A-Z 2016

A-ZFILES

A-Z FILES 2016

Selected Works for the Allen-Stevenson Archives

FILES The Allen-Stevenson School 132 E 78th Street New York, NY

The A-Z Files is founded in memory of Zach Levy (1985-2011), Class of 2000.

All those who knew Zach came away smiling. He was warm, charismatic, and fiercely witty. He had a big heart and is remembered well for his generosity.

Between his lifelong passion for writing and love of kids, he’d be happy to see this publication born in his honor. We all miss him very much.

Dedicated to those we lost too soon Aditya Srinivasan ‘19 2003-2015 William Thurston Sargent ‘98 1982-2016

ADITYA Clifford Stowe ‘19, Nicholas Creed ‘19, Ethan Wasserberger ‘19 Came to school every day Smiling His enthusiastic demeanor Beguiling The terrible evil haunting him Its name-cancer Striking him again and again It was in his genes He had no defense Not even the machines Could stop it One day he was there The next he was not The tragedy it brought To the students of A-S Was unmatchable But, sadly, it was factual All that was left was the memories God bless the memories

Who was Aditya Srinivasan? He was a kind boy who was always happy. He was a great and loyal friend to many of us. He also had a great sense of humor to the point where it was hard to be around him without laughing. He loved many things, including video games, Legos, Nerf, Bingo, high-fives, and many other activities.

But what I admired the most about him was his bravery. He stood up to cancer not once, not twice, but three times. Only the most courageous people, like Aditya, can accomplish feats like that.

- Clifford Stowe ‘19

EDITORS Kerim Eken ‘00 Jonathan Klebanoff ‘00

DESIGN Caitlin Mulcahy

FACULTY ADVISOR Peter Haarmann David Kersey h’98

ALUMNI DIRECTOR Anthony Kapp

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE Matteo Ragusa ‘17 Leo Rose ‘17

William Camp ‘18 Jack Klein ‘18 Myles Ringel ‘18

SELECTION COMMITTEE Adam Levy ‘97 Michael Levy Jonathan Klebanoff ‘00

COVER ART Noah Katz ‘19

Helen Levy Kerim Eken ‘00 Peter Haarmann

INSIDE COVER ART Beckett McKee ‘19

Copyright 2016 © The Allen-Stevenson School Produced by Action Graphics, Inc. 800 365 6687

“One writes out of one thing only — one’s own experience.

Everything depends on how relentlessly one forces from this experience the last drop, sweet or bitter, it can possibly give.

This is the only real concern of the artist, to recreate out of the disorder of life that order which is art.”

-James Baldwin

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword Chris Weitz ‘84 pg 10 Brooklyn Bridge Caleb Dando-Haneisch ‘17 pg 12 Recipe for a Good Article Neilish Shrotri ‘18 pg 13 The Lone Survivor Myles Ringel ‘18 pg 14 Two Lights State Park, ME Gregory Stone ‘19 pg 16 Sailing to Bug Lighthouse Clifford Stowe ‘19 pg 17 The Tired War David Porges ‘18 pg 19 Untitled Alexander von Maltzahn ‘19 pg 20 To Build a Fire Henry Adkins ‘19 pg 21 Thanksgiving Invitation Alex Wilf ‘19 p 24 Irish Blessing Dylan Kleinberger ‘19 pg 25 A Diamond in the Rough Matteo Ragusa ‘17 pg 26 Baseball Game Jacob Green ‘17 pg 27 One Shining Moment Nicholas Simonian ‘18 pg 29 Persona Poem Lucas Villamil ‘18 pg 30 Imagine Life as a Drawing Revel Phan ‘18 pg 31 Dragon Ink Gregory Stone ‘19 pg 33 The Weather Zacary Omar ‘17 pg 34 Goodbye John Clofine ‘17 pg 35 Yosemite Caleb Dando-Haneisch ‘17 pg 36

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Cold Decision Lucas Villamil ‘18 pg 37 Lens Lawrence Heller ‘17 pg39 Heaven’s Gate Luke Jovanovic ‘19 pg 40 Heaven’s Gate Jordan Wasserberger ‘19 pg 41 The Real Lifestone Clifford Stowe ‘19 pg 42 Ecstasy Sebastian Ross ‘19 pg 43 Ecstasy II Sebastian Ross ‘19 pg 46 The Duke Chapel Luke Jovanovic ‘19 pg 50 Doctor de Soto “Outfoxes the Fox” Bernard von Simson ‘17 pg 51 Untitled Alex Wilf ‘19 pg 54 Mystery Story, Prologue Henry Scarborough ‘19 pg 56 Dear Dr. Schmidt Benjamin Nayman ‘19 pg 68 Always Watching Leo Rose ‘17 pg 64 Scuba Richard Hausman ‘16 pg 65 Photography Devin Yalkin ‘98 pg 67 As We Grow Old William Kilborne Jr. ‘51 pg 72 Sunday Breakfast Kieran Claffey P’15 P’17 pg 75 Acknowledgements pg 77 Donors pg 78

FOREWORD Chris Weitz ‘84

I

started my career as writer at AllenStevenson. My fourth grade teacher, Mr. Anderson, required his class to write a story each and every day, and read it aloud in class. Some kids didn’t really cotton to it — my favorite example is one I remember being titled, “What Happened?!” which read, verbatim: “I woke up. It had all been a dream.”

