ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY: HUNDREDS GATHER FOR MIDTOWN CHEER
HOMECOMING 2015: ABLAZE WITH VICTORIES, FRIENDSHIPS & FUN
AT THE LOWER SCHOOL: PAT MELONI’S MARVELOUS MILESTONE
Winter 2016
CHAMPIONS OF ALL SORTS TRIUMPH CROWNS A SEASON OF STRATEGY, JOY & BROTHERHOOD
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015–2016
Gregory B. Hartch ’88, P ’19 Chairman Richard A. Axilrod, P ’14, ’19 Nisha Kumar Behringer, P ’26, ’28 James F. Bell IV, P ’14, ’16, ’17, ’21 W. Robert Berkley Jr. ’91, P ’21, ’23 Nancy M. Better, P ’11, ’13 Michael J. Bingle, P ’20, ’25 Todd L. Boehly, P ’20, ’22, ’24 Mark H. Camel, P ’12, ’18, ’18 Robert F. Carangelo, P ’17, ’21 Frank J. Carroll, P ’22 Christine J. Chao, P ’18 Mark F. Dzialga, P ’19 Philip A. Hadley, P ’18, ’20 Carlos M. Hernandez, P ’18 Anthony E. Mann, P ’17 D. Ian McKinnon, P ’18 Robert E. Michalik, P ’19, ’21, ’23, ’28 Thomas D. O’Malley Jr. ’85, P ’12, ’15, ’21 Douglas I. Ostrover, P ’20 Suzanne P. Peisch P ’12, ’14, ’16, ’18 Philip F. P. Pierce, P ’10, ’13, ’18 Stephen R. Pierce, P ’15, ’19 Jean W. Rose, P ’16 David R. Salomon, P ’16 William A. Schneider ’72, P ’12, ’16 Scott M. Stuart, P ’12, ’16 Michael A. Troy, P ’12, ’14 Kerry A. Tyler, P ’15, ’18 Tyler J. Wolfram P ’18, ’22
‘CHECKMATE’ RESOUNDS! At the chessboard, in the pool, and on the field, Bruins of all ages triumphed during the course of a remarkable fall season. The varsity football and water polo teams captured New England championships, and the youngest Bruins shined in national chess tourneys.
Ex Officio Thomas W. Philip, P ’08, ’10 Headmaster Kathleen Harrington CFO/Business Manager Thomas G. Murray, P ’25, ’27 Executive Director of Development Daniel J. Griffin Director of Institutional Communications Binney Huffman, P ’17, ’21 President, BPA Paul Gojkovich III ’01 President, Brunswick Alumni Association
ON THE COVER Chess masters (left to right) Henry Graham ’26, Vincent Zhu ’28, and Robert Ulmer ’24 were among 10 young Bruins competing at the National Scholastic Grade Level Chess Championships in Orlando, Fla., in December. How did they fare? To find out, turn to page 56.
For more on these outstanding team efforts, turn to pages 47 and 56.
MESSAGE FROM THE
HEADMASTER Best Habits Formed by Direct Connections
A
RISTOTLE SAID it best: “Good habits
that helped children develop good habits in
formed at youth make all the difference.”
community relationships.
Indeed, the value — or peril — of forming habits has long been a focus of
thinking about humankind, and particularly about the effect of habit on maturing young
Not so today. Unfortunately, the chains of distraction in 21st-century life vigorously defy regulation. A study published in April 2015 by the Pew
people. “The chains of habit,” Samuel Johnson
Research Center in Washington, D.C., summa-
observed in 1774, “are too weak to be felt until
rizing results of a survey of young people ages 13
they are too strong to be broken” — and, of
to 17, confirms that smartphones (and now smart
course, that weakness comes to bear especially
watches) have facilitated a dramatic shift in the
when one is young.
communications landscape for teens:
Today, we as parents and educators are
■■ Nearly 25 percent of American teens reported
challenged as never before in encouraging our
they go online “almost constantly,” while 92
children and students to develop and strengthen
percent reported being online “several times a day.”
habits that will serve them well as adults —
■■ Teen
boys are much more likely than girls to
habits of character that require listening, collaboration, and leadership in the workplace; empathy in all walks of life; generosity, compassion, and love in personal relationships. At their foundation, good habits in relating to others, like all habits, are built by the practice of direct and thoughtful human interaction — just as productive habits of study and
TECHNOLOGY IS LEADING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY FROM ENDEAVORS THAT INSPIRE “GOOD HABITS” IN THE BUILDING OF STRONG CHARACTER.
scholarship are created by the practice of solitary focus on a subject or skill. And practice takes time — a factor as constant
sion and project-based collaborative work,
play video games.
in team sports after school, in theatrical and
■■ Teens
from affluent and
musical productions, in creation of studio art,
educated families are more
in community service activities that strengthen
likely to use mobile texting and
their connections to and understanding of the
information-sharing applica-
larger world, and more.
tions that facilitate higher-risk online behavior. In short, technology is
As technology seeks increasingly to become the engrossing and character-eroding “habit” among our youngest generation, we believe the
leading our young people, and
best defense is the most comprehensive offense:
teenage boys in particular,
We seek to engage our boys directly with each
further and further away from
other, to require them to set aside their smart-
endeavors that inspire “good
phones, and to deliver them home with just
habits” in the building of strong character. At the
enough energy left to complete their homework
same time, the power of adults to monitor and
before falling asleep.
and immutable today as it was when Aristotle
limit teens’ technological/online engagement
wrote, more than 2,000 years ago.
continues to decrease.
From parents and educators guiding young
where it’s best invested: In classroom discus-
use mobile devices, primarily to
Days and days of this, one after another, accrue to a tremendous “good habit” — and that,
What’s to do? Brunswick’s answer has been
we believe, is the best way to prepare our boys for
people, it also requires planning, structure, and
and always will be to raise the bar — to expect
lives, and the strongest chains of habit, anchored
benevolent imposition of discipline. For most of
more of our boys at every level, and to construct
in Courage, Honor, Truth.
the 20th century, parents could easily provide
the healthiest possible complement of character-
that guidance at home — limiting access to the
building activities that promote a lifetime of
time-wasting distractions of the television or
“good habits.”
telephone — while school and unstructured play provided much of the direct human interaction
From sunrise to sunset (and often far beyond), we want to focus our boys’ attention
Thomas W. Philip
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W I N T E R times of
Brunswick School 100 Maher Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Tel: 203.625.5800 BrunswickSchool.org
2 01 6
CONTENTS 10
Headmaster Thomas W. Philip Executive Director of Development Thomas G. Murray Associate Director of Development Meghan McCarthy Director of Institutional Communications Daniel J. Griffin dgriffin@brunswickschool.org Associate Directors of Communications Mike Kennedy ’99 mkennedy@brunswickschool.org Wayne Lin wlin@brunswickschool.org Class Notes Editor Libby Edwards ledwards@brunswickschool.org Contributing Writers Daniel J. Griffin Joseph Jiménez ’16 Mike Kennedy ’99 Andrew Monroe ’16 Katherine Ogden Michael Pastore ’20 Thomas W. Philip Contributing Photographers Dan Burns Ben DeFlorio Jamie Fessenden Michael Graae Jeffry Konczal Minush Krasniqi Wayne Lin Mark Lorenz Damian Strohmeyer Design Mary Lester Design marylesterdesign.com
36
FEATURES 06 Natural Stopover Unveiled in ‘Legacy Moment’ By Mike Kennedy ’99 10 A Most Magical Mixture By Mike Kennedy ’99 and Katherine Ogden 36 Power to Change Lives By Mike Kennedy ’99 40 Forty Years, More Than 600 Boys By Mike Kennedy ’99 47 The Boys of Autumn By Mike Kennedy ’99
Printing Flagship Press, flagshippress.com
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CONTENTS
FLEX TIME 04 Wounded Hero Now Called to Carry Others By Mike Kennedy ’99 09 Baker Stage Becomes Bustling Barnyard as Classic Comes to Life 34 Living Legend on the Mat By Mike Kennedy ’99 39 Middle Schoolers Master Disney’s Jungle of a Challenge By Mike Pastore ’20 58 Gift of Listening, Receipt of Treasure By Mike Kennedy ’99
47
66 DEPARTMENTS 01 Message from the Headmaster 52 Beyond the Books – A Barrier-Breaking Cab Ride – In a Different World, Oceans Away – Partnership of Storytelling & Wonder – On the Charles, Best-Ever Finish – Mano a Mano, One Move at a Time – A Welcome Addition – Folktales to Broaden Horizons – New Review for Worldly Opinions 60 Class Notes 65 Alumni Events 68 Last Look
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FLEX TIME “ E V E R Y T H I N G WA S U P S I D E D O W N ”
Wounded Hero Now Called to Carry Others By Mike Kennedy ’99
A
LL HE could hear was the faint humming of the 6.2-liter diesel engine. It was pitch-black and
eerily silent, the moon and stars blocked by low-hanging clouds. The clock read 4 a.m. in Balad, Iraq, as his Humvee lumbered down a dark dirt road. Staff Sergeant Dan Nevins, leading his combat team on a 72-hour counterinsurgent operation in the Battle of Fallujah in November 2004, bowed his head in prayer as he did before every mission. The moments of silence, however, were quickly destroyed by the blast of an IED detonating beneath the 18,000-pound vehicle, sending the truck six feet into the air in a ball of fire.
“In every way I defined myself as a man, it was over. I couldn’t lead my team in combat. I couldn’t run. I couldn’t walk. I could barely breathe.”
Nevins was ejected from the
leg below the knee. His right leg, severely damaged, was saved — for the time being. The next day, he arrived in Germany, where he stayed for seven days of surgeries before a
wreckage, his legs remaining
painkiller-free, utterly agonizing
caught in the twisted and burning
Class Mike Ottoloni, who had
and jabbing an IV into his arm. His
flight to Walter Reed Army Medical
metal of the floorboard and
made the ultimate sacrifice.
team, in great danger, secured the
Center, in Washington, D.C.
undercarriage. He vividly recalls the minutes that followed. “I couldn’t really see. My vision was blurry. I had a ringing in
Nevins was unable to sit up. He checked his head and his upper torso. His helmet disintegrated in his hands. He then reached down to his legs,
perimeter and worked to remove
In those initial weeks, Nevins
his legs from the burning truck.
was often alone, left with nothing
Still, Nevins hovered on the brink of death — and he knew it. “They say that when you’re about
but endless hours to think. “In every way I defined myself as a man, it was over,” he said. “I
my ears. My face was really hot,”
felt an arterial blood spurt — and
to die, your life flashes before your
couldn’t lead my team in combat.
Nevins said. “I had a sickening
began to make his peace with God.
eyes,” he observed. “Not for me. I
I couldn’t run. I couldn’t walk. I
remember thinking about all of
could barely breathe.
knot in my stomach and my mouth tasted like blood.
“I knew I was going to die,” Nevins said. “I was saying goodbye to my
things I was never going to do. I
“My everything was upside down.”
wife and 10-year-old daughter. I was
would never walk my daughter
than that, I didn’t want her to see
Nevins somehow gathered
giving up — losing all of my blood in
down the aisle.”
me. I was full of guilt, fear, doubt,
himself, the sparse light from the fire allowing him to see the horror of his surroundings. In the driver’s compartment of the vehicle, he saw his good friend, Sergeant First
04 | TIMES
this horrible place.” Then, Nevins had a realization: He was alive. The medic arrived, quickly applying a tourniquet to Nevins’ leg
Nevins was transported by helicopter back to his Army’s base in Iraq. After hours of surgery, he
“I didn’t want to see my wife. More
pain, and misery. I was broken, lying useless in a hospital bed.” He lay prone in that position, both
remembers waking up to the words
mentally and physically, until two
of a nurse. He had lost his left
men showed up at his door, visiting
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Flex TIME
him at Walter Reed as Nevins began
in 2009, he joined the organization
the long road to recovery.
in an official capacity. He currently
The men were founders of
serves as director of Warriors Speak,
the Wounded Warrior Project, a
a prestigious group of wounded
brand-new organization started by
warriors and caregivers who have
three people desperately trying to
been selected to share their personal
make a difference.
and inspirational stories of courage
Nevins instantly identified with
and integrity with the public.
the logo — one warrior carrying
Nevins, now the father of two
another off the battlefield. He was
daughters, summited Mount
the soldier being carried. The visit
Kilimanjaro in 2010. And, as he
gave him hope.
reflects, not once has he regretted a
“They were brief, right, and
minute of his service in uniform.
gone,” Nevins said. “But that inter-
“It’s hard to compete with the
action set me up to be in a better
honor of leading men in combat.
place. My wife would still love me.
I can’t imagine a greater honor,”
Things would be O.K.”
Nevins said.
Within a few weeks, the men
“Equally as much, it’s an honor
returned, asking Nevins to join a
to wear a completely different
group of wounded veterans on a ski
uniform and find a way to serve,”
trip. He hadn’t even sat up in his
he said, referring to the Wounded
hospital bed, and couldn’t fathom
Warrior Project’s logo.
the possibility. The men prom-
“I no longer identify with the guy
ised Nevins they’d get him to the
on top. I’m the warrior on bottom,
bottom of the slope. “That day, I learned that my
doing the heavy lifting for those Nevins wasn’t able to go on that
November 10 — the 11th anni-
who haven’t found their smiles
disability didn’t have to define me,”
ski trip. But the self-described adren-
versary of his “Alive Day” and
yet, for those who are still in their
he said. “I got to write next chapter.
aline junky has been snowboarding,
the Marine Corps birthday — to
hospital beds. I show them that life
Just because I didn’t have legs
kite boarding, kayaking, and rock
describe every chilling moment.
is still beautiful.”
didn’t mean I couldn’t live the most
climbing in the years following that
amazing life.
dark, pre-dawn morning in Iraq.
“What God wants for me is to be happy.”
Nevins visited with Brunswick Upper School students on Tuesday,
In 2008, he received the George
For Brunswick students, espe-
C. Lang Award for courage —
cially the senior class, Nevins had a
the highest honor bestowed by
simple, concluding question: “How
Wounded Warrior Project — and,
are you being called to serve?”
THE FEW, THE PROUD
L
IEUTENANT COLONEL Christopher Graves —
Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment — visited Brunswick on Veterans Day to speak with 3rd grade boys about the value of honor. In addition, Graves, the husband of 3rd-grade teacher Kathy Myer, highlighted The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a book stating that the supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.
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NATUR AL STOPOVER UNVEILED IN
‘Legacy Moment’ IN NEW CLASSROOM, GREAT OUTDOORS IS SECOND NATURE
BY MIKE KENNEDY ’99
A truly collaborative effort has resulted in the creation of a natural habitat on Brunswick’s Edwards Campus. The space, a haven for migrating birds and other wildlife, offers students and faculty a living resource for learning about nature in many of its forms. 01
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02
03
05
01 Third graders Jonathan Pasteelnick, Whit Armstrong, Owen Unger, and Thomas Rockman share in the ribbon-cutting ceremonies. 02 Second graders Thomas Carney and Jack Woods join junior Colin MacFaddin in preparation.
