Brunswick Chronicle - October 2008

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runswick Chronicle

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Around Brunswick

Class of ‘58: A Retrospective

By Scott Matthews (Page 2) Red Chair Players Travel To Scotland

By Kyle Radler (Page 3) A Capella Off to Great Start

By David Blumenthal (Page 4) Pura Vida Goes To Costa Rica

By Jesse Zannino (Page 4) BSTV: Racing Into Future

By Michael Marx (Page 5) Blue Notes

By Joe Hull (Page 5) ‘Wick’s New Teachers

By Nikhil Menezes (Page 6) Students Awed By New Theater

By Matthew Cassoli (Page 6) Exchange Students

By Gus Ruchman (Page 7) Performing Arts Gala

By Oliver Sall (Page 10)

Alumni Profiles Matthew Silverman ‘83

By Jake Matthews (Page 8) Robert Profusek ‘98

By Alex Jonokuchi (Page 9) Robert Selkowitz ‘69

By Pat Doyle (Page 10)

Brunswick Sports

V. Football vs. Kingswood

By Conor Kenny (Page 11) V. Soccer vs. Gunnery

By Taggie Martin (Page 11)

Student Editorials

So You Think You Have School Spirit

By Will Seaton (Page 12)

Homecoming 2008

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Welcome Back Alumni

By Thomas W. Philip Head of Brunswick School elcome All Alumni!

Although earlier in the Fall than past years, it is a great honor and privilege to welcome you back to your school.

There are few weekends I enjoy more than Homecoming.

Starting with Friday’s cookout, pep-rally and bonfire, followed by the Wick-Walk-Run, the Bear Fair, and Cross Country, Soccer and Football match-ups....we are crossing our fingers for a crisp and beautiful Fall day that will serve as a fitting background for the annual celebration of our shared community.

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Hopefully as you walk around our campus (whether on Maher Avenue or on King Street) you will see things which are both new as well as things which remain the same. Rest assured, most importantly, that as much as may seem changed, at its core, the Brunswick of today is true to the principles and mission that has held it in good stead always.

Over the course of the Homecoming weekend, I hope that you re-join old classmates and former teachers, rekindle fond memories and share new experiences.

As you can see from the weekend’s schedule there is much to do and to see.

More than anything, Homecoming at Brunswick is truly all about coming home.

For many of our Alumns, your educational journey began here; you made your first friends here, you quite literally built the foundation of your life here. You are part of Brunswick and Brunswick is part of you.

Welcome back and enjoy!

The Brunswick Chronicle Homecoming 2008

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Around Brunswick

Class of ‘58: A Retrospective

By Scott Matthews ‘09 Co-Editor-in-Chief runswick’s 2008 Homecoming will be one to remember on many levels.

This special weekend usually focuses on sporting events for both alumni and current students, but this year will also include the unveiling of our transformed Maher Avenue campus and new state-of-the-art Arts facilities, highlighted by the two-day Baker Theater opening. Homecoming 2008 will be particularly special to the Brunswick Class of 1958, which whill be celebrating its milestone 50th reunion. In the spirit of this occasion, the Chronicle has conducted a little research to detail what the School was like in the late 1950s (before even Mr. Stolar came!)

Members of the Class of ’58 regaled the Chronicle with old stories. Many spoke about popular teachers, some reminisced about the mandatory ballroom

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dance classes for the 4 grade, and others were nostalgic about taking girls to Manhattan for the spring formal. The most striking part of these stories, though, is that so little has truly changed between the Brunswick of 1958 and the Brunswick of 2008-09, 50 years later.

One example comes from an e-mail sent by Mr. Byron S. Miller. He recalls, “In Lower School, our favorite period was recess. And we shot spitballs at each other with rubber bands. As we advanced, so did our weaponry: we moved on to shooting broken paper clips (very dangerous and hotly suppressed by teachers), and pea shooters (less dangerous but still very much banned). Every spring water pistols were very ‘in’ and were just as frequently confiscated (some to be returned the last day of school by ‘cool,’ not ‘mean’ teachers.” This writer can’t help but to notice how similar our behavior is today. While the pictures of senior boys hanging th

The runswick Chronicle

The Brunswick Student’s News Source

Editors-in-Chief Scott Matthews ‘09 Will Seaton ‘09 Managing Editor Daniel Cassidy ‘09

Arts Editor

Turner Smith ‘09

Political Editor

Thomas Cassidy ‘09

Sports Editor

Charlie Gerdts ‘09

Photography Editor

Graphics Editor

Preston Han ‘09

Connor Fitzpatrick ‘09

Business Manager Gates Torrey ‘09 Staff Writers and Photographers

Chris Baldock ‘10 David Blumenthal ‘10 Matthew Cassoli ‘12 Thomas Chronert ‘09 Spencer Dahl ‘11 Pat Doyle ‘09 Bowen Dunnan ‘10

Ryan Hagerbrant ‘11 Nick Hart ‘09 Joe Hull ‘10 Alex Jonokuchi ‘10 Conor Kenny ‘09 Peter Kyriakos ‘09 Taggie Martin ‘09 Michael Marx ‘10 Jake Matthews ‘12

Nikhil Menezes ‘11 Tim O’Leary ‘09 Kyle Radler ‘09 Gus Ruchman ‘10 Oliver Sall ‘10 Hank Schless ‘10 Jack Williams ‘12

Faculty Advisor Dr. Brian Freeman on the walls by the front doors may look old-fashioned (and certainly the boys all seem to have the same haircut), you could probably line up the classes of 1958 and 2008 and see very little difference. Much may have happened in the world since then (we walked on the moon, the Internet debuted, etc.) but our core values and dreams are very similar.

After more research, the Chronicle discovered the Class of 1958 senior poll; it turns out that they used nicknames much in the same way that we do today.

There was Tex’n, Bobo, Donkey, LeGrand, Daddy-o, Denthead, Feuch, Javo, Von key, Quiet Man, Shuffles, Yo-Yo, Mouth, Wild Man, and Muscles. We can’t help but to compare that to other nicknames from this year’s senior class… names like Farva, Prez, HawkEye, G-Baby, Chappy, Sea Bass, Byrnsey, Kevo, Jonny D, Kones, Chandler, Pooch, and many more. �

Furthermore, the class of 1958 wrote out some of their ambitions, which include hopes for wonderful jobs, titles, and of course, women. A few examples of their asperations (not all understandable) include: counterfeiter, Fiction writer, Pam, sleeping beauty, rich wife, secret agent, Honor Roll, pro-football, spaceman, mattress tester, playboy, soul-saver, and our favorite, 18 years old.

