Leading Progressive Education Since 1921
news SUMMER 2013
Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School | lrei.org
news SUMMER 2013
IN THIS ISSUE 4 DID YOU KNOW? LREI by the numbers 6 URBAN PLANNERS City life reimagined by third graders PAPERLESS PORTFOLIOS
Middle schoolers curate their work online
7 KNIGHTS RULE High school student athletes turn it up a notch MORE THAN BASIC TRAINING
How Summers at LREI staffers prep for camp 8 GRADUATION 2013 Overheard at commencement
10 LIAM’S LEGACY From Bleecker Street to MIT 12 GRADUATES, UNITED An inspired alum earns foreign affairs fellowship MEET OUR NEW TRUSTEES
14 LREI IN THE WORLD Q&A with Distinguished Alumnus Paul Williams ’63 16 REUNION WEEKEND 2013 17 CONNECTING TO THE PAST Alumni Council improves archives and more 18 CLASS NOTES
COVER ART BY CHEYENNE TOBIAS ’14 CHEYENNE WORKED WITH ART TEACHERS JAMES FRENCH AND SHAUNA FINN ON THIS PORTRAIT, PART OF AN ONGOING HONORS PROJECT WITH ENGLISH TEACHER ILEANA JIMÉNEZ ABOUT FEMINISM AND ITS CONNECTION TO RACE. LREI NEWS DESIGN BY JESSICA SOKOL MONACO
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Letter From the Director
T
hank you. Thank you for all of the ways that each of you, and that all of you, helped make the 2012-2013 school year such a success.
Thank you to the 150 LREI employees who devote each day to ensuring that all students and families have an enriching experience. A special thanks to High School History Teacher Mark Bledstein, who completed his 45th year at LREI. Wow! Thank you to the members of the LREI family body — parents, guardians, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends — who contribute to the school through the Annual Fund, through work on committees, through their support of the faculty and staff, and through encouragement of their children’s hard work. Thank you to the alumni who are increasingly involved in the life of the school. Over 100 alumni attended this year’s Reunion Weekend, our biggest turnout to date. Thank you to the school’s 33 trustees who give so much time and care to LREI today and, more importantly, to LREI’s tomorrow. Thank you, maybe most of all, to LREI’s students — 612 strong this past year, and 630 come September. Collectively and individually, you are what makes LREI the amazing school it is. Each day, you arrive eager to participate in the experiences that your teachers and classmates create for you. You experiment, write, draw, sing, dance, investigate, compete, reflect and take risks all day long. (I get tired just writing about it!) You are so good to each other. You are kind and reasonable and supportive. We ask a lot of you and you deliver even more. As you read this magazine, think about all of the people who made this year’s successes possible. There are a lot of them and we are so proud of and grateful for each and every one. LREI — one special school, one special community. Best,
Phil Kassen
ENCORE! LREI PRODUCTIONS BRING DOWN THE HOUSE Guys and Dolls
Beauty and the Beast
PHOTOS BY TED RODRIGUEZ
Grease
Playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis and original lead actor Ron Cephas Jones (center) stop by to support the Charlton Street staging of “Our Lady of 121st Street.”
LREI NEWS
| Summer 2013
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DID YOU KNOW?
$1,040,344
352,286 visits to
232
1,100 visitors on
record number of dollars raised for the Annual Fund
students in the High School, the most in LREI history
802 exit polls conducted on Election Day by Dan and Ella’s Fourth Grade
189 original compositions
91 iPads in the
by students in our Young Composers & Improvisers Workshop
Middle School iPad program
Meet our composers
lrei.org
admissions tours, almost all of which were wait list only
80 honors projects completed by the Class of 2013 during their four years
1LREI one special school, one special community
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51,000
13,684 miles flown by each of the 33 Mandarin students who traveled to China for spring break
square feet on campus with the addition of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion and the Science & Math Center
1,372 fans on our LREI and LREI Alumni Facebook pages
1934 year Eleanor Roosevelt joined the LREI board of advisers, serving on it for decades
78 & 20
percent of the eighth grade class moving up to the High School...
2:18.37 LREI record for 200-yard individual medley, set by Alexa Code ’16, member of our first-ever swim team
11,972 books checked out of our libraries
8 chicks hatched
lifers — students starting in First Grade or before — in that eighth grade class!
in Elizabeth and Clare’s Kindergarten
4 age when
5 seasons as Middle
LREI students start lessons in social justice
School Girls Basketball league champions
LREI NEWS
| Summer 2013
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LOWER SCHOOL
Urban Planners While students elsewhere ended
their school years with exams and essays, LREI third
graders in Elaine and Rich’s class ended theirs with a top-secret mission: to save Manhattan.
It was an emergency situation, the children were told. — in-depth understanding of Lenape culture, Dutch colonial settlements and more — to help create a vision for the future.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
“It was a culminating project that tied in everything we
Paperless Portfolios
a project she co-developed with Kelli Holsopple,
Amidst ongoing conversations about the use of
did all year long,” Elaine said about City of the Future, a theater-in-education teacher at the East Village Community School.