03 Second graders Nolan McCutcheon and Taylor Hasselbeck take part in the spring cleanup. 04 Brent Brower ’27 is “open-arms” on the day of the unveiling. 05 Seniors Nacho Nwana and Gray Johnson do the heavy lifting. 04
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First grade teacher Meghan Patterson leads Carson Beck ’27, Landon O’Hara ’27, and Caeden Cannan ’27 as the first to sprinkle perennial seeds in the outdoor classroom.
As Lower School Head Katie Signer stepped outside her house on a chilly October day last fall, she looked up to see — much to her surprise — hundreds of birds soaring in the blue sky above the trees. Signer, who lives a literal stone’s throw from Westchester County Airport, is more accustomed to the sights and sounds of planes and helicopters on her morning strolls, growing nearly immune to the overhead din in the decade she’s spent on the high end of King Street. But, as this particular Friday would bring the unveiling ceremony for Brunswick’s new Schoolyard Habitat and Outdoor Classroom, she had a feeling the birds were on hand for good reason. “It must’ve been a sign,” Signer told ’Wick 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders as she opened the day’s festivities.
students and faculty helped put
“Today marks a legacy moment
“They’ve come to campus to thank
the School’s plan for an Outdoor
for Brunswick,” May said. “It’s a chal-
us for providing them with a place
Classroom into action, working
lenge not to be encouraged in the
Ryan Callaghan ’16, Angus Fraser
to eat and live.”
together to cut vines, move logs,
Outdoor Classroom. You can do so
’16, and Jamie MacFarlane ’16
dig up roots, and clear brush.
many different things and you don’t
credited Science Department Chair
have to be afraid to be yourself.”
Dana Montanez for her unflagging
In a collaborative effort between Brunswick, Audubon Greenwich,
Months more of time and effort
Conservation Club presidents
and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
— bolstered by the instrumental
Service, Brunswick has done just
financial support of Lynn May,
of engaged learning, endless
the environmentally-geared
that, planting native vegetation for
whose son, Sam, graduated in
exploration, and peaceful reflection
mission, while also looking ahead
birds and pollinators, installing
2015 — all came to fruition as the
aligns with Audubon Connecticut’s
with excitement.
birdhouses, and creating nature
ribbon was cut and Lower School
Urban Oases Program — an initia-
trails throughout the habitat on the
students became the first to walk
tive transforming a network of
that this is only the beginning,”
fringes of Edwards Campus.
through the outdoor learning
habitats throughout Connecticut’s
MacFarlane said. “It will be a place
space, sprinkling perennial seeds
parks, neighborhoods, and school-
for stories, clubs, science, art, and
along their way.
yards into special stopovers for
natural beauty for years to come.”
Beginning on Community Service Day last spring, Brunswick
08 | TIMES
In addition, the natural habitat
millions of migrating songbirds.
energy and enthusiasm throughout
“What is so spectacular is
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FLEX TIME A SPIDER, A PIG & A TREMENDOUS FRIENDSHIP 01
02
01 Zach Russell ’20, Serena Profaci (GA ’16), Avery Pierce (GA ’16), and Rashelle Ibrahim (GA ’18)
Baker Stage Becomes Bustling Barnyard as Classic Comes to Life
F
02 Connor Tyler ’18, George Hash ’17, and Maren Hersam (GA ’17) 03 Director Seth Potter does his finest Templeton.
OR MORE than half a century, E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web — a simple, beautiful, and timeless tale of 04
paradoxes — has prompted readers of
05 Jared Wolfson ’18 may have stolen the show with his performance as Templeton.
all ages to view life in new ways and to find possibilities in unlikely places. After all, who’d suggest a barnyard as the
04 Olivia Winn (GA ‘16) sparkled in her role as Charlotte.
03
setting for a remarkable and transcendent story of friendship? Or that a spider, an icon
known and well-imagined animal characters
of scariness, could be the industrious heroine
to life.”
in a story of consummate thoughtfulness, kindness, and dedication? In November, White’s wonderful story — dubbed “the best American children’s book of the past 200 years” by the Children’s
In Brunswick’s production, characters leapt off the storybook page and swung high in the air — prompting audience members to respond with a standing ovation. “The story seems to be one of nature taking
Literature Association — came to life as
its course,” Potter observed, “but it’s really a
Brunswick’s Fall Play, in a theatrical adapta-
testament to what can be achieved simply by
tion by Joseph Robinette.
bringing our natural selves and special talents
Under the direction of Theater and English teacher Seth Potter, Brunswick
to caring for someone else.” As spider Charlotte nears the end of
and Greenwich Academy students united
weaving the magical web of words that
in staging the production, with costumes
constitute her life’s work, she lays eggs for 514
by costume designer Lauren Josef and a
offspring — three of whom hatch and stay in
set by Theater technical director Matthew
the barnyard to keep her friend Wilbur, the
Kirby-Smith.
pig, company.
“The story of Charlotte and Wilbur is
Wilbur reflects poignantly on the remark-
truly timeless,” Potter said. “And it includes
able role she has played in his life, and on how
so many opportunities and challenges for
much her companionship has meant to him.
creativity on stage — not only in costumes and settings, but also in bringing such well-
“You have been my friend,” Charlotte replies. “That in itself is a tremendous thing.”
05
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HOMECOMING
2015
Homecoming 2015 Brings New Glow to Old Friendships & Long Traditions
A MOST
MAGICAL
MIXTURE
From good-natured alumni fun on the golf course to festive fireworks after sunset, followed by a day of varsity excellence under crisp, blue October skies, the harvest of Homecoming 2015 yielded bushels of enjoyment as it burnished the luster of everything Brown & Gold. BY MIKE KENNEDY ’99 AND KATHERINE OGDEN For more photos, visit bwick.org/tob_winter2016
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HOMECOMING
2015
01
F
I R E W O R K S , F O O T B A L L , FA M I LY, A N D F R I E N D S : Homecoming 2015, held October 16–17, was a magical mix of memories, fall fun, laughter, hearty celebration, and so much more. Under beautiful, crisp October sunshine — truly perfect fall weather — ’Wick Bruins of all ages united in a spirited mass of Brown & Gold for a weekend of traditional events and games. 02
More than 50 golfers began the activities by teeing it up at the Annual Alumni Golf Outing at the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course, where they fired accurately (well, most of the time) at greens and fairways throughout the sunny, fun-filled Friday afternoon. Varsity athletic contests began on Friday as well, with water polo falling 8–7 in the decisive seconds against perennial power Greenwich High School, and soccer prevailing 1–0 (keeping its undefeated season alive) in a thrilling tilt versus Choate on Cosby Field. The night on Edwards Campus concluded with an enthusiastic pep rally, a roaring bonfire, and a picturesque fireworks display — leaving the large crowd of students, alumni, and Bruins’ supporters full of anticipation for Saturday’s football game. On the other side of town, at the Upper School Atrium on Maher Avenue, nearly 75 Bruin folk gath-
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01 Quarterback Nicky Henkel ’18 threw four TD passes in the Bruins’ victory. 02 David Maloney ’01 and George Jamgochian ’01 give a thumbs-up to the camera. 03 Andrew Ohls ’26, Liam Green ’26, and Patrick Woods ’26 man the sidelines. 04 Touchdown, Bruins!
03
ered for the 6th Annual Alumni Association Party. Headmaster Thomas W. Philip awarded the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Award to Shep ’89 and Ian Murray ’93, who have generously dedicated countless hours of their time and energy to their alma mater — along with tote bags full of products from their lifestyle and apparel brand, vineyard vines. By Saturday morning, the youngest Bruins — Pre and Lower Schoolers, along with faculty and alumni children — convened in Burke Fieldhouse for the Bear Fair, the School’s annual carnival, jam-packed with games, prizes, and confections.
04
When it was time for kickoff that afternoon — between ’Wick and Trinity-Pawling — the bleachers and Alumni Tent were lined to capacity with Brown & Gold cheering squads, setting the stage for a dramatic 26–16 come-frombehind victory for the home team. Reunions for both the “5’s” and the “0’s” capped off the festivities, as alumni flocked to gatherings across Greenwich to reminisce and reconnect. In its entirety, Homecoming 2015 was another truly memorable weekend — with Bruins from all quarters coming out in droves to celebrate the School’s proud and
’Wick Bruins of all ages united in a spirited mass of Brown & Gold for a weekend of traditional events and games.
long-standing traditions.
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HOMECOMING
2015
A LU MNI GO LF O U T ING
A Fraternity of Plus Fours and Low Scores H, TO CHANNEL Jordan Spieth’s dartlike accuracy from the fairways, Bubba Watson’s superhuman length off the tee, or Phil Mickelson’s soft-as-butter touch around the greens. Those may be the secret, if elusive, yearnings of every linksman — even if the ordinary, mottled joy of their pursuit amounts to days and days of scores rising far above par. Regardless, at the Alumni Golf Outing, held at the Griffith E. Harris Golf Course on Friday, October 16, Brunswick alums did their best to play like the top PGA-tour pros. They went pin seeking with their irons. They swung out of their shoes with their drivers. And they hit the low-percentage flop shots with their wedges. And why
02
01
01 Charlie Tusa ’62 had his birdie face on before play began. 02 John Bausman ’89 channels his inner Payne Stewart to make a putt. 03 Golf outing ’81 mainstays Joe Tranfo, Chris Day, Chris Ford, and Bill Aron revel in the comforts of the 19th hole. 04 Zach Dobbs ’06 and Matt Sargent ’06 make the 9th hole look easy.
03 04
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HOMECOMING
2015
02
01
wouldn’t they, after all? They
onship trophy. But, aside
had full confidence if they didn’t
from the on-course action,
pull off the Dean Witter Shot
’Wick alumni — and the
of the Day that their partners
handful of faculty and
would. That’s the unquantifiable
staff rounding out the
beauty of golf ’s scramble format.
foursomes — enjoyed the
For the 48 Bruins in the field
victory lap of sorts on the
— spanning the class years of
19th-hole patio following the
1962 to 2006 — this risk-taking,
competition.
no-holds-barred approach to the
03
For Charlie Tusa ’62, the elder
“The fraternal spirit reaches through all generations of alumni — and the beautiful
world’s most finicky game paid
statesman of the group, it’s why
weather was an extra-special
serious (red-figure) dividends.
he participates in the event on
treat for October golf.”
The “Griff ” fell victim to range buckets full of birdies and eagles
an annual basis. “I look forward to it every
And, not to be forgotten, the
02 Justin Weinstein ’99 holed out a 40 footer to win the putting contest. 03 Chris Ford ’81 does his best impression of Camilo Villegas.
best-dressed award went to John
on this Bermuda-short-like
year,” Tusa said. “No guys are
Bausman ’89, who sported the
day on the links — the winners
better than the Brunswick guys.
late Payne Stewart’s trademark
needing double-digit, under-par
I really enjoy playing golf and
plus fours.
scoring to secure the champi-
hanging out among the crowd.
16 | TIMES
01 Talk about sweet hands: David Clarke ’85 lobs a chip shot onto the green.
In Brown & Gold, of course.
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PEP R A LLY, BONF I R E & FI R EWOR KS
ABLAZE WITH ENERGY & EXCITEMENT
A
FTER VARSITY soccer created a few fireworks of its own — scoring a late second-half goal to defeat Choate, 1–0 — the opening night
of Homecoming came to sparkling end with a prismatic fireworks display on Edwards Campus. The iridescent show capped Friday’s evening of everpresent, patriotic spirit in the name of Brunswick Brown & Gold. Upper School music teacher and musician Shane Kirsch strapped on his saxophone to begin the festivities with a stunning version of the National Anthem, followed by a Pep Rally to amp-up ’Wick’s gridiron squad at halftime of the game on the pitch.
01
When the final buzzer sounded, hundreds of students descended from the bleachers and gathered on the
01 A fiery sky — and bonfire — capped the opening-night festivities. 02 Harrison Dahl ’21, Alex Penn ’21, Chris Santoro ’21, and Ali Hindy ’21 got a close-up view of the roaring flames.
South End of Cosby Field for the traditional bonfire and fireworks — setting King Street ablaze with energy, excitement, and anticipation for the Homecoming Saturday ahead.
03 The Bruins outran Choate to win their game under the lights on Cosby Field.
02
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6T H ANNUA L A LUMNI ASSOCIATION PA RT Y
Winetasting, Reconnecting & Reminiscing
02
01
USHING DONELAN ’00 made the 3,000mile trek from California to support his alma mater — and to serve up an array of red, white, and rosé wine for all eager taste testers. Along with his brother, Tripp ’98, and his father, Joe, the loyal Brunswick family runs the boutique California winery Donelan Family Wines in Sonoma County. Wine is a journey, the Donelans like to say, and they may very well be onto something. Among those raising a toast were Shep and Ian Murray’s brother, Graham ’86, and his wife, Susan, who battled rush-hour traffic on the Merritt Parkway after losing their babysitter. They made it to the party on time.
03
There was also Charlie Tusa ‘62, a regular attendee at alumni events. “I love the school,” he said, calling Brunswick “the best institution I’ve ever been involved with. “It’s a great family environment,” he said. “The friends you make here are your friends for life.” Faculty on hand included 2nd-grade teacher Pat
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Meloni, Upper School English teachers
“I taught them both,” he said. “I love
Bob Benjamin, John Martin, and Eric
what they are doing. These are the guys
Tillman, retired teacher Ted Stolar, and
you’re so happy to see living successful
Upper School math teacher Mike Harris.
lives.”
Harris expressed his delight for the Murray brothers.
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201 5 DISTI NGUI SHED A LUMNI AWAR D
BROWN & GOLD, WITH A TOUCH OF PINK
01 Cushing Donelan ’00 and Donelan Family Wines generously donated the night’s wine selection. 02 Faculty members Seth Potter, Bob Benjamin, and John Martin didn’t miss the chance to catch up with alumni and former students.
F
03 Faculty member Eric Tillman and former faculty member Ted Stolar sandwich Grant Gregory ’89. 04 Margot and Charlie Tusa ’62, along with Merilyn Stephens, wife of faculty member Jim Stephens
OR STEVE TUSA ’93, the wonder that
eight outlets around the country. The brand
is vineyard vines sank in one morning
is also sold in 97 retail locations.
at 5 a.m. He was on the train to his
05 Steve Tusa ’93, Shep Murray ’89, Ian Murray ’93, and Tom Lewis ’93 were the stars of the evening.
ments in business, but also all that they have
an ad for the popular lifestyle and apparel
done for Brunswick, the School proudly
brand, launched just a few years earlier
proclaimed the Murray brothers the 2015
by his childhood friends Shep ’89 and Ian
Distinguished Alumni Award winners.