Class of 1958 alumni also reflected on their favorite teachers.

They threw out names of Brunswick legends such as Joe Koszalka, the former baseball coach and shop teacher for whom the old baseball field was named, and Ken Merritt, who we now remember because he has a science award named after him.

1958 Alum Dr. Robert Goodman provided reflections in an e-mail: Joe Koszalka: My first exposure to See “1958” on Page 3

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Around Brunswick

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Red Chair Players Travel to Scotland

By Kyle Radler ‘09 Staff Writer he Red Chair Players, a group of Brunswick and Greenwich Academy students, took the play A California Seagull to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. The group rehearsed throughout all July, performed once at Greenwich Academy on July 25th, and then departed on July 27th for Edinburgh, Scotland and returned on August 10th.

The actors in the group were Brunswick students Jamie Biondi, Robbie Cortes, Chris Ghaffari, Nish Gurnani, Daniel O’Neill, and Kyle Radler; and Greenwich Academy students Emma Feiwel, Holly Linneman, Annaliese Kirby, and Alexa Salame. The stage managers were Amanda Ball and Carson Wos. The play’s director was Christine Mangone; the play’s technical director was Seth Potter; and the play’s producer was Dawn Fuller.

A California Seagull is a modern adaptation of Chekov’s The Seagull written by Alison Carey and set in contemporary California.

The play questions the nature of

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the art form and the complications arising from attachment, love, and celebrity, drawing on the two worlds of the California countryside and Hollywood.

The group first performed on July 30th and continued through A u g u s t 9th.

They performed at C-Venues on Chambers Street in the center of Edinburgh, an ideal location because of its proximity to the busy High Street. The venue was a twenty-five minute walk from the boys’ flat (or apartment) and a ten-minute walk from the girls’ flat.

The group was responsible for advertising the play, and so would flier once a day, usually on High Street, handing out information about the play, trying to convince

the many residents and visitors of Edinburgh to see the play, and making deals with other companies and street performers to advertise each other’s plays and performances.

A s over two thousand different shows run at the Fringe Festival every year, gaining a large crowd is a difficult feat. The first few audiences were small for A California Seagull, but as the two weeks went on the show ©Preston Han gained a following and in the final week had a consistent crowd of over twenty spectators. The play earned four out of five stars from the Fringe publication Three Weeks, and The Scotsman, a major newspaper in Scotland, praised the “heroic performances” of the cast. The online publication

“1958”Continued

a Brunswick legend, Joe Koszalka had nothing to do with sports; he was my seventh grade shop teacher who kept trying to make sure that I never went into any field that required manual dexterity.

Bill Richardson: Bill Richardson was a wonderful and supportive athletic coach who died very prematurely; I remember going to his funeral service a few years after graduation.

Ken Merritt: In the higher school years, it’s impossible to forget Mr. Merritt, ninth grade algebra teacher and baseball coach; many of us learned to sharpen our reflexes by dodging his thrown erasers and chalk while making an error or not being fast enough at the blackboard.

Alfred E. Everett: Finally, it’s impossible to end without some reflective thoughts about Alfred �

Everett, who was “Brunswick” to many, including me. My first exposure to Mr. Everett was in 7th grade Bible class. Early in the year he told me in his soft spoken way that because I was Jewish (the only one in the class for the next two years) I did not have to memorize any of the portions of the New Testament. Being an obstinate person then and now, I did not follow his offer and can still recite most of the Beatitudes (St. Matthew, ch. V). I don’t think he knew what to make of me but he took a lasting interest, always urging me to do better. He had a quiet dignity and sense of humor. He wrote a personal set of comments on every student’s report card, the most classic being my last one just prior to graduation in which he stated that

I had compiled an academic record placing me first in the class as well as in the demerit category where he dryly noted that I was also first!”

Back in 1958, sports seemed to be just as established as they are today. According to Mr. George Guy ’58, hockey was very important. Mr. Paul Thomson, meanwhile, notes “… a couple of differences. Today with the increased enrollment of upper classmen, Brunswick has added many more sporting opportunities. There were only 24 in the graduating class of ‘58; the sports were: Football, Basketball, Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, Raillery, Hockey, and Track.

When participating in a sport, the player went out and purchased his own equipment with the exception of game-day jerseys; occasionally leaving players would donate or

Broadway Baby specifically mentioned Annaliese Kirby’s “truly detailed and layered performance”.

The group was also given much free time to explore the city and see the many performances occurring there. Edinburgh is a city of great humanity imbibed with much history, many restaurants, and interesting people. The Red Chair Players truly took advantage of their environment, often seeing three of four performances a day.

Some members of the group became obsessed with certain performances and performers, from the cast of Titus Andronicus and Kiss of the Spider Woman to select members of the cast of Hero. Standout performances seen include Titus Andronicus, Architecting, and 66a Church Road.

The trip was truly an adventure and an experience that the cast will never forget.

The next trip to the Fringe Festival will be in two summers, when a new cast from Brunswick and Greenwich Academy will gain the opportunity to embark upon a trip cultivating the students’ theatrical and spiritual awareness through the wonderful city of Edinburgh.

just leave their old equipment but you can imagine the shape they were in. Hockey was only added at the request of several students in the winter of ‘56-’57. Again it was a rag-tag looking group, and the practices were generally held on the frozen lake in Millbrook.

The coach, Mr. Robinson, did not have a hockey background and was assisted by two student players who had played organized hockey before Brunswick. This upstart hockey team with only a hand full of players went up against Public High Schools and more than held on beating Greenwich HS and New Canaan HS while tying Greenwich and Norwalk HS.” The Chronicle would like to thank those Alumni who offered comments for this article and we welcome you back to your Congratulations!

50th Reunion.

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Around Brunswick

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A Cappella Off to Great Start

By David Blumenthal ‘10 Staff Writer t 7:00 am, while most members of the Brunswick community are still getting ready for the upcoming day, or, if they are lucky, still asleep, Brunswick’s A cappella groups—The Mahertians and Men of Brunswick—are already wide awake and hard at work. Together with a group of GA girls they meet at this hour several times a week under the direction of choral director Mr. Alexander Constantine for full group rehearsals as well as for individual vocal sectional rehearsals.

Not all of The Chronicle readers may be familiar with A Cappella as a musical genre. In this style, the melody is sung by a few voices, or by a soloist, while the harmony and rhythm are carried by other vocal parts as the “instruments” of a selection. As a result, the supporting parts are often quite unusual and require considerable vocal capabilities.

