Derryfield Today, Winter 2008

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THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

Winter Carnival > A Political Education > My Travels for Art

NEWS FROM WINTER TERM 2008

Vertical Dreams Members of the eighth grade test out their skills on the climbing walls at Vertical Dreams in Manchester. Derryfield students now have the opportunity to practice for this experience on the School’s very own climbing wall. The Derryfield climbing wall is a culmination of the efforts of coach Jeff Hastings and funds raised by the Parent/Faculty Association Auction and middle school students themselves.

contents Table of

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Steven Burke Chair Bedford, NH

DERRYFIELD TODAY

John Allard ’83 Manchester, NH

Annie Branch Director of Communications

Bradley Benson ’78 Derry, NH

Diane Allen Staff Writer

Christine Cikacz Chester, NH

Griffin York & Krause Design

Craig Sellers Head of School Manchester, NH

Dianne Connolly Windham, NH

Puritan Press, Inc. Printing

Cathryn Vaughn ’91 Secretary Manchester, NH

Jim Davis New Boston, NH

CONTRIBUTORS

L. William Davis II Hopkinton, NH

Diane Allen

Nigel Donovan Treasurer Bedford, NH

features FEATURES

A Political Education

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by Annie Branch

John Bouton Dr. Louis Fink Bedford, NH Preston Hunter ’98 Bedford, NH

Hilary Foster ’81

Donna K. Lencki Candia, NH

COMMUNICATIONS BOARD

Lourdes Maldonado Manchester, NH

Diane Allen John Bouton

Thomas Manson New Boston, NH

Annie Branch

Walter Milne ’82 Manchester, NH

Charlotte Evans ’08 Whitney Lockwood ’00

Constantinos Mokas Manchester, NH

Laurie Lamp

Christopher Morgan Amherst, NH

ADVANCEMENT

Eric Nickerson Windham, NH

Diane Allen Alumni Coordinator

Jeffrey Pollock Manchester, NH

Lori Evans ’00 Associate Director of Advancement

Richard Sigel ’81 Manchester, NH

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by Hilary Foster ’81

Brent Powell

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by John Bouton

Paul LeBlanc Manchester, NH

Janice Romanowsky Hampstead, NH

My Travels for Art

Kate Erskine Director, Breakthrough

Bruce Berk, Rob Buchholz ’02, Lillie Green ’00, Aaron Rosenthal ’97, Irfan Rizvi, Richard Sigel ’81, Kate Stover ’08

Laurie Lamp Bedford, NH

departments DEPARTMENTS

Message from the Head Around Campus Cougar Athletics Breakthrough Spotlight Update on Alumni Life After Derryfield Faculty Profile

2 4 10 12 18 22 29

Gail Gordon Advancement Assistant

FRONT COVER: Students enjoy the bonfire held at the end of Winter Carnival week.

Alice Handwerk Director of Advancement

INSIDE FRONT COVER: Eighth graders climbing at Vertical Dreams.

Derryfield Today is published by the Advancement Office at The Derryfield School. If you note errors, please notify us at 603.669.4524, ext. 123 or send an email to abranch@derryfield.org. Correspondence may be addressed to: Director of Communications, The Derryfield School, 2108 River Road, Manchester, NH 03104-1396. The Derryfield School welcomes students of any race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin. The School does not discriminate in its hiring, admission policies, or programs on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, or disabilities.

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WINTER 2008

BACKGROUND: Chris Hettler hands out material to his science class.

TOP: Concert Choir performing at the Winter Concert.

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head

Message from the

Politics Alive at Derryfield Curt Schilling rally – it was a well‑timed, funny opening line hen it comes to armchair political observing, the that had us on his side from that moment forward. last several months have been a particular bless‑ This past week I spent two days with Betsy Myers, the ing to be at Derryfield. Like the Red Sox winning Chief Operating Officer of the Barack Obama campaign, at a and the Patriots going to the Superbowl, intense political gathering of New England Heads of Schools. She spoke elo‑ seasons arrive at regular intervals, and it was a pleasure to quently about the grueling hours and satisfying work of be swept up in the process. I have had two experiences in campaign management. When she left the Clinton White particular that stand as bookends to my learning about House, she swore off politics, moved to academia, and start‑ modern American politics, and the unique place that ed a family. And then she met Barack. Interviewing him, she Derryfield and New Hampshire have in that mix. described a defining moment as he In December the McCain campaign contacted our school and asked if they “I emerged even more grateful expressed his desire to run a drama‑free campaign. That sentiment, combined could hold a rally in our auditorium. for the opportunity to work in with her instincts telling her that she He filmed an advertisement in our could be part of an extraordinary library while his staff created an atmo‑ education in general, and at moment in American history, convinced sphere in our auditorium that perfectly Derryfield in particular.” her to work on one last campaign. I felt defined retail political theater, complete privileged to hear about life behind the scenes in a fast‑ with rock music upon entry (Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Good), paced, successful political operation. I emerged even more free bumper stickers (provided you give them your email grateful for the opportunity to work in education in general, address), pamphlets, plackards, signs, and other indicia of a and at Derryfield in particular. carnival. While the Straight‑Talk Express was parked out‑ It has been wonderful to see so many of our students car‑ side, the Nancy S. Boettiger Theater was popping inside ing about politics, and sensing that we are at an important with bloggers two‑deep in the back row, handlers around moment in our country’s history. I hope this issue of the sides, and Derryfield community members packing the 440 seats, when a five‑minute MTV‑style video began to roll. Derryfield Today gives you a good feel for how studying and learning about politics comes alive at our school. Of course, The closing scene was McCain walking with Ronald Reagan I also hope you come back to visit and see for yourself! while the announcer described his heroism. And just when you thought the moment could not get more charged, Curt Schilling, the famous and revered Red Sox pitcher, came onto our stage and the assembled fans found another level Craig N. Sellers of applause. Several minutes later, McCain appeared on Head of School stage and thanked the audience for letting him come to the

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Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

APRIL – JUNE

events I M AG E S F R O M W I N T E R C A R N I VA L W E E K For more photos, visit our online gallery in the ‘Exploring Derryfield’ section of www.derryfield.org.

calendar

APRIL US Admitted Student Reception

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MS Admitted Student Reception

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Classical All-State Music Festival

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Senior Dinner

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Washington, DC Alumni Pub Night

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Breakthrough Saturday

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Parent/Faculty Association Auction

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Lyceum Gallery Reception

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Craig Sellers Fulbright Presentation

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New York City Alumni Happy Hour

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MAY Founders’ Day

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Admission Information Night

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Prom

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Alumni Red Sox Game

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Lyceum Gallery Reception

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Spring Concert

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Breakthrough Saturday

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Awards Day

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JUNE All-School Assembly and Picnic

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Middle School Send Off

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Commencement

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CELEBRATE

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founders’ Clockwise from top right: Chris Hettler wins a contest for the white team. n Students gather for the bonfire. n Rose King ’09 performs at the Moose Review. n Julia Maldonado ’08, Mallory Rinker ’08, Kathy Stull ’08, and Lauren Satkwich ’08 dress as the Jamaican bobsledding team for Olympics Day. n School president Than Moore ’08 hosts assembly blindfolded. n Michelle Coombes lights Carrie Foster ’00, dressed as the Olympic torch.

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Come back to campus on Friday, May 2, to honor the School’s Founders, hear the Founders’ Scholar speak, and see the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award.

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campus

Around

Youth Advisory Council

STORIES Youth Advisory Council Under the Lights Student Writing Sample Classroom News Online Freshman Year The Art of Writing

The Lamplighter

SCHOLASTIC ART CONTEST Congratulations to the following Derryfield artists whose art was recognized by the 2007 Scholastic Art Awards.

Gold Key:

Honorable Mention:

Margaret Steer

Grigoriy Androsov

Rebekah Volinsky

Jason Berk

Silver Key:

Sarah Dolloff

Emily Anderson

Tessa Greer

Grigoriy Androsov

Shireen Patel

Kaitlin Fink

Mitchell Simon

Ali George

Kim Selwyn

Jen Mandelbaum

Tucker Westbrook

Taylor Nagel Rebecca Powell Nevin Stevens

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Quoting from their Executive Summary: “The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council was founded in 1999 to provide the City of Manchester with a youth perspective on public policy; it also works to foster a strong sense of community spirit. The council provides youth an opportunity to better understand how the local political process works. It also offers Manchester’s youth a voice in how city government operates.

MYAC depends on unfaltering commit‑ ment from all members. To be considered for membership a candidate must be a stu‑ dent in good academic standing at one of the five Manchester high schools...MYAC’s mission is to ‘provide the City of Manch‑ ester with a youth perspective on public policy while nurturing healthy citizenry habits for the future of the community.’”

MYAC currently has 17 members, two of whom hail from Derryfield. Allison Fink ’08, serving as chair of the council, shares the spotlight with Fritz Manson ’09. Each year the council undertakes a major pro‑ ject. This year they sponsored “My First Vote,” a vehicle used to take advantage of the presidential primary campaign in New Hampshire. Allison and Fritz worked with other members to formulate four major questions to ask the candidates: Can you describe when and how you were first

inspired to go into public service? What have you done to understand the needs of those who are not yet old enough to vote?

