Becoming Magazine 2014

The Harley School. Committed to our motto, “Become what thou art.�

2014

personal becomes public

In this issue:

Class Notes & Alumni Profiles The Commons: More than just a building Strategic Planning

In Every Issue

features

4 6 7 8 9 10 24 46

Alumni

12 Selfies

by Karissa Raymond

16 Common Goal

26

Class Notes & Photos compiled by Karen Saludo

44

Making an Impact Karin E. Bleeg ’01

by Jonathan Sherwood

22 How Harley Prepared Me for Life

Letter from the Head of School Commencement and College Choices

By The Numbers Archives: Harley’s First Computer New at Harley: Commons [Big] Data The Year in Sports 1000 Words Retirements

45

What I’ve Learned Don Lindsay ’76

47

Become What Thou Art Conger Gabel ’62

by Meaghan Malone ’06

from the editor W

e’ve all done it these days—used our phone’s capability to turn the camera around and click—and another selfie is born. Technology has given us a potent new ability to see, and reflect on, ourselves in our world.

see selfie page 39

Harley has also embraced this opportunity. In 2014, we began a strategic planning process by “taking a snapshot of ourselves.” As part of this process, a consultant facilitated interviews and listening sessions, 570 web surveys, and 25 in-depth telephone interviews with those who know us well—faculty and staff, parents, students, alumni, trustees. This could be described as a school-wide selfie—where we reflect on our school, its mission, our students: in sum, to gain a better understanding of who we are—our identity.

This issue presents aspects of that reflectiveness—Strategic Planning (p. 4), our cover stories on Selfies and self-identity (p. 12), and Meaghan Malone ’06’s (p. 22) guest essay on how Harley prepared her for both engineering and a life of giving back. Find out how our latest building, The Commons, offers Harley students a world of possibilities for both learning and reflection (p. 16). And you can catch up on your Harley classmates in the alumni features and Class Notes beginning on page 26.

Best wishes for a festive—and reflective—fall.

Aimee J. Lewis

Letters to the Editor

2014

I

received the most recent Becoming Magazine and wanted to note my appreciation for an excellent magazine well worth receiving.

I also noted that the back issues are online, which is great! Am sure many will want the paper copies as well, but they are more easily retained now.

Of note was the Memorial for Don [Backe]. I remember Don and his dog Lemon well; seeing the three photos brought back some memories—the center photo more specifically as one I took in part for the 1976 yearbook. I have all too many negatives and slides yet to digitize, and that photo will be one of the first I need to recreate and improve upon. That yearbook was interesting, I must say. Hopefully I’ll get to reinvigorate that hobby soon. I noted too the mishap Don had experienced and I had no idea . . . that and the fact he was involved in CRAB. We live on the Bay for now and sail our catboat, and I wish I’d known he’d been that close. One of the boats CRAB used was a catboat as well.

Thanks again.

Butler (aka Ted) Smythe ’73

I felt compelled to write after reading the current issue of Becoming Magazine. As a

Harley “lifer” and class of ’99 alumna, I felt a sense of pride after reading the article on The Commons. It’s extremely impressive how the School is really embracing where the future is moving, and preparing its students for life and work in the 21st century.

Being armed with completely new skills and competencies is the only way to be globally competitive.

I currently work in NYC as a futurist, so it’s my job to look at long-term trends (social, technological, economic, political, and demographic). My clients include companies such as GE, American Express, CVS, and P&G, and government groups like the U.S. GAO. Every month, they receive a batch of trend-related abstracts. Because Harley’s Commons is a real-life example of the confluence of so many disruptive and critical trends (e.g., design thinking, the maker movement, sustainable design, empathy and mindfulness, and citizen science), I am going to include a summary of this article to my clients. We recently presented a white paper on the future of education at one of our quarterly Trend Summits, and this will be a nice addendum to that.

I applaud the progressive work that is being done. I look forward to visiting the School during my next visit to Rochester.

All the best,

Erica Orange Weiner ’99

Vice President, Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc.

Congratulations on another gorgeous issue of Becoming! Just stunning. Besides the

great design, I love the paper and the suede-like coating on the cover. Do you mind sharing what you use?

Kate Canfield ’74 Thank you, Kate. It is called soft-touch Aqueous. It is a specialty, water-based coating that was developed 5 or 6 years ago for commercial printers. The water-based coating is environmentally friendly. Unlike most processes for printing that are used for visual effect, the soft-touch coating is for tactile stimulation giving the coated area a suede feel.

I

just received Becoming Magazine in the mail. I live in Florida and I just can’t drop by to see for myself. Where did Harley build The Commons? Did they get rid of Allens Creek, pond, or bridge to the forest in back of the School? I hope not. There are many fond memories of wading in the creek and ice skating on the pond.

From sunny Florida,

Barbara Cooper, Alumna Barbara, The Commons is located between the Field House and tennis courts, extending west from Beckerman (see the story in this issue on the opening of our magnificent building and the work being done within). Allens Creek continues to run along the edge of the campus and is used frequently by all ages for science experiments, “creek walks,” and summer camp adventures. A bridge connects to the nature area, where students can enjoy a story around the circle or cook a s’more over a campfire.

HEAD of SCHOOL

Ward J. Ghory, Ed.D. EDITOR and PUBLISHER

Aimee J. Lewis ART DIRECTOR and DESIGNER

Lisa Osborne Lange ’74 MAGAZINE INTERNS

Laura De Martino Eddy Wang ’12 EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

Ceil Goldman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Karin Bleeg ’01, Richard Lange ’09, Don Lindsay ’76, Meaghan Malone ’06 , Peter Mancuso, Karissa Raymond, Jonathan Sherwood CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Dolan, Rita Adler-Everett, Colin Huth, Ken Huth, Jim McEntee, Ken Motsenbocker, Lisa Osborne Lange ’74, Karen Saludo, and many selfies DIRECTOR of DEVELOPMENT

Debra Weiss Walker ’83 DEVELOPMENT and ALUMNI RELATIONS STAFF

Karen Saludo, Anne Townsend, Jenna Wainwright THE HARLEY SCHOOL

1981 Clover Street Rochester, NY 14618 (585) 442-1770 Becoming Magazine welcomes letters from readers.

Please send correspondence to the above address care of Becoming Magazine editor, or to Aimee Lewis at alewis@harleyschool.org.

Letters may be edited for publication.

Becoming Magazine is published by The Harley School.

E-MAIL QUESTIONS and STORY IDEAS

becoming@harleyschool.org ONLINE

www.harleyschool.org/Alumni/Becoming Magazine Printed in U.S.A. by Cohber Press in Rochester, N.Y., a certified FSC supplier.

Only operations that have been independently verified for 2 01 3 | 3 FSC chain-of-custody certification can label their products with the FSC logo. © 2014

The Harley School 1981 Clover Street, Rochester, NY 14618

What’s Your Plan?

The essence of strategic planning is the collaboration required to carefully balance a school’s developed strengths against its emerging needs. For me, there is no better work than leading a school community through its next cycle of change and improvement. I enjoy the shared process of making, and carrying to fruition, a strategic plan that works.

In April 2014, The Harley School began strategic planning with the appointment of Ian Symmonds as a planning consultant. Mr. Symmonds has assisted more than 60 independent schools and small colleges in writing the next chapter for their institutions. He spent three days on campus in April, and will return monthly beginning this fall.

Our planning process involves five stages, outlined in the accompanying text box. The singular advantage of a formal planning process is that the Board of Trustees creates the time and place for faculty, parents, trustees, alumni, administrators, and students to weigh in with their collective view of Harley’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The planning team steps back from operational details and management issues to identify a handful of recognizable needs. Choosing priorities related to each need, we outline plans that can make a significant difference and be realistically funded. The aim of strategic planning is to unite the school community behind its next push forward.

From our plan, we can develop fundraising goals for a Centennial Campaign and document the case for the improvements we envision.

Harley’s Board of Trustees appointed a select strategic planning committee co-chaired by two trustees: Jack Baron, local CEO and Harley parent, and Deborah S. Willsea ’73, community volunteer, past Harley parent and faculty member. The planning committee is listed on the next page. During introductions at its first meeting, the planning committee calculated that its members represented 234 years of Harley experience!

We live and work in dynamic times, and new capabilities are forever required of both teachers and students. As we approach our Centennial with strong enrollment, positive cash flow, and gathering momentum, the time is right to leverage Harley’s strengths and address our challenges in imaginative ways.

With best wishes, Ward J. Ghory Head of School

4 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

see selfie page 39

Phases

Tasks

Completion

Planning to Plan Confirm scope and budget; screen and hire planning consultant; April 2014

appoint steering committee.

Information Gathering

Conduct on-campus listening sessions with faculty, students, parents, trustees; survey stakeholders via web and telephone; analyze core markets through qualitative, quantitative, and demographic research; profile Harley’s main competitor schools; audit Harley’s enrollment and marketing.

Spring & Summer 2014

Setting Strategic Goals

Present key findings from external review; identify a small set of actionable strategic priorities.

September 2014

Formulating Plans

Finalizing the Plan

Create task forces, including faculty, staff, alumni, and parents, to draft objectives, strategies, timelines, responsibility, and costs.

November 2014

Test plans with stakeholders; consolidate work from taskforces into an overall plan; communicate plan broadly.

January 2015

Strategic Planning Steering Committee Co-Chairs Jack Baron, CEO, Sweetwater Energy, parent ’18 Deborah S. Willsea ’73, community volunteer, former faculty member, parent ’06, ’10 Trustees

plans operate at the

Gail G. Fiorini, senior vice president, Bank of America, parent ’18 Scott D. Frame ’73, vice president, Xerox, parent ’05, ’08 Mark Zupan, professor, Simon School of Business at the University of Rochester, Harley board president, parent ’10, ’14

intersection between what

Faculty

“ The best strategic

your mission proposes and what the market demands.

That intersection moves

Megan Roberts, Lower School Douglas Gilbert ’87, Middle School, parent ’21, ’24, ’25 Kim McDowell, director of college counseling, Upper School

all the time. Let’s find the

Administrators

sweet spot for Harley.”

Ward J. Ghory, head of school Larry Frye, head of Upper School, parent ’12, ’15, ’15 Hassan Jones, head of Middle School, parent ’19 Terry Fonda Smith, head of Lower School, former faculty member, parent ’19, ’21

Ian Symmonds

Harley Resource Team Ivone Foisy, director of admissions, parent ’25, ’26 Aimee Lewis, director of communications and public relations, parent ’23, ’25 Ken Motsenbocker, chief financial officer, grandparent ’25 Debra Weiss Walker ’83, director of development 2 014

| 5

Commencement 2014

C

OLLEGE

C

HOICES

Alfred University Boston University Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University The Catholic University of America The College of Saint Rose The College of Wooster Denison University Hobart & William Smith Colleges Ithaca College Loyola University Maryland Monroe Community College Nazareth College Northwestern University Oberlin College Oberlin Conservatory of Music Pace University Pennsylvania State University Rochester Institute of Technology Saint Louis University Sarah Lawrence College St. John Fisher College St. Lawrence University SUNY Albany SUNY New Paltz University at Buffalo (SUNY) University of Massachusetts (Amherst) University of Michigan University of Miami University of Pittsburgh University of Puget Sound University of Rochester Wellesley College Planned Gap Year 6 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

The year by the numbers

12,059

1

kWh of energy produced by solar panels in The Commons within its first 6 months of opening.

642

heads of organic lettuce planted, tended, harvested, washed, chopped.

36 science video games created by Grade 4 students on Scratch

Brighton Chamber of Commerce 2014 Green Business Award given to Harley for The Commons

54

“I

heads of lettuce were donated to families in need and the rest served as part of the Harley lunch program.

8

plays conceived, rehearsed, and performed during the 24-Hour Theater Marathon.

6,600

hours of community service performed this year by Upper School students 2 014

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Archives:

Harley’s First Computer

by Eddy Wang ’12 see selfie page 39

In 1971 Harley leased its first computer, a DEC PDP-8/I, and became one of the first schools in the Rochester area to pioneer computational education with a commitment to provide computer literacy to all students. The decision was backed strongly by Tom Toole, Upper School head and math department chair, and Herb Voelcker (father of John ’77 and Ned ’82), professor of electrical engineering at the University of Rochester, and later a Harley trustee.

The DEC PDP-8/I

featured 12 kilobytes of memory and was equipped with a teletype and mark-sense card reader. Len Wilcox, Upper School computer science and math teacher who started at Harley in 1969, said that the first Harley computer allowed students to use the computer programming language BASIC to write programs to solve systems of equations and other more complex mathematical problems.

Wilcox working with one of Harley’s young computer mavens using a Perkin Elmer “dumb” terminal linked into Harley’s time-sharing system.

— mid 1970s

“Every student in the Upper School learned how to use the computer,”

Students marked off bubbles on the mark-sense card, put it into the card reader. Each line of the program required its own card, a time-consuming undertaking.

8 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

Wilcox emphasizes. He adds that some students who were exposed to the “Harley computer” ended up going into the field of computing.

At the time, leasing a computer cost a great deal of money (around $20,000), but the School thought it was an important-enough investment for its students. Today, Harley has more than 300 computers (about $400 each) and manages 6 terabytes of faculty, staff and student data.

Wilcox has written a longer piece on Harley’s computing history called “A History of Computing at Harley: The Early Years.” A version is available by request or in the Alumni section of the Harley website (www.harleyschool.org).

Contact lwilcox@harleyschool.org for more information about Harley’s computing history.

New at Harley New at Harley:

Commons [Big] Data

by Richard Lange ’09 Engineer-In-Residence 2014 see selfie page 39

In 1965

Intel founder Gordon Moore famously predicted that the number of transistors per integrated circuit would double every two years. (Transistors are the basic building blocks of a computer.) In the 50 years since, if his prediction held, computers would be 33 million times more powerful now than they were then.