When the various components are perfected and assembled, however, they result in a most satisfying

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musical whole that makes the effort well worthwhile.

There is a lot of excitement among the Mahertians this fall. When asked what he is most looking forward to in this, his third year of A Capella, junior

they’ll perform the Star Spangled Banner at Homecoming. The pre-football game serenade has become a tradition in recent years, and the group will be singing the National Anthem at every other home game as well.

©Brunswick School

Chris Baldock said, “Different music... that is always the fun part, learning new music.” All the group’s members are also enthusiastic about the considerable thrill of rehearsing and performing in Brunswick’s newly constructed Baker Theater.

Brunswick’s only all-male singing group, the MOB (Men of Brunswick), will bring its energy and talents to its first performance outside when

Though certain aspects of the Brunswick musical routine may reflect tradition, there is a fair amount that will be novel this year, since they’ll be expanding their repertoire to include twice as many songs at the first Fall Concert; this, coupled with an increase in the number of appearances overall, will strengthen the Vocal Arts

quickly gained momentum, a second trip to Costa Rica was planned. With Lee Fletcher of Younglife acting

planned to travel again to Costa Rica for 10 days of community service. The second trip proved

as the organizer and facilitator, a slightly larger group of students

to be just as fun and rewarding as the first. During the day, the group

program at Brunswick. This year, for example, the MOB will be joining the Madrigals for the first time at the Latin Carol Service, a longstanding school tradition.

Trips outside the immediate community are also being considered, and there are plans to use music to enhance community service and perhaps to include singing at a number of town events.

Adding to the general sense of enthusiasm is the unprecedented increase in the number of students who want to be a part of the ‘vocal life of Brunswick.’ This reflects the growing commitment to and involvement in the Arts at our school that has continued to develop over the past few years.

A record seventeen new singers auditioned for A Cappella this year, and the excitement is palpable. Says newcomer Nikhil Mehra, “Yeah, I’m a little nervous about how my voice is shaping up, but otherwise I’m definitely very excited about it.” The Chronicle wishes the best of luck to all the vocal groups at Brunswick as they embark upon a big year in their development.

Pura Vida Travels to Costa Rica

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By Jesse Zannino ‘09 Special Contributor n the summer of 2007, a small group of Brunswick students traveled to Costa Rica to build a wheelchair ramp for disabled children. Over the trip, the students spent time in orphanages playing with the underprivileged kids of Costa Rica. Upon their return to school, the students, with Jonny Duennebier acting as president, founded the Pura Vida club in order to aid these children. Throughout the year the club held numerous pizza sales, including the sale of Mexican sodas, which were a big hit with the student body. The club also raised money through t-shirt sales, selling the now ubiquitous navy blue “Pure Life, Pure Love” shirts. As the club �

spent time tearing down burnt houses so that the government could contract new ones. The group also helped work in an orphanage and child-feeding program. By night the students explored the city of San Jose. When asked to comment on this summer’s trip, Jonny Duennebier said, “It’s amazing to make a difference while spending time with such awesome people.”

So what plans does the Pura Vida club have in the works for this year? According to members, the club will continue to raise money for the children of Costa Rica through fundraisers such as food sales. So next time you see a Pura Vida pizza sale, know that your money is in good hands.

The Brunswick Chronicle Homecoming 2008

Around Brunswick

BSTV: Racing into the Future

By Michael Marx ‘10 Staff Writer fter over 200 days of planning, formatting, negotiating, spending, filming, and editing, Brunswick School Television (BSTV) is happy to announce the airing of its first “televised” episode: it can be viewed at www.brunswicksch ooltv.org A club-project initiative that originated back in October of 2007, BSTV has finally made its founders’ dreams into realities.

Anyone around the world can now access streaming broadcasts as a way to obtain updated information on aspects of school life and world news alike. This month’s inaugural webcasts include an array of HD

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compressed footage. The images range from a visual tour profiling the new enhancements made to the upper school, (an event hosted by lead correspondent David Blumenthal), to sports reviews

Young Democrats, and a second edition of The News with David Blumenthal, as he leads the viewers through a behind-thescenes tour of Homecoming ’08.

During Homecoming

of both fall Crew and Football.

BSTV has already outlined next month’s episode.

Production schedules include an interview with Senior Dean Withstandley, political discussion with leaders of both the Young Republicans and

this year, BSTV plans to set up a donation booth in order to help raise funding for its operating expenses. This club, although rich in heart, body, soul, Courage, Honor, and Truth, has realized that in the real world these important virtues account for

little compared to the American Dollar. Therefore, if you pass our booth on your way to the football game during the weekend of the 26th, don’t be shy—help support our first school television station.

F i n a l l y, although expanding daily, BSTV is still in need of anchormen, camera operators, sound mixers, and directors.

So, if you’re interested in broadcasting, computers, video production, sports journalism, political commentary, or simply being on camera, BSTV would be privileged to have you. Please email Michael Marx or David Blumenthal if you’re interested, or want more information.

Blue Notes Expect Memorable Year

By Joe Hull ‘10 Staff Writer he Blue Notes, Brunswick’s top performing instrumental musicians, are anticipating an eventful schedule this year. With the completion of the Baker Theater and Performing Arts Facility, the arts program has opened up a variety of opportunities. The Blue Notes are often asked to perform at a variety of different venues, from school and community functions to international locations such as during the 2007 trip to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Band Director Paul Raaen took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to describe an upcoming tour that is the first of its kind for the Blue Notes.

JH: How was performing in the Baker Theater for the first time?

PR: It was very exciting for the Blue Notes to be the first performing group to inaugurate the new stage in Baker Theater at our first morning assembly. Everyone was impressed by the acoustics of the new venue and by our talented musicians who were able to perform with only one short rehearsal.

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JH: What makes this Blue Notes group so strong?

PR: The Blue Notes is an especially strong group this year because of the large number of seniors who have performed together for the past three years.

I compare it to a varsity sports team that is mostly seniors. Their musicianship, maturity, and skill level will give them the ability to learn more music and perform it at a higher level. We also have some outstanding younger musicians that have been added to the group.

JH: The Blues Notes are headed to Florida in January.

Where will they be playing?

PR: The Blue Notes have been invited to play for two events in Florida.

The first is for a private party in West Palm Beach and the second is a school development event.

JH: What’s on the schedule?

PR: The band will fly Jet Blue to West Palm Beach, leaving on Thursday January 22 and return on Saturday, January 26. On Thursday night we will perform a

concert at the Lone Tree Country Club and on Friday evening we will perform at Brunswick’s Florida Development Event.