As president, what would you do to address these needs? What have you done to deserve “my first vote?”

Members of MYAC took these questions directly to the candidates in one‑on‑one taped interviews. The film was edited into documentary format with a lot of help from our own Rob Fogg and can be viewed at http://video.aol.com/video‑detail/manch‑ ester‑office‑of‑youth‑services‑presents‑my‑ first‑vote/3797116435. It was played many times on Manchester Community Television. “Putting together the documen‑ tary was a lot of work,” says Allison.

“Politicians are busy, so you have to be willing to work around their schedules, and that often means hours of standing around at campaign events for just five minutes with the candidate. But in the end, it was a really cool experience. I know everyone says this, but we really are so lucky to have this kind of opportunity in New Hampshire. I hope our movie inspired some other young people to get involved in the political system and, most importantly, to vote.” Allison and Fritz will join other members of MYAC to meet with the New Hampshire congressional delega‑ tion in Washington, DC in April.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

AROUND CAMPUS

Marcel Robinson ’09 and Colette Chretien ’09 in a scene from The Dining Room.

Under the Lights The Derryfield Players kicked off the winter season with a presentation of The Dining Room, a 90‑minute study of middle class white society. Six tal‑ ented actors took on the challenge of playing 57 characters in 17 scenes that both mocked WASP stereotypes and showed the individual motivation of each character. The cast made artful transitions from scene to scene, slip‑ ping seamlessly from comedy to drama, playing characters that ranged from impetuous children to frustrated lovers to an elderly patriarch facing his last days.

This winter’s upper school musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie, was the Derryfield Players’ second successful production of classical vaudevillian musical theatre in as many years.

Featuring a zany cast of characters and improbable plot twists, the actors kept the energy high throughout. Mallory Rinker ’08, as Millie, led a cast of tal‑ ented character actors who mastered tricky lyrics and executed dazzling

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dance numbers choreographed by alumna Kate Davison ’03.

Despite the high quality of recent productions, the players have been hindered by an archaic lighting system.

Due to the generosity of the Samuel P. Hunt Foundation, our talented thespi‑ ans will soon be bathed in the glow of a new digital lighting system. This winter, Derryfield received a $20,000 challenge grant, with the stipulation that the School raise $20,000 to match the gift. An anonymous donor stepped up with the $20,000, but issued a sec‑ ond challenge that the School raise an extra $10,000. By February, a group of donors with an appreciation of the arts had completed and exceedeed the chal‑ lenge, raising a total of $55,500. Fifty thousand dollars will go toward replac‑ ing the infrastructure for stage lighting, and the remaining balance will go to‑ ward the purchase of ten light fixtures for the new system and licensing fees for the Summer Repertory Theatre.

The new lighting system, set to be installed this spring, will replace the

building’s original lights, installed when the performing arts building was completed in 1989. According to VAPA Department Chair Laurel Devino, the new lighting system will accomplish three tasks: it will reduce the stressful environment of not knowing if the lights will fail at any moment; it will enhance the lighting capacity of the theatre; and the state‑of‑the‑art tech‑ nology of the new digital system will give Derryfield students the opportuni‑ ty to learn stagecraft on the most up‑ to‑date equipment in the industry. The benefits extend not only to the Derryfield community, but also to the several local organizations that rent our auditorium space.

Given the pro‑ fessional quality of Derryfield’s theatrical pro‑ ductions using an outdated system, we can’t wait to see how spectacu‑ lar the per‑ formances will be under the glow of new lights.

Lauren Bradley ’09 as Miss Flannery in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

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AROUND CAMPUS

Student Writing Sample A Historian’s Purpose Seen Through Revolution Writings This paper was written for AP US History in response to the question, “Why do histo‑ rians compete over the interpretation of the American Revolution?”

By looking at different histories of the American Revolution, we can see that historians compete over interpre‑ tations of this event to change the way the people interact with their society and government. One historian tries to bring the founders’ faultless reputation down to earth to prevent worship of them from making us afraid to change the government. Another argues that the founders manipulated the lower class into a war to benefit themselves in hopes that we will not allow our privileged leaders to control us today.

The last seeks to protect the reputation of the revolution so that we will con‑ tinue to believe in and uphold the ide‑ als it rallied around.

In his article “Founder’s Chic,” his‑ torian H.W. Brands argues that soci‑ ety’s reverence of the founding fathers is unrealistic and leads to inaction in our government, and he hopes to change society’s idle behavior by dis‑ pelling that reverence. Brands gives examples of actions of the founders that he believes aren’t worthy of the glowing reputation they receive.

Among other things, he points out the Sedition Acts of 1789, passed by John Adams and his federalist party, which tried to prohibit criticism of the gov‑ ernment, as proof that the founders did not possess the infinite wisdom

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and altruism they are often credited with. Brands believes a growing feel‑ ing that the fathers were somehow smarter and less self‑interested than people today creates too great a hesita‑ tion to alter anything in their works.

He discusses certain aspects of the Constitution that have grown obsolete over time, such as the relation between gun ownership and the militia refer‑ enced in the Second Amendment, or aspects that have never really been consistent with the spirit of the coun‑ try, like the undemocratic electoral college that we hesitate to change because, “we treat the Constitution as holy writ, to be parsed and glossed but not otherwise tampered with” (110).

Brands thinks that rather than idealiz‑ ing the founders and treating their works as dogma, we should strive to emulate the courage that they showed in acts like writing the Declaration of Independence, and be bold enough to make necessary changes.

Howard Zinn depicts the founding fathers as self‑interested men who man‑ ipulated the lower classes into fighting in his book, A People’s History of the United States, because he wants people to question the government’s decisions, especially when they justify them based on what they deem the national inter‑ est. Zinn writes to debunk what he calls the “myth of the revolution,” which is that it was waged “on behalf of a unit‑ ed people” (70). He argues that the upper class started the war both to protect their own power and wealth, against the interests of the lower class, and dismisses revered statements such

as “all men are created equal” as rhetoric tailored “to mobilize certain groups of Americans” (73). Zinn hopes that by exposing the way the founders manipulated the populace with pro‑ mises of a common interest, such talk won’t fool the people today. Zinn be‑ lieves that “the use of government for class interest…disguised by language that suggests all of us…have a common interest” still exists, and that exposing this in our history may cause us to “look deeper than the glib statements made by political leaders” today (684).

Gordon Wood, in his book The American Revolution, maintains that the leaders of the Revolution fought for the ideals put forth in documents like the Declaration of Independence, and that denying this hinders the fulfill‑ ment of those ideals by lessening our pride and belief in them. Wood never expresses any doubt about the fathers’ intentions being for the common wel‑ fare; in the preface he states that the Revolution was brought on “by the anticipation of oppression, by reason‑ ing and devotion to principle, such as ‘no taxation without representation,’” and never discusses alternative motives (xxiv). He emphasizes in the first chapter what he believes are the two main effects of the Revolution: the pride it brought to American culture and the democracy it produced, which combined to make us see “our new nation…leading a world revolution on behalf of republicanism and liberty” (4). Wood wishes to disprove what he calls “fashionable” criticism because he feels it damages what came out of the

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

AROUND CAMPUS

revolution: “whatever sense of nation‑ hood and national purpose Americans have ever had” (xxiii).

Through examining these historians, all competing with different interpreta‑ tions of the American Revolution, we can reasonably conclude that historians argue over the past to affect the way we in the present view and act in our government and society. Each strives to have a different effect through differ‑ ent means; the first hopes to eliminate our hesitation to contradict the found‑ ing fathers so that the country can move forward and change; the next hopes to teach the general population to be wary of manipulation by leaders;

sometimes get in the way of the objec‑ tivity of a history, as long as historians keep competing we will be able to bal‑ ance out our knowledge with different points of view.

– Bonnie Frieden ’09

while the last wants to protect the founders’ reputation so that the ideals they put forth will continue to guide our country. Though some might argue that these agendas interfere with the objectivity that a historian should pos‑ sess, Howard Zinn wisely says, “…a historian [is] forced to choose, out of an infinite number of facts, what to present, what to omit. And that deci‑ sion would inevitably reflect, whether consciously or not, the interests of the historian” (683). In addition, even if it were possible to write with such objec‑ tivity, what value would mere facts without a lesson behind them really have? Although those lessons may

Works Cited Brands, H. W. “Founders Chic.” The Atlantic Monthly Sept. 2003: 101‑110.

Wood, Gordon S. The American Revolution. New York: Modern Library, 2002.

Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2003.

KEEPING UP-TO-DATE

classroom newsonline Want to know more about what’s happening at Derryfield every day? Check out the online news portal by clicking on ‘News & Events’ on www.derryfield.org. Here are the introductions of a sampling of stories from the winter term.

Future Illustrators Learn the Basics Many things make Derryfield rise above the crowd, including its ability and will‑ ingness to establish innovative courses.

One such course was offered this winter term by Andy Moerlein on illustrating children’s books...

Cultural Café: Making a Difference On Wednesday and Thursday, March 5 and 6, the sixth grade class wrapped up their five‑week program working with Manchester’s immigrant population in what has become a staple of the sixth grade history curricu‑ lum, the Cultural Café...