Me, I liked it, and the regular production that was demanded of us made me less precious and protective and more inclined to experiment. I have no doubt that I started thinking of making up stories as something I could do, and might end up doing “seriously”, at A-S. Now, strangely, I do it for a living, as opposed to putting things together or selling things or lifting things or cooking things or pushing money around the way normal people do. Of course, not many people end up making things up as a job, at least formally speaking. But the trying out and trying on and piling up of ideas, what schools usually call “creativity” (uncreatively enough), that kids are encouraged to do

at Allen-Stevenson can serve them for the rest of their lives no matter what they do.

I’m honored to have been asked to write the foreword for this year’s A-Z files, and excited for you to read them!

Chris Weitz ‘84 is a screenwriter, author and film director. He is best known for the work he has done with his brother, Paul ’80, on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy, for which they were nominated for an Oscar. Chris directed the film adaptations of the novel The Golden Compass and New Moon from the Twilight series. He wrote the screenplay for the 2015 live-action adaptation of Disney’s Cinderella. Later this year, Chris’ screenplay for the first stand-alone Star Wars film will come to life as Rogue One. In 2014, Chris published his first novel, entitled The Young World.

Brooklyn Bridge Caleb Dando-Haneisch ‘17

RECIPE FOR A GOOD ARTICLE Neilish

Shrotri ‘18

1 cup of Ethos 1 cup of Pathos 1 cup of Logos ½ cup of Rhetorical Questions 2 tablespoons of Quotations/Facts 3 ml. Anecdotes 2 teaspoons of Inclusive Pronouns

1. Start by adding your Ethos in a bowl for it will be the foundation of your article.

2. Add a pinch of your Inclusive Pronouns, but save some for later. It will preserve the taste of the Ethos.

3. Add some Pathos in a separate bowl. This is the main taste and the audience will be excited for more.

4. Add some Rhetorical Questions and the remainder of the Inclusive Pronouns and mix vigorously. This will enhance the flavor by making the audience personally experience the feeling of strong emotions. ( Remember, an article is not just limited to one sense! ) 5. Add a drop or two of Anecdotes. extract, a little goes a long way.

Like vanilla

6. In another bowl pour in Logos and gently fold in Quotations and Facts. ( From personal experience, Logos tastes bland without back-up facts. ) 7. Time to mix all together. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Cool, serve, and enjoy!

8. Serves a family of four.

THE LONE SURVIVOR Myles Ringel ‘18

Do you know what it is like to be the only one of your kind, To be the sole survivor of your species, The ostracism of being the sole beauty of the field, The pondering, Why me? Why not the others of my ilk?

The responsibility of thousands resting on my stem, Hoping for another to come, Waiting for eternity

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The Lone Survivor Myles Ringel ‘18

Two Lights State Park, ME Gregory Stone ‘19

SAILING TO BUG LIGHTHOUSE Clifford Stowe ‘19

The wind is tossed By the sky The sail catches the wind Which launches the boat forward Swifter, faster, full speed And so we begin our journey All five boats Farther than ever before To Bug Light Hoping to break the record We achieved before The vague outline of Bug Light Barely visible in the distance As if the clouds are attempting To conceal our goal from us I lead the fleet Sailing to our destination Closer and nearer we get We peer over our shoulders And observe the green buoy, the color of grass, Where we turned back last time We are just a few yards away No more distortion To cloud our image of Bug Light

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SAILING TO BUG LIGHTHOUSE

The rocks it is mounted upon Are so sharp and pointy I think they will impale me Boat and all We are so close There is no turning back now And then we are there And the satisfying sensation of victory Overwhelms my fellow sailors and me

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THE TIRED WAR David Porges ‘18

When someone asks me what is war like It reminds me of my youth My friends, my comrades, my brothers in arms The ones that I have, and the ones I left on those sandy shores.

It was the 6th of June in 44 When we launched our assault on the French shore Did you know we never even landed on solid ground?

And nearly half of us all drowned.

The Machine Guns bursts cutting us apart While we couldn’t make a move to start My friends fell down in the blood stained seas When I saw my a friend dead by my knees At that Moment, that second I knew my fate, But I knew that the other guy would become “the late”.

So I rallied my men my friends my brothers in arms And there and then we took part in the greatest feat of arms.

Now that war is known as heroic with legends of ole.

But I’ll still think about it as the weary old war.

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Untitled Alexander von Maltzahn ‘19

TO BUILD A FIRE Henry Adkins

‘19

It was 9:00 Yukon Trail On top of ice were as feet of snow Trail led south 500 miles to the Chilcoot Pass Dyea Saltwater North 70 miles Dawson North 1,000 miles Nulato St. Michael on the Bering Sea 1,500 miles more Yukon lay a mile wide Hidden Under three feet of snow No sun nor hint of sun A dim and little traveled trail led eastward through the fat spruce timberland High earth bank Due south would peep above skyline Dip immediately from view Save for a dark hairline that curved and twisted from around the spruce-covered island Undulations where the ice jams of the freezeup had formed 50 below Tremendous Cold 21

TO BUILD A FIRE

Colder than 50 below Curves bends and timber jams Colder than 60 below Fine powder of frost 10:00 70 below Ten miles from the forks 75 below 107 degrees of frost contained Foot of snow had fallen Sun too far south On its winter journey to clear the horizon 12:00 day was at its brightest Fearful cold Undergrowth supply of seasoned twigs Success Roaring Fire Fore snapping and crackling and promising life with every dancing flame More than 75 below Disaster Avalanche Weight of snow on bough Sentence of death A certain fear of death Life and Death Leafless aspens Brief day drew to a close Slow twilight Scent of death Under stars Stars that leaped and danced.