Murray ’93. He had seen the brothers featured on
The award was presented at the 6th Annual Alumni Association Party in the
CNBC and noticed colleagues at work
Upper School atrium — a special way
wearing the trademark ties, but the ad was
to kick off Homecoming Weekend. Tusa
the real kicker for him. It gushed about the
and classmate Tom Lewis ’93, joined by
dream — two men declare their indepen-
about 75 alumni and faculty members who
dence from desk jobs and pursue a business
helped celebrate, presented the honor. “I’ve
they love. Their commute is a ride in the
known these guys for a long time,” Tusa
park.
told the crowd, calling the Murrays “a great
“This is kind of legit now,” Tusa remembers thinking, noting at the same time that 04
In honor of not only their accomplish-
job at J.P. Morgan when he looked up to see
his commute didn’t generate “quite the
Brunswick family.” “We go all the way back to Everett Field — riding around on bikes.” Shep Murray’s classmate Geoffrey Nichols
05
’89 shared a somewhat similar epiphany about the moment he realized that vineyard vines was here to stay. A recent transplant to California, Nichols had noticed a certain “whale” turning up in an entirely different part of the country. “Once you start seeing that iconic pink whale 3,000 miles away on the beaches of Santa Monica, you know your friends have made it big,” Nichols said. “It’s difficult to convey how proud of them I was when I saw that.” Both former members of the Board of Trustees, the Murrays remain very connected to their alma mater. Shep and his wife, Margo, are parents to Cooper ’19, Tucker ’21, and Saylor (CSH/Greenwich ’23). They also return to campus each Graduation Eve to speak to ’Wick students at the annual Senior Breakfast. Upper School theater teacher Seth Potter called these visits same feeling.” For many in the Brunswick
“empowering” and “reassuring” for young
community, the vineyard vines story is a
people who are just starting out. “Their story
familiar one. The wildly successful company,
is a dream of so many of these boys,” he said.
launched in 1998, now boasts 40 stores and
“Follow your bliss! The dream is alive!”
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2015
FO OT BALL T EAM B R EAKFAST
THE WILL TO WIN
I
T IS a Homecoming tradition. Long before football’s big game, ’Wick Bruins gather to
break their fast alongside a community of competitors who have come before them — Bruins who have tested their mettle on the gridiron in years gone by. Yet if shared waffles, eggs, sausage, and potatoes serve to power the play in the big game that afternoon, it is remarks from a ’Wick alum who always delivers some equally important food-for-thought. This year, that distinct honor went to Pat Whelan ’05, a Bruin who had the privilege of playing for Brunswick at an extraordinary moment in School history. It was September 2004, and the stakes were uniquely high for the Bruins.
ABOVE Senior moms ensured their boys had extra energy for the big game. LEFT Legendary coach Bob Sampson and Teja McDaniel ’85 relived the 1984 championship season.
minted Robert L. Cosby Field,
odds, Brunswick tamed the Lions
that Whelan and his fellow
by the slimmest of margins. The
Bruins found themselves
score was 7–6. “The only reason
warming up on a fall September
we won that game is we had the
day.
will to win,” he said, emphasizing
They faced Kent, a formidable opponent. A year earlier, Whelan
“Stick it out,” he told the boys.
Months earlier, the School had
trauma of that day. It was also
said, the Lions had trounced
suffered a terrible blow when a
a year of celebration: both the
’Wick by a 40-point margin.
Brunswick mainstay collapsed while
MacFarlane Lower School and
Kent was still large and powerful.
the guys on the football team are
playing basketball with faculty in the
Burke Field House opened at
Whelan, himself, said he was up
still his best friends, and they
Lower School gymnasium.
Edwards Campus. Yet nestled
against an opponent who was
were there to witness a recent
into a corner of that campus
6'3" and 300 pounds.
milestone in his life. They all
Robert L. Cosby Sr., a beloved
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his don’t-ever-quit message.
“We had nothing,” he told
“It’s worth it.” Whelan told the Bruins that
Brunswick educator and coach for
was an untouched acre or so on
showed up when he got married.
34 years, was 78. It was a Tuesday.
which rested the dreams of a new
the boys heading out for their
“My family got bigger, and they
Yet for Brunswick, 2004 was a
generation of Brunswick Bruins.
own challenge, this time against
were there,” he said. Whelan said
year marked by more than just the
It was here, on the newly-
Trinity-Pawling. Against the
today’s Bruins have elevated the
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program while crafting a legacy all their own. “All the alumni are so proud,” he said. “You are definitely better than we were. Cherish your time here at Brunswick.” At the breakfast, a total of 13 Brunswick moms — alongside a dedicated team of staff members — helped serve up the grub. Many alums were also there to show support. Nat Barnum ’82, now of Lyme, Conn., was quarterback in his day and values the chance to come back and break bread with today’s Bruins. “I try to come back all the time,” he said. Jon Ryckman ’88, Graham Murray ’86, and Jimmy Ritman ’94 were also all on hand to enjoy some breakfast. “It’s a great tradition,” said Ritman, whose son Pierce is carrying on the school colors as a ’Wick kindergarten student.
01
On campus for his 30th reunion, Teja McDaniel ’85 had flown in from Los Angeles to remember and raise a toast of sorts to a trio of Brunswick friends who have passed away: Gus Conrades ’86, John Altman ’85, and Brian Sur ’84 — all of them gone far too soon. “We’re all teammates,” McDaniel
B EA R FA I R
Games & Hula Hoops Galore EAR FAIR 2015 featured bullhorns and bingo and prizes aplenty — but it may have been the Hula Hoop Games that truly set the day apart. It seems that Brunswick has some serious talent in the Hula Hoop arena.
Pat Whelan ’05 provided current players with the motivation to play the game until the final whistle.
Dozens of spinners participated, all of them whirling with ease until organizers made things harder by also asking them to clap their hands while standing on one foot with their eyes closed. Finally, hoops began to fall. “They go on forever if you don’t stop
told the young Bruins, not without emotion. “As time goes on, you
them,” noted Leslie McCutcheon, mom to Jamie ’27, Nolan ’26, and
lose people. Brian was my best friend for 29 years.” McDaniel was
Quincy ’29. “They’re all amazing. They take it to the next level.”
happy to reunite with legendary Brunswick Coach Bob Sampson,
“It’s an important skill,” joked David Joslin, father to Pre-K
who led the 1984 Bruins to 9–0 season with seven shutouts.
student Max. “It seems
McDaniel said the Bruins outscored their opponents 256–18
the Brunswick Hula Hoop
that year. At the breakfast, Coach “Sam” was wearing the jacket
curriculum is outstanding.”
from the 1984 championship game. “Gotta remember those glory
Outstanding indeed.
days,” McDaniel said.
Each year, Bear Fair
Young alumni were also in the mix at the breakfast, including James Robinson ’13, home from Quinnipiac University, and Branden Davis ’15 and Richard Walston ’15, home from Villanova. “I had to come to support my seniors,” said Robinson. “I’ve known them since their freshman years.” “It feels good to be back to see everybody,” said Walston. Davis may have summed it up best: “Overall, we just miss Brunswick football.”
ABOVE Jamie McCutcheon ’27 hits a deep fly ball to left — and wins a prize. LEFT Graham Murray ’86 and his wife, Susan, proudly sported the School’s colors.
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serves as an outstanding part of Homecoming as Burke Field House is transformed into veritable oasis of games and activities for children of all ages. The Fair features families roaming about the Field House toting the swag of childhood festivals: Giant inflatable ice cream cones, huge plastic bats, bags loaded with prizes won at bingo. And over all of it wafts the sweet scents of the bake sale. “I got four prizes!” said Sebastien Moulle-Berteaux ’26, who was at the fair with his father, Cyril. “It’s really fun.” Many thanks go out to moms Julie Woods P ’26, ’26 and Katie Johnson P ’22, ’25, who co-chaired this year’s
02
03 04
01
01 Luke Michalik ’23 had his eye black on in support of the football squad. 02 Gary Oztemel took time to peruse old yearbooks at the registration desk. 03 Nathan Lee ’26 and his father, Gene, enjoyed some father-son, Bear-Fair bonding. 04 Jackie Homan P ’24, ’26, ’26; Laurissa Kirsch P ’23, ’28; and Brooke Beck P ’22, ’27 volunteered their time to the day’s events.
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fair. The two were helped by scores of volunteers who helped make the day a success by staffing the activities. Parents, faculty, and Middle School boys all came together to volunteer to provide fun for the whole community. Among those giving back was 6th grader Nakitas Handrinos, who stepped in to help just as Middle School students did for him when he was at the Lower School. “When I came here as a little kid, they made it fun,” Handrinos said. “Volunteering is a really good way to show that you care for the School.” Overall, Bear Fair is a Brunswick Homecoming tradition, and the busy day is something Johnson wishes she could capture for posterity. “I wish I could freeze everything exactly the way it was,” said Johnson, who showed her spirit wearing eye black and a whistle. “The highlight for me is the Middle School boys manning the games, the ones doing Hula Hoop with their little brother. That’s my favorite part.” 06 05 07
05 Will Howard ’24 found one of many energy sources offered at the fair. 06 Julie Woods P ’26, ’26 and Katie Johnson P ’22, ’25 donned their referees’ uniforms for the festivities. 07 Wyatt Howard ’26 and William Connell ’26 show off their Polaroid shots.
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01
A LUM NI SOCCER GA M E
A GOOD-HUMORED, WORLD CUP-SPIRITED AFFAIR
O
NE-BY-ONE, PLAYERS trickled into the October sunshine on Cosby Field, offering more than enough spirit to field two teams for the enduring tradition that is the Alumni Soccer Game. All
had something in common. All were smiling. Each year, the game is a good-humored affair where Bruins from many Brunswick eras gather once again to test their skills on the pitch. As it turns out, alums of all ages like to play soccer. Joining them for the fun was a string of current Brunswick faculty, including 7th-grade history
02
01 Simon Barnes ’07, Ned Marks ’05, and Tim Ostrye fight for possession of the ball. 02 Alex Lopez ’04 laces up his cleats for the battle on the pitch.
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teacher Jay Crosby, Upper School math teacher Jon Kaptcianos, and Jaime Gonzalez-Ocaña, chair of the Modern Language Department. Lower School science teacher Brett Martell, also, wouldn’t miss the fun. “I just like soccer,” he said. “I like playing around with these guys. We all think we can still play,” he mused. Of course, alumni players were plentiful.
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Celebrating 10-year reunions were classmates Kyle Jelley ’05 and Ned Marks ’05. For his part, Marks was happy to shed his spectator status for a chance to sweat-it-out for a moment in the sunshine. “I like Homecoming festivities,” he said. “And I’m not here just to watch. This is a great way to do it.” Among the other young alumni lacing up his cleats was Alex Lopez ’04, whose best friend and classmate, Andrew Ferrer ’04, couldn’t make the trip from London. “I come every year. I’m here representing both of us,” Lopez said of his friend. Cameron Smith ’03 said the game is a can’t-miss event of Homecoming weekend. “I love coming back for the alumni soccer game,” Smith said. “Everyone survived!” Other ’85 alums to join the fray were classmates John Creber, Hans Richter, and Drew Turnbull. All sat down to strap on their shin guards in celebration of a much bigger milestone — the trio was celebrating its 30th reunion. Richter had flown in from California, where he serves as athletic director of the Pacific Ridge School. “I love this good, chilly weather,” he said. Also taking his runs was Don Connor, a Brunswick Latin and Greek teacher from 1971 to 1983. An annual presence on the pitch is Tim Ostrye, assistant director of athletics and Brunswick mainstay for three decades. “It’s just a long-standing tradition,”
Former faculty member and student Ted Ogden ’95 plays keep away from Ned Marks ’05.
Ostrye said. “It’s good, healthy fun.”
FRONT Hans Richter ’85, Ted Ogden ’95, Jaime González-Ocaña, Tim Ostyre, Neil Minsky, Alex Lopez ’04, and Teja McDaniel ’85 BACK Jay Crosby, Ned Marks ’05, Michael Krasnow ’08, Kyle Jelley ’05, Brett Martell, Ross Ogden ’91, Cam Smith ’03, Simon Barnes ’07, and Jon Kaptcianos
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A LUM NI TENT PA RT Y
Yellow Hats & BBQ All Around N BETWEEN snaps, in the huddle, or in the frenzy of TD celebrations, Brunswick football players looked up to “Alumni Hill” to see a swarm of supporters cheering them on — most donning yellow, ’Wick-logoed hats making no secret of their allegiance. 01
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Jimmy Ritman ’94, a regular at the Alumni Tent Party, hatched the
01 Jimmy Ritman ’94 and Teja McDaniel ’85 connect two generations of alumni.
plan with strategic intentions.
02 Jon Ryckman ’88, Dixon Mallory ’08, and Gray Huffard ’08 sport their yellow lids in support of the home team.
together in the school’s colors,” said Ritman, who handed out trunksful of
03 Tom O’Connor ’91, Geoff Bernstein ’90, Mike Thurlow ’90, Craig McDonough ’90, Brian Murphy ’90, and Rob Johnson P ’22, ’25 watch the game with a few “next waves” at their feet.
we’re pulling for them.”
“I thought the players might get an extra boost by seeing us rallied hats to the generations of alumni in attendance. “It was an easy way to show them that we’re all on their side and that Darn right it was! ’Wick fought back for the 4th-quarter victory. The Tent Party itself — once again — grew in size, in spirit, and in
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smoke, largely due to the efforts of Gray Huffard ’08 and Dixon Mallory ’08, who dished out their annual barbeque feast to the “boisterous, yet well-behaved” crew of tailgaters. The Brunswick M.E.A.T. Club founders arrived hours before kickoff, blasting country music in their pickup truck and primed to fire up the smoker and throw an array of ribs, wings, and brisket on the grill. It has become tradition for the Brunswick classmates. 02
“For us, as we man the grill, we’ve 03
really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know alums who graduated 10 or 15 years before us and are just as excited to get back as we are,” Huffard said. “I guess it’s human nature, but people flock to open flame,” Mallory added. “We’re really thankful to the School and particularly to the Brunswick Alumni Association for allowing us to be a part of the festivities.” To sum things up: Expect a bigger crowd — and a bigger tent in 2016.
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goal. The Choate keeper kept the initial shot out of the net with a diving save, but freshman phenom James Sands was there to knock home the rebound. Choate challenged to tie the game in the final minute, but the undefeated Bruins — 8-0 at the time of this match — cleared the ball from harm’s way and held on for the 1–0 win. In the Homecoming finale, on
G A M E DAY WRAP U P
Bruins Shine in Victory & Defeat ICK SPORTS fans witnessed an epic slate of varsity athletic events throughout Homecoming, as down-to-the-wire, frantic finishes proved to be the name of the game in the pool, on the pitch, and on the gridiron. And Brunswick didn’t welcome any “primed-for-the-picking” opponents to Edwards Campus to ensure victory for the home crowd — with water polo taking on perennial Connecticut state champion Greenwich High School, soccer competing against New England power Choate, and football lining up versus Erickson League mainstay Trinity-Pawling. To begin the action on Friday afternoon — in a rematch of a one-goal, double-overtime thriller earlier in the season — the Bruins’ water polo
LEFT Kieran Dowley ’17 and Sean Amill ’18 interlock after a ’Wick score. TOP
Co-captain Sal Lopez ’16 outjumps his competitor and wins the ball in the air. ABOVE
Co-Captain Pat Stefanou ’16 nearly lifted his team to victory against the High School.
squad fell once again to the Cardinals, 8–7, in a game decided with only 39
Jarrett Shine ’92 had his football team ready to go by the time kickoff came that afternoon. The Bruins’ fan base, too, was primed to cheer on the Brown & Gold, with a horde of alumni, students, friends, and faculty streaming the sidelines and the
seconds left on the clock. Senior co-captain and team-leading scorer Pat Stefanou notched his fourth goal of the day to tie the contest at seven with
Saturday, Head Coach and alumnus
Alumni Tent. And they wouldn’t be disappointed. Trailing 16–12 midway through
1:29 remaining at Mehra Natatorium, but the Bruins would not find the back
the final quarter, the Bruins rallied for two late touchdowns en route
of the net again and swam away with a hard-fought defeat.
to an edge-of-your-seat, back-and-forth win against the Pride.