Students first learned about the mission via a video featuring lower school faculty and staff. They were urged to “apply” to participate by solving puzzles and brain-teasers. Once “selected,” they were
given various tasks to complete, such as building cube models and drawing diagrams of their ideal
Manhattan, based on the innovation of generations before them.
digital tools to support learning, LREI launched a digital portfolio design project as an innovative way for students to document and curate their work online. Fifth graders, with guidance from Middle School Technology Teacher and Curriculum Integrator Saber Khan, used Google Sites to design their own secure, shareable spaces for poems, science experiments, video clips — anything they created in or outside school connected to their passions and interests. Students shared their portfolios with their families before spring Family Conferences, adding a new level of depth to their conversations.
“The Lenape made decisions all together, as a
“The most exciting thing for me was being able to put my work all in one place,” says Nissim ’20.
The project was truly an interdisciplinary experience,
Student design ideas were then used to inform faculty conversations about what’s next. Teachers plan to use the portfolios next year to engage families more directly with the curriculum and to allow students to reflect more deeply. Older students also will use their portfolios to share work with audiences beyond the LREI community.
community. I like that,” one student said.
incorporating not only history and social studies, but also math, science and archeology. Looking back,
students said they had fun applying what they learned. “When we reflected as a class, we actually talked
about different types of learning — that there’s the
type when you’re remembering facts, and then the
type when you’re applying facts,” Elaine said. “They definitely appreciated using their imaginations to create something completely new.”
Progressive mission accomplished.
Nissim is interested to see what his digital portfolio says about him in 10 years, when he’s 21. “I’ll have all the stuff I’ve accomplished since I was 11. I hope that’s a big list!” Other educators are taking note. In May, Middle School Principal Mark Silberberg organized and hosted a sold-out NYSAIS workshop on digital portfolios. “What’s been exciting about this project is that we took our lead from the students by asking them how this new learning space might work best to meet their needs,” Mark explains. “This led to inspiring, actionoriented work among our faculty, which we were then able to share with outside colleagues. Moving forward, we can share and innovate with a network of other professionals. I think that’s exactly what Elisabeth Irwin had in mind when she conceived of the school as a ‘laboratory’ for learning.”
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PHOTOS BY AMY ANGELO, LAURA HAHN AND STEVE NEIMAN
They would have to use their knowledge of the past
HIGH SCHOOL
Knights Rule It was a standout year for LREI Athletics,
with our high school student athletes leading the charge. Girls and Boys Varsity Track ran away with the league championship title, as did our undefeated (yes, undefeated!) Girls Varsity Softball Team. “I’m very very proud,” Athletic Director Peter Fisher says. “The kids worked hard from beginning to end, starting last fall. More of them are training in the preseason — and it shows.” That’s thanks, in large part, to a dedicated coaching staff. High School History Teacher Peter Heinz, who coaches Cross Country and Track, and Middle School Art Teacher Jeremiah Demster, who coaches Varsity Girls Soccer and middle school intramural basketball, are two coaches raising the bar.
SUMMERS AT LREI
“When you create a culture in which everyone expects to work hard, it makes a huge difference,” says Peter.
At the end of June, school is out and it’s time for
Many of LREI’s teams are young, too, which bodes well for the 2013-2014 school year — and for seasons to come. “There are some real stars in the rising sophomore class,” says Ruth Jurgensen, high school principal. Among the Class of 2016 athletes: Alexa Code and Miles Hamberg, nationally competitive swimmers who joined our Varsity Swim Team for this year’s inaugural season.
More Than Basic Training Summers at LREI to begin! At least for the campers… Camp
administrators have been working towards this moment all year,
designing the program and preparing to train over 130 counselors. Camp prep kicks into high gear in May. This year, head counselors and specialists attended a retreat upstate, where they participated in camp-themed game show stations, like “Wheel of Camp” and “Double Stare.” They also took part in team-building activities
like ropes courses and scavenger hunts, as well as workshops on diversity and progressive education theory.
“We want to create a high-energy, creative environment at camp, so we model this for counselors during retreat and orientation week,”
explains Cari Kosins, Director of Afterschool and Summer Programs. At orientation, counselors participated in “Little Red Olympics,” with trust falls, camp supply relay races and track and field trip
training. Additionally, the counselors-to-be attended workshops on progressive education, diversity and challenging behaviors. One of the most important orientation experiences is the
Safety Walk, says Cari. “We take the counselors to playgrounds in the neighborhood, as campers. They experience holding
whands as they cross the street, while observing administrators modeling safety procedures.”
“We practice progressive theory and demonstrate what
that looks like. The goal is to get everyone on the same page, supporting the mission of the camp,” Cari says.
Visit summers.lrei.org to learn more about our programs, for ages three through 13.
LREI NEWS
| Summer 2013
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Graduation
2013 In your travels, take all of the small detours; they matter, and they brought you here to this stage now.”
–Ruth Jurgensen, High School Principal
Empathy, intellectualism and passion: all hallmarks of an LREI education.”