To Build a Fire Henry Adkins ‘19

THANKSGIVING INVITATION Alex Wilf ‘19

TO:

Enchanting Eagle of the Majestic Morning Skies.

WHAT:

A Feast of a Bountiful Harvest.

WHEN:

The Moon has Risen Four Times and the Stars are Gleaming.

WHERE:

The Majestic Meadow where the Cunning Cattle Graze.

WHY:

To Celebrate a Year of Good Harvest and to thank You for your Help.

PLEASE BRING:

A. Your Finest Bows and Arrows for Hunting

B. The Greatest Stories of your Ancient Tribe

To Fascinate Us.

C. Wood for a Toasty Bonfire Under the Night Sky ACTIVITIES:

A. Hunting the Great Deer of the Forest B. Storytelling at the Bonfire in the Dark C. Stargazing during the Chilly Night at the

Jolly Bonfire.

RSVP:

Yes: Shoot an Arrow with a Cob of Corn on it

into the Meadow

No: Shoot a Arrow Lit on Fire into the Meadow.

From:

Your Friend, Joseph Rogers

IRISH BLESSING Dylan Kleinberger ‘19

May god hold your hand through your exciting life journey And may the warm sun rays guide you to paradise May the clouds guide you to peace And may the raindrops guide you to love May the stars guide you through the sad times And may the moon shine upon your path May the pebbles in the path guide you to your dreams And may the rainbow guide you to the pot of gold May the leprechaun guide you away from all danger And may the angels guide you to heaven May you end your journey in peace and happiness And may God remain inside your heart forever and ever

25

A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Matteo Ragusa ‘17

Some people see nothing but dirt and grass, but I see opportunity. Opportunity to do something I love. To work hard and achieve my goals. Some people see four bases set 90 feet apart, but I see a diamond in the rough. Just like the precious jewel, it has countless facets that I have come to love. To stand at home plate, stick in hand, while a leather ball is hurled at you at 65 miles per hour may induce fear in some people, but my reaction is nothing but exhilaration. Pure adrenaline. Some people see the blur of the ball as the pitch is being thrown. I see the ball hitting the sweet spot on my bat. Crack! The ball sails through the air. The opposing team wants that ball. It can fly into the gap, roll into the corner… it can find a fielder’s glove or even fly out the park.

Players run toward the ball, some may dive and some may leap. While I’m interested in hitting the ball over the fence, there are nine eager fielders on the other team whose goal is to get me out. This is what happens on the field. The field is my opportunity. The field is welcoming.

The field can be unforgiving. The field is home to me. Some people see nothing but dirt and grass on this field, but I see a way of life.

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BASEBALL GAME Jacob Greene ‘17

The ball goes zoom The bat goes crack The pitcher is doomed The fans shout woo, the opponent shouts boo The batter has taken a whack On their faces, you can see their gloom The pitcher wants to hide in the locker room The batter does not look back It’s over, the fans assume All watch with concentration, like a surgeon in an operating room The ball travels back, onto the warning track The outfielder jumps up high like a floating balloon There is a moment of silence as the fans hope they aren’t doomed The fielder snags the ball, with a jump higher than a t-rex’s back The game is over and onto the field the team zooms

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BASEBALL GAME

The team wins the game, an accomplishment far greater than landing on the moon The pitcher looks away from the batter, knowing he avoided a crippling attack The batter knows he was close to a last second smack But realizes there is always next year for the hope of another crack

28

ONE SHINING MOMENT Nicholas Simonian ‘18

And now joining us, the stars of them all, Two incredible teams that love to play ball, They shoot with such ease Others bow at their knees.

Villanova and UConn, join me now To discuss how they won, why and how Cause March Madness has come and gone And here sit two teams that have played and won.

So just how did you do it, against all odds?

A two over one, though both great squads.

Hey, Jenkins, you hit that final three The buzzer beater, your team filled with glee.

What would’ve happened if you’d missed that shot, Would Villanova have still won the game, or not?

And you, UConn, sitting proud, feeling great, How does it feel to win four of ‘em straight?

So this is One Shining Moment for you all Don’t be afraid, take the shot, shoot the ball.

21

PERSONA POEM Lucas Villamil ‘18

Running, living in secret.

Always in the shadows.

Rumors filling the air. Look in the sky for the stars, by the river at sundown I’ll be there. Where to go next. The rumors are true come to freedom, to the north. Freedom, Freedom, AMEN! A burst of joy entered my soul like Holy Spirit did when I was young. A gift. No more beatings from o’l master, no more Look for old Harriet. She will take you to your freedom. Miss took me to the north.

Walking into the great north, felt like god sent miss to my life like

God sent the locusts to Egypt.

Amen!

The north is God’s promised land.

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IMAGINE LIFE AS A DRAWING Revel Phan ‘18

Imagine life as a drawing and draw every second of the day.

If you don’t like something, than you can always erase that thought.

You can’t always take back the days you dread, but instead you can think of the days ahead.

And at the end of the day just shut your eyes and let those drawings become creativity and destiny.

When you think about yourself it has to be positive.

You must think why I was given these traits and why I do the things that I do.

You have to think about your passion and what it means.

You think about home and being grateful.

Think what it means to be yourself and why you are the way you are.

You must wake up feeling happy and thinking that everyday is a new start.

You believe that the negativity that happened yesterday is done.

You should be Thankful that each and 31

IMAGINE LIFE AS A DRAWING

every individual day is the best day.

There will be haters, and the haters gonna hate.

But don’t let those people influence how you feel.

You move on.

