Brooks Bulletin Summer 2021

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BROOKS BULLETIN • SUMMER 2021

EMBRACING JOY After experiencing more than a year of separation, isolation, restriction and collective fear and unease, sixth-formers Shea Baker (left) and Lydia Barker celebrate their graduation from Brooks with a simple act — sharing a hug with a friend at an in-person gathering — that was far out of reach a year ago. The class of 2021 led Brooks through a year of the COVID-19 pandemic with grace, determination and courage.

In a welcome sign of emergence from the previous grip of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brooks returned to interscholastic sports competition this spring. Here, Brooks runner Connor Lang ’21 beats the tag on a dive back to third base in a baseball game against Buckingham Browne & Nichols School.

B OA R D O F T R U ST E E S President Steven R. Gorham ’85, P’17, P’21 Ipswich, Mass.

Vice Presidents John R. Barker ’87, P’21, P’23 Wellesley, Mass.

Whitney Romoser Savignano ’87 Beverly Farms, Mass.

Secretary Craig J. Ziady ’85, P’18, P’20, P’22 Winchester, Mass.

Treasurer Valentine Hollingsworth III ’72, P’17 Dover, Mass.

TR USTEES Cristina E. Antelo ’95 Washington, D.C. Iris Bonet ’90 Houston, Texas Peter J. Caldwell Providence, R.I. W. J. Patrick Curley III ’69 New York, N.Y. Peter V. K. Doyle ’69 Sherborn, Mass.

Paul L. Hallingby ’65 New York, N.Y.

Juliane Gardner Spencer ’93 Rockport, Mass.

James G. Hellmuth P’78 Lawrence, N.Y.

Booth D. Kyle ’89 Severna Park, Md.

Alessandro F. Uzielli ’85 Beverly Hills, Calif.

Brian McCabe P’18 Meredith, N.H.

Meredith M. Verdone ‘81, P’19 Newton Center, Mass.

H. Anthony Ittleson ’56, P’84, P’86 Green Pond, S.C.

Diana Merriam P’08, P’11 Boxford, Mass.

Christopher T. Wood ‘85 Los Angeles, Calif.

Sally T. Milliken ’88, P’22, P’24 Byfield, Mass.

A LUMNI T R UST E E S Alysa U. James ’11 Washington, D.C.

Cheryl M. Duckworth P’22, P’23 Lynnfield, Mass.

John R. Packard Jr. P’18, P’21 Head of School North Andover, Mass.

Anthony H. Everets ’93 Brooklyn, N.Y.

Daniel J. Riccio P’17, P’20 Atherton, Calif.

Nancy C. Ferry P’21 West Newton, Mass.

Belisario A. Rosas P’15, P’21 Andover, Mass.

Shawn Gorman ’84 Falmouth, Maine

Vivek Sharma P’24 Boston, Mass.

Michael B. Keating ’58, P’97 Boston, Mass.

Frank A. Kissel ’69, P’96, P’99 Far Hills, N.J. Peter A. Nadosy ’64 New York, N.Y.

Ikenna U. Ndugba ’16 Boston, Mass.

Peter W. Nash ’51, P’81, P’89 Nantucket, Mass.

TRUSTEES EMERITI William N. Booth ’67, P’05 Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Cera B. Robbins P’85, P’90 New York, N.Y.

Henry M. Buhl ’48 New York, N.Y.

Eleanor R. Seaman P’86, P’88, P’91, GP’18 Hobe Sound, Fla.

Steve Forbes ’66, P’91 Bedminster, N.J.

David R. Williams III ’67 Beverly Farms, Mass.

B CONTENTS B U LLE TI N • S U M M E R 2 0 2 1

Head of School John R. Packard Jr. P’18, P’21

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Director of Institutional Advancement Gage S. Dobbins P’22, P’23 Director of Alumni Programs and Gift Officer Carly Churchill ’10 Director of Admission and Financial Aid Bini W. Egertson P’12, P’15

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Director of Communications and Marketing Dan Callahan P’19, P’20, P’23 Director of Print Communications Rebecca A. Binder Design Aldeia www.aldeia.design Alumni Communications Manager Emily Williams Director of Digital Communications Jennifer O’Neill

Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. Opinions expressed in the Bulletin are those of the authors and not necessarily of Brooks School.

Correspondence concerning the Bulletin should be sent to Editor Rebecca A. Binder: mail Editor, Brooks Bulletin 1160 Great Pond Road North Andover, MA 01845 email rbinder@brooksschool.org phone (978) 725-6326

© 2021 Brooks School

FEAT UR ES

D E PA RTM E N TS

16 A Triumphant Finish

02 Message from the Head of School

The class of 2021, which led the student body through this pandemic year, celebrated its graduation with determination, grit, grace and joy at its individual and collective accomplishments.

26 A Community Space An appreciation of the complex housing Frick Dining Hall and the Dalsemer Room, and a glimpse into the site’s future.

03 News + Notes 36 Class Notes

A MESSAGE FROM JOHN R. PACKARD JR. HEAD OF SCHOOL

Moving Forward and Thinking Back

“As excited as we are about the steps we are taking and will take to strengthen the school moving forward, there is something bittersweet about removing spaces that served the school well and importantly over time.”

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As we begin our 95th year, we find ourselves incredibly excited about being and feeling more whole and unencumbered than has been the case for the past 18 months. A good deal of our time and attention has been necessarily focused on the here and now with so many pitching in to help us find our way through the COVID-19 landscape. At the same time, we have been immersed in campus and programmatic improvements aimed at moving in the direction of finishing the school’s first century in a way that will position it to thrive when the next 100 years begin.

By the time students arrive in early September, we will welcome them through a new main entrance to campus that accentuates the beautiful landscape we are so fortunate to enjoy. We will also be well on our way to completing master plan work that has endeavored to transform the function and feel of the center of our campus. This work began with the total renovation of Ashburn Chapel and construction of a road behind this most quintessential Brooks School building seven years ago.

As a result, we have been able to gate Main Street and begin to move it in the direction of being a path for people more than a road for cars. This work continued with the construction of our extraordinary Center for the Arts and adjacent outdoor spaces that enhance community in ways we are still just beginning to realize and appreciate. As this edition of the Bulletin will reveal, we are on our way to building a new admission office complete with a waiting room overlooking our magnificent campus with views to Lake Cochichewick. The Head of School’s House will be turned into a stand-alone home with greater capacity to host functions for students, employees, parents and alums. In the years that follow,

we have our sights set on faculty housing, dormitory and academic space improvements, a Keating Room expansion in Wilder Dining Hall, and a new boathouse for the school and our crew program.

As excited as we are about the steps we are taking and will take to strengthen the school moving forward, there is something bittersweet about removing spaces that served the school well and importantly over time. The Frick Dining Hall, Dalsemer Room and Alumni House were such spaces for the better part of the school’s life. In taking an unauthorized stroll through all of them just days ahead of the demolition, I was overcome when thinking about the countless moments students, faculty members, trustees, parents and alums shared in those spaces dating back to the school’s earliest days. It was a powerful reminder of the responsibility we have to ensure our campus continues to be both a place that evokes a profound sense of where you are, and a place that evolves thoughtfully and intentionally to serve the school’s strategic needs while enhancing the experience students and faculty members have together. We would do well to get as much from all the work we are doing now as we have gotten from these spaces that bore witness to so much of the school’s life during these 95 years.

This year ahead of us will be full of opportunities to renew acquaintances and begin to have so many of you back to school and able to see and feel the changes we are excited to be realizing. As we move through this 95th year defining where we want to be when our 100th year rolls around, we will do so firmly in touch with who we have been at our best and determined to be better still over the years ahead. Have a wonderful start to your fall.

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Third-form English classes celebrated William Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23. Students drew visual representations of words and phrases that were invented or popularized by Shakespeare on Main Street in front of the Classroom Building.

The students then incorporated those words and phrases into a creative story.

NEWS + NOTES IN THIS SECTION 04 News from Campus 10 Campus Scene 12 Athlete Spotlight 14 Athletics News

NEWS + NOTE S

NEWS FROM C AMPUS

Left: Associate Head for Faculty Affairs John McVeigh will take the reins as head of Holderness School in July 2022. Inset: John McVeigh (center) in action as head coach for the Brooks boys 1st basketball team. He developed the Brooks program into one of New England’s finest.

John McVeigh to Head Holderness School The associate head for faculty affairs will become the 10th head of school at Holderness School in July 2022.