Details have not yet been planned for Saturday. We will fly out of West Palm Beach around 6:00 pm.

JH: Has this sort of trip been done before?

PR: This trip is a first for the Blue Notes. It is due to the generosity of a Brunswick grandparent who is bringing us down to perform at his club. He heard the Blue Notes play at the Tony Bennett Benefit two years ago and wanted us to come to Florida, so we are making it happen.

JH: Are you looking forward to anything in particular?

PR: What could be better than going to Florida in January to escape winter for a few days! The Blue Notes love to perform and this is a wonderful opportunity for them to increase their repertoire and reach out with their musical talent to a whole new audience.

It is also exciting that we will be able to share our music with alumni and patrons in Florida

and we hope that it will give them another insight into the outstanding music program we offer our students here at Brunswick in our desire to educate the whole person.

JH: On a closing note, are there any other details you would like the Brunswick community to know about the Blue Notes?

PR: This year’s Blue Notes are truly an outstanding group, especially since fourteen of our members are seniors. Our new guys are working hard and are excited to be a part of this ensemble. We are all enjoying our new band room and theater, and are looking forward to some stellar performances this year, both formal and informal. In June, the Blue Notes will take their second international music tour to France where they will perform in schools, at festivals, and at Disney Paris; they’ll also be able to take in the rich culture of this beautiful country! .

From performing at the first morning assembly to anticipated future gigs, this is truly shaping up to be a full and rewarding year for the music program.

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Around Brunswick

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Wick Welcomes New Teachers

By Nikhil Menezes ‘11 Staff Writer t the start of the 2008-09 school year, the Chronicle welcomed two new teachers, Mrs. Hoyos and Mr. Hannigan. Now we would like to recognize a couple more of our new teachers, Mr. Kirby-Smith and Ms. Crawford. During the first week of school, I was able to sit down with these new teachers and get to know them a little better to help introduce them to the student body.

Mr. Kirby Smith: originally from Beaufort, North Carolina (“a small fishing village with some fantastic surf spots”), is the new theater teacher at Brunswick.

He graduated from Washington and Lee University with a BA in Theater and his subsequent teaching and theatrical experiences have been extremely diverse. In 2000 he worked at the Yale School of Drama and helped to instruct graduate students in basic set construction techniques. He has also worked as a

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expression.” Although he will not be sharing or splitting any classes with Mr. Potter, he will try to merge his tech/design students’ work with Mr. Potter’s classes for each show.

He believes that “the opportunity to work in this wonderful new space should not be restricted to only those enrolled in Theater classes.”

When asked what he thinks of the new arts facility he said, “Brunswick’s new art facility is amazing. We have all the current, and some cutting edge, technology available for students to learn and work with. The audio, video, and lighting resources are all top notch and are what you would see at a college with a good performing arts department.” Mr. Kirby-Smith has even asked Mr. Hall to keep some of the old pieces of theater equipment to prepare students for the performing arts at some colleges which are actually “a possible step down” from the new Brunswick theater.

Ms. Crawford: originally from Chicago, went to Tufts for

her BA in English and Italian Studies and to Middlebury for her MA in Italian Literature. While pursuing this degree, she had the opportunity to study in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy.

Ms. Crawford’s experiences are not limited to teaching in the U.S. She has taught in Italy for a year and in the border town of Lugano, Switzerland for two summers. Her most recent job was at a public high school outside of Boston.

When asked what experiences make her unique as a language teacher she said, “When studying in Italy I sang in choirs so that I could meet Italians and practice using the language. I also love Italian opera. I hope to incorporate songs into my teaching.”

Most importantly, however, she is “very happy to be at Brunswick.”

The Chronicle would like to thank Mr. Kirby-Smith and Ms. Crawford for their participation, and would like to officially welcome them to the school.

one of my favorite stories; it lends itself to fantasy and wonder.” He also said that “it’s an ensemble piece where each actor is involved

in Baker Theater. Mr. Andrew Hall, Chairman of the Brunswick Arts Department, also voiced his excitement of the new theater

in creating the magic of Middle Earth. It takes several actors to be a dragon or to create the battle of five armies.” The play will be presented on November sixth, seventh, and eighth at 7:00 pm

saying that it was “really cool.”

The new Baker Theater will not be limited only to theatrical productions. Looking ahead over the next few years, the Brunswick

Community can expect great weekly assemblies in which it will now be possible to make use of the “space-age” lights and state of the art sound systems. The new venue also will hold class meetings and the occasional BPA meeting. A new Brunswick club even has hopes to host live bands in the new theater.

The Blue Notes have already played their first “miniconcert” at the first morning meeting of the year. Said Mr. John Pendergast, “the acoustics of the new space were amazing.

It’s like they were playing right next to me and I was in the back row.” We can all expect great events to come in the future and the venue will certainly complement them.

Underclassmen (sorry Seniors…) can look forward to many more years in the great new facility as they finish off their time at Brunswick. Brunswick has clearly reconfirmed its dedication to the theatrical arts with the construction of the Baker Theater.

technical director, a stage operations manager, a carpenter, a set designer, a welder, and a production manager at various studios, universities, schools and even operas.

His favorite part about teaching theater is “the energy and excitement students bring to the craft.” He loves to be in an environment where everyone is still learning and is “intensely curious, dedicated and energetic.”

The way each student perceives a new concept and technique is what makes teaching so much different from his other jobs in the world of theater. This devotion to acting and theater brings to mind another teacher at Brunswick, the inimitable Mr. Seth Potter. Mr. Kirby-Smith observed that, “Mr. Potter is a maelstrom of creativity that threatens to consume us all. I like to think of myself as a conduit (or perhaps a funnel) for this creativity as well as a willing participant in this artistic storm of ideas and

Students Awed By New Theater

By Matthew Cassoli ‘12 Staff Writer ne of the Greatest improvements made to Brunswick School over the summer was the addition of the new Baker Theater. The theater features a beautiful LED lighting system in the house and an even better backstage area, including a woodshop, costume area, and plenty of storage. Although Durkin Auditorium once served its purpose admirably, we can all agree that building Baker Theater will be a great improvement to the school and that it will really be great to be able to produce musical and theatrical events here at Brunswick instead of relying solely on Greenwich Academy’s Massey Theater all the time.

Mr. Potter is clearly excited about the new theater and his fall production of The Hobbit.

When asked to comment he said, “I chose The Hobbit because it’s

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Wick Welcomes Exchange Students

By Gus Ruchman ‘10 Staff Writer wo unfamiliar faces have made an appearance in the Brunswick School this year. Stanley Buncak of Slovakia and Innocent Tswamuno of Zimbabwe have joined the community for their junior years. The Chronicle spoke to Stanley and Innocent recently.