I am strong, because I know my weaknesses I am fearless because I have been through tough times I am wise because I learn from my mistakes I can laugh because I have felt sadness

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Dragon Ink Gregory Stone ’19

THE WEATHER Zacary Omar ‘17

The weather, snowing and thirty, I put on my boots ­ they’re so dirty!

I look up, all around is dull gray.

But I put on my coat anyway.

I walk outside and freeze ­Oh, I wish I could just hear the bees.

The trees shriveling up look like skeletons.

With snow piling softly upon them.

I slip a few times here and there I can’t tell which is the sidewalk, which is the road.

There are no people around, quite rare, though I am not too surprised.

Still, I expected someone somewhere Climbing over the piles of snow. I wonder, Should I stay here or should I go?

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GOODBYE John Clofine ‘17

I sit on the table and look at the stars, I think of great memories while I start falling apart, my mind goes blank as I travel across a long road, the darkness brings me to a lonely mode, I think of the past while I plan my future, I hope I don’t fade away any sooner, loved ones seem to walk around my mind, old friends are not so far behind, I imagine what life would be like, if I hadn’t lost so many people I liked, the world sways around me like flying leaves, and I take my final breath or my last heave, and I say my last goodbye.

35

Yosemite Caleb Dando-Haneisch ‘17

THE COLD DECISION Lucas Villamil ‘18

E

arly that evening I was sitting on the bus on my way back from Field.

It was cold and nearly dark. Henry and I were quarrelling when I exited the bus into the cold, mysterious night.

Cars rushed down the hard streets. I felt as cloudy on the inside as it was on the outside.

My conscience told me to go and make things right, but I was past furious, past infuriated, beyond rage. There I was, not moving, clouds towering above.

I felt like curling all my emotions into a ball and tossing them out of the black hole that was my life. Storming to the locker room I changed back into my school clothes and left.

On my way out, I noticed Henry standing by the exit, laughing. I pushed past him and stomped out the door. It was now drizzling. Suddenly heavier rain and a hard strike of thunder echoed through the city streets.

I looked back. Henry was approaching, an arrogant smile on his face. I stopped, turned and faced my fears.

37

“Why are you racing home, your mommy and daddy aren’t there. Wait,” he continued, “they’re not even together anymore, are they?” he snarled in a sarcastic tone.

“My mom and dad are happy not together, divorced,” I bawled.

“Do you want to go cry to your mommy?

Oh, wait, this is the night you go to your daddy’s house.”

In an instant I lost control of my mind.

Gusts of wind whistled past my ears. Rain poured down from the frowning gargoyles on top of the five-story buildings. I stepped forward, closer to Henry, with force.

With this the matter was decided.

38

Lens Lawrence Heller ‘17

Heaven’s Gate Luke Jovanovic ‘19

HEAVEN’S GATE Jordan Wasserberger ‘19

Rolling hills and snow-white powder A gateway to the land of forgiveness From masters to beginners, the Gate welcomes everyone And in the winter, she opens her eyes The flurry of its joy, comes swiftly with the wind But fury follows quick, and strikes hard Blizzards of pure white, with flakes of crystal beauty And when you stand here, looking at the open sky You ponder, is this real?

41

THE REAL LIFESTONE Clifford Stowe ‘19

A

long time ago, the people of Earth decided that climate change was too much of a problem. Most of them went underground to seek refuge from the heat. But a few decided to stay in the dystopian Earth landscape. The ones that went underground made artificial sunlight and gradually evolved to survive in this new habitat. I was told that my ancestors discovered a strange, magic mineral called Lifestone that released light, heat, and oxygen to allow us to thrive. This incredible resource was discovered on the way down to our current settlement. They believed that Lifestone was like a glowing ball in this thing called the “sky.”

Everyone knows that Lifestone exists. We see it all the time on the roof of the cave. But these days, no one really thinks there is a giant glowing ball up Above.

The craziest moment of my life began when I went to a dismal neighborhood I had never seen before. I was there to practice for the optional Worst Case Scenario Training at my school. The neighborhood had barely any of the artificial light I had grown so accustomed to seeing. That was when I heard the drilling.

42

Ecstasy Sebastian Ross ‘19

THE REAL LIFESTONE

I knew it was drilling because of this TV show I liked to watch called “Mineral Hunters.” It is set back when the humans lived on the top of the Earth. The show is all about them mining for precious minerals. I remembered that drilling sound very clearly. But I knew that there could be no TV in this bad neighborhood. The teachers ushered everyone out of the area, but I stayed. I was curious about what this could be.

Just then there was a sound like the whole Earth collapsing. A strange machine fell from overhead and landed on the floor with a sickening crack. A man climbed out, but he was like no person I had ever seen before.

He looked like a human, but much darker.

He looked like he belonged in a place where there was light everywhere. There was only one place where legend said there was light everywhere: Above.

“The legends are real! There really are people up Above!” I said to the man. He just stared at me.

“You look horrible, child. Where are your parents?” he asked.

“I don’t know, I’m lost!” I replied. “But what exactly is that?” I pointed at the weird machine he had climbed out of.

“Oh, this? It’s an AMDM, or Advanced Mining Driller Machine,” the man said.

44

A-Z FILES

“Are you the only miner?” I asked.

“No. There are thousands of us. After digging deeper and deeper into the Earth to find valuable minerals, we discovered Posantium. It can supposedly allow life where there was none before. We are hoping to use Posantium to terraform Mars and inhabit it. I believe that it releases light, heat, and oxygen, and that it can enable life anywhere. We decided that there was probably more of it, so we came to look.”