The school is proud to announce that Associate Head for Faculty Affairs John McVeigh H’16 was named the next head of Holderness School in June. McVeigh’s tenure at Holderness, which is located in Plymouth, N.H., will begin next summer, in July 2022.

McVeigh has been a member of the Brooks community for 18 years, and Head of School John Packard cites the “extraordinary

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commitment of time, care and talent [McVeigh] has shared selflessly with students and colleagues in ways that have mattered deeply to the many he has reached.”

“As a teacher, coach, dormitory parent, advisor, college counselor, admission officer and associate head for faculty affairs, his investment in our school has been absolute and unwavering,” Mr. Packard concludes.

McVeigh has taken on a variety of leadership roles at Brooks, but he notes that he came to Brooks almost two decades ago as, he says, an “inexperienced” science teacher and basketball coach. “I’ve often said that I think John Packard [then the dean of faculty] and [former Director of Athletics] Dan Rorke saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself, and their belief in me helped me to see that I might really enjoy living and working at a boarding school,” McVeigh says. “I have been beyond lucky to have the chance to work with so many terrific students and colleagues over my time here, and I’ll be taking with me a lifetime’s worth of great memories from Brooks.”

Over the course of his tenure at Brooks, McVeigh served as dean of faculty, associate director of admissions and financial aid, director of college counseling and as a science, math and oratory classroom teacher. He is currently the associate head for faculty affairs.

He helped lead Brooks through the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; he focused on hiring and retaining a diverse faculty that reflects the school’s mission and goals as it works toward antiracism and social justice; he increased funding and opportunities for professional development; and he has been closely involved in the planning and execution of capital campaigns.

McVeigh is also a revered coach who has etched his place as the head coach of the standout boys 1st basketball team throughout his time at Brooks. He took over a struggling team and transformed it into one of New England’s best high school basketball programs.

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McVeigh’s teams went on a head-turning tear for the six seasons from 2014–2020, during which they collected six ISL championships, three New England Class B championships and a 140–19 record. The team won 84 straight league games over those six seasons, and won 68 straight games between January 2016 and December 2018. McVeigh taught his players intelligent and unselfish play, hard-nosed defense and a passion for the game of basketball.

He stressed character, sportsmanship and serving others, and his team partnered with the Special Olympics of Massachusetts and the organization Coaches vs. Cancer each year.

The Brooks team has received the ISL’s sportsmanship award four times in the last decade.

McVeigh was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, grew up in the Merrimack Valley and attended the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence. He received a scholarship from the club to attend Merrimack College, where he made the Academic All-America basketball team and graduated magna cum laude with degrees in biology and chemistry. He continued his education at Duke University, from which he received a master’s degree in environmental management. He then worked as an engineer for Intel before finding his way to Brooks.

McVeigh will be joined at Holderness by his family: his wife, Candice, who has taught health and wellness at nearby Andover High School for 23 years; and their

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children, Jack and Kelly. “All in the Holderness community will quickly come to see what we at Brooks have long known: John McVeigh is a gifted leader, a person of deep character and integrity, and a compassionate educator committed to all the wonders of boarding school life,” Mr. Packard says. “On a personal level, I will miss working with a colleague I deeply admire and count as one of the finest people I have known in my life. I look forward to doing all I can to support John’s transition over the year ahead, and to drawing from his many strengths as a fellow head of school once his tenure in Plymouth begins next summer. He is going to be an outstanding head of Holderness School.”

McVeigh is excited for his new role and appreciative of the continuing support of the Brooks community.

“I am absolutely thrilled and honored by the opportunity to join the Holderness community and so grateful for the chance to lead a boarding school that is as committed to its students and mission as Brooks has been during my time here,” he says. “I’m also glad to have this next year to make the transition, which will give me lots of opportunities to thank the many people throughout the Brooks community who have made this an amazing, meaningful place to live and work since 2003. I’m as excited about the opportunity of going to Holderness as I am appreciative for everything that Brooks has done for me and meant to me during my time here.”

The Lehman Reopens In a sign of increasing normalcy as the school continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Robert Lehman Art Center opened its doors this spring. The gallery hosted a student art show, an Advanced Placement Studio Art student show and a performance project associated with an independent class in vocal performance, among other celebrations of art to close out the year.

While the school was unable to welcome off-campus visitors to the gallery during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, at press time we anticipate a more typical schedule of exhibitions and receptions in the 2021–2022 school year. The school plans to exhibit “A Show of Hands,” a collection of photographs from the collection of school trustee emeritus Henry M. Buhl ’48 in September and October 2021.

Please visit www.brooksschool.org/ arts/lehman-art-center for more information on upcoming Lehman shows and events.

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NEWS + NOTE S

N EWS FRO M C A M PUS

Cum Laude Induction Brooks honored a group of academic achievers in April.

New Faculty Emeriti Head of School John Packard named Chair of the Science Department Randy

Brooks honored 20 sixth-formers as they were inducted into the Cum Laude Society on April 29. The ceremony, which took place in Ashburn Chapel, was livestreamed on Zoom to accommodate virtual students and families, as well as on-campus students and faculty watching from advisory locations across campus.

Founded in 1906, the Cum Laude Society is dedicated to honoring scholastic achievement in secondary schools. The founders of the society modeled Cum Laude after Phi Beta Kappa. In the years since its founding, Cum Laude has grown to 382 chapters across the United States and internationally. Some 4,000 new student members are inducted annually. The Brooks induction ceremony included a performance THE INDUCTEES by the Brooks School Concert Chorale, the distriThe following 20 bution of Cum Laude certificates by Head of School sixth-form students John Packard, an address by Chair of the Science were inducted into Department Randy Hesse and a rousing rendition of the Cum Laude the school hymn.

Society in April: Hesse’s address, which centered on the power of Linden Adamson music to foster new ways of thinking and deeper levels Abigail Charlamb of empathy, was inspiring, humorous and, at times, Minho Eune emotional. “The massive leaps of understanding and Emma Fleischman imagination that gave birth to modern astronomy, Jack Frimet chemistry and quantum physics might never have been Gabriella Garozzo achieved were it not for the ability of great scientists to Catherine Ingram think like musicians,” he said. “The study of music or, Delia Johnson for that matter, any of the arts, invites you to think difTanay Kommareddi ferently. Looking at problems with new perspectives, Connor Lang and cultivating solutions through unique approaches.

Tin Yan Lau Practicing the arts carves new neural pathways into the Elizabeth Packard fabric of your brain, accessing modes of cognition not Nina Rossbach normally activated in the study of other disciplines, Caroline Samoluk almost literally broadening your mind and making you Anya Sanchorawala a more flexible, more nimble problem-solver.”

Jason Silverman Dean of Academic Affairs and President of the George Smith Brooks School chapter of the Cum Laude Society Emma Tiedemann Susanna Waters notes that the Cum Laude Society Tristan Witz induction ceremony is one of the school’s most meanTianyu Yang ingful ceremonies. “It provides our community with the opportunity to celebrate students for their depth of inquiry, their exploration into every corner of our curricula and their demonstration of our core values: engagement, passion and creativity,” she reflects. “In line with our mission, this occasion highlights the meaning our students have derived from their Brooks education, which we take great joy in honoring!”

Hesse P’16, P’20 and English faculty John Haile faculty emeritus at Prize Day. Both retired at the end of the 2020–2021 school year.

Hesse has been a presence on the Brooks faculty since 2001, when he arrived on campus as a heavily touted science teacher. “Along the way, he has done it all,” Mr. Packard said of Hesse. “Ask a football or girls lacrosse player about his inspiring words before games and his total support of them. Ask a Peabody House resident about the tone he set on an annual basis while wearing his dormitory parent hat. Ask a Winter Term student about whose courses each January were among the most inventive and interesting.

Ask any student what it is like to hear him speak in Chapel, sing in Chapel, and wear all of his feeling and emotion on his sleeve in such generous and powerful ways. Ask his students what it is like to be in his classroom when he is really on a roll — there is nothing quite like it.”

Haile arrived at Brooks as dean of faculty before moving to the English classroom. Mr. Packard called Haile “one of the greatest hires Brooks School has ever made.” For the first eight years of Haile’s time at Brooks, Mr. Packard continued, “we were the beneficiaries of his passion for strengthening the faculty and helping teachers find deeper fulfillment in the limitless possibilities we have with our students.” Mr. Packard also noted Haile’s mastery of the English classroom and said that “his students will attest to the profound and everlasting impact time spent in his classroom will have on them for the rest of their lives.” Mr. Packard concluded that, while he knew Haile would be an “exceptional dean of faculty … I didn’t know I would be getting a colleague who I consider to be the quintessential school person; someone who has done it all and done it all so well.”