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Climbing Wall: A Dream Becomes a Reality What began as a dream for Coach Jeff Hastings when he started working at Derryfield nine years ago has become a reality this year. Just in time for winter term, our very own climbing wall was installed in the gym...

Building Bridges – Literally While we have always taught our children the value of building bridges in our lives, Jeff Cousineau’s Senior Honors Physics class has taken the lesson literally. They have been building bridges – and then breaking them...

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AROUND CAMPUS

Freshman Year – The Bonding of a Class The first month or so can sometimes be intimidating for freshmen new to Derryfield as they compete for friend‑ ships with other students who have come up through the Middle School.

These students have already forged those Derryfield friendships that seem to last a lifetime, and reunions abound.

Some are lucky enough to have friends who have also enrolled as new stu‑ dents. Some have made friends with their “buddies” from the Connecting Families Program. Others, however, have to break in the old fashioned way – get up the courage to include them‑ selves into pre‑existing groups of friends or wait for someone to approach them.

The Connecting Families Program was put into place to help in the transi‑ tion. But Mary Carter, Head of the Upper School, recognized that more was needed. At the end of last year she circulated a survey to all freshmen ask‑ ing them what they thought could have been done to ease the transition for new upper school students and what they would like to see in the future. The results pointed to a specific program for freshmen featuring sever‑ al opportunities for the class to play and work together – extreme bonding.

It began on a Friday night in September with Pie Night. Freshmen came not only to eat the donated pies, but to play games such as Scrabble, charades, and video games. It was a great success

in an atmosphere conducive to forming friendships. This event was followed by a combination of Movie Night and the Freshman Dance, complete with chicken fingers from the Backroom.

The entire musical portion of the evening was organized by Alex Jenney and Charlotte Walters, both freshmen.

October brought a freshmen retreat.

Kyle and Glenda Nagel, Derryfield parents and owners of the Chunky’s Cinemas, offered their Nashua location for the occasion. The students got together for a movie and meal. Next was a trip to Lull Farm where they found their way through a corn maze and topped off the day picking apples.

Valentine’s Day presented another opportunity for our already‑bonded freshman class to work as a group. The class took orders for carnations, candy, and singing telegrams, all of which were delivered to faculty, staff, and students on February 14.

A major focus for the rest of the year remains getting everyone to know each other even better, breaking down any remaining awkwardness and melding the old with the new. Our students often express how lucky they feel to have had the opportunity

to attend Derryfield. The freshman bonding program is helping them come to that realization sooner.

The Art of Writing Thanks to funding by the E. Charles Sanborn Visiting Fellows Program, seventh graders at The Derryfield School were treated to two weeks of focused instruction in the art of writ‑ ing. Robert Lunn, author of The Aquanauts, required reading for the seventh grade, worked with English teacher Paul Keiner to increase interest in writing and to teach the creative and technical skills required to complete a short story.

Beginning with an assembly for the entire grade, Mr. Lunn held his audi‑ ence captive as he read the first chapter of his yet untitled sequel to The Aquanauts. They had many questions as Mr. Lunn had finished his book with the main characters leaving one world and entering a new one. The assembly went by too quickly and stu‑ dents were anxious to spend more time learn‑ ing how they, too, could become so accomplished.

Members of the freshman lcass serenade Craig Sellers as a fundraiser for Valentine’s Day.

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Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

AROUND CAMPUS

Robert Lunn reads to members of the seventh grade.

Classes ranged from the concept of collecting photographs to conjure up images for stories to finding a theme from the characters and story as opposed to developing the theme first and then writing around it. They spent time on sub‑plots and sub‑text and cre‑ ating a scene through dialogue.

Students learned the importance of words and how powerful the correctly chosen word can be. They discovered a myriad of professions that one can pursue using the written word. Mr. Lunn encouraged the class to explore all of the possibilities and offered him‑ self as a mentor. “Networking is very important,” he advised. “When you get to that point where you need help, whenever it may be, start with me. I will remember you.”

The final project for the class was for each student to write a short story uti‑ lizing the skills they had learned. They spent some class time peer editing and students were given an opportunity to meet with Mr. Lunn one‑on‑one during their study periods or after school.

Changes were made, the finished prod‑

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ucts were all the better for it, and our students learned an important lesson in re‑writing and always striving to improve.

Mr. Lunn leaves Derryfield impressed with the abilities and aspira‑ tions of its seventh graders. “I wasn’t sure what they could absorb; I was pleasantly surprised.” Does he have some final advice for our would‑be writers? “As you continue learning to write, your best teachers will be the books you read. Imitation of style is good to begin with. Sooner or later you will find your own voice.”

The Lamplighter Having been editor of the middle school newspaper, MS Informer, cur‑ rently known as Cougar Crier, Charlotte Evans ’08 couldn’t wait to become fully engaged in The Lamplighter in the Upper School. Her enthusiasm, howev‑ er, met a road block when she realized that The Lamplighter was not being pub‑ lished on a regular basis. Student con‑ tributers became discouraged writing articles, only to have them go unused.

At the end of her sophomore year, Charlotte published a one‑page “table top” version of The Lamplighter on her own, catching the eye of students and teachers alike.

Her junior year was a turning point for The Lamplighter. Charlotte knew that to make the paper successful, more members of the community had to become involved. She recruited fac‑ ulty members to write articles and challenged students not previously

considered to make submissions.

Charlotte says, “Matty McCormick ’09 would die if he knew I wrote a college essay about recruiting him to write for The Lamplighter!” Matt’s reputation as a jock had kept him from being consid‑ ered as a writing prospect. His submis‑ sion, however, changed all of that.

As editor this year, Charlotte has taken the paper to new heights, leav‑ ing a legacy of excellence that will pre‑ sent a challenge to future editors.

Asked how much time she puts into it, she replies, “To me it is a matter of passion, not time.” After graduating and taking a year to teach English in Madrid and work as a journalist in Ghana, Charlotte plans to attend college and major in – what else? – journalism.

A recent issue of The Lamplighter.

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athletics

Cougar

ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE The NHIAA and NHADA recognized 15

Winter wrap-up

Derryfield seniors for achieving academic and athletic excellence at

Varsity Swimming

Girls’ Varsity Basketball

the High School Academic/Athletic

Womens’ Season Record: 4-12; 2nd at City Championships, 4th at State Championships Mens’ Season Record: 6-10; 1st at City Championships, 7th at State Championships Leah Burke ’09, 2nd (200 Free) and 4th (500 Free) at States Adam Spierer ’09, Co-Captain, 3rd (100 Breast) at States Meg Steer ’09, 2nd (200 IM) and 4th (100 Fly) at States Hannah Will ’08, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Season Record: 16-7 NH Championship Quarter-Finalists (Class S) Danielle Potter ’08, Co-Captain, Senior All-Star, All-State (honorable mention), All-Academic Kathleen Reynolds ’08, All-Academic Kelly Schwarz ’08, Co-Captain, Senior All-Star, All-State (2nd Team), All-Conference, All-Academic, Class of 1970 Award

Varsity Nordic Skiing

Hockey

4th at State Championships Granite State Conference Sportsmanship Award Allison Fink ’08, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award Kye Birchard ’08, Co-Captain, All-Conference, Class of 1970 Award Kaitlin Fink ’11, All-Conference, J2 Team, Eastern High School Championships Matthew Porat ’10, J2 Team

Season Record: 7-2 Ryan Clauson ’09, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award Curtis Lamp ’09, Co-Captain, Class of 1970 Award

Awards Ceremonies in February. n Gregory Baldassarre n Nicholas Bryan n Daniel Carlson n Charlotte Evans n Allison Fink n Jessica Ginsberg n Sarah Kosofsky n Julia Maldonado n Than Moore n Danielle Potter n Lauren Satkwich n Kelly Schwarz n Cynthia Simonoff

Varsity Alpine Skiing

n Akash Vadalia

Womens’ Season Record: 6th at State Championships Mens’ Season Record: 3rd at State Championships Granite State Conference Sportsmanship Award Claudia Camerino ’09, All-Conference Mackenzie Fleming ’09, Meet of Champions qualifier Brandon Wilson ’10, Meet of Champions qualifier

n Hannah Will

The requirements for both programs state that seniors must have maintained a B+ average, lettered in two varsity sports, and been involved in leadership or service.

Boys’ Varsity Basketball

LEMIRE COACHES 500TH GAME

Season Record: 6-13 Granite State Conference Sportsmanship Award Dan Carlson ’08, All-Academic Micky Cunliffe ’09, All-Academic Chris Dupuis ’09, All-Academic PJ Kutz ’08, Class of 1970 Award, All-Academic Matt McCormick ’09, All-State (honorable mention), All-Academic Akash Vadalia ’08, All-Academic

Congratulations to girls’ varsity basketball coach Ed Lemire, who coached his 500th game when Derryfield took on Pittsfield at home on January 28, 2008.

The Cougars took a 39-23 win to finish off Coach Lemire’s first 500 games in style.