–Liam Cohen ’13
My roots run deep, my roots run wild, my roots stretch far and I’m not a stereotype. No matter what predicament I’m in, I will always have those same roots to tell me that I’m not done yet.”
–Monet Thibou ’13
PHOTOS BY BRIANA E. HEARD
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Are you reading every sign you pass on the street? Yes, and you have since First Grade. We see the younger you, the little kid, the baby you, in the way you still need a cuddle after a bad day, in the way that you want to save every ant and fly and bird, in the way you always question what others see as absolute truths.”
–Phil Kassen, Director
Sikh don’t have a word for goodbye, so I leave you with a phrase that families use when a dear one is departing: ‘Guru Rakha.’ It loosely means, ‘God take care of your well-being.’”
–Sarvjit Moonga, High School Vice Principal, High School Chemistry Teacher
LREI tradition: Faculty personally select books for each member of the class and hand them out at Senior Banquet, the night before Commencement.
As you go out into the world, remember these lessons from my daughter Violet’s First Grade Restaurant. On greetings: Always greet people with a smile and a friendly hello. On anger management, and this is a direct quote: ‘If you get frustrated while you are working, don’t scream at the top of your lungs.’ A personal favorite: Don’t yuck other people’s yum, whether it comes to cuisine or inspiration.”
See where our 2013 grads are going to college.
–Amy Zimmerman, Board Chair
LREI NEWS
| Summer 2013
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Liam’s Legacy FROM BLEECKER STREET TO MIT, ONE LREI GRADUATE’S EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY
I
t’s the night before graduation, and senior
Liam Cohen is describing, in detail, an urban planning lesson from Second Grade.
The challenge: Build a bridge out of straws.
Liam teamed up with classmate David White,
and set out to construct a drawbridge powered by windmills. One day, after hours in the
classroom’s loft, designing and redesigning, it
finally worked. They could blow on the windmills and the drawbridge would open.
“Our teachers just said, ‘Yeah, do it!’ That was the coolest thing. They didn’t make us stick to the project,” Liam remembered. “They never
stifled my creativity, not even as an 8 year old.” A decade later, Liam is still building and creating and taking his own innovative approach to
learning. He completed a rigorous, custom-built
schedule unlike any LREI student before him. As a sophomore, Liam finished advanced Calculus (a course typically reserved for seniors), then went on to study Calculus II, linear algebra,
quantum mechanics and more at New York
University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University.
“Liam is amazing,” High School Principal Ruth Jurgensen said. “He inspired a lot of people
during his 14 years here, and he inspired us as educators. He showed us a different path.”
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“This is the place for me.”
“He was extremely smart and articulate, but he
when he visited with his parents, Anastasia Traina
His handwriting was a mess. He had great ideas,
Liam’s journey at LREI began after preschool,
struggled to sit in a chair, to navigate the stairs.
and Scott Cohen. Something immediately clicked.
but he couldn’t get them out,” Mary remembered.
“When Liam came out of LREI, Lhe said, ‘This
With Mary’s encouragement, Ana took Liam
“I think he felt at home.”
who determined that he had boarderline
is the place for me.’ And that was it,” said Ana. That feeling stayed with him throughout Lower
School, Middle School and High School, where he not only excelled academically, but he also thrived outside of the classroom. He led the
LREI Robotics Team, which made it to the world championship (twice!). He threw discs on the Ultimate Frisbee Team. He taught a physics
course. He played guitar at countless coffee houses and school-wide assemblies.
“It was a theme during my time at LREI: feeling
safe and comfortable, having the freedom
to explore and try new things, but knowing that I had a really nice safety net,” said Liam.
“He struggled to sit in a chair.”
It wasn’t always easy for Liam, though. When he was in First Grade, Mary Young, early
for testing at Manhattan’s Board of Education, sensory processing disorder. As such, he didn’t qualify for treatment.
“I told Mary, and she said, ‘We’re going to
fight!’ She came to every single appointment after that,” Ana recalled.
Mary coordinated with Liam’s teachers about
strategies that could help him in the meantime. Eventually, after meetings and calls and one
close encounter with a court appearance, the
Board of Education relented, granting Liam the services he needed.
“In every way, LREI met the challenge — and
with glee,” said Ana. “They didn’t say, ‘This is a
problem.’ They said, ‘Okay, we have to figure this out. Should Liam bring a cushion to help him sit straight? Would a computer make it easier for him to write?’”
childhood learning specialist (and now also l
By Fourth Grade, Liam started to hit his stride.
that he had fine motor challenges.
were hints of the poised graduate who (selected
ower school admissions director), recognized
He was stronger, steadier, more confident. There
by his peers) delivered a commencement
With his heart still set on MIT, Liam didn’t
address that brought laughter and tears to a
want to put it off. He emailed Carey to see if she
Liam through the years (from left): Painting the school, as a Kindergartener. Programming in Fifth Grade. Fishing with Charles Simpson-Brown ’13. Leading the LREI Robotics Team. Visiting MIT upon his acceptance. Performing with his band at graduation.
packed Skirball Center audience — one that
could review his essay. She replied: “Let’s just
included Mary Young.
meet at the diner.”
