managing

Editor for World Politics (1952-56), a FordFoundation Visiting Professor ofGovernment at Yale University (1959-60),a member of the Council on ForeignRelations (New York), and a consultant atvarious times to the Secretary of Defense,the Office of Management and Budget, theNational Security Council Staff, theCentral Intelligence Agency, the Center forNaval Analyses, and the BrookingsInstitution. In 1986, an article in the jour-nal Foreign Affairs referred to Kaufmannas, "the man who may well be the mostknowledgeable individual in this countryon the defense budgets of the past quar-ter-century." In addition to his wife, Julia,Kaufmann is survived by two sisters-in-law, and by many nieces and nephews.

Schuyler G. Chapin ’38died on March 8, 2009, at his home inManhattan. He had been in ill health sincesuffering a heart attack in 2005. Mr.Chapin had prominent public roles andspoke out forcefully in defense of culturebut was also a consummate “behind-the-scenes” man. He called himself a booster,a hero-worshiper of great creators, and ahopeless composer -- a realization thatcame early. “If you know you don’t havetalent yourself, you try to acquire the tal-ent of recognizing talent in others,” he toldThe New Yorker in 1964. Mr. Chapin stud-ied composition with Nadia Boulanger atthe Longy School of Music in Cambridge,MA. and then worked as a page at NBC.He spent four years in the Army Air Corpsduring World War II, flying a C-47 trans-port plane in the China-Burma-India the-ater. After the war, he returned to NBC in anumber of roles. He also worked as gen-eral manager of the Tex McCrary and JinxFalkenburg broadcasts. His career pathtook him to Columbia ArtistsManagement, Columbia Records, andLincoln Center, where he served as theVice-President for programming. Hebecame the General Manager of theMetropolitan Opera in the 1970’s and sub-sequently served as Dean of the ColumbiaUniversity School of the Arts. After 10years, he became vice-president ofSteinway & Sons before taking over theCity’s cultural affairs department. He is

survived by four sons, eight grandchil-dren, two step-grand children, one great-grandson, and his second wife, Catia Z.Mortimer.

1940sCharles Bracelen Flood ’44(cogflood@aol.com) is the author of 1864:Lincoln at the Gates of History publishedby Simon and Shuster in February 2009. Areviewer commented, “1864 is a masterfulcreation of the last twelve months ofAbraham Lincoln’s life. This book recre-ates the tense drama of the final days ofthe Civil War and presents a moving por-trait of the president in his final hours oftriumph and tragedy. This is a biographythat is also first rate history.” Mr. Flood isalso the author of Grant and Sherman:The Friendship that Won the Civil War aswell as numerous novels.

E. Holland Low ’45(hlow@comcast.net) was in town fromLongmeadow, MA and had the opportuni-ty to tour the new facilities.

1950sJoseph F. Park, Jr. ’54died on November 23, 2008, from livercancer. A beloved neighbor in the SouthEnd of Boston, he had served asPresident of the Ellis NeighborhoodAssociation and the Friends of HayesPark, and was Treasurer of the South EndHistorical Society. He and his wife, Susan,received the Codman Award for LifetimeAchievement by the Boston PreservationAlliance for their work in improving theSouth End.

John O. Field ’55 (john.field@myfairpoint.net) continues toserve as Chair of the ConservationCommission in Jaffrey, NH. His daughter,Allyson, received her doctorate atHarvard last June and is a professor offilm studies at UCLA.

AAAA LLLL UUUU MMMM NNNN IIII NNNN EEEE WWWW SSSS

L A M P L I G H T E R 35

Michael Dammann Eisner ’57 was featured in a New York Times articleabout his new business venture, theTornante Company.

George Harris Morison ’59

(George.Morison@PatientFirst.com) andMichael Douglas ’59 had a brief, butdelightful, rendezvous reminiscingabout their days at Allen-Stevenson at adinner after Mr. Douglas delivered aspeech to the Richmond Forum. TheRichmond Forum is an educational, non-profit organization committed to bring-ing the world's most engaging speakersto central Virginia.