Amazingly, he was right. To put that in perspective, today’s pocket-size graphing calculator has roughly the same computing power as the Apollo II spacecraft of the 1960s.

More computing power can mean a lot of things.

Often, it means faster and smaller; it also means bigger and cheaper storage. Recently, data storage everywhere has grown so quickly that it earned its own buzzword: Big Data. Organizations invest in collecting large stockpiles of data because they can help answer questions. Where are the bottlenecks in this production line? Ask the data.

What is the best price to set for a product? Surely the data can tell us.

What is the ideal room temperature to help Harley reach our goal of net-zero energy use? Well, clearly we need data.

In keeping with that thinking, The Commons at Harley has been outfitted with state-of-the-art systems. The heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system pumps refrigerant fluid rather than air, which enables it to transfer heat efficiently and directly from one room to another. Each electrical circuit is independently monitored for voltage, current, and power. In the winter, excess heat from the School’s boiler is used in the radiant floor of Flag Hall. Solar panels on the roof feed into The Commons’ electrical grid, directly offsetting any energy used by the rest of the building. Solar chimneys in the greenhouse passively push and pull air through the building using solar heat and convection. Meanwhile, our weather station outside records rainfall, wind speeds, solar radiation levels, and more.

Sometimes the interaction between these systems is simple: the sun’s intensity correlates with the power generated by our solar panels (and clouds may be the biggest obstacle in achieving net zero). At other times, though, the interactions are not so simple: opening the solar chimney moves hot air, but requires opening windows to supply air flow. Meanwhile, the air conditioning unit automatically kicks on to counteract the changing temperature. Did we save energy or not?

Keeping with one of the central missions of The Commons, questions like this signal the teachers to step back and let the students take over. A physics class may study the efficiency of the ventilation, while a statistics class analyzes the interaction between temperature and energy consumption. Other student groups will wrestle with issues of delegation and policy to enact real changes, tying back into the heart of the Briggs Center for Civic Engagement. There are, in fact, endless opportunities for student engagement in solving real and interesting problems.

We begin the process with an investigation of data. To facilitate this, we set up a website, commonscontrol.harleyschool.org, to serve as a repository of technical information and data. To gather data, software “scrapers” are continually fetching fresh data points from the building systems and storing them in a central database.

There are a few different ways to interact with The Commons Control website. For the casual inquirer there are overview pages that give an at-a-glance summary of what each system does. Diving deeper into the data, more advanced users can watch live graphs from any system.

Finally, for the mathematically inclined, they can download large chunks of historical data to a spreadsheet and conduct in-depth offline analyses.

Collecting data is only the beginning. It will be rewarding to see the creative ways that our students think to use these new tools!

2 014

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The Year in Sports What a year for HAC Athletics!

Ralph S. McKee Trophy Winner Sam Wiley ’14 was this year’s recipient of the Ralph S. McKee Trophy, which is awarded to Harley student-athletes who have displayed the greatest amount of dedication, leadership, and ability in athletics. Honorees are also expected to be positive role models and academically successful. Wiley competed on the HAC soccer, bowling, and baseball teams during his athletic career and was captain of both the soccer and baseball teams his senior seasons. He capped off his high school athletic career by being named Third Team All-State in baseball for the 2014 season. A great teammate and competitor, Wiley left his mark on the HAC athletic program as a big contributor who was a positive influence both on and off the playing field.

Sectional championships, scholar athlete all-star recognition, and a state championship …

Girls’ Tennis— Section V

We are proud of all our student-athletes.

The HAC girls’ tennis team defeated Aquinas in the Class B team sectional finals for their sixteenth sectional title in team history and their third in the last four years. Their win extended an amazing streak for HAC athletics: at least one sectional team title a year for the past 21 years.

Girls’ Volleyball The HAC girls’ volleyball team also captured a sectional title this year (and their third in four seasons as well) as they defeated Honeoye in four games for the Class D crown. But that wasn’t the only championship the Lady Wolves won: eight team members combined to record the highest grade point average in New York State for fall girls’ volleyball teams—97.86—and were named 2013 Girls’ Volleyball Scholar-Athlete State Champions!

Scholar Athletes For the fifth consecutive school year, HAC was recognized by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) with the Scholar-Athlete Team School of Distinction Award.

All 18 varsity athletic teams qualified for the NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete Team Award by earning grades of 90% or higher, qualifying HAC for this prestigious award. Four previous HAC teams have been recognized as state champions: girls’ bowling ’06-’07, boys’ bowling ’10-’11 and ’11-’12, and girls’ volleyball 2013; and one (baseball 2014) finish as runner-up.

10 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

by Peter Mancuso

2013 - ’14 State Tennis Champs

By The Numbers

see selfie page 39

Aaron Mevorach ’14 and Jordan Benjamin ’15 capped off a terrific season by winning four straight matches at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) state championship en route to the finals and the public school doubles team championship. The duo became the first HAC doubles tennis team to win a state title, improving upon their third-place finish at last year’s public school state tournament. The pair won the Section Five Class A doubles tournament this year after capturing the Class B doubles crown last season; they also won the State Qualifying doubles tournament the last two years as Mevorach will play tennis at the University of Rochester next fall, while Benjamin will return to The Harley School for his senior year.

Individual Sectional Champs

132 132 50

Varsity victories in 2013-14

HAC student athletes were named All-Stars on the First Team, Second Team, or Honorable Mention Team.

61

Section V Team Championships in

11 different sports over the last 37 years.

HAC student-athletes won numerous Section V crowns in a range of sports.

At Class D swim sectionals, Jack Gumina ’15 won the 50-yard freestyle; Elijah Hale ’15 won the 100-yard butterfly, then teamed up with Liam Brennan-Burke ’17 and Gil Smolyak ’16 to win the 200- and 400-yard freestyle relays. Nicole Gelb ’18, Jasmine Cui ’16, Floriana Milazzo ’17, and Sarah Fink ’15 captured first place in the girls’ 200-yard team medley relay in the Genesee Region/Niagara Orleans Intersectional swim meet.

At Class D track and field sectionals, Aamir Zain ’14 won the 1,600-meter race and 3,000 steeplechase, while teammate Xavier Francis ’15 placed first in the 200-meter dash and Spike Su ’16 placed first in the long jump. The 4x100 relay team of Galen Everett ’15, Jason Gan ’14, Xavier Israel ’18, and Xavier Francis won the 4x100 sprint relay.

21

consecutive years that HAC varsity teams have won at least one Section V championship

And for the second year in a row, Jordan Benjamin ’15 and Aaron Mevorach ’14 teamed up to win the Section V doubles tennis tournament.

All-Greater Rochester All-Stars This year, the Democrat and Chronicle recognized three HAC student-athletes as All-Greater Rochester All-Stars. Jordan Benjamin ’15 and Aaron Mevorach ’14 were selected for the third straight year and Abby O’Keefe ’16 was selected in girls’ basketball.

Milestone 1,000-Point Mark Abby O’Keefe ’16 and Jenny Scudder ’14 surpassed the 1,000-point mark in their careers on the way to another sectional semi-final appearance for the HAC girls’ varsity basketball team.

Great job, girls!

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From Experimental Art to Creating an Identity

Hold the camera up. Position the camera at your-

self. Snap a picture. See it instantly. Dump it and

retake, or proceed to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any social media site of your choice. You have just done what has become ubiquitous; our society has become obsessed with the world of self-photography, otherwise known as the selfie.

Millions of selfies are posted to social media each

by Karissa Raymond Illustrations: Chris Lyons see selfie page 39

day, and everyone from such religious leaders as

the pope to celebrities to grandparents to toddlers (perhaps unknowingly) are engaging in this

activity. According to a recent article in Beyond

Technology, a search of hashtags #selfie and #me on Instagram returns 75 million results; accord-

ing to the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, selfies account for one out of three photos taken by those aged 18-24. 12 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

see selfies page 39

... are but another way to curate a specific identity that we want others to see and ultimately, believe.

Why has our world become so interested in these self-portraits? Some say it’s a way to document

memories or a story, virtually replacing the jour-

Carrie Adams ’04, digital director for Congresswoman Louise Slaughter

not new, but a different medium is being used to take the self-portrait.

nal or diary. Some say it’s a way to communicate.

Dr. Clarence B. (Chip) Sheffield, Jr.,

them. And some say it is art.

Applied Critical Thinking at Rochester Institute

Some say it’s a way to control how people portray

If you look back at art in history, artists have

been doing it forever—Leonardo DaVinci, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and Picasso have all done self-portraits.

Sarah Alvarez '92, director

of teacher programs at the Art Institute of

Chicago, believes artists used self-portraits to experiment, practicing how to portray different

facial expressions and body language in their

art. “It was a way for an artist to engage himself in his own art,” Alvarez says. “Artists put themselves

out there as their own models.” Thus, selfies are

Harley parent and the Eugene H. Fram Chair in

What has happened to depth, a sense of

distance? We have become a 24/7 world, in which stasis and sleep are diminished and attention is

compulsory.” This dynamic may be empowering a narcissistic community.

of Technology (RIT), agrees that selfies are not

What started out as a way to experiment with

culture for a very long time. But Sheffield has a

way to create an identity for oneself. As this history

new. They’ve been an important part of visual slightly different take: “I can’t help but think of

narcissism. There is a narcissistic concern for some of these artists,” he notes. Sheffield suggests

that Book III of Ovid’s Metamorphoses is the stan-

art has become a form of self-expression and a

of ideas has evolved, it’s been easier to capture self-portraits with today’s technology.

Carrie Adams ’'04, digital director for

dard source for this idea. (Recall that Narcissus was

Congresswoman and former Harley parent

water, that he disregarded everything else and

selfies hasn’t changed, but the medium and

and we get instant feedback, instant gratification.

enough film cameras were introduced and

so enchanted with his own mirror image in the

it led to his demise. “Today we take a selfie,

Louise Slaughter

says the idea of

the means have. She believes that before small-

2 014

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see selfie page 39

the ubiquity of smartphones took over, the artistic

that,” Adams says. “Now that our lives are online,

Lyn Parsons, art teacher at Harley, challenges

portrait was a tremendous barrier. Now all you

identity that we want others to see and ultimately,

photos in general, selfies specifically, and the making

skill one needed to produce a high-quality selfneed is three and a half seconds.

Furthermore, folks aren’t just taking selfies, but

sharing them. “Insofar as their cultural impor-

tance, it’s human nature to want to show the best, most beautiful, most interesting, most exciting

version of yourself, and this is an extension of

selfies are but another way to curate a specific

believe.” In our world of instant gratification, we are creating identities with our selfies, and instantly

receiving feedback from others to further create, establish, and communicate that identity. Particu-

larly during adolescence, taking photos of oneself is a way that young people can see themselves outside of their own bodies.

her students to do self-portraits. “I see taking

of all art as a part of constructing one’s identity,” Parsons says. According to Erikson’s stages of development, she notes, adolescence is a time of

exploration and experimentation when it comes

to constructing one’s identity, and such exploration is developmentally appropriate. Information gathered from reactions to photographs and self-

ies feeds the construction of surface identity and

the particular look that a young person wants to

portray. Parsons tries to encourage a deeper level of self-awareness with her students. Although some assignments are literal self-portraits, other assignments are symbolic. “When I ask students

to do a painting of an object that represents one aspect of their personalities, I get much more than

a still life,” she says. “I know the vacuum to be an

indication of the painter’s thinking of herself as a clean freak, while someone else’s meticulously

painted tape measure signifies his precise nature.”

Alvarez would agree that there is an image-creating part to the selfie. She believes that not only did

14 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

Lyn Parsons

, Upper School art teacher at

Harley says that adolescence is a time for self-discovery and identity shaping. To help encourage this, she asks her students to do self-portraits—both literal and symbolic.

What the students are confronted with may seem like an uncomfortable experience for them.

artists use the self-portrait as a way to experiment and explore, but they also used it to present themselves publicly. She says, “It was a calling card as

an artist—portray yourself as an artist with mate-

rials, palette in hand, etcetera. They were saying to patrons, ‘Here I am; this is me.’” An artist was not

always seen as an individual, creative genius, but

only as a craftsman. “Historically, artists weren’t always taken seriously as intellectual minds, but

merely valued for their manual skills. When they began to portray themselves within their painted

scenes alongside historical figures or wealthy patrons

they challenged this long-held perception,” Alvarez notes. “In essence, they are creating the image of how they want to be perceived, much

like what people do today with the selfie. With today’s technology, you can take a photo, and if

it ’s not to your liking, you c an delete and retake until it is how one wants to be perceived.”

In essence, selfies are not a new thing. Through-

out history, artists have created a foundation via the painted self-portrait. Technology today makes it easier and more convenient for anyone

There is a difference between a glamorous selfie and an imperfect sculpture says Parsons. Where someone may work hard to construct just the right image before snapping the pictures and have the ability to dump that photo and try again, it is different with a work of art.

Parsons adds, When one draws or paints a self-portrait, often they have much less control. This causes anxiety.

T

his is why Parsons likes to do a wood sculpture with

her ninth-graders. She feels the medium provides a level

to take a photographic self-portrait and share it

of imprecision and thus abstraction which frees students

sistic action—it can be a way to express ourselves,

to be more expressive.

with the world. It can be more than just narcis-

communicate, document our lives, or create an illustration or other piece of art.

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common goal

by Jonathan Sherwood

utside the door to Chris Hartman ’93’s office, a dozen Lower School children chatter away loudly and excitedly, scribbling intricate pictures with crayons.

