Lamplighter

LL AA MM PP LL II GG HH TT EE RRTHE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL MAGAZINE SPRING 2010

!!

Scholars and GentlemenThe David Trower Song

by Alexander H. Butler ’11

He is Gold, Blue and Allen-StevensonHis handshake begins the day

He has taught us the words to live byFortiter et Recte

Headmasters always lead the wayThrough tempest and calm seaLiving by example he did say

Knowledge son, will set you free

You will be Scholars and Gentlemen, by your last dayFortiter et Recte, it’s what he would say

We will make it together we’ll see that new dayScholars and Gentlemen, by your last day

Under his hand we grew with prideWiser and stronger each year

That first handshake, it never diedSo, listen close and you will hear





Scholars and Gentlemen, by your last day, by your last day

!"#$% &' (&)!%)!*

THE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL MAGAZINE

SPRING 2010

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 ManagerSarah Woods

Contributing WritersJoe Foresta

Heidi GarsonJeffrey Herschenhous

Kristina KingJulia Kunin

Monique LowittSusan Lukas

Robert McCallumBenjamin Neulander

Alix O’MaraDavid Sutton

Stephen Warner

EditorsJean McCauley

Sari NadlerMary Richter

PhotographersTeri Bloom

Nancy MitchellAl 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

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

IN THIS ISSUEHeadmaster’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Cover Story: David Trower Celebrates 20 Years at Allen-Stevenson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Around A-S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Fathers Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Of Interest... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Making a Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Spring Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30A-S News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32Where are They Now? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33As I See It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Alumni Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Alumni News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Did You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

THE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL

$%"+%,*-./ 011230141BOARD OF TRUSTEESRonald S. Rolfe ’60, President Colin R. Knudsen, Vice President & TreasurerDean I. Landis ’78, SecretaryJeffrey G. Beers ’71, Assistant Treasurer David R. Trower h’95, Headmaster

Peggy Brim BewkesSusan de MenilMolly O’Neil FrankAlexander G. Gellert ’79Michael GouldJohn J. HannanPeter B. Kellner ’84David H. KochPaul A. LeffThomas H. ListerBeatrice H. MitchellAshok NayyarDuane A. NicholsonAlix O’Mara*Amy L. RobbinsSuellyn Preston ScullLisa Pagliaro SelzSimon D. Wasserberger ’85*Joseph F. WaylandLeonard A. Wilf* member ex officio

TRUSTEES EMERITIMildred J. BerendsenMarian R. BicksJane Phillips DonaldsonRichard N. FosterD. Ross HamiltonSusan B. HirschhornKaren T. HughesJohn R. Hupper ’40E. William JudsonRobert J. KatzGeorge A. KellnerRobert Liberman ’58Peter deF. MillardRichard C. Perry ’70Joe L. RobyAndrew P. Steffan

ALUMNI COUNCILSimon D. Wasserberger ’85, PresidentDavid W. Herzberg ’89, Vice-PresidentJames A. Magid ’91, Vice-President Marc N. Rice ’84, Vice-President

Charles W. Allen ’91Basil Lloyd Anderson ’08Andrew Robert Arias ’92Zach T. Axelrod ’95Neil E. Bader ’79Anthony Paul Bonan ’93Pierre A. Bonan ’89Robert B. Buehler ’78Robert Dana Burge ’76*Alfred Paul Burger ’87Andrew Alan Burger ’59John T. Carr III ’76Erik A. Cliette ’81Brooke Bayard Connell ’86Adam James Phillips Donaldson ’05Maurice Fahrie Edelson ’78Jason M. Farkas ’97Michael Feinberg ’84R. Vanneman Furniss ’91Alexander G. Gellert ’79 Harlan E. Goldberg ’90Evan R. Goldfischer ’81Christopher Scott Goodman ’86Michael H. Grady ’91Christopher J. Hallows ’87Schuyler Havens ’88 Michael W. Hedges, Jr. ’77John C. Henry, Jr. ’84John Baird Hersey ’09David Riklis Hirschfeld ’99Patrick D. R. Horan ’85Tristan Howard ’96C. Andrew Hughes ’98Clinton V.P. Johnson ’79Stephen H. Judson ’76William H. Judson ’78A. Reed Katz '03Kenneth LaFreniere ’90Dean I. Landis ’78*Paul J. Mancuso ’03Timothy C. McCabe ’94Kenneth J. McCauley ’93Liam R. Millhiser ’96Ross R. Millhiser IV ’94Richard C. Perry ’70* Christopher Persley ’88Vincent Peterson ’74Philip N. Pilmar ’01

Roger Raines ’80Harlan Reinhardt ’83Ronald S. Rolfe ’60*Eric Rosas ’06Berton Rose ’97John Rose ’90Louis Rose ’86*Henry Jay Rosenwach ’04Eric E. Rothstein ’81*Dean E. Sanborn ’61Alessandro Meyer Santoro ’07Randolph R. A. Schrade ’76Yoshiki Shimada ’75Alexander Boucher Shipper ’02Denton Alexander Smith ’94Michael Tiedemann ’86 Andrew W. Vogelstein ’81Noel Eric Volpe ’85Alexandre von Furstenberg ’85Dewey S. Wigod ’77Hans L. Wydler ’81Clifton G. York ’78Andrew Etess Zimmerman ’00*president emeritus

PARENTS ASSOCIATIONAlix O’Mara, PresidentMarie Bitetti, Vice PresidentAnne Schnitzer, TreasurerCristina Morris, Recording SecretaryAmy Bader, Corresponding SecretaryLinda Barnett, AdvisoryConstance Cornish, AdvisoryKim Dickstein, AdvisorySuzanne Freind, AdvisorySusan Morgenstein, AdvisoryLisa Selz, AdvisoryLucia Smith, AdvisoryPat Verrilli, Advisory

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAMDavid R. Trower h’95, HeadmasterSusan Etess, Lower School HeadKimberly Kyte, Middle School HeadNeal Kamsler, Upper School HeadRichard Alifano, Director, Physical Education and AthleticsCasper Caldarola, Director of CommunicationsMichelle Demko, Music Department HeadRonnie R. Jankoff, Director of AdmissionsGlenn Lieberman, Director of TechnologyAnne Russo Meyer, Director of Learning ResourcesMary Richter, Director of DevelopmentC. Harris Stein, Business Manager

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

Photograph of David Trower taken by Eighth Grader, Christopher Henderson, as part of a team effort with fellow Eighth Graders, Jake Brody and Jason Kim.

David and I have been partners for 18 of his 20 years as Headmaster, and I can attest that the leadership of the School could not be in better hands. David's intelligence, integrity and

calm stewardship of the School serve as a model for all of us.Ronald Rolfe ’60, President of the Board of Trustees

A key quality that makes Allen-Stevenson such a special place is the stability amongst the faculty and administration.We are celebrating David Trower’s 20th year at the School and we, as the senior administrators, would like to tell you

why we cherish his years at Allen-Stevenson. We have been together as the administrative team at the School for 15years, some of us having been here for over 30 years. Even after all of that time we still look forward to coming to

work every day, in no small part due to the leadership that David provides. He has set a tone of respect, independence,trust, and fun, under which we thrive. We hope to help impart that same tone to the community as a whole,

and most importantly to the boys.

Allen-Stevenson is a happy place, an observation made by many visitors to the School. We have a leader who often refersto himself as the head learner here, one who models scholarship, and is the consummate gentleman. We have grown

together as a community always striving to serve the needs of the boys in the School, and have been graced by a leaderwho inspires us to never settle for anything less than our best…and never loses his vision for

what an Allen-Stevenson boy can become.

Susan Etess, Lower School Head, Kimberly Kyte, Middle School Head,

Neal Kamsler, Upper School Head, and Anne Meyer, Director of the Learning Resource Center

4 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

The title head master derives from 19thcentury British schools, where instructors

were known as “masters.” In such schools the headmaster wasthe leader of the faculty, and the relation between teaching andadministration was nearly seamless. As I look back over acareer of nearly 40 years in schools, half of them as Headmasterof Allen-Stevenson, I know that I am the most recent in a line of7 heads over 127 years. Astonishingly, I have now served Allen-Stevenson longer than all but two: Mr. Allen and Mr. Stevenson.

Of course, there is no single formula to being Headmaster. In my20 years, as society has changed, this job has changed a greatdeal, too. I actually started as a full-time teacher, and I oftenthink of classroom experiences in the three schools where Ihave taught: Exeter, Collegiate and Allen-Stevenson. Such expe-riences are personal reminders of the teacher-student bond, thebasic building block in any school.

Through the generations of students whom I have known, manyfaces and stories come to mind. For example, I can’t imaginethis work without knowing that it is personal, or without remem-bering individuals whom I have taught and supervised. Whetheras a division or department head, or as a classroom teacher,each job has challenged me in ways, as though I were called tosomething greater. I am grateful that my role as Headmasteroften calls forth skills and insights I didn’t know were in me,thus teaching me about myself.

For me, being Headmaster is not simply a job: it isalways a vocation. This concept is hard to describe,but it is fundamental. A great American writer namedFrederick Buechner, one of my earliest teaching influ-ences, defines vocation as “the place where your deep-est gladness meets the world’s deep need.” I feel luckyto have been able to work in situations where I couldgrow. Indeed, colleagues and supervisors have oftenhelped me to develop new skills, meet new challenges,and learn new responsibilities.

Teaching and learning go hand in hand, and the bestteachers are often excellent learners as well. AsHeadmaster, I have simply had to be a learner. A schoolhead these days needs to be nimble, to pay attention,and to adjust with change, which may have societal,legal, economic, and educational implications. That isoften the nature of leadership: it’s more like a puzzlethan a blueprint. Perhaps for this reason, I have some-times mused that the best preparation for beingHeadmaster has come from my experience driving ayellow cab, because it taught me to be flexible, patientand resourceful, especially with people.

It is no secret that I love the great variety and diversityof humanity—not only in New York or the world, butalso at Allen-Stevenson itself. I continue to be delighted

Over the years many of my stu-dents in history class have learnedthat there is nothing more power-ful than a new revelationanchored to an established truth.David Trower's service to Allen-Stevenson is a prime example ofthat maxim. Building on the solidfoundation of his predecessors,through his intellect, his wisdom,and his passion, David has led hisfaculty and staff in a remarkabletransformation of the School,enabling it to become an evenmore successful place for the edu-cation of boys. Mr. Allen and Mr.Stevenson would surely be proudof Mr. Trower's contributions.

John E. Pariseau h’98 Associate Headmaster, retired

David Trower has always beena huge supporter of the arts atAllen-Stevenson and recognizesthe importance of an art educa-tion in a child’s development.In addition, he understands thebenefits of having professionalartists teach art to children.

Alex Exposito, Julia Kunin, Robert McCallum, Tara Parsons, and Susanna Harwood Rubin Art

David Trower, ourHeadmaster, stands "headsabove the rest." Whetherhe's greeting prospectivefamilies at one of our many"boy visit" sessions, or talk-ing about the importance ofa boy’s education; he’s aninspiration to all who hearhim. His "Many Ways to bea Boy” resonates with thoseof us charged with shep-herding the next class ofboys and families into theAllen-Stevenson community.

Ronnie Jankoff, Jean McCauley, and Audrey VazquezAdmissions

HEADMASTER’S

5%**"6%

to see boys as they grow—many ways to be a boy—and I amoften pleasantly surprised, even thrilled, by the adults theybecome. That’s why it is important that I know each of theirnames. In effect, it’s my way to name this mysterious process ofgrowing up and to recognize each person as a unique individual.

In addition, a deep-seated intellectual curiosity, not just the cere-bral sort, sustains my work as Headmaster. I like to figure outhow things work, why they happen, and what makes people tick.Educators like me love books, because the printed word is onemeans by which to come to grips with ideas, learning, civiliza-tion, culture and scholarship. I get excited by opportunities tolearn, by new perspectives and discoveries, and by chances toshare what I know with others. This dynamic is at the heart ofexcellence in teaching.

So, as I reflect on what it means to lead Allen-Stevenson, I amreminded of Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th century description of theOxford cleric in The Canterbury Tales. I do not claim to be thatclerk, but I have always admired Chaucer’s description of him.Chaucer writes:

By his bed,He preferred having twenty books in red

And black, of Aristotle’s philosophy,To having fine clothes, fiddle, or psaltery…Whatever money from his friends he tookHe spent on learning or another book…

His only care was study, and indeedHe never spoke a word more than was need…The thought of moral virtue filled his speechAnd he would gladly learn, and gladly teach.

As the community of Allen-Stevenson, we can be very proudof all that we have accomplished together over the last twodecades. We got through the dark days of 9/11, the ups anddowns of so many years, and the construction that rendereda whole new school facility to serve the 21st century. Forthis Headmaster these feats have always representedopportunities to learn gladly and to teach gladly. For everyone of these, I am most grateful to all who have helpedAllen-Stevenson so generously: trustees, faculty, parents,students, administrators, staff, alumni, donors, and friends.

Thanks to all of you for your good wishes on reaching this20th year milestone at Allen-Stevenson. As we look to thefuture, let’s do everything we can to make this the bestSchool possible, so that future generations of New Yorkerswill be able to depend on Allen-Stevenson to work its magicfor families and their sons. May there be many happyreturns for the School and for all of us. Of course, we stillhave vital work to do, but let us always do so gladly.

Fortiter et recte!

David R. Trower

David has been a wonderfulcolleague, friend, teacher andmentor. What makes himextra special is that he is aterrific listener as well. Hevalues what people have tosay without injecting his ownagenda.

Harris SteinBusiness Manager

David Trower has been andcontinues to be the drivingforce behind communica-tions at Allen-Stevenson. Heis always receptive to newideas and welcoming of thediscussion and process.Whether it was the importantaddition of our website or“going green” with the useof electronic messages, Davidembraces new technologies.He also happens to be verycreative and has been anextraordinarily supportiveleader in the communica-tions department.

Casper Caldarola, Nancy Mitchell, and Sarah WoodsCommunications


Although David is celebratinghis twentieth year at Allen-Stevenson and has been work-ing in schools for forty years,he has not lost any of the zestfor education for which he isso well-known. We believe thatfor David, it feels like he’s justbeginning the work, as evi-denced by the fact that henever shies away from consid-ering new and innovativeideas and never loses energyfor thinking about somethingdifferently.