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Chronicle: How did you find out about Brunswick School?

Stanley: I did not find out about Brunswick, but Wick found out about me. I attended a program giving scholarships. They sent me here to Brunswick. I can say I was very lucky with the pick.

Brunswick is an amazing school.

Innocent: I came here to the U.S. last year on a vacation. My brother’s college friend, who teaches at Brunswick Middle School (James Manyuru), is the one who brought the school to my attention when he talked about its greatness—the hardworking faculty members and charismatic students. I fell in love with the school right there.

C: What was your tour like when you visited?

Stanley: I was very impressed by the school and its facilities.

I do not know how it looked before construction, but now it’s just amazing. The guys did a great job. I love it.

Innocent: When I visited the school—that was in January— my tour was awesome. I attended a few classes and then it ended with a conversation with the admissions director, Mr. Harris. I gazed at the school’s beauty and was captured. My tour guide, Sam King, was informative.

Everything was amazing.

C: How long was your trip from your home to here?

Stanley: I had a connecting flight through Paris, so it was about an hour to Paris and then another 6 or 7 to Boston. �

Innocent: My flight from home took me about 18 hours. It was so

sports as a part of school and the curriculum process in most of the

tiresome, but just like they say no place is far when you know that an exquisite treasure lies ahead.

C: What is the most notably different aspect between life in Slovakia or Zimbabwe and life in the United States?

Is anything the same?

©Gus Ruchman

Stanley: That is a hard question.

I think the life outside of school is very similar. But from the student’s point of view, there are huge differences. For example, in my country we don’t have

European schools is based mostly only on theoretical knowledge.

Innocent: Life in Zimbabwe is a slow-paced walk. You do not have to worry about too much stuff. Here in the U.S., you have to be on your feet or the train will leave you behind.

©Gus Ruchman

I cannot say much more.

Just know that it’s different.

C: Do you have a favorite aspect yet about Brunswick?

A least favorite aspect?

Stanley: The least favorite is probably the time I get home and I have to do all that homework for the next day. The rest is absolutely great and I am really enjoying it, so that is the most favorite part of my Brunswick life!

Innocent: I like the Brunswick recording studio. I was there for the first time recently. It’s awesome and the teacher (Mr. Kirsch) is amicable; he really connects with the students. In general I just love the school environment. Everything that makes up the school is majestic!

C: What are you most looking forward to this year?

Stanley: Everything here is now for me brand new, so I can say that I am looking forward probably to everything.

Innocent: I am looking forward to “homecoming.” I am looking forward to the day I will dwell in the heart of the community.

C: What, if anything, are you nervous about for this year?

Stanley: I am probably nervous about the end-of-year exams for a few of the subjects I have chosen, but who is not?

Because I am doing all this in English, the performance in school is a little harder for me.

Innocent: I am made nervous and overwhelmed by almost everything. I just pray that I may bond with the system a.s.a.p.

C: What are your special interests? What is your favorite activity at home or here?

Stanley: My hobbies are sports of various kinds, from swimming to skiing. I like weight lifting very much too, so that’s what I am doing regularly at home, as well as tennis. But most of my free time I just hang out with my friends, have fun and enjoy life.

Innocent: I love everything that has something to do with music and I love interacting with people, watching movies,

See “Exchange” on Page 12

The Brunswick Chronicle Homecoming 2008

Alumni Profiles

Alumni Profile: Matthew Silverman ‘83

By Jake Matthews ‘12 Staff Writer Matthew Silverman is one of Brunswick School’s notable alumni. Mr. Silverman graduated in the Class of 1983, and since then has written and edited professionally for over twenty years. Mr. Silverman is the author of many Mets works including 100 Things Mets Fans Need to Know and Do before They Die, Mets by the Numbers: A Complete Team History of the Amazin’ Mets by Uniform Number, and Mets Essential: Everything you Need to Know to Be a Real Fan. Mr. Silverman has also edited and contributed to other numerous baseball and football related works.

Mr. Silverman started out at Brunswick in the 9 th grade and believes his Brunswick School experiences are very similar to ours. When asked what his favorite part of Brunswick was, Mr. Silverman responded, “The class I enjoyed the most was one I took at Greenwich Academy with Mrs. Sandler where I was the only non-GA student (i.e. male).

She would address us as ‘girls and boy.’ It was my first class with girls in my life—I had gone to an all-boys school at Iona Grammar in New Rochelle before coming to Brunswick for ninth grade—and Mrs. Sandler’s English class was a revelation.” Mr. Silverman said that his favorite teacher was, “Rita Henderson…although she was never officially my teacher, she worked with me on SAT-type skills that needed beefing up for the standardized tests and college.” The one �

major difference in Mr. Silverman’s time at Brunswick and ours was that “Baseball

and writer about the Mets. When I asked Mr. Silverman what he enjoys most about writing

was an afterthought with a lot of people—lacrosse was much bigger with my friends.”

about the Mets, he replied, “The part I liked the most was putting all the time and energy

As you can probably tell from his many books, Mr. Silverman is an avid Mets fan

I’ve spent at Shea to a practical use. I started going to Shea in 1975 and have been more than

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300 times.” Mr. Silverman also said that he goes to many Met games with “upstanding history chair at Brunswick John Booth [through] good times and bad.” When asked how he decided to write about the Mets for a living, Mr. Silverman answered, “Believe it or not, someone asked me.”

When asked about the most memorable Mets game that he had attended, Mr. Silverman said, “The year I think of most often is 1986, when they won the World Series while I was in college.

I traveled back and forth from Virginia for the playoffs and the first weekend of the World Series. I didn’t make it for memorable Games 6 and 7, but it looked and felt awesome on TV. And then there was October 1999, when the Mets rallied the last weekend to earn a spot in a one-game tiebreaker, won that, won the Division Series on Todd Pratt’s improbable home run, and won an epic game the next week on a Grand Slam Single while Alec and I sat in the rain for 15 innings.”

Currently, Mr. Silverman works independently for “…half a dozen different publishers doing the same type of thing.” Besides the Mets books, Mr. Silverman has also worked on the ESPN Baseball and Football Encyclopedias in recent years.

Mr. Silverman will attend the Brunswick Book Fair on November 2 nd and would be delighted to answer any questions. See his website at metsilverman.com or read one of his books to find out more information about him.