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S PR IN G MU SI C A L

We’re All in This Together Brooks staged ”High School Musical” through a collaborative, campus-wide effort.

A scene from “High School Musical” being recorded in a science classroom. Scenes were filmed across campus.

The Brooks arts department staged a spring musical that was memorable not just for the effort and talent put out by the cast and company, but also for the medium in which it was released: In order to observe pandemic restrictions, the cast and crew recorded the musical ahead of time and then streamed the video at two showings in May. ¶ The company took advantage of the fact that the production was not being staged live in the theater and used the opportunity to involve the wider school community. Filming took place in locations across campus, from the athletic center to Wilder Dining Hall to the Classroom Building; more students were able to act as extras because of the expanded opportunities to film; and the company set out to involve as many students as possible in order to showcase the individual, unique talents that students bring to the collective Brooks community — a theme that is echoed in the musical itself. ¶ In one memorable scene from the performance, students staged the number “Stick to the Status Quo” in Wilder Dining Hall. They rode skateboards across the floor, danced on top of tables and worked together to create a piece that showed off their individual interests. Marcos Montiel ’23, who is a member of the boys 1st basketball team, says that he had a lot of fun acting in the musical. He played a basketball player, and he was also able to show off his dance moves in the production. “I was able to take basketball, which is something I love immensely, and use it in a different way through the musical,” he says. “With all the dancing, it was always a great time.” ¶ “In a socially distant world, bringing a musical to life was truly a privilege, and not without unique challenges,” reflects Director of Theater Meghan Hill. “How do we retain the integrity of a made-for-stage musical while translating it to film? Further, how do we keep the magic of theater alive during a pandemic? These performers were resilient, creative and engaged. They learned to balance the worlds of film and theater while bringing joy and determination to each rehearsal and film shoot. Their support of one another and dedication to the production process proved that art is resilient and that ‘We’re all in this together.’”

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NEWS FROM C AMPUS

1 Daelly Osorio ’22, the winner of this year’s annual, all-campus game of Paranoia.

To the extent of student records and knowledge, Osorio is the first woman to win Paranoia.

Describe Paranoia. What does it look like? Anyone in the on-campus Brooks community can participate. A lot of students play, and we also always have some teachers and other adults playing. The game runs during the academic day. Every day, you’re assigned a new target, and your goal for the day is to eliminate your target by tagging them with a piece of cardboard. You’ve also been assigned as someone else’s target, and they’re trying to eliminate you. It’s pretty silly, and people really get into it. So, we all end up running around, hiding behind trees and around corners.

2 Fast 5 // Q+A In spring, the on-campus Brooks community typically plays Paranoia — an all-campus game of tag that causes participants to go to extreme lengths to tag their target before being tagged themselves. Complex alliances are formed; schedules are scoured; rules are debated; eventually, a champion is crowned. Each year, two anonymous students manage the game.

The Bulletin sat down with this year’s Paranoia Gamemistress, one of the two students, to hear more about the importance of the game to the Brooks community.

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How do you ensure that the game ends and a champion is crowned before the end of the school year? That was a little more of a concern this year. Because of the pandemic and the restrictions we were under, we didn’t know if we’d be able to play Paranoia until the last minute. The rules always get looser as the game goes on — we purposefully make it easier to tag people and get tagged — but the game usually starts in April and this year it didn’t start until May. We had to drastically change the rules this year to help the game move along. This year, to speed the game up, we gave everyone multiple targets a day instead of just one — that’s never been done before!

We’re on day 12 now, and we’ve gone from a little more than 160 participants down to around 20.

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How did you become the Gamemistress this year?

How is the title passed down between students? I took initiative.

We didn’t get to have Paranoia in 2020 because we were all virtual. My colleague from this year, the Gamemaster, and I wanted to bring Paranoia back because we were worried that it wouldn’t continue next year — that it would end — if we didn’t bring it back this year. An effective Gamemaster or Gamemistress is someone who knows a lot of people in the community, but is

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also someone who will respect the integrity of the game, who will keep it fair and fun; somebody who cares about the game and will put in the time and work it takes to organize it every day.

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What does the game look like behind the scenes? What do you and the Gamemaster do every day? We keep a list of everyone who is still playing, and every night we send out an email to each participant naming their target for the next day.

At the beginning of the game, randomizing that list and sending those emails out took an hour or two every night. Now that there are fewer people playing, that part is easier. I think the hardest part of being the leader of the game is that we have to deal with a lot of disputed tags and challenges. There are a lot of emotions that come with that because people really don’t want to be eliminated from the game. We have to remain impartial and fair, and we end up talking to witnesses and figuring out who to trust. That’s challenging, but the fact that the game is happening makes it worth it.

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Why is Paranoia important to you? What does it mean to the Brooks community? I think it’s really a symbol of how fun and connected our community is. People who don’t know each other well can come together and talk about what’s happening in the game. You get to know people while playing because you have to know a little bit about your target in order to find them and tag them. People form alliances with people they wouldn’t normally get a chance to team up with.

And, it’s just a fun way to see everyone — teachers and students — taking life a little less seriously. It’s been nice to have this tradition come back in such a weird year. It gave me a glimpse of the past Brooks, and it made this spring feel more normal and familiar to me.

OV E R H E A R D

“Brooks gave me the opportunity that I needed to figure out what my dreams were and to pursue them passionately … And if you’re sitting there thinking, wow, I still have no idea what I’m passionate about, that’s okay too. Without a doubt, the most important thing that Brooks will have given you is the people.”

Alumni board member ABBY SKINNER ’14, addressing the class of 2021 at the Sixth Form Induction Dinner in May. Skinner spoke of her path from engaging in community service at Brooks to becoming an attorney, all with the support and encouragement of Brooks faculty. “Over and over again, I find Brooks connections creeping their way back into my life, and I’m so thankful every time it happens,” she concluded.

“Something I’ve often heard [rowing] coaches say, especially if somebody is having a bad day, is ‘leave it on the dock.’ I don’t like this saying because it fails to implement compassion for the different experiences and needs of every team member. Instead, it labels these aspects of their identities as distractions or obstacles that are in the way of achieving a collective goal.

The idea that we should, or are even capable of, leaving things on the dock suggests that people need to repress parts of themselves or their experiences in order to be successful or effective. If, at Brooks, people are unable to fully be themselves, then we have fallen short in our collective effort to create the kind of community that we strive to have.”

World languages faculty OLIVIA BUDD-PEARSON ’15, addressing the Brooks community in Ashburn Chapel on Kippy Liddle Day in May.

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Philip Mwangi ’24 (left) and Laura Kahu ’23

C A MPU S perform SC EN“Best E Part”N WS Caesar + N OT byEDaniel ft.ES H.E.R. at Brookstock in May. Students flocked to this year’s version of the annual on-campus music festival, which included performances by school ensemble groups, other student bands, and even some impromptu solo performers.

Philip Mwangi ’24 (left) and Laura Kahu ’23 perform “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R. at Brookstock in May. Students flocked to this year’s version of the annual on-campus music festival, which included performances by school ensemble groups, other student bands and even some impromptu solo performers.

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Nate Wirth ’21 A Brooks rower sets a “standard of excellence” for his teammates as he pursues the heights of the sport.

Nate Wirth ’21 shows a dedication to rowing that is hard to match. He first discovered sculling — rowing with two oars — in sixth grade, when his family was living in Austria.

His natural talent for the sport was obvious. When his family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, a year later, Wirth joined the Triangle Rowing Club, later moving to a rival club, and learned how to sweep — to row with one oar.

Wirth chose Brooks because he saw an opportunity to continue his passion for sculling and to engage in a close-knit community. “An important part of my rowing future is rowing the single,” he says. “The ISL is very oldschool in that they just do sweeping.

Tote [Smith, director of the Brooks rowing program] wanted to create a fall rowing program for sculling, though, and I wanted to help him build a team here and develop something further.” Wirth also says he was drawn to the school’s community.

“The community at other schools I toured wasn’t like the one at Brooks, and that’s something I’ve always held onto here,” he reflects. “Even though things might get rough, with rowing or in classes, this community has always been there.”

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Nate Wirth ’21 at work in the single.

Walking the Walk Brooks rowing coach Csilla Clark points to Wirth’s maturity. “Nate came in with a lot of focus for his age, with a goal in mind and a lofty game plan,” she says. “I loved how passionate he was about rowing. He was always driven, focused and hardworking, and always had a set plan.”