Mary Richter,Ryann Galloway,David Kersey h’98,Monique Lowitt, andSari Nadler PerrinoDevelopment and Alumni Relations

David believes wholeheartedlythat there are many ways to be aboy. He also truly believes thatthere are many ways to be ateacher and David has alwaysallowed me to perform my roleusing my own style. Beyondthat, he supports the musicdepartment both financially and philosophically, in a waythat no other school does.

Michelle Demko Music Department Chair

I have fully enjoyed workingwith David for the past nineteen years. He hasinspired this community andled us toward a bright future.

Rich AlifanoAthletics Director

6 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

Th e L ow er Sch ool

Celebrates M r. Trow er

K-B + K-G + K-HMr. Trower’s job is to:- work on his computer.- pay the bills.- make sure everyone is good.- fill out reports.- do paperwork.- help Mr. Acerbo keep us safe.- know all the kids.- make sure we have warm bagels.- help all the teachers.- be in charge of my brother’s class.- be the boss of the school.- have the master key that opens all the doors.- make sure everyone is fine in school and that they learn.

1-D + 1-R + 1-SI like Mr. Trower because he:- is very responsible and a good role model.- looks in my eyes when I am talking to him.- cares about all the students and teachers.- brings peace to the school.- greets me when I say hi.- joins us for lunch and that makes me happy.- gives us good balls to kick.- skates at the ice skating party.- makes me feel special.

All of the Lower School boys wrote about Mr. Trower or drew aportrait of him to celebrate his 20 years as Headmaster. Eachgrade chose a different way to honor him.


2-A + 2-R + 2-TMr. Trower has been the headmaster for20 years. I wonder if his 20 years havebeen good. Mr. Trower has been myfavorite headmaster I ever had. You arealso funny, nice and a true gentleman.

Mr. Trower is very nice to all the teach-ers. That is why the teahers are happyteaching us. Mr. Trower is a nice boss.

Mr. Trower helps run the school, calls allthe snow days, schedules our parent-teacher conferences and dresses up asSanta Claus for the Holiday Concert.

Mr. Trower helps the school by givinginstruments to schools that don’t haveinstruments. Mr. Trower teaches us howto be gentlemen. He plans picnics. Hegives us technology. Mr. Trower is firmand keeps our school safe. He’s kindbecause he holds the door and shakes our hand when we walk in the door.

Mr. Trower helps the school by helpingpeople feel better when they are sad. He teaches us how to be gentlemen. Mr. Trower helps us be better students.He also teaches us how to be generous.Thank you for all the Smart boards we have.

Mr. Trower is the best headmasterbecause he helps to make better teach-ers. He is always in a good mood. Heloves his job. He has good taste. He is agentleman. He is the best person I haveever met.

Mr. Trower helps the school by turningus into gentlemen. But the best thingyou do is that you get very great teachers for us.

Mr. Trower never gives up, helps us a lotand is a good principal.

Mr. Trower helps us by encouraging us todo our homework.

3-BMMr. Trower helps the school in many ways. Hemakes sure that we recycle and save energy byturning off lights and smartboards. He also provides a great education for the students. Mr. Trower's job is hard because he has manyresponsibilities. We appreciate him because he is nice and greets the boys in the morning. Hedoesn't get angry and is a true gentleman. Oneof the best things about Mr. Trower is that heremembers all the names of everyone in theschool, and he is always walking around with asmile saying "Hi" to all the students. It is greatto have a very happy and humble headmaster.

3-LDWe like Mr. Trower because he is:- generous and lets us have free time.- keeps school organized.- an awesome principal.- makes sure we have all the supplies we need.- he greets us at the door.

Mr. Trower helps the school by:- helping people when they have troubles.- hiring the best teachers.- making the school green.- being generous.

10 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

Anders JensenIn your twenty years as headmaster at A-S,you have accomplished so much and we arethankful for your efforts. For one thing youspearheaded the design and reconstructionof the building we are in today. But there islife outside these walls that does not have animmediate impact on Allen-Stevenson. Isthere any thing, or are there any things, youhave accomplished in your life, again out-side of A-S, that has/have made you mostproud? Please be specific.

David TrowerI use my talents for the good of others. Iteach boys. Boys come back and say, “Doyou remember this or do you rememberthat?” Once I got an email from a boy I had-n’t seen in a long time. He said he needed tosee me. I said, “yes.” When he came in heclearly wanted me to accept his apology. Hewas in my Seventh Grade homeroom. Hesaid, “You tried to help me and I did not letyou help me.” I have always rememberedthat. Boys, you always have to rememberthat your teachers care about you.

Luke LandisI realize you began your teaching career atPhilips Exeter Academy in 1970 and spentalmost twenty years as a teacher and admin-istrator at the Collegiate School here in NewYork City, but how exactly did you come tobe headmaster at Allen-Stevenson? Whenthe search began to replace HeadmasterCole, did the board approach you or did youapproach the board?

And when you were offered the position,what made you say YES?

David TrowerBeing head of the Middle then Upper Schoolat Collegiate, people always said, "David,you will be a headmaster someday." Ialways denied it. I never gave being head-master much thought. I liked my jobs atCollegiate, and at the time I didn’t want tobe headmaster.

In August 1989, I got seven letters from dif-ferent schools (one was Allen-Stevenson)asking for my resumé. I did not have onebecause I never really thought that it wastime for an administrative career. I wrote aresumé and sent it out to the seven schools.I quickly withdrew from four of them. Thethree remaining ones were Allen-Stevenson,a school in Brooklyn, and a school inMaryland. I interviewed at the three schools.I eventually said, “yes,” to Allen-Stevenson,partly because they didn’t expect me to beperfect. For example, I didn’t know a lotabout budgeting or raising money. I also did-n’t even know how to run a Lower School (Ihad only worked with Middle School andUpper School before Allen-Stevenson). I alsochose Allen-Stevenson because they knewboys and because I loved being surroundedby boys.

Alex La Poche Mr. Trower, our world is an ever-changingplace filled with the outrageous, the unex-pected, the sensible, the good and the not so

As a way to recognize and cast lighton the 20th anniversary of Mr.Trower’s tenure as Headmaster ofAllen-Stevenson, a group ofFourth, Fifth, and Sixth Gradeboys, under the guidance of Mr.Peter Haarmann, recently conduct-ed an interview asking him ques-tions about both his personal andprofessional life. The interview ses-sion had two main components:

The first of these parts was a chance to eitherreview or introduce to the boys the basic ele-ments needed to conduct a successful inter-view. There were brainstorming sessions todiscuss the types of questions that wouldallow Mr. Trower to best reveal his theorieson education and his experiences both in andout of school. When the questions were com-plete, there was a series of “mock” interviewsthat allowed the boys to simulate a real-lifeinterview session. Since the boys wererequired to record Mr. Trower’s exact words,there was note-taking practice ensuring thatthe students captured not only the speaker’swords, but also the meaning of those words.Early on, the group decided to film the inter-view, so this called for a rehearsal in front ofthe camera with training on proper eye con-tact, body language and sustained interest inthe subject of the interview, in this case Mr.Trower.

The second component was to give Mr. Trowera chance to illuminate the Allen-Stevensoncommunity in regard to his views on the edu-cating of young boys and to provide insightsinto his life outside Allen-Stevenson. Whenpreparations were complete the interview tookplace in Mr. Trower’s office on a late winterafternoon.

Our interviewers were Teddy Friedman ’15,Anders Jensen ’15, Alex Korman ’15, LukeLandis ’14, Alex La Poche ’14, Max Morris ’13,Nathan Shankman ’13, and cameramen wereTeddy Landis ’13 and Benno Kass ’14, andthe event emcee was Arthur Belfer ’13.

Q&A

with David Trower


good. What people, events, accidents, sur-prises, controversies, etc., on either a globalscale, or of a more intimate, personal nature,have had an effect on you as a person, and,as an educator?

David TrowerAs you may not know, I was once a taxi dri-ver in NYC. I worked the day shift one day aweek and all the rest were nights. I think ofeverything I’ve done, that job was the bestpreparation for being a headmaster. Thereason I think that is because I had theopportunity to meet all different kinds ofpeople: some famous and some not - somejust regular working class. Either way, Itreated them all as individuals.

My favorite part of being a New York taxi dri-ver was that I was introduced to the BelmoreCafé and that is where I almost always wentwhen I finished my shift. Belmore is whereall of the cab drivers went for a snack ormeal and I enjoyed that because I could justsit there and talk to other taxi drivers.

I think it is most important not to get stuck inlife. That is what makes the world goaround. Most of you will have 6 to 8 jobs andmaybe have to make many different changesalong the way.

Nathan ShankmanMr. Trower, you have been here at A-S fortwenty years now and have seen over 800boys graduate, move on, and begin theiradult lives after leaving Allen-Stevenson.Though you are undoubtedly proud of all ofthem, have there ever been any alumni thatstand out in your mind that fully show theideals inculcated here at A-S. If so, couldyou share a bit of their stories and why youbelieve they have brought such glory to theiralma mater.

David Trower I arrived in 1990 and the first graduates whowere fourteen are now thirty-four; most oftheir adult lives they’ve yet to live. The alum-ni are using past opportunities for the goodof others now. One of the alumni is PipDecker. He installed wind turbines in NewHampshire. I’m happy to see peopleengaged in life. Some people worked inpolitical campaigns and in presidential can-didates. I went to a concert at TempleEmanuel and saw a former High School boyplay the organ. I want to see what we, Allen-Stevenson students, become when we areolder and all grown up. I have seen manyalumni grow up to be good fathers. All of the

alumni are contributing to the quality of lifefor themselves and their community.

Max MorrisMr. Trower, each Founders Day, as the entireschool gathers in the upper gym, you remindus of the history our school. We are remind-ed annually of our humble beginnings… oneteacher, three students. And yet, here we arein 2010, 127 years hence, and we are aschool of just over 400 students and a staffthat nears 125. To what do you ascribe thisgrowth?

What is it about Allen- Stevenson in 2010 thatmakes us so unique and separates us fromthe many other private and public schools inNew York City?

David TrowerEach member of the school community feelsthey have a role to play in the school. The fac-ulty is tremendous. The entire faculty reallyunderstands boys and goes the extra mile forthem, whether it’s coming in early to help astudent individually or putting in a largeamount of work time to try to help a student.Also, the faculty tries to have fun with theboys with things like Gilbert & Sullivan, cho-rus, athletics and in the classroom.

Our school has a 3-part curriculum: athletics,arts and academics. With athletics, not manyschools have the opportunity to play all thesports we play. With art, we have an excellentart department within which they really teachstudents to be creative. In our music pro-gram, each student in the Middle and UpperSchool has an opportunity to play an instru-ment, be in chorus and in orchestra. Eachclass has its own play to perform, and gradesFifth to Ninth have the opportunity to be inGilbert & Sullivan. In the Lower School, stu-dents learn the history of a few of the greatcomposers of all-time. They learn how toread notes. In academics, we have greatteachers that go the extra mile for studentsand all the teachers are experienced.Academics are also very good at Allen-Stevenson because we have manyresources.

On mornings when I greet the boys I am veryhappy to see them carrying a musical instru-ment and an athletic bag and books. That isvery special to me. When I see boys carryingan instrument to go to a lesson or orchestra Iask them what instrument they are playingand when they answer I like to hear theexcitement in their voices.

Alex KormanMr. Trower, we are all aware that a head-master often has to make many decisionsthat will have an impact on the school in somany ways. Could you please relay to ussome of the decisions you have made inyour twenty years here that best reflect yourvision for A-S?

David TrowerDecision comes from the root word scissors.There are many types of decisions. Forexample when we made the gym I knew wewould have to raise more money than weever had before but I still did it because Iknew it was going to have a good impact onthe school. Another decision that I made wasto put the library on the second floor so itwould be more accessible for everybody.When you are making a decision you’re cut-ting away at all the possibilities until you getto your final decision and you have that onelast one that you know is good. Having awide variety of people making a decision iseven better than one person because youhave multiple people agreeing on that oneanswer so you know that it is likely to be thebest choice.

Teddy FriedmanMr. Trower, we will all agree that not all of ourdecisions are golden and they don’t alwayswork out the way we had wished or planned.Can you relay to us any decisions that havebeen made during your tenure here that maynot have ended up the way you and theboard had planned?

David Trower I feel lucky because I have made some gooddecisions during my time as headmaster.However, I am not completely happy with allmy decisions. At times I am a softie on dis-cipline. It is difficult for me to ask a studentto leave Allen-Stevenson for disciplinary rea-sons, but at times it is necessary, particular-ly if a student is negatively affecting thecommunity. I believe in giving people a sec-ond chance and am more often than not will-ing to forgive a boy’s actions in the hope thathe will learn and amend his ways. Happily, Ican say that most boys do change andbecome more responsible members of theAllen-Stevenson community, but there havebeen a few instances where a boy has nottaken the second chance given him. I findthis upsetting.

thoughtful respectful. generous responsible studious.determined

enthusiastic. creative good thoughtfulrespectful. generous responsible studious.determined enthusiastic.

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enthusiastic. creative goodthoughtfulrespectful. generous responsible 12 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

Mr. Trower’s 20th Anniversary

Charlie Morgenstein ’12

My first memory of Mr. Trower comes onmy first day of Kindergarten. He was at thedoor to Allen-Stevenson shaking all theboys’ hands. At first I did not understandthe handshaking. I thought it was peculiarthat one man would have to stand at thedoor and shake every single boy’s hand oneby one. I now realize that Mr. Trower didthis due to a tremendous devotion to Allen-Stevenson and its students. Mr. Trower isdedicated to molding young boys intoGentlemen and Scholars and he is a largepart of what makes Allen-Stevenson so spe-cial.

The moment when I first knew how lucky Iwas to have a man like Mr. Trower watch-ing over me was at the Fifth Grade ScienceFair. I had been perfecting my science pro-ject for weeks and I was determined that itwould go off without a hitch. I had begunto prepare my project for the big day when

I realized that one of the key parts of theexperiment had gone missing. After a littlebit of investigation I found that one of theother boys had taken the part and hadalready used and discarded it. When Ifound out that all my hard work would goto waste I found my eyes swelling withtears. Mr. Trower spotted me crying andcame over to help lift my mood. He helpedme to rationalize the situation so that it didnot seem so bad anymore. Pretty soon I wasback to work thanks to Mr. Trower.