The Brunswick Chronicle Homecoming 2008

Alumni Proiles

By Alex Jonokuchi ‘10 Staff Writer Rob Profusek’s life had been headed in a direction that, by modern Greenwich standards, has become frighteningly familiar.

Graduating from Brunswick in 1998, he began working in finance after college. But an unexpected change of course was in store, complete with a Hollywood ending of sorts. I recently had the opportunity to ask Mr. Profusek a few questions about his time at Brunswick and his subsequent career in the film industry.

Did you have a favorite subject in high school? AP Psychology with Mr. Duennebier and AP Comparative Government with Mr. Beattie were probably the two favorite courses I took at Brunswick. I was definitely more into history courses and I ended up actually being a government major at Cornell.

What did you like about history?

I think what I love about history is that it’s all about interpretation; it’s all about analysis. It’s not like math or science where there’s simply a right answer; it’s whatever answer you can come up with an argument for.

Did you play any sports or participate in any clubs? I played three years of Varsity Football, I wrestled for one year, played basketball another, and played baseball for a couple of years. I spent a large amount of time in the arts, whether it was performing arts or music.

Even though I started out more focused on sports, I really took on acting and theater later on.

How did you first become interested in film? I’ve always been interested in art and found an outlet within theater. I actually did a summer acting program at NYU, and probably the most important thing I got out of it was that I realized that I was probably the worst actor in the program; I realized the performing side of the production was probably not what I could do for a career. But I loved the production side of theater. �

Alumni Profile: Rob Profusek ‘98 After Cornell, I ended up working at an investment bank for two years and discovered that it really just wasn’t for me. I ended up working for a commercial director in production and the movie making process. Theater definitely set into motion what got me involved in film. It was definitely a better avenue for me (than business) since it let me be creative and follow what I love to do.

What exactly does your job entail today? Being a producer and running a production company is kind of being a little bit of everything, because you

understand how to be a producer, how to make the process a reality.

What do you like most about being a producer? Perhaps what I like most about being a producer is walking into the office knowing that every single day is a different day. It’s really exciting. I also think being a producer has been an opportunity to put together both sides of my life—business and creativity. You have to strike a balance between thinking of things creatively and simultaneously considering marketing and business implications. It allows me to tap into a lot of my different

are the focal point of the entire production. You have all of the business elements that come with running a company, and you have to deal with everything from legal matters, to casting choices; to interfacing with the director and the cinematographer in terms of creative choices; to determining how much you can spend for catering. You’re affecting every part of the process and you definitely have to be a jack-of-alltrades. As time went on my roles increased and I began to learn more about the business side, the non-creative inner workings behind what it takes to raise money, find the script, etc. So in a sense, my professional career has been an accumulation of the many small parts of the filmmaking process that have helped me better

strengths because I have to do just about everything. Another thing is just that I love film. It’s really rewarding and really fulfilling to be able to wake up everyday and do something that I’m so passionate about. Being on the set is exhausting and the process is taxing and demanding; but to me, it doesn’t matter. The feeling I get being on set is such a rush, and that’s something I’ve literally never been able to reproduce doing anything else in life.

Any advice for aspiring young filmmakers? First, follow your gut. A while ago I felt that being in finance was what I should be doing, versus what I was really passionate about in life. It can be scary to leave something you know—are comfortable with—and have come to define

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yourself by. But you have to be honest with yourself: look on the inside. Second, there are no wrong choices in choosing your path. Choices are really just based on whatever situation you are in, on whatever knowledge you have at any given time. If you are in touch with yourself, your insights and your gut, everything you do is a building block in the process of getting closer to where you want to be. And finally, if you are able to get there, what’s most important about film is being willing to be bold and follow your artistic inclinations rather than doing what an audience wants. Filmmaking is essentially putting yourself out there, being willing to fail, and taking risks to see how your creative process—and ultimately your product—resonates with the outside world. My advice is that young filmmakers be willing to take that risk.

What about Brunswick do you think has stayed with you the most over the years? I think what stayed with me the most is not so much the memories, but the people. Just like college, what defines your experience is not really the campus, or being that age or whatnot, but the people that you meet along the way. I’m still very close with a huge number of the friends that I gained there; and the teachers I had were critical to my development. At that stage of life you are trying to determine what you like or dislike, what you want to do professionally, where you want to go to college, and with all the great times come difficulties. The teachers that I had were so powerful in terms of supporting me, and told me, ‘You know what? You can actually do this. You don’t have to think that film, or theater, are just things you can do as a hobby. This is actually something you can do and make into a reality in your life and your future.’ I think one of the coolest things in film is that you can match your personal life with your professional life, and I don’t think it can get any

The Brunswick Chronicle Homecoming 2008

Alumni Profiles

Alumni Profile: Robert Selkowitz ‘69

By Pat Doyle ‘09 Staff Writer Mr. Robert Selkowitz is known for many things. He is remembered by his classmates as having been a staunch protestor of Vietnam, the creator of an underground school newspaper, an artist working with both oils and pastels; but most pertinent to The Chronicle, he is a Brunswick Alumni.

Mr. Selkowitz began attending Brunswick his sophomore year in 1966. He graduated in the June of ‘69, but within those two and a half years Mr. Selkowitz began doodling, an activity that would later develop into a career for him.

He spent his study halls drawing cars, since he was fascinated by machines. He later went to Cornell Engineering, where he designed 3D color vehicles.

Somewhere along the way, however, Mr. Selkowitz became disenchanted with the world of corporations and instead began to follow his passion for drawing.

Now he no longer drew factoryassembled machines; instead, he chose to interest himself in portraying inspiring landscapes, which he claims “resonate” with

people emotionally, and are even sometimes used “in health care . . . to relieve stress.” Although he singled out no particular favorite scene to paint, he does note that he often finds himself painting pictures of porches

instantly exclaimed, “The food!

The food! . . . The spaghetti and meat sauce was as good as at a restaurant!” He also maintains that another favorite part of Brunswick for him were his friends, especially since he was

with sunlight glancing off of them. Surprisingly, other than mechanical drawing with Mr. Koszalka, Mr. Selkowitz took no art classes while at Brunswick.

When asked about his favorite memories about Brunswick, Mr. Selkowitz

part of such a small class (40 people). He is still in contact with several of his fellow alumni. He had trouble putting a finger on his particular favorite class, but does remember quite well his Spanish class, with his teacher Colonel Leo G. Hayes, with whom he

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would get into arguments with almost daily about the Vietnam war.

Mr. Selkowitz made sure to mention to me that “20 years later, he approached me, and admitted I had been right about Vietnam 20 years back.”