Wirth stresses that he loves the single, but says he also loves the “big boats.” “Everyone is relying on each other in a race,” he says. “If I don’t pull, that means I’m letting seven other guys down. You build a bond that’s unlike anything else.”

Wirth set a rigorous training schedule for himself at Brooks. He had an alarm set for 5:30 a.m. so that he could spend anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes on the erg before classes started; he would then have afternoon crew practice, or, if crew was not in season, either cross-country or wrestling commitments — Wirth excelled as a three-sport 1st team athlete at Brooks — before heading back to either the crew tanks or onto the water as the weather allowed. “I’ve always wanted to be the best, and I know I can constantly improve,” Wirth says. “I remind myself when I do my workouts that

there’s someone out there training harder than I am.”

Wirth’s individual dedication, mental discipline and talent helped the team because he set what Smith calls “a standard of excellence” for his teammates to observe and follow.

“The young guys in the program could look at Nate and say, that is excellence,” Smith says. “They could say, that is something that I could aspire to.” Clark agrees: “What ended up happening was that, week by week, more and more boys started following

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C ARLO ZEZZA ’53 ON NATE WIRTH ’ 21 In truth, Nate brought more to my wife and me than we could give to him. ¶ When he arrived to stay and row with us during the month before matriculating at Brooks, he was already an accomplished sculler, thanks to his start in Austria coached by a close friend (small world). ¶ On the theory that you can’t manage what you can’t measure, we introduced Nate to modern metrics. Via telemetry, Russian sports scientist Valery Kleshnev charted Nate’s application of power compared with Olympic gold medalists, using graphics to show what is invisible to the naked eye. At the critical moment when the oar enters the water, Nate was spot-on, like an Olympian. Kleshnev suggested rigging adjustments to make Nate more efficient, but Nate’s technique needed no help. My minor contribution technique-wise is worth mentioning only as proof of Nate’s willingness to learn: Because single sculls are tippy, almost all rowers are reluctant to jam the oar in the water backwards at speed, but this is the quickest way to turn the boat. To prepare for a regatta with a buoyed turn, Nate mastered this radical way to change direction. ¶ A test on a rowing machine to measure lactate (i.e., muscle burn) showed that Nate’s pre-Brooks over-emphasis on speed had diminished his endurance. In the late 60s and 70s, sport scientists in the East Bloc pioneered training for endurance, demanding months to develop an aerobic base and to groove a skill set. Their methods are not consistent with seasonal competition in three different sports. Nate managed his three-sport obligation with extraordinary maturity and good will. He made strong contributions to Brooks cross-country in the fall, and to Brooks wrestling in the winter, where his endurance proved its worth (“I wait for the other guy to get tired,” Nate told me about his wrestling). Throughout, Nate wanted balanced workout programs to achieve his rowing goals, and he had the mental strength to carry them out. To describe him in a single word, I would choose “exceptional.” ¶ I believe that Nate’s years at Brooks have extended his horizons and fortified his confidence. My wife and I look forward to following his progress at and after Columbia, and not only in rowing.

Nate,” she says. “They participated in morning practices, copied his nutrition and looked to him for guidance.”

A Lasting Relationship Wirth credits Carlo Zezza ’53 with helping him immensely as a rower.

Zezza is the author of “Boys in a Box,” a book that details the advantages of learning to row in small boats. Zezza’s connection to Brooks “sealed the deal” for Wirth’s matriculation to the school, Wirth says. Zezza, in turn, took Wirth under his wing. “Carlo

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has inspired me,” Wirth says. “He’s taught me so much. He opened my eyes to training with heart and mind, and the science behind training. He’s been here for a lot of other kids, too — he gets to Brooks in the mornings to help kids on the erg and in the tanks, things like that.”

Wirth hopes to take lessons that Smith, Clark, Zezza and Brooks have taught him into his collegiate rowing career. He will attend Columbia University as a member of the men’s lightweight crew team, one of the

country’s best programs. “Columbia has always been my dream,” Wirth says. “The coach there believes in small boats, and he’s had a lot of success.” Smith has faith in Wirth’s future. “Nate would add speed to any program regardless of weight class,” Smith says. “As a collegiate lightweight, he will be chasing a national championship.”

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N E WS + NOTE NEWS NOTES S

AT HL ET ICS N EWS

A Welcome Familiarity Patterns of day-to-day life at Brooks felt more familiar this spring than since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, as spring sports teams returned to interscholastic competition with a renewed appreciation for the simple joys of sport.

Brooks teams had a long-awaited return to the field, court and lake this spring, as the school was able to claw its way through the COVID-19 pandemic and its health and safety restrictions.

The spring season introduced a dose of normalcy and fun to campus, even as it looked different from spring seasons past. In order to compete against other schools, athletes were required to maintain the regular COVID-19 testing routine the school had put in place. Brooks teams played one competitor twice in two days over Friday and Saturday to allow for test results to come back and to allow for clear contact tracing. The schedule was limited: Brooks tended to play schools that were close by geographically, and the ISL as a whole declined to maintain standings, league honors and end-of-year awards. The conference placed an emphasis on the playing over the winning, and looked to equity and fairness as individual school’s policies and circumstances changed quickly.

Working with my players in the off-season through our two-day option in the afternoon program was a great opportunity to connect and for them to build community with one another. The girls were eager and ready to put their efforts and hard work into play during the spring season. The combination of off-season training and being able to compete in the spring without a true ISL season allowed the girls to focus on the game and on their teamwork as a group. Every day was about improving their skills and improving as a team. Games were the highlight of the week where the players got to put on display all of their efforts and see how they compared to the opponent. It was a fun season to grow and bond as a young team. We were all thankful to have a season and competition after missing the previous season.”

ANDREA HEINZE, head coach of the girls softball team

“Being able to play was a breath of fresh air and something that was needed for all students. Walking out to practice or pregame and seeing my best friends and teammates every day never failed to put a smile on my face and make me laugh. At the same time, it was a great time for us as a team to forget about things like stats, standings and awards, and be able to just go back to playing the game we all love. It also provided an opportunity for us ballplayers to focus on growing our talents on the field and work on developing our skills for next season and beyond.

Every gameday, being able to wear ‘BROOKS’ across my chest and see my classmates and friends in the stands supporting my teammates and me provided me with a sense of pride and joy. There are moments in a Brooks uniform from this past season that I will never forget.”

EDO SPADACCINI ’22, catcher for the boys 1st baseball team

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N E WS + NOTES

PAT TO PITTSBURGH

“The gratitude of simply being together — playing, coaching, cheering — outweighed all of the obstacles. We have all certainly emerged as professionals at being on our toes, ready for anything, going with the flow and making the best possible decisions on the fly. The outward effects of the pandemic have made our team more resilient and even more appreciative of every moment we were lucky to share together. And, we played some dang good lacrosse! I am excited for the future and so appreciative of our leaders, both in the classes of 2020 and 2021, who navigated these unprecedented waters so gracefully. I can’t thank the athletics department — Bobbie Crump-Burbank, Kerry Baldwin and Tim Enos — enough. They were the true champions this past season!”

CARLY CHURCHILL ’10, head coach of the girls 1st lacrosse team

“Girls 2nd tennis was a highlight of the spring for me. Seeing the girls on the courts, laughing, playing, improving and challenging each other at each practice was such a treat. Our first away match at Milton Academy, I was a bit overwhelmed with emotions just loading the busette, having the girls load in, in uniform, selecting playlists and singing. I did not realize how much I missed this kind of team bonding. Team sports are vital to independent boarding school life because they provide so many lessons and opportunities for meaningful experiences and building belonging. I loved this time with these girls; they made each afternoon a joy!

Girls 2nd tennis coach BABS WHEELDEN (right in photo), who shared coaching duties this spring with Brooks colleagues Ashley Johnston and Kim McDowell.

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Tight end Pat Freiermuth ’18, who rewrote the football record books at Brooks before heading off to a head-turning three-year career at The Pennsylvania State University, was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2021 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh had not drafted a tight end that early in the draft since they selected Heath Miller in 2005, and the Steelers seem bullish on Freiermuth’s potential to match — or potentially exceed — Miller’s output.

Freiermuth, who is listed at 6-foot-5 and 251 pounds, was the second tight end selected in the draft. He established himself as one of the top tight ends in the country in college as a key part of Penn State’s passing game: He pulled in 92 catches for 1,185 yards and 16 touchdown catches, a program record for a tight end. Freiermuth will join a Steelers offense led by experienced quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

NAUGHTON MAKES THE NATIONAL TEAM

In June, Clare Naughton ’18 was selected

by USRowing to represent the United States at the 2021 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in Račice, Czech Republic.