Another fond memory I have of Mr.Trower was on the day we went to pickapples at the farm in Sixth Grade. All ofthe boys were playing catch with the applesand having fun when I decided it would bea good idea to get into a fight with one ofmy classmates. Our teacher told us to go sitby the porch and think about the stupidityof what we had done. Mr. Trower saw ussitting on the porch and came to talk to usabout what we had done. Mr. Trowerworked a miracle because the other boy andI were soon apologizing to each other andgoing back down to the fields to continueplaying. Once again Mr. Trower showedthat he was always looking out for us.

Mr. Trower putting on his Santa Claus cos-tume every winter helped shape some of myearliest memories of Allen-Stevenson. Mr.Trower was always ready to make us laughand cheer up our days. From the beginningMr. Trower made Allen-Stevenson an easyand fun place to learn and he turned schoolinto something that was loved not hated.Mr. Trower has helped shape my journey atAllen-Stevenson into a wonderful experi-ence that will stick with me for life.

Mr. Trower has always been there for me toguide me through my journey at Allen-Stevenson. My life has been defined by mytime at Allen-Stevenson and I am gratefulthat it has been a positive time. Mr. Trowerhas done so many things for me so I wouldlike to thank him for his dedication to theschool and its students.

Trower Hour

Jasper Jarecki ’12

To be a Gentleman and a Scholar,To be Kind and Studious: these traits that he holds

must somehow rub off on us.He teaches us how to grow smarter and stronger,to be Generous and keep a good code of honor.

Our headmaster knows that he models and showshow to act and behave. And those words

on our floor were carvedyears before: he is here to implant and engrave.

That man is the one to help us be Goodto each other whenever, wherever we should,

to be Creative those times when a projectcomes along, or for music class when we sing

or write a new song. To live strongly and rightly,daily and nightly.

In our lives and our minds to have great power,and take after our headmaster, the dear Mr. Trower.

Seventh Grade boys were given

the challenge in Susan Lukas's

English class to create a poem

or other piece of writing in

celebration of David Trower's

20th year at Allen-Stevenson.

Although the assignment was

voluntary, many of her students

submitted poems in various

forms as a way to express their

gratitude to our Headmaster.

thoughtful respectful. generous responsible studious.determined

enthusiastic. creative good thoughtfulrespectful. generous responsible studious.determined enthusiastic.


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responsible studious.determined enthusiastic. creative good thoughtful

respectful. generous responsible studious.determined enthusiastic.


determined enthusiastic. creative goodthoughtful respectful. generous responsible studious.determined

enthusiastic. creative goodthoughtfulrespectful. generous responsible L A M P L I G H T E R 13

The first day of school the first face I see is of a man I have known for eight years.

He looks into my eyes and shakes my handsaying silently, “Welcome back my friend,

let us go inside and learn.”

Secretly he knows almost everything about me,understanding all the troubles that I have faced.

He has never judged me harshly for my mistakes,but has taught me to laugh at them instead.

He is very thoughtful.

He has never tried to sound smarter than me,and has never put me down.

He honors my ideas and insights and has onlylifted me up.

He always says hello to me and is always polite.He is very respectful.

He says he is not just a citizen of the U.S.but of the world as well.

He wants to help everybody and also cares for all of God’s creatures.And he also cares for my well being.

He is very generous.

Every summer he plans out our school days,making sure that we will enjoy the next school year.

He talks with everyone in the schooltrying to make this a better school for us, our

parents, and the faculty and staff.He is very responsible.

When he talks with us in Monday Morning Meeting,I always see him with a book or two.

Always reading and studying so he can become a better person and headmaster.

He is very studious.

He puts all his heart and mind into makingour school a healthy place in which we can learn and have fun.

He does his best in making sure that no boyis left unhappy.

He is very determined.

He listens to all our problems always with a smile.He is eager to take on new challengesso he can create an even better school.

He is very enthusiastic.

He holds the capability to listen to the opinions of many different people and combine

them with his own ideas.By doing so he is able to come up with

a solution that makes us a better community.He is very creative.

He always does his best and healways wants to help.

He doesn’t just understand my problems,but he helps me create a solution.

He is very thoughtful, respectful, generous,responsible, studious, determined,

enthusiastic, and creative.In short he is a good person.

Mr. TrowerJorge Colmenares ’12

14 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

An exciting new form of computer learn-ing has been introduced to Allen-Stevenson’s Lower School. It is calledMicroworlds. The term literally means atiny world inside which a student can test,explore and discover things about thisprogrammable world.

LOGO was created in 1967 at Bolt,Beranek and Newman (BBN), aCambridge, Massachusetts research firm,by Wally Feurzeig and Seymour Papert,and further developed at MIT. The aimbehind the design was to provide younglearners an entry point into understandingprogramming. Since the 1970s manychildren have been exposed to LOGO,which has been embedded intoMicroworlds.

Microworlds allows young students tolearn computer programming and con-structing for themselves, while acquiringbroader skills, such as sequencing, logic,and problem solving. Using a program-ming language designed specifically forchildren, kids learn to create their owncontent in a computer program. The pro-gram is only ever as smart as you are. Amisspelled word, or incorrect program-ming syntax will prompt messages thatstudents must decipher to make their pro-grams function properly. Microworlds

can be used to create mathematical explo-rations, science simulations, interactivemultimedia stories, and anything youmight imagine.

Microworlds’ main "engine" is the turtle,an icon that can be programmed torespond to colors, command chains writ-ten by students, and other turtles. Aswork develops, students can change theshape of the turtle so that it "wears" theirown drawings and designs. For example,a turtle moving around the page couldlater develop into an interactive game ofa stagecoach trying to cross a river.While there are hundreds of prefabricateddrawings, backgrounds, and animationsthat can be used towards these ends, themost exciting work comes when studentsmanage both the programming anddesign of their own creations.

Allen-Stevenson has incorporatedMicroworlds into its Social Studies cur-riculum for Third and Fourth Grades. Theboys will be designing their own questgames as inspired by the early computergame, “Oregon Trail.” They can createscenes depicting what it would have beenlike travelling during the westwardexpansion. What would happen if pio-neers went the wrong way and cameacross mountains? What would happen ifthey ran out of water?

LOWER SCHOOL

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Younger students work with MicroworldsJr., a developmentally appropriate intro-duction to these complex ideas. It is afully functional drawing program and hasthe ability to record voice and play music.This junior version is completely visual.It provides a chance to introduce the tur-tle, but uses buttons to command and cre-ate limited interactivity.

Adam Shecter, Technology ResourceTeacher, said, "In an age where more andmore digital content is available to kidsto simply plug into, it is really wonderfulfor kids to realize their own projects.They learn to build ideas and conceptsfrom the ground up through program-ming. Nothing can be assumed inMicroworlds. Children quickly learn toadapt their programs through a challeng-ing (but not frustrating) process of trialand error. "

around A-S


When the Middle School Chorus goes off torehearse, the remaining boys participate inan elective program. A team of MiddleSchool teachers spent the fall planning anddesigning the program, which focuses ongreen topics, and ties in with the many ini-tiatives the School is undertaking as a leaderin this field. The goal is to raise awarenessof a range of green issues such as recycling,reusing, climate change, sustainability, andalternative energy.

Since the program’s implementation thispast winter, the boys have had the opportu-nity to study astronomy, geo-caching,mixed media sculpture, playground design,yoga, chess, and a myriad of other choices.The boys have heard different speakers dis-cuss some of these topics at MondayMorning Meetings. Sarah Pidgeon from theSolar One Project came to talk about alterna-tive energy sources and the carbon-neutralbuilding Solar One is constructing on theEast River. Allen-Stevenson parent, RobWatson, spoke about energy and climatechange, and Fifth Grade Teacher, DavidSutton, explained the Plastiki expedition,which is just getting under way.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

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Seven different green projects were proposed, and each boy chose to be a part of oneof the following groups:

1. Roof-top gardening: they are studying, building and planting a garden on the roof.The plan is that what the boys grow will be used by the A-S kitchen.2. Green doghouse: they are building a doghouse with eco-friendly material and thenadding extras like a green roof and solar powered water pump.3. Plastiki: they are studying, following, and communicating with the Plastiki expedi-tion, which is studying the huge mass of floating plastic in the mid-Pacific Ocean.4. Water purification science: they are studying items like the Life Straw and Sort ofCoal. They are investigating the technology these items use to provide clean, potablewater to developing parts of the world.5. Vertical farming: they are studying the concept, which is beginning to be put intopractice, of vertical farming. To test the idea, they are building a model using a 55-gal-lon fish tank.6. Reuse: they are exploring the difference between recycling and reusing objects. Theyare making things like vases out of light bulbs, chandeliers out of plastic utensils, and abird feeder out of other found objects.7. Creative water pumps: they are investigating the supply and demand for water in dif-ferent parts of the world and exploring ideas, like the Play Pump, that help bring cleanwater to areas that need it.

The hope is that these topics, the questions they raise, and the work done by the boyswill spark their interest in sustainability issues – all while having fun too!

Ben Neulander, Assistant Head, Middle School

16 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

Jeffrey Herschenhous, Upper School Science Teacher, wanted to teach geneticsthrough problem solving this year. Traditionally, this topic was taught byintroducing the students to the work of Gregor Mendel and his understandingsabout the basic laws of dominant and recessive inheritance in pea plants. Mr.Herschenhous read about a group of plants called Wisconsin Fast Plants, whoselife cycle was only forty days, rather than seasonal.

Mr. Herschenhous began the year by spending a week teaching the boys inSeventh Grade Life Science about the structure of flowers and how they repro-duce. At that point, the boys planted seeds for plants with green leaves andseeds for plants with yellow leaves. They were grown in a system that deliveredcontinuous water and light twenty-four hours a day. Mr. Herschenhous taughthis planned curriculum about microscopes, animals, evolution, cells, etc. whilethe plants were growing. The boys took a period occasionally to care for theirplants during the next four months. Three generations of plants were grown,pollinated, replanted, and grown again from September to January.

The first generation of plants developed with some having green leaves andsome with yellow, as expected. The boys pollinated the plants with greenleaves with the plants with yellow leaves, and the next generation producedonly green leafed plants, and no plants with yellow leaves. The boys then self-pollinated these green leafed plants with each other, and the next generationproduced both plants with green leaves and plants with yellow leaves. Therewas a system developed for the careful collection of data throughout the experi-ment, but no discussion of the results took place until January of 2010 whenthe experiment was completed.

At that point in the year, the boys had notreceived any instruction about genetics. Mr.Herschenhous had the boys sit at their labtables with their data and asked them to putthemselves in Gregor Mendel’s shoes in the late1800s. He reminded them that the concepts ofgenes, chromosomes, and dominant and reces-sive inheritance, were not in use at that time.The boys were asked to try to explain theirresults and were instructed to discuss things intheir groups. At the end of the period, eachgroup presented its ideas. All groups had someunderstanding of what had happened, but noth-ing thorough enough to explain what they hadobserved. At one point in the discussion ayoung man stepped to the Smart Board and drewsome symbols that he had developed at his labtable. He had explained the Law of Dominanceand the Law of Segregation in his own wordsand diagrams. At that point, all the othergroups had an “aha” moment, and everythingfell into place.

In the following lessons, Mr. Herschenhous for-malized the work with accepted vocabulary,notation, and diagrams. The boys understood itbecause they “owned” it.

around A-SUPPER SCHOOL

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Did you know that a building can earn theENERGY STAR label just like your refrig-erator? An ENERGY STAR qualified facili-ty meets strict energy performance stan-dards set by the EPA and uses less energy,is less expensive to operate, and causesfewer greenhouse gas emissions than itspeers. Energy use in buildings accountsfor nearly half of all energy consumptionin the U.S., at a cost of over $200 billionper year, more than any other sector ofthe economy.

For over a decade, the EPA has workedwith businesses and organizations toreduce greenhouse gas emissions throughstrategic energy management practices.To qualify for the ENERGY STAR, a build-ing or manufacturing plant must score inthe top 25 percent based on the EPA'sNational Energy Performance Rating

System. To determine the performance ofa facility, the EPA compares energy useamong other, similar types of facilitieson a scale of 1-100; buildings thatachieve a score of 75 or higher may beeligible for the ENERGY STAR. The EPArating system accounts for differences inoperating conditions, regional weatherdata, and other important considera-tions. Allen-Stevenson first bench-marked its facility in 2006. Its ratingback then was 48.

As you can see in the chart below weincreased our score to 75 in 2008 forwhich we were awarded our first ENERGY STAR.

In 2009, we achieved a rating of 86 andwere rewarded with the ENERGY STAR forthe second consecutive year.

Joe Foresta, Facilities Manager

ENVIRONMENT

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18 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

Heidi Garson, one of our 14instrumental teachers, has beenteaching French horn at Allen-Stevenson for 19 years. Thisseason's recent studio recitalfeatured a record 12 Frenchhorn performers, including

alumni Christopher Wayland ’09 and Alessandro Santoro ’07. Heidi remembers, "I received a call from Randy Schrade in September of 1991, asking if I would beinterested in teaching horn at A-S. At that time, I was not teaching and wasfocused exclusively on freelance performing, but I decided to accept his offer. I did not then realize how much I would end up caring about teaching, and I amenormously grateful to Randy for the opportunity. My first three students werethen Eighth Grader, Chiqui Matthew ’93, Seventh Grader, Lucian Deaton ’94, and Fourth Grader, Ashley Springer ’97. I taught Chiqui for five years, through his senior year at Dalton, where he won the concerto competition."

Some instruments are more accessible than others to the young student. TheFrench horn is notoriously difficult to tame, and even professionals in the NewYork Philharmonic cannot guarantee a clean tone and accurate pitch on anentrance note. "I am always impressed when a young person decides to study theFrench horn. I hold a quiet admiration for my students. It is not an instrument wesee much of in our culture; it is generally absent from the images we see on T.V. ,film and our pop culture, nor is it an easy instrument to learn. It is fantastic towitness and guide a young person who takes on this challenge, finding his ownrewards and successes in the process."