I realized that Posantium must be the same thing as Lifestone. The Above-dwellers wanted it too! What would this mean for our people? Would the Above-dwellers steal all our Lifestone?

“You do realize that you’re going to destroy the top of the cave with your mining? You’ll probably wreck everything!”

I exclaimed.

“You’re right. That probably will happen.

But we can’t just call off the operation.”

The man’s communications device buzzed. A voice came out of the speaker.

“We appear to have discovered some sort of underground city! But all these AMDMs will probably destroy it!” cried the voice from the communications device.

“The city is doomed. But there are other ways to save a civilization,” I said. I

45

Ecstasy II Sebastian Ross ’19

THE REAL LIFESTONE

then raced off to do just that.

I ran around yelling, “You are all doomed if you stay here! Above is real! Go there!

There are holes in the top of the cave!

Use your aero-cars to escape!” The people around me gave me quizzical looks, then seemed to realize the danger and rushed to their aero-cars.

I then went to the radio broadcasting station. I broadcast that same message.

Just then, I heard a rumble. Nearby a hundred AMDMs fell onto buildings near me.

I hoped that the people in those buildings had already escaped.

I saw quite a few aero-cars take to the air and go up through the holes. I found my house and got into our aero-car with my younger sister, my mom, and my dad.

“We need to go through that hole!” I said, pointing up.

My dad drove the car in the direction of the hole. Then an AMDM fell right onto our aero-car! My mom activated the emergency escape pod. The pod flew into the hole and got stuck on a rocky ledge.

“For once, your Worst Case Scenario training at school has actually come in handy. I was beginning to think that you would never need to know what to do if evil machines invaded,” my sister said.

“They’re not evil! They don’t know that

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they’re destroying our city!”

The aero-tow truck immediately came into the hole. The driver attached our aero-car to the aero-tow truck and began to fly us up the rocky tunnel. I anticipated Above with excitement.

“I can’t wait to-” I started to say.

Just then we emerged Above. I was rendered speechless by the wonders I saw. There was a beautiful green flatness stretching out over the landscape. I saw brown poles topped with similar green things. I saw bats in the sky, but instead of fur, they had weird bristly things. But all of that was nothing compared to what I saw when I looked up.

I saw a blue blanket stretching over the entire landscape. There were white fluffy objects drifting slowly across the blanket. Then, a brilliant yellow ball that shimmered with a light unmatchable by anything the people below could muster.

It was more brilliant than the brightest Lifestone I had ever seen. At that moment I knew that my ancestors had been right.

This was The Real Lifestone.

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The Duke Chapel Luke Jovanovic ‘19

DOCTOR DE SOTO “OUTFOXES THE FOX” Bernard von Simson ‘17

I

can remember, sitting on the floor in my room on 36th Street with my twin sister, Isabelle. Her bed was directly above mine, occupying the top bunk. We were and are still best friends. Every night before we drifted off to sleep in the room we shared our mother read a book to us. Our favorites were The Little Engine That Could, Goodnight Moon, Green Eggs And Ham, and A Fish out Of Water.

My sister’s favorite book was The Little Engine That Could. Many nights she would chant, “I think I can, I think I can,” and “I thought I could, I thought I could…”

My favorite book and character were one in the same, that clever dentist, Doctor De Soto.

I revered Doctor De Soto. He was kind, small (like I was), hard working, dedicated, and very clever. I pictured him walking around in my mouth with his itty bitty, dainty drill. I placed myself in his story. Doctor De Soto and I were friends. He would show me how he worked and we would joke around, all in the world of my imagination. We would play checkers, with the special board that 51

DOCTOR DE SOTO “OUTFOXES THE FOX”

only existed in my mind. Doctor De Soto would always win, but though I lost, I was happy.

Doctor De Soto was so smart and confident, everything I hoped to be.

As my mother read our favorite books to us, she also began teaching us the letters and their sounds and how those letters made up words. Day after day, we would sit in our room, my sister on her jungle, giraffe rug and me on my red firetruck rug (both of which are now in my three-year old cousin’s room) and practice sounding out the letters. At first I was better than my sister, but soon she caught on to the pattern of the letters and we read together. I felt extravagant, having the ability to read. Amazingly, I was able to place myself into the stories whenever and wherever I wanted. I could finally connect to my idol, the doctor.

Every chance I got, I picked up the book and positioned myself into the pictures and into the future that was not yet written.

When I ate, I would try to balance the book on its end so I could see each illustration clearly (and eat). I did this so often, that my grandmother gave me her book stand!

After my mother had taught me to read Doctor De Soto, she would retreat to her room and leave my sister and I to our own world. I would read books over and over. My sister would always ask me to read other books with her, and I would, but after, with my insisting, we would read Doctor De Soto. Sometimes, when we were supposed to be asleep, I would talk to her about Doctor De Soto and the new adventures I imagined we were on together. Isabelle imagined that she and I would both become dentists and

A-Z FILES

work together when we grew up.

As the months went by, Doctor De Soto had clearly impacted my decisions. I would take precautions like he did with cats and other animals potentially harmful to mice.

I would look both ways when I crossed the street and steer clear of situations that seemed threatening. I realized that not all people will be kind to you, even if you are to them. It taught me that I should do the right thing even if it means I would be in a dangerous situation, just like Doctor De Soto did with the fox who wanted to eat him and his wife. Doctor De Soto taught me to cope with my surroundings, just like the De Sotos did when they glued the foxes mouth shut to prevent their demise. I became a better person. All thanks to Doctor De Soto, my astute guide into how I should lead my life.