Through the door on the opposite side of Hartman’s office comes the sharp whine of a band saw where four Upper School students are focused intently behind safety goggles, on a blue-andwhite wooden rowboat taking a prominent spot in the center of the room. The third wall of the office, mostly glass, looks out to a forest of hanging vegetables, piping, and wires.

It’s not a normal office. But that’s sort of the point.

16 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

it is not a normal office students don’t learn just the facts but also how to apply them

this balance of approaches is the future of education

“Harley has a long tradition of encouraging kids to use their own intelligence to understand complicated issues, to make sense of them, and then to bring all of their abilities together to create change,” says Hartman, sustainability director at The Harley School. “This building is the recognition of how important the core values of Harley are.

It’s the place where students don’t learn just the facts but also how to apply them—and, maybe most important, why these problems need to be solved in the first place.”

Hartman’s office is on the bottom floor of the Harley Commons, called The Maker Space.

The two rooms flanking his are called The Shop and The Project Space, and the vegetables outside his window are the latest residents of the three-story Baron Greenhouse, which presents the most striking external architectural feature of the building. That greenhouse rises from the lower floor, across the science classrooms of the middle floor, and touches the third floor, where Harley’s Center for Mindfulness and Empathy Education and the Briggs Center for Civic Engagement teach students about the importance of understanding themselves and their community.

“The programs going on now in The Commons are a clear extension of Harley’s progressive way of teaching,” says Ward Ghory, head of school. “Traditional schools have always been focused on precision—the learning of specific facts and skills—and that’s unquestionably important.

You can’t solve serious problems if you don’t have a mastery of facts and skills. But precision is only part of the equation. Progressive schools seek to be ready to meet the next generation of issues. In The Commons, we’re doing that with mindfulness and empathy to understand the real implications of an issue, in science classes to analyze problems systematically, and with hands-on engagement to understand how solutions get implemented in the real world. This balance of approaches is the future of education.”

On the top floor of The Commons, students leave their schoolwork in a cubby, take off their shoes, drop their cell phones in a basket, and then enter a quiet, bright space of earth tones and thick rugs. This is the Center for Mindfulness and Empathy Education—the space where twelfth graders learn how to deal with the emotions stirred up while caring for people through Harley’s Hospice program. It’s one of the places seventh graders go to understand what the residents of the Friendly Home—a local 2 014

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the commons at harley assisted-living home that students visit—may be feeling. And it’s where any student at Harley can go to learn strategies to deal with the stresses of exams, of home, or of growing up.

“I often ask students this one question,” says James D’Amanda ’06, hospice teacher. “By a show of hands, how many of you have been told at some point to pay attention? And what about to ‘be nice’? Of course, pretty much everyone raises their hands. But then I ask, ‘Have any of you been shown how to do these things?’ It’s not just with our students; culturally, we say we need to focus and be kind to one another, but we aren’t always very successful at actually doing this. More and more we’re learning that these soft skills are key to our health and performance and overall happiness in life, and that’s why Harley, through the work of many teachers since the School’s inception, recognizes mindfulness as one of our core competencies in learning.”

At this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival, a documentary called Beginning with the End became one of eight finalists selected from nearly 900 submissions. The film followed Harley students over two years as they attended the hospice class and cared for hospice patients. The primary question the filmmaker, Dave Marshall, asked was, “Can empathy be taught?”

Clearly, D’Amanda believes it can. On the bus returning from a visit to the Friendly Home, D’Amanda asks the students to “check in”— meaning to take a few moments to use the techniques they’ve learned to screen out the outside world and understand what they ’re feeling.

Noticing what’s really happening in the moment, without judging themselves for what they feel, helps them fully understand that experience. That understanding often leads to better empathy with the people involved.

That sense of empathy carries over directly to the Briggs Center for Civic Engagement. Sharing the top floor of The Commons with the Center for Mindfulness and Empathy Education, the Briggs Center is a large, open space purposely built smaller than the Harley theater but larger than a classroom.

“One of the things I’m really excited about in this space is a Rights and Responsibilities course 18 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

I’m teaching with Chris Hartman,” says Seth O’Bryan, Commons co-coordinator.

“We’re educating the students on how to take a stand on something. Each student takes on an advocacy project. They inform themselves about it, put together an opinion, and lay out an action plan. Of course, empathy is a huge part of advocacy.”

One student, as part of her project, brought in a guest speaker who deals with women and addiction to talk with the classes about how she helps these women get job training and income, meeting them at a coffee shop. Clearly, the speaker could have talked to the students in a regular classroom, but, Hartman says, “Having the talk here, in a dedicated space, with the name ‘civic engagement’ on it, sends a message that we’re serious about this, that we have a whole school pushing to better our society.”

a speaker series … that will be open to the greater rochester community The Briggs Center will also house a speaker series—which can touch on just about any topic—that will be open to the greater Rochester community. Hartman has plans for speakers to talk about community issues that can be directly explored by Harley’s students, such as the fact that there are children going hungry in our own city.

“Food security is a big issue,” says O’Bryan. “Here, the students can come to understand and appreciate what someone else is going through. That leads to discussions about what we can do to help.”

Even though The Commons has been open only since January, issues like food security are already being discussed. On the middle floor, student projects are literally flourishing. Upper School science teacher Peter Hentschke occupies one of the two science classrooms on the middle floor.

“The science lab now has a window on the world,” says Hentschke, gesturing toward the six windows that line the classroom’s walls. “It’s very exciting to be able to look out in all directions and see life in every corner of the room—especially when you’re teaching biology at this level, you should be able to look out and see life.

it’s terrific hands-on science Outside the classroom door, at the base of the sloping greenhouse glass, lies a runoff pond, which collects rainwater that drips down the side of The Commons and allows a precise variety of plants to extract nutrients before the water ultimately makes its way to the creek. Being mindful of the effects a building can have on its environment is a goal of the physical structure of The Commons. Hentschke plans to conduct classes around the pond. Nutrient and water cycling are key components of plant biology, and the students will take what they’ve learned from the plants surrounding the pond and apply it to projects, on topics like food security.

One window of the biology classroom looks directly into the greenhouse, where basil and lettuce, among other plants, are growing out of a myriad of plastic pipes and buckets. “We now have a year-round greenhouse in which we conduct experiments on photosynthesis, nutrient update, soil acidity, nitrates, and phosphates—we used to have to scout around the School in the winter to find a window that had good southern exposure to conduct these experiments.

Now we can grow plants hydroponically indoors at any time and closely track their growth. It’s terrific hands-on science,” Hentschke notes.

seeley taylor ’16 student commons coordinator “I believe that The Commons not only presents the student body with a unique set of questions— How can we achieve net zero while running a building successfully? How can we work in tandem with the administrators and faculty?—but also gives us the tools and opportunities to find answers to these questions. It teaches students how to handle real-world problems in a way that school doesn’t normally.”

terry smith head of lower school and commons co-coordinator “The building opens the door, literally and figuratively, for our students to wonder: What happens if I close this vent? How could we grow lettuce year-round? How does empathy inform and complement environmental sustainability? The Commons, in both its physical structure and social management, invites and encourages students to actively pursue interconnected and deeper learning. The possibilities for innovative, independent, and integrated exploration are boundless at all levels of learning, from Pre-K to adulthood.”

chris hartman ’93 sustainability director “When working with the students to consider issues that others are facing in the community or around the world, I can’t help but think of that scene in Apollo 13 where the astronauts are trying to find a solution to the air-quality problem using only the materials they have on-hand. That is the kind of collaborative, problem-solving activity I want students to engage in. People as a rule have only so much space or so much water or building materials, and they have to use what they have to make something work for them. We spill it out on a table and we say, ‘This is what we’ve got, and this is what we need to accomplish,’ and somehow we figure out a way to make it work.”

joe henderson ph.d., recent graduate of the university of rochester, environmental education researcher “The institution of schooling in our country has largely dealt with environmental issues as a science problem, but at Harley there is a conscientious shift toward a more holistic approach to sustainability. Harley is a fascinating place, because empathy and care for others, including the environment, is a core part of the curriculum. There’s also a ‘maker’ culture that’s really interesting— they combine the land stewardship traditions of farming with the progressive innovation of Silicon Valley. It all comes together in an amazing way in The Commons to serve the larger community.”

jack baron parent of jackson ’18, trustee, harley circle member, commons donor, and president and chief operating officer of sweetwater energy “The Baron Greenhouse, or, as our son calls it, the ‘Green Baron,’ is a lean, green, solar machine, allowing Harley students to directly create and manage solar and climate science for a sustainable future. Our family is honored to support the Harley Commons, and specifically to have helped in creating the Green Baron.”

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In addition to plant science, students are now surrounded with data-gathering devices that monitor everything going on inside or outside The Commons: the effect of a windy day on the temperature indoors; how much energy a cloud inhibits a solar cell from collecting; how much heat a room full of active students creates. “The projects we could devise from these data are endless,” Hentschke says.

All that data is collected by computers in the Control Room on the ground floor where it can be discussed and analyzed by the students. [see page 9 for more on the data collection.]

The Maker Space is where the civic calling and the scientific knowledge are transformed into real-world solutions. “The Maker Space is where the students are getting their hands and brains dirty,” says Hartman. “It’s where you take what you know and what your teammates know, and you solve problem after problem as you build something. It’s not just about engineering skills, but

about listening to one another. It’s the way it’s done in the real world, so it’s the way we do it here.”

In the short time The Commons has been open, Hartman has shepherded dozens of hydroponic designs from idea to functioning devices.

The first challenge was to design a hydroponic garden that would function best in The Com20 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

the deepest learning comes from serving and building. if you make a life of serving and building, when you look back at the end, your life will have been rich.

mons’ three-story greenhouse. Students sketched out several varieties of vertical, slanted, spiraled, and other innovative two-foot shapes for their hydroponic projects. They built them themselves in the Maker Space, modifying designs as the experience of working with real piping or buckets turned out to be different from what the students anticipated.

“With a shop facility and a greenhouse, all connected to the science classroom, we were able to take these drawings and go from design to prototype—cutting and gluing and sawing and understanding how the real world affects each design. We ended up with 20 designs and wires all over the greenhouse, and at the same times every day little solar-powered pumps would kick on and water would circulate, usually leaking, but that’s all part of the fun in learning.”

From the initial 20 designs, the students

selected three for scale-up to 10-foot models, which are now humming along (and leaking slightly) in the greenhouse. The next step is for the students to select the best of the 10-foot models to be scaled up to the full 30-foot height of the greenhouse, reaching all the way from the Project and Maker Space, through the science classrooms, up to the CMEE and the BCCE. “When I think about what our kids are going to need in the future they’re facing, I envision a combination of skills,” says Ghory. “They’ll need the traditional precision—the science skills—but they also have to have an internal compass that helps them understand they’re part of a society, with a duty to that society. Finally, they must have the confidence in their approach to problem solving that comes from hands-on, real-world work.

Today’s students need all three—the empathy, the skills, and the experience.”

when I think about w future they’re facing,

what our kids are going to need in the , I envision a combination of skills 2 014

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Guest Essay Meaghan Malone ’06

On How Harley Prepared Me for Life

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The Harley community encompasses and provides a unique educational experience for all involved.

T

he combination of brilliantly empathetic faculty, staff members, and classrooms filled with supportive peers enable a one-of-a-kind, lifelong learning opportunity. Through this resource, Harley has embedded the joy of learning in me, which I have valued and carried on through life after Harley.

“Thinking outside the box” is not just a saying but a Harley practice, and this was evident during the time I earned my two engineering degrees. I found many of my classmates at the collegiate level learned the material just to pass the test, while I often questioned the material. The confidence that I learned during my 12 years at Harley set me up to succeed at a larger undergraduate school, and further through my master’s.

Along with my creative powers, I was prepared to conquer any math equation or science problem.

The strong math and science curriculum—with Mr. C, Wilcox, JAM, and Thorley, not only allowed me to excel, but also to defy the odds of being a (sociable) woman engineer—twice over.

The Harley staff and faculty challenge the students’ intellectual abilities as well as encourage commitment to make a difference in our world. The knowledge of how to be a worldwide citizen gave me confidence to stand up for what I believe in, such as: fighting for basic human rights in Haiti, providing hospice care for the destitute and dying in India and South Africa, and volunteering and serving on the Board of Directors at the Isaiah House in Rochester. These small attempts to change the world have molded me into the person I am today.

Harley presents its students with unique opportunities that are actually wonderful life lessons.

I have an incredible sense of pride in Harley; it’s a family that keeps on giving.

Top photo: Carolyn Buckley ’06 (left), Mac Inglis ’06 (middle), and Meaghan Malone ’06 (right) attending a wedding in Falta, India, while they were there teaching hospice to local nurses in 2010.

Bottom photo: On one of her trips, Malone and others had just given beanie babies to local children in Le Borgne, Haiti.

Meaghan Malone ’06 began her community

service involvement as a volunteer in the Harley Hospice program, and this spring she received the Bruce R. James ’64 Distinguished Service Award from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) as recognition for her service internationally and in the greater Rochester area. She has traveled to India, Haiti, and South Africa on service trips over the past 10 years.

“International travel is an amazing opportunity, especially when you stay in a country where you do not speak the same language,” says Malone.

“Despite the language barrier, I was able to connect on an emotional and physical level with the hospice patients.”

Her most recent trip was an RIT class trip to Borgne, Haiti, where she helped build waterless toilet prototypes for an organization called Friends of Borgne, which helps educate and feed the children and elderly.

Malone said she felt very fortunate to be able to assist with their mission.

In the Rochester area, she is a member of Altar Guild at Asbury Park First United Methodist as well as a weekly volunteer and board member at the Isaiah House. On her own time, Malone gives socks, hats, and other essentials to homeless people in Rochester.