1960sAndrew Heyward ’64(andyh219@gmail.com) and his wife,Amy, visited the School in November,2008. Andy is the former Chairman andCEO of DiC Entertainment, an animationand production company that was soldto The Cookie Jar Group in 2008. Hewould love to reconnect with his class-mates before his 45th reunion.

Dr. Charles A. Beichman ’66(chas@ipac.caltech.edu) spoke to theMiddle School boys in December about"Search for Life on Other Worlds: FromScience Fiction to Science Fact." Dr.Beichman is a professor of astronomy atCalTech and the Executive Director ofthe NASA ExoPlanet Science Institute inconjunction with the Jet Propulsion Lab(JPL). He was in New York on sabbaticalat the Rose Center for Earth and Spaceat the Museum of Natural History.

Tat Y. Yuen ’75(tatyyuen@yahoo.com) is married andliving in Singapore where he is about tostart a software company.

Mario M. Muller '77(urbanmotif@aol.com) had an exhibitionof his art work, "Ten Years of Painting," atthe Stephen Cohen Gallery, in LosAngeles in April, 2009.

Steven J. Dreschler ’79 (sjdreschler@yahoo.com) stopped by theSchool in the fall. He is a film/videomaker here in New York.

1980sCraig R. Kallman ’80,(craig.kallman@atlantic-recording.com)Atlantic Records Chairman and ChiefExecutive was featured in a New YorkTimes article about digital music rev-enues surpassing compact disc sales.

Daniel Abrams ’81, the Chief Legal Consultant for NBC news,has started a media consulting firm,Abrams Research.

Evan Goldfischer, MD ’81

(JBGERG@att.net) was named a 2008HealthCare Hero by the Hudson ValleyLife newspaper. Readers nominated pro-fessionals from the healthcare field whogo above and beyond the ordinary call ofduty. Evan said in response to the award,“The biggest rewards are treating some-one so their pain is completely gone andrestoring their quality of life.”

James Carew Rosapepe ’66 (jim.rosapepe@gmail.com) has had aprofessional career that has been a mixof business and public service. A formermember of the Maryland House ofDelegates, and former Ambassador toRomania, he is currently the head of aninternational investment firm, a memberof the University of Maryland Board ofRegents, and a member of the MarylandState Senate. He has written an OpEdpiece for The Guardian in the UK onglobal economy. To read the full text, goto http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment-isfree/cifamerica/2009/mar/20/g20-glob-al-new-deal

Christopher Scot Weaver ’66(csweaver@MIT.edu) founded BethesdaSoftworks in 1986, which released itslatest title, Fallout 3, in late October.Chris is a New York- and Maryland-based consultant and teaches part timeat MIT. He invites old A-S classmates toe-mail him and reconnect.

Wiliam H. Block ’68(bblock@qedintl.com), President of QEDInternational -- the 2-year-old financing,sales and production company -- andproducer of the movie W directed byOliver Stone, stopped by the School inNovember and had the opportunity tomeet with David Trower. The next QEDproject is the Peter Jackson-producedalien thriller, District 9, which is sched-uled for release in August, 2009 bySONY.

1970sRichard Cayne Perry ’70 (rperry@perrycap.com) was featured inthe September 2008 issue of Fortunemagazine. Describing Perry as, "one ofthe most successful investors of ourtime," the article traces the success ofPerry Capital.

Jeffrey G. Beers ’71 (jbeers@jeffreybeers.com) was featuredin the November/December issue ofDepartures magazine for his architectur-al work on the Fontainbleau Hotel inMiami, FL.

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Thomas Mills ’81

(tmillslpc@bellsouth.net) visited theSchool in December with his son, August.He is the owner of a private catering com-pany, Little Pond Caterers, in Wilmington,NC, where he lives with his wife, Karin andtwo boys, August and Avery.

Eric Andrew Bader ’82(eabader@gmail.com) has started hisown advertising agency in New York,BrandinHand, Inc.