Then, I entered Kindergarten at AllenStevenson. On the first day of school, I made sure to bring my favorite book to school in my bookbag. With Doctor De Soto watching from behind me I felt invincible. During every free period I got, I would read the book. Sometimes, my friend Reynaldo, would sit by me and read too. We would always laugh when the De Sotos “outfoxed the fox” even though he was so well-dressed.

When my cousin was born, I gave all my picture books to him. Every time I see him, he jumps for joy as I tell him I’ll read him a book. It makes me happy how much of a book-lover he has become. I just hope he likes Doctor De Soto as much as I did.

Right now I think he’d rather have me read No David!

Alex

Untitled Wilf ‘19

MYSTERY STORY PROLOGUE Henry Scarborough ‘19

Ethel Lamb tediously brought another tray of whisky to Jacob. She worked like clockwork as she had worked in Bury Manor for the last 47 years she knew the corridors like the back of her hand. She turned into the hallway adjacent to the portraits of the Bury’s along the wall.

She wished William were still here. She despised Jacob. Here he was 21 in the prime of his life and all he did was sit around and drink! She sighed as she turned the final hall to master Jacob’s room when she saw it was slightly ajar. She brushed it off and opened the door. She scowled at the new light bulb System on the ceiling; she would not use those blasted things.

She used candles her whole life and didn’t intend to stop now. She produced a small candle out of the bottom of the tray and lit it. She jumped a little but then relaxed as she heard the chime of 11 pm from the bell tower.”Master Jacob, She called. The enormous but emptied estate held an eerie silence in the many rooms.

She thought it odd for Jacob to not scream back at her for making noise or whatever that blasted boy was angry about at the moment. He was probably drunk off 56

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his head and had passed out by now.

“Jacob…?” called a second time with a hint of panic in her voice. The strike of lightning boomed from outside of the open window. The lighting lit up the room and she hollered and dropped the tray as at the grisly sight. She screamed at the top of her lungs before fainting. The butler rushed upstairs to find the source of the ruckus. Jacob was lying on the floor, covered in The all-familiar crimson substance.

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DEAR MR. SCHMIDT Benjamin Nayman ‘19

Before you lies a mystery in two forms.

The first part you are currently holding in your hands, Are you clever enough to solve it? However, once you have completed the first part, I must inform you that you aren’t finished yet. You can find the second part on YouTube under the name: Dear Mr. Schmidt, or by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=s8L9Pr0uCwA Once you have watched the movie, you will discover the full story. If you are both curious and intrigued, please read on.

Who did it?

Why did he or she do it?

How can you use that person to find Anne?

What proof do you have of the above questions?

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The case: A woman named Anne Jessica and three of her friends went to a party one night. At the party, Anne met a man named Henry Robertson.

A few days later, Anne went missing. The police conduct the early stages of an investigation. However, fearing that a police investigation would take too long Henry hires private detective William P. Schmidt.

The following are the letter and interview transcripts Mr. Schmidt received from Henry.

They will help you solve the case just as they help Mr. Schmidt in the second part of this story.

Dear Mr. Schmidt.

A woman I care greatly about by the name Anne Jessica has recently gone missing. The police have done the early stages of an investigation, however, I fear that by the time they are finished it will be too late. I am writing this letter to you complete with the transcripts and tapes from the interviews of her friends and me. Unfortunately this isn’t everything the police have, so I can only hope it will suffice. Please call me as soon as you know where Anne is, my number is: 1-917-359-4098 Sincerely, Henry Robertson.

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DEAR MR. SCHMIDT

Transcript 1: Sam Interviewer: Well, you’re the first interview.

So let’s get some details down.

Sam: Okay Interviewer: So what happened when Anne met this guy, Henry I believe?

Sam: Ahh yes, him, well they talked for a little bit and then they went off together.

Interviewer: Okay, anything else?

Sam: Yeah, Carly seemed really mad about the whole thing.

Interviewer: Do you think that she might’ve been jealous of Anne?

Sam: Oh yes, definitely.

Interviewer: Anything else?

Sam: No Transcript 2: Henry Interviewer: I’m sure you understand why we called you in.

Henry: I assume it’s because of Anne’s disappearance Interviewer: That would be correct Henry: Well, I can assure you I have nothing to do with her disappearance. I wish only for her to be found in due time.

Interviewer: Very well, however your relationship with Anne and the time of her disappearance are quite suspicious and have made you our prime suspect.

Henry: I can assure you I am innocent and would be glad to answer any of your questions.

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Interviewer: Well, I would like to know what happened at the party.

Henry: We met up with each other, talked for a little while, then went off together.

Interviewer: Did you go home together?

Henry: We did not Interviewer: We would also like you to take a lie detector test.

Henry: If it will clear my name and assist you in finding Anne then I will oblige.

Lie detector test results Are you responsible for her disappearance?

No (truth) Do you know anything about her whereabouts?

No (truth) Did you go home with her?

No (truth) Do you have any idea who might be responsible for her disappearance?

No (truth) Transcript 3: Carly Interviewer: So you’re saying that Anne was with you at the party and then walked off?

Carly: Yes. Interviewer: Did you see her again later?

Carly: Yes, I think so.

Interviewer: What do you mean you think so?

Carly: Well I was tipsy I guess.

Interviewer: Well, did you see her again or not?

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DEAR MR. SCHMIDT

Carly: Yes! Interviewer: You didn’t seem so definitive about that earlier Carly: Oh my gosh! What do you want me to tell you? That I got jealous of her and left?

Interviewer: You seem nervous about something. Do you know anything about Anne’s disappearance?

Carly: No! Okay? Stop asking me about this!