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OPPOSITE (clockwise from top left): Ann DiPastina ’11 on the ice for the hockey team. n Kye Birchard ’08 in a nordic meet at Hopkinton. n Matt McCormick ’09 takes a shot in a game against Gorham. n Danielle Potter ’08 saves the ball from going out. n Adam Spierer ’09 doing the butterfly in the Manchester City Invitational. n Claudia Camerino ’09 tucks in for a sprint to the line. n Charlotte Evans ’08 pushes off the starting line in a nordic race. ABOVE: Brandon Wilson ’10 goes for the finish in a meet at Pat’s Peak.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

C O U G A R AT H L E T I C S

www.derryfield.org

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spotlight Breakthrough

FORMERLY SUMMERBRIDGE

HAVE AN EXTRA ROOM? NEED A HOUSE SITTER THIS SUMMER? HOST A BREAKTHROUGH TEACHER! During summer 2008, we will have eight teachers coming from different parts of the country to teach our Breakthrough students. Hailing from as far away as Mississippi, California, Maryland, and North Carolina, each of them needs a place to call home during their eight weeks (June 20 – August 14) at our program.

Please contact Kate Erskine at kerskine@derryfield.org if you are interested in offering a homestay or for more information.

YOU’RE INVITED

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visitors’

See Breakthrough students and teachers in action at our sum‑ mer Visitors' Days, Thursday, July 24 and Tuesday, July 29.

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In Her Own Words: Kerlyne Desire The following was presented at last summer’s Celebration, our final summer event, by Kerlyne Desire ’08, Breakthrough student and teacher.

“I have come to the frightening conclu‑ sion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humil‑ iate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de‑escalated, and a child humanized or dehumanized.”

This quote is by Haim Ginott, an educa‑ tor. Some of the faculty members may remember me sharing this same quote with them earlier this summer. His words meant many things to me over the course of this past summer. One is my inspiration to teach as a tribute to the Breakthrough teachers I had when I was a student.

It was about five years ago that I gradu‑ ated from the Breakthrough summer pro‑ gram. The atmosphere that night was espe‑ cially intense for me because I knew that I would not be returning for another sum‑ mer along with the sixth graders, no matter how much I wanted to come back. But I took advantage of every opportunity

MANCHESTER

Breakthrough offered. I went to School After School, Breakthrough Saturdays, and various Breakthrough gatherings. And it was enough for the time being, but I came to want more – I needed more. As a sopho‑ more in high school, I decided to give back to this community that equipped me with so many key tools in my educational career. The best way I felt that I could achieve this was to teach and I have been teaching at Breakthrough Saturdays for the past two school years and summer.

From day one, it is made clear that once you become a part of the Breakthrough community, the program never lets you go.

Before this, I had only been a part of the student aspect of the program. When I returned to teach, I was propelled into another world, a world that still contained loud, animated cheering, a comfortable atmosphere, and support from all. But added into this new world was sleep depri‑ vation and the gratifying feeling of making a difference in my students’ lives. I remain a part of this community because I know Breakthrough not only supports students in their education, but helps them to build great character.

Haim Ginott’s quote also means to me memories of our summer and all the expe‑ riences we were able to share with one another. We have gone through much throughout this summer. We have learned

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

BREAKTHROUGH SPOTLIGHT

Breakthrough students Kerlyne Desire ’08 and her sister, Sherma Desire during summer 2007.

to take positive risks by going out on stage for the first time, trying new activities, making important connec‑ tions in our classes, and celebrating our big and small victories with our own unique end‑zone dance.

This We Believe This essay was inspired by the collection of stories entitled This I Believe, and was presented during All‑School Assembly as part of a continuing series of readings by members of the community.

We believe that one day all children can have access to excellent education‑ al opportunities. It is this core belief that inspires us to do our work as edu‑ cators. We are Kate Erskine and Trevor Munhall, the directors of Breakthrough Manchester. You might know us as Summerbridge, and we are still the same program that has been a part of Derryfield for the past seventeen years.

This past month we changed our name to reflect the long‑term commitment of our students to their educational suc‑ cess. We are not just a summer pro‑ gram. Breakthrough also describes the amazing moments of discovery and success that young people have in our community. At Breakthrough we

www.breakthroughmanchester.org

expect that all students can – and will – go to college and achieve success.

We hear all the time that American students are behind other nations – China, India, Germany, Japan.... It’s true that the education system in the United States fails children in many ways. We believe that every child wants a successful future. Each year we go to fifth grade classrooms all over Manchester and ask the question, “How many of you want to go to col‑ lege?” Everyone raises their hand. But statistics tell us that only a fraction of those students will actually make it to college. Something is preventing chil‑ dren from achieving their dreams.

We believe that education is about relationships. We know twelve year olds who don’t know anyone in their families or neighborhoods who went to college. But when they meet successful older students who are achieving their goals in high school and college – like many Derryfield students who teach, tutor and mentor for us – suddenly those twelve year olds see they are not so different from these role models.

Academic success is within reach for every child if they have relationships with people who believe in them and will support them.

We believe that the age‑old connec‑ tion between student and teacher is one of the most important human rela‑ tionships that exists. And we believe in great teachers. We believe that the greatest teachers are students them‑ selves. The best teachers are people who want to learn from their students as much as their students learn from

them. The truly great teachers who stand out in our minds are the ones who engage with us as individual peo‑ ple. They care about us beyond just the grades we get in their class or how often we raise our hand. Good teachers see potential in their students and chal‑ lenge them to reach for that potential.

Sometimes that means they make us work harder than we want to, but we trust that teachers will help us under‑ stand the world more clearly. Imagine a world where all children had great teachers who challenged them and nurtured their abilities.

At Breakthrough we create a community where education matters – where relationships and opportunity and resources and great teachers are the norm instead of the exception. All of these factors help children under‑ stand that they can go to college them‑ selves, even if they are the first person from their family to do so.

Imagine how different the world would be if all children received an excellent education. It’s difficult to say exactly what a world like that might look like, but surely it would look dif‑ ferent – arguably better. Think about your own educational path. Who inspires you to be successful? Who supports you and applauds your suc‑ cesses? Who are the great teachers in your life? Who gives you the support and resources you need to reach for your dreams? Now imagine a world where every person could achieve their dreams. At Breakthrough Manchester, we believe that world is possible.

– Kate Erskine & Trevor Munhall

13

education

A Political

Examining the Importance of Politics in Education

by Annie Branch

n an effort to explore the importance of political involvement as part of Derryfield’s mission to create global citizens, a range of Derryfield faculty, alumni, and students were asked to answer the question, “Why is political knowledge and involvement an important part of education?” Their answers range as widely as their experiences.

I

Bruce Berk Imagine a superpower making global decisions without a politically involved and knowledgeable citizenry and lead‑ ership. Imagine a national economy competing in a global one without a sense of the political and cultural mar‑ kets it intends to compete in. Then imagine the increased ease of working across cultural boundaries with a citi‑ zenry immersed and interested in the history and culture (and thus, political environment) of the world. Today, more than ever, every serious educational institution has a mission to inspire political knowledge and involvement.

Across departments at Derryfield, we choose to make our students “cul‑ tural translators,” and despite their liv‑ ing in the cloistered world of New Hampshire, encourage them to be sen‑ sitive to global cultures. In the long run, we hope many of them will be able to make more measured and sen‑ sible political decisions in a global community. For decades, the School has worked to deepen students’ domestic and international knowledge.

Derryfield’s United States History

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teachers can speak to this goal through the study of American history. My intent has been to inspire and ignite student interest in areas and issues beyond themselves – civic knowledge and civic involvement are the hopeful outcomes of these investigations, and the bedrock to a healthy, functioning democracy. Whether it has been elec‑ tives on Russia and the Soviet Union in the 1980s; the issues surrounding the Holocaust or Asia in the 1990s; or to better understand the Middle East and globalization in the 21st century, my goal has always been the same: to interest students in a world beyond their home, and with a commitment to something beyond themselves.

help change the world in some way.

Political involvement is one way to bring about this change, particularly in a democratic society that relies on informed participation by the people.

An education is only complete when students are aware of the ways they can be active members of the world.

Involvement in politics as a student is also important to an education because it gives meaning to lessons taught in the classroom. This year I attended a seminar in which Samantha Power discussed foreign policy issues.

Hearing her speak on topics I had learned about in school was exciting because it made my education relevant to life beyond Derryfield.

Kate Stover ’08

Rob Buchholz ’02

Education should benefit both the indi‑ vidual and a larger community. To be an informed, helpful member of soci‑ ety, it is necessary to have knowledge of the issues that face our society and how the political system works to resolve those issues. It is the responsi‑ bility of every educated person to use the skills they have learned in order to

My foray into politics began during the 2004 Presidential Election between President George W. Bush and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. At the time, I had the opportunity to attend the Democratic National Convention in Boston, and I can remember thinking to myself, “There are so many people!” However, despite

15

A P O L I T I C A L E D U C AT I O N

the show of support at the convention and all the national attention given by the media, I was surprised to learn that only 55.3 percent of the country voted that year, equating to slightly more than one out of two eligible voters.

Having witnessed this stunning lack of voter participation, my career in poli‑ tics since that time has been imbued with an awareness of this larger dis‑ connect between the American people and the politicians who represent them. Sadly, the public has come to view government not as a tool of advancement but, instead, as a symbol of its own disenfranchisement, causing it to become apathetic and skeptical of its own ability to enact change.