Ian Scott Peck ’83(ipeck@artcapitalgroup.com) is the Co-Owner of Art Capital Group which was fea-tured recently in The New York Times.The company specializes in art relatedloans.

Peter Bicknell Kellner ’84(peter.kellner@richmondmgt.com) waspart of the cover story in a Decemberissue of Barron’s titled “Next-Gen Givers”about up and coming philanthropists.

Timothy Warren Packard ’84 (echelontim@aol.com) and wife, Daphne,welcomed their son, Lukas WarrenPackard into the world on March 18, 2009.He weighed 5lbs. 15oz.

Noel Eric Volpe ’85 (noel.volpe@db.com) was listed as ayoung financial professional to watch inInvestment Dealer Digest’s list of 40under 40.

Alfred Paul Burger, MD ’87

(alfburger@hotmail.com) and wife,Jessica Malkin, are proud parents of MiloWilliam Burger, born February 6, 2009,and weighing in at 7 lbs. 2 oz.

Capt. Christopher J. Hallows ’87 (hallowschris@hotmail.com) writes, “Itwas so great to stop by the School inSeptember and have an opportunity tospeak to the Ninth Graders. As always,the School looks great. Mr. Pariseau'sretirement is a huge loss. He is an incred-ible teacher who has touched so manystudents’ lives – including mine!”

Gregory Anton Pendl ’88 (pendl1972@hotmail.com) is living andworking in Madrid.

Victor Lloyd Smith ’88(vsmith@mlgcap.com) is the President ofMillennium Lyon Asset Management. Hehas written a book titled Legacy Capital:The Driving Force of the American Dream,published on December 2008. Pang Lee’90 has said, "Victor is a visionary and hisenthusiasm for wealth creation is elo-quently reflected in the pages of thisbook. This book is for anyone who wants

David M. Rosenthal ’84 (meshuga@earthlink.net ) was in the Cityexploring options for a new documentaryfilm on the environment. He is in touchwith many of his classmates from theclass of 1984 who are involved in themovie business in Los Angeles.

Christopher John Weitz ’84(david@depthoffield.biz) is slated todirect the sequel to Twilight -- New Moonstarring Dakota Fanning, opening inNovember.

James D. Cornelius ’85 (jamescornelius@corneliusandco.com) isthe Founder of Open Learning Systemswhich uses an open source (freely avail-able) software package designed withschools in mind. It creates effectiveonline learning communities to assist stu-dents, teachers, parents, and schools.

Partrick D.R. Horan ’85 (patrick@waldingfieldfarm.com) was fea-tured in a New York Times article abouthis family farm and their production ofheirloom tomato sauce.

Andrew Mercy ’85

(andy@angelpoints.com) and his son,Baxter, toured the School recently. Andy,the President of Angelpoints, Inc., willpresent at a workshop on CorporateCitizenship and Sustainable Brands atThe Conference Board LeadershipConference here in New York.

AAAA LLLL UUUU MMMM NNNN IIII NNNN EEEE WWWW SSSS

L A M P L I G H T E R 37

to take control of their destiny." Moreinformation is available on the website,www. Legacycapitalbook.com.

Jesse Weisman ’89 (jessew@jwtransport.com) has lived inNew Orleans since 2004, and has recentlypurchased a home. He started a logisticscompany in 2007, and it is doing very well.

1990sStefan Friedman ’90 (friedman@knickskd.com) and AmyGlickman were married February 7, 2009,at the IAC Building in New York. The brideis a Public Relations specialist as isStefan, at Knickerbocker SKD.

Kenneth LaFreniere ’90

(Kenneth.LaFreniere@Thomson.com)sent in a picture of his two children, babyCate and big brother, Charlie.

Mark O’Carroll ’90

and Mary Ming Shen were marriedNovember 8, 2008, at the CalvaryPresbyterian Church in San Francisco.

Mark works as a senior manager in thecorporate business development group atApplied Materials, a semiconductorequipment manufacturer in Santa Clara,Calif. He graduated from Notre Dame andreceived his MBA from the University ofChicago.