Interviewer: Fine, just a few more questions.

Carly: I answered all your questions Interviewer: Can you tell me about Sam? Carly: Okay, that’s a better question. Well, he hasn’t had a job in a while, he’s always been ruthless to get what he wants and he loves to read.

Interviewer: Oh, what’s his favorite book?

Carly: I think it was called Bait Job; he’s always talking about it.

Interviewer: I think I’ve heard of that book. It’s the one where a girl’s poor friend kidnaps her and stages a wild goose chase with her boyfriend to find her. Then she uses that to spend time with him and take his money. Right?

Carly: Yup, that’s the book.

Interviewer: It was good Carly: True.

Interviewer: Well I think we’re done here.

Carly: Great.

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Transcript 4: Sarah Interviewer: What do you remember about Henry?

Sarah: Well he had a great suit, a really high-end watch, Rolex or Breitling, and I think he liked his martinis shaken not stirred. I forget his job, maybe Wall Street something or other.

Interviewer: Okay. What do you remember about what happened at the party?

Sarah: I remember that Anne went off with him and Carly got jealous, actually protective is a better word. She tried to stop him from talking to her.

Interviewer: Did it seem like Carly was attracted to Henry at all?

Sarah: No. Interviewer: I think I should inform you that Carly seemed rather antsy in her interview, any thoughts on that?

Sarah: Yes in fact, she gets like that a lot when people ask her questions Interviewer: Okay, I think we’re done here.

That’s all the evidence available. Do you think you can solve the mystery?

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ALWAYS WATCHING Leo Rose ‘17

There once was a man Just a perfectly ordinary man to any helpless bystander He sits there on the street, watching…

Always on his perch, watching…

He is homeless, but he is rich He is crying, but he is not sad or happy He is not broke, he is heartbroken He cannot love, he cannot eat, he cannot sleep, he cannot move So he stays, quieter than a monk Forever, endlessly, always Watching

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SCUBA Richard Hausman ‘16

WHOOSH Submerged. Silence surrounds My heart pounds, nothing is seen, but I hear sounds Long, slow breaths, adrenaline abounds In every artery, about and around I show thumbs down, time to go down, down into the fathomless aqua chasm.

The splendor of the reef stuns The coral – a city of flashbulbs of exploding color Its denizens drifting about their mysterious business Mosaic sea turtles, stately beyond compare I want to touch them, but do I dare?

They feel like polished jade The sea urchin I see is crowned!

Eels and rays adorn the sandy ground The splendor of the reef stuns me!

Otherwordly eagle ray Wingspans greater than my height Soar serenely into the salty skies.

Shooting upward, I return to the waterless air 65

SCUBA

But my thoughts still dwell ‘neath the nautical swell fainting. The butler rushed upstairs to find the source of the ruckus. Jacob was lying on the floor, covered in The all-familiar crimson substance.

Richard spent his formative years at Allen-Stevenson and was involved in nearly all aspects of the school. He played on many sports teams, was a member of the orchestra and chorus, performed in numerous plays, and competed in Speech Contests and Academic Bowls. He is now a freshman at Horace Mann where he is still an avid reader and writer. His poem “SCUBA” appears above.

PHOTOGRAPHY Devin Yalkin ’97

Devin Yalkin ‘98, native and resident of NYC, is a black & white photographer who received his BFA in Photography at the School of Visual Arts. Yalkin was included in Istanbul MoMA’s exhibition, Close Quarters, with two works now in the permanent collection (2013). Devin’s works were invited to be in MONO by Gomma Books showcasing black and white photography from both renowned and emerging artists (2012). Yalkin is represented by Stieglitz 19 gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, and Prospekt Agency in Milan, Italy.

Some of his clients include NYTimes, NYTimes Magazine, Time, Stern, Al Jazeera and Rolling Stone.

AS WE GROW OLD William Kilborne Jr. ’51

Husband As we grow old, we understand That love is walking hand in hand, Friendly games of gin, Caring where you’ve been, Nothing very grand.

As we grow old, we understand.

It’s knowing how to make you smile, It’s being quiet for a while, Sensing while you’re still That you always will Go the extra mile.

It’s knowing how to make you smile.

Young love flares like a Roman candle, Shooting stars that will disappear, But a love that is not too hot to handle Can bring warmth to our lives year after year.

The sun is setting in the west.

The time is precious we have left.

Days are grains of sand Running through the hand, Spilling happiness.

As we grow old, we understand.

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Wife When we are old and getting gray, When we hold books three feet away, When we can’t recall What occurred at all Event yesterday…

What was it I was going to say?

When no one seems to speak out loud, When voices vanish in a crowd, Fingers start to shake, Fragile bones may break And the back is bowed, Well, still the spirit dares to be proud.

I know that love does not come easy.

One must work at it day to day.

You don’t have to do anything to please me.

Be yourself, be with me, and that’s okay.

Husband A better man I’ll never be.

Wife And that is quite all right with me.

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AS WE GROW OLD

Husband and Wife Let us face the fact That the final act Is about to start.

Let’s not go into it apart.

The world is not a wonderland And love is not a big brass band, Just a melody Played for you and me, Nothing very grand.

As we grow old, we understand.

“As We Grow Old” was written as lyrics for a musical entitled Head Over Heels, once reviewed “A confection” by the New York Times.

Mr. Kilborne ‘51 is a retired English teacher, department chair, and headmaster. He is also a writer – of plays (eight published), of song lyrics within musicals (over 100), of essays (including several lead articles) and of poems, with awards in all categories. Asked if his life had a guiding principle, he replied with a rhymed couplet: “I lean against the wind with all my weight. I’ve never known a better way of standing straight.”