Fans quickly traversed down the hill to Robert L. Cosby Field, where the
Sophomore QB Nicky Henkel completed 15 of 20 passes for 224
’Wick soccer team faced off against Choate — in a night match played under
yards and four TDs on the afternoon, while senior RB Jason Kennedy
the lights — in front of a raucous, standing-room-only contingent of Bruins’
scampered for 72 yards on the ground, adding two catches for 17 yards
alumni, students, and faculty.
and a touchdown. Junior WR Kieran Dowley led all Bruin receivers
After a scoreless first half, senior co-captain Sal Lopez lofted an indirect kick to the head of sophomore Nick Boardman, who deftly put the ball on
with seven catches for 128 yards and two TD grabs. ’Wick 26, T–P 16.
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HOMECOMING
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CLASS OF 1985, FRONT
Drew Turnbull, Stephan Hedbabny, Steve Leary, Rob Lederer, Teja McDaniel, Ian MacTaggart, Tuck Keating, Scott Robinson BACK John Creber, Bill Bertles, Rob Rosencrans, Tom O’Malley, Hans Richter, Mike Fiore, Henk Hartong MISSING FROM PHOTO Jim Berger
CL ASS O F 1985 30 t h RE UNION
REU NIO N WRAP - UP
Out on the Town EUNION CLASSES kept the Homecoming party going after the big win on Cosby Field — moving from the Alumni Tent to
C L ASS OF 19 9 0 25 t h R EUNION
various watering holes and residences across town on Saturday evening. If you happened to be on a pub crawl that night, you’d have run into ’Wick alumni from the “5’s”
CLASS OF 1990, FRONT
Derek Grinjns, Geoff Bernstein, Mike Thurlow
BACK
Sebastian Lux, Craig McDonough, John Stimpson, David Graber, Brian Murphy, and Bob Pascal
and “0’s” at MacDuff ’s, Lugano, Bruce Park Grill, and the Gingerman — all cementing new friendships and renewing old acquaintances long into the wee, small hours of the morning. Otherwise, the Class of 1985 convened at Ian MacTaggart’s rd ’05 Dan Hubba
house in Greenwich for a more “gentlemanly” gathering of Bruins, while the Class of
C L ASS OF 1 9 9 5 20 t h R EUNION
1980 reunited at Indian Harbor Yacht Club, thanks to Peter Cummiskey.
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CLASS OF 1995
Andrew Scrivan, Peter Nardin, and Ted Adler
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CL ASS OF 2005 1 0 t h RE UNION
CLASS OF 2005, FRONT Ed Kelly, Josue Hernandez, Chris Wimbush, Ned Marks, Chris Hynes, Harry Mallory, Mike Parker, Zac John, Peer Pederson, and Chase Bronfman BACK Kyle Jelley, Adam Klopp, Dan Hubbard, Andrew Hotchkiss, Matt McCarty, Carter Harris, Andy Lorig, Jay Otto, Tim Edwards, and Pat Whelan
C L ASS OF 20 1 0 5 t h R EUNION
CLASS OF 2010 Spencer Markby, John Dudzik, Sam Vallely, Sam Philip, and Nikhil Mehra
CL ASS O F 20 0 0 1 5 t h RE UNION C L ASS OF 1 9 8 0 3 5 t h R EUNION CLASS OF 2000 Mike Horvath, Jess Horvath, Brian Conologue, Chris Monsif, Moriah Monsif, Win Betteridge, and Natalie Betteridge CLASS OF 1980 Mike Stratton, Peter Cummiskey, and Mark Schutta MISSING FROM PHOTO
Bill Hogan, Todd Sylvestri,
and Peter Marchand
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01
C L ASS OF 1975 40TH R EUNION
Steins Raised, Toasts Made, Friendships Renewed 02
T WAS an Oktoberfest of a time. Patrick Durkin, wearing traditional Bavarian lederhosen, and his wife, Kristen, hosted a German bratwurst-filled feast for the Class of 1975, along with a host of Brunswick faculty and friends of the School, at their home in Greenwich on Homecoming Weekend. Steins were raised. Toasts were made. And conversations lasted long into the midnight hour for classmates who had come from near and far — Steven Bawol from 03
France, Doug Hodge from Laguna Beach, Calif., and Rick Ford from Charlottesville, Va., to name a few. “We were once again amazed how the memories of our lives at Brunswick came rolling back,” Durkin said. “It could not have been better, more fun, and more memorable, as so many old friendships were renewed.”
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04
Davis Webb — who resides in North Canton, Ohio, and had not visited Brunswick since the 10th Reunion in 1985 — saw facilities he never could have imagined on King Street. “While Edwards Campus was very impressive, the thing that I take away from the reunion is how well many of us had found a version of serenity,” Webb said. “I had come back partially expecting that there would be some
05
rehashing of old frictions. But what I found were old class-
01 David Parr and Patrick Durkin
mates, happy in each other’s happiness, and with great
02 Scott Vallely and Rick Fisher
empathy for classmates not present and in pain.”
03 Doug Hodge and Keith Day
And there was Bob Altman, who loved seeing how many of his classmates have remained friends from as early as the Kindergarten years. “Talk about friends for life,” he
04 Ted Walworth ’72 and Michael Bacon 05 Rick Fisher and Kevin Hirson ’76
said. “That’s what it’s all about!”
FRONT
Bob Altman, Mark Vallely, Rick Fisher, Andy McColough ’73, Scott Vallely, Terry Markey, and Phil Arturi Patrick Durkin, Keith Day, David Thompson, Doug Hodge, Brian McKenna, David Parr, Gary Oztemel, Boe Marsh, Harry Keeshan, Michael Lindsay, Tony Chimblo, Ted Walworth ’72, Steven Bawol, Trey Reynolds, Lance Tibbetts, John Wetenhall, Mike Bacon, and Paul Gaston BACK
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FLEX TIME OSTRYE HONORED BY GREENWICH OLD TIMERS ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Living Legend on the Mat By Mike Kennedy ’99
A
T ARCHBISHOP Walsh High School — a private, Roman Catholic high school in Olean, N.Y. — Tim Ostrye suited up for the varsity football team as a 98-pound freshman in the fall of 1967.
He was the smallest kid on the Eagles’ roster — but
he could tackle with the biggest and the best of them, relying on his low center of gravity, perfect technique, and sheer toughness to bring the ball carrier to the turf. And, above all, he had a coach, Jim Cleveland, who believed in him and inspired him to play without fear. Cleveland, also the School’s wrestling coach, encouraged his prized protégé to hang up his basketball shoes and join the wrestling team that winter. Ostrye did — and went on to win the All-Catholic Wrestling Championships in his first year grappling on the mats. He’d ultimately earn a combined eight varsity letters in football and wrestling before graduating in 1971 — entirely sure of one thing as he headed off to Jamestown Community College in Jamestown, N.Y., where he became a two-year captain before transferring to Manhattan College (where he also became a two-year captain). He wanted to follow in Jim Cleveland’s footsteps. He wanted to be a coach. And now, nearly 50 years later, he’s turned into a pretty darned good one. Wrestling teaches skills that travel far beyond the mats — and transcend the test of time, Coach O believes. “You’re placed in a one-on-one situation, forced to rely on yourself and only yourself. The wrestling room doesn’t allow for excuses and doesn’t provide instant gratification,” he says. “You have to persevere and rebound from defeat. In the long run, these are life lessons that all must learn.” And they’re lessons that Ostrye has preached for 35 years at Brunswick, arriving on Maher Avenue in 1981 For more photos, visit bwick.org/tob_winter2016
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Flex TIME
Coach O has long worn his emotions on his sleeve and given his all to the wrestling team and to Brunswick students.
and becoming head coach of the varsity in 1986.
older, but my philosophy hasn’t changed much,”
He’s had a knack for winning all along the way.
he says. “I’ll always try to maximize the skill and
Ostrye’s teams have won 31 FAA
athleticism of every boy I coach. And I pride
Championships and 11 Western New England
myself on teaching them to compete and to act
crowns during his distinguished career on the
as positive role models and citizens.”
coaching staff.
Assistant Coach John Martin, who’s worked
For all of his achievements, Ostrye was
alongside Ostrye for 11 years, describes the man
honored by the Old Timers Athletic Association
he calls a “living legend” as a bit of a throwback
of Greenwich at its 55th Annual Sports Awards
among the modern coaching ranks.
Dinner on November 13.
“Tim is old school in the way he stalks the mat
Since 1960, the Association has provided
during a match,” Martin says. “He can be tough on
college scholarships, supported youth sports
his wrestlers, but every serious exchange always
programs, and honored local sports legends.
ends with a pat on the back. Everything he says or
But Ostrye, the all-time leader in wins at the
does is out of love and competitiveness.”
New England Private School level — by no-slim margin, in fact — doesn’t find the most satisfaction in personal recognition or his individual record. “Wins and losses
As way of evidence, in fact,
“I’ll always try to maximize the skill and athleticism of every boy I coach.”
are important, but it’s
Simmons certainly isn’t the first of Ostrye’s
for a man-to-man handshake
wrestlers to pay such tribute — and he won’t be
before and after every match.
the last.
“It’s a ritual that I didn’t quite
any steam as he climbs into his 60s — still lifting
But it’s clearly a symbolic
weights, jogging, and playing squash religiously
agreement between wrestler and
after practice.
coach and a way for Coach O to say, ‘I’ve got your back and we’re in this together,’” Martin said.
It’s been fun, also, to watch Ostrye stick to his guns and not try to reinvent the wheel at the dawn of each new season. He admits he’s an “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of guy. “I’ve probably mellowed a bit as I’ve grown
Ostrye, after all, doesn’t appear to be losing
understand at the beginning.
a young wrestler — to watch how he matures product,” Ostrye says.
and principles.”
Ostrye seeks out his wrestlers
more rewarding and fun to see the evolution of physically and mentally and to witness the final
what it means to be a young man of character
Nick Simmons ’07, a two-time Prep
He’s also chasing Bruins of all ages around campus, doing his darnedest to spread enthusiasm for the sport he loves — dreading the day
All-American while a Bruin, is one of those
he can’t find enough willing participants to fill
wrestlers who shares a lifelong bond with his
the wrestling room to capacity every November.
former coach. “Coach O has had more of a lasting impact on
“That’s my biggest concern,” he says. “But I won’t slow down until all the weight classes are
me than any other person outside of my family,”
covered and we’re ready to compete to the best of
Simmons said. “He teaches you about much
our abilities.
more than just wrestling. He teaches you about
“Somehow, we always seem to find a way.”
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BORN DISABLED, COLLEGE BASKETBALL CHAMP PREACHES SELFLESSNESS
P WER LIVES TO CHANGE
BY MIKE KENNEDY ’99
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Kevin Laue became the first-ever person to play Division I collegiate basketball with a disability. Now a CEO and selfmade millionaire, Laue visited Brunswick in October to encourage students of all ages to measure their own lives by how much they benefit others.
HE WAS BORN DEAD WITH ONE ARM.
“Sports changed my life.” Specifically, it was AAU coach Patrick McKnight who took a chance on Laue, the selfproclaimed 6'4" “giant creature,” and offered him a spot on
Kevin Laue came from a broken family — his parents divorced
his team. McKnight taught the 12-year-old Laue to use his
when he was 4 years old — and he watched his father die of
left arm — the same arm he lost during childbirth due to a
cancer when he was in the 3rd grade. He was the brunt of jokes
restriction of prenatal blood circulation — as a weapon.
in school and was cut from his 7th grade basketball team, told by the coach that the game was a two-handed sport. Now, he’s a self-made millionaire at age 25, the CEO of his own shoe company, a board member for the Special Olympics,
“He made me the world’s dirtiest basketball player,” Laue joked with Brunswick students during his October visit to all three of the school’s campuses. “I used my ‘nub’ as a dagger.” From there, Laue took off and became one of the best and
and a spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. He’s
most noticeable players in the state of California, ranking in
met the president of the United States. And he’s also the subject
the top five in shot blocking by the time he was a high-school
of an award-winning documentary and a future feature film.
sophomore.
But it wasn’t easy getting there. “I closed myself off to the world when I was a kid,” said Laue, who couldn’t read until the 3rd grade. “I didn’t fit in, didn’t stand a chance to be successful, and felt I couldn’t catch a break.
Former Manhattan College standout Kevin Laue lifted the spirits of Brunswick students — pre-kindergartner Paul Kesmodel, in particular — during his engaging visit to campus in October.
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At that point, too, he began being
walked home alone every
followed by a documentary-film
day, sobbing and pleading
crew, who recorded his every move
with his mother to with-
and placed him on the proverbial
draw him from school.
pedestal. Eventually, the attention
Laue visited Sean’s school
took its toll. “I became egotistical
to speak with the student
and big-headed, which is very easy
body and presented the
to do in a situation like that,” Laue
one-armed boy with an
explained. “I’m not proud of it.”
autographed basketball.
Soon, though, Laue was brought
YOU ARE THE FUTURE, AND I’M GOING TO HOLD YOU TO THAT STANDARD.
The result? A miracle of trans-
in high school for
the focal point of Laue’s inspiring
a 16-year-old boy
message to Brunswick students,
named Josh, who
a message even more powerful
was afflicted with
and compelling than that of his
Syndrome X, a rare
own personal milestones and
condition causing
accomplishments.
a person to have the appearance and
mental abilities of a toddler. Laue’s classmates attached a
Laue earned a scholarship to Manhattan College, where he graduated in three years as an Honors Student in 2012, and became the
back down to earth, receiving a
formation unfolded in just 30
purple flag — symbolic of the colors
first person ever to play Division I
phone call — out of the blue —
minutes: All the bullying, pitying,
of Amador Valley High School
collegiate basketball with a disability.
from a woman he’d never met.
and mocking came to an imme-
in Pleasanton, Calif. — to Josh’s
“All of that doesn’t mean anything,”
Tearfully, she explained that her
diate halt.
electric wheelchair, and helped
Laue concluded. “There’s nothing
him rally the fans at football and
better than impacting another.
son, Sean, had been born with one arm — just like Laue. Sean, a 2nd grader at the time, Laue brought his “larger-than-life” personality and basketball skills to the Lower School gym, where he shared the court with Jayden Montanez ’27, Jackson Cunningham ’26, and Jack McEntire ’25.
38 | TIMES
“It took just a half hour of my
“You are the future, and I’m
time to change Sean’s perspec-
basketball games. “He became our
tive on life and the way everyone
mascot,” Laue explained. “I didn’t
going to hold you to that standard
treated him,” Laue said. “Having
play for myself anymore. I played
— not academically, not in success,
that kind of impact made me feel
for Josh. Those two kids changed
and not in how much money you
better than sports ever could.”
his life simply by raising their
have in your bank account.