“It’s an amazing opportunity to be able to give back to a community that gave all they could for us during the weeks we stayed in the country with them,” says Malone.

Malone earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s in sustainable engineering from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering at RIT. She is an environmental sustainability specialist at Constellation Brands.

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1000

words

Rodney Crittenden ’47

Anne Morgan Stadler ’48 writes: Dave died in 2007. We had a great life! I have a fabulous family: four children, nine grandkids, and 10 greatgrandkids. I support charterforcompassion.org and servicespace.org.

Catharine Wade ’48 writes: I have no news but a lot of happy memories of three very important years at Harley—ages 15, 16, and 17 are such important formative years. Thanks, Harley, for forming my life.

40s Bud Ewell ’40 turned 92 this year. He and his wife, Ruth, recently moved to Fairport Baptist Homes.

Peter Gleason ’43 shared a couple more memories of Jack Neimeyer, the English teacher who

educated and inspired so many Harley students in the ’30s and ’40s: “One time Jack explained to us the meaning of what he termed ‘jargon’—phrases more in the nature of takeoffs on the classics—by quoting some phrases from an essay by the British author Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch: ‘Render unto Caesar those things which appertain to the said person’ and ‘To be, or the contrary.’

“In another teaching example, he used Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ for explaining figures of speech, as in ‘[T]he Sun came up from the left/Out of the sea came he!’ (aha! metaphor) and ‘Day after day, day after day,/We struck no breath nor motion;/ As idle as a painted ship/Upon a painted ocean’ (simile).”

Ann Hartman ’43 writes: Seventy years out and

still thankful for Harley. I just met a recent grad, whose first words were, “Harley saved my life.” I said, “Me too.” I finally retired two years ago and am very active in an adult learning program.

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Jenks Middleton ’44 writes: I am long retired

from law practice and, before that, government service with the Department of Justice and the ExportImport Bank of the United States, both of which are located in Washington, D.C. I am still healthy, try to play tennis two or three times a week, and volunteer with a wonderful group of men with early to midstage Alzheimer’s disease.

50s

Jim McGhee ’46 writes: I have remarried follow-

ing the death of Kay, my wife of 50 years. My wife, Anne, and I are living in Pittsford and enjoying life and feeling well, but I can’t do many of the things I used to do. Am no longer at Canandaigua Lake in the summer, but am enjoying doing woodworking.

Rodney Crittenden ’47 writes: I’m happily re-

tired and living in a luxurious retirement facility in Palo Alto, Calif., on the Stanford campus. My wife and I just celebrated our 58th anniversary. We take a cruise every year, and are about to embark on a 15day cruise to Hawaii. I’d be happy to hear news of 1947 classmates. Here is a picture of me holding my 2-month-old great-granddaughter. She is very cute.

Francine (Fran) Curro Cary ’58 writes: Set-

tled in Sylvania, Ohio; lots of family time and volunteer activities; blog still going and writing about Ukraine, where I served as a member of the Peace Corps from 2009 to 2011. I’ve done some travel, including a trip with my daughter Elissa to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Celebrated my 74th with Elissa, Michelle, and grandkids.

Rindy Holahan Heck ’58 writes: Hi, everyone!

Was most pleased to see messages from so many of you! I didn’t think there would be much of a virtual reunion, so this is close enough. We’ll show up in 2018 for sure. (OMG!) My husband and I celebrated our 50th this summer—whew! We went to Martha’s Vineyard, where for a week we were joined by our two kids and three grandchildren. This summer’s get-together was really special because my kids live in the Chicago area and Raleigh, N.C., and we do not get together all that frequently. We’ve been in Scottsville, Ariz., since 1974—a wonderful life surrounded by Charlie’s retired partners and farmer neighbors. We’ve become quite provincial by choice, I guess. Going to downtown Rochester would be an event.

Up until two weeks ago, I continued to ride my most wonderful “Normie” (“Stormin’ Norman”), whom I purchased during the first Gulf War! At age 27+, he had to be euthanized—and that was a real body blow. Even when you know the end of a life will inevitably happen, it’s so very wickedly painful. I suspect most of you know the feeling. I hope to bring in another horse as a boarder to keep my remaining Percheron company. I really am not ready to give up that aspect of my life—my involvement with horses has been so vital to me.

I love to be outside shoveling, pitching, repairing, and mowing. Think I’m a farmer in my soul. Also, Barb (Poole von Schilcher ’58), keep the faith—I had four total joints replaced, and after every one made a really fast recovery—I found I could tidy a stall on crutches! I’m most grateful to live in this age of snap-on parts! Also, I pray that my husband’s partner doesn’t retire until I’ve reached my quota. Which alerts me to the fact that I have some chores to attend to, so I’ll terminate this deathless prose.

I love that we’ve made this connection again. I have so many vivid memories of our years. One that pops up is when we achieved the exalted status of being seniors and gained the privilege of smoking, I lit up in the front hall. Dr. Litterick came on the run and disavowed me of that notion. And for you typing stars, I hope you were fudging your words per minute! I simply remember breaking into a cold sweat in those timed tests, as everyone else clacked away and I’m hunting and pecking.

Continued good health to all of you—see you in a few years? Meanwhile, this email business is not a bad substitute. Hope I hit the right button.

Barbara Poole von Schilcher ’58 writes: His

name is Johann Roemer von Schilcher. Parents are Stephan and Becki von Schilcher. This is t hei r f i r st c h i ld a nd my fifth grandchild.

Meet the New Head of School Cross Country Alumni Tour First stop: New York, New York

Ah Young Oh ’06, Jessica Bonds ’06, and Erica Ingraham ’06

Nathan Duckles ’04, New York City event host, and Sam Willsea ’06

Alan Staehle ’59 writes that he had a wonderful year of family, work, travel, and play. He and his wife spent the summer in Ouray, Colo., to see the amazing fall golds, yellows, rusts, the first snow, and the “winter months” in Santa Barbara, Calif.. Their travel adventures included a cruise aboard a small ship to gardens, plantations, and historical sites of the Southeast coast from Savannah to Beaufort, Charleston, Morehead City, Richmond, and Williamsburg, and a tall-ship sailing adventure to the Greek Islands and Istanbul, where world trade and Christian history have deep roots.

They enjoyed smaller adventures as well: a watercolor workshop in Taos; visits with kids, grandkids, and siblings that included get-togethers on the Connecticut shore; and camping and visiting Death Valley and the Grand Canyon.

Alan retired for the fourth time, this time as emergency manager for Ouray County. We’ll see if it’s his last.

Remember to send in your notes and updates to Karen Saludo ksaludo@ harleyschool.org

Rosie Gilroy ’13 and Rebekah Sherman-Myntti ’09

Fati Ziai ’82, Charlie Stuard ’82, Peter Fend ’68, and Tim Douglas ’82 Rob Williams ’98 and Marc Mayer ’98 with a bottle from Industry Distilling (donated by Zac Bruner ’03)

Zac Bruner ’03, at Industry Distilling in Brooklyn

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60s

{ • Harriet Bentley Society • }

Randy Prozeller ’62

Why I Give to Harley “ H

Linda Saunders Crowe ’64 writes that she spent

many years in Lexington, Ky. raising her children, Wendy and Eric, and thoroughbred racehorses. Now she has five super grandchildren. She is still riding horses.

arley was a special place for me and allowed me to develop both academic and athletic skills that have served me well over many years and still do.

I fully appreciate that Harley has many worthwhile causes underway in both the School as well as the broader community of Rochester.

”

This year, Randy Prozeller ’62 bestowed a Planned Gift to The Harley School called the Prozeller Family Gift. Given on top of Randy’s annual donations, the gift honors his parents, Peter and Mary Prozeller, who made the decision to send him and his five siblings to Harley. Randy started at Harley in grade 8 and his memories still burn strong—six decades later.

For more information on this or other planned giving opportunities, contact Debra Weiss Walker ’83, Director of Development (585) 442-1770 ext. 3031 dwalker@harleyschool.org

YOUR

Visit www.harleyschool.org/supporting-harley/planned-giving

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(in back) Steve Mossbrook, Linda Saunders Crowe, Charles Lotspeich, Bob Marfioti, Sarah Snell Singal, Douglas Farber, Linda Pollack Bock, Mike Todd, Lee Sherwood McDermott, Joan Rockwell, Jim Davidson, and Keely Costello 28 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

Johanna Fend Alpert ’64 writes: Harley was

a wonderful place for me and I am grateful to have attended the School in my junior and senior years. After Harley, I spent one year at Principia College and then transferred to the University of Chicago (B.A. in philosophy, 1968). I went on to get an M.B.A. from Columbia University in 1973. I met Laurent Alpert in Cambridge, Mass., in 1969 and we married in May, 1970. My husband was born in Paris and we spent nine years in the Brussels office of his law firm in the 1970s and 1980s. The expatriate life was interesting and Brussels was (surprisingly!) delightful.

I worked in business briefly and found that I was not very good at it, so I gave it up to the relief of everyone. My real interest is theology (I am enrolled at Union Theological Seminary in New York), and am particularly interested in the Zurich Reformation and its in f luence on t he refor med commun it ies in Europe and America. I enjoy following the community of scholars in this field. My husband and I are also interested in war refugees and my husband serves on the Board of the International Rescue Committee.

We live in Manhattan and Connecticut. Harley is an exceptional school. I appreciate my experience there more and more as the years go by. I very much regret that I cannot attend the Reunion, because we will be out of the country. I would have loved to be there.

Joan Rockwell ’64 writes: Where to start—my

life has been an interesting journey. I went to Syracuse University School of Nursing, graduating with

a bachelor of science, registered nurse, in 1968, and went to work at Genesee Hospita l. I moved to Alexandria, La., because I had met an Air Force pilot.

We were married by my dad in 1970. My husband got out of the Air Force and we moved to Lake Winnepasauke in New Hampshire, but had trouble finding jobs. Next, we went to Colorado Springs, where I pursued my career in critical care nursing. I started and was president of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, Southern Colorado chapter, for two years. I worked in a hospital dialysis unit and taught prepared childbirth classes. We had two beautiful daughters—Heidi in 1975 and Heather in 1976.

We continued west to Oregon in 1979, looking for the ideal small town to raise children. We settled in Dallas, Ore., and bought a lovely old house built in 1900. By this time, my husband was also an RN. Our jobs took us to McMinnville, Ore., where we eventually moved. In 1983, we welcomed our son Jordan in to the family. In 1990, we were divorced and I began my home health nursing career; I was also a successful Mary Kay Beauty consultant for many years. I remarried twice more unsuccessfully—big mistake. Heidi graduated from Western Oregon University with a degree in early childhood education. Heather graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in English literature. Jordan graduated from Cal Poly with a degree in structural engineering. In the early 90s I moved to the Syracuse area with my third husband; we were pastoring the Onondaga and Oneida Native American Seventh Day Adventists. I returned to Oregon in 1995 and opened an adult foster care home. Heidi married in 2000 and moved to Australia with her husband; they now have three boys. Heather is regional director for college housing, and lives in Irvine, Calif., with her hubby and two kids, Ella and Jake. Jordan lives in Portland, and has a girlfriend and a busy job. I ended up buying a house in Newberg, Ore., where I live happily with my dogs and cats and continue to work in home health. At the ago of 60 I went to Maryhurst University and got a master’s in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in gerontology, then went to AIV online and got a master’s in education. And I was a volunteer firefighter while I was in school. I could go on and on with the interesting twists and turns of my life, but I am out of paper!

Needless to say, my life has not been dull!

Meet the New Head of School Cross Country Alumni Tour Second stop: Denver, Colorado

Keely Costello ’64 with his wife, Ami, and son Cliff Costello ’07 (in his new white coat!), following Cliff ’s graduation from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Ned Hallick ’68 writes: 45 years—almost un-

imaginable! I have been thinking a lot about Harley and the people—the friends, classmates, teachers, and staff and how much they all mean to me. I just saw the amazing, excellent production of Glass Menagerie on Broadway and thought back to the very first play I lit—which was Glass Menagerie, staged in the lunchroom at Harley—and rather well for the circumstances. I could go on and on, as most alumni can. Wish I could be with my classmates of ’68. But instead I will spend the weekend helping to make a documentary film for the Wounded Warrior Project.

It’s something I decided I could not turn down even for the Reunion. I have not been very good at keeping in touch; people may remember that writing, even emails, was never my strength. But please—as you get the chance—give my very, very best to everyone at Reunion who might remember me. I wish everyone health and happiness and peace.

With hopes toward our 50th—many thanks, Ned nhallick@earthlink.net

Debra Weiss Walker ’83, Ashley Sands ’07, and Hugh O’Winter

Kate Benesch Housand ’00 and Scott Doniger ’97

Nancy and Chris Sayre ’75, and Patti Cameron ’79

Bob Levis ’68 writes: This photo was taken on March 30 in Santa Clarita, Calif. Evie and I visited

Jan Costello ’68 and her husband (and many animals) at their ranch in Acton, north of Los Angeles.

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70s Jon Gootnick ’72 spent the month of February in rural Uganda, providing health care to the underserved medical population. He treated malaria, malnutrition, HIV, and provided maternity care.

J. Merrill ’73 writes: My wife, Katy, and I had a great time at my 40th Reunion. The “pre-event” the night before the Reunion gave us a chance to spend some quality time with the new head of Harley, Ward Ghory. It’s hard to imagine that the selection committee could have found anyone better.

The more time goes by, the more I recognize what a magical place Harley was—something that I really didn’t see when I was there. (“Growing up” can do that to a person.) The more I look at where the School has gone since I left, and the more I see what’s in process and planned for the future, the more bullish I am on both the School’s prospects and on the prospects of those lucky enough to attend. I’m confident that Ward Ghory being there ensures the School’s continued growth and success.