Naughton sat in the women’s quadruple sculls boat. The mid-July regatta is the premier event for rowers under the age of 23.

Naughton’s crew finished third in the B final for a ninth-place finish overall, clocking a 6:42.46.

Naughton, who attends Yale University, told the Bulletin before the event that she was thrilled to represent the United States, and that she was looking forward to her first international racing experience. She also credited her time at Brooks as a foundation for her success.

“The exposure I gained to the world of rowing at Brooks prepared me well for my collegiate goals and beyond,” she said. She cited as an example her experience rowing in the Head of the Charles Regatta for Brooks, and then returning to the regatta with Yale.

“At Brooks, I gained a passion for the sport and competition, as well as lifelong friends and mentors,” she concluded, praising Director of Rowing Tote Smith’s ability to see the potential in his athletes and his determination to help his athletes achieve their goals. “I often think fondly about my time rowing at Brooks. The people and spirit surrounding the team are unforgettable.”

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From left to right: Graduates Kendall Hyslip, Jolly Joel and Caroline Fritz on Prize Day.

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2021

A Triumphant

Finish

The class of 2021 celebrated its graduation from Brooks with the spirit that brought it through an atypical journey through high school.

Two Sundays this spring brought Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day. Brooks celebrated the class of 2021 on Sunday, May 30, and Sunday, June 6, which saw Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day, respectively. The week-long respite between the two allowed the school to proceed safely in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawn Ceremony gathered the student body to award prizes in the arts, athletics and academics. Prize Day focused on the 94 graduates and the receipt of their Brooks diplomas.

Lawn Ceremony was memorable not just for its celebration of achievement and dedication, but also for its weather: The temperature dropped to the point where attendees bundled up in parkas and blankets; rain pummeled the campus; and the wind whistled outside the ceremony tent. Those members of the Brooks community who were not on campus were invited to view a livestream of Lawn Ceremony.

Head of School John Packard welcomed the attendees by reflecting on the immense pride he felt at the school’s shouldering of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While I doubt I will ever have a year that leaves me feeling anything other than a deep pride in our school, given all so many do every day to help us pursue our mission, this has been a singular year in every respect,” he said. “A ‘can do’ spirit and inclination to see this year’s situation as at least half-full has been pervasive

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and moving. We faced obstacles we never would have imagined being a part of our lives just 15 months ago, and the commitment, hard work, extraordinary leadership and superb citizenship so many students have shared with the school every day have been both inspiring and heartwarming.”

Chair of the Arts Department Babs Wheelden awarded prizes given in the arts. Student speaker Caroline Samoluk ’21 followed with a reflection on what her career in the arts at Brooks has meant to her. She spoke of the ways in which singing gives her confidence. “Singing is like breathing to me,” she said, before clarifying that “singing is as necessary as breathing; not as easy.” She reflected on the ways in which she has grown as a singer at Brooks, and said that the arts program at Brooks helps bring artists together across mediums of expression to create a vibrant arts community.

Director of Athletics Bobbie Crump-Burbank then awarded prizes to students who demonstrated skill, hard work and dedication to their team — values that the Brooks athletics program seeks to instill in its athletes. Emma Houlihan ’21, a three-sport athlete at Brooks and the speaker on athletics, learned to skateboard just this fall. “I was one hesitation away from

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wiping out and one commitment away from landing it,” she said, remembering her first trip down a quarter-pipe skateboard ramp. “Brooks has taught me to lean into everything I do fully,” she said. “It’s okay to fall and fail and cry and get up and keep trying until you fall again and then, finally, succeed.”

The focus then turned to academic awards, led by Dean of Academic Affairs Susanna Waters. Brian Delgado ’21 spoke on his academic experience at Brooks. He found a sense of achievement in academics, engaging in a rigorous courseload. After spending his fifth-form year in Spain with School Year Abroad, broadening his perspective, he returned to Brooks intent on realizing his dreams and hopes.

Mr. Packard then awarded general school prizes before students headed to Boo Hoo Chapel — a graduation tradition that is student-led and centered on joy and community, and that felt especially poignant this year.

Prize Day took place under very different weather conditions, as the graduates, their loved ones and the faculty settled into a glorious summer day. Mr. Packard opened the ceremony by reflecting on his own feelings as the parent of a graduate — his daughter, Elizabeth Packard ’21 — and on the trust Brooks parents placed in the school in a most atypical year. “In sum,” he said, “we don’t get here without all of you believing in the school, believing in your children and taking a leap of faith in an extraordinary time.”

Mr. Packard then spoke of the extraordinary resilience, will and grit of the class of 2021. “I cannot overstate the degree to which this class of 2021 carried their school in these ways this year,” he said. “They did this on campus.

They did this on screens. They did this all over the world.

They did this by showing up for one another; by supporting one another; by fighting through masks and distance to be with one another because it mattered deeply to them … COVID-19 was no match for this lot.”

Sixth Form Speaker Matt Mulvey echoed the ways in which the past year galvanized his class. He cited the pandemic, as well as ongoing political and social unrest and loss in America, and called those conditions “an arena for our generation to overcome adversity and grow into better people.” Mulvey pointed to classmate Martrell Stevens, who was a model student, athlete and community member at Brooks, and who, despite the paralysis of his legs, walked across the Prize Day stage without the use of his wheelchair, as a model for his peers to look to.

Mr. Packard then distributed diplomas to the class, assisted by President of the Board of Trustees Steve Gorham ’85, P’21, before the Prize Day ceremonies came to an end with a benediction.

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[ 1 ] Sixth-formers, from left to right, Alex Natalizio, Tanay Kommareddi, Jack Frimet and Riker Ferry lead the student body in song during Boo Hoo Chapel. [ 2 ] Sixth Form Speaker Matt Mulvey on Prize Day. [ 3 ] From left to right, sixth-formers Nancy Perkins and Sydney Correa at Boo Hoo Chapel. [ 4 ] The on-campus class of 2021 next to Ashburn Chapel on the morning of Prize Day. [ 5 ] At Boo Hoo Chapel, Brooks students sing songs and spend precious time together before the sixth form graduates. Pictured here are sixth-formers Racquel Baldeo (left) and Marin Cormier. [ 6 ] Brian Delgado ’21 spoke at Lawn Ceremony about his academic experience at Brooks.

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“We faced obstacles we never would have imagined being a part of our lives just 15 months ago, and the commitment, hard work, extraordinary leadership and superb citizenship so many students have shared with the school every day have been both inspiring and heartwarming.”

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HE A D O F S CH O O L JOHN PACKARD AT L AWN CER EMONY

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[ 1 ] On the morning of Prize Day, graduates (from left to right, facing camera) Aidan White, Connor Lang and Kevin Golden receive Brooks shields and rosettes from (from left to right, facing away from camera) Associate Head for Student Affairs Andrea Heinze and Kim Packard ’87, P’18, P’21. Director of the Health and Wellness Center Tracey Costantino P’21 (not pictured) assisted Golden. [ 2 ] From left to right, graduates Timmy Kelleher, Brendan D’Orio and Tristan Witz at the Head of School’s House on the morning of Prize Day. [ 3 ] Sixth-formers at Boo Hoo Chapel. From left to right: Elizabeth Packard, Abbey Charlamb, Caitlyn Ingram, Sasha Rizika, Delia Johnson and Anya Sanchorawala. [ 4 ] From left to right: Sixth-formers Omolade Mebude (who served as senior prefect this year), Austin Mermans and Jay Patel. [ 5 ] Brooks graduates on Prize Day. Top row, from left to right: Kendall Hyslip, Nikki LaPierre, Caroline Fritz, Jolly Joel, Lily Quinn, Katherine Barenboim. Bottom row, from left to right: Brigitte Gorham, Tate Moody, Jami O’Shea, Abby Dawson, Alex Costantino. [ 6 ] Martrell Stevens ’21 (seated) received a standing ovation from the Prize Day attendants. Sixth Form Speaker Matt Mulvey urged his classmates to find strength similar to Stevens, who, despite his paralysis, walked across the Prize Day stage. [ 7 ] Kim Packard ’87, P’18, P’21 assists her daughter, graduate Elizabeth Packard (right) with her Brooks rosette on the morning of Prize Day. [ 8 ] From left to right: Graduates Matt Mulvey, George Smith, Jason Silverman and Gardner Brown, with Sam Thomson ’20. [ 9 ] Caroline Samoluk ’21, who spoke at Lawn Ceremony on her experience with the arts at Brooks. [ 10 ] Sixth-formers (from left to right) Julianna Rivera, Arooj Kamran, Aileen Arias and Gabi Garozzo sing at Boo Hoo Chapel. [ 11 ] Brigid Woelfel ’21 (right) bids farewell to mathematics faculty Kim McDowell after Boo Hoo Chapel. [ 12 ] Graduates enjoy Prize Day. In foreground, from left to right: Katherine Barenboim, Lydia Barker, Michael Bencivengo, Russell Blodgett, Amma Boamah-Appiah, Alex Bodnar, Jack Breen. [ 13 ] Emma Houlihan ’21 spoke at Lawn Ceremony on her experience with athletics at Brooks. [ 14 ] The Fleischman family celebrates another Brooks graduate. From left to right: Marianne Augot Fleischman ’87, P’18, P’21, Emma Fleischman ’21, Sarah Fleischman ’18, Rob Fleischman P’18, P’21.