Two other young men, too, did the same during Laue’s senior year
hands and giving him a flag.” Boys like Sean and Josh became
“You have the power to change lives.”
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FLEX TIME M US I C A L TA L E C E L E B R AT E S “ C I R C L E O F L I F E ”
01
02
Middle Schoolers Master Disney’s Jungle of a Challenge By Mike Pastore ’20
B
RUNSWICK SCHOOL and
Greenwich Academy students
held audience members on the edge of their seats throughout the show, with enough comedy and music to keep the performance entertaining and light. With dozens of different animals appearing throughout the play, The
were proud to present their latest
Lion King Jr. brought the audience to a
on-stage production, The Lion King
vast and proud land, full of twists and
Jr., speaking and singing their way
turns around every corner.
through a dramatic tale of righteousness and redemption. Viewers were introduced to a
Thanks to Middle School Theater Arts teacher Alexander Constantine and the hard work of so many
strong, noble king; a jealous, yet
students and volunteers, The Lion
evil mastermind; a confused prince;
King Jr. was a fantastic experience
an uptight toucan; and many other
for the audience — and for everyone
01 Nicky Winegardner ’20
fascinating characters in a story that
involved.
02 Charlie Burnett ’20 and Matthew Goodman ’20
told the tale of a rightful king and his fight for his kingdom. A thoughtful, intense storyline
03
03 Charles Tate ’20 and Lexi Handrinos (GA ’20)
For more photos, visit bwick.org/tob_winter2016
BOTTOM Nearly 50 Brunswick and GA students
took the stage throughout the performance.
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40 600 BOYS A Love for Her Students & Meticulous Dedication to Detail
YEARS, MORE THAN
Now celebrating her 40th remarkable year of teaching 2nd grade, Pat Meloni sees something special in every student and believes every action must have a purpose. BY M I K E K EN N EDY ’ 99
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alking into the room, you’re surrounded by a spectrum of colors and a miscellany of objects. In one corner, a life-size traffic light alternately blinks red, yellow, and green. In another, a barber’s pole patriotically spins red, white, and blue. Atop the bookshelves sits an army of figurines — stuffed animals, M&M guys, piñatas, and nutcrackers.
Pat Meloni cherishes every one of the scores of letters she has received from students during the course of her four decades of teaching at Brunswick. The words “Thank you!” and “Love” repeat and resound — a confirmation of Meloni’s strong and lasting connection to so many of her boys. OPENING SPREAD
They always notice and ask questions about even the smallest change.” She’s right — every minute or so, tiny hands shoot into the air, and highpitched 7-year-old voices nitpick the finest details. Mrs. Meloni fields each and every question with patience, good nature, and care.
A collection of tiny machines, historical artifacts,
The next hour flashes by in an instant: The
archaeological treasures, and antique mailboxes
Riddle of the Day, The Pledge of Allegiance, and
rests on the windowsills. Giant Crayola crayons
student reports from the podium on the weather
and paintbrushes line the walls. Revolving globes
and the weekend in professional sports.
of all sizes hang from the ceiling at an arm’s reach.
Math class — with this day’s lesson focusing on
Carved pumpkin and feathered turkey cutouts fill
money — isn’t at all what you might remember it
any white space.
to be, routinely (and begrudgingly) opening your
And, from his perch in a vintage barber’s chair at the front of the room, a stuffed bear presides over the rainbow of activity. It’s almost like you’ve gone back in time and found yourself on the set of Charlie and the
workbook to solve cut-and-dried problems. Instead, Mrs. Meloni weaves in presidential history — and detective work — along the way. Why? It’s Election Day. Working in pairs, the boys are handed a Dixie
Chocolate Factory. You’ve unwrapped the Wonka
cup’s worth of coins, a sheet of paper, and a magni-
Bar, found the Golden Ticket, and won a trip to a
fying glass. Mrs. Meloni instructs them to note the
childlike wonderland.
U.S. Presidents on their given coins, the year their
Well, perhaps it’s the next-best thing. You’ve
coins were minted, and the order of their coins,
ventured into Brunswick icon Pat Meloni’s
from oldest to newest. The boys have 10 minutes to
2nd-grade classroom — her “neighborhood” for the
complete the task, their teacher carefully maneu-
past four decades.
vering herself around the room to check in with each group throughout the exercise.
ON THIS UNSEASONABLY WARM
When class reconvenes, numbers accumulate on
day in early November, Mrs. Meloni hits the ground
the whiteboard — addition and subtraction ensue.
running when her 18 boys arrive at 8:15 a.m., shed
At least 15 boys contribute aloud (and mathemati-
their brown sweaters, and sit eagerly at their desks,
cally) in some fashion or another.
unzipping their backpacks and awaiting their teacher’s call to order. Mrs. Meloni begins with a detailed breakdown of the action-packed schedule, with math, gym, and
“I like to make the subject real and alive for the boys,” Meloni said. “I try to make the lesson hands-on and active to create a more lasting effect.” It’s an approach rooted in her acute attention to
reading all on the docket before lunchtime. “The
detail — and her meticulous care in the design of
boys love structure and routine,” she said. “I’m an
her classroom.
organized person. Each morning, we start with
“When we moved to King Street from down-
a focus on being organized. We talk about what’s
town, there was so much room!” she recalled. “It
going to happen and when. You’d be surprised:
was wonderful to have so much space. But it was
42
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also too bare — too stark to be a good home for
share with friends and family. For one, they
my boys and my classroom. I knew I had to do
know that only three U.S. presidents — George
something.” Calling on the talent and passion of
Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham
her husband, Ron, a collector, she selects items
Lincoln — have their faces on U.S. dollars and
geared to connecting a boy’s experience directly
coins.
with the subjects he’s exploring. “I’m a visual learner. Everything has a purpose,” she said. “Real objects prompt the boys’ questions: ‘How old is that?’ ‘Does it really
After the boys ran off, Mrs. Meloni took a
Mrs. Meloni and second grader Roby Sickles look on as Henry Graham rattles off the list of U.S. Presidents.
FOR 40 YEARS AT BRUNSWICK , steadiness, organization, and a simple,
moment to reflect on the whirlwind of the
persistent commitment to discovering the talent
previous 90 minutes.
and passion in every student have distinguished
“It’s all about progress, growth, and change —
Mrs. Meloni’s dedication to teaching.
work?’ ‘Where does it come from?’ ‘Can I touch
looking at something a boy did at the beginning
it?’ Of course, the more questions they ask, the
of the year and comparing it to his work at the
boy,” she said. “Every day, my job is to find that
more they learn.”
end,” she said. “We’re on our way.”
and to encourage him to make it shine. That’s
And, indeed, by the time math class ends and
But for now, all Mrs. Meloni can do is take a
the boys assemble by their lockers to change
deep breath and begin prepping for her boys’
for gym, they’re armed with a brand-new
return in an hour’s time.
arsenal of fun facts and educational skills to
There’s not a second to spare.
“There’s something absolutely special in each
fundamental.” Educational tools and theories have certainly evolved during the course of her remarkable career. But still, always open to change when it
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creates new possibilities, Mrs. Meloni empha-
Philadelphia, she taught third grade for seven
sizes the lasting impact of a steadfast and
years at a suburban school in a small town in
tenacious focus on core principles and values.
Pennsylvania.
“From the start, every one of my boys must
Mrs. Meloni’s first teaching experience with
know he is loved and cared about,” she said.
second graders came in 1976, when she accepted
“That’s essential. I tell them, ‘Every day, you
a position at Brunswick.
have to be as special as you can be.’ ” As a second or third grader herself,
Reading is a shared exercise in Mrs. Meloni’s classroom, with both teacher and students reciting paragraphs aloud.
She views second graders as in a golden
Since arriving on Maher Avenue, Mrs. Meloni, who earned her Master of Science in Elementary Education from Penn State University, has
moment of opportunity for learning. “They still
dedicated herself to observing and responding
Mrs. Meloni already knew she wanted to be
have that special and really wonderful inno-
to the special qualities that distinguish second-
a teacher. She attended a small, neighbor-
cence,” she said. “They’re so eager to please. I
grade boys from others. The count of students
hood public school while growing up in the
love that about them. But, at the same time, I
she has taught now numbers on the north side
Crestwood section of Yonkers, N.Y. “My teachers
can’t give in to their idiosyncrasies.
of 600.
were all so compassionate,” she recalled. “I just
“There’s so much you can accomplish. They’re
“And they’re all different,” she insisted, as if
loved school. I’d go home and play ‘school’ with
so open to me as a teacher and so willing
each one were somehow still sitting at a tiny
my friends. Teaching is just something I knew I
to explore. By third grade, they’ve become
desk nearby. “Every boy is different and special
wanted to do from the start.”
just a little bit wiser to the world. They’ve
in some way. Every day, I have a chance to
grown up a bit. It’s different.”
discover what that is.”
After graduating from Temple University, in
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“ Every boy is different and special in some way. Every day, I have a chance to discover what that is.” said. “It provided an example of the sense of
touch with her former students. She is a faithful
belonging and self-worth so many Brunswick
attendee of Homecoming and reunion events.
students have discovered through their time
“It’s amazing that 38 years later,” Hartch
with Mrs. Meloni and in the Lower School.”
concluded, “she’s still teaching second grade.”
Michael’s memories travel far beyond that one meaningful day. “Mrs. Meloni’s warmth, compassion, and openness allow her to build homerooms that have a great spirit and sense of community. I
LOWER SCHOOL HEAD KATIE Signer views the School-wide impact of Mrs. Meloni’s work in a larger perspective. “Pat’s commitment to community and the
know for myself, but I also believe it is true for
whole experience is truly outstanding,” Signer
many other alumni, that Mrs. Meloni is one
said. “She knows that if a teacher works to build
of the first people who comes to mind when I
a special relationship with a boy, he’ll grow
think of Brunswick.
more quickly. She’s a practitioner in the truest
“She is truly an institution unto herself, and I cannot imagine Brunswick without her.” Greg Hartch ’88, too, now Chairman of the Board of Trustees, is a former student of
sense. She really hooks the boys into the wonder of learning. She treasures who they are and who they will be.” Clearly, for her colleagues and superiors,
Mrs. Meloni’s — a member of her second-ever
Mrs. Meloni sets a steady and conscientious
class at Brunswick in 1977–78.
example. “She’s a rock,” Signer
“Mrs. Meloni was a special teacher who made
smiled. “And
MICHAEL KRASNOW ’08, NOW
all of us feel encouraged and secure. I looked
yet she has
a Brunswick Middle School intern, was one
forward going to school every day,” Hartch said.
the ability to
of those very students in 1998–99, a year he
“She always made the class inter-
remembers quite well, as his family moved to
esting, dividing us into teams that
Japan that summer.
competed to accomplish tasks.
Sensing her young student’s sadness to be
Every few weeks, the teams would
leaving Brunswick, Mrs. Meloni arranged a
shift and the challenge would
surprise going-away party for Michael and
begin again.”
presented him with a poster signed by all of his
Hartch also noted
classmates, along with the leader of the pack
Mrs. Meloni’s
herself. Each had written about a fond memory
grand
from the school year or left Michael with a kind
efforts to
message. The framed poster hung in Michael’s
keep in
room in Japan — a memento giving him comfort in moments when he longed for home. “To my eight-year-old brain, the poster was an extension of Mrs. Meloni’s classroom,” he
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Shenkman and his (now) wife, Rebecca, were touring Edwards Campus when they came across a wall of photos displaying three decades’ worth of Mrs. Meloni’s class pictures. “We heard a cry from down the hall — ‘Mr. Shenkman’, the voice called — and saw a woman enthusiastically running toward us,” Shenkman recalls. “Of course, it was Mrs. Meloni. “We had a great time catching up and she even took the time to show us around her classroom — what an example of the lengths she’s always gone to make her class fun and exciting.” For Mrs. Meloni, be flexible and to grow with the times. When Pat welcomes technology into her classroom, her CLOCKWISE FROM TOP Always one to follow the calendar, Mrs. Meloni dons her Halloween sweater with her class in 1994.
Here is Mrs. Meloni with her class in 1989, including Greg Shenkman (second row, far left) and many other Class of 1999 alumni. Storytime has always been one of Mrs. Meloni’s favorite periods of the day.
46 | TIMES
these are gravy-topped moments. “I’ve taught the boys of boys I’ve taught,” she
youngest colleagues know they’d better not lag
says, laughing. “I’ve had the unique opportunity
behind.
to see my students grow up, get married, and
“She inspires through her commitment, dedication, and love — and also through her
have children of their own. It’s wonderful!” Other Bruins who return to visit or write
organization.” For the hundreds of boys whom
letters of thanks convey heartfelt reminders of
she has taught, encouraged, and loved, the bond
how much their year in her classroom meant
and relationship resonate for decades. And
to them. Signer characterized the remarkable
Mrs. Meloni never forgets a face.
distinction in a single sentence:
Just ask Greg Shenkman ’99, a student in
“When you become a student in Mrs. Meloni’s
Mrs. Meloni’s class in 1988–89, who returned for
second-grade class,” she says, “you become her
his 10th reunion six years ago.
student for life.”
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xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx
THE BOYS OF
AUTUMN
FALL SPORTS
WRAPUP
BY MIKE KENNEDY ’99
Powering the School’s traditional hues of Brown & Gold, ’Wick’s fall varsity teams booted, bruised, ran, and splashed their way to a trophy-hoisting season.
I
N EVERY arena — the pitch, the gridiron, the course, and the pool — the Bruins competed valiantly with their sports rivals, fighting for every inch of ground (or water) en route to glorious victory or agonizing defeat.
The soccer team began a new era under head coach
Christian Gonzalez, quickly turning heads with a ninegame winning streak against New England foes and a coveted trip to the playoffs. Cross-country runners, too, continued their fleetfooted dominance by racing to an undefeated record in the FAA and securing their thirdstraight league title. And, in a pair of repeat performances, the water polo and football squads celebrated their seasons in style with back-to-back New England crowns. Altogether, the Bruins — or the Boys of Autumn, as they could rightly be named — combined to kick off the ’Wick athletic year in fantastic fashion. oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo TOB Winter 2016 47-51.indd 47 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
TOP The cross-country team huddles at the FAA championship race at Waveny Park in New Canaan, Conn. LEFT Nick DeSalvo ’16 puts his all — and his head — into a soccer match against Taft in September.
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oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
FOOTBALL
LEFT The post-game celebration! MIDDLE Sophomore Harrison Caponiti breaks the plane for the game-winning TD. BOTTOM Sophomore QB Nicky Henkel earned AllErickson League honors in his first year as the signal caller.
Once Again, New England Champions
F
OR THE Brunswick football team, winners of the Wayne Sanborn NEPSAC Bowl Championship in 2014, the
season began on the gridiron with largely unknown expectations. Gone were three-year starting quarterback Billy O’Malley ’15 and high-flying receiver Malik Wilder ’15, both Erickson League All-Stars and dynamic playmakers for the Bruins on the offensive side of the ball. Graduation also claimed Defensive Player of the Year and linebacker Austin Meacham ’15. In addition, offensive coordinator and former ’Wick standout Kevin Decker ’07 had vacated the
sidelines, moving on to coach colle-
Performance Science quickly
Caponiti in the end zone for the
giate football at Montana State
bonded the roster of unproven
go-ahead touchdown.