At the same time, however, my cur‑ rent experience as Assistant Clerk of the New Hampshire Senate has allowed me to see that what is true of national politics does not automatically hold true when applied to state poli‑ tics. As Tip O’Neil famously said, “All politics is local,” and during the course of my daily State House activity, I see effective government in action all the time. As an elected officer of the Senate, I see the sacrifices that state legislators make in order to better

Lillie Green ’00 with Governor Lynch.

serve their constituents. I have come to learn that New Hampshire represents a deviation from the national norm, in which a premium is placed on a com‑ mitment to thoughtful, constituent‑ oriented government. Perhaps this is yet another reason why New Hamp‑ shire should retain its first‑in‑the‑ nation primary status.

Rob is an assistant Senate clerk in the New Hampshire State Senate.

Irfan Rizvi The goal of a sound education should be to provide its recipients the tools and abilities to achieve a more lucid, yet nuanced understanding of the world.

Through the study of history and poli‑ tics, historians are consistently tasked to begin deconstructing effects and rec‑ ognizing causality in both current and past contexts. They develop and nur‑ ture questions that sustain investiga‑ tions not only into particular events, but across cultures, eras, and peoples.

In this way, students of history and politics ideally recognize when causes and themes transcend specific contexts and when they do not. Moreover, once students can begin to analyze and rec‑ ognize patterns across political com‑ munities, we can often achieve an understanding of our current and future situations with more complexity and sophistication. If we are better equipped to break down causes and construct meaningful inquiry, students of history and politics will invariably be well‑equipped to tackle – both on an individual and communal basis – contemporary ethical and moral dilem‑

16

mas. As a teacher and a student, I have always held these principles as the point of origin for both my instruction and learning. However, inquiry that is constructed with this spirit is useful across professions and mediums and I plan to employ these tenets even as I depart the classroom.

Aaron Rosenthal ’97 To be politically involved and political‑ ly knowledgeable is to be educated about the world around us. In the six years I’ve been involved in politics, my work on U.S. Senate and presidential campaigns and now, for a U.S. senator, provides regular intellectual, ethical, and social challenges. Derryfield’s Statement of Philosophy says that Derryfield seeks to guide students’ “development of analytical, indepen‑ dent thinking skills; and to foster each child’s social, emotional, and ethical growth.”

Political involvement requires us to use the same skills taught and prac‑ ticed at Derryfield. In both instances we are asked to listen, learn, and come to conclusions about a variety of topics.

We are asked to use logic, reason, and, occasionally, our instincts to define and defend our stances on issues ranging from global warming to health care.

Each time we do this, we learn more about the world around us, the people we interact with, and ourselves. It is by observing these debates and having our own political discussions that we can learn and become engaged in the world we live in.

Aaron works for Senator Barbara Boxer.

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

A P O L I T I C A L E D U C AT I O N

Lillie Green ’00

Richard Sigel ’81

Each year, approximately 750 bills are introduced by the New Hampshire leg‑ islature. Of course, only a fraction of these actually become law and at least some of them impact most of us.

Understanding key legislative initia‑ tives, such as school funding, is impor‑ tant. In many ways the future of our state may depend upon critical new laws that affect broad areas such as edu‑ cation, health care, privacy, and taxes.

I think that political involvement and education are a matter of personal responsibility. Laws are passed by politicians elected by all of us. It is up to us to decide who will serve as our voice. But regardless of who serves in office, we all have the ability to become involved and make a difference.

Legislators, as well as the governor, do listen and are influenced by con‑ stituents. Although I will be leaving politics this fall to attend the Johnson School of Management at Cornell University, I know that I will remain well informed and will be an active advocate for legislative initiatives that will strengthen our state.

Working in politics for the last sev‑ eral years has been a phenomenal learn‑ ing experience for me. I have been extremely fortunate to have worked for an incredible administration. Governor Lynch is honest, fair, and always has the best interests of New Hampshire citizens in mind. This is not always the case.

Lillie is an Assistant to Governor Lynch.

My mother, a pediatrician known, among other things, for her social advocacy, idealism, and slightly dark sense of humor, frequently greeted people with the question, “So, have you saved any lives today?” She meant it metaphorically of course, but coming from a doctor, it nevertheless set a high standard of achievement for a success‑ ful day. This standard may have had something to do with my ending up in politics and government. Good policies can help save lives, and good policies flow from politics.

Politics is the process through which we harness public will to bring about change and turn ideas into action, first by electing people committed to a set of ideas and then using the power of office to implement those ideas. Bill Moyers (a former political operative himself) said, “Ideas are great arrows, but there has to be a bow. And politics is the bow of idealism.” The reality that ideas alone don’t bring about change without the bow of politics is precisely why political knowledge should be an important part of educa‑ tion. Knowing how the political pro‑ cess works, understanding the mechanics of elections and legislating, appreciating the give‑and‑take of com‑ peting priorities, and having the ability to evaluate information critically and persuade others – these are the skills citizens need to elect good leaders who will, in turn, implement good public policy. Just as important, if people aren’t well‑versed and engaged in the political process, the process will be

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Aaron Rosenthal ’97 in his senate office.

controlled by others who are, and their interests may be very different from yours or mine.

For a number of years before she passed away in 2004, my mother, along with many others, had been working on the issue of childhood lead poison‑ ing, raising awareness about its dan‑ gers and advocating for stronger laws.

Governor Shaheen had supported reform, but the legislature was not willing. It took the bow of the historic 2006 election, with its overwhelming reelection mandate for Governor Lynch and change in the legislature, to make the political environment right for changing the lead laws. Governor Lynch championed the change, and a bill passed the legislature in 2007. The new law doesn’t solve all childhood lead problems, but it makes solid progress. And we can hope it will save some lives.

Richard is Chief of Staff for Governor Lynch.

17

alumni

Update on Kiera Elizabeth Bourgeois, new daughter of Erin Perry Bourgeois ’89 and Jonathan Bourgeois ’89.

In Memoriam Derryfield alumna Deborah Brock Cockrill ’80 passed away on December 30, 2007 after a 12 1/2-year battle

The news contained in this section covers the period of November 16, 2007 – March 24, 2008. For more recent news, or to post a note, please log on to the Derryfield Portal at www.derryfield.org.

with breast cancer. After graduating from Derryfield, Deborah earned a degree from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, VA. She worked as a corporate risk manager in the insurance industry in Maryland for many years.

Deborah is survived by her parents, retired New Hampshire Supreme Court Chief Justice David Brock and Sandra Brock; her husband, John Cockrill; children, Emily, Alec, and Patrick; as well as five siblings.

1968 Scott Ekman updates us, “I’ve been divorced (amicably) for three years, have three granddaughters, ages 5, 8, and – God help me – 13. I will be teaching them how to fish this spring. My webshots albums can be accessed at: http://community.web‑ shots.com/user/scottydsc. Please visit! I used to be a semi‑pro bass fisherman and pro guitarist, but stuff happens. I have had two fusion surgeries (2003 and 2005) and a triple bypass (2007). I’m still beating the odds, though.”

1969 Ellie Goodwin Cochran tells us that she has a new title at New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Director of Regional Philanthropy. It is a new position where she is part of the Philanthropic Services Management Team and supervises the Senior Foundation Officers. She is still handling the Manchester and Nashua Regions, so it is a great way to start off the new year.

1972 Gary Hirshberg can now add “author” to his resume. The owner and CEO of Stonyfield Farm in Londonderry, NH, Gary has recently been on a book tour pro‑ moting his latest brainchild, Stirring it Up; How to Make Money and Save the World.

Gary has long been committed to making the world a better place, and his new book sends that message loud and clear.

Incidentally, the book is printed with 100% post‑consumer waste fiber versus virgin fiber paper.

Proud dad John Allan ’90 with son Cooper and new daughter, Julie.

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Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1973 Thomas Sadler writes, “Beth and I were married on July 9, 2006 on the banks of the Madison River outside of West Yellowstone, MT. Beth is a travel‑ ing operating room nurse, taking dif‑ ferent assignments at different hospi‑ tals. I now have two great additions to the family besides Beth: stepson Matt (25) and stepdaughter Laura (22). Both were in the wedding. Matt gave the bride away, standing in for Beth’s father, and Laura was the maid of honor. My sisters Cindy Sadler ’74 and Kristen Young ’86 were also in the wedding.”

1978 Congratulations to Mark Younger, who is celebrating his tenth year in business. He has his own UPS Store franchise in Plymouth, NH.

Joining Lori Evans ’00 (left) and Alumni Coordinator Diane Allen (second from left) for dinner in Nashville, TN: J.J. Street, Cathy Sanborn Street ’86, John Griffith ’82, Daniela Kuftinek Shields ’82, and Eric Shields.

1983 Danielle Currier is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Radford University in Radford, VA. She got her Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 2004. n Kristen Norton Mugnai writes, “I own a small animal practice in Wiscasset and Boothbay, ME with two partners. We keep very busy and I specialize in surgery and ultrasound. I live in the very small town of Alna with my hus‑

Tom Sadler ’73 and his bride, Beth. Other Derryfield alumni in attendance were Tom’s sisters, Cindy Sadler ’74 (second from left) and Kristen Young ’86 (third from left).

www.derryfield.org

band George, son Cameron (12), and daughter Clara (8). We keep busy with the kids’ activities: basketball, baseball, math team, and band for Cameron; and soccer, swimming, gymnastics, riding, and baseball for Clara. Clara and I show our horses in the summer and we have a house full of animals.”