Robert L. Fingeroth ’90(bfingeroth@aol.com) has a CD out enti-tled “Dilettante” for which he has writtenand performed the music. He played atNYC venues such as The MercuryLounge, Fez, and Arlene’s Grocery –including a recent performance there inFebruary.

Edward W. Wartels ’91(ewartels@crescapartners.com) wasnamed one of the top Dealmakers of 2008by the Real Estate Board of New York.

Jonathan Perry Evans ’92 and Courtney Elizabeth Coles were mar-ried in February 2008 at La Playa Beach &Golf Resort in Naples, FL. Jonathanworks in St. Louis as a program managerin product development at CraneMerchandising Systems, which buildsvending machines. The groom graduatedfrom St. Lawrence University andreceived an MBA from Columbia.

Cannon Lyell Hersey ’92 (blackagemedia@earthlink.net) alongwith South African artist, Samson Minisi,has a retrospective show “Johannesburgto New York” at the MoCADA Museum, 80Hanson Place in downtown Brooklyn.The show ran until May 17, 2009.

Thomas Martinez Ruiz ’92(tvmruiz@yahoo.com) was formerly atGrey Advertising and is now atDraftFCBhealtlhcare -- a medical advertis-ing agency.

Daniel Edward Rosen ’94 (dedwardrosen@gmail.com), a reporterfor Newsday, stopped by the School whilehe was in town covering a story at theGreek Consulate.

Raul-Gabriel Flores ’96 (rflores@pullcom.com) has graduatedfrom the University of Michigan, complet-ed George Washington University LawSchool, and currently, is a lawyer inStamford, CT at the firm of Pullman andComely LLC.

Tristan Howard ’96 (tristis10@hotmail.com) is again perform-ing with HOTTIE$ GALORE. They pre-sented LIQUID BUENO at The KraineTheater in New York in January.

James Nicholas Katz ’96 (jkatz@law.harvard.edu) married RebeccaMiriam Kirszner Katz on March 14, 2009,at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.James, a graduate of Brown, is in a pro-gram at Harvard, from which he willreceive a law degree and a master’s inpublic policy.

Jose M. Baez ’97 is a student at the Lauder Institute ofthe Wharton School/University ofPennsylvania. After Allen-Stevenson, heattended the Masters School and graduat-ed from Amherst College. He has been adesk reader at a New York brokerage firmwhere he also organized multiple firm-sponsored teams and charity events aswell as volunteering during his time off toserve as a tutor for local youth.

Fred Taylor Isquith, Jr. ’97 (freddy.isquith@gmail.com) will graduatethis June from Syracuse University with amaster’s in public policy from the MaxwellSchool of Public Affairs and law degree .

Evan H. Levey ’97 (elevey@ccabinet.com) visited the Schoolin November and saw Mr. Trower. Hewrites, “Thank you for showing me thenew theater at A-S. The school is beauti-ful.” He is still working for ColumbiaCabinets.

38 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

Matthew Fox Rosler ’98 (matthewfoxrosler@gmail.com) travelledin Central China this past February andMarch.

Alexander Hirschhorn Klebanoff ’98 (ahklebanoff@gmail.com) continues topursue his interest dealing in contempo-rary art.

Philip Boucher Shipper ’98

(phil.shipper@gmail.com) and KatelynMcGary were married on July 12, 2008, inLas Vegas, NV.

Maximilian Scott Warnecke ’99 (madmaggie8@yahoo.com) is on a 138 ft.wooden sailing ship on the Maine Coastteaching American History to 20 studentsfrom Proctor Academy in NH. He is alsoa deck hand while learning to sail by thestars, as he works toward his deck hand'sand captain's licenses.

2000sSpencer William Carlson ’05 (w.spencer.carlson@gmail.com) sangwith the Kenyon College Kokosingers(Kenyon's all-male a cappella ensemble)in New York in January.

Alexander Charles Chouraqui ’06 (achouraqui@riverdale.edu) is Co-Captainof the Lacrosse team at Riverdale. He hasbeen accepted to Washington University inSt. Louis, MO.