I was one hesitation away from wiping out and one commitment away from landing it.”

E MMA H O U L IH A N ’ 21, S P EA K ING AT L AWN CE RE M ON Y A B O U T H E R E X P E RIE NCE L EAR N I N G TO S KATEBOA R D AT B RO O K S

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Prize Winners 2021

PRIZE S

The school awarded dozens of prizes over the course of Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day, recognizing ART AWARDS The George A. Tirone Prize awarded by Mrs. Randolph Muto, in memory of her father, to a middle school student who shows unusual promise in the Visual Arts: Lindsay Feng ’22 The Henry M. Buhl Photography Prize awarded to an upper school student who is dedicated to the practice of photography and skilled not only in technique but in creative artistry: Tri Ngoc Nguyen ’22 The Russell Morse Prize awarded to an upper school student who has made distinguished contributions to the visual arts at Brooks: Gabriella Grace Garozzo ’21 The Parkman Prize in Drama given in memory of Terry Parkman to a student who has worked long and hard backstage with no thought of any reward: Abbie Grace Duckworth ’23 The Knowlton Drama Prize given in memory of Warren Knowlton ’67 and awarded to a member of the Brooks community who has shown those qualities of loyalty and devotion to drama, and versatility and enthusiasm in work before and behind the scenes, that were typified by Warren Knowlton: Omolade Feyisayo Mebude ’21; Elizabeth O’Neill Packard ’21 The Music Prize awarded in recognition of dedicated, longterm study of an instrument or voice that has resulted in the

highest level of musical performance in the graduating class: Caroline Alexandra Samoluk ’21 (vocal); Seiyeon Choi ’21 (instrumental) The Robert Lehman Art Prize: Lydia Davis Barker ’21 ATHLETIC AWARDS The Independent School League Award of Excellence recognizing a female athlete and male athlete at each ISL school for exhibiting the ISL ideals of integrity, sportsmanship, fair play and good citizenship while participating as a multi-sport athlete during their ISL career: Jack Sullivan Breen ’21; Katherine Evelyn Marchesseault ’21

ACADEMIC AWARDS The Publications Prize awarded to a student whose diligence, devotion and skill have contributed significantly to the successful production of a Brooks publication: Abigail Sarah Charlamb ’21; Ryan Sloane Winchester ’21

The Athletic Prize an annual award to two sixth-formers who, in the opinion of coaches, have distinguished themselves in sportsmanship and athletic ability, and whose achievements have demonstrated an outstanding record in the athletic life at Brooks: Sydney Grace Correa ’21; Jake Duncan MacKinnon ’21

The Edmund Samuel Carr Prize in Greek: Abigail Sarah Charlamb ’21

The Kerri Ann Kattar Prize awarded annually by the faculty to that member of the graduating class who, by her warmth and generosity of spirit to others, by her outstanding contribution to Brooks athletics, and by her presence alone, has added that precious quality of kindness for which we remember Kerri Ann Kattar: Emma Grace Houlihan ’21

The Rene Champollion French Prize: Emma Rose Fleischman ’21; Catherine Lynley Ingram ’21

“I cannot overstate the degree to which this class of 2021 carried their school in these ways this year …

COVID-19 was no match for this lot.”

H E AD OF S CH OOL JO HN PACKAR D SPE A KING AT PR IZE DAY A B O U T T H E CL ASS OF 2021

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The Frank D. Ashburn Athletic Award given by Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Cogswell to honor an outstanding individual or team performance in which intangible, extra qualities have added a special flavor to the school: Martrell Stevens ’21

The Edmund Samuel Carr Prize in Latin: Tanay Venkat Kommareddi ’21

The Edmund Samuel Carr Prize in Beginning Latin: Hilary Elizabeth Young ’24 The Spanish Prize: Nina Catherine Bache Rossbach ’21; Anya Harsh Sanchorawala ’21

The Charles C. Cottingham Class of 2008 Chinese Prize awarded annually to a student who has exhibited an enthusiasm and appreciation for the Chinese language and culture: Sydney Grace Correa ’21 The A.G. Davis Philip Prize given by the science department to an individual who has demonstrated an interest in and who shows considerable promise in science: Yufan Chen ’23; Melanie Ann Kaplan ’23 The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Medal for excellence in mathematics and science: Yuto Sugiyama Lam ’22

The John J. Cabral Prize given to the Brooks student who has shown a high degree of interest in physics and for the depth of involvement in the subject: Minho Eune ’21 The John B. Melvin Computer Science Prize: Chishang Yang ’21 The Nicholas J. Evangelos Science Prize: Emma Rose Fleischman ’21 The Mathematics Prize: Minho Eune ’21 The Howell Van Gerbig Jr. Prize given for the best essay on the development of political institutions, for his paper titled “Goodbye to Imperialism and Hello to Socialism: the Effects of Socialism on West Africa’s Development”: Tanay Venkat Kommareddi ’21 The Richard K. Irons Prize for the best essay on a pressing problem in American history or international relations, for her essay titled “Black Women in Black Power: Intersectionality in Practice”: Elizabeth O’Neill Packard ’21 The Michael W. McCahill Prize in History awarded to a sixth-form student who has demonstrated a love for the discipline by taking a wide and rigorous program in history, a mastery of analytical thinking and writing, an enthusiasm for the craft of historical research, a delight in the exploration and exchange of ideas, and an empathy for the human condition: Caroline Holdrege Fritz ’21 The E. Graham Ward English Prize awarded to a student who has demonstrated a love of literature in all of its forms. This student is a talented reader and writer gifted with the ability to respond to literature both analytically and creatively: Caroline Alexandra Samoluk ’21

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students who have excelled in the arts, in academics, in athletics and as members of the Brooks community.

The Harvard Club of the Merrimack Valley Prize awarded by the Harvard Club of the Merrimack Valley to a fifthformer nominated by the faculty for high academic achievement, leadership and active participation in school affairs: Amy Mojica ’22 The Columbia University Club of New England Prize awarded to a fifth-former who has demonstrated an ability to combine academic achievement, personal character, extra-curricular contribution to the school, and accomplishment in and dedication to a field of interest meriting personal recognition: Shu Dong ’22

The Leonard S. Perkins Prize awarded by the faculty to that member of the fifth form who makes an outstanding contribution to the life of the school: Hongru Chen ’22

The Russell Prize given by the late Richard S. Russell and awarded by the faculty for an outstanding single contribution to the life of the community: Shea Tracy Baker ’21

The Harvey P. Hood Prize awarded in recognition of special interests such as working with young children, making things with one’s hands and in memory of a lively, gentle view of life: Caroline Alexandra Samoluk ’21

The Headmaster Emeritus Prize given by the faculty for any reason it considers appropriate: Anya Harsh Sanchorawala ’21

The Allen Ashburn Prize given by the late James D. Regan and awarded each year by the faculty for any purpose it deems suitable: Martrell Stevens ’21

The Oscar M. Root Prize given

by Morgan H. Harris Jr. to a member of the Brooks community who, during the year, has exemplified certain characteristics with which Oscar M. Root for many years enriched life at Brooks. These characteristics include excellence in the sciences, devotion to nature study and a sense of humor, which provided a rare overview of life: Emma Grace Houlihan ’21

The William R. Ferris Jr. Prize given by Howell van Gerbig in honor of William R. Ferris ’60 and awarded to a sixthform student who stands out among their peers on account of the depth and range of their intellectual curiosity, energy and creativity. A nominee for this prize is presented to the faculty by the six faculty members who hold endowed chairs: Catherine Lynley Ingram ’21