1984 Mary Downes will be finishing course‑ work for a Master’s in Resource Administration and Management at UNH in May and working on a research project this summer and fall related to sustainable energy and the environment. She has been working with the NH Sustainable Energy Association and a few other nonprofits as a consultant for the past year and is always looking for new and interesting opportunities.

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1985

1989

Matt Galvin writes, “I live in Belle Mead, NJ near Princeton with my wife Kathy and our four children, Tommy (10), Emily (8), Andrew (5), and Anna (4), where I vigilantly guard against my children adopting a New Jersey accent. I have been gainfully employed in the golf industry for the last 16 years. A business partner and I own several golf courses in New Jersey and Florida, but I still don’t get more than five rounds in per year. I touch base from time to time with Ken Murphy ’84 who lives in Andover, MA and Sarah Jukes Huegel ’89 who lives in Bend, OR. My brother Bill ’83 lives with his wife Lisa and two boys, Tyler and Alex, near Raleigh, NC.”

Jon Bourgeois and Erin Perry Bourgeois welcomed their second child on February 27. A girl, Kiera Elizabeth, arrived strong and healthy at 8 lbs. to join her 3 1/2‑year‑old broth‑ er. The Bourgeois family lives in Hillsborough, NH.

1990 John Allan and his wife Mary Kate are pleased to announce the birth of their second child, Julie Emerson Allan, born December 27, 2007. Julie tipped the scales at 8 lbs., 10 oz. John reports, “It’s been three months now and big brother Cooper is adjusting very well.

Other news is that I was laid off from Pannaway a couple weeks ago, and I already have found a great new oppor‑ tunity down at Sonus Networks based

Elizabeth Hickok Moser ’94 and daughter Lily Catherine Moser

in Westford, MA.” n Sarah Smith and her husband Dan Hickey welcomed their second son, Matthew Daniel Hickey, on June 9, 2007. Matt joins big brother, Will, who is 2. Although life is certainly busy, they are all doing well and adjusting to life as a family of four.

Sarah is still teaching ESOL at a high school in Falls Church, VA and Dan works in government relations in Washington, DC. They live in Arlington, VA.

From the Archive Do you recognize yourself or a fellow alumna/us in this vintage photo of budding musicians?

Please identify yourself to diane.allen@derryfield.org.

Faculty in last issue’s achive photo (compliments of Ed Lemire): Front (L to R): Jo Pouliopolos, Gerry Connolly, Dick Anthony, Steve Hahn, and Sarah Dickenson.

Back (L to R): David Haight, Steve Prouty, Tom Belt, Chuck Sanborn, and Dennis Holland.

Congratulations to all of you who got at least three right!

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Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

1992

1994

1995

Andy Sklarin has announced his engagement to Tracy Rodgers. Tracy attended Oglethorpe University and graduated from Florida State University. She is a math teacher at Heritage Academy of Hilton Head in South Carolina and a swimming coach.

Of his work, Andy tells us, “I am still at Van Der Meer Tennis University. I was promoted to Head Professional in January, and also Director of Mercersburg Summer Tennis Camps.

So far 2008 has been a crazy year! Our season is just getting started, which makes me very busy, but it’s great to be back on court teaching full time!”

Avery Holland writes, “I am getting married on June 14, 2008 to Colin Murdock (from Winchester, MA).

Ashley Stearns Burr and Amily Dunlap Moore ’93 will both be in the wedding.” n Jon Foster reports that he and his wife, Lisa (Birrell), were mar‑ ried in Lyons, CO on September 8, 2007. Alumni at the wedding were Christopher Spiro and Jon’s brother Tim ’96. Lisa is an elementary school teacher in Ft. Lauderdale where the Fosters make their home. Jon and his brother Tim are in the process of tak‑ ing over their family’s manufacturing business, which is very challenging but also a lot of fun. Their company was featured in an article in the Miami Herald in 2006 that discussed the tran‑ sition from one generation of brothers to the second generation of brothers. n Diane and Ryan Bielagus welcomed their new daughter, Mei‑Ling Ann into their family on May 16, 2007. n Elizabeth Hickok Moser writes, “On December 7, 2007 my husband Link and I welcomed our first child, Lily Catherine Moser. She weighed 8 lbs., 3 oz. and was 21 inches long. We live in Gilford, NH with our two black labrador retrievers. I work as an occu‑ pational therapist at a local early inter‑ vention program, but I’ll be taking off some time to be a mama!”

According to St. Anselm College’s Portraits magazine, Kathleen McGhee of Somerville, MA is director of promo‑ tions for 451 Promotions in Boston, a newly formed division of 451 Marketing.

1993 Katherine Hurlbut Chappell writes, “I am still teaching at Roxbury Latin School – this is my eleventh year! My husband Andy and I are loving being parents to our two kids – Brady, age 4, and Samantha, age 1.” n Aubrey Rosenthal writes, “Hello all! A quick update on my world: after some time in the kayaking world, I have now set‑ tled in the Seattle area and am loving it here. I got married in June 2007 and we are expecting our first child (well, sec‑ ond if you include our dog Celia, who is fervently hoping I have a puppy) in July. Woohoo! I went corporate and now work at Merrill Lynch, which affords me all the kayaking and hiking time I need. Best to everyone, be in touch!”

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continued on page 24...

ALUMNI EVENTS

savethe date New York City Alumni Happy Hour Join Craig and Cary Sellers and faculty member Bruce Berk on Friday, April 25, 4 – 7 p.m. at The Cornell Club.

Founders’ Day Ceremony Come back to campus on Friday, May 2 to see the presentation of the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Alumni Red Sox Game Watch for an “Evite” inviting you to enter the lottery for tickets to a Kansas City Royals game on Monday, May 12.

Young Alumni Summer Send-Off Classes of 2005, 2006 and 2007 are invit‑ ed to join us for a BBQ in honor of the Class of 2008 on Wednesday, August 6.

RSVP for any of these upcoming events to Diane Allen, Alumni Coordinator, at diane.allen@derryfield.org or 603.669.4524, ext. 136.

21

LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

My Travels for Art

by Hilary Foster ’81

ABOVE: Hilary Foster wearing some of her murano jewelry. OPPOSITE: Samples of work available from Hillary London®.

Hilary Foster ’81 is the middle of three Foster siblings who have attended The Derryfield School. A native of New Hampshire, Hilary currently makes her home in Roseland, NJ although, more often than not, you will have to search the globe to find her. An entrepreneur whose work can be found worldwide in museum shops, resorts, direct mail catalogs for high‑end stores, specialty shops, and, now, on televi‑ sion, Hilary has devoted the last twelve years to her line of murano glass jewelry and glassware. Hilary’s vision allows her to design jewelry that retains the beauty and traditions of Old Italy and still appeals to today’s woman. See for yourself at www.hilarylondon.com.

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y journey after Derryfield has been a winding road through NYC, Boston, Italy, and New Jersey where I am quite content to have settled. I do fly 100,000 miles a year, however, so I’m never in one place too long!

Always creative, but acutely aware of the need to earn a living, my career path has been a quest to marry my cre‑ ative spirit with my business acumen.

In founding Hilary London® ten years ago (originally Vivant Corporation), I have achieved my goal.

Hilary London® is a collection of murano glass jewelry and women’s accessories. It is a distinctive, on‑trend assortment for today’s sophisticated woman. HL Home is my “jewelry for the home”; a collection of murano glass serving ware, glassware, and tabletop items. All of my pieces are

M

handmade in Italy using centuries‑old techniques and traditions.

This all started ten years ago when I left a corporate job as the director of a jewelry company to start my own import company. As a European importer, I bought jewelry and small trinkets from producers in the Netherlands, Austria, and England to sell to retailers in North America. They did well, but I wasn’t completely satis‑ fied with the merchandise that was available and knew I could design col‑ lections that would be better suited to my market. I was too busy creating a business to work on my own designs, but knew that it would be important to be truly successful.

"That first night I didn’t sleep a wink; I lay in bed listening to the water lap against the palazzo."

The Italian piece happened by acci‑ dent. I had established a reputation as a European importer, and slowly trade commissions started contacting me to represent their members. The Italian Trade Commission invited me to NYC to meet with a group of factories from Murano, the famous glassblowing island a short boat ride from Venice, who were interested in exporting to the United States. I went, and when I saw the products I thought, “This is it.” I settled on one factory after they agreed to manufacture my jewelry designs. We still work together today, although I now use six factories to pro‑

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

LIFE AFTER DERRYFIELD

duce my entire range.

My first trip to Venice was in November 1998. I had always said that I wanted to see Piazza San Marco in person before it sank – I couldn’t believe I was actually there! It was sen‑ sory overload: the smells, the sounds, the architecture – it was all so different from anything I had ever seen. My hotel was on the Grand Canal. I upgraded to a canal view room to get the full Venetian experience; I wanted to be part of “La Bella Serenissima.”