Matthew H. Joseloff ’06 (matt.josel0ff@gmail.com) had an intern-ship at the New York Sun and is theCaptain of the Cross Country team atHorace Mann.

Christopher Matthew Blauner ’07 (cblauner@gmail.com) recently finished arole in the performance of Brecht’sMother Courage at Poly Prep.

Evan Jacob Griffith ’07 (evan_griffith@horacemann.org) is aguest organist at Temple Emanu-El and amember of the American Guild ofOrganists and the Organ HistoricalSociety. Evan studied piano and violinwhile at A-S and now plays violin in theHorace Mann Orchestra. He first playedthe Temple Emanu-El organ for the clos-ing hymn at his Bar Mitzvah, and he hassince played holidays and family ser-vices. He is currently enrolled in theManhattan School of Music’s pre-collegeprogram and is interested in playing theorgan professionally.

AAAA LLLL UUUU MMMM NNNN IIII NNNN EEEE WWWW SSSSJames Morris Rucinski ’07

(jamie@all.global.net) is at LaGuardiaHigh School where he is playing squashand the flute. He and Evan Griffth per-formed together at Temple Emanu-El onApril 17, 2008.

Joseph Allen Abadi ’08 (nosinterogamos@yahoo.com) is playingJV baseball at Horace Mann.

Rhys Jude Athayde ’08 (rhysathayde@stmarksschool.org) hadan internship at Compucraft last summerand hopes to get another one this com-ing summer through the Boys Club ofNew York.

Alexander D’Arc Corwin ’08 (acorwin@riverdale.edu) is playing soc-cer for Riverdale.

Jeremy Matthew Exstein ’08(jekstein@Hotchkiss.org) is enjoying histime at the Hotchkiss School where he isa boarder. He was in a production thereof Steve Martin's Picasso at the LapinAgile where he played the role of ElvisPresley.

L A M P L I G H T E R 41

In Memoriam

Schuyler G. Chapin ’38

William Holdsworth faculty member from 1968-1976

William Weed Kaufmann ’33

Thaw Malin ’32

Joseph F. Park, Jr. ’54

Paul R. G. Sackett ’53

Francis Carter Wood ’23

We are delighted to note an increase

of interest in Allen-Stevenson among

alumni who have sons of school age.

Because of this situation, the School

has developed a policy to handle

Legacy Status: alumni may request an

early admissions decision although

Legacy Status does not mean an

automatic or guaranteed acceptance.

Alumni who are interested in applying

their sons should call the Admissions

Office at 212-606-0884.

ATTENTION ALL ALUMNI

Do you have boxes of A-S paraphernalia? Do you want to shareyour memories with the rest of the alumni body? Have you notflipped through your yearbook in years?

Join Mr. Pariseau h’98 in the Allen-Stevenson archiving project.

As announced at the 2008 Alumni Reunion, Mr. Pariseau will stepdown from his role as Associate Headmaster. However, as one ofhis special projects, he will be working to grow and rationalize thematerial in the archive room. Mr. Pariseau is looking for those alum-ni who are interested in preserving these materials for the future.

Currently, the archive room has a wealth of information documentingAllen-Stevenson’s history including, photos, yearbooks, copies of A-S News, and other documents. But there are still many missingpieces and unlabeled photographs.

Opportunities to help in this project include: identifying classmatesin photos, adding materials to the archives, and reaching out toother alums to gain more information.

If you are interested please contact the Alumni Office atalumni@allen-stevenson.org.

L. David Ortiz ’91 with Mr. John E. Pariseau h’98

40 S P R I N G 2 0 0 9

JAISON CORREA-SPAIN ’97After Jaison Correa-Spain ’97 graduated with a BA in Studio Composition with a focus invoice from the Conservatory of Music at SUNY-Purchase in December 2005, he auditionedfor Broadway shows and plays around New York City. He was also an alternate for thetraveling company of RENT. Still pursuing his dream of singing professionally, he per-forms in Hip-Hop shows and concerts on the Lower East Side as well as Brooklyn withother Allen-Stevenson Alumni. Jaison also auditions for shows and musicals around theCity when his time away from Allen-Stevenson permits. Keep your fingers crossed, andhopefully, one day you will see his name in bright lights!