Finally, when asked what are the perks and trip-ups of being an artist, Mr. Selkowitz explained, “The best is the self-realization, fulfilling one’s humanity. I never had the best skill or ability, but I had determination.” He further explained that engineering was far too impersonal for him, and that the self-realization he gained from painting was “the best.”

The most challenging aspect, however, he said is of course, paying the bills. Because he has no salary job and is a freelance subsistence artist, he gets paid according to how well his work sells. Since he is able to make up to three different painting a day, though, and can find inspiration in his mountainous homes, he is rarely short of ideas. Now that Brunswick has such a greatly improved and expanded Arts Program, it may be hoped that more students will continue to follow their passion for the arts once they graduate.

Brunswick Celebrates Baker Theater

By Oliver Sall ‘10 Staff Writer

Among the many must-attend Homecoming Weekend events, one of the most anticipated will surely be the Alumni and Alumni Parent Celebration of the Arts. Set to happen on Friday September 26th from 6–8 p.m., this will be an event that is sure to draw a lot of attention.

This Arts Gala is the collective brainchild of the Brunswick Alumni and Development Office, and together they were interested in providing a way for alumni and past parents to come to marvel over the new arts facilities during the �

Homecoming weekend. In addition, as Brunswick Director of Alumni Relations Catherine Scott Martin explains, “We thought that it would be great to give alumni artists a chance to try out the space as well.”

The visual and musical arts are to be the mainstay of the gala, as the arts will be presented by a broad spectrum of “those who have made their art their career and those who still just enjoy it on the side.” These varied art projects will be featured most notably in and around the art rooms, as well as the hallway that runs throughout the corridor outside of the new Baker

Theater. Various alumni and past parents were contacted, and most responded with clear enthusiasm when they heard of the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular new facilities. According to Mrs. Scott Martin, “All are looking forward to seeing the new space and to taking part in a fun, arts-focused evening.” Indeed they should be, for an incredibly varied selection of arts projects are on the roster.

From perhaps the visual arts—including many stunning paintings—to the modern frontiers of imaginative expression (including animation), the Arts Gala

weekend is sure to cover all aspects an arts connoisseur could hope for.

On display, bequeathed temporarily to the school by past parents and alumni, are paintings, sculptures, and perhaps even some furniture pieces made by Mr. Alexei Bulazel ’83. In addition, recent alumnus Aaron Duffy ‘02 has put together a DVD of his animated works; they are to be displayed on the big wall in the lobby of the arts center. As Mrs. Scott Martin aptly characterized the participants, “It is a talented group”; a more befitting description would be hard to come by.

See “Theater” on Page 12

The Brunswick Chronicle Homecoming 2008

Brunswick Sports

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Wick Football Set to Tackle Kingswood

By Conor Kenny ‘09 Staff Writer

T

he 2008 Brunswick Football team is hoping to have another successful season under the helm of Coach Sean Brennan. After a three-loss season in 2007, losing to division foe Hopkins and New England powerhouses Salisbury and Trinity Pawling, the team looks for leadership from he four senior captains: Billy Chapman, Milo Ceci, Kevin Royal, and Will Holmes. When asked about how he would work as a captain to prepare the team for the season, Will Holmes said “Leading by example.

If I go out on the field and put in 100% effort and perform to the best of my abilities, than the rest of the team will hopefully follow suit; that’s my job as a captain.”

After a tough scrimmage against a good Greenwich High School team, the Bruins rebounded well against Hackley in a 34-0 rout. The offense clicked as Jimmy Craft threw for 178 yards and 3

and alumni. When asked about the pressures of the homecoming game, senior Kareem Campbell said, “When you have the majority of your family, friends, and even alumni watching you play, obviously the desire to compete and win is a little stronger than under normal circumstances. But we as a team try to perform to the best of our abilities in all of our games, and homecoming shouldn’t be any different. I admit, there is the additional pressure of playing in front of half the school, but our mission remains the same.”

The excitement surrounding this game is not as high as last year, because we’ll be playing against a much lesser opponent in Kingswood-Oxford than Salisbury last year. However, it is important for the team to come out with a convincing win to have confidence against the bigger opponents.

Offensively, the team will look to quarterback Jimmy Craft, running backs Will Holmes and Milo Ceci, and receivers Kevin Royal, Garrett Virtue, Billy Chapman,

Joe Scalzo, and Brett Moscati. On the defensive side, the line will clog any attempts at the running game, as Duffy, Pierce, Chapman, and Campbell will seek to contain Kingswood’s quarterback and running back. Look for the stellar linebackers core as Peter Castine, Will Holmes, Milo Ceci, Mike Byrnes, Sammy Mcfarlane, and Charlie Payton will try to pressure the quarterback and produce many sacks just as they did in the Hackley game. Finally, the defensive backs of Duennebier, Preziosi, Virtue, Scalzo, Moscati, and Royal will limit any attempts Kingswood has in throwing the ball. Overall, the Bruins up-tempo team should have little difficulty manhandling the Kingswood-Oxford team.

Look for a rout and the backups to play the fourth quarter. As Kevin Royal put it, “We look to put a lot of points on the board early so we can get as many of the younger guys in as possible, so they can gain experience in case we look to them in the clutch in later games.’

an extremely talented squad, and annually challenges the Bruins to a hard-fought and competitive match.

In recent years, however, the Bruins

this year will be the first time in recent memory the Brunswick Team will play Gunnery on Homecoming, and the team hopes to generate a

have gotten the better of the Gunnery Squad with strong and dominant victories in the past two seasons, and seek to continue that trend. Indeed,

lot of fast pace and potent offense from their two senior forwards, Jordan Grannum and James Baker.

They also hope to utilize the unique

combination of size and speed of Grannum and Baker to overpower the Gunnery defense. While the team expects to have a strong game from Baker and Grannum, Brunswick Soccer has always prided itself on a resilient defense that is one of the best in the league.

Lead by seniors Oivind Lorentzen, Taggie Martin, Brendan Seaver, and sophomore Jared Nowell, the Brunswick defense hopes to shut down the high-powered Gunnery attack. The final piece to a potential Brunswick victory lies in the strong play of their midfielders. The Bruins anticipate a very productive game from their wing midfielders Ben Weisburger and Dan O’Neil, as well as from center midfielders senior Ben Tabah and sophomore Dan Taylor. The Bruins expect to use their unique blend of senior leadership and young talent to beat Gunnery in what should be a hard-fought and epic match.

touchdowns, two to tight end Billy Chapman, and one to wide receiver Kevin Royal. Will Holmes also had a good game at running back, adding 60 yards on 15 carries, and a touchdown. The line also gave Craft plenty of protection, as Kareem Campbell, Brad Daiber, Ray Duffy, Peter Castine, Andrew Cohen, and Alex Ghaffari dominated the Hackley defensive rush. The defense also did a great job, shutting Hackley out and leaving them with very few yards over the entire game. Even some of the younger players, including Brian Macfarlane who had a sack, saw some action. Overall, the team look good as they prepare to go up against last year’s FAA champions Hopkins; Kingswood-Oxford will be the opponent in the homecoming game on September 27th.