The Jolene and Stephen C. Eyre Prize for Scholarly Achievement awarded each year to the ranking scholar in the sixth form: Anya Harsh Sanchorawala ’21

The George B. Blake Prize awarded in recognition of extended voluntary and generous service to others: Racquel Chanel Baldeo ’21

GENERAL PRIZES The Malcolm G. Chace III Prize awarded to a third-, fourthand fifth-former who, in the judgment of the head of school, has made the most personal progress during the year: Third Form, Lughano Nyondo ’24; Fourth Form, Connor James O'Neill ’23; Fifth Form, Saunders Elizabeth Haley ’22 The St. Lawrence University Prize awarded to a fifth-former who has displayed a significant commitment to community service: Eleonore Olame Kiriza ’22

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The Dunnell Prize given by the faculty in honor of Jacob Dunnell and William W. Dunnell III, who jointly gave 57 years of dedicated service to their students and the school, and awarded to a sixth-former who has worked without fanfare to better the school: Elizabeth O’Neill Packard ’21 FACULTY PRIZES The Reverend George F. Vought Prize given by the Sette-Ducati family and awarded by the head of school to honor a member of the faculty who, in their first few years, has made special contributions to the school and exhibited notable professional growth: Tess Margaret O’Brien

Graduates Daniela Rosas (left) and Andres Rosas together on Prize Day.

The Thomas Perkins Brooks Jr. Prize given in memory of Ensign Brooks, who was lost in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and awarded annually by the faculty to a member of the sixth form who, during their career at Brooks, has met certain requirements of development, leadership and responsibility: Jack Sullivan Breen ’21 The Kilborn Bowl given by Mr. and Mrs. John W. Kilborn for the greatest all-around improvement: Amma BoamahAppiah ’21

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COLLEGE S

College-Bound Brooks students matriculate to a range of colleges and universities, nationwide and internationally.

Graduates from the class of 2021 plan to attend the following colleges and universities: 1

Babson College (3)

Swarthmore College

Bates College

Syracuse University

Bentley University (4)

The University of Montana

Boston College (5)

The University of Tampa

Boston University (3)

Trinity College (3)

Brandeis University

Tufts University (2)

Brown University

Tulane University

Bucknell University (2)

Union College (2)

Butler University

United States Military Academy

California Polytechnic State University

University of California, Irvine (2)

Colby College

University of California, Los Angeles

Colgate University (2) College of Charleston College of the Holy Cross College of William and Mary Columbia University Cornell University (2)

[ 1 ] Graduates James Wood (left) and Tucker Hill before the Prize Day ceremony begins. [ 2 ] Graduates Amma Boamah-Appiah (left) and Harriet Kumah after the Prize Day ceremony. [ 3 ] Head of School John Packard announcing the diploma of a graduate who chose to attend Brooks virtually this year. Pictured on the podium are bottles of bubble solution: Each graduate delivered a bottle to Mr. Packard as they crossed the stage to symbolize the effect of the year’s COVID-19 policies. Graduates Christy Lau, Coll Sutherland, Grace Wang, Mario Yang and Harry Zhu were studying virtually and did not attend Prize Day. Richard Yang, who departed school early due to travel restrictions, received his diploma before Prize Day. [ 4 ] Courtney Pappas ’21 (center) with loved ones at the conclusion of Prize Day. [ 5 ] Director of Health Services Tracey Costantino P’21 affixes a rosette to the dress of graduate Nina Rossbach (right) at the Head of School’s House on Prize Day.

University of Colorado Boulder University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign University of Massachusetts Amherst

Elon University

University of Miami (2)

Georgetown University (2)

University of Pennsylvania

Indiana UniversityBloomington (2)

University of Richmond (3)

Lehigh University (3)

University of Vermont

Miami University—Oxford

H E A D O F S CH O OL JO HN PACKA RD, T H A N K I N G BRO O K S PA RE NTS AT P RIZE DAY

University of California, San Diego

Duke University

Macalester College (2)

“In sum, we don’t get here without all of you believing in the school, believing in your children and taking a leap of faith in an extraordinary time.”

University of South Carolina University of Virginia

New York University (2)

University of WisconsinMadison

Northeastern University (9)

Washington University in St. Louis

Penn State University

Wellesley College

Pitzer College

Yale University

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Reed College St. Lawrence University

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An appreciation of the complex housing the Frick Dining Hall and the Dalsemer Room, and a view of the site’s future as the school’s new admission building.

A COMMUNITY SPACE ↑ Frick Dining Hall

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For almost a century, the sprawling complex at the center of the Brooks campus that includes the Head of School’s House, Frick Dining Hall, the Dalsemer Room and the Alumni Building has played a central role in the Brooks experience and the life of the school.

The site has played host to a dining hall, dances, faculty and committee meetings, and has even logged time as a dormitory. While the functions and uses of the space have changed and evolved over time to meet the community’s needs, the buildings that make up the site have always shared a common purpose: They hold and make room for the Brooks community, allowing it to come together for community events ranging from the day-to-day — sharing a meal together — to the social — a Saturday night dance — to the ceremonial — end-of-year celebrations for graduating sixth-formers.

The space is about to change and evolve again, with a sharp eye on the continued use of the site as a place to hold, honor and create community at Brooks.

This summer, demolition work began on the Alumni Building, Frick Dining Hall and the Dalsemer Room, extending into the north side of the Head of School’s House. Once the dust settles, a new admission building will sit in the open space to the south of Thorne House, with clear views from the waiting room west, looking out toward the iconic vista of fields leading to Lake Cochichewick. The new admission space will accomplish two goals. First, it will provide a stunning and impressive physical space in which the admission office can welcome prospective families. It will show Brooks at its best and bolster the admission office’s work to attract and retain students who will succeed at the school and form a strong Brooks community into the future. Second, the physical layout of the new space will continue to provide both indoor and outdoor space in which the current Brooks community can gather in meaningful ways.

The evolution of the space is necessary and prudent: As the rest of the Brooks physical plant has changed, the activities that the space was built for have moved to other campus locations. The space has become limited in form and function, and the demolition of the buildings addresses both deferred maintenance and sustainability issues. The removal of the spaces that so many Brooksians have treasured and felt at home in over the years will elicit some sadness, though, even as they give way to a spectacular new space that will welcome new and current Brooksians to the literal and figurative heart of our campus.

The pages that follow honor the ways in which the site has always provided for the Brooks community. They also reveal plans for the exciting new construction that will continue to provide for the Brooks community in the future. ← The Dalsemer Room

SU M M E R 20 21

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[1]

↑ An archival image of the Head of School’s House, then called The Headmaster’s House. The Head of School’s House predates Brooks School. It was built in 1885 and was the summer residence of the Russells (the family that donated the land for the Brooks campus). When Brooks first opened its doors in 1927, the upstairs of the residence housed six boys and a master. That was the last time the Head of School’s House was used as a dorm except for two notable exceptions: in 1947, when the construction of Thorne House was delayed; and last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Head of School John Packard and his family shared the upstairs of the house with eight fourth-formers.

TIMELINE 1927

Brooks opens in 1927. [1]

1932

The original study and sitting room of the Head of School’s House were enlarged.

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[2]

[4]

[3]

1935

Over the years, spaces were added to the complex holding the Head of School’s House, resulting in the site as it is today.

In 1935, the school’s kitchen was added to the space, as well as a dining room. [2]

1938

The school builds the food director’s residence and additional kitchen facilities on site. [3]

1948

Frick Dining Hall is named in memory of William Ward Frick II ’42, who died in service in World War II. “The Frick,” as it has come to be known by generations of Brooksians, provides a central space in which the Brooks community can gather for meals, and endures as the school’s dining hall and main event space until Wilder Dining Hall is built in 2001. [4]

↑ 1938: Students attend study hall in the school’s original dining room by candlelight in 1938. A hurricane swept through the campus on September 21.

At the time, Richard Russell noted in his log that it brought down more than 200 trees across campus.

1954

The Dalsemer Room is constructed next to Frick Dining Hall. The elegant, wood-paneled space was used throughout its tenure as both an informal lounge and a place for student and faculty meetings. [5]

BRO O KS B U LL ET I N

↓ 1954: Students meet in the Dalsemer Room in the 1950s.

[5]

“ [6]

1969

The school’s kitchen and Frick Dining Hall are expanded and remodeled.