“I was weeping when he gave that speech.
“I was totally shocked,” Liam said, even though
It stuck. And so did the label — “Atlas and
wanted to do.”
so helpful that day and just very encouraging
Senior year could have been a time to move
“The college process was brilliant.”
school was a reach school.”
where he had been taking classes, but instead,
I always knew he would do whatever he
When it came time to think about college, Liam knew the “name brand schools,” as he calls them, but he hadn’t considered the type of
learning environment that would suit him best.
Enter: Director of College Guidance Carey Socol. “The college process was brilliant because
Carey runs it,” said Scott. “She wanted him to find the place he belonged.”
Massachusetts Institute of Technology had been a dream since Fifth Grade, but Carey
urged Liam to evaluate not only its reputation, but also its community. She encouraged
him to apply to a number of top-tier schools (California Institute of Technology, Harvard
University, Bard College), and to continue to better his SAT scores.
After Hurricane Sandy, the MIT application
deadline was extended for New York students.
he knew she lived three blocks away. “She was
Liam’s Office” — Liam put up outside the door.
throughout the whole process. She never said a
further and further into the university sphere,
It worked. In September, Liam will start as a freshman at MIT.
“I was able to use the school like a lab.”
It was the loft in Second Grade, and then the “office” his senior year.
Liam was working on a math honors project,
Liam came back, got involved and continued to make himself at home.
“Through working really hard and gaining
a sense of trust and camaraderie with the
administration and the faculty, I was able to use the school like a lab and a workplace,” Liam
said. “It was just a step up from the freedom they’d given me since Second Grade.”
as well as a Senior Project with Atlas Wegman.
Liam’s legacy is already showing its staying
Teacher Sarvjit Moonga challenged the two to
conversations about the Strategic Plan, to launch
needed space.
the school’s “go-to person” for advice on how to
High School Vice Principal and Chemistry
power. He was an influential voice during
find a way to turn on a light with an iPhone. He
in 2013-2014, and he was, according to Ruth,
“No one was using the Guidance Office
make LREI a more engaging place.
downstairs, so I bought a chalkboard and I put it
“He changed this school, 100 percent,” Ruth
said Liam. “As Atlas and I got more and more
students who are engaged and interested. But
together. People said, ‘Oh, you’re in your office.’”
charge of their own classes.”
up. I brought a lamp. I personalized it a little bit,”
said. “If we didn’t have him, we’d still have
materials, we just started working down there
now, there is a sense that the kids are truly in
LREI NEWS
| Summer 2013
11
Graduates, United
W
hen Ana De La Cruz ’10 was a junior at LREI, Director Phil Kassen introduced her to Ambassador James I. Gadsden ’66, a member of the LREI Board of Trustees. Phil mentioned Ana’s interest in international politics, sparking a
conversation between the two. Jim encouraged her to apply for the Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship, a program for outstanding juniors in college. Fast-forward four years, after an extensive application, examination and interview
process, Ana earned a spot in the Pickering Undergraduate Fellows 2013 cohort. As a fellow, she will receive up to $40,000 annually for her senior year at Georgetown Ana (on left)
Meet our
NEW TRUSTEES Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D, is Dean of the
College at Middlebury College, overseeing
University and her first year at graduate school. Ana
and supporting a dynamic student body and
one domestic and one overseas — within the U.S.
the College’s efforts to create an institutional
appointed a Foreign Service Officer for a minimum
inclusion at the center of the overall Middlebury
also will be guaranteed two summer internships —
academic community, and helping advance
Department of State. Post grad school, she will be
vision and environment that places diversity and
of three years.
experience. She also is an associate professor
The following is the email exchange between Ana and Jim upon her acceptance.
at a number of colleges and universities across
of psychology at Middlebury, and has taught the country. Shirley is a clinical psychologist
with a specialty in trauma among multicultural populations. She is co-founder and co-chair
Dear Ambassador Gadsden,
Dear Ana,
of Liberal Arts Diversity Officers, a national
the fellows that have been chosen, I
selection as a Pickering Foreign Affairs
of diversity, equity and inclusion in support of
wanted to personally inform you that
Fellow! The selection committee clearly
I was selected as a Pickering Fellow!
recognized your potential for becoming
I am excited beyond what words can
an outstanding diplomatic representative
express. (I have actually re-read the
of the United States. I am very happy
acceptance email about 20 times now.)
for you and will be proud to follow your
I wanted to thank you for your all your
advancement toward leadership levels
support and for planting that seed in
of the Foreign Service and the State
my head years ago back in the halls of
Department. I will also be very happy
LREI. It is amazing to be at this point
to support you as you progress and be
and I cannot wait to begin this journey
a resource when you have questions.
with the fellowship foundation. Thank
For now, I wish you continued success.
you so much once again!
Welcome to a fascinating career.