University.
talent and spurred it to a five-
Talk about youth being served:
game winning streak to start
Final score — ’Wick 19, Milton 15.
The Bruins could very well have settled in for a rebuilding year on
the 2015 campaign, including
Cosby Field, where they haven’t
victories against perennial
held back emotion as he reflected
powers Avon Old Farms and
on the game — and on the season
Trinity-Pawling.
as a whole.
lost a game since September 2013 — and made way for their competitors to have their turn at the top. But — led by captains
The team did lose two grid-
Head coach Jarrett Shine ’92
“We faced a lot of adversity
iron battles on the road — with
throughout the fall, and we never
Salisbury and Cheshire Academy,
gave up,” Shine said. “When our
John Fox ’17, Alex
respectively — but earned a trip to
backs were against the wall —
Katchadurian ’16, Alex
a NEPSAC Bowl Championship on
today and at other times during the
Russell ’16, and Pat Adamo
the strength of its 7–2 record.
year — our guys battled and made
’16 — they chose the
In the title matchup, named after
the big plays when it counted.”
alternative and didn’t
former ’Wick sideline boss and
skip a beat in the race for
faculty member Sean Brennan, the
Erickson League Defensive Player
the School’s 11th all-time
Bruins trailed Milton Academy,
of the Year, with 134 tackles, to lead
NEPSAC Bowl bid.
15–12, with just more than a
the team in 2016.
Early-season leadership
minute to play — before sopho-
Shine will look to Fox, the
Lineman Peter Wise ’17 and wide
training with two former Navy
more quarterback Nicky Henkel
receiver Sean Morris ’17 will also fill
SEALs and members of Applied
connected with classmate Harrison
leadership roles as tri-captains.
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WATER POLO
TOP LEFT Junior goalie Charlie Pang was named the Liquid Four’s Best Goalie for the second consecutive year. TOP RIGHT Champions! BOTTOM Senior Pat Stefanou will graduate having scored 306 goals, the most in School history.
Teamwork That Couldn’t Be Denied
I
N A mid-season matchup
better suit the smaller and quicker
with Suffield Academy, the
’Wick lineup.
Brunswick water polo team disappointedly swam away with
a 6–5 loss. For the Bruins, it was their first
Non-league swims with Greenwich High School — three throughout the course of the season
Sophomores Simon Derby and
Thatcher Scannell joined Stefanou and Pang on the All-New England water polo team. Tillman credited the captains —
— were another key to the team’s
Stefanou and fellow seniors Lucas
hiccup of the year versus a New
preparation. The Cardinals ran
Bell and Jack Muccia — for their
England prep school opponent —
the table in those hotly contested
superior leadership during the
and it would also be their last.
meetings — by nail-biting scores
grueling grind of the season.
The Brown & Gold exited the
of 12–11, 8–7, and 11–7, respec-
“We’ll miss their
water on that afternoon with a
tively — but the Bruins emerged
presence,” Tillman
newfound sense of determination,
battle-tested and ready to defend
said. “But the
reminded of the hard work and
their title.
future is bright.
focus required to defend their Liquid-Four title from 2014.
In the opening semi-final of the
We have a
New England Liquid Four — hosted
lot of young
And they would not be denied.
by Phillips Exeter Academy — ’Wick
players, a lot
From that moment forward,
toppled Hopkins, 13–5, to set up
of freshmen
the team’s practices intensified
a championship tilt with Suffield,
who are
to include 90-minute swim sets,
those very same Tigers who upended
chomping
ensuring that the Bruins would win
the Bruins back in October.
at the bit,
the war of endurance against any
Tournament MVP and senior
and all adversaries at the opposite
tri-captain Pat Stefanou led the
end of the pool.
way with five goals — finishing
Coaches Ulmis Iordache,
who will step up and fill roles.” Will Marvin ’16
the season with a team-best 87
will join forces
Kristina Norrgard, and Eric
tallies — and junior goalie Charlie
with Pang as the
Tillman also implemented more
Pang turned aside 15 shots on net
team captains
sophisticated offensive and defen-
to secure the pool-splashing 18–8
in 2016.
sive schemes into the game plan to
championship victory.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o 47-51.indd o o o o o o49o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o TOB Winter 2016 oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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RIGHT Senior captains Chris Peisch (front) and Andrew Israel led the pack — and by example — throughout the season. BELOW Junior Jack Parkin, an All-FAA selection, was a key point-getter in the Bruins’ lineup. BOTTOM Sophomore Wesley Peisch, also an All-FAA selection, became a frontrunner for ’Wick by year’s end.
CROSS COUNTRY
I
N BRUNSWICK’S opening
GFA, as a key moment in the fall
Polikoff noted that the small size
meet of the season — a 5K race
campaign — for what happened
of this year’s team — a band of only
at Greens Farms Academy —
after the victorious day on the
20 runners — helped to breed an
the cross-country team found
3.2-mile course.
especially strong sense of chem-
itself in a dogfight with FAA rival
Israel and fellow captain Chris
Hopkins, trailing by five points at
Peisch would ritually (and some-
the two-mile mark.
what tirelessly) gather the team
reason they did what they did,” he
At that pivotal juncture, though,
istry among the group. “It sounds trite, but it’s the
together for post-race cool-down
said. “Kids who initially appeared
the Bruins turned on their prover-
jogs — win or lose, after every 5K,
on the outside looking in bought
bial jets — a determined pack of
to ensure the short- and long-term
into our goals and contributed to
’Wick runners outpacing their
health of the squad.
our success. They cared about one
league foes through the home
On this afternoon, however, they
stretch to secure the come-from-
didn’t have to say a word to inspire
behind victory.
their fatigued and race-worn
another. And there was nobody dragging behind.” Israel, a four-year varsity
According to longtime head
teammates. “As soon as Chris and I
mainstay who earned All-FAA
coach Steve Polikoff, in his 17th
began jogging, the rest of the team
honors in the final season of his
season at the helm, the win fueled
followed suit — without even a
career, will graduate as a proud
his runners with the confidence
second of delay,” Israel recalled. “It
and loyal member of the ’Wick
that they were the team to beat.
became clear to me then that we
cross-country team.
“We realized then that all of
were an extremely close-knit group,
“There was a real sense of
our competitors were chasing us,”
often all thinking the same thing
community and brotherhood
Polikoff said. “From there — and
without even realizing it.”
that I felt each and every day
throughout the rest of the season —
Remarkably, the Bruins would
walking into the locker room,
everything was directed forwards.
go on to rack up an 18–0 record
jogging the trails, and
We never looked back.”
in the FAA, including their third
competing in races with my
consecutive league title, despite a
teammates,” Israel said.
In addition, senior co-captain Andrew Israel pointed to a late
disappointing 14th-place finish at
September meet, also hosted by
the New England’s.
50 | TIMES
OF BRUNSWICK • WINTER 2016
TOB Winter 2016 47-51.indd 50
“ Brotherhood” Propels Undefeated Sprint
“I’ll miss that most of all.”
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o1/18/16 o o o o8:51 o oAM oo
oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo ooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo oooooooo
LEFT
Senior co-captain Sal Lopez finished his ’Wick career in style by earning All-League honors.
SOCCER
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Patience, Discipline Yield Big Payoff
TOP RIGHT Senior goalkeeper Wil Salomon joined Lopez as an All-League selection. MIDDLE RIGHT
Senior Nate Stuart provided essential veteran leadership to the team in his final season. BOTTOM RIGHT
Junior Luis Hernandez will step into a role as tri-captain in the fall.
H
EAD COACH Christian
consisting predominately of under-
Gonzalez brought new
classmen — onto the field for two
blood — and a new style of
weeks of preseason workouts.
possession based soccer —
to the ’Wick sidelines in 2015. The ball moved from the
All of the hard work and attention to detail paid off, as the Bruins meshed quickly and were more
back line, with goalkeeper Wil
than ready for their opening match
Salomon ’16 and the four defenders
against Taft — a 4–3 win on the
distributing short passes up to the
road in Watertown, Conn.
midfielders. From there — using
Remarkably, they’d string
patience, discipline, and a simple
together nine consecutive wins to
tactical approach — the Bruins
start the season — defeating the
attacked the net and looked to
likes of New England foes Loomis,
create scoring chances.
Kent, Avon Old Farms, and Choate
Gonzalez began implementing
— to (arguably) mark one of the
this brand of “futbol” during
most successful stretches of soccer
early-morning training sessions
in School history.
last spring, when the team fought
The senior-laden squad,
Gonzalez, despite the disappointing end to the year, reflected
phenomenal season based upon a complete, unified effort.”
through cold and darkness to fine-
bolstered by four freshmen in the
positively on the Bruins’ resurgent
tune its game and prepare for the
starting lineup, ultimately cooled
play on the pitch.
competitive NEPSAC season ahead.
down to finish its turn-around
In late August, senior captains
campaign at 11–5–2, falling to
mentality,” he said. “Our 15 seniors
the field. Newly elected captains
Sal Lopez and Aidan Schubert led
defending champion Berkshire
were fantastic and worked hard
Alex Buckanavage ’17, Clem Carter
17 returning varsity lettermen —
School in the quarterfinal round of
to integrate new, younger players
’17, and Luis Hernandez ’17 will
and a host of talented newcomers,
the NEPSAC Class A Tournament.
into the team. It all added up to a
lead the charge.
“We really developed a winning
As the team looks ahead to next fall, the future appears bright, with a bevy of young talent returning to
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BEYOND THE BOOKS
NEWS AND NOTEWORTHY EVENTS
A Barrier-Breaking Cab Ride By Joseph Jiménez ’16
A
S I STOOD ON the side of
The “What ifs” quickly
the road waiting for a taxi, a
multiplied as I paced back
latent fear began to surface
and forth. I wasn’t on the
in my mind, riddling me
streets of New York City, after
with all the possible ways this could
all. I was two miles from my
go wrong.
summer host family’s home in
What if I get in the
Shangri-La, China.
taxi and I’m unable
“You should probably
to properly
just walk,” I thought.
communicate
But by then it was
where I’m
too late — a taxi had
headed? What
pulled up right beside
if I wind up in
me.
a completely random location
a foreigner speaking Chinese. I repeated myself, and we started our short journey. The cabbie began talking and
I hesitantly opened the door and gave the
even farther from
driver my address. He
where I am now?
looked back and asked me again, appearing in disbelief that I was
told me how rare it was to see foreigners in this part of town. “Do you understand me?” he asked. “Yes,” I responded. “I’m here studying abroad and understand the language.”
way. “There aren’t the same amazing
He was amazed by my level of
mountain or river views at home in
proficiency in Chinese, and by the
the city,” I explained to the man I’d
simple fact that I was studying his
learned was named Longwei. “China
native tongue. He then asked me
is a beautiful place.”
about my background. I explained that I was born in New
Soon, we arrived at my house and I paid him the fare. As I was getting
York and that this was the first time
out of the cab, he left me with very
I’d ever been outside of the United
thoughtful parting words.
States. He commended me for my
“One day, I want to be like you
bravery in diving into a culture much
and travel to a country far away
different than my own.
from my own,” he said.
“I have never left China,” he said. “I’ve been here my entire life — more than 40 years.” Our conversation continued, turning to my life in New York and
“You will be so happy you did,” I said. What had been a somewhat terrifying prospect minutes before evolved into a connection —
my experiences thus far in China.
between a stranger and me — that
He asked if they were similar in any
I’ll never forget.
52 |
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BEYOND the BOOKS
FAR LEFT Senior Joseph Jiménez holds a yak, a memento from his home-stay in Shangri-La, China, where fantastic regional views of the Tibetan Pavillion and Meili Xue Shan Peak are the norm. BELOW Senior Drew Monroe spent six weeks in Marrakech, home to Djemaa el Fna, Morocco’s most famous square and market place.
In a Different World, Oceans Away By Drew Monroe ’16
“A
someone possibly not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset for 30 days in a row in the blistering Moroccan heat?” I wondered. They did it with an unwavering dedication
LLAHU AKBAR! Allahu
country, oceans apart from home.
to their religion —
akbar!”
The constant media barrage seem-
that’s how.
I opened the door and the once muffled sound
of prayer swirled around me — a
ingly generalizing Islamic cultures didn’t help my sense of optimism.
Upon my return home, I no longer
But I took my final step onto
found myself questioning
beautiful, yet strange cacophony of
the plane and knew there was no
what I had done. My eyes
noise rushed into the space.
going back. I had — for once in
had been opened to a
What had I done?
my life — completely stepped out
different part of the world
I had just arrived in Marrakech,
of my comfort zone. As I recall the
— and a different way
Morroco, and stood on the roof of
many experiences and adventures
of life.
my host family’s house. In that very
of my six-week stay in Morocco, I
second, every mosque throughout
remember shopping in one of the
the city blasted the call to prayer.
souks — or local markets — and
It seemed as if they were all
sitting down with the owner to
speaking in unison — not just to
have tea. Initially, I thought that he
me, but also to every other person
was trying to scam me into buying
in the city. Soon, the daily call to
something, but I soon realized he
prayer became mere background
was truly interested in talking to
noise. It became the new normal.
me — despite my broken Arabic.
Only hours earlier, I had begun
Most of the people I met shared
my journey, hesitating as I stepped
this man’s genuine curiosity and
through the gate and onto the jet
heartfelt desire to learn about new
bridge.
people and things.
What had I done? I would be forced to embrace a strange culture in a strange
I also witnessed my host family fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “How can
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BEYOND the BOOKS
LEFT First graders Teddy Breeden and Luke Velasco point out the good work of 5th grader Magnus O’Reilly.
ABOVE First graders Marco Leao and Miles Goulding listen intently to 5th graders William Klein and Jack Rinaldi.
Partnership of Storytelling & Wonder
T
WITTER WAS at the root of it all. Fifth grade teacher Judy Gallagher — in the depths of
a child to write,” Gallagher explained.
allows a much deeper understanding of the story.” With the help of McShane and
teaching her class about the fundamen-
“The books already had the stories. The
Lower School Librarian Joan Michie,
tals of sentence structure — heard her
boys could add the text.”
Gallagher gathered a bountiful selec-
phone buzz from her desk in the corner
Pre and Middle School Librarian
of the room, later finding a message
Marianne McShane eagerly hopped
from Common Sense Media.
aboard the literary adventure,
“How wordless books can help your child to read,” the Tweet read. Gallagher’s mind instantly began
54 | TIMES
“I started thinking about how wordless picture books might also help
tion of wordless picture books and set her students to work. “The boys pored over these detailed
providing her expertise and experience
books, letting the stories take flight
throughout the project.
in their imaginations. Chuckles of
“Visual literacy is such an important
delight and gasps of appreciation filled
spinning with creativity, coming to a
skill,” McShane said. “Picture books
the room as they turned the pages,”
stop on a new and innovative way for
can be deceptively sophisticated. A
Gallagher recalled.
her 5th graders to put their writing
careful ‘reading’ of the illustrations
skills to the test.
illuminates the nuances of the plot and
“Then, they added their own words, creating a textual story to complement
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TOB Winter 2016 52-57.indd 54
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BEYOND the BOOKS
the pictures.” But, as Gallagher
art of illustration — an ancient
noted, a picture book is for
art to be appreciated at a higher
sharing and reading aloud.
level. This helps prepare them for
And so, the 5th graders made the short jaunt down to the
As for the end result?
her class of 1st graders — the
“It was a treat to see the 1st
older boys pairing up to read
graders enthralled by the read-
their stories to groups of younger,
ings,” Gallagher said. “They loved
fellow Bruins.
hearing stories told by their ‘big brothers’ and then having the
her students as to the deeper
roles reversed for them to share
meaning of this exercise.
their own versions of the same
“We teach the boys that First grader Harry Saunders patiently ponders the story written by 5th graders Wylie Ocken and Winston Mock.