It is a double gift that Allen-Stevenson offers itsstudents the opportunity to study an orchestralinstrument of their choice, and then to join thatphenomenally diverse club known as Orchestra,all within the daily life and cozy walls of theSchool. A-S boys do not have to turn to an out-side organization for an orchestral experience.It is a triple gift when a student forms a relation-ship with his instrument that lasts beyond hisA-S years, and a tribute to our instrumentalteachers when graduates return to continuelessons. Among those, recently, are MaxKalikow ’10 (trombone), Jamie Elish ’06(viola), Christopher Callegari ’07 and EvanGriffith ’07 (violin), Nick Curcio ’10, GregoryTongue ’05 and Chris Carlson ’01 (flute),Christopher Wayland ’09, Christopher Schrade-James ’05, Andrew Loeshelle ’07, JoshuaRothstein ’12 and Daniel Locker ’09 (cello),Alessandro Santoro ’07, Christopher Wayland’09, Ryan Tongue ’07, Matthew Vance ’11 andThomas Reynolds ’14 (French horn).

around A-SMUSIC

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Over Alumni Weekend I had the opportunityto speak with many past Allen-Stevensonstudents about the new dance program. Mostalumni did not believe me when I told themthat in just two years the dance program hadgrown substantially and now incorporates afull First through Ninth Grade curriculum.They were even more shocked when Iexplained that the dedication of the MiddleSchool has been a large contributing factorto the success of this program.

The Middle School boys have embraced allthat I have taught them, completed everychallenge, and exceeded all expectations.They have acknowledged that dance is a use-ful tool for every young athlete, and manyboys have also found the value in dance as aform of expression. In January, a handful oftalented Fifth and Sixth Grade dancers formedAllen-Stevenson's first "dance crew." Thecrew was comprised of 14 boys that shared apassion for dance and a willingness to work.They rehearsed two days a week after Fieldand in a few short weeks, they perfected threedifferent dance pieces. With determination

and focus, these exceptional boys were able to createthe first dance performance in Allen-Stevenson history.

Due to the great success of the winter dance crew, aspring dance crew has been formed to perform at thelast Monday Morning Meeting of the year. Returningdancers Nicholas Silberman, Alex Mercurio, Alex LaPoche, Vince Cone, Matthew Demmler, LoganHorowitz, Dylan Horowitz, Bryan Nicholson, andHenry Liu will combine with new members to studyeverything from Michael Jackson to Bob Fosse. In ourend of the year show, we will try to incorporate livemusic, break dancing, and other elements to kick off agreat summer.

My hope is that the Middle School dance crew will con-tinue to grow and to inspire more students in the LowerSchool to dance. Dance is a wonderful form of expres-sion that many young boys do not get to experience.Choreographer Melissa Hayden said it perfectly whenshe stated, "Learning to walk sets you free, but learn-ing to dance gives you the greatest freedom of all: toexpress your whole self, the person you are."

Kristina King, Dance Teacher

DANCE

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20 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

The A-S Electronic Reference LibraryDid you know that the Tisch Library Media Center provides information via our online collection of reference databases? Through these high-quality sources you have access to encyclopedia articles, newspapers, periodicals, scholarly journals, primary source material and digital video. The A-S librarians teach the boys

how to navigate these sources in the context of research projects but they are also very useful for regular homework assignments. Why not visit the library’s webpage and check out these resources? Simply click on the link that says E-Reference.

Questions? Contact [email protected]

Video Sources

Database Trials

NoodleTools allows you to generate, edit and publish a bibliography with ease. Add sources to your list from any location and write and organize your notes using their electronic note card feature.

All your history needs are met by this pair of Gale databases. Both Worldand U.S. offer primary and secondary sources, full-text articles from academic journals and periodicals, scholarly analysis and "day-in-history" reviews. World includes periodical sources from around the world.

Sometimes you wil l f ind a database trial at the bottom of our E-Reference page. We time the trials to coincide with relevant research projects as it enables us to see how useful a database is to our boys before we commit to subscribing to it. Recently we tested Greenr and AP Images.

Enchanted Learning offers information for Lower School students on geography, science, history, language arts and more. You can also access games and puzzles, all via a child-friendly interface.

Science Reference Center™ can help you answer a wide range of science questions or just satisfy your scientific curiosity. It provides access to science encyclopedias, reference books, periodicals, and other science sources.

With sections for children from Pre-School to High School, Britannica is always a great place to start a project. Notable for its world atlas and coun t r y compar i son fea tu r e , Britannica Elementary now also has an Animal Kingdom section.

More than just encyclopedia articles, World Book offers topic-related videos, web links and fun activites at two reading levels and any article can be read in Spanish!

Perfect for K-5 students, Brain Popoffers animated video clips that e n a b l e e a s y understanding of sometimes complex ideas. Test what you’ve learned in a follow-up quiz.

Between these two sources you have access to over 63,000 video clips, in addition to podcasts, photographs and clip art.

Atomic Learning provides video tu to r i a l s fo r more than 110 app l i ca t ions inc lud ing Exce l , PowerPoint, Photoshop, File Maker Pro, Pages, iPhoto, GarageBand, and iMovie.

around A-S


LOWER SCHOOL

LOWER SCHOOL HOLIDAY CONCERTSThe Lower School boys celebrated the holidays with song and cheer at their

Holiday Concerts. Both the K/1 and 2/3 concerts were held on Friday, December 11.

2T PERFORMS NATIVE AMERICAN LEGENDThroughout the year, 2T studies folk tales, as well as myths and legends. On

February 12, the class incorporated its studies into the performance of a playcalled, “The Great Ball Game,” which is a Native American Legend.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

BAKE SALE FOR HAITI & CHILE RAISES $940On Thursday, March 4, the Fourth Grade held a bake sale to raise money forthe earthquake victims in both Haiti and Chile. The boys were responsible foradvertising and baking the cookies, brownies, rice crispy treats, and othergoodies. Every treat was one dollar.

SCIENCE FESTIVALThe 2010 Sixth Grade Science Festival was held on Wednesday, March 3. Theboys researched an environmental topic, developed an experiment or pro-ject, and explained it to a full crowd.

UPPER SCHOOL

ACADEMIC BOWLThe 40th Annual Academic Bowl was held on January 11. The Allen and

Stevenson teams competed to answer various questions on a wide range of sub-jects, including history, math, English, French, Spanish, music, sports,

and many more.

SHAKESPEAREMr. MacDougall’s Eigth Grade English class was divided into four groups of five

students each. The assignment was for each group to present the essence oftwo acts of Romeo and Juliet using performance skills and only 30 lines.

If you missed these and other stories, please go to our website: www.allen-stevenson.org and click on News Stories to read the full story and see photos.

22 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

I took the liberty this week of reviewing a list of distinguished Allen-Stevenson alums: wow was I impressed. I saw world renowned doctorslike Russel Patterson from the class of ’43, a former President of theAmerican Association of Neurological Surgeons; I saw famous states-men like John Negroponte ’53, former Deputy Secretary of State andDirector of National Intelligence; I saw Academy Award winning actorslike Michael Douglas ’59 and giants from the entertainment industry likeMichael Eisner ’57, former head of Walt Disney. I saw distinguished jour-nalists like Dan Abrams ’81, from NBC News. I saw gifted producers andwriters, dynamic business leaders and philanthropists. In short peoplefrom all walks of life that went on to do great things.

I mention this because it is important to recognize that you are a part of agreat tradition and legacy at Allen-Stevenson….that there is nothing ordi-nary about you. Whether you are from the West Side or the East Side, fromHarlem or from Brooklyn, you have talent, some of it discovered, much of ityet to be unturned. And each of you has a responsibility to use your gifts tomake the world a better place. That is the purpose of an education here andat Berkshire. And this is the subject of my talk this evening.

The good news is that all of you have a chance to achieve great things. Thelatest research indicates that there is very little difference among us in termsof our innate ability. Biologically, we are all made of the same basic stuff.What finally separates the good from the great is our attitude—how wechoose to approach our work and the determination and the discipline weexhibit. That should inspire all of you because it suggests that each of youCAN achieve excellence if you set your mind to it, if you are determined, ifyou invest in your education.

At Berkshire we too have many distinguished alums and so many promis-ing students. I think of extraordinary public servants like Jim Harmon ’53who went to Brown University after Berkshire, became a huge success inthe business world, and then served in the Clinton administration as thePresident of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. World renowneddoctors like Steve Malawista ’50, Professor of Medicine at Yale Universitywho discovered Lyme Disease. People like Rhonda Bentley Lewis ‘86, whowent to Harvard and then to The University of Pennsylvania Medical School:she was recently recognized by the American Medical Association for herground breaking research on the hormonal causes of vascular dysfunctionamong women. World renowned conservationists like Ned Sullivan ’72, whotook on the General Electric Company for polluting the Hudson River withcarcinogenic wastes. His efforts resulted in court decisions that forced thecompany into one of the most costly and historic clean-up efforts in U.S.history. And people like John Thompson ’68, former investment bankerturned author, who was recently awarded a major literary prize for out-standing fiction.

When we hear these success stories-whether they are graduates of Allen-Stevenson or Berkshire- we forget WHAT these people were like as kids...weforget that they sat in your seats at one time. That they had the same fearsand aspirations that you have; that they wondered where they would maketheir mark or if they would make friends; that they were cut from varsityteams; that they weren’t always slotted for a part in the play; that theystressed about getting good grades and getting into secondary school andcollege. That they were kids once just like you.

And we don't realize that almost all of these people failed as much as theysucceeded…that falling short and rebounding is often the first and mostimportant step toward finding your unique strength. John Thompson spenthis entire adult life writing, but it took him twenty-two years to get published.It took seventeen years of fighting and endless setbacks in the court sys-tem-with many opportunities to let the issue die-before Ned Sullivan suc-ceeded in his quest to force the General Electric Company to purge theHudson River of its dangerous wastes. Rhonda Bentley-Lewis had fewadvantages in life. She was born to a sixteen year old single mother andraised in the housing projects of Harlem, but she refused to let her unfortu-nate circumstances stand in the way of her education, of her dream toattend Harvard and to become a doctor.

In the end, each of these people persevered, dusted themselves off whenthey faltered, redirected their energies, and didn't give up. Never quitting,being resilient in the face of adversity, finishing the job despite the set-backs....these are the qualities that define our graduates....and theyshould be the qualities that you strive to develop during your time hereand in the future.

It’s a myth that these people knew exactly what they wanted to do in lifewhen they were at Berkshire. But if you speak to them today they’ll tell youthat Berkshire is the place where they received the foundation for their suc-cess. It's where they learned to take risks and to live and work with others;where they found adults who believed in them; where they learned how tocope without their parents there to pick up the pieces; where they discov-ered new interests and passions.

So while John Thompson didn't know when he was fifteen that he would bewriting prize-winning novels one day, he'll tell you that this never wouldhave happened if he hadn't been inspired to write by his fourth form EnglishTeacher, Tom Chaffee. Rhonda Bentley-Lewis had no idea that she would bea world renowned leader for vascular research when she was a kid living inHarlem, but she will tell you today that her life would be different had shenot been inspired by Ms. Morgan and Mr. Kinne's science courses. NedSullivan could not have predicted when he was an adolescent that he woulddefeat the most powerful corporation in the world one day, but if he were

FATHERS DINNER: JANUARY 2010

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here today he’d tell you that this never would havehappened if Twiggs Meyers hadn't introduced himto the Mountain and taught him the importance ofenvironmental stewardship and of fighting for thecauses that you believe in.

And discovering your true talents requires you tobe open to the possibility that you have strengthsthat have not been identified yet. I’m reminded ofa former advisee that came to school as a ninthgrader thinking he was a soccer star.

Despite his lofty ambitions, he was cut from all thetop level teams in the first three days of tryoutsand found himself on the Thirds team. He wasdevastated but refused to dwindle in self-pity. Hedecided to try new things; he auditioned for theplay and signed up for Mandarin Chinese so thathe could learn something about a culture and partof the world he knew nothing about. He ended upwinning graduation prizes for his accomplish-ments in Chinese language and theater. Aftergraduating from prep school he attendedGeorgetown where he doubled majored inChinese-American relations and Theater. I raninto him in New York the other day and learnedthat after a short stint in professional theater, hespent four years in The Foreign Service beforegoing to law school. He’s now serving as a partnerin the largest American law firm in mainlandChina. Not bad for a self-professed soccer star.

And when I look at our students, I see scores ofstudents who are discovering their talents as aresult of the inspiring teachers that they have atBerkshire and the unique curriculum that we haveat the School. At Berkshire we accompany a rocksolid traditional college prep curriculum with a setof dynamic learning experiences that aredesigned to prepare students for today’s uniquechallenges and, most importantly, that help themexplore their passions.

I think of students like Jack Kruger, a tenth graderwho came to Berkshire with a dream of learninghow to fly and attending the United States AirForce Academy. He took an important steptoward that goal by enrolling in our AviationScience Program, a unique integrated sciencecourse where students learn about chemistry,physics, meteorology, and biodegradable fuels,all within the context of a unique aviation curricu-lum. One semester in, Jack has already earnedhis basic ground school qualifications andlearned the art of flying in our computerized flightsimulator. The highlight came last week when heembarked on his first flight from Great Barringtonto Hartford airport under the guidance of his flightinstructor.

I think of Xiao Rui Guo, a member of the AdvancedMath/Science Research Program at Berkshire.Xiao has been honored as one of only 300Semifinalists in the INTEL Science Talent SearchCompetition for his project on stem-cell plat-forms. Since early August, Xiao Rui has metweekly with his mentor, a professional researchscientist, from the College of Nanoscale Scienceand Engineering in Albany. As a result of his dis-tinct contributions to the project, he was recog-nized as one of the co-authors. When I asked himabout his experience he said, “My experience inMath and Science Research was like a condensedblast of everything I was expecting to do in mathand science in my college years.”

I think of Clay Cohen who came to Berkshire as aninth grader without any interest in environmen-tal science and without even the foggiest idea ofwhat the term “sustainability” meant. His trans-formation came in his tenth grade year becauseof a chance encounter with our Director ofSustainability, Frank Barros. Clay enrolled in anenergy conservation course and got involved inthe Green Cup Challenge, an energy saving com-petition among forty schools, designed todecrease carbon emissions. We took this chal-lenge to the kids and asked them to develop aplan to win the competition. Clay and a friend ranwith the project and developed an energy creditstrading system among dorms based on the con-cept of the European Union. As a result of theirefforts, Berkshire won the Green Cup challenge.More importantly, Clay and his friend were two ofa dozen students from across the nation to berecognized in Washington, DC by the NationalWildlife Federation for their innovative approachto reducing carbon emissions.