That first night I didn’t sleep a wink; I lay in bed listening to the water lap against the palazzo. As the tide came in and out, I imagined the life that had existed inside this magical palazzo that I was calling home for the next five days.

That first visit was pivotal. I hired an Italian translator for my negotia‑ tions because not everyone I had appointments with spoke English.

Thanks to Madame de Pazzis and Mrs. Bentas, I had a working knowledge of both French and Spanish (four years each), but I quickly realized that I needed to speak Italian. Upon return‑ ing to New Jersey, I went to Berlitz and

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signed up for private Italian lessons.

Due to my language background, I was speaking the language in six weeks and am now fluent. It changed busi‑ ness for me and makes life abroad much less stressful!

Venice is now my second home. I have been there almost forty times with visits ranging from two days to three weeks. It is a magical place that has captured my heart. Its mystical and exotic characteristics manifest themselves in my collections.

There have been some interesting moments over the years: n Getting lost on the way home from a dinner party given in my honor. Every street I turned onto ended at the water’s edge. It took hours to get home! n At the first apartment I rented I hooked up my computer and blew all the fuses in the entire palazzo; I had used an adapter but needed a “trans‑ formatore!” n Acqua Alta – high water which kept me from getting to work, stuck in my apartment, at a hotel – I now keep pink high water boots at one of the factories so I don’t get stuck!

n

Walking on tables through Piazza san Marco to get to work (high water again) n Seeing snow in Piazza san Marco n Boat strikes n Boats not running to Murano because of fog n Picnics with friends on the outer islands n Weekend regattas on the Grand Canal n Carnivale n Weekend trips to Verona, Florence, Rome, the Amalfi Coast, and the Tuscan countryside It hasn’t been easy, but I have enjoyed the ride. I now travel all over the world sourcing components to add to my glass collections that are still made in Italy. I sell worldwide with distributors in Great Britain and Canada. I have a jewelry show on ShopNBC in the USA and on QVC in London. Both collections can be found in museum shops, resorts, in direct mail catalogs such as Neiman Marcus and Red Envelope, and in specialty stores across the country.

I love what I do and am anxious to see what the next ten years will bring.

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CONGRATULATIONS

alumni

parents To Jon Bourgeois ’89 and Erin Perry Bourgeois ’89, a daughter, Kiera Elizabeth, on February 27, 2008.

To John Allan ’90 and his wife Mary Kate a daughter, Julie Emerson, on December 27, 2007.

To Sarah Smith ’90 and her husband Dan Hickey a son, Matthew Daniel, on June 9, 2007.

To Ryan Bielagus ’94 and his wife Diane a daughter, Mei-Ling Ann, on May 16, 2007.

To Elizabeth Hickok Moser ’94 and her husband Link a daughter, Lily Catherine, on December 7, 2007.

Front row (L to R): Andrew Young ’98 and his wife Robin. Back row (L to R): Bride Rebecca White, groom Peter White ’98, Gerard Murphy ’98, Elizabeth Murphy, Holly Katz ’01, Alissa White ’01, Hilari Bellerive Sidore ’98, Tim Sidore ’98, Nate Wicklow ’98, Brandi Pomeroy, Heather White ’03, and Julie Katz ’04.

To Director of Advancement Alice Handwerk and her ...continued from page 21

husband Brian a daughter, Phoebe Waters, on February 25, 2008.

CELEBRATING

alumni

weddings Tom Sadler ’73 to Beth Rowzie on July 9, 2006 in West Yellowstone, MT. Aubrey Rosenthal ’92 to Tracy Clapp on June 17, 2007 in Seattle, WA. Jonathan Foster ’94 to Lisa Birrell on September 8, 2007 in Lyons, CO. Tom Wilder ’96 to Adrienne Ronsani on July 14, 2007 in Germantown, NY. Katherine Stanley ’97 to Adrián Obando on December 26, 2007 in Norway, ME. Derek Gelinas ’98 to Vanessa Potvin on December 2, 2006 in Haverhill, MA. Kate Saturley ’99 to Benjamin Davies on July 7, 2007 in Harwichport, MA.

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1996 Tom Wilder updates us, “I married Adrienne Ronsani on July 14, 2007 in Germantown, NY and we spent our honeymoon in Napa, Sonoma and San Francisco, CA. I’m currently in my third and final year at Albany Law School.”

1997 Jason Emery reports, “I’m going to Chicago‑Kent Law School at night and working at Mayer Brown managing legal software during the day. While watching Law & Order (it’s documen‑ tary research, shut up), night law school was described as, ‘a root canal with a dull drill.’ Good stuff. Hope all my fellow classmates and teachers are doing well.” n Katherine Stanley was married to Adrián Obando of San José, Costa Rica where the newlyweds make their home. Katherine’s mom, rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Norway,

Maine, performed the ceremony at her church on December 26. They celebrat‑ ed again in Costa Rica on February 9 with more family and friends, includ‑ ing two Derryfield alums, Abby Silverman Fischer and Amanda Cook, who attended Derryfield in seventh and eighth grades.

1998 Derek Gelinas tells us that he and Vanessa Potvin were married on December 2, 2006. Alumni in atten‑ dance were Pat Link, Liz Boswell, and Jim Thatcher ’97. It all went down at All Saints Parish in Haverhill, MA. Since then they have moved to Hooksett, NH and are expecting their second child – a boy – in June, just before their daughter Kaylee’s second birthday. n Chris Ogden writes, “I am dipping my toe into the video editing and production business. I have been working with Octagon, a global sports agency, over the last couple years on a

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

variety of projects ranging from web‑ site administration to filming of ath‑ letes to dvd production. I was fortu‑ nate to work with so many great peo‑ ple and build a strong foundation moving forward as an independent editor/producer. I am excited at the prospect of starting something that is mine and looking forward to the expe‑ rience.

1999 Natalie Lebel was married to Chris Reno on November 26, 2007. They were married on a cruise ship that went to Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada. n Kate Saturley married Benjamin Davies on July 7, 2007 in Harwichport, MA. Anastasia Roy did a reading from “Tin Whistle Wedding” by Ogden Nash, and former student Matthew Richards ’98 also attended the wed‑

Derek Gelinas ’98 with his bride, Vanessa Potvin.

www.derryfield.org

ding with his wife, Sarah. The Davies moved to Auckland, New Zealand a few days after the nuptials so that Benji could continue his work toward a master’s of archaeology at the University of Auckland while Kate put her master’s of education at UNH on hold. She is working in the field of Environmental Studies for Auckland Regional Council as a Rural Compliance Officer, helping farmers comply with regulations relating to farm discharges so that they don’t pol‑ lute the surface or groundwater. She also helps farmers develop conserva‑ tion plans for their farms and assists in the management of grant funds that provide money for sustainable devel‑ opment projects.

2000 Those of you living in the Champaign, IL area should tune in to the news on your ABC affiliate, WICD, to catch Melody Chag (Mendez) as weekend anchor and weekday reporter. Mel graduated from Boston University where she received the Dennis Kauff Award for excellence in journalism and then worked as the main anchor/reporter for the ABC affiliate in Jackson, TN. After spending two years in the South, she accepted the position as weekend anchor/reporter, at the ABC affiliate in Champaign, IL. Mel was a leader in the effort to supply water to victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She writes, “It’s been an amaz‑

Amanda Cook, Kathleen Stanley Obando ’97, and Abby Silverman Fischer ’97 at Kathleen’s wedding in Costa Rica.

ing journey so far. I can’t wait to see where else this job takes me. And, although I miss watching the Red Sox at Fenway... I’m sure I’ll make my way back to Boston eventually.”

2001 Chrissy Murphy has been accepted to Oxford University, where she will pur‑ sue a two‑year graduate degree of Philosophy in South Asian Studies.

Her undergraduate was at St. Andrews in Scotland. She then taught English in Japan and through self study passed their proficiency exam in Japanese. She is currently on a 10‑month Overland Bush camping tour throughout Africa. n Andy Moerlein announced the engagement of his son, Alex Moerlein, to Dorothy Bandura, daughter of Patricia and Douglas Bandura of Sayville, NY. Bandura graduated from Tufts University with bachelor degrees in Sociology and French and is work‑ ing in Human Services in Phoenixville, PA. Moerlein graduated from Tufts University and Penn State and is a Mechanical Engineer with Confero in

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

King of Prussia. A summer 2009 wed‑ ding is planned. n Blake Marston writes, “I leave for basic training in Great Lakes, IL on January 29, 2008.

My orders after basic are to attend SEAL training, or BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) out in Coronado, CA. It will be an arduous journey but I look forward to the chal‑

lenge and am very excited to get underway! If I can keep a Keiner‑tight notebook or pass chemistry AND biol‑ ogy with Sanford, I might just have a shot out there.” n Seth Pitman writes that his band, Wild Light, recently signed a record deal with Almost Gold, an imprint of Columbia Records. “Our plan is to get into the studio this April.

YOUNG ALUMNI UPDATE

a report on

college

Lauren Baker ’07 shares her thoughts on her college experience thus far.

What college are you going to? What are you majoring in?

I am attending Wellesley College and majoring in economics with a minor in religion.