Best,
Best wishes,
Georgetown University School of Foreign Service 2014
Ambassador James I. Gadsden (retired) Senior Counselor for International Affairs Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
Although I am sure you are aware of
Ana De La Cruz
Heartfelt congratulations on your
Jim Gadsden
Want to apply? The Pickering Graduate and Undergraduate Foreign Affairs
Fellowship Program seeks applicants who are U.S citizens; who have financial need;
who are outstanding students representing the ethnic, social and geographic diversity of the American people; who have majors in international relations, economics, business, management and political science; and who are interested in becoming career U.S.
Foreign Service Officers. The U.S. Department of State is especially interested in students majoring in critical languages and area studies (East Asia: Chinese; the Middle East:
Arabic; South Asia: Hindi-Urdu, for example) that mesh with the Department’s current
and future needs. In addition, the Department seeks a diversity of perspectives to enrich policy deliberations vital to our country’s addressing 21st century global challenges.
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consortium that promotes the advancement
academic excellence at liberal arts colleges, and a board member of the National Association
of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. Prior to joining Middlebury in 2007, Collado was the executive vice president of The Posse
Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that
identifies, recruits and trains outstanding youth leaders from urban public schools and sends them in diverse teams, called posses, to top colleges and universities across the country. She earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in clinical
psychology from Duke University and a B.S.
in human and organizational development and psychology from Vanderbilt University. Shirley M. Collado, Ph.D
Stephen MacGillivray Mariët Westermann
Lara Olivieri
Stephen MacGillivray, a graduate of Columbia
Mariët Westermann has spent most of her
faculty in 2009. Throughout his 15-year career
and the arts. Having obtained a B.A. in history
filmmaker and new media consultant, he taught
at NYU’s Institute of Fine Arts, she became a
working life in higher education, the humanities
University’s M.F.A. Film Division, joined our arts as an award-winning producer, documentary
at Williams College and a Ph.D. in art history
at The Churchill School, NYU and Columbia
professor at Rutgers University and then at the
University. Other jobs include: photographer, archaeologist and First Mate on an Aegean
sailing vessel. LREI has given him the unique
Boaz Sidikaro
Institute of Fine Arts, where she also served
as director from 2002 to 2008. She then was
made the first provost of NYU Abu Dhabi, and
opportunity to engage exceptional students in
led the campus to opening in 2010. Mariët
digital art. When he is not in class, chairing the
Mellon Foundation, where she oversees a broad
or coaching tennis, Stephen produces videos and
diversity initiatives, making grants to universities,
company, Indian Summer Digital. His most
centers and performing arts organizations. Her
young daughters, Margaret ’22 and Grace ’24.
concern the history of art in the Netherlands, her
the multifaceted disciplines of filmmaking and
is currently vice president of the Andrew W.
visual arts department, advising on the yearbook
range of programs in the humanities, arts and
photo archives for clients through his production
research institutes, museums, conservation
beloved project, by far, has been raising his two
publications and exhibition projects mostly
native country. Mariët and her husband Charlie
Lara Olivieri has been an active member of the
Pardoe joined the LREI community in 2002,
LREI parent community since 2004, including
when their children Wim, Harmon, Cellie and
regular stints as a class parent and serving on
Annie entered the Fours through Fourth Grades.
numerous committees. Most recently she co-
Wim will be a freshman at LREI this fall, and
chaired the Literary Committee. Lara is a parent of a rising seventh grader and ninth grader. She is a Certified Public Accountant in New York
State and received a B.A. from Colgate University and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. Lara
worked in the finance department at the Museum of Modern Art and at Ernst & Young LLP in the
Northeast Assurance practice.
Boaz Sidikaro is an Executive Managing
Director at Och-Ziff Capital Management, where he currently is Co-Head of U.S. Equities. In
addition, he has served and continues to serve
Harmon is a rising junior. Mariët has supported the activities of the school in many ways,
most formally as a member of the Education Committee from 2004 to 2006.
on a number of boards of directors for Och-Ziff portfolio companies. Prior to joining Och-
Ziff in 1998, Boaz worked at Morgan Stanley in its mergers, acquisitions & restructuring department, covering media and telecom
companies. He holds a B.S. in economics
from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Boaz is a parent of Mayer ’25.
LREI NEWS
| Summer 2013
13
LREI in the World
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS PAUL WILLIAMS ’63 WHERE HE IS NOW
Managing director of Nuveen Investments; trustee emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania. Paul lives in Santa Monica, California with his life partner, Leslie.
COLLEGE DEGREE
University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School
You moved to New York City after ninth grade, and then started at LREI. What were your initial thoughts? Eye opening. Stunning. My classmates were wearing jeans, calling teachers by their first
of conversations with classmates and teachers about progressive politics, religion,
non-Euclidean geometry, foreign films.