SUNDAY BREAKFAST Kieran Claffey P’15, P’17

I loved the early sounds of Granny Stoking the fire, the fire After working a long, hard day Into the early hours of the morning It had hardly rested before Granny Brought it back to life – Before the dawn The sounds were beautiful The turf being pushed into place The big black kettle being filled And placed on the stove The saucepan with eggs bouncing In the salty water The big, black pan sizzling with eggs, Bacon, sausages, black pudding Was music to my ears As I lay enraptured in my cozy bed The church bell tolling The smells of breakfast Carried me from my resting place Like Lazarus from the dead Mesmerized, I entered the kitchen

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SUNDAY BREAKFAST

The fire glowed on her warm face That greeted me like I had truly risen from the dead Smiles, sights, sounds, smells Such beauty created again and again She was a marvelous woman Granny

Kieran is the father of Ryan, ’15 and Steven, ‘17

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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n addition to our donors, we’d like to give special acknowledgment to the A-S English teachers who go above and beyond to make this a reality. Pete Haarmann, our champion who spearheads the effort throughout the year, is joined by the wonderful support of Steven Cohen, Susan Lukas, Anne Rawley and Meghan Wall. A big thank you to all!

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DONORS Zachary P. Levy ‘00 Memorial Fund

NOBEL SOCIETY Michael & Helen Levy, Lawrence D. Hite, Richard & Denise Mulcahy PULITZER CIRCLE Zeynep Eken, Helen & Howard Freedman PEN/FAULKNER FELLOW Arielle & Cliff Bayer, Ayse & Necdet Bezmen, Meredith Blank, Joan & Charles Blanksteen, Caitlin Mulcahy & Kerim Eken ‘00, Nermin Esen, Izzie Lerer, The Ken Pollak Family, Fran Lippa & Rick Rohn, Beth & Bob Sheehan, Will Sheehan MAN BOOKER BOARD Josh Aghravi, Dan Friedman & Michelle Andelman, Anonymous, Virginia Volante Appel, Paul Arnhold, Berin Bezmen, Jonathan Blanksteen ‘00, Jamie & Aaron Books, Lauren & Ryan Borg, Joshua Chaffee, Anne Chellas, Ian M. Dana ‘97, Maya Deshmukh, Matthew Dresher, Jess Eisen, Allison Feldman, Ginevra Figg, Micheal Friedman & Lauren Fedorko, Alex Friedman, Alex Funk ‘00, Lara & Adam Gillman, Jordan 78

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Gillman, Paul & Renee Haas, Steven Handwerker ‘03, Scott Handwerker ‘00, Debbie Cooper & Kevin Handwerker, Tim Howell, Dana, Jeff & Matt Hynick, Lauren Wood & Conor Izzett, Tim Kirby ‘00, Jon Klebanoff ‘00, Susan Hirschhorn & Arthur Klebanoff, Brian Lamb, Ethan Levy, Adam Levy ‘97, Erin Levy, Jacqui & Ron Liberman, Jamie Magid ‘91, John Murray, Katie Robin, John Rosen, Rachel Rosenberg, Emily Rudman, Benjy Sarlin ‘00, Matthew Scharfstein ‘00, Kate Schlosstein, Megan & Midhat Serbagi ‘97, Dillon K. Springer ‘00, Joshua Steinberg, Christopher Stone, Deborah Forte & Peter Stone, Nicholas Tapert ‘00, Cameron Tung, Kevin VanLandingham, Melissa Wilner, Rachel & Jared Zolna NEWBURY CLUB Anonymous, Anonymous, Jessica Barrett, Jamie Bass, John Benedetto, Talin Bezmen, Lauren Appel & Karyn Brownson, Jordan Cerf, Katy Cheng, Tim Clinton, Susan Crile, Amy D’Annunzio, Serra Eken, Amanda & Zach Fox, Lauren Freedman, Louise & Howie Freilich, Elaine & Arthur Friedman, Claire Friedman, Mike Fung, Lindsey Goodman, Lauren & Brian Koffler, Ben Krauss, Abby Leber,

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Josh Levy, McFly Levy, Ben Lewis, Sam Lichtenburg-Scanlan, Tal Madanes, Lisa Ray, Alex Rosario ‘00, Sarah RuelBergeron, Hadley Springer, Samantha Steinberg, Carter Stone, Damian VanCamp ‘00, Jas Wagstaff, Jeff Warren, Melissa & Jared Weil, Jay Woodworth & Frances Fox, Jessica Zanan SUPPORTERS Jonathan Aghravi, Beth Appel, Guillermo Artiles, Caitlin & Eric Bitzegaio, Ari Bornstein,David Braily, Jay Caretsky, Ben Carron Greg Cayne, Brook Cohen, Sarah Claspell, Leila Cohan-Miccio, Matt Cutler, Andrew L. Daidone, Ashley Eisenstadt, Matt Elkin ‘99, Adam Fields, Jack Germain, Pete Haarmann, Alex Ingram ‘03, Derek Jacobs, Tommy Kahn, Brian Kennedy, Alex Klein, Prescott Loveland, Andrea Lusso Matt Moskovciak, Jack Pesin ‘97, Josephine Porco, Janna Raskopf, Mike Schutzer, Becca Skolnick, Laurence Smith ‘00, Ashley Springer ‘97, Maria Sternfeld, Gilmar Valencia, Paul Welsh, Alex Whitman

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THE ALLEN-STEVENSON SCHOOL 2016