I’ve said this before, but it can’t be said enough.

When you consider how much of who you are and where you ended up stemmed from your time at Harley, you really need to send in at least a small gift. It’s not the amount that matters—the alumni participation rate makes a big difference to organizations trying to choose what schools to support, and everyone who went to Harley knows that it deserves the support. It’s more important than you know.

Jimmy Alsina ’74 writes: The 80s were great—

working for Kodak, living in England, the Ivory Coast, and Egypt (great, except for the malaria and typhoid fever). The high point was meeting my wife, Cecilia (from Argentina), in the Sinai in 1988. In the

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90s, our son, Marc, was born. We lived in Rochester, Miami, and Rochester again. After some years in independent consulting, I joined Hunt Country Vineyards, a winery in the Finger Lakes, as the marketing guy.

It’s been very challenging and fun. Cecilia has been struggling with Parkinson’s since 1991, but recently had surgery to implant a kind of pacemaker for the brain. It has changed her life, rolling the clock back 15 years! Marc graduated from Brandeis University and is trying to figure out how to work, have some fun, and get through graduate school, all at the same time.

Kate Canfield ’74 lives and works in Cambridge,

Mass. After a few years in an advertising agency in New York City and a few more years art directing Horticulture magazine, she started her own design firm in Boston. She designs logos, brochures, and annual reports, primarily for foundations, colleges, and hospitals in the Boston area. She plays tennis and practices Pilates in her off-hours.

Sara Castle del Rio ’74 writes: I live on the

North Shore of Boston with my husband, Gene. We have two children—Eric is 25 years old and living in Oregon, working appropriately with monkeys. Louisa is 21 years old and studying at Boston University, where she also plays lacrosse and spends a lot of money on clothes. I studied architecture and received a master’s at Washington University in St. Louis—very hot place. After school I moved to Boston and worked primarily on commercial and institutional work, under ghastly hours that amounted basically to slave labor.

I now have my own firm focusing on residential and light commercial projects and commute from my bedroom to my office in PJs.

Bettyrae Fedje Easley ’74 writes: I received my Ph.D. in theater and music 15 years ago and have been teaching ever since. I currently live in Indian Wells, Calif., and teach eleventh- and twelfth-grade English in the international baccalaureate program. For all the tennis buffs, I’m a ball-kid coordinator at the BNP Paribas tournament, which takes place across the street from me. I have two beautiful daughters.

My elder daughter, Lizza, is an attorney and has an amazing son with her husband, Dimitri. I never knew being a grandma could be such fun! My younger one, Louiza, just completed her sophomore year at Willamette University and is heading to France in the fall to study for the semester. I’m fortunate to see my best buddy Heidi Loewen ’74 often when she comes to visit Palm Springs.

Shira Goldberg ’74 has retired from the Roch-

ester City School District after 35 years of teaching special education. She and her husband, Mark Lazeroff, have a son, Scott, who will be entering his senior year at Brighton High School. She writes, “Scott is not only a nationally ranked diver but an amazing individual and an awesome person. I am so lucky that I am able to continue to bond, support, and celebrate with my friends from Harley.”

William Koenig ’74 After my abrupt departure

from Harley, I spent a year getting my bearings at the University of Rochester, then spent three years at Bucknell University. Officially, I majored in mathematics, but my real interest was computer science.

Fortunately, I was able to take just as many computer science classes as math.

After graduating, I spent a few years building computer systems that were designed to replace analog instrumentation in industrial settings. These computer systems were based on the same PDP-11 computer that I used at Harley, and my experience with that computer was one of the reasons I got the job.

Office politics was my downfall: I couldn’t stand the infighting between departments that were supposed to be cooperating.

I was recruited by a defense contractor to work with scientists doing acoustical research for the U.S. Navy. The job didn’t last long, due to national politics.

In 1983, I found my perfect job—a small software consulting company. The work was varied, creative, and interesting, and over the next 25 years I developed a wide variety of applications. What amazes me is that in the “real world,” I used something I had learned in every computer science class that I took at Bucknell—but the consulting company didn’t survive the economic crisis of 2008. Since then, I’ve been happily self-employed.

At Harley, I used to play bridge with David McIrvine ’74. At Bucknell, I continued to learn the game and represented the school at intercollegiate tournaments. After that, I played duplicate bridge regularly until my daughter was born. I spent more and more time with my children, and eventually gave up bridge.

Just before getting married, in 1988, I spent a month in Australia, touring the east coast. The highlights of the trip were sailing the Whitsunday Islands on a 56-foot ketch and SCU BA div ing the Great Barrier Reef.

My wife works in the computer industry for a Fortune 500 company, my daughter teaches mathematics at a high school in Virginia, and my son is in college pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics.

Heidi Loewen ’74 writes: People often ask me how I got involved with clay. When did I start? From the age of two I simply loved to play in the mud. After graduating from Skidmore College, with a year in Paris at the Sorbonne and later ski instructing in Switzerland, I figured it was time to come back to the States. New York City worked for Frank Sinatra, so I thought I’d love it too. I landed a fabulous job there, for seven years, in the Chinese and Japanese division of Sotheby’s Art Auction House. From there, I was asked to curate the private art foundation and art collection for William I. Koch, in Boston. While working six years for Koch, I continued my love of porcelain at the Harvard Ceramic department in my off-hours.

In 1992, my husband and I had the marvelous opportunity to move to Santa Fe, N.M. It never occurred to me after curating so many other artists’ works that I would ever become a gallery owner or teach—but that is what happened: In 1996, I founded the Heidi Loewen Porcelain Gallery & School in Santa Fe. Creating my own art has proven to be the most challenging, wild, and rewarding life ever. I’m the hardest boss I’ve ever had. My childhood love of mud turned to silky smooth porcelain. I shape my clay into classical forms, one inch to four feet high on the wheel. I manipulate the clay to create beautiful curves and swirls with my large-scale vessels, then add my unique smoking and waxing techniques.

Most ceramic artists glaze their work, but my passion is to smoke fire the porcelain with straw and pine needles, yielding deep, dark carbons that soak into the vessel. As Julia Child and Nigella Lawson famously prepared—and prepare—their beautiful food, I too, create my porcelains. My “cooking” table is filled with smokable organics: chili peppers, papers, wood shavings, banana peel, various pine needles. I apply layers of oil paint and 23-karat gold leaf; even light emits from the inside of my porcelain sculptural vessels. The gold leafing is a metaphor for the beauty and light within us all.

There are several world-renowned painters with whom I work in collaboration. One of them, the famous Dutch master and trompe l’oeil oil painter Braldt Bralds, has work that has graced the covers of Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, and Der Spiegel; he’s created images as well for the United Nations and the U.S. Postal Service. People want to touch our platters to see if the “objects” are real or painted.

Recently, UNESCO selected me to travel to Icheon, South Korea, their classical and contemporary ceramic center, to teach, demonstrate, and lecture. Of the twenty countries I have visited, this trip

proved to be the biggest honor for me. What a beautiful country.

I am fortunate to have my gallery in a beautiful light-filled old adobe, in the historic district, near the Plaza. It is an honor to have people from around the world see my work. I often teach them, too. The only requirement for my class is a good sense of humor!

Santa Fe is an art-world mecca, with over 200 galleries, many quite contemporary. It is also a culinary and cultural destination, not to mention filled with great hiking and skiing. I plan to create, teach, and reside here for some time to come!

Marti Mayne ’74 writes: After Harley, I attended one semester at Skidmore, then joined my friend Robby Ross ’74 at Middlebury as a February Freshman. I had so much fun at college that I stayed on college campuses for the next ten years. I earned a master’s in higher education/counseling from the University of Bridgeport, where I was the assistant director of residence halls, managing a staff of 40 or so, then moved to Denver as the director of residence halls for Loretto Heights College for a few years.

Eventually, after ten years in college residence halls, I realized I was getting a little old for the college scene, so I jumped on a boat and delivered it to the Caribbean while I considered my next career. It was an election year (1984), and Gary Hart’s campaign captured my interest. I spent the next three years working as an advance person on his campaign while it slowly but surely imploded with what today would never even attract a second batting of an eye. In between, I worked on a number of other campaigns, including Walter Mondale’s, Sen. Paul Simon’s, and those of a few congressional candidates. Eventually I found my way to the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial, where I worked with Ethel Kennedy, more attending to her affairs than attending to the Memorial awards of the foundation. That was interesting! Ask me about it when I see you at the Reunion!

While in DC, I was recruited to work for a womanowned PR firm, this launched my career in public relations, which has continued to this day. I went from there to working for USA Today (also based in the DC metro area at the time) as a meeting and event planner and a stringer for cover stories. It was an exciting time at Gannett, as USA Today was launched in events throughout the world I had organized.

At some point along the way, my travels took me to Portland, Maine, and I fell in love with the Maine coast. After I spent years working toward getting a job there, I eventually landed at Sunday River Ski Resort as the director of communications. It was a fun job; I can think of worse ways to spend the day

Meet the New Head of School Cross Country Alumni Tour Third stop: San Francisco, California

The wine featured at our event was from Corison Winery, provided by winery owner and Harley alumnus William Martin ’80.

Hosts Kraig Kayser ’78 and his wife, Suzette looking on as Ward addresses the room

Back row starting on the left: Elizabeth McDonald ’01, Richard Bolt ’88, Peter Tilton ’05, William Martin ’80, Ward Ghory, Don Boss ’79, Kraig Kayser ’78, Paul Levy (spouse of Neva Flaherty), Alicia Morgenberger Schober ’85, Debra Weiss Walker ’83, Front row: David Freeman ’81, Deirdre Wilson ’82, Neva Flaherty ’87, Nena Vandebroek ’06 and Bailey Smith ’06

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than skiing each and every day with journalists and seeing stories appear. Eventually, however, I moved over to managing an association of ski resorts in North Conway, N.H., and have worked with the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce ever since as a marketing director for the region, first as an employee, then as a contractor.

At some point along the way, my career took a side turn, and I managed the marketing functions for eleven Tanger Outlet Centers from Kittery, Maine, and North Conway to Gonzales, La., all the while staying connected to the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. I traveled 50 out of 52 weeks a year, and missed the life that most of my friends had at home. In 1996, I started my own company, Maynely Marketing, and moved to Maine. Marti Mayne from Maine still to this day gives people a giggle!

Given the large number of bed and breakfasts in North Conway, I was eventually asked to start presenting workshops at B&B conferences about how to market a B&B. One speaking engagement went to five—which then went to 10, and suddenly I was a B&B expert. Through Maynely Marketing, I still serve the B&B industry as a national spokesperson and as a marketing person for regional, association, and individual B&Bs and inn campaigns.

All of this travel and moving around kept me single until I met a fellow sailor and man of my dreams, Lincoln Fuller, on the coast of Maine. He jokes, “I had a personal ad out—wife wanted, send picture of boat.” I had the boat, and after about three years of sailing fun, we lived happily ever after. Meanwhile, we were in our 40s when we finally met and married; too late for kids—or so we thought! We ended up adopting not one but two beautiful girls from China.

Our first, Calli Li Hao Fuller, was 16 months when we adopted her in 2002 in Hubai Province, China.

Kim Han Fuller was almost three when we went back to Hubei Province and adopted her in 2004. The girls are sisters by virtue of our family, but not biologically related. They are the love of my life and the challenge of my life. I believe I may be the only member of the Harley class of 1974 with two teenage daughters!

We live on Cousins Island, Maine, just 16 miles north of Portland. We sail in the summer and ski at Sunday River in the winter. We would love to have any of our Harley friends join us for either of these activities, teenagers and all!

Sandy McKelvey ’74 retired after 33 consecu-

tive years in banking. He worked for three banks— Monroe Savings, M&T, and SunTrust—where he managed retail branches, developed and managed 32 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

a branch staffing model for 1,000 branches, and led company-wide projects in retail banking, business banking, and commercial banking. His post-Harley education includes a B.A. in history from Denison University and an M.B.A. in finance from Rochester Institute of Technology. A past trustee of Harley, he has lived in Atlanta, Ga., for the past 18 years, where he is a member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church and enjoys family, reading, golf, tennis, travel, and investment management.

Lisa Osborne Lange ’74 writes: Have been a

designer since I was 25 and was self-employed for 20 of those years. High: Mt. Kilimanjaro. Low: SCUBA diving the Cayman wall. East: lived in Vermont. West: lived in California. Moved to Rochester to raise our family. Am currently blessed to have 3 generations living close by, with both children pursuing graduate degrees in the area. One in sustainable architecture, and the other in Artificial Intelligence.

Come say hello if you are ever back at Harley for a visit.

Drew Prozeller ’74 will soon be celebrating 35 years of marriage, his first year of retirement, and the joy of having his three children all living nearby (Sudbury, Mass.).

Kenneth Schwartz ’74 has been dean of the School of Architecture at Tulane University for six years following a series of appointments at the University of Virginia as a faculty member, chairman of the Architecture Department, and associate dean of the school over the previous twenty-four years. He is married to Judith Kinnard, also a faculty member and architect, and they have two daughters. Julia just finished law school at the University of Chicago this spring, following her undergraduate degree from Princeton, and will be clerking for a federal judge.

Laura graduated from Cornell University (Ken’s alma mater) two years ago with majors in government and Asian studies and works for a nonprofit Asian think tank in Washington, DC. Vee Vee Scott ’74 writes: After finishing Con-

necticut College in 1978, I bounced around between New York City and Boston and ended up back in Rochester in the fall of 1979. I got a temporary job at W X X I, where I met my husband, Jon. I then attended RIT for a master’s in human resources. In 1982, right after we were married, we began a six-city tour of the United States over an extended period (22 years) with my husband’s job at Time Warner Cable.