Give us an overview of your life after LREI.
new to me. Not to mention that the academic
In college, my LREI education influenced me in
the pace and the amount of reading and writing,
courses in history, English and philosophy to
categorically at a different level.
experience as broad as possible. I also became
expectation was quite demanding. For example,
several important ways: namely, to select many
compared to my prior school experience, was
balance the business curriculum and make my
Have any specific classroom moments stuck with over the years? Absolutely. Even though it’s been 50 years,
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a Bach cantata the next. Beyond that, I think
names, picketing Woolworth’s. They possessed a social and political awareness that was totally
LA’s Griffith Park walk over the holidays. From left: Erica (Leslie’s daughter), Leslie, Paul and his sons, Jake and Alec
one moment and leading the chorus in singing
immersed in community service and tutorial
programs in West Philadelphia, as well as other social and educational projects on campus during junior and senior year.
images of several teachers come vividly to
mind. I think of Dr. Kirschner, who insisted we
And how about after Wharton, when you entered the business world?
use his last name, explaining how to frame the
Following college, I became very interested in
“science” of historical analysis in terms of social,
urban problems and how cities function and
economic and political factors. I think of Milt
grow. After working for the City of New York and
Untermeyer, talking excitedly about Bernoulli’s
for a firm focused on public works projects, I
principle and how scientific discovery changes
learned about municipal finance, joined Nuveen
how we think. One of his favorite phrases was,
and moved to Chicago in the early 70s. Over
“You’ve got to rip up the cobblestones and
the next 25 years, I worked with many different
discover new answers.” I think of Earl Robinson,
governmental agencies and not-for-profit
who composed “Joe Hill,” “The House I Live In”
higher educational and healthcare institutions
and “Ballad for Americans,” playing folk music
to finance and build schools, labs, clinics,
educational and service organizations is a direct
outgrowth of my LREI experience. It’s a joy to see that community service and social awareness remain at the core of an LREI education.
Do you find yourself coming back in your mind to LREI? Yes, often, though now it’s through the lens of so many years. It’s amazing to revisit a perception
or an insight or a fact first learned 50 years ago, and see its significance and meaning expand
and thread together. I think that’s what Elisabeth Paul in the 1963 edition of “Expressions”
Irwin intended when she described lifelong
learning as a fundamental principle or aspiration of an LREI education. My own appreciation of that ideal was first prompted in my mid-teens by this school, and its unique spirit and in particular, my fellow classmates.
Speaking of your classmates, did you join in the Woolworth’s picketing or the Sane Nuclear Policy protests?
60s, it’s quite extraordinary to see such a small
institution so ahead in its thinking, like a beacon.
It was really special to have so many of you from the Class of 1963 back at Charlton Street for your 50th Reunion. How do you stay connected? Now that I’m in LA, several of us who live in
Southern California have been in touch. We get
together on occasion, but otherwise, it’s mostly
online. Johnny Bancroft will circulate a YouTube
video of an extraordinary Rube Goldberg machine or, at least monthly, there is a thought-provoking post from “The Imagination of Billy Stern.”
You’re the father of two sons, Jake and Alec. Did your experience at LREI influence their upbringing? Not sure I ever made that exact connection,
but of course — we always made it clear that education is critically important and lifelong.
I only did it once or twice, and I was nervous assisted housing and public infrastructure, such as water supply and public transportation, by
means of issuing municipal bonds. I now focus
about it. But in college, when similar issues came into focus, I lost my nervousness and just joined in. When you recall LREI in the context of the
Go to lrei.org/intheworld for more Q&As with LREI alumni.
on creating a range of new investment funds
for individual investors planning for long-term personal needs and financial security.
You’ve also been quite active outside of the office, working with Planned Parenthood of Illinois among other organizations. Yes, I served on the Board for many years
before we moved to California. My commitment to Planned Parenthood in Illinois and other
Paul (top center) and the rest of the Class of 1963 celebrate their 50th Reunion. From his distinguished alumnus award acceptance: “The LREI spirit we had and the spirit we felt and the spirit we remember… there’s something a little magical about it.”
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Board Chair Amy Zimmerman
Four members of the Class of 1945, the first class to graduate from the High School, attended the reunion, our largest alumni weekend to date. From left: Ernie Leiber, Ray Steinberg, Aaron Brill and Peter Davies.
Reunion Weekend
2013 F
rom May 30 through June 1, LREI
welcomed over 100 alumni for our
28th Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Graduates, faculty and friends gathered for the three-day event which included an LREI Ideas
Speaker Series lecture “History In These Halls” by Dina Hampton ’77 (author of “Little Red: Three Passionate Lives Through the Sixties
and Beyond”), a networking luncheon, a duo-
performance by longtime friends Jodi Beder ’68 and Caleen Jennings ’68, a tour of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion and Science & Math Center
construction, and a distinguished alumni reception honoring Paul Williams ’63 and Richard Blodgett,
president of the Charlton Street Block Association.
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2013–2014 Alumni Calendar SAVE THE DATE!