School.”
Lower School to visit Michie and
Michie had already prepped
ABOVE
story writing work in the Middle
‘pictures’ are art to be carefully
book. “The entire experience evolved
appreciated,” she said. “They learn
into a partnership of storytelling
to think of the ‘pictures’ as the
and wonder.”
On the Charles, Best-Ever Finish At the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, the world’s largest two-day rowing event, ’Wick’s crew of seniors (front to back) Will Bass, Will Powers, Thomas Kern, and Alexander Kutner, along with junior coxswain Alec Esmond (not pictured), earned the School’s highest-ever finish at the event, taking third place in the Men’s Youth Four race.
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BEYOND the BOOKS
Mano a Mano, One Move at a Time
B
RUNSWICK BOYS tested
Of exceptional note, Zhu finished
their mettle at the National
8th in the Kindergarten Division,
Scholastic Grade Level Chess
while Graham and Ulmer finished
Championships in Orlando, Fla.,
15th and 20th in the 2nd and 4th
on December 4–6 — going mano a
Grade Divisions, respectively.
mano, one move at time, with the
also including strong showings at the
duel of skill and strategy.
team level — came as no surprise to
Ten young Bruins — Neel Behringer ’26, Jesse Chung ’25, Thomas Ewald ’24, William
Lower School Head Katie Signer. “Over the years, chess has grown immensely in our Lower School,”
Ewald ’23, Miles Gillott ’26,
Signer said. “Our boys embrace the
Henry Graham ’26, Sebastian
problem solving opportunities and
Peña ’25, Robert Ulmer ’24, Leo
the meaningful challenge that chess
Zhang ’25, and Vincent Zhu ’28
presents. We love the lessons the
— attended the three-day compe-
game teaches — discipline, focus,
tition, tactically sparring with
critical thinking, perseverance —
their opponents for seven games of chess in all.
TOB Winter 2016 52-57.indd 56
The exceptional performances —
best the country has to offer in the
and, of course, we celebrate the camaraderie it promotes.”
ABOVE Kindergartener Vincent Zhu can nearly look eyeto-eye with his 8th-place trophy. GROUP PHOTO, FRONT ROW Vincent Zhu, Miles Gillott, Neel Behringer, Leo Zhang, and Sebastian Peña. BACK ROW Henry Graham, Jesse Chung, Robert Ulmer, William Ewald, and Thomas Ewald.
1/18/16 9:38 AM
BEYOND the BOOKS
A Welcome Addition
A
S ’WICK nears fulfillment of its capital campaign and
embarks on implementation of its strategic plan for 2015–2020, the School is pleased to announce that Ross Smith has joined the Alumni and Development Office as Director of Leadership Giving.
Folktales To Broaden Horizons
’W
a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business. “The boys were very attentive, seemed to enjoy the story, laughed at the appropriate
ICK FACULTY and
times, and joined in at the end
staff got into the act
when the peddler chants, ‘Caps
at Horizons at Brunswick,
for sale, caps for sale, fifty cents
State University in 1986, Ross
volunteering to read timeless
a cap!’” Petrelli said.
embarked on a career in the tennis
folktales and children’s stories
industry — with stops in Darien,
to students during two of
Other classics, including
Conn., as the head tennis pro at Wee
the program’s six Saturday
The Rescuers and Lyle, Lyle,
Burn Country Club from 1992–98,
sessions.
Crocodile, were among the
After graduating from Michigan
and in New Haven, as the assistant
Athletic coordinator Susan
“It was really fun!”
TOP Athletic coordinator Susan Petrelli had the Horizons’ boys all ears — with arms raised in the air — during storytime.
selections — and gave readers
coach for the men’s varsity tennis
Petrelli took her turn, front
the chance to flashback to
will begin its third summer,
team at Yale from 1996–98.
and center, to share one of
those special bedtime hours
with more than 60 students
her all-time favorite picture
with their own children.
at the Kindergarten through
Ross joined Yale’s Development Office in 1998 and worked in both
books, Caps for Sale: A Tale of
Horizons at Brunswick
3rd-grade levels, in June.
the annual fund and major gift departments before moving on to Connecticut College in 2002, where he served as Director of Leadership Giving and helped guide the College to successful completion of the largest capital campaign in its history in 2013. “I’m looking forward to a new challenge,” Ross said, “and to building relationships with Brunswick’s wonderful community of families, former families, and alumni.”
New Review for Worldly Opinions Editor-in-chief Gordon Kamer ’18 (left), managing editor Diego Jasson ’18, and faculty advisor Mikel Berrier stand with their prized possession, The Review, Brunswick’s new publication fulfilling students’ needs for a medium to express their worldly opinions in the written form. The magazine joined the ranks of The Chronicle and The Oracle with its first issue in December.
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FLEX TIME AUTHOR ON CAMPUS
Colum McCann’s best-selling novel TransAtlantic was summer reading for all Upper Schoolers in 2015.
and Mexico. It was the late 1980s: U2 had just hit its stride — an international sensation touring the world. McCann, their unknown compatriot, was in for a back-roads tour of a different kind. He crossed paths with a camp ranger in Pennsylvania, a brutally poor family in Mississippi, a gay couple in New Orleans living in the heart of Bourbon Street, a group of Native Americans in Gallup, N.M., and a man who taught him how to build bicycle wheels in Trinidad, Colo. It didn’t take him long to recognize that the people he met all shared a common yearning. “They all had a deep need to tell a story,” McCann said. “I met people every single day who literally shook my soul.” He also learned lessons that pierced him to the core. “At the heart of it, I learned how to listen to someone and about the great
Gift of Listening, Receipt of Treasure By Mike Kennedy ’99
T
you,” he said. “This is part of the currency of storytelling — the giving and the receiving.
HE 21-YEAR-OLD Irishman
paper by the age of 21 — found he didn’t
And it’s the ability to listen that is perhaps
crossed the Atlantic, took resi-
have any stories to tell.
most important.”
dence in an overcrowded house in Hyannis, Mass., bought a type-
writer, and set about writing a novel. But the young Colum McCann — a
58 | TIMES
value in having somebody else listen to
And so — with almost nothing to his
Long-haired and bearded, McCann
name — he embarked on a quest to find
completed his maiden voyage of listening
and gather them, trading in his typewriter
as an older and a wiser man — and one in
for an 18-speed Schwinn and joining a
need of money and a job.
journalist in Dublin by age 17, a columnist
friend on an 18-month bike trek across the
with his own page in a national news-
United States and into parts of Canada
So, settling on the creek beds of Texas, he assumed responsibility for a wilderness
OF BRUNSWICK • WINTER 2016
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Flex TIME
“They all had a deep need to tell a story. I met people every single day who literally shook my soul.”
Colum McCann spoke to Upper School students in Baker Theater, also visiting English classes (above with seniors Will Bass and Will Powers).
teaches in the MFA program in Hunter College in New York City. McCann, who spoke to students and faculty at the Maher Avenue Campus in October, implored the audience to think long and hard program for juvenile delinquents.
“They got their stories off their
novels and three collections of
about his professional craft — and about life in general.
The 23-year-old McCann led
chests,” he said. “Their ability to
short stories, winning worldwide
groups of six boys into the middle of
sit down and tell their stories gave
acclaim and the 2009 National
nowhere for three-month stretches,
each of them hope for a better
Book Award for his 9/11 novel
the body and mind of somebody
teaching survival skills and reading
life. They began to believe in the
Let the Great World Spin. His
else. It enables you to become
them literary classics such as The
prospect that things might change
novel TransAtlantic (2013), last
other,” he said.
Catcher in the Rye and The Grapes
in their favor.”
summer’s all-school read for Upper
of Wrath. Gang members and street thugs
At 25, McCann finally went to college, enrolling at the University
with checkered, harrowing pasts,
of Texas and focusing on his
McCann said, began to love the
writing career.
world and experience it in new ways.
He’s now the author of six
“Good writing should put you in
“I encourage you to expand your
School English students, was an
mind, your heart, and your sense of
international bestseller.
empathy by dwelling in literature.
He’s also the co-founder of the
“I challenge you to understand
nonprofit global story-exchange
what it means to be somebody
organization, Narrative 4, and
else.”
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CLASSNOTES C O M P I L E D B Y L I B B Y E D WA R D S
A Photographic Memory
T
HANKS TO all who responded to our inquiry about the archival photo
published on page 61 of the Fall 2015 issue.
Dr. Ken Towe ’52 was the first to identify the “model,” none other than
Minot (“Mintie”) Dole, with whom we had been in touch and learned is living in Shelburne, Vt. Dr. Towe, a resident of Eatonton, Ga., sent us a signed photo of the classmates seated next to each other in their 8th-grade photo from 1947. To add to the fun, we then staged a current photo of Mr. Dole, taken nearly 70 years following the brochure-worthy snapshot of the mid-1940s. He still looks spritely with his book in one hand and football in the other, wouldn’t you say?
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CLASSNOTES
1954 Bart Bolton and his wife took two of their granddaughters on a familyoriented tour to San Francisco, Yosemite, and Monterey in August. They even walked the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. Bart continues to facilitate leadership-development programs for middle-management folks, mostly in the information tech-
02
nology (IT) field, in which he spent all
03
01 01 Julia Lederer, the daughter of Rob Lederer ’85, is all smiles for the camera.
of his career.
02 Zach ’22 and Graham Murray ’86 man the sidelines with former football coach Bob Sampson at a game last fall.
Gunther Brunhuber shot his age
03 Pratley Walsh, the daughter of Danny Walsh ’90, sports the pink flamingo bib soon after her birth in July.
this summer — a blistering 78! He was so stunned that he went back out the following week and shot a 77!
1975
Graham Murray caught up with Tony
Rochester, N.Y. Of course, hitting
Lance Tibbetts, calling himself
summer on Martha’s Vineyard during
from the senior tees helps, too!
“The UnNamed Traveler,” wrote a
Tony’s family reunion there. Tony’s
series of fast-paced, short stories
son, Nicholas, is a sophomore at Notre
He says the secret is to play 35–40 rounds during the warm weather in
Jeff Carey took his whole family for a vacation in Puerta Vallarta for Thanksgiving, where they celebrated Jeff’s and his wife’s (Jennifer) 50th anniversary. Tom Lovejoy’s younger son graduated from Columbia in May and is now working extensive hours for an M&A boutique in New York, while his daughter is expecting Tom’s fifth grandchild any day now. His older son has 7-year-old twin boys. Tom continues to deal with health issues
entitled 24 Travel Stories From
Dame. Graham also shared a picture of
Jerry Stewart continues
Around the World: Put Down Ur
his son, Zach ’22; Coach Bob Sampson,
to work as a professor and admin-
iPhone. The e-book, available on
and himself at a Brunswick football
istrator in the MBA program at
Amazon, includes many adventures
game in October. See photo 02.
University of Maryland University
— and misadventures — for all.
College. Last fall, he taught two
Rob Phillips lives with his wife,
and supervised 35 other professors
1982
and teaching assistants. Jerry says
David Holmgren was named
that living in Tucson offers low costs
Healthcare CIO of the Year by
Tony Reulbach is doing well after
and many sunny days. He and his
Institutional Investor magazine and
having two knee replacements, and
wife, Janice, traveled to five different
their Investor Intelligence Network
is threatening to attend next year’s
countries this year.
at Institutional Investor ’s annual
30th Reunion.
courses in technology management
M.T., and two children, Miller and Alexandra, in Richmond, Va.
healthcare meeting in Chicago in
years ago and open-heart surgery
1964
last year.
Warren Chane and his wife,
from multiple broken vertebrae a few
Diguglielmo and his wife, Kristen, last
October.
Rob Sterling and his wife, Kaye, live in Greenwich. Rob is very active with
Victoria, have been living in
1985
John Meyer plays golf three or four
Chatham, Mass., since his
Rob Lederer and his wife, Liz, had
times a week in Chicago and still roots
mandatory retirement from the
a baby girl, Julia Snow Stern, last
for the Brooklyn Dodgers! He sees life
U.S. Department of State, in 2012.
February 5. See photo 01.
through the prism of the 40s and 50s,
Still, he finds himself working as
has not bought into all this tech-
the economic officer at the U.S.
nology that has replaced the paper
Consulate in Mumbai, India, after
1986
that was the basis of his career, and
being asked to fill a staffing gap.
John Mastoloni lives in New
loves his three kids and four grand-
So, in Warren’s words, it’s not
Canaan and teaches computer-
Danny Walsh and his wife, Taryn,
children. He does use a computer to
entirely clear when he’ll really
aided design at Gemological
happily welcomed Pratley Rosemary
stay in touch with them all.
retire!
Institute of America.
on July 7. See photo 03.
the Greenwich YMCA, currently serving on the board.
1990 James Feuer appeared in TV’s Monsters Inside Me and A Crime to Remember in November.
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CLASSNOTES 05
1995
Energy (www.upcurveenergy.com),
Jimmy Seaborg and his wife, Heidi,
and technology to get more out
are the proud parents of a baby boy,
of old oil and gas wells left behind
Gavin Edward.
by bigger companies. He and his
04
applying customized engineering
wife, Kate, live in Houston, Texas,
1997 Steve Clark and his wife, Lindsay, welcomed a baby girl on September 23.
1998 Charles Carson and his wife, Meghan, began their young family with the birth of Elizabeth Starling (Ellie) on August 22. See photo 04. Mike Geller married Greenwich Academy ’02 alumna Asya Varshinsky at the Greenwich Polo Club on October 3. See photo 05.
1999
with their two boys, Harrison and Parker.
2003 Will Sinclair married Brooke Botsford at St. George’s Chapel in
06
07
Newport, R.I., on August 29. Will’s brother, James ’10, was the best man. See photo 09. Operation: Heal Our Heroes (HOH), co-founded by Scott Weston, celebrated its second annual Call to Arms Gala at the Highline Ballroom in New York City on December 3. To date, the HOH foundation has raised over $120,000, with funds directed toward veteran service
09
08
organizations that provide free
Thomas Toepke and his wife, Sarah,
access to private mental health-
welcomed their first child, Oliver
care services.
Jens, on November 30. See photo 06. Paul White and his wife, Ellen,
2001
welcomed a baby girl, Evelyn Ann.