What was the main factor in your decision to choose this school?

I loved the atmosphere on campus. Wellesley is a very welcoming and supportive environment. Everyone is so friendly that the campus feels like a community.

Has the school lived up to your initial expectations?

It has definitely surpassed all of my expectations.

What aspect of DS prepared you most for college? What would you change about your time at DS that would have helped you more in college?

Derryfield really taught me how to approach teachers. Going to professors' office hours is vital, especially when you don't understand something.

Does the school have a similar feel to Derryfield or not?

Wellesley provided a good transition from Derryfield. While it is a larger school, the feeling of a community still exists.

What are your recommendations to current juniors and seniors going through the college process?

Start the process early, and take every opportunity you have to see different schools. Just don't stress about it! Enjoy your last years of high school and trust that you'll end up in the right place.

Excerpted from the February 20, 2008 issue of The Lamplighter.

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The money is flowing like wine, but at the moment, it’s going in the wrong direction.”

2002 Brook Milnes has been hired by Manchester‑based INEX Corp., providers of management consulting to insurance agencies, as business opera‑ tions coordinator and assistant portfo‑ lio manager.

2003 Mike Lavery appeared on the cover of Notre Dame’s Fall 2007 issue of Rec Magazine. “Ironman in our Midst – Triathlete Mike Lavery finds Notre Dame Cycling Club Helpful for Training.” Rec Magazine published a two‑page spread on Mike with a Q&A article about his training and involve‑ ment in the Ironman competitions. In 2006 Mike won his 18–24 age division and came in 34th overall in the Lake Placid Ironman Triathlon. In 2007 he came in ninth overall. n Stephanie Fiebrink’s mother reports that Stephanie is to be married on May 31, 2008 to Tim Broderick, Jr., of Bossier City, LA. They met in Germany while on a semester abroad. Stephanie grad‑ uated from Tulane University in May with a degree in biomedical engineer‑ ing and is working as a loss prevention consultant for Liberty Mutual Insurance in Detroit, MI. Tim has a degree in Theater and is now working

Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

as a custom cabinet maker in Detroit. n Meggie Havey has graduated from Wesleyan and is in Chicago enjoying life, working, and having a great time. n Ben Bradley will graduate from his five‑year architecture program (RPI) in May 2008. He has done well and had his work displayed in NYC at the American Architecure Institute along with other nominated students from other northeast architecture programs. n David Gelinas reports, “Having left Ithaca in December, I’m traveling for a few months before moving to New York City in June to start work with a small strategy consulting firm called the First Manhattan Consulting Group.” n Steve Flagg is a 2nd lieu‑ tenant at Fort Hood with the 1st Cavalry Division, attached to the 6th Squadron of the 9th Cavalry Regiment.

He is leading a platoon of 30 soldiers (scouts) teaching them to be the eyes and ears of the Army, out in front of everyone watching the enemy. His pla‑ toon is scheduled to deploy back to Iraq the beginning of December for a 12‑month tour. n Kate Davison is doing what she loves and doing it for Derryfield. On March 6, 7, and 8 The Derryfield Players presented Thoroughly Modern Millie, a musical about life and love in the “roaring ’20s.” The musical featured much more dancing than usual, and who better to do the choreography! After weeks of hard work, Kate sat in the audience and watched as the cast put on a fan‑ tastic performance.

www.derryfield.org

2004 Joe Guerra’s mother reports that Joe graduated from UNH in December, Summa Cum Laude, with a B.A. in geography and a minor in classics. He is working at Pease International Airport at Global Relief Communications, Inc. where he is a Geographic Information System (GIS) analyst. GIS is a computer application used to store, view, and analyze geo‑ graphical information, especially maps.

Joe analyzes data and provides cus‑ tomer support. He also does technical writing – he rewrote the company’s manual. Joe began his M.B.A. program at Daniel Webster College (Portsmouth campus) in February 2008. n Abby Feinberg (stage name Abby Chase) tells us she will graduate from Boston Conservatory with a B.F.A. in musical theatre this spring. The last semester of school is entirely career preparation, so she is working hard at audition pieces, cold readings, learning how to market herself, and getting to know industry pros. “My showcase will be performed in Boston on April 29 (it’s free and all are invited!) and New York City on May 1.” Abby appeared in “A Man of No Importance” on February 25 and 26 in Boston.

Alumni Talent Fifteen talented young alumni returned to campus to perform for two special assemblies on December 19 and January 3.

Jake Keefe ’06

Abby Feinberg ’04

2005 Wyeth KcKinney was awarded the Jack Welch scholarship this year and next at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT. Jack Welch an author and

Seth Pitman ’01

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U P DAT E O N A L U M N I

the retired CEO of GE. Wyeth is a finance and economics major due to graduate December 2008. He played soccer two years at SHU, a Division I school. n Derek Boelig is a junior at Lehigh University, spending his spring semester in Madrid. He writes, “I’m doing lots of traveling – I went to stay with Andrew Todd in Scotland. Last summer I had an internship with Financial Architects in Boston. This summer I’m interning with Ernst & Young in Boston and will be living with Nick Stepro.”

2006 Erich Bradley loves CMU and Pittsburgh. He is currently a chemical engineering major, but “time will tell.” n Jaclyn Leeds, a music and psycholo‑ gy double major at Wellesley, tells us that she will be spending her summer in Hong Kong doing educational research for low‑income children through the Summerbridge International program there. She says, “It is different from working with dis‑

Alumnae basketball players (in maroon) took on current members of the varsity team during the annual Alumnae basketball game in November.

abled children,” as she has been, “but it is again working with children in a way slightly different than I have as yet.” Jaclyn is a sixth‑grade Hebrew School teacher in Brookline, MA and the Choral Director of Children’s Theater Company of Greater Boston.

She also does a lot of volunteer work with children in Cambridge and Nashua, NH.

Faculty Director of Advancement Alice Handwerk and husband Brian wel‑ comed the arrival of Phoebe Waters Handwerk on February 25, 2008. She joins big sister Lillian, who just turned two in December.

Kate Dewey '05, Sara Dewey '03, Noah Benton '05, Bill Madden, Ashley Westbrook '04, Clint Davis '07, Jaclyn Leeds '06, Derek Boelig '05, Isabel Plourde '06 enjoying Billy’s pizza in December.

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Derryfield Today – Winter 2008

THE DERRYFIELD SCHOOL

profile

Faculty

Brent Powell: New Voice of the Upper School t is a testament to Brent Powell’s draw as a teacher that students mourn the curtailing of his work in the history classroom after he becomes Head of the Upper School on July 1.

Over the past five years at Derryfield, Mr. Powell has distinguished himself as a visionary, outcome‑oriented teach‑ er who instructs students to think for themselves, write persuasive, evidence‑ rich papers, and to learn the language of his beloved discipline as they become critical historians. While stu‑ dents may lament losing his influence in the classroom, many adults in the community perceive the potential for their own growth in his open, clear leadership style.

Mr. Powell comes to his new role eager to help the rest of the Upper School faculty enjoy some of the tangi‑ ble successes that his colleagues in his‑ tory have had during his tenure as department chair. Under his leader‑ ship, history teachers have annually documented their practices through the creation of a departmental binder of assignments and assessment tools.

Using these data, teachers were then able to see points of intersection and gaps within the history curriculum, leading to the creation in 2006 of a new

I

www.derryfield.org

ninth‑grade history course, “Asia East and West,” and the implementing of an honors‑level year‑long senior history course. Changes to the eighth‑grade history course and evaluation of future changes to Civics in seventh grade mean that nearly every class in the department has been touched by Mr. Powell’s initiative, vision, and encour‑ agement of his colleagues.

To help students succeed, he says, Upper School teachers will find in him a sounding board for thinking in new ways, an advocate for knowledge transfer and self‑reflective learning, and a manager who favors purpose and consistency coupled with clear expectations and accountability. As he expresses his hopes for encouraging mindful teaching, coaching, and advis‑ ing, Mr. Powell remarks, “I want to be somebody to whom people can turn to help them do their jobs better.”

Turning to the wider canvas of the Upper School next year, Mr. Powell is interested in having an influence on the institution as a whole for the benefit of students as well as faculty. Envisioning the ideal Upper School at Derryfield, Mr. Powell says, “We all want students to be changed in ways that open up skills and passions.” Strongly influ‑

Brent Powell directs a debate in a class.

enced by his “transformative educa‑ tional experiences” during nine years at Camp Pasquaney, seven of them as a counselor, Mr. Powell envisions the identity broadening that a student could gain from an extended interna‑ tional or service‑learning opportunity as part of his or her course of study at Derryfield. “Part of the culture at Pasquaney is the idea that at camp, you can try on the person you might wish to be. Our language for this is for each person to ‘be their best selves.’ I hope that we can continue to create cultural expectations here so that people give their best selves to our community.”

– John Bouton

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Thoroughly Modern Millie Mallory Rinker ’08 all dolled up as Millie in the Upper School Musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Parents of alumni: If your son or daughter no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Advancement Office at 603.669.4524 of the correct mailing address. Thank you.

2108 River Road Manchester, NH 03104-1396 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MANCHESTER, NH PERMIT NO. 290