9/18
Alumni Rooftop Party 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Sixth Avenue Roof
11/13
Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Alumni Archive Room
11/27
Young Alumni Breakfast (Classes 2010 – 2013) 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Charlton Street Cafeteria
1/9
Alumni College Panel 6:15 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Charlton Street PAC
1/29
Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Alumni Archive Room
4/2
Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Alumni Archive Room
CONNECTING TO THE PAST ALUMNI COUNCIL CELEBRATES SUCCESS
With new leadership from president Tim Merjos ’80 and executive vice president Tamar Gargle Krakowiak ’88, the Alumni Council increased its presence this year, particularly by recruiting and involving more alumni. “We had a great year,” Tim reports. “We really kick-started the council committees, especially the Events Committee and Archives Committee.” The Events Committee helped organize several gatherings, including a rooftop party, an alumni parent breakfast, a young alumni brunch and a networking luncheon during Reunion Weekend. Meanwhile, the Archives Committee combed through photos and memorabilia, inventorying the school’s collection leading up to the first-ever exhibit in the new Alumni Archive Room, located on the ground floor of the Charlton Street Arts Pavilion. “Our diligent members did a fantastic job,” says Tim. “The organization of LREI’s archives is an ongoing, long-term project, though, and one that continues to evolve. There is literally a treasure trove of material that has to be sorted very carefully.”
5/14
Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Alumni Archive Room
5/30 – 5/31
Reunion Weekend
For the 2013-2014 school year, the Alumni Council plans to continue developing the committees and engaging enthusiastic alums, particularly millennials.
6/18
Alumni Council Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Alumni Archive Room Visit lrei.org for upcoming events throughout the year.
Three generations strong: Tim, son of Nancy Schaines Merjos ’49 and father of Rose Merjos ’19, and Tamar, daughter of Alan Gargle ’46 and mother of Cameron Krakowiak ’20
“We’re also excited to focus on fundraising and social media,” says Tim. Experienced in these realms, or hoping to be? Email alumni@lrei.org and join in!
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CLASS NOTES Alexander Elwyn ’45 writes that he’s “still alive,
Beyond” was published in March by
wife Sheila and enjoys photography.
LREI, Angela Davis ’61, Tom Hurwitz ‘65 and
and mostly well.” He lives in Chicago with his Norman Sperber LR ’46 currently works in San Diego as a reserve officer and chief
forensic dentist for the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Stephen N. Earl ’51 checks in: “I’m 78 years
old, still working in my own business and can still look back at my years at LREI with fondness.”
PublicAffairs Books. It focuses on graduates of Elliott Abrams ’65. Dina was formerly the alumni director at LREI and is now managing editor of RIABiz.com, an online publication for financial advisors.
On June 21, drummer Mark Feldman ’80
played with the largest band ever! Mark was the solo drummer alongside hundreds of
guitarists during Mass Appeal 2013, an outdoor
LREI Early Childhood Librarian Jesse Karp ’87
authored a new young adult science fiction thriller “What We Become,” the companion novel to
his first book “Those That Wake.” According to Booklist magazine, “Karp’s characters remain
charismatic, the plot percolates briskly, and the world, it turns out, is worth saving.”
Congratulations to Jason Furman ’88, who was recently appointed Chairman of the
White House Council of Economic Advisers by President Barack Obama.
Newly retired, Susan Kranz Rosenstein ’56
guitar jam hosted by NYC Guitar School and
estate broker and sales person.
songs by Judas Priest, Florence and the
Assistant Vice President for Store Design and
Congrats to Jonathan Ned Katz ’56, whose first
lives in Florida, where she used to work as a real
solo show “Making History, Making Art: The Work of Jonathan Ned Katz” was held this February
and March at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art in New York City.
This fall, Judith Ogull Kennedy ’58 wrote to us say she was “working hard at Obama’s headquarters here in New Mexico.”
Guitar World Magazine. The musicians played
Steve Romero ’90 reports, “I am now
Machine, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater
Merchandising at Bank of America. My son, who
and the Lumineers.
I hope can go to LREI, is now 2 years old.”
Rosa Silver-Russell ’82 and Cristi Santos ’82
Federica (Sabez) Baldan ’90 recently led
and her daughter Lestine flew in to attend
spiritual workshop, at the Fort Washington
had a reunion in Portland, Oregon. Cristi
Rosa’s art opening at a shipyard in Portland.
the “Possibilities Retreat,” an interactive Church in Washington Heights.
In Memoriam
John Gruber ’61 is “still truckin’, still workin’, still wordsmithin’, on the New York Daily
News sports desk, and still rootin’ against all teams New York, especially the Yankees.”
“Thanks to LREI, I have a wonderful family in
my class and a good education! Love to you all,” writes Josie Segal Gallup ’64.
Bob Sarlin ’64, a retired music journalist and former director of publicity at Epic, Polydor
and Lifesong Records, is giving walking tours
on the history of rock ‘n’ roll in New York City. He leads one tour right by the LREI campus (rockaroundtheblocktours.com).
Jimmy Tarlau ’66 was recently re-elected as
Toshi-Aline (Ohta) Seeger ’36 died on July 9, just nine days short of what would
have been her 70th wedding anniversary to influential folk singer Pete Seeger. Toshi
was an activist, organizer and filmmaker who played a key programming role for the
Great Hudson River Revival. Her counsel, support and outspoken opinions made her a foundational figure in her husband’s success.