Our first daughter, Genevieve, was born in Charleston, W.Va., in 1984, and our second daughter, Lily,

was born in San Diego, Calif., in 1989. We have now been in Reading, Pa., choosing to return here when Jon left cable to pursue different work. I have been “home” all these years, running the show and loving it! I have always had my hand in various community efforts, but at this time I am thoroughly overextended.

Throughout all the moves, we have stayed in close touch with many dear old pals, and despite the fact that our daughters are now 25 and 30, our kids are still the center of our universe, but with second place, of course, to our beloved dogs!

David Seldin ’74 writes: Hi to all my classmates,

and hope you are well. Forty years have flown by, mostly having fun . . . My career has been challenging, but very satisfying, as a physician-scientist. I have had the privilege of taking care of patients and of participating in laboratory and clinical research on cancer and blood diseases. After Harley, I enjoyed four years at Harvard College (when the Facebook was a printed list of classmates, with photos, that looked like a high school yearbook, long before Mark Zuckerberg stole the idea and took it online), worked for two years, and then had about 13(!) more years of education and training to get an M.D. and a Ph.D. and to become a hematologist-oncologist and genetics researcher. I have had the good fortune to maintain an academic medical career, now as professor of medicine and chief of the section of hematology-oncology at Boston Medical Center. BMC is the safety net hospital for Boston—in a big city with great hospitals, BMC takes care of Boston’s poor and minority patients, a special place with a special mission. Medicine has changed in a lot of ways during my career: mostly good, as we can do more for more people, with innovative treatments for all kinds of cancers and blood diseases; the bad parts are the continuing morass of our fee-for-service private insurance health-care system and the underfunding of basic biomedical research; we can only hope that these will be straightened out with the next swing of the political pendulum back toward moderation and a stronger social compact.

Family and friends have been a source of consistent satisfaction. I am lucky to be married to a wonderful and supportive physician-scientist-spouse-friend, Libby Hohmann, and we have three wonderful and healthy daughters: Stephanie (25), a graduate of Wesleyan University and an artist; Maggie (22), who also graduated from Wesleyan, and is headed for a career in women’s health, aided by an internship at Our Bodies Ourselves; Diana (20), finding herself at NYU— she loves the bright lights/big city of Manhattan. We have enjoyed living in a suburb of Boston, not too far from family (sister Judi and her family nearby, parents

A fabulous 40th Reunion was attended by many members of The Harley Class of 1974 with some of our spouses and teachers. standing: Drew Prozeller, Ted Serrell, Bert Foti, Jimmy Alsina, Dick Yanowitch, Sarah Castle del Rio, Sandy McKelvey, Vee Vee Scott, Judy von Bucher,Ginny Spofford, Joey Hayden, Jon Feldman, Al and Helen Soanes seated: Marjorie Goldman, Jane Ordway, Marti Mayne, Lisa Osborne Lange, Len Wilcox, Kate Canfield missing: Todd Bates, Mary Driscoll Vernetti, Judy Silvestrone, Alex DeSantis, Marcia Gittelman, Bob Joslyn, Mike Lasser, Gail McGuire

alive and kicking on Cape Cod) and friends. Many ties to friends from Rochester and from Harley are still strong.

Harley gave me an appreciation for other things: life at Harley was enriched by the arts, by a not-tooserious emphasis on sports and fitness, and by a culture of friendship and respect among students and teachers. I have carried this balance forward in my life, and have found a lot of pleasure in art, music, the outdoors, hiking, and biking that I hope I have passed on to my kids. Always, but particularly as I approach the end of my life, I find the greatest joy in family and friends; it’s an added benefit that I have found what I do for work to be rewarding as well.

Ted Serrell ’74 writes: I hope to get underway

aboard a 170-foot schooner we are delivering from New England to Croatia before the Atlantic hurricane season gets into full swing. At our last reunion (1994), I was living in Fort Lauderdale and a principal at my own video production company. My wife, Karen, of 25 years now, and I were expecting our son, Allen.

Since then we have also had our daughter, Katie, who is 16 and a junior in high school. I retired from the television business at age 40, got my captain’s license, and we moved to an island off the west coast of Florida. I run a tour boat two days a week in the winter and deliver yachts whenever available. Karen is a teacher and we spend the summer at our cottage on Lake Champlain. Per Peterson ’74 came to the States to see family this past March and was here for my birthday.

Montgomery Blair Sibley ’74 writes: Three

wives, four children, practiced law for 30 years representing prostitutes, drug dealers, and other criminals.

Took a sabbatical, wrote a book—Why Just Her—and

Meet the New Head of School Cross Country Alumni Tour Fourth stop: Los Angeles, California

Tony Rodgers ’85, and Tom Fenton ’85

am planning my next assault on the tyranny gripping our country. And oh yeah, I play the bagpipes.

Judy Silvestrone ’74 writes: I have spent the last 40 years bouncing (every decade or so) between the Iowa Quad Cities and Seneca Falls in my career as a college professor and chiropractor. My daughter and baby grandson brought me back to the area for retirement. I love spending time with family, volunteering, hiking, and being in the Rochester area again, where I am looking forward to seeing fellow classmates.

Joe Syracuse ’86 and Lisa Addario, Los Angeles event hosts Rob Staehle ’73 with his Harley: First in Space shirt, available in The Harley School book store

Ginny Spofford ’74 writes: I am the mother of

three grown children—John (31), Peter (28), and Annie (25). I live in St. Davids, Penn., and teach first grade at The Episcopal Academy. I am involved with a variet y of activities, but the most important is Special Olympics, with my son, Peter. I also enjoy spending time in Maine, Cape Cod, and Nashville, Tenn., whenever I have the chance.

Sandra Tripp ’74: I will always be grateful to Harley for giving me such a wonderful start to a successful career and life journey. After graduating from Wellesley College and Columbia University School of Business, I pursued a professional career in strategy analysis, development, and planning. For nearly 30 years, I used my expertise and skills while working for Fortune 500 companies and innovative nonprofit organizations in the pharmaceuticals/healthcare industry. I recently left corporate America and am focusing my energies on helping nonprofits develop and execute successful growth strategies.

My life’s journey moved me to the San Francisco Bay area three times, where I am currently happily living. A major life-changing event occurred when I

The group looks on as Ward speaks about the state of the School.

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adopted my daughter from the California foster care system. This was the fulfillment of a promise I made to myself to help a child whose background was as difficult as my own. My daughter has since graduated from college and is pursuing her career dreams in Los Angeles.

Over the years, my daughter and I have spent time with several Harley friends, including Heidi Loewen ’74 , Stuart Patterson ’74 , Drew Prozeller ’74, and Ken Schwartz ’74. Thinking about Harley and my friendships always make me smile.

Judy Briggs von Bucher ’74 writes: Profes-

sional: After working in NYC using my Russian studies, got an M.B.A. at Columbia and worked in consumer products marketing at Vicks. Since the late ’80s, I have worked in the nonprofit arena for causes I am passionate about: Planned Parenthood, Wilmot Cancer Center, Girl Scouts, and more recently the Rochester Women’s Giving Circle, supporting women and girls on their journey to self-sufficiency. I am currently a trustee at RIT and on the board at Rochester Area Community Foundation.

Personal: I married Erik and had three children in the ’80s—Peter, Lilly, and Mark. I had cancer in 1989/90 (Hodgkin’s disease). In 2010, we experienced a life-changing tragedy when we lost our younger son, Mark, age 20. He was a pre-vet student at Cornell when he had a ski accident with traumatic brain injury, and died after 2½ weeks in a coma. Life will never be the same, but we try to live by our family motto “Dum Vivimus Vivamus”—“While we live, let us live.” We find comfort in experiencing the natural beauty and wonders of the world in memory of our son, and have just returned from hiking and exploring in Australia.

According to Associated Press News, Naomi Wadsworth ’77 and her brother, Craig Wadsworth ’80, were invited to pilot the Whiskey 7 on its recent return to France. The Whiskey 7 is an American C47 aircraft from the WWII invasion of Normandy. At the invitation of the French government, the airplane was invited to participate in a celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the invasion.

Mike Merin ’78 writes: Betsy and I were thrilled

with the decision of our daughter, Katie, to attend Wheaton College (near Boston). She finished her freshman year in May 2014, enjoying physics and calculus courses (pre-engineering), Ultimate Frisbee, and the “outdoors club.” Just thought I’d share the news, as it reminded me how significant a role Harley played in helping me get started in life.

Colo., where I am a navigational information analyst for Boeing. I was a commercial pilot for the last 13 years, but not actively flying at the moment. I also teach part time in the Boulder Valley School District.

All is good :) Cheers!

Laura Bales Barrows ’79 and Susan Bales Anderson ’80 are sad to announce the passing of

34 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

Susan Bales Anderson ’80 lives in Jonestown, Texas, and is still an active diver. In May, she took First Place on the 1-meter springboard diving competition at the US Masters Spring National Meet in San Antonio.

Cindy Bohli-Nelson ’83 writes: Forty-three years after my first open-heart surgery to separate the leaflets of my pulmonary valve, I am recovering from a second surgery on March 24, 2014, to replace the pulmonary valve and have a ring put around my tricuspid valve to cinch it in and keep it from leaking. My surgery was done at Strong Hospital again, and amazingly they still had the records from my pediatric cardiologist and first surgery (done on July 15, 1971) carefully filed away!

Ned Voelcker ’82 his mom, Jean, father, Herb, and brother John Voelcker ’77 wearing their “Harley Makes History: First in Computing” shirts. You can purchase yours at the Harley bookstore.

Patti Cameron ’79 writes: I live in Boulder,

Don Lindsay ’76 was named Beer Sommelier Vizeweltmeister, or runner-up to the world champion, in a 2013 international competition for sommeliers of beer. The championship was held last September in Germany and consisted of 30 German competitors and 30 non-German competitors.

See his story on page 45.

80s

their mother and longtime Harley parent Dr. Trudy Bales on May 18 at the age of 88.

I was in the hospital for a total of eight days and have had a great recovery. Now, one month later, I am still under some restrictions while my sternum continues to heal, but my energy levels get a bit better each day, and I’m looking forward to being able to do some physical activities that I haven’t been able to do for a while (roller skating, anyone?). I can breathe so much better, and my heart beats much quieter!

I hope my Harley friends understand why I kind of dropped off the radar . . . I went through several years of constant stress, the surgery being (knock on wood) the last of the insanity!

I am still on FB (Cynthia Bohli), and my email address is beesknees@rochester.rr.com, if anyone would like to get in contact again.

Meet the New Head of School Cross Country Alumni Tour Fifth stop: Washington, DC

Rob Gulick ’83, with Anne Townsend and former faculty, Ron Richardson. Gulick recently moved back to Rochester from Kosovo.

Ward Ghory, Katy Stein, and J. Merrill ’73, DC area event hosts

Shira Gabriel Klaiman, Amy Hoffman-James, and Karin Deutsch Karlekar

90s

Sam Hampton ’77

An impromptu mini-reunion in Paris, France, last fall.

Claire Williams (McLear) ’87, Noah Rubins ’89, and Rob McLear ’88.

Karin Bleeg ’01 and Ashley Stone ’01

Jennifer Barclay Newsham ’95 recently

Ainsley Jacus, daughter of Kate Turner Jacus ’92 finally fitting into her Harley onesie.

relocated to the Washington, DC, area and writes: I am an assistant professor of playwriting and performance at the University of Maryland, where I won a Creative and Performing Arts award to develop a new play this summer. I also am being commissioned by the Department of Physics to write a play about women in science academia. In October 2013, my site-specific play Counterweight premiered at La Jolla Playhouse, where it was set in a real elevator for an audience of five at a time.

Susan Plano-Faber ’86 and Peter Regen ’85

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00s Will Widger ’00 ’s movie Wish has been accepted

by Dreamworks and will be out in 2015.

Ma rk A h rens ’01 ma r r ied Stac y Ghu la on November 2, 2013.

Caroline Abbey ’02 began a new job as a senior

editor at Random House Children’s Books. She will be editing chapter books, middle-grade books, and young adult fiction.

Carey Carta ’03 writes: My husband and I re-

cently welcomed a little girl into our family, Elisabeth (Ellie) Hope. She was born on February 24, 2014 at 6 lbs 14 oz, 19.5 in.

Taylor Smith Veenema ’05 married Blair Veenema August 17, 2013, in Rochester.

Preston Barrows ’06 graduated from University

Jillian Waldman ’02 says: We were married in a Quaker ceremony on June 21, at my church (Old First Reformed United Church of Christ) in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. My new husband is Michael Noda, whom I met at Swarthmore; we dated for a decade. Harleyites in attendance included Alex Rees ’02, Liz Peters ’02, and Meg McNiff ’02, (but went back to boarding school for senior year), Kelly Miller-Schreiner ’03, Ashley Hellman ’03, Ross Messing ’00 (whom I hardly knew at Harley, but he was Michael’s roommate at Swarthmore), and of course my sisters Lydia ’05 and Eliza ’08. Michael is a huge public transit geek/advocate, so after the ceremony we took all 150 guests (or at least as many as we could convince to go with us) on the subway from the church to the reception.

K ath r y n Ba bin ’0 3 is engaged to Wa r ren McDermott.

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of Wisconsin, Madison, in May 2104 with an M.S. in nuclear engineering and engineering physics. Now work ing f u l l t ime at Phoen i x Nuc lea r Labs in Minona, Wis., Preston presented his work at Phoenix at the American Nuclear Society conference in Reno, Nev., on June 19.