The homecoming game isn’t just about winning for the team, of course, but asks the team to perform at their highest potential in front of family, friends, teachers,

Wick Soccer Set To Take On Gunnery

By Charlie Gerdts ‘09 Staff Writer fter graduating 11 seniors from last year’s team, there are many new faces on the Brunswick Varsity Soccer team this season. Although the team has a very different look from last year, they are seeking to build off last year’s success—and it was the best soccer season in the history of Brunswick soccer. Last season, the team finished 11th in their division, the Western New England Private School Soccer Association (WNEPSSA), out of a total of 53 talented teams. So far this year, the team has gotten off to a hot start by holding Taft School to a 0-0 draw in the highly anticipated season opener. The Bruins are anticipating continuing their dominant play with another important game against The Gunnery School on Homecoming Weekend, Saturday September 27.

The Gunnery School always has

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The Brunswick Chronicle Homecoming 2008

Student Editorials

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Do You Think You Have School Spirit

By Will Seaton ‘09 Co-Editor-In-Chief rown is my color.

I am a member of the Brunswick community.

As a senior, I am now in the precious time of my life where I get to look back on my time at Brunswick and experience again all the great things about our school.

Brunswick is a place of community first; this is clear to all who see how close the boys are at this school. Everybody is bonded together through a combination of shared intellectual curiosity, athletic commitment, and simple kindness.

Some have been friends throughout the years, and some are brand new students just starting to reach out.

Jamie Biondi, the 2008 Valedictorian and Senior Class Speaker, pointed out that Brunswick boys high-five each other a lot. He was right—we do. Each of these high-fives, pats-on-the-backs, and chest bumps is an acknowledgement of respect and an offering of camaraderie. We do these things

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because we care; we care about each person at our school, whether it is our best friend or the person we are competing with. Brunswick students genuinely care about the welfare and success of others.

In the classroom, students debate the topics of the day, flinging ideas at each other like stinging dodgeballs in gym class. Debates

At the end of each day, Brunswick boys come together to compete in sports for their school, seeking to enhance its reputation outside of the immediate community.

Our athletes commit huge parts of themselves for their sport; they come together as a team in order to win, to gain recognition for Brunswick, but mostly because they love the

may become heated, voices may get louder, but after class is over, everybody walks out joking with one another. Many times I’ve overheard congratulations on good points passed back and forth between people who were arguing heatedly moments before. The students enjoy and celebrate good ideas, simply and plainly. They appreciate a good point, a good idea, and they enjoy being listened to and critiqued by their peers.

simple pleasure of playing sports with their friends. They enjoy the spirit of competition and, win or lose, put their all into their sport.

From the varsity down to the intramural level, boys come out to play with their friends and to revel in sport. Winning or losing with grace, competing with every fiber in their bodies, and enjoying the game, Brunswick athletes are hard to match.

Brunswick students want

“Theater”Cont.

The visual expression of the arts will be complemented by both live music and documentary films. Billy Hartong and his band Breaking Laces, whose approach (according to the band’s website) “combines stellar songwriting and organic musicianship with electronics and a guitar sound that pushes the envelope of “acoustic” to create a sound that is fresh, accessible and at times, mind-blowing,” will be playing on the main stage. In the band and choral room, Michael Szeto will be contributing his great virtuosity to the musical tonalities of the night. In addition, Matt Heineman and Matt Wiggins will contribute by showing a preview screening of their documentary “The Young Americans Project.”

When asked about her role in putting together the Arts Gala, �

an enthusiastic Mrs. Scott Martin replied, “I am just the organizer. I wish I were talented in that way.”

Surely the many in attendance Friday night will feel similar envy and pride. The Gala represents some of the finest artistic talent enjoyed

by Brunswick alumni and past parents, and the varied collection of works will certainly make for a very entertaining Arts Gala. When asked for her final thoughts on the event, Mrs. Scott Martin summed up the evening’s potential in this way: “I am very much looking forward to seeing it all come to fruition and getting a chance to see all these talented alumni perform and present their work.… It should make for an impressive evening.” With the artists slated to be on display this Friday presenting such an incredibly varied selection of works, ‘impressive’ may be an understatement.

to make a difference, and maybe that is why there are so many nonprofit charity clubs and organizations in our school. A Brunswick student sees someone is in need and doesn’t hesitate to rise to the occasion.

Whether it’s biking, eating, or writing, the boys will do anything to help out. They support those brave enough to go out for the school plays or to sing in front of a large audience, and they support those who are going through tough times and just need someone there. A helping hand is always available around the school.

Homecoming is one of the best times of each year, and it deserves a moment of your reflection. Pause and think about what Brunswick has meant to you and about how it has helped you change your life. Think about what values Brunswick has given to you.

Then you can get back to throwing that effigy of our school rivals into the bonfire as you shout your barbaric yawp into the night sky. Just ask yourself: is Brown your color too?

“Exchange”Cont. “Profusek”Cont. etc. The list is endless.

C: Is there anything else about yourself that you would like the Brunswick community to know?

Stanley: I don’t know what you guys want to hear, but you can stop by any time and ask about whatever you want to know about me, or also about my country!

Innocent: I just want the community to know that I am not perfect!

C: Is there a message you would like to convey to the Brunswick community?

Stanley: Come to see me in Slovakia next year! Then I will show you my country and school.

You will be most welcome.

Innocent: My message is a quote from a great writer and it says, “Seize every opportunity and remain true to yourself.”

better than that. Having the support that I did from a huge number of faculty members who were always there as my biggest fans was very empowering.

After graduating from Cornell in 2003, Rob Profusek ’98 worked in investment banking.

Finding the humdrum of Wall Street dull and uninteresting, Mr. Profusek went on to found PS Pictures, an independent New York based film development and production company, and presently lives his dream as a film producer. His films include eight short films currently playing in the international film festival circuit, including “Szmonlinsky” (Official Selection 58th Berlinale Film Festival), “The Boundary” (World Premiere American Black Film Festival) and “Push Button House” (World Premiere Los Angeles International Shorts Film Festival).