David Loeffler Smith ’46 passed away on July 25 in Exeter, New Hampshire. David worked at the Swain School of Design in New Bedford from the 1960s to the late 1980s, as director and as head of the painting department.
Risë Abramson, daughter of Lois Barnett Abramson ’47 wrote to inform us that her mother passed away on November 12.
William Silver ’50 died peacefully on May 8 in New York City. Bill is survived
City Councilman in Mount Rainier, Maryland.
by his daughter, Amanda Silver Jaffa, his son, Michael Silver, son-in-law Rick Jaffa,
While in Accra, Ghana, Nathaniel Phillips ’74
Charlie Silver, and his dog Harry.
crossed paths with fellow alum Angela Davis ‘61. In October, the equipment room at University of
daughter-in-law Katie Mitchell Silver, his grandchildren Joe Jaffa, Franki Jaffa,
Karen Geiger ’52 passed away on May 5. LREI sends condolences to her daughter,
Buffalo’s UB Stadium was named after Ronald
Elizabeth Geiger, her son, Peter Butt ’81 and her grandson, Alexander Diamond ’18.
UB, Ronald was a manager for the football team
Cheryl Kelley, wife of Oakley Kelley ’71, let us know of his death on February 6 from
Balter ’76 and his family. A 1980 graduate of during his undergraduate years.
Dina Hampton ’77’s book “Little Red: Three Passionate Lives Through The Sixties and
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congestive heart failure. In addition to Cheryl, Oakley is survived by their daughter, McKenna.
Siena Frieda Heaton Wellenstein, daughter of Director of Admissions Julia Heaton, born on October 22.
Jeffrey Nurenberg ’94 is currently teaching
physical education and coaching at Fieldston Middle and Upper School. He lives in
Westchester with his wife and two daughters, ages 3 and 9 months.
Congratulations to Taina Longo ’95 on two very special occasions in her life: her recent nuptials and the birth of her son, Abel.
Nick Malis ’95, executive producer and head writer for Comedy Central’s “Tosh.0,” was
recently featured on our website: “For me,
progressive education has always meant that
there is no one right way to do things. Valuable
lessons can be learned just by trying something, even if it doesn’t ultimately lead to the solution you were expecting. LREI instilled this in me
years ago, and it still holds true for me today
as I look for the funniest way to express myself on Tosh.0.” Read more at lrei.org/intheworld. Deborah Sklar ’01 obtained certification in special education and is teaching special
Class of
2031 BABY BOOM! FACULTY AND STAFF WELCOMING NEW LITTLE ONES
Lucas Lawrence Bosamonte, son of Alicia Kaplan ’04 and grandson of Middle School Physical Education Teacher and Intramural Sports Coordinator Larry Kaplan, born March 12.
Sarina Mehta, daughter of Lower School Principal Namita Tolia, born April 30.
Hunter Easton Brewer, son of Mara Brewer ’00 and grandson of Human Resources and Business Manager Tema Tischler, born October 1.
education and theater arts at The Theatre Arts Production Company (TAPCo) School in the Bronx. On September 8, she married Philip DeSanza. Her father Stanley, a retired New
York State Supreme Court justice, officiated the ceremony, held on a pier on Fire Island.
Co-founder of personal chef service BIGlittle
Oliver Truman Aumock, son of High School Science Teacher Gina Lafkas, born March 19 Amos H. Gottlieb, son of High School Assistant Principal Micah Dov Gottlieb and former Lower School Science Coordinator and Assistant Principal Megan Dunphy Gottlieb, born October 7.
Get Together, Flannery Klette-Kolton ’02 won Food Network’s cooking competition
show “Chopped,” which aired on New Year’s
Day. (biglittlenyc.com)
Comedian Nat Towsen ’03 welcomes
comedians, local artists and Village luminaries for a variety show once a month at the “Downtown Variety Show.” The show is held the first Friday of every month at the UCB East Theatre.
Jeffrey Adler ’08 was recently on stage in
“Siddown!!!” The series of one-act plays are “like the Sopranos on steroids,” the Examiner.com said in a fantastic review.
Last June, Elle King ’08 (elleking.com) released
Dylan Hyung Lae Reid, son of alum Matthew Reid ’97 and grandson of Administrative Assistant / Receptionist Cheryl Reid, born June 3.
Amira Marie Jevicki, daughter of Afterschool Core Teacher and Summers Age-Level Coordinator Adrian Jevicki, born March 8.
“The Elle King EP,” which includes “Playing
Vince Kidder, son of Fours/K Head Teacher Diane Kidder, born March 18.
For Keeps,” an original song featured in the
official trailer for Mad Men Season 6. Elle was
named an “Artist to Watch in 2012” by Esquire magazine and Refinery 29.
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Photo Finish We asked the community to share end-of-year Instagrams with the hashtag #lrei2013. And the contest winners are…
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