DANYA HABERDanya Haber's theatre career did not start at Allen-Stevenson. While attending NYU,Danya interned for Andhow! Theater Company, an off-off Broadway company that produces plays with a particular focus on wonder and imagination. She worked as anassociate producer at Andhow! for three years before becoming the literary manager. Allof the submissions sent to Andhow! go through Danya, and she selects the few that thecompany presents in readings and performances. Andhow! has a strong developmentalprocess in which the company members discuss unproduced works and make sugges-tions to the playwright. After completing a script, the company hosts free reading seriesallowing the audience to give feedback to the playwright. The New York TheatreExperience Press published Andhow!’s most recent production, which the company performed at The Flea Theater.

STEPHEN WARNEROver Spring Break, Stephen Warner, his wife, Martha Haakmat, and their three daughters

Kaila, Georgia, and Grace traveled to South Africa to volunteer with ArtWorks for Youth(artworksforyouth.org). The organization works to address the glaring needs of South

African schools. Stephen, assisted by his Eighth Grade daughter Kaila, taught math to agroup of eager Seventh Graders who had previously spent weeks without a math teacher.

When they left, one of the students gave them a note that read, “…keep helping kidseverywhere you go. You should be proud of yourself.” Stephen’s other daughters helped

prepare meals, organize art supplies, and distribute clothes and shoes to students.Martha taught health classes to students and led a “girls’ group” for older girls.

For Stephen, one of the highlights of the trip was teaching over 50 children to play baseball. Thanks to the generosity of many Allen-Stevenson families and teachers,

he brought a supply of gloves, bats, and balls with him. By the end of two weeks, childrenwith no baseball experience were fielding grounders, running the bases, making

diving grabs, and crushing home runs.

After returning from their trip, the Warner family realized that they learned so much aboutlife through the love, goodwill, and hopefulness of the impoverished children they met.

JOHN ZUFALLJohn Zufall had a radio show when he was in college at Holy Cross.

It was a heavy metal show that started at midnight on WCHC (88.1 FM) and was popular with the youth of Worcester. John and his partner would

allow their calls to air live. The FCC never caught them.

In 1998, he completed his one and only NYC marathon, and he has no plans to do another.

John also married Lower School teacher Jenn Zimmerman in 2001, and they have a three year-old daughter named Lily.

THE LAMPLIGHTER WILL NOW HIGHLIGHT FACULTY AND STAFF INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF ALLEN-STEVENSON.

Allen-Stevenson fosters the development of each boy with a strong commitment to the three “A’s”— academics, athletics and the arts.

We hope that you will be as generous as possible.All gifts, both large and small, are essential to the success of the Annual Fund.

There are many ways to give to the Annual Fund:• By credit card online at www.allen-stevenson.org• By check or credit card using the enclosed envelope• By appreciated securities. If you wish to make a stock gift,

please contact Sari Nadler, Director of Annual Giving, at 212-933-5238 orsnadler@allen-stevenson.org

• Please check to see if your employer will match your gift since matching gifts are credited to the donor’s record

All gifts to the Annual Fund are 100% tax-deductible.

In these difficult times, Allen-Stevenson needs your support more than ever. Please remember to give to the Annual Fund this year.

The Annual Fund helps to provide competitive compensation, generous financial aid, and an exceptional educational program.

Since tuition alone does not cover the true cost of each boy’s education, we rely on the generosity of our donors to help meet our expenses.

Every gift counts!

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAID

NEW YORK, NYPERMIT NO. 8048

THE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL132 EAST 78TH STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10075-0381

Seventh Grade advisory classes embarked on a project to create a stronger sense of community on the 4th floor. The project allowed for each group to create a bulletin board that represented each boy and faculty/staff member along with the values of the School.