Kara, proudly announced the birth
2004
of their baby boy, Roman Henryk, on
Frank Hoyos and his wife, Cara,
November 11. See photo 07.
welcomed a baby boy, Tomas
Nikolai Gasiorowski and his wife,
Francisco, on October 2. ’Wick Elliot Jenks and his wife, Anne,
Spanish teacher and proud grand-
welcomed their first child, Andrew
mother Alina Hoyos reports they’re
Walker, on December 29, 2014. See
all having a blast. See photo 10.
04 Ellie Carson, the daughter of Charles Carson ’98, looks cozy and ready for a winter stroll. 05 Mike Geller ’98 walks hand-in-hand with his wife, Asya (GA ’02), at their October wedding.
photo 08. Doug McAvity has been married for seven years, has two dogs, and is the executive chef at Up the Creek at the base of Vail Mountain in Colorado. He asks anyone in Vail for the ski season to stop in and
2005 Dave Ingraham married Brittney
07 Roman Gasiorowski, the son of Nikolai Gasiorowski ’01, dreams of his future days as a Bruin!
Austin at St. Malo Beach in Oceanside, Calif., on September 19.
say hi.
2007
J. J. Oshins left ConocoPhillips
Greg Squires and his wife, Alyson,
and co-founded an oil and gas
welcomed a baby boy, Nikolai Grey,
startup company called UpCurve
on October 9.
62 | TIMES
06 Oliver Toepke, the son of Thomas Toepke ’99, pauses for a photo during tummy time.
08 Andrew Jenks, the son of Elliot Jenks ’01, enjoys some warm fall weather in his first year. 09 Will Sinclair ’03 and his wife, Brooke, made for a beautiful couple on their wedding day in August. 10
10 Tomas Hoyos innocently reaches for the hand of his father, Frank Hoyos ’04.
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CLASSNOTES
11
FACULTY NOTES
13
14
Joey Bracchitta, a Middle School music teacher, completed an PE TER DEMUTH PHOTOGR APHY
eight-day cycling trip in Italy last summer with nine other cyclists from Greenwich. The group planned an intense tour through the Italian Dolomites and Alps and climbed 11 passes in the Dolomites and two in 12
the Alps, riding about 350 miles and climbing just shy of 50,000 vertical feet. See photo 13. Jordi Dosaiguas-Falco, an Upper School Spanish and Italian teacher,
16
15
married Carlos Cucurella at New York City Hall on August 6. See photo 14. Kate and Josh Duennebier, both 11 Bobby Benjamin ’08 and his wife,
Maria, happily smelled the roses at their September wedding. 12 Daniel O’Neill ’09 shined as one of
five leads in Cirque du Soleil’s production of the Opening Ceremony of the Pan American Games last summer.
2008
Middle School English teachers, welcomed a baby girl, Nina Sydney, on December 18. Pre School Head Gina Hurd and Upper School Assistant Head Stephen Duennebier are two proud grandparents. See photo 15. Danny Dychkowski, an Upper School science teacher, and his wife, Maggie, welcomed their second
Bobby Benjamin tied the knot with
child, Joseph Cawley, born on
Maria Kern on September 5 at the
November 9 and weighing 8 lbs.
Vassar Chapel, with the reception
12 oz. See photo 16.
following at the Vassar Alumni House. Both Bobby and Maria are Vassar alumni and reside in Boston. See photo 11.
Falco married Jennifer Ware on August 15 at American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y. The bride and groom, who dated in the 1980s in Boston,
Romeo in Hartford Stage’s produc-
were reintroduced after 18 years by
tion of Romeo and Juliet, with
Eric Tillman and his wife, Ann, who
performances running from February
were classmates of the bride at Ohio
11 to March 20.
Wesleyan University. See photo 17.
2009
Kristen Ingarra, a Kindergarten
one of five leads in Cirque du Soleil’s production of the Opening Ceremony of the Pan American
19
18
Legendary ’Wick rowing coach Joe
Chris Ghaffari has been cast as
Daniel O’Neill performed as
17
teacher, and her family — including son Trey ’26 — visited Arlington National Cemetery last summer to salute the gravestone of Robert L. Cosby Sr. See photo 18.
Games last summer. He is a two-time
Wayne Lin — Associate Director of
world champion in freestyle Frisbee,
Communications, New Media — and
and will serve as tournament director
his wife, Jenn, became a family of
for the 2016 Freestyle Frisbee World
five after the birth of their twin girls,
Championships in New York City. See
Amelie Grace and Avery Charlotte,
photo 12.
on December 28. See photo 19.
13 Middle School music teacher Joey Bracchitta successfully summited the Stelvio Pass in Northern Italy last August. 14 Upper School Spanish and Italian teacher Jordi Dosaiguas-Falco and Carlos Cucurella were married in August.
17 In their Henley blazers at the wedding of Joe Falco and his wife, Jennifer, are (left to right) Jack Duggan ’15, Alex Skolds ’14, Will Bass ’16, Matt Podlesak ’13, Gamble Freydberg ’16, Reed McMurchy ’15, Will Powers ’16, Jackson Reynolds ’14, Sean Forester ’13, and Max Skolds ’14
15 Nina Duennebier, daughter of Middle School English teachers Josh and Kate Duennebier, is the newest member of the Duennebier-Hurd Brunswick clan.
18 Trey Ingarra ’26, the son of Kindergarten teacher Kristen Ingarra, visited Mr. Cosby at Arlington National Cemetery last summer.
16 Joseph Dychkowski, son of Upper School science teacher Danny Dychkowski, sleeps peacefully — at least for this photograph!
19 Twins Avery and Amelie Lin join their 3-year-old sister, Juliet — all daughters of Associate Director of Communications Wayne Lin.
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CLASSNOTES
THE SPOT EXPERIENCE
There’s Always Been a Dog
Mitch Marrow ’93 — an All-Ivy League defensive tackle at Penn in the late 1990s — has traded in tackling dummies for dogs, launching The Spot Experience, a quality dog care business with six locations in New York and Connecticut.
By Katherine Ogden OR MITCH MARROW ’93,
dog has offered good company on both
day care, cage-free overnights, long-term country
the dream was all football
good days and bad.
boarding, grooming, dog walking, training, trans-
all the time. It was a dream
“I understand how intensely these
portation, and retail.
that ended abruptly one day in
animals impact people’s lives,” he said.
“Our customers are going to get the very best
1999 when, as he told The New
“The bumps would take a bigger toll if
level of care and level of people interacting with
York Times, he collided with a
you didn’t have that amazing, uncondi-
their pets,” he said.
350-pound lineman and snapped his back. It was the second serious
tional love they provide.”
The growing company now offers services
It is with this deep appreciation that Marrow
at six locations, including the Upper West Side,
spinal injury in as many years, and it permanently
launched his latest venture, The Spot Experience,
Chelsea, Tribeca, Silver Towers, Mercedes House
ended his dream to play football in the National
in late 2010.
in Manhattan, and at Harbor Point in Stamford.
Football League. Times writer Chuck Slater chronicled the moment. “THIS was supposed to be the day the dream was
Marrow has always been a passionate dog lover,
Airport United Terminal C and at Chicago O’Hare,
to a successful career as a hedge fund manager,
as well as a 24/7 suburban retreat in upstate
becoming a partner at the tender age of 33. Then,
Connecticut.
realized. Mitch Marrow of Harrison was going to run
his mom introduced the notion of launching a
onto the field of the New Orleans Superdome with
business.
his teammates on the Carolina Panthers, making his delayed debut in the National Football League.
They also operate at Newark Liberty International
and after his football dream ended, he turned
“Things are going really, really well,” Marrow said. “We’re expanding pretty rapidly, signing
At that point, Marrow was traveling frequently for work. He found he often needed to board
more deals with more airlines and more landlords. We’re growing by leaps and bounds.”
“Instead he will be at home, talking to his dog.”
his 220-pound St. Bernard as well his 165-pound
As Marrow sees it, thank goodness for that dog.
bullmastiff. It was his first introduction to the void
at The Spot Experience. She said the seeds of this
His four-legged friend on that day was a
of quality dog care in New York City, and he envi-
venture were planted long ago, long before her son
sioned a new standard of care in the industry.
had even set his sights on the NFL.
bullmastiff puppy he had named in honor of his idol: Linebacker Dick Butkus. Anyone with a dog knows it is at moments like
Hence, The Spot Experience was born. “I saw this as a huge
this when Fido can truly earn
opportunity,” Marrow said.
his keep.
“I started to hire good
Mom Sandra Marrow works on the retail end
The family had two dogs then, bassett hounds they named Barney and Chloe. The pups brought joy to the family for 14 years. “They were really our babies,” she added. “The
For Marrow, there has
people, to build a reliable
kids loved them, and were always playing with
always been a dog. From
customer-facing business
them.
early childhood through
that could be replicated.”
college and straight on
Today, the company sets
“Dogs became Mitch’s livelihood, because he loves them so much.”
through to the devastating
the standard in quality dog
news that he could no longer
care across New York City
Interested in trying out The Spot Experience? Visit:
play the sport he loves, a
and beyond. Services include
www.thespotexperience.com
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M I D D L E : P H O T O C O U R T E S Y U N I V E R S I T Y O F P E N N S Y LV A N I A
F
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ALUMNI EVENTS WINTER 2015 02 01
ALUMNI SKATE AND SQUASH
Rail Shots and Tic-Tac-Toe Passes Rule the Day I
01 Spencer Hurst ’09 shows good “alumni” technique as he keeps the ball in play.
03
T WAS just what the doctor ordered. On the
02 Drew Tunney ’08 and Alex Glazer ’05 battle for a loose puck in the slot.
Saturday following Thanksgiving, in a Brunswick
tradition, alumni athletes convened at Sampson Athletic Center for a little post-holiday exercise on
03 Alex Glazer ’05, Pete Finan ’05, Zach Dobbs ’06, Drew Tunney ’08, and John Harvey ’06 gather for the post-game libations.
the ice and on the court. At Hartong Rink, 24 players — spanning the class years of 1976 through 2013 — laced up their skates (even a pair of classic Micron Megas) for an old-fashioned pick-up game on the frozen playground.
04
The tilt was anything but a dump-and-chase affair, featuring bar-down snapshots, tic-tac-toe passes, and few (if any) neutral-zone giveaways.
05
And, at Stephens Squash Center, 12 alumni — led by veteran Brian McKenna ’75 and an impressive roster of current and former collegiate players — took to the courts for hotly contested matches with the 2015–16 varsity Bruins. Youth was served on this day, as ’Wick edged its alumni counterparts, 5–4. After play concluded in each venue, alumni gathered to enjoy a few cold beverages and good-hearted laughs outside the hockey balcony — toasting (and razzing) one another in the spirit of victory or defeat.
For more photos, visit bwick.org/tob_winter2016
04 Demitri ’78 and Chris Day ’81 show some brotherly love on the ice. 05 Steve Tusa ’93 looks content to be off for a line change.
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ALUMNI EVENTS WINTER 2015
02
03
01
ALUMNI HOLIDAY GATHERING
Glad Tidings & Great Cheer!
A
LUMNI, FACULTY, and friends came together to raise a festive glass at the 6th Annual Alumni Holiday Gathering at the University Club in New York
City on December 8 — an event sponsored jointly with Greenwich Academy. More than 160 Brunswick folk — spanning six decades of School history — turned out for the seasonal celebration in the Big Apple, reconnecting, reminiscing, and reveling with former classmates and teachers throughout the spirited evening. Here’s to all who attended — and to many more smiles and laughs in 2016!
04
01 Wendy Headington (GA ’85), Steve Rodger ’77, Michael Bacon ’75, Andrea de Cholnoky (GA ’74), Chris Fiore ’87, and Patrick Durkin ’75 02 Terence Einhorn ’08 and Dexter Freeburg ’08 03 Scott Matthews ’09, Kyle Radler ’09, and Robert Cortes ’09 04 Matt Gormly ’07, Paul Gojkovich ’01, Josyl Barchue ’00, and English teacher Eric Tillman 05 Julia Marcus (GA ’09), Michael Byrnes ’09, Ron Ongaro ’07, and Alexandra Pierce (GA ’08)
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05
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Alumni Events
CLASSNOTES
06
06 The Main Dining Room at the University Club was filled to capacity. 07 Theater arts and choral instructor Alexander Constantine 08 Jason Ienner ’97, Vinny Rusciano ’96, and Nick Federici ’96
For more photos, visit bwick.org/tob_winter2016
07 09
08
09 Parker Hurst ’10, Sam Haig ’09, and John Dudzik ’10 10 Spanish teacher Anne Arzeno and Justin Weinstein ’99
10
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LAST LOOK BY MIKE KENNEDY ’99
Boys Will Be Boys Photo by Wayne Lin
I
F ONLY Holden Caulfield were there to see it. Boys upon boys innocently
playing in piles and piles of
leaves — not a care in the world,
Boys upon boys innocently playing in piles and piles of leaves — not a care in the world, not a worry on their minds.
not a worry on their minds. They weren’t joyously frolicking
traditional Thanksgiving touch football games, turkey trots, and Mom’s famous mashed potatoes. The boys’ teachers, Deb Schwartz and Beth Simpson, couldn’t help
pre-kindergartners Reed Goulding
but chuckle.
in an endless field of rye — but the
(left) and Max Joslin, set free on
literary icon would have surely had a
the Pettengill Campus for one last
perfect piles, calling out to the boys
smile on his face as he stood watch.
run-around before going their
to be thrown,” Schwartz said.
Thanksgiving Break was only minutes away for Brunswick
68 | TIMES
fight broke out — right in line with
separate ways for the holiday. That’s when a good old-fashioned leaf
“Let’s just say the leaves were in
“We had to let the fun carry on. Does it get any better than that?”
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THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES REQUESTS YOUR PARTICIPATION IN
R a isi ng ’ Wick
to
New Heights
SUPPORT THE 2015–2016
’WICK ANNUAL FUND YEAR, S P E C IA L IN T H IS ider
’ll cons I hope you erosity in special gen tion ur contribu making yo und. k Annual F to the ’Wic Best, 8 (p ’1 9) . Har tch ’8 Gregory B uste es Tr , B oard of Chairman
Your gift may be made online, by email, phone, or text. And, in advance, thank you! We’re always grateful for your support. To make your Annual Fund gift Online BrunswickSchool.org/give By email, telephone, or text Krista Bruce, Annual Fund Director 203.625.5864 kbruce@brunswickschool.org
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3931 Stamford, CT
100 Maher Avenue Greenwich, CT 06830 Address Change Requested
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Father-Son Dinner.....................................................March 10 BPA Spring Benefit: “Viva Las Vegas”..............May 7 ALUMNI EVENTS
BAA Paddle Party............................................... February 20 BAA BUST (Basketball Tourney).................March 12 BAA NYC March Madness Kickoff.............. March 17 San Francisco Alumni Gathering................. March 17 Tent Party & Hall of Fame Induction..............May 21 For more events and updates, please visit BrunswickSchool.org.
ATTENTION ALUMNI PARENTS Please notify us of your son’s current address at 800.546.9425 or Alumni@BrunswickSchool.org.
Alumni Events BAA Paddle Party
February 20
BAA BUST (Basketball Tourney) BAA NYC March Madness Kickoff San Francisco Alumni Gathering
March 12 March 17 March 17
Tent Party &Hall of Fame Induction May 21