We were so inspired by the kids’ success that weset a goal to be the first American school to becarbon neutral by 2015. Clay and his classmatesfrom the advanced Energy Investigations coursewere charged to develop an Energy CampusMaster Plan to show us the way. He and his class-mates spent the year interviewing executivesfrom various alternative energy companies fromacross the land to identify how much of our ener-gy source should be geothermal, wind, or solarpowered. They presented the results last springto the board of trustees, who adopted the plan bya unanimous vote.

The highlight was when Clay showed up at myoffice one day after interviewing the CEO of asolar technology company from California. Withhis eyes sparkling with excitement, Clay said,“Mr. Maher…I just interviewed someone fromInfinia and I really think that this solar technologyis the answer for Berkshire…I just want you toknow, Mr. Maher, that we are not going to let theschool down.” This is the kind of passion that Iwant to see in every one of our students and it iswhat happens when you create learning experi-ences that are relevant and that benefit someoneother than just the students and their teacher.

I saw the same thing when I spoke to Lilly Meadewho participates in our exciting Global initiativesprogram. If we have learned anything in the lastyear it is how fundamentally interdependent theworld is, and so we feel a responsibility to preparestudents for global leadership by developing inthem an appreciation for, and understanding of,people from different cultures. Toward that endwe are developing a global leadership curriculumand establishing a partnership with a school inevery continent. Our students will participate incultural travel exchanges and work with studentsfrom other parts of the world to solve real globalproblems. In three weeks, Lilly and a dozen class-mates depart for the Jubilee School in Amman,Jordan, where they will work cooperatively withtheir students to develop a model for a MiddleEast Peace Plan. We have students working withour sister school in Malawi, Africa, where they areworking with students and a task force of doctorsfrom Tufts University to develop an AIDSCurriculum for elementary school children in thiswar ravaged and AIDS ridden country. And nextyear Berkshire students depart for Shenzen,

China, to discuss ways to strengthen Chinese/American relations.

I see these transformations happening all thetime. Whether or not our students find their pas-sion in Creative Writing, in sustainability, orthrough participating in community service orcultural exchanges with students from otherlands, or whether they discover their passionsthrough participating in the fascinating opportu-nities that exist in independent study or the mathand science research program, the opportunityto do something special…something transforma-tional.

So, what do I want you to know?

That you have a responsibility to discover yourunique talents by taking full advantage of youreducation, both here at Allen-Stevenson and atthe next stage of your education.

That there will surely be bumps, obstacles alongthe way, but you can't allow unfortunate circum-stances to hold you back from reaching yourpotential...you still have to forge on and make themost of it.

That you may not discover exactly what you wantto do in your life at Allen-Stevenson or at placeslike Berkshire, but you will find a foundation forfuture success, and so you owe it to yourself torelish every moment and drink every drop of wis-dom from the teachers and mentors with whomyou work.

And finally, that your education isn’t just impor-tant for your own life and your own future. Weneed you to take advantage of all that is offeredin school if we as a country are to meet the chal-lenges of the future: challenges like global cli-mate change, world-wide pandemics, poverty,and senseless wars.

I can't say for certain that we have in our midstthis evening the scientist who will cure cancer orAIDS, the engineer that will develop a game-changing energy technology, the social workerwho will lessen homelessness and poverty, theeconomist that will help us build new companiesand create new jobs, or the leader that will helpus create a fairer and safer world. I can promiseyou, however, that in this room is the talent to dosuch things; that at your school and Berkshireare teachers who care and who can give you thetools to do such great things; and that at Allen-Stevenson and Berkshire you will have everyopportunity to do great things.

And so I hope in the coming days you will estab-lish goals and aim high. That in a quiet momentof reflection you will consider not only the oppor-tunity that you have here and in your next school,but also the tremendous responsibility you haveto use your education to make the world a betterplace. If you do that...if you truly invest yourselfand dig deep, you'll feel an enduring sense of sat-isfaction, AND help scores of people along theway. Thank you and good luck.

Mr. Maher has been the Headmaster at TheBerkshire School since 2004. He is married to Jean,who is the Associate Director of Admissions atBerkshire, and they have three children: Sam,Madeleine, and Isabelle.

The Third Grade boys at Allen-Stevenson are involved in an incrediblewriting project with a group of boysand girls in South Africa. Over SpringBreak, Mr. Stephen Warner, AssistantHead of the Lower School, taught writ-ing and math at a school in the town-ship of Joe Slovo in Port Elizabeth,South Africa, through an organizationcalled artworksforyouth.org. The boysof 3BM and 3LD decided to createbooks to send with him on his journey.The hope is that these books will helpstart a much needed and deservedlibrary for these amazing students.

Before they began this writing project,Mr. Warner talked about the programand showed them some photos fromhis trip there last year. Ms. Sue Moon,Third Grade Associate, and Mr. Warner

explained the many differencesbetween Allen-Stevenson and JoeSlovo, as well as some of the similari-ties in the life of a student anywhere.They then talked about how studentsin both schools have stories to tell.

The books created by the A-S boys,with Ms. Moon and Mr. Warner, arecompilations of memoirs by each ofthem. The boys worked very hard onnumerous rough drafts and experi-enced the process of editing andproofreading a piece of writing. Abeautiful picture, depicting themoment in time they decided to high-light, was incorporated into their finaldrafts. The project was completedwith a short autobiography in whichthe boys wrote about their family,friends, favorite things, and any other

interesting facts that make each ofthem so unique and fascinating.

So that the A-S boys could learn moreabout the lives and experiences ofchildren in South Africa, the Joe Slovochildren also wrote their stories andmade books for Mr. Warner to share atAllen-Stevenson upon his return.

The Third Grade boys are thrilled to bea part of this project, and are lookingforward to reading the memoirs thatMr. Warner has brought back fromSouth Africa. It is also wonderful thateach boy will have a published pieceof writing, enjoyed by so many, clearacross the world.

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Have you ever considered just how complicated thejob of the old school full-service travel agent was inthe days before online travel booking? With this jobin mind, David Sutton, Fifth Grade Teacher, developeda series of multidisciplinary lessons around travel,including budgeting, mathematics, geography, plan-ning, and technological skills. Working independently,or in pairs, each student is given a budget for a two-week vacation. The next step is to go to the Internet,and plan a vacation including flight schedules, hotelbookings, scenic attractions in the location, and costsof meals. An entire budget has to be prepared, includ-ing the cost of transportation to and from the airport.

After this exercise has been successfully planned andcompleted, a further challenge awaits the student.Project two is to plan and budget a visit to the SevenWonders of the Ancient World, or at least the sites ofthe Wonders. A little poetic or political license isallowed here. For example, flying on a commercial air-line into Baghdad poses somewhat of a challenge.

Students are therefore allowed to fly to Kuwait,and drive overland. Here the challenge is notonly to research exactly where these Wondersare, or once were, but also how one might beable to get there today. A further restriction isthat this needs to be accomplished in the short-est amount of time, staying at least one night ateach location, and for the lowest monetary out-lay.

In these lessons, students learn to navigate theInternet, including airline and hotel sites, andinvestigate places of historical interest.Embedded are lessons in planning, budgeting,and logistics. This is a productive exercisewhere students become highly engaged in thelearning process.


of interest....

One important habit of our everyday work as teachers and learners – maybe one ofthe most important – is the act of reflection. Looking back on what we’ve done andlearned and seeing how that impacts where we need and want to go is essential toself-awareness and effective ownership of the material. We need time to reflect andconverse with ourselves about what we think and why. Too often in our freneticworld, that very essential habit is pushed aside: the urgent takes precedent over theimportant. We find ourselves at the end of the day with a blurry sense of what hap-pened, with disparate notes we feel unconnected to, and with breathless anxietyborne of the knowledge that we have to do the same thing the next day and the next.

I have goals for my classes. Administrators have goals for the School. Except for“getting A’s,” I wondered what specific goals my students had. And what did theyhave in place that would help them accomplish their goals? This year I decided totake a step in a different direction by embedding a very specific kind of reflectioninto my Seventh Grade curriculum every week for the whole year. Every Friday, theboys in my classes fill out a goal sheet, an exercise that insists on thoughtful reflec-tion, assessment, and planning based on that reflection and assessment.

The first part of the process asks students to write down the three goals they hadfor the week before: an interpersonal or personal goal, a community goal, and anacademic goal. That’s the simple part. They then answer a series of questionsdesigned to help them think about what they accomplished and didn’t, why, and howthey can help themselves do better. They identify obstacles and solutions and createstrategies for success the following week. They also describe what they did that washelpful in accomplishing the completed goals. If they struggled with one, then thatgoal gets put back on the list for the next week’s goals. This process takes about 20minutes of class time every Friday – time I feel is well worth expending. I take thesheets home with me and respond to them over the weekend. When the boys getthem back the next Monday, they look at my comments and adjust or add to theirreflections if they need to. Then those goals go into their planner for the week. Wedo a similar exercise at the end of every term, looking over the past semester’sgoals and making three long-range goals, which we then revisit at the end of the fol-lowing term.

The wonderful aspect of this exercise is seeing the effect it has had on the boys’behavior and self-awareness. They pay attention to their plans. They think aboutwhat they need to do differently. They take time to own what is theirs to own, tobreathe, to think, to stop for some time to develop a weekly habit that could benefitthem for the rest of their lives. As for me – I develop my own goals right along withthem. It’s a great way to end one week and begin the next.

Susan Lukas, Seventh Grade English Teacher

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Seventh Grader, Jorge Colmenares, said,“It [the goal setting exercise] is less aboutone’s own goals and more about how oneinteracts with others. Goal setting hasmade me more aware of being part of acommunity and a larger network of peo-ple.” Jorge likes the reflection and thetruthfulness that goal setting has encour-aged within him. One of Jorge’s communi-ty goals is to help organize his lunch tableto follow through on the tasks they havebeen assigned in the Dining Room. Forexample, Jorge double-checks who is incharge of the water for that day and whoseturn it is to clean up, and ensures that thesejobs get done.

“To achieve a difficult goal gives you thefeeling of pride in your accomplishment,while accomplishing an easy goal givesyou the feeling of achieving very little,”said George Frank, Seventh Grade student.George said that setting goals duringEnglish class has also helped him with hisother subjects. One of his long-range acad-emic goals is to get extra help with math.George has made time this year to meetwith someone in the mornings to get thatextra help.

Mohammed Islam, Seventh Grade student,said, “I have set myself personal goals inAthletics, which has not always been mystrength. One of my goals is to make 3 outof 4 shots in basketball. I am excitedabout a goal I think I can achieve. Now Ireally look forward to PE, and I am one ofthe first to get there.” He went on to say,“Goal setting has not only established inme good habits for school, but has alsohelped me in my home life.”


of interest....

In Fifth Grade Art, students work on a long-termproject called “Invented Civilizations.” Studentsinvent a civilization, past, present or future, andcreate a document, a map and a ceramic artifact.This is an especially exciting curriculum, as theFifth Grade students draw from their classroomstudy of ancient Greece and Rome. In addition, Ifeel that Fifth Grade is the age when students arefully engaged in imaginary narratives at a complexlevel, and are reading novels with fantastical con-tent, such as the Harry Potter series, andFablehaven, by Brandon Mull. The InventedCivilizations project brings together several disci-plines and skill sets: that of geography, history,creative writing and visual art. Each disciplineinforms the student’s imagination, enabling him tobring his civilization to life.

We begin the class by making a list of all of theattributes and institutions that can exist within acivilization. Some of the categories the studentshave come up with are: Government, Religion,Culture (art, music, drama), The Economy,Technology and Language. A discussion of thesecategories helps the students visualize their civi-lization, and they begin to consider its origin andthe inhabitants that live there. In addition, theycan invent wars, conflicts and natural disasters aswell as inventions and innovations within the soci-eties they are creating. Each student createsnotes or a narrative often accompanied by draw-ings, about his own civilization, creating a

resource that he will use for the entire semester. The next step is tomake several sketches for possible artifacts, keeping in mind thepurpose that the artifact served or serves. Some students will alsocreate rough drafts of maps at this time. We then share the resultsas a class, at which point students can ask questions and offer sug-gestions, before we all begin to create the artifacts.

I then show students examples of both contemporary and historicceramic sculptures and vessels. I follow this with a demonstrationof a wide variety of ceramic techniques. Each student project is dif-ferent, and I spend the classes circulating and assisting students sothat they can be as ambitious as possible. Many students begin theassignment anticipating that they will make something small. I chal-lenge the group to imagine something that can be built over time,and as a result not only make something large-scale, but have timeto make changes to the piece along the way.

When the students finish building with clay, they can either beginworking on their document or their map. I present examples of stu-dent documents and elicit suggestions from the group. The docu-ments range from national anthems to poems and diary entries. Themaps usually have keys and provide the students with an opportuni-ty to show how the geography and climate of their civilization hasinfluenced its outcome. In addition, the mapping gives them anopportunity to use language in a playful way, as they invent namesfor areas such as cities, lakes and so on. We share the documentsand maps as a group and often end the course with class presenta-tions. This year we concluded the class with an exhibition on thefifth floor and will exhibit the spring term’s work in the Arts Festivalin May.

Julia Kunin, Art Department Chair

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In Third Grade, the boys focus on researching, designing and building cranes in woodshop.They learn to work with greater precision in order to complete projects whose size, form andfunction are more specific, and whose building processes are more complex than their expe-riences in Second Grade. Consequently, detail, measuring and finish become more impor-tant. Putty and different painting techniques are introduced as well. More sophisticatedhardware such as hinges and clasps are also integrated into the crane project.

One of the main goals is to get the boys to work collaboratively in problem solving. Theyare required to create a pulley system as well as ensure that the crane’s structure is strongenough to pick up a 5 pound weight. This is a challenge they embrace with enthusiasm. Oncompletion of the project, much fun is derived in testing one another’s structures.


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C.A.F.E.’s New Parent Chats

This year has brought about some fundamental changes inthe direction of our C.A.F.E. (Cultural Awareness forEveryone) committee. C.A.F.E. was formed as an affinitygroup approximately ten years ago. Over the years, C.A.F.E.has organized many wonderful events ranging from morningcoffees to panels of alumni and students. Last year theSchool demonstrated its support by creating a CommunityLife + Diversity committee comprised of Casper Caldarola,Ahn Lee and Steve Warner who work closely with C.A.F.E.’sco-chairs, Monica Machado, Carol Mercurio, Paula Simmonsand Lana Woods, and with the Parents Association.