1976

The exterior of the back of the Head of School’s House in 1976. The residence is to the right, and Frick Dining Hall is on the left. [6]

At its inception, the Dalsemer was an elegant room, no doubt guided by Mrs. Ashburn’s fine taste: curtains, furnishings with a few antiques, and, most of all, fine paintings, including an attributable Romney of potentially great value … The Ashburns had great style and attention to detail, which was reflected throughout the school.”

FO RME R FACU LT Y RO B WA L K E R ’53, H ’66, P ’94 , GP ’ 18

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← 1977: The building housing the Brooks alumni and development office, in 2018.

Previously, the structure served as faculty residences and the residence of the school’s food director.

[10]

→ 1980s: Archival images show students eating and spending time together.

[7]

[8]

[9]

← 1978: Brooksians used the Dalsemer Room for informal gatherings, also. Here, a group of students plays chess and enjoys each other’s company.

1977

The food director’s residence is converted to faculty residences. Most recently, the building housed administrative offices, including the alumni and development offices. [7]

1978

Brooksians meet in the Dalsemer Room. The space was used for gatherings, including faculty meeting [8] and informal get-togethers [9].

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The 1980s

[12]

Brooksians used Frick Dining Hall as the school’s three-timesa-day meeting space [10]. The space was used for community meetings throughout its tenure [11]. Barker Student Center was housed within the complex in the 1980s. The space gave students a place in which to socialize and spend time together. [12]

The 1990s

Students relax between classes on the stairs leading from Frick Dining Hall to the school’s playing fields. [13]

↑ 1980s: Brooksians relax and page through a magazine in Barker Student Center in the 1980s.

BRO O KS B U LL ET I N

[14]

[11]

[16]

↑ 1980s: A Brooksian in this undated photo from the 1980s enters a meeting of the Senior Prank Committee. Campus dog Ralph Vanasse is pictured at the top of the steps.

[13] ↑ 2013: A Winter Term class on jazz meets in the Dalsemer Room in 2013. → 2017: Members of the class of 2017 greet each other at the traditional luncheon in Frick Dining Hall celebrating the marking of 100 days until their graduation.

[15]

2001

Wilder Dining Hall opened in 2001. [14] Frick Dining Hall reinvented itself as a popular space for Saturday night dances, a nostalgic location for alumni and trustee dinners, and a welcome option for AP exams. But when a mass of enthusiastic dancers cracked through the rickety floor one Saturday night in 2018, the end was in sight.

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2008

Faculty meeting was held in the Dalsemer Room until the Science Center, and the spacious Science Forum, opened in 2008. [15]

2013

The Dalsemer Room has hosted some infrequent gatherings in recent years, including some music lessons during the construction of the Center for the Arts.

[17]

Current students, however, know the space only as the location of the school’s routine COVID-19 testing during the pandemic. [16]

2017

Frick Dining Hall remained a space for traditional and ceremonial gatherings throughout its life. [17]

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THE NEW ADMISSION 32

BRO O KS B U LL ET I N

T

The construction of the new admission building, along with other recent campus construction projects, is the continuation of a master plan that was originally conceived about 10 years ago.

The 2014 renovation of Ashburn Chapel and the installation of Chapel Road kicked off a reshaping of the center of campus and a pedestrianized Main Street. Next, the demolition of the original barn and the construction of the Center for the Arts continued to create ideal community space that is central to the school’s mission. Now, the creation of a new, well-designed admission building on the footprint of the Frick Dining Hall complex will position the school to better compete for top-tier students who will create a community that feels like Brooks at its best.

← A rendering of the new admission building from Main Street. Here, the reader looks toward Lake Cochichewick with Thorne House on the right. The new building continues a master plan to focus the center of the Brooks campus on its community. The admission space follows the renovation of Ashburn Chapel, the raising of the Center for the Arts and the continued pedestrianization of Main Street.

BUILDING SU M M E R 20 21

Each year, Brooks hosts around 1,000 prospective families on campus. It is essential that our first impression is unsurpassed in order to attract and retain the bestsuited students for our community. Given the beauty of our 270-acre campus and the welcoming nature of our students and faculty, the campus visit has always been an area where Brooks has excelled. In order to maximize the prospective family experience, the new building will capitalize on stunning views of the school’s central fields and Lake Cochichewick. It will provide a warm welcome, space to gather, and private areas for individual meetings with the admission staff and program-specific faculty.

The admission building will help to attract and create a vibrant, close campus community, and it will also serve that community once its members enroll and arrive on campus. The school plans to use the new building as a gathering space for Brooksians to attend weekend dances, special events, and traditional and formal functions, just as Frick Dining Hall and the Dalsemer Room had hosted. The orientation of the building will also create a new outdoor quad between the admission building and the Head of School’s House that will be sure to attract Brooksians for formal and informal gatherings during free periods, after the academic day and on sunny Sunday afternoons.

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→ A view of the waiting room in the new admission building, looking west over the Brooks fields and toward Lake Cochichewick.

This larger interior space will also serve the on-campus community as a gathering area for student social activities, formal events and traditional end-of-year functions, for example.

A view of the back of the new building, looking east toward Main Street and the Center for the Arts (pictured in background).

The back of the building is devoted to the waiting room, a west-facing porch, a south-facing patio and, shown here on the left side of the building, a conference room with a view. The eastern side of the building will house admission staff offices, smaller meeting rooms and another larger conference room. ↓

As part of the effort to build the new admission building, the school will add a garage to the Head of School’s House. This will allow cars to be parked out of the view of passers-by and will help to further the school’s goal of keeping vehicles off Main Street.

A view of the new admission building looking north toward Thorne House. The main entrance of the building, depicted here as the glassedin area in the center of the rendering, is located toward its rear. This will allow visitors to enjoy the magnificent campus vista as they walk toward and enter the building. →

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BRO O KS B U LL ET I N

“

↑ The new admission building capitalizes on the iconic views south and west over the school’s fields and down toward Lake Cochichewick. This rendering, which looks north toward Thorne House, shows the building’s large west- and south-facing windows in the footprint of Frick Dining Hall.

The building also creates a natural quad with the Head of School’s House (to the right, not pictured here) that will provide another beautiful gathering space for Brooksians.

The new admission building will be at the core of the campus, across from the spectacular new Center for the Arts and with stunning views to the west over Lake Cochichewick.”

HEAD OF S CH OOL J OHN PACKARD

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PARTING SHOT

Siblings Chrissy Cornish ’09 (left) and Charlie Cornish ’06 toured Frick Dining Hall with their parents this summer before its demolition. Chrissy and Charlie are the grandchildren of George Rose Frick ’46, P’72, GP’06, GP’09. George Frick’s brother was William Ward Frick II ’42 (Bill), for whom the dining hall was named in 1948. Bill died in April 1943, less than a year after his Brooks graduation, and he was the first Brooks student to give his life while in the service of his country.

“Brooks School honors its alumni and history with the deepest respect,” Charlie Cornish wrote shortly after visiting the Frick for the last time. “Brooks School also honors its alumni who served their country, and of course those who gave their lives in service to their country.”

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B RO OKS B U LL ET I N

The school sponsored a variety of activities and events for the class of 2021 in the week between Lawn Ceremony and Prize Day. The highlight of “Senior Week” was a three-day trip to West Forks, Maine, where the class engaged in whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River under the supervision of CrabApple Whitewater, Inc.

Here at Brooks, we navigated some choppy waters in 2020–2021. We got through them, though: We believed in Brooks students, faculty, families and each other. We worked together toward a meaningful end, and we found great success. Thank you to every donor and volunteer who helped us raise $2,417,439 for the Brooks Fund this year.

B RO O KS SCHOOL BROOKS FUND

Four easy ways to give: Credit Card — Check — Stock — Venmo.* Visit www.brooksschool.org to make your gift. *Venmo: @Brooksschool. For more information, contact Director of the Brooks Fund and Family Engagement Mary Merrill at mmerrill@brooksschool.org.

Brooks Bulletin Brooks School 1160 Great Pond Road North Andover, MA 01845-1298 Address service requested

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PA ID Permit No. 36 Lawrence, MA

Major Upcoming Dates Alumni Homecoming September 25, 2021 Family Weekend October 22 and 23, 2021 Thanksgiving Break Begins November 20, 2021 Winter Break Begins December 17, 2021 Winter Term Begins January 4, 2022 Visit www.brooksschool. org/alumni/events for an up-to-date calendar of alumni events.

Members of the class of 2021 pose with the statue of Phillips Brooks, the school’s namesake, on North Andover Common in May.