Sam Willsea ’06 gave a TEDx talk in London Allie D’Amanda Sacks ’03 and her husband, Evan, welcomed Jacob James on March 12, 2014.

last November titled Spirals and Cycles: Reevaluating a linear view of economic and social progress.

Brianna Giambrone ’04 is engaged to Mike Kustigian.

Hal Kieburtz ’04 and Brooke Mayer ’04 are engaged.

Hillary Levitt ’04 writes: I graduated from law school in 2011 and was hired as an assistant district attorney at the Monroe County District Attorney’s office shortly after passing the bar exam. Currently, I am assigned to prosecute cases in the city of Rochester.

Chris Cowdery-Corvan ’07 writes: This T-

shirt has nostalgia written all over it for me. While I was by no means programming at the time the punch card was in use at Harley, I still have one of the punch cards Mr. Wilcox gave me as a graduation present— and it’s nifty to see it on a shirt with my alma mater on it! Too cool.

Rachelle Duroseau ’07 writes: I wanted to

share some exciting news for the Harley Alumni page: I have been accepted as an Americorps VISTA. I started May 27, and am working with an organization called The Children’s Home Society of Florida.

My official title is community outreach and engagement VISTA. I am very excited about the work that I am doing for my community and that I am playing an active role in alleviating some of the burdens of poverty that weigh children and their families down.

I attribute my placement in part to the amazing values that my time at Harley instilled in me about the importance of civic engagement.

Nicole Boucher ’08 is working for an environmental consulting company writing emergency response plans for an oil field and doing water sampling for Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality compliance. She tells us that she loves Louisiana and her job!

Note from Meredith Ciaccia ’08’s dad: My daughter, Meredith, was in Africa for two weeks.

She is a coordinator for global development and government relations for Special Olympics International, based in Washington D.C. Within the short 15 months she has been with SOI she has been to South Korea and Germany, as well as many domestic destinations. She works extremely hard and puts in long hours, but enjoys the work. It’s a nice job for a 23-year-old, and she feels very fortunate to have landed a job within three months of graduating from college. I know she values her education from Harley, which helped her prepare for William Smith, where she graduated magna cum laude. Do I sound like a proud dad?

Meet the New Head of School Andrew Guzick ’09 writes: I’m working in a couple

of psychology labs, applying to graduate school for clinical psychology, and teaching some tennis.

Cross Country Alumni Tour Sixth stop: Boston, Massachusetts

Rachel Kurchin ’09 writes: I’m just over a month

from wrapping up a roller coaster of a year in England on a Gates Scholarship. By the time you read this, barring catastrophe, I will have run my first marathon (Stockholm, May 31, along with some friends including Meghan Dewan ’13, fellow Harley grad!), rowed in the infamous Cambridge Bumps boat races, and submitted my master of philosophy dissertation.

Looking forward to one more bit of European travel after that (a weekend in Rome with a friend) then some time to relax in Rochester, followed by moving to Cambridge, Mass., to start my Ph.D. at MIT in the fall, where I plan to research new solar cell technology!

Stephen Mann ’09 writes: I graduated with hon-

ors and distinction from Occidental College in May. I am working for a Rochester-based company called Complemar, building their marketing and sales efforts on the West Coast.

Also, I’m trying to make a transition back into entertainment working with Disney, NBC, Warner Brothers, or Fox studios (had an internship there a few months ago, working with the executives and producers of Family Guy and Glee!).

It seems all those years of creative work with Maria Scipione and Ben Burroughs in the theater/choir room has instilled a lifelong desire in me to be in entertainment, even if it is on the business side of things.

Susie Mees Longfield ’82 and Marshall Carter ’87

Esther Gabel and Harrison Gabel ’97 Lee Gartley ’82 and Tina Gartley our event hosts

Dan Hewett, Lee Gartley ’82, Greg Gale, and Elizabeth Oddleifson Nash ’82

Didrik Soderstrom ’08 is engaged to Ashley Mason.

Celeste Schepp ’09 and Louis D’Amanda ’09 married on June 28, 2014.

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Anonymous (4) • Dr. David Aagesen and Dr. Isabel Fernandez • Ms. Jennifer Bradley Abbott ’70 • Dr. Deborah A. Abowitz ’77 • Ms. Lindsay M. Agor ’02 • Dr. Jeffrey Alexis and Dr. Christine M. Hay • Mr. Mark Glaze and Mrs. Tammy Allen • Ms. Barbara J. Andrew ’66 • Ms. Kathryn A. Babin ’03 • Ms. Kathryn M. Baldwin ’04 • Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm F. Baldwin ’58 • Dr. Richard Barbano and Dr. Julie Fudge • Ms. Kim Bednarcyk • Mr. Jonathan Benjamin ’09 • Ms. Karin E. Bleeg ’01 • Mr. and Mrs. Randolf Bloechl • Mr. Michael Brennan and Ms. Catherine Burke • Mr. and Mrs. Donald Brooks • Mr. Truman Bullard ’56 • Mr. Paul J. Burgo ’97 • Mr. Ben Burroughs • Ms. Alice Calabrese • Ms. Martha D. Cameron ’81 • Ms. Catherine M. Carithers ’01 • Mr. Benjamin Carr ’98 • Ms. Elizabeth C. Carr • Mr. Theodore M. Carr ’00 • Mr. Chad Carta and Mrs. Carey E. Carta ’03 • Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Cinquino • Mr. Anthony Ciaccia and Ms. Ann Costello • Mr. Clifford Costello ’07 • Ms. Jan Costello ’68 • Mr. and Mrs. P. Keely Costello ’64 • Mr. James L. D’Amanda ’05 • Ms. Judith A. DeMocker ’87 • Ms. Elizabeth L. DeWeese ’75 • Mr. Peter Kozloski and Ms. Alison Dickson-Kozloski ’90 • Mr. Joshua F. Dienstag ’82 • Mr. Douglas P. Drake ’72 • Dr. Michael Dunn and Dr. Jennifer Lukomski • Mr. Lucas D. Englehardt ’01 • Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fallon ’58 • Mr. Remy Fenster and Ms. Marilyn Fenster • Mr. Richard Finkelstein and Ms. Meredith Fox • Ms. Megan Fitzpatrick • Mr. Steven Foisy and Mrs. Ivone Foisy • Mr. Lawrence Frye and Ms. Robin Damrad Frye • Mr. Harrison W. Gabel ’97 • Mr. Robert M. Galbraith ’77 • Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Gilbert ’87 • Mr. and Mrs. Lee Goldman ’86 • Dr. Jose Torre and Ms. Melissa Hall • Dr. Peter D. Hamblin ’68 • Mr. and Mrs. Scott W. Harrison ’81 • Mr. Christopher Hartman ’93 and Mrs. Victoria Perovich Hartman ’93 • Mr. David Harvey and Mrs. Charlotte Harvey • Mr. Peter Holloran ’71 • Dr. Joseph Hornak and Mrs. Elizabeth Hornak • Ms. Roseann K. Jackura • Ms. Mary Cooley James ’80 • Mr. and Mrs. Hassan Jones • Mrs. Laurie MacKenzie Kennedy ’76 • Mr. and Mrs. Dean Kindig • Mr. Baird King ’03 • Mrs. Laura Joslyn Klibanoff ’83 • Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Koonmen • Miss Abigail L. Kraai ’04 • Mr. and Mrs. Eric Kronenberger • Dr. Leslie W. Lange and Mrs. Lisa Osborne Lange ’74 • Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan LaRue ’00 • Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Lederer ’88 • Mr. Robert W. Levis, Jr. ’68 • Miss Hillary M. Levitt ’04 • Dr. Chris Lewis and Mrs. Aimee Lewis • Mr. Paul Liotti and Mrs. Kristin Liotti • Ms. Meaghan E. Malone ’06 • Miss Jane Merrill ’08 • Mr. and Mrs. John Milazzo • Prof. John Mills ’57 and Ms. Suzanne Crowe • Mr. and Mrs. Darrin Nelson • Mr. Seth O’Bryan and Dr. Julie Pasternack • Mr. Jonathan J. O’Hara • Ms. Sam Olivier • Mr. Greg Parent and Mrs. Sara Doniger Parent ’95 • Ms. Vicki Pasternak • Dr. Stephanie Weiner Payton ’79 • Dr. Hugh Peng and Ms. Cindy Yin • Ms. Nancy Brooks Phillips ’84 • Mrs. Moira Prister • Mr. D. Randolph Prozeller ’62 • Mr. Donald Pulver and Mrs. Jane Ratcliffe Pulver ’52 • Ms. Elizabeth Reading ’81 and Mr. Keith Schnebly • Dr. Steven A. Rich and Dr. Sandra J. Eckhert • Ms. Jennifer Rugg ’75 • Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Sarosky • Dr. Edward Sassaman and Dr. Michelle Shayne • Mrs. Peggy Weisberg Savlov ’48 • Mr. Russell P. Schwartz ’58 • Mr. Alan J. Shechter ’83 • Ms. Carol C. Shuherk • Dr. Terry Fonda Smith • Mr. and Mrs. Winston T. Smith • Mrs. Anne Morgan Stadler ’48 • Mr. Randall States ’73 • Ms. Ashley M. Stone ’01 • Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Todd ’64 • Dr. T. Michael Toole ’79 • Mr. and Mrs. Edward Townsend ’98 • Mr. James T. Townsend ’61 and Mrs. Anne Townsend • Ms. Sandra Tripp ’74 • Mr. and Mrs. David Truman • Mr. John Voelcker ’77 • Mr. and Mrs. Edward Weiler • Mr. Mike Rastelli and Ms. Rebecca Weiner ’81 • Mr. Bartlett White and Dr. Emma Ciafaloni • Mr. Charles White and Ms. Maria Furgiuele • Mr. Samuel F. Willsea ’06 • Dr. Xulong Zhang and Mrs. Xiaobei Qiu • Mr. Yasser Sabra and Ms. Fatemeh Ziai ’82

J

p OIN

Harley’s newest

philanthropic society The Harley Star recognizing distinction in giving.

The Harley School five-year pledge

Y

OUR

generosity will be

recognized in our

Annual Report, and at our new annual event honoring our members.

Harley’s newest Be a

Be a a Harley Harley

Star

Star

To join, contact Director of Development, Debra Weiss Walker ’83 (585) 442-1770 ext. 3031, dwalker@harleyschool.org 38 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

or visit www.harleyschool.org/give

page 8 Inside cover

page 9 page 9

page 4

page 13 page 13

page 11 page 12

page 19

page 14

page 13

page 19

page 19

page 19 page 19 page 46

page 23

Richard Thorley page 46

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Kiersten Thompson ’09 writes: I am finish-

ing up my undergraduate degree in chemistry and management studies at St. Olaf College, where I am senior captain on the Equestrian Club (Maggie Lloyd ’11 actually rides at the same place and goes to shows with me).

Hope all is well with Harley.

10s

The picture is one we took when the program first started up. In the picture is a group of juniors at Lower Merion High School; they posted this picture on the school district’s webpage. I am currently planning for an Engineering Olympics Day, where all the high school students, NSBE collegiates, engineering staff, and corporate sponsors can have a day filled with different engineering activities, food, and games. Just

wanted to share the great news with Harley, and I will definitely be in to visit soon!

Victoria Kanellopoulos ’11 graduated from

the University of Virginia (with distinction) May 2014. She completed a four-year program in foreign affairs and Spanish in three years. She notes that the AP credits she obtained while at Harley gave her a good start in completing the program early.

Tyler Laurito ’10 is a senior at the University

of Miami, where he was accepted into the five-year B.S./M.S. program, and will graduate next year with his master’s in biomedical engineering. He has, he writes, had a “great experience,” and will be in Miami this summer working on two research projects. One of the projects is for his master’s and one is a special project that concentrates on vascular graft failures.

Jahna Humphrey ’11 writes: I wanted to share some great news with the Harley Family. I’m in my junior year at Villanova University, and this year I am program chair for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). In my first year taking a leadership role in this organization, I started a high school STEM and mentoring program in two school districts in the Philadelphia area. We currently have 98 students, and I do all the programming for them. We do various engineering projects with them, conduct campus tours, give them access to Villanova’s admission officers, as well as provide them with a mentor for life; I became attached to all of the students. As our program started to expand and more students wanted to join, I did not know how I was going to keep the program going.

I worked for the Dow Chemical Company this summer and applied for their Dow Promise Grant, and I was thrilled when Dow awarded my program $10,000 to help fund the program and keep it going. We are active in five high schools in two school districts.

The Class of 2013 gathered over Memorial Day weekend at Mendon Ponds Park. Clockwise starting from the back: Thomas Lampeter, Saul Cohen, Emily Hanss, Katerina Nunez, Lianna Reis, Andrew Regelski, Jordan Bell, Zachary Palumbo, Caitlin Richard (in front), Sarah Kingsley, Rosie Gilroy, Grace O’Brien, Joshua Shechter, and Carolyn Rumrill (added later in pink)

2015

Jahna ’11’ s STEM program

40 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

Priority Pricing

$85 pp until Feb. 14 $100 pp after Feb. 14

March 21, 2015

Temple B’rith Kodesh 2131 Elmwood Avenue Rochester, NY 14618 6-11 pm

$25 pp for alumni ’04 - ’14

Our largest fundraiser of the year.