At the beginning of this school year, C.A.F.E. expressed adesire to see more parents join its activities and decided theplace to start was to focus on the similarities that all parentsat the School share, rather than on our differences. The

Making A Difference highlights some of the many ways in which people give to The Allen-Stevenson School.

main connection we all share is, of course, our children and the joys andchallenges of parenting. Thus the C.A.F.E. chats were re-directed tobecome Parent Chats, each with a specific parenting topic and led by atleast two moderators.

The first Chat in November was entitled “The Social Lives of our ChildrenK-9.” As background reading, C.A.F.E. chose a chapter (chapter 12) fromMichael Thompson’s book Best Friends, Worst Enemies (see PA page onthe website under Meeting Minutes/Podcasts, 11-14-09). Questions anddiscussions range from how do we, as parents, deal with and accept thesocial differences between our own children/siblings on to how to manage play dates or lack thereof for those families who live outside the immediate school neighborhood. Dr. Michael Schwartzman, ourschool psychologist, and Neal Kamsler were very helpful in guiding andproviding tools on this topic.

The second Chat in January was entitled “Social Cruelty.” Parents receivedsome great advice from the moderator, Dr. Michael Schwartzman, who waspresent with David Trower, Neal Kamsler, Steve Cohen, Kim Kyte and SusanEtess. As was explained, social cruelty can range from subtle teasing tooutright physical contact. Parents shared their own and their children’sexperiences with this, and discussed tools helpful in working through thesedifficult situations. The handout “How to Protect your Child from PeerCruelty” (see PA page on the website under Meeting Minutes/Podcasts, 1-22-10 – source www.parenthood.com) is a wonderful checklist.

The third Chat in April was entitled “What It Means To Be A Child From AnAlternative Family” and was moderated by Dr. Michael Schwartzman, SarahKresberg and Ahn Lee. An alternative family was defined for purposes ofthis chat as a divorced, interracial, adopted, same-sex or single-parent fami-ly. Once again, our parent body showed itself to be open to discussing dif-ficult topics in a supportive and productive way.

These Parent Chats stand apart from grade-specific Parent ConnectionMeetings since they are an opportunity for parents of children of all differ-ent ages to come together to discuss these issues and thus the Chats pro-vide a broad means of contact and support. All three chats have been wellattended, each with over 60 parents present from across all grades. It waswonderful that so many parents felt comfortable in sharing very sensitiveissues. That is what C.A.F.E. is hoping to achieve: to open up discussionswhich will help us, as parents and individuals, to realize that we have muchmore in common than we have differences. Dialogues like these help usall to know and understand each other better. And the more we can under-stand each other, the stronger we can be as a community for our children.

The next school year promises to bring many more timely Parent Chats andwe look forward to seeing you then!


A Fond Farewell

This month, six Trustees will retire from theBoard of Trustees. We thank them whole-heartedly for their service to the School andwould like to take this opportunity to reflecton their tenure as ambassadors and stewardsof the School.

Colin Knudsen has served as a Trustee since2003, and has served as Chair of the FinanceCommittee and Treasurer of the Board for four years.In this position, he has diligently overseen the School’sfinances, and we are most grateful to Colin for providingunflappable leadership in a tumultuous economy. Harris Stein,Business Manager, says “Colin was instrumental in bringingabout a true awareness of our financial picture in a form that could beeasily understood by all of us.”

Beatrice Mitchell has served as a Trustee since 2003, during which time she has served as Chair of theDevelopment Committee, Annual Fund Chair and has also been an integral member of the Finance Committee.Bea’s diligence and persistence as a fundraiser have been crucial to Allen-Stevenson.

Ashok Nayyar has served as a Trustee since 2001, and he has served as Chair of the Audit Committee since2004. Ashok’s guidance during this detailed, lengthy annual process has been most appreciated by all of us atAllen-Stevenson. During his tenure, the School changed auditors and the federal government changed the rulesand regulations for non-profit organizations to provide more transparency, and Ashok navigated the changesseamlessly.

Joseph Wayland has served as a Trustee since 2001, and he has served as Chair of the Financial Aid Committeefor eight years. Ronnie Jankoff said recently, “I could always depend on Joe to be most thoughtful in hisapproach to financial aid.” Additionally, Joe has played pivotal roles in many other important Board decisions.

We salute all of these Trustees for their many years of service to Allen-Stevenson. We would also like to recog-nize two members of the community who served one year terms on the Board, for which we are grateful. PeggyBewkes, whose son Thomas attends school in Connecticut now, brought her perspective to the Board as aleader in the worlds of media and education.

Alix O’Mara served this year as the President of the Parents Association, a difficult role because of the timecommitment that it requires. Alix’s efficiency and attention to detail were very much appreciated by all of us,and her efforts benefited the entire community.

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Spring BenefitHonorsHeadmasterDavid Trower

This year’s Spring Benefit was a family carnival held on April 16, 2010, at Pier Sixty,Chelsea Piers. Just over 900 boys, parents, faculty, and staff attended this wonderful evening to honor David Trower’s 20thyear as Headmaster of Allen-Stevenson (seeJeffrey Beers’ speech on the following page).

Co-chairs Carolyn Belfer, Samantha Brous andSue-Ann Kasdin orchestrated an evening ofgames, food and fun for all. Entertainmentincluded various carnival games, ping-pong andair hockey, as well as video games in the UpperSchool Boys Lounge.

The evening also featured a Teacher TreasureRaffle drawing, organized by MargaritaBenacerraf and Ashu Singh, and DeborahWaldman Gatsos, our Underwriting Chair, whohelped to raise over $200,000 in underwriting.Gift bags full of treats were given to guests,thanks to the efforts of Tara Lipton and DarylSimon. None of this would have been possiblewithout our volunteers, who were coordinatedby Beth Klein and Judy Poss.

Tremendous thanks to the Allen-Stevenson community for having contributed approximately$250,000 for the Scholarship Fund.

Raffle Co-chairs Margarita Benacerraf and Ashu Singh

David and Carol Trower along with

Fifth Grade Teacher, David Sutton

and his daughters

Benefit Co-chairs Samantha Brous, Sue-Ann Kasdin and Carolyn Belfer


JEFFREY BEERS ’71 HONORS DAVID TROWER

My name is Jeffrey Beers and I am an Allen-Stevenson alumnus,parent of two former students, and a current trustee of ourschool. I have the distinct honor and super personal pleasureof presenting David Trower with this commemorative plaque,celebrating his 20 years of leadership as Headmaster of TheAllen-Stevenson School.

I have known David for most of my life and in thinking of a few words I might say tonight, I thought I would share with youa little personal story of how David and I met, some thirty-fiveyears ago.

You see, back in the mid-seventies, after I graduated from A-S, I was a junior at Collegiate and David was one of my teachers. Hetaught a course in Theology that I was very interested in,although I’m not quite sure why. What I didn’t know was howprofoundly David and that course would affect the rest of my life.

David taught me to open my mind, and he encouraged me tothink deeply and curiously. He inspired me to ask questionsand to have the confidence to not fear that which we do notunderstand, but to consider what an idea could be or whatmight be possible. David opened my mind to the essence ofcreative thinking and for that I will be eternally grateful. Davidinspired me to be curious, to be passionate, and to be kind.

Well, I think that David encourages us all to open our minds andto always strive to better ourselves. He instills a tremendoussense of confidence and meaning in each of our boys, and heinspires them all to think boldly and to be mindful. I know hehad that effect on my own two sons who attended A-S. As thisplaque says, I believe David has not only inspired our boys tobe scholars and gentlemen, but he continues to open theirminds to be curious, passionate, and to be kind. I believe thathe instills in us all, the strength and enthusiasm to be morethan we think we are.

I cherish and hold dearly David’s skills as a leader and an educator, he has navigated our school through the frenetic 90s,the dark days of September 11, and all the way to the buildingof a new school. I think what I most admire about David is thathe does not merely seek out the road less-traveled but he pavesnew ones and he invents the future boldly and fearlessly.

I could go on and on, but all I really want to say is that I thinkwe are all very lucky to have David!

I know that everyone in this room and in the Allen-Stevensoncommunity will join me in thanking you David, deeply, and congratulating you on 20 magnificent years as Headmaster of Allen-Stevenson.

Congratulations, David!!!

All the kids had a great time!

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Milo Shalom Haber

Thomas Verchot

Robelyn Schrade-James

Trumpet Teacher, THOMAS VERCHOT, performed in January at the Auditorio Nacional in

Madrid, Spain, with the Ostravska Banda. In March, he was presented in a solo recital of trum-

pet and organ compositions for the Glen Ridge Community Concert series in Glen Ridge, NJ.

He also performed in Carnegie Hall with the orchestra of the Oratorio Society of New York.

Lower School Music Teacher, ROBELYN SCHRADE-JAMES, is excited to finally be able to

answer, “Yes! There will be another Carnegie-Weill piano recital this year. The reserved date

is Sunday, November 21!” Robelyn looks forward to sharing music and the spirit of

Thanksgiving with you.

Elsa Wilkis with Conrad

Annabelle and Jack McCauley

DANYA HABER, Drama Teacher and Production Manager, and her husband, Michael,

added a son, Milo Shalom Haber, to their family on November 5, 2009. Big brother,

Oliver, is very excited!

Admissions Associate, JEAN McCAULEY, became the grandmother of twins!

Her son, Ken McCauley ’93, and his wife, Genevieve, are living in Albany and having

a great time with Annabelle Lee and Jack Robinson, born August 18, 2009.

Annabelle likes to help out Jack whenever she can.

Spanish teacher, ELSA WILKIS, welcomed her first grandchild, Conrad Thomas

Wilson. Born to parents, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson and Kevin Wilson, on March 11,

2010 at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, Conrad weighed 8 pounds 4

ounces and was 22 inches long. Congratulations Abuela!


NORA ELISHAfter many happy years at Allen-Stevenson,I taught Fifth and Seventh Grade English atNightingale-Bamford. I am currently Dean of Students and Assistant Director of theMiddle School at Dalton. While I miss someaspects of the day-to-day life in the class-room, I am delighted to be working with students, parents and teachers in many different capacities. From helping studentsand their families navigate the tangles ofMiddle School life, admissions and diversitywork, mentoring and evaluating new teach-ers, and occasional substitute teaching, Iam enjoying my administrative role.

My sons, Andy ’03 and Jamie Elish ’06, arein college, and my husband Harry and I areadjusting to our empty nest.

SCOTT HARLANI retired 20 years ago in 1990, though I con-tinued to help out with G&S for another 10years because it was so much fun workingwith Michelle Demko, John Doyle and abunch of wonderful kids.

Since retirement, we've spent half the year -from May through October - living near thesmall town of Indian Lake in the AdirondackMountains. Besides paddling my canoe, Ienjoy reading, listening to and makingmusic, gardening, swimming, hiking andcooking. On a more socially responsiblenote- I've volunteered at the library, helpedHigh School kids with their term papers andsold tickets and such at the wonderful,reconditioned Art Deco Indian Lake Theater.The only theater showing regular movies inHamilton County!

From November to May we live inManhattan attending plays and concerts,catching up on TCM movies and joustingwith the landlord who is constantly lookingfor new ways to raise our rent! Mostly, wetry to rest up for the strenuous summeractivities ahead.

BETTY MAROLLAThe most exciting thing I have done sinceretiring was a trip to Africa. In the fall of2007 friends from Canada and I went toTanzania and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. Wespent about a week ascending the moun-tain and had a beautiful clear day when wereached the summit. After the climb, wespent another week on safari in theSerengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. Wewere lucky enough to see all the majorwildlife. It was a dream come true for me.

Retirement is wonderful! During the sum-mer months I live with my partner, Robert,in Bella Coola, British Columbia. The CoastRange of mountains make for challengingclimbing. We grow a big garden and haveapple and cherry trees to tend. Bald eaglesare as common there as pigeons inManhattan. I'll never get used to seeingthem every day, nor the occasional bearwalking through the yard. There is so muchto learn and do. I'm never bored, that's forsure.

We live upstate in the Hudson Valley fromOctober through March. My little town iscalled Rosendale and is between New Paltzand Kingston. While there, we do a lot ofhiking, snowshoeing, and cross-countryskiing at the Mohonk Preserve and in theCatskills. Bird watching, nature study, andreading fill many hours, and I visit NewYork City regularly to go to museums, seeplays, and visit friends and family.

where are they now?Have you wondered about some of your teachers and how they are spending their time now?

We’re in contact with many past faculty members and will be highlighting them in the Lamplighter.

“Academically Able Athletes Authenticate theirAcumen by Analyzing Analogies and All Aspectsof Accurate Answers against Sagacious SensibleStudents who Seriously Solve and SynthesizeSuperlative and Scientific Speculations.”

Do you remember this string of A-words and S-words? Do you? Can you hear the voice?Remember the scene? Yes, of course, you can.Yes, it’s John Pariseau’s voice. And yes, it’s theopening to the School’s annual Academic Bowl.You will also remember that it starts with a seat-lifting blast of Richard Strauss’ “Also SprachZarathustra” (Okay, the theme from Kubrick’s2001, A Space Odyssey), and a light show thatrivals the home-court introduction of the NewYork Knickerbockers. And later on you would cer-tainly recognize the ancient blue and yellow policelights of the “buzzer round.” And yes, there’s tin-sel, lots and lots of silver tinsel. As you know, Mr.Pariseau stepped down as Associate Head of theSchool last June, and yet there he was twoMondays ago playing to a standing-room-onlycrowd in the new Assembly Hall very much incharge of things and firing questions – he hashundreds – at teams of “Allens” and“Stevensons” who flanked him left and right. Itwas Academic Bowl XL, which means that he’sbeen running this show since 1971, his first yearat the School. John tells me he will be back on thepodium next January, but after that he’s not sure.I hope he keeps doing it. What fun it is for all therest of us, for the boys, for faculty (Jim Holt comesback every year to keep score) and staff, for par-ents, for alumni, how it brightens our long, darkJanuary days. And how the irrepressible Mr.Pariseau relishes the whole affair! After the show,Roger Raines ’80, who never misses an AcademicBowl, was greeted by Mr. Pariseau with a big smileand an arm raised high to show Roger that he hadnot forgotten Roger's favorite question: “Withwhich arm does Lady Liberty lift her lamp?”(Everyone knows that.)

There were several other alumni inattendance – faculty members RandySchrade ’76 and Jaison Correa-Spain’97, in charge of generating the newhigh-tech audio and visual questions,Alex Klebanoff ’98, who is interning inthe art department, and Jim Seligman’73 and Shuui Hosoi ’87, whose sonsJad Seligman ’12 and Sota Hosoi ’11were on the winning Allens team. JimmySeligman remembered that he was in

the Academic Bowl back in 1973 - AcademicBowl II that would have been. Perhaps you wereup there in the lights once yourself, with thewhole school watching, as Mr. Pariseau testedyour mettle - maybe you were an AcademicallyAble Allen or perhaps a Sagacious and SensibleStevenson. Or maybe you were like me, trying tokeep up with the breakneck pace of things: “Howmany numbers from the hour hand of a clock arenot perfect squares?” And the final question thisyear: “Name the A-S Headmaster who kept theSchool open after the blizzard of ’78 crippledNYC.” The boys got them both.

Alex Klebanoff is not alone in returning to theSchool this winter. Laurence Smith ’00 (Yes, thelast of the Smith Brothers) is also interested inteaching and has been following me around. He’sin his last year at Baruch College and hopes to beteaching history in one of the junior boardingschools next year. Daniel Demarse ’05 is helpingout in the theater, with “Twelfth Night” last fall andnow with “Pirates of Penzance”. They seem excit-ed to be back at the School and I think the facultydelights in working with them. I certainly do. Atlunch today I asked Klebbie how things weregoing in the art room and though he was amusedby the irony of his situation, he seemed entirelyundone by his encounter with the Sixth Gradethat morning. “They’re a rowdy bunch,” he said.“They call me Special K.” I told him that Laurencewas going to take up the Treaty of Versailles withthe Seventh Grade next week; then I went back tothe salad bar in search of more Israeli couscous.

Last Tuesday evening I was at the Father and SonDinner. You’ll remember those occasions wereonce held in the old gym under the basketballnets. They are now in the Assembly Hall, trans-formed by lighting and decorative touches into anelegant dining space. Gone are the brandy andcigars, but it is still largely an all-male affair that isunfailingly sentimentally affecting: fathers and

sons easy in their talk and at home in the com-pany of other fathers and sons. The LowerSchool Father and Son Breakfast is another suchevent. I went looking for father-son strife theother morning, a little drama to intensify the day,only to find sunshine and delight. When I askedfive former students, now upright fathers, if theyexpected worse to come, they all five looked atme uncomprehendingly as if their future was now– is now – and the possibility of struggling withtheir sons had not occurred to them. “My son isvery happy at school and I am happy with him, forhim!” The father-son events at every level bringout the best in every man; maybe that is one ofthe charms, the gifts of attending an all-maleschool—that and the satisfying continuity experi-enced by the institution’s creaking teachers, byMr. Pariseau, for instance, by me, to see the boyyou taught in 1970 now the father of a boy in theclass of 2017, a boy you might teach.

The first week back from school was befitting anold-fashioned January - cold, frigid, snowless.Such days with or without snow are my favoritefor the parade of boys, miniature Michelin men,packed in snowsuits as for an Everest expedi-tion, on their way—their laborious way—up thewest stairs, four flights up, eighty steps to beexact, to the roof. I like to ask them, “Where areyou going?” “To the roof,” one of the boys said,“are we there yet?” Seven years from now someof these inflated boys will be a part of theAcademic Bowl, by which time they should know,as every New York boy knows: it’s with the rightarm Lady Liberty lifts the torch.

Before I close I want to remind you about theyear’s alumni event on March 13. In addition torecognizing milestones reached by reunionclasses, including several class parties, thealumni are also celebrating the role music has inthe School over the years. We have invited all ofthe School’s music teachers, past and present,including Stanley Gauger and Rolande Schrade.There will also be some performances by the cur-rent boys, and a rollicking sing-along with aguest Pirate King, Tristan Howard ’96. I hope tosee you there.

If you are an alumnus and would like to receive Mr.Kersey’s column, please send your email address toMonique Lowitt, [email protected] and write"Subscribe to 'As I See It'" in the subject line.

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!" # $%% #&Veteran teacher David Kersey h '98 writes an electronic column called "As I See It." This column was reprinted from the February 2010 issue.


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Hockey players with coach Phil Amplo, and under the watchful eye of honorary coach David Kersey h’98, played ice hockey at Chelsea Piers.

Young alumni returned to school for donuts andgood cheer the day before Thanksgiving.

Alumni, parents and faculty watched David Mamet’s newest play,RACE, on Broadway starring Richard Thomas ’66 and produced byJeffrey Richards ’62. Guests enjoyed a private discussion withThomas and Richards after the show.

36 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

Over two hundred alumni reconnected with classmates, friends, and former faculty during reunion weekend March 12 and 13. Over 10 class-

es held class parties at homes, bars and restaurants. They also gathered at Allen-Stevenson for a spirited basketball game versus the faculty,

watched a rehearsal of “Pirates of Penzance,” and took tours of the School during the day. In the evening, they returned for an all-class

cocktail reception and a concert celebrating the tradition of music at Allen-Stevenson, past and present. Former and current music teachers

were honored, including Stanley Gauger and Rolande Schrade.

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Class of 1999: Edward Stautberg, Matthew Keller, David Benzaquen, David Trager,Thomas Zipser, Micah Weiss, Alexander Appel, Maximilian Warncke, Jedd Sereysky

Robert Trainer ’31 Maurice Edelson ’78 and David Kersey h’98

Susan and Roger Lipsey ’55, Mara Landis (parent) and Lewis Bernard ’55

Class of 1984: Andrew Minkow, John Henry, Philip Utsch, Marc Rice, Edward Bicks, Hagen Scutt, Tsvi Landau, Timothy Packard

Class of 1990: Craig Magee, Colin McCabe, Craig Kirsner,Nicolas Abadjian, Townsend Crum

Class of 1964: Back row: Kim Takal, George Freeman, Peter Rea, Andrew Sereysky,Anthony Hayden (former faculty), Carlos Davis. Front row: Sean Konecky,

Lanny Paykin, Michael Cook


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Robelyn Schrade-James, Christopher Schrade-James ’05, Randolph Schrade ’76,Robert Schrade and Rolande Schrade

Class of 1985: Patrick Horan, Jeffrey Haber, Andrew Mercy, Simon Wasserberger,Stanley Shashoua, Richard Leonard

Stanley Gauger could not make the celebration of music, but greeted all

from his home in Florida via a recordedtelephone message.

Philip Utsch ’84, Peter Kellner ’84 and Jeffrey Jenoure ’79

Class of 1979: Frederick Ziegler, Christopher Miller, Andrew Speyer,Steven Drechsler, Jonathan Levy, Jesse Cohen, Peter Papazoglou, Clinton

Johnson, Jeffrey Jenoure, Michael Schiff, Neil Bader

Alumni/Faculty Basketball Game

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If you have a yearbook and want to donate it, please contact John Pariseau h’98 ([email protected]).The School has been publishing yearbooks since 1947 and needs additional copies of the following years (boldedyears are the most urgently needed).

1947, 1948, 1949

1950, 1951, 1957, 1958, 1959

1963, 1964, 1966, 1967

1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979

1980, 1985, 1986, 1987

Sarah Kresberg, the Library Director, reports that the boys love to read the books from the past, not just therecent ones, and that they learn much about the history of the School by doing so. “Your love of the School ismatched by theirs, and future generations surely will also be inspired by what they learn from the yearbooks,” saidMr. Pariseau.

We would like to thank Craig Kallman ’80, who transferred VHS and cassette tapes of past Gilbert & Sullivan showsand concerts to DVDs and CDs so we can view them and use them. As Mr. Pariseau continues to organize thearchive collection, you will hear about our needs and learn more about our collective history.


Please send Alumni News for the Lamplighter to [email protected] or call the Development Office at 212-606-0890.

1930sRobert B. Trainer ’31and his wife, Shirin, came to the ReunionWeekend festivities to hear the reunionconcert and celebrate his 79th Allen-Stevenson reunion.

1940sWilliam Maclay ’45of Maryland came back to watch “Piratesof Penzance,” the show he had been in 50years ago at Allen-Stevenson.

Philip Du Bois ’46writes that he is “setting up an environ-mental education center on 1,800 acres ofland in Peterborough and Greenfield,New Hampshire.”

1950sPhilip G. Proctor ’55([email protected]) performed at the92nd Street Y in November. “Proctor’sprodigious musical and linguistic talents(including fluency in seven languages)have made him one of today’s mostsought-after voice artists. Among hismany credits, he has been the voice of"Big Brother" for three seasons and washeard as Howard in "Rugrats," the sea-horse Bob in "Finding Nemo," Charlie in"Monsters, Inc.," and the drunken Frenchmonkey in Eddie Murphy’s "Dr. Doolittle"series; he can be heard as a Cajun Fireflyin Disney’s "Princess and the Frog," asnoted in the catalogue. Phil performed ina comic play called THE PSYCHIC atGarry Marshall's Falcon Theatre inBurbank, CA, in March and April.

1960sEdward Finch Cox '61was elected chair of the New York StateRepublican Party and is reported to be ona mission to revitalize the party. He hasworked as a corporate attorney withManhattan law firm Patterson Belknap.

Ralph Parker ’64passed away in May 2009. Ralph hadworked at Eastman Kodak for twentyyears before leaving to establish his ownbusiness called Emfotec InformationSystems. He was president of the compa-ny which provided a variety of softwareprograms for emergency medical servicesand ambulance personnel.

Christopher Fawcett ’66([email protected]) sent an email notingthat he “just moved to Brooklyn after hav-ing a Manhattan address my whole life.It's strange to live in another borough.”

1970sAlfred B. Lewis ’71([email protected]) wrote a book

OOBonomics. Al states, “You will likeOOBonomics, if you enjoy new ideas, can‘think outside the box’ and have a senseof humor. In other words, my accountanthated it (if your accountant likes it, you

should probably switch accountants).” Helives outside Boston in Newton and runsa consulting business working withhealth insurance providers to reduce theneed for hospitalization for patients.

Robert Burge '76got together with classmate William S.

Hanway '76 ([email protected]) inLondon over the Thanksgiving break. Billis an architect in London and is playing apivotal role in master planning the 2012Olympics in London. Robert ([email protected]) continues in the antiques busi-ness in New York and has a SecondGrader at Allen-Stevenson. See profile onpage 43.

John Carr ’76([email protected]) performed both inthe chorus and as the Innkeeper in Diedrei Pintos with the Bronx OperaCompany in January. He will performagain with them in Don Pasquale in May atLehman College. He also sings with St.Andrew's Chorale which performs threetimes a year.

Alan Dean Benjamin ’78([email protected]) has been work-ing on the technical side of the telecom-munications/networking industry for over25 years, starting with a 14-year tenure atAT&T and eventually becoming a SystemsEngineer at Cisco Systems. Alan has alsoremained a very serious musician and, inaddition to forming a very successful pro-gressive rock band called Advent (whoselast CD received a rave review in Guitar

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AAAA LLLL UUUU MMMM NNNN IIII NNNN EEEE WWWW SSSSPlayer magazine) and performing with areformed incarnation of the legendary1970s "prog" band Mirthrandir, has alsoworked as an advocate for creative musicin many capacities--including writing forseveral publications, authoring linernotes, and copyediting text for CDs,DVDs, and English subtitles on foreignDVDs. He currently lives in north-centralNew Jersey with his wife, Amy, and 16-year-old son, Jesse, and has a 25-year-oldson, Alex, as well.

Peter Ivan Margolis ’78of Corte Madera, California passed awayunexpectedly in his sleep on September20th, 2009, according to the MarinIndependent Journal.

Michael Schiff ’79 ([email protected]) visited the school with

his wife, Jennifer, and three children theday before Thanksgiving. He is a televisionwriter and producer living in LA. He wrotefor television program “Third Rock fromthe Sun.” He and Jennifer also returned toNew York for Reunion Weekend.

1980sPaul Aston ’80([email protected]) and his wife,Mary Eliza, had a baby boy, Blake Hunter,last July. Paul is a mathematical econo-mist who trades quantitative currencystrategies at Morgan Stanley. He writes: “Iam still composing (when I have the time)and playing the guitar, bass and key-boards.” Paul played in the alumni hock-ey game last December.

investment manager) in November 2009as President of North America and GlobalHead of Alternative Investments. He pre-viously worked at Lazard for 14 yearswhere he was Managing Director, Head ofAlternative Investments. Between jobs,he took six months off during which hepracticed his kite surfing skills in theDominican Republic, Outer Banks and inthe Hamptons.

Polo Dobkin ’87([email protected]) Grub Streetreported in February: “Forget the Oscars,folks. The semifinalists for the chef andrestaurant categories of the James BeardFoundation Awards (the Oscars of therestaurant industry, natch) have beenannounced. Here’s who the Beard’s mys-tery panel of 400 judges have selected asthe crème de la crème among the 21,000entries submitted online starting late lastyear…. A surprise in the Best Chef: NewYork City category: Polo Dobkin ofDressler, one of many who’ll get a bigrecognition boost from the nom.”

Lewis Liebert ’88([email protected]) andhis wife, Emily, welcomed son JaxsynAlvin Liebert on October 14, 2009 at 8pounds, 11 ounces, and 21 inches long.They live in New Rochelle, and Lewisruns a flying school called PerformanceFlight.

1990sNick Abadjian '90([email protected]) is living inQueens with his wife and young daughter.

Townsend Crum '90 ([email protected]) is living inPortland, Maine, working at DeLormePublishing, a map company.

Stefan Friedman ’90([email protected]) and his wife,Amy Glickman, stopped by the School onthe way to a doctor’s appointment a few

Roger Raines '80is working at Maialino, the new restau-rant run by Danny Meyer in theGramercy Park Hotel.

Mitchell Spiegel ’82([email protected]) and his wife,

Bonita, had a baby girl, Mia Belle, bornAugust 28, 2009. She joins brother,Nelson, who is in Kindergarten at Allen-Stevenson and brother, James.

Ian Ratner ’83 ([email protected]) is anInvestment Advisor to individuals, foun-dations and professional investors atBarclays Wealth. Previously, he spenttwelve years as a Managing Director atLehman Brothers. “My wealth manage-ment practice at Barclays includes pri-vate business owners, private investorsand corporate executives. I earned aB.A. from the University of Michigan anda J.D. from the Fordham UniversitySchool of Law. I am married with fourchildren and live in Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ.”

Chris Weitz ’84 was a producer of Tom Ford’s film “ASingle Man,” based on a novel byChristopher Isherwood, and starringColin Firth and Julianne Moore. Firthwas nominated for an Academy Awardfor Best Actor and the movie was anOfficial Selection at the Toronto, Tokyoand London film festivals.

Kris Tate Haber ’85([email protected]) joinedThreadneedle Investments (a UK based

weeks before his wife gave birth to theirdaughter, Lucy. Lucy Sam Friedmanarrived on November 7th, measuring 6pounds, 11 ounces.

Joshua Graver ’91([email protected]) moved back toNew York in the fall after finishing an MBAat MIT. He is working as an equities trad-er at Barclays Capital – particularly work-ing on electronic trading. He also has aPhD in Aerospace Engineering fromPrinceton.

David Lonstein '93 and his wife Jenna had a baby girl, GracieMaya, in January.

Ken McCauley ’93

and his wife, Genevieve, are having funwith twins Annabelle Lee and JackRobinson, who were born August 2009.

Ross Millhiser ’94([email protected]) and his wife,Aaron, had a baby girl, Jasset WolfeMillhiser, born August 16th, 2009, andweighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces.

Alexander Moscato ’95([email protected]) writes: “I havebeen living in Japan for over four years. Iam teaching English in Tokyo. As well asteaching, I have been producing a full-fea-ture mockumentary. Upon its completion Iwould like to find a means of distribution.I am looking forward to hearing how thingshave been going for my fellow alumni. Ihope all is well for everybody in the Statesconsidering the economic situation.”

David Benzaquen ’99 ([email protected]) isbased in Watkins Glen, New York, work-ing as a campaign coordinator for organi-zation farmsanctuary which does “res-cue, education and advocacy work to endcruelty to farm animals.”

David Hirschfeld ’99([email protected]) is living inLas Vegas and running a real estate busi-ness there. He is in New York often.

Nicholas Hoagland ’99([email protected]) is serv-ing in the Peace Corps in South Africa.

Bali Kumar ’99 ([email protected]) has been livingin London and working as an executivepay consultant. After graduating fromBrown, he pursued a Master's Degree atthe London School of Economics. He isheading out on a world backpacking trip.

Matthew Roseman ’99([email protected]) lives inLA and works at a private equity/film pro-duction company. Twin brother, EricRoseman ’99 ([email protected]) isin a post doctorate program at Columbia.

James Tate ’99([email protected]) says, "I took twoyears off after graduating from highschool (Fieldston), and worked for aNational Geographic Photographer inAsia. I graduated from N.Y.U.'s GallatinSchool of Individualized Study in May of’08 and have since been working as aBartender at Dorrian's (Saturday nights)and at a small private equity firm, CapitalRoyalty. I am still living on the UpperWest Side and currently have a GoldenRetriever, Jack."

Thomas Zipser ’99([email protected]), is an associate atG. C. Andersen Partners, a merchantbank doing traditional investment bank-ing services and private equity. Tom said,“I have the pleasure of working on bothsides of the business. Recently we havebeen focusing on large renewable energyprojects and game-changing technologyin the clean-tech space (these includesolar PV and concentrated, wind, hydro

Tristan Howard ’96 ([email protected]) performed with

his comedy troupe for Allen-Stevensonparents in February and led a singalong as“The Pirate King” on Reunion Weekend.

Jaison Correa-Spain ’97 ([email protected]), ClarenceFruster ’97 ([email protected]) and

their band, Jah-C & The Antidote “openedfor the infamous rapper KRS-One atanother sold out show in Park Slope,Brooklyn, at the club SouthPaw” earlierthis year.

T. Sean Durkin ’97 is producing films.

Wyndham Boylan-Garnett ’98([email protected]) is assistantdirector of “Our Town” under the direc-tion of David Kersey at Allen-Stevenson.

Alexander Klebanoff ’98([email protected]) is also back atA-S working in the Art Department withJulia Kunin.

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Evan Griffith ’07([email protected]) washonored as the national winner of the2010 Charlotte Hoyt Bagnall OrganScholarship competition.

James Rucinski ’07won the Courtney Adams MusicScholarship at Franklin & Marshall wherehe will begin college in the fall.

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In Memoriam

Joseph C. Roper ’30

Peter Von Berlo Heide ’53

Paul Jean LaGrange ’59

Ralph Parker ’64

Peter I. Margolis ’78

Robert Perry Zuckert ’84

Tucker Lowe Davis ’97

electric, geothermal, coal to liquids, sugarcane ethanol, ag waste and environmen-tally friendly chrome). We also do a lot ofindustry roll-ups (lately we have donethem in education, veterinary hospitals,aggregates and beer brands).” Tom wasout for drinks with Micah Weiss ’99 andran into Jamie Tate ’99.

2000sLaurence Smith ’00 ([email protected]) is shadowingDavid Kersey and student teaching 7th

Grade at Allen-Stevenson as he explores acareer in teaching.

Damian VanCamp ’00([email protected]) curated

an exhibit on alumni in music at AlumniReunion weekend. Damian also has three

photographs in the Lana SantorelliGallery as part of the group show titled“Reawakening.”

Andrew Etess Zimmerman ’00([email protected]) earneda Master's Degree in Architecture fromWashington University in St. Louis lastDecember (following an undergraduatearchitecture degree from Wash U as well)and moved back to New York City to joinHoward L. Zimmerman Architects.

Matthew B. Levinson ’02([email protected]) is in a rock and roll

style band, Reckless Sons. They recentlywon a contest at CBGBs and are sched-uled to tour in the United Kingdom thissummer.

David Perry ’02([email protected]) started hisown record label, Boo Dot Records, andhe has signed a group called JonnyRooms and Dutch Master Spence.

Rudolph Pica ’02([email protected]) joined the New Yorkbased firm of Emerald Creek Capital, acommercial real estate lender that pro-vides capital for commercial real estateproperties, in October 2009 as an under-writer.

Peter Quinn ’06 ([email protected]) graduated from St.Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco.He is now a freshman at UCLA.

TUCKER LOWEDAVIS ’97 died inFebruary after brav-ing a battle againstfibrolamellar hepato-cellular carcinomasince 2008. He grad-uated from theUniversity ofColorado. He was a

member of the CU Freestyle Ski Team andmet the love of his life, Alisha, in Boulder.Following graduation, Tucker worked forthree years as an investment banker inNew York City with Bank of America'sFinancial Institutions Group. Standing 6'5", this "gentle giant" had an extraordi-nary gift for mathematics, logic and puz-zles. He and Alisha, their friends, andfamily started the Fibrolamellar CancerFoundation (www.fibrofoundation.org) tohelp fund research for a cure and raiseawareness of this rare liver cancer.


Legacy Admissions: 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 earlyadmissions decision although Legacy Status does not mean an automatic or guaranteed acceptance. Alumni who are interestedin applying their sons should call the Admissions Office at 212-606-0884.

Alumni Profile: A Conversation withWilliam Hanway ’76, Executive Director ofOperations - Europe for AECOM, inLondon, by Robert Burge '76

Hanway’s firm is master planning the London2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games aswell as the post games legacy framework.Bill has been involved since 2003, helping tosecure the original winning bid for London in2005. Classmate Robert Burge ’76 spokewith him about this high profile project:

“The Olympics represent a unified momentof celebration for the world, of people comingtogether from all corners of the globe,”described Hanway.

“The delivering of an Olympic Games is ahuge undertaking, with the creation of anOlympic Park which includes the Olympic vil-lage to house some 17,000 athletes andcoaches as well as the sporting venues andthe supporting infrastructure. This requires adedicated team of professionals workingtogether under severe time pressures, with afixed deadline (Summer 2012). Delays areclearly unacceptable,” stated Hanway. He ispleased to report that all of the work is onschedule.

Hanway particularly enjoys that he is workingwith celebrated architects, from around theworld to build new edifices for the Olympics.They include Michael Hopkins on theVelodrome, Zaha Hadid on the AquaticsCentre, Ken Shuttleworth on the HandballArena, and HOK Sport on the Main Stadium.

“Most importantly, the Olympics are a cata-lyst for investment and regeneration of the‘East End’ of London – long regarded as thepoor cousin of the tourist destination we allknow,” said Hanway. “The infrastructure ofthis area of London is being completelyrebuilt. There will be new schools, healthfacilities, transportation hubs, housing and anew 200 acre public park."

Hanway and Burge were not only class-mates at Allen-Stevenson, but at Hotchkissas well. Hanway has two sons, Will (15) andColm (13). Will attends Eton and Colm is atThe Hall, an all boys primary school not dis-similar to Allen-Stevenson. Hanway’s wife,Christine Chang, is also an accomplishedarchitect. She was responsible for theHolocaust Exhibit at the Imperial WarMuseum and the masterplan for the V & AMuseum in London.

Memories of

Robert Perry Zuckert ’84After graduating from Allen-Stevenson in9th Grade, Robert attended PhillipsAndover Academy, Alliance Francaise inParis and the University of California-Irvine. He was injured in 1994 while playing rugby for the University ofCalifornia-Irvine, and at the young age of24 became quadriplegic and lived with that disability for the rest of his life. He died in April and is remembered fondly by friends.

“His classmates may have known him better. For my own part, I basically idolized theguy, who was the best example of a renaissance-man-in-the-making I've ever known.He was larger than life, the best athlete I've ever known, literally able to take on theentire defense single-handedly in football, lacrosse and hockey, weaving his way to ascore whenever needed; he was fast, powerful and incredibly graceful all at once. Hewas also kind and inclusive, always letting us younger classmen play along, though heoften hid his kindness behind a rough exterior that could be intimidating.

When I consider, sitting here today, some of the key passions and experiences of mylife, Zuckert's influence is unmistakable. His sports became my sports and he was per-haps the #1 reason for my desire to go to Andover -- if Zuckert went there, it had to bethe best.”

Andrew Mercy ’85

“I have rarely known anyone, much less any boy, whose personal magnetism was asstrong as his. Such was the force of Robbie’s personality and powerful presence in theSchool that, as an eighth grader, he actually brought his girlfriend to class for anentire day and not one teacher or administrator commented on this unique visitor’spresence! I remember his love for David Kersey – expressed in a talent show by danc-ing his impression of that great teacher’s zeitgeist to the song, “Owner of a LonelyHeart” by Yes. I certainly remember vividly his take on the role of Count Orsino inMr. Kersey’s Twelfth Night: his Orsino was no dreamer, but a haunted, angry loverwho spat out the line, “If music be the food of love, play on…” as if it broke his heart.

I remember his deep, almost ferocious love for his brothers and for his mother andfather. He said he once dreamed that Sandy had bought him a leopard as a pet, andthat she had brought it to a football game and let it run across the field to him in vic-tory. That leopard is iconic of Robbie Zuckert: alert, intelligent, graceful, powerful,and agile – a symbol of the natural world he loved inside the noisy hive of our urbanexistence. He last wrote to me from a mountaintop in Montana before he made thedecision to pursue acting in Paris – he was excited by the new adventure in front ofhim, not at all worried about the challenges of the theater or life in a foreign countrythat would have daunted me.”

Caroline Berry, former faculty

44 S P R I N G 2 0 1 0

MERRILL HUGHESAllen-Stevenson’s Lower School Physical Education teacher, was recently elected as the"Northeast Region Director" of the United States Billiard Association (USBA). He will berunning tournaments, recruiting new members, voting on new issues and traveling tomany rooms on the East Coast to train owners on USBA topics. Merrill directs and playsin 3 Cushion Billiard tournaments. He can often be seen live on the Internet on Saturdaymornings playing in a tournament in Flushing, Queens. See the website: CaromTV.comand click on the camera on the top of the page. If you are interested in finding out moreabout the USBA or billiards, visit: USBA.net.

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

HARRIS STEINHarris Stein, Business Manager, (pictured third from the left) has just

completed the USAF Auxiliary-Civil Air Patrol’s officer Leadershipand Advancement Course. He is currently Second Lieutenant with theUSAF Auxiliary. His primary function with the USAF Auxiliary-Civil AirPatrol is communications, where he is the assistant communicationsofficer. For each mission, he is one of the planners establishing the

communications plan for missions and events. He is also responsible for briefing senior members and cadets prior to the

action phase of all activities.

ERIK RESURRECCIONFirst Grade Teacher, Erik Resurreccion, has run the New York City marathon every

year since he started working at Allen-Stevenson. That would make 14 and counting... His running partners have included Sally Allen, Tony D’Itri,

Stephen Warner, and John Zufall.

SUSANNA HARWOOD RUBINIn addition to her work as an artist, Susanna is a certified Anusara yogateacher who teaches publicly at Virayoga and privately as well. During the month of April, she was a featured blogger at SocialWorkout.com,writing about her hybrid art and yoga life!

HELP TO MAKE THE ANNUAL FUND A SUCCESS

Please support the Allen-Stevenson Annual Fund as generously as you can. It is with your kindness that Allen-Stevenson is able to provide boys with the finest

education possible. The Annual Fund helps to bridge the difference between what is charged for tuition and what it truly costs to educate each boy. The largest budgetary items are

scholarships and faculty compensation.

We cannot reach our $2.1 million goal without your support. Please give as generously as you can. The Annual Fund closes on June 30, 2010.

Every gift makes a difference!

To support the Annual Fund, you can use the enclosed envelope or go to www.allen-stevenson.org to give online.

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAID

NEW YORK, NYPERMIT NO. 8048

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

ALL ALUMNI ARE INVITED TO THE 2011 ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND.CLASSES CELEBRATING MILESTONE REUNIONS ARE:

1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 20111936 1946 1956 1966 1976 1986 1996 2006

Mark your calendars now for a weekendfull of events, including: -- Class Parties -- Cocktail Reception -- Annual Alumni/Faculty Basketball Game -- Gilbert & Sullivan Rehearsal -- Student-led Tours of the School

SAVE THE DATEMarch 11-12, 2011

If you are interested in serving as a Reunion Chair, contact Monique Lowitt, Director of Alumni Relations, at [email protected]. or 212 933 5420.

REUNIONWEEKEND

Documents

Lamplighter