Meet the New Head of School Cross Country Alumni Tour Final stop: Rochester, New York

Alumni Reunion 2014

Save the Date:

Alumni Reunion, June 12 & 13, 2015

2 01 3

| 41

In Memoriam Peggy Finucane Neville ’33 Phillip Kennedy ’42 Ann Sanford Gamble ’44

Ruch Anderson Hecker ’44 Louis D’Amanda ’47

Sheila Maloy Thing ’47 Polly Utter Alger ’51

Remember to send in your notes and updates to Karen Saludo ksaludo@ harleyschool.org Michael Brown , Upper School history, 2004-

2007, recently graduated from the University of Rochester with a Ph.D. Michael will be a visiting assistant professor of history at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Gilbert True, grade 7 history, 1958-1959, writes: This is to thank the now 50-year classes that I taught and from whom I learned so much. Harley and those students gave me a start in the world of education.

I never left the teaching, administration, and other activities until I retired.

Paul Schiffman is completing his 42nd year in

education, and his eighth year in Las Vegas as the head of school at the Adelson Educational Campus.

He loves hearing from former Harley students, faculty, and board members. He welcomed his second grandson, Asher Seymour Montefiore, in October 2013. Asher joins big brother, Issac.

Eloise Nielsen’s (physical education, 1966-1982) granddaughters Hannah Grace Nielsen, born in May, and Avery Elise Scheller, born in October, wearing their Harley onesies.

G

ifts to the School directly impact student experiences, faculty development, and the strength of the programs we offer.

Your financial support will ensure the School maintains its mission of providing an exemplary education to students and will help the School realize its vision for future generations of scholars.

P

Membership is granted to supporters who make a five-year commitment to The Harley Fund with an annual gift of $1,000 or greater.

lease support The Harley Fund by joining The Harley Circle today.

To join, contact Director of Development, Debra Weiss Walker ’83 (585) 442-1770 ext. 3031, dwalker@harleyschool.org or visit www.harleyschool.org/harleyfund

42 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

{ • Cherished Traditions • }

In 1927, 10 years after Harley was founded, the first senior Fredericka Morehouse ’27

Banners

graduated. Class banners came into existence during that first Commencement, as well as the tradition of handing down the Senior banner to the incoming First Grade class.

This year, the Visor and Swords banner was handed down to the Class of 2026 ; it represents “the penetrating power of the intellect with newfound assurance. We combine ambition with courage and justice.”

Help support The Harley School’s cherished traditions by giving to the 2014-2015 Harley Fund.

Learn more at: www.harleyschool.org/supporting-harley/the-harley-fund To make a gift online: www.harleyschool.org/give 2 014

| 43

Making an

Impact

by

Karin E. Bleeg ’01 shown with Jay Stetzer

Karin Bleeg ’01 went to the University of Washington and graduated in 2005 with a bachelor’s in women’s studies, ultimately receiving a master’s in public health from George Washington University.

Presently, she is a research associate at GW’s School of Public Health, working on an NIH-funded program that focuses on Latinos in Langley Park, Maryland. Outside of work, she manages two community gardens for low-income individuals and volunteers as a case manager for the DC Abortion Fund.

‘‘

The Harley School is community. No matter where we are in the world, we are a community and connect on a level that isn’t understood by many other people.

I started attending Harley as a freshman and by the time I was a senior, I couldn’t wait to get out of the Harley bubble. My best friend Lauren (Rosenberg) Stuhmer ’02 bid me farewell, and her mother told me I’d come back and become Harley’s biggest cheerleader one day. I was a petulant 19-year-old who just wanted to escape.

I moved to Seattle but couldn’t shake Harley. My roommates were incredulous every time Mrs. Deutsch would leave me phone messages on our house answering machine. And, I found myself reaching out to Foster and Schara. I was a tiny fish in a big university sea. When I graduated from Harley and sat stoically at graduation, I had no idea that Harley would never let me go.

I graduated college, I ran away to Mexico for a man, dragged myself, while kicking, back to Rochester, and then found myself working in corporate America, at PAETEC.

What was I thinking?

Really, Ms. Women’s Studies, how are you going to save the world in corporate America?

But guess what: the CEO of PAETEC, Arunas Chesonis, sent his children to Harley and sat on its Board of Trustees. In fact, in my first year at PAETEC, I was offered two seats at his table at Blast! (and no one turns down that kind of invitation). Then, I connected with Karen Saludo, and once I became a manager, I thought about ways of starting a Harley internship at PAETEC. Then, in a very strange twist of fate, while looking for apartments in 2008, I came across a posting on Craigslist that included contact information for Jay Stetzer. I knew of Jay, but beyond being the person who orchestrated the Lower School Pageant and played the piano during lunches on our last day before winter break, I didn’t know him. Now, I can remember that lifers spoke of him and his wife, Maura Allen, with such love. I moved into Jay and Maura’s second-floor apartment, we became close, and there’s rarely a week that goes by that we don’t exchange voicemails, texts, or emails.

The last imprint Harley made on me before I moved to DC was by Chris Hartman ’93. Soon after he arrived at Harley, I became involved in the burgeoning local food movement that Chris was deeply involved with, not just at Harley, but also throughout Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. In 2009, I volunteered from May to November at Mud Creek Farm, a community-supported agricultural farm, in Victor every Sunday. Before this experience, I resented gardening. It was a chore; I was more concerned with the ethics of food production. But I quickly learned how sweet and rich an eggplant tastes if you grow it on your own without any inorganic or organic pesticides. And you know what?

I discovered that creating a community around sustainable food practices and production is a viable solution in what ails much of the world: Pollution. Hunger. War. Poverty. Food is a universal language that all of us can speak as we come to the table to laugh, cry, shout, whisper—but always, to connect.

I’m grateful that Harley didn’t give up on me (and yes, Mrs. Rosenberg, you were right). My time with Harley and its community as a high school student and a twenty-something has helped usher me to the here and now.

Hello, my name is Karin and I’m a recovering Harleyite. Be creative. Be supportive. Give back. Love.

Be[come] thou what art.

44 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

What I’ve

‘‘

Having discipline,

Learned

Don Lindsay ’76 is a beer sommelier and merchant ship officer. With a background sailing and teaching in the finest civilian-crewed, traditionally rigged vessels in existence, Don holds several noteworthy distinctions in ocean-going square-riggers that no other American has achieved. He is also proud of his current title of beer sommelier (“Vize-weltmeister”), which was awarded after he placed second in the most recent Beer Sommelier World Championship, held in Munich. Lindsay loves bicycling, sailing, all things culinary, and growing jackfruit and mangos at his home in Florida.

paying attention to my interests, taking action, cultivating mentors, and having the passion and ‘iron’ to press on through uncertainty has

’’

given me an

interesting life.

Pay attention to others

You never know what you’ll learn or how it will serve you. One of the cool things about Harley was that the teachers and staff were willing to give you individual attention. Bud Ewell ’40, as an example of a common experience at the School, knew which questions to ask to get me out of a rut, and freely shared his love of wooden boats. After Harley, an American Material Culture class at Skidmore led me to the Genesee Country Museum and an interview with director emeritus Stuart Bolger. As we sat in silence under the eaves of one of the nineteenth-century buildings, staring through the hand-rolled glass windows and the moon shining on the snow, it was obvious that he did not like being interviewed by a college student, and was just quickly rattling off a description of his duties. The interview was going nowhere fast.

And then I asked him about the door hardware in his office. I had been raised in a nineteenth-century farmhouse that my parents had spent years restoring, so my interest was genuine. That one question led to an hours-long conversation about the importance of the authenticity, suitability, and condition of the hardware. In turn, that conversation morphed into a long discussion of his approach to the ethics and methodologies of historic preservation, and ultimately led to a job offer for me! My Skidmore professors were impressed. Stuart held the job for me for three months until I graduated.

Paying attention made the difference.

Sometimes it takes iron

I found this out one summer when I was a camper at a camp in Maine run by Steve Hinrichs. Eleven years old and small for my age, I couldn’t wait to be out in the boats at camp. But until I could swim to a distant island and back without stopping, I would have to wear a life preserver at all times. Push on indeed. I qualified, and my love of the water and sailing was alive and growing. My first coastal saltwater sailing experience happened later that summer aboard the schooner ALAMAR. I was hooked, but a year after college I was fired from a coastal schooner for lack of knowledge, skill, and ability. An obstacle, to be sure, but the captain who fired me had spoken in awe of the three greatest American captains and their vessels. So, six months later, from the top of Spy Glass Hill in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, when I saw one of them, the ROMANCE, anchored in the bay, I was not about to take no for an answer from any of the crew to my request to see the ship. I swam out, only to see the ship’s owner yank the rope boarding ladder out of the water as I approached. Eventually, though, the fellowship among mariners prevailed and her husband allowed me to board. What followed was a conversation that led to a job and the mentorship of a lifetime. The athleticism of sailing was obvious, but ‘Skipper’ spoke of the drive and heart and mental discipline necessary to sail. He called it the ‘iron in your soul.’ It is a lesson I continue to practice.

Lead an authentic life

But sometimes life has other plans, an auto accident and balance issues changed my path. Determined to live authentically, I listened, learned, and persisted in the face of uncertainty. Presenting beer classes, dinners, and tastings for a job at Whole Foods Market led to sales-metric record-breaking, which led to my becoming a certified Beer Sommelier.

And last September I competed in the Beer Sommelier World Championship in Munich. Many of my competitors gave more complete sensory descriptions of the beers, but no one described the noteworthiness, brewing traditions, and passion for beer better than I. After a heated discussion among the judges, first place was awarded to a German brewer, and I received second—a huge reward indeed for a non-beer-industry American in this competition.

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Thank you for your service Richard Thorley left his native Australia i n 1986, and came to the University of WisconsinMadison for his Ph.D. in science education; in 1990, he moved to Rochester with his wife, Sonja, to teach at the University of Rochester

see selfie page 39

and enjoy upstate New York winters. In 1995, Thorley landed at Harley, where he initially taught Middle School math.

In 1997, he was tapped to teach Harley’s first AP Physics class, and eventually moved to teaching physics full time; for the last four years, he has served as chair of the Science Department. After spending his last year at Harley incorporating aspects of the renewable-energy systems of The Commons into the physics curriculum, Thorley leaves Harley to join his wife and two children in southern Vermont, where his daughter, Tegan, cross-country skis at the Stratton Mountain School, a world-renowned winter sports academy; his son, Neil, began there this fall as a ninth grader. Thorley joins his children at Stratton Mountain teaching high school math; his unmatched combination of passion and rigor will be missed and fondly remembered at Harley.

see selfie page 39

Julie VanDeMar retired after a 17-year career at Harley, which has included teaching in Primary B, second grade, Nursery Blue, and Horizons. VanDeMar is leaving Harley to be a fulltime grandmother to grandson Ian. Ian served as the “Empathy Baby” in Nursery Blue this past year. In this assignment, he visited the classroom periodically, helping teach VanDeMar’s students empathy and positive ways of relating to themselves and each other.

46 | B e c o m i n g M a ga z i n e

volunteer educational leader:

Conger Gabel ’62

by Laura De Martino Conger Gabel ’62 started at The Harley School in 1949 as a kindergartener. In 1962, he graduated with a class of 24 students. Gabel’s three sons—Christopher ’92, Jonathan ’94, and Harrison ’97— all attended Harley as well, beginning in 1979. This fall, his granddaughter, Julia ’26, joined the kindergarten class. The Harley School thus has enveloped the legacy of the family for over 50 years, and will continue to hold students from the Gabels for years to come.

After graduating from Harley, Gabel went on to receive an A.B. in physics from Princeton University.

“Harley did a great job preparing me for Princeton,” he said. “The School created the atmosphere of what college courses would be like, and helped me to branch out and be accepted to higher level universities.” After Princeton, Gabel returned to Rochester to receive his M.A. in education, and a Ph.D. in optics from the University of Rochester. Then, he moved to California for several years and became a physics teacher and soccer coach at the Polytechnic School in Pasadena. He returned to join the faculty of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester where he served as associate professor and assistant director.

Become what thou art

Gabel’s father had been an executive at Eastman Kodak Company and his grandfather owned a small business in Poughkeepsie, NY. This inspired Gabel to go on to business school himself, and he entered Stanford University to receive a M.S. in management and graduate as an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow.

After this final graduation, Gabel focused on the commercialization of leading-edge technology in business, becoming, in succession, the vice president of strategy and director of time to market at Xerox Corporation, the executive director of the Center for Innovation in Product Development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the founder and CEO of GG&C Imaging Systems, Inc., which was acquired by the Imaging Group of Micron Technology, Inc. In 2008, Gabel retired. With many more hours of free time, he and his wife, Mary Jo, began going on road trips, visiting ski resorts and national parks, and rafting the rapids on the Colorado River.

But he wanted more, so he volunteered to be the chair of the Advisory Board for Horizons at Harley, an organization Mary Jo helped develop in 1994. Horizons is a six week, tuition free, summer enrichment program for low-income Rochester City school children that helps these young people succeed in school and in life (www.horizonsatharley.org). Using Horizons at Harley as a platform, Gabel and other educational leaders have created the Greater Rochester Summer Learning Assocation now encompassing eight educational institutions hosting summer learning programs (www.summerLEAP. com). This summer 740 students are enrolled. By 2016, the number of summer scholars will reach 1,000.

“What I’m doing now with summer learning is because of what I have tied together from all of the experiences I’ve had in my life. Everything I learned in my educational and business career is helping me in my summer learning volunteer work,” Gabel says, and credits Harley as the place “where it all started for him.” He concludes: “Harley challenges you to keep thinking about new things, new opportunities, and ways you can use your skills to make a contribution to the community. That is why I am so lucky to be working with Harley again on the Horizons team that is making a difference in the lives of many low-income children; it is a vital stepping-stone to ‘Becoming what thou art.’ ” In 2013, Gabel was recognized with the Community Champion Award at the Greater Rochester Awards, presented by the Rochester Business Journal.

The award honors his efforts to increase the opportunity for summer learning for